“A twisty, hair-raising tale.”– Newsweek “A fast-paced psychological drama.” – GMA.com “Compulsively readable.” – PopSugar “Reinforces Walker’s place at the top of the genre.” – Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Addictive.” – A.J. Finn, New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window “Gripping.” – Adrian McGinty, New York Times bestselling author of The Chain They said she walked … bestselling author of The Woman in the Window
“Gripping.” – Adrian McGinty, New York Times bestselling author of The Chain
They said she walked away. But what really happened to Molly Clarke?
From the bestselling author of All Is Not Forgotten comes a compelling and emotionally powerful story of a daughter’s desperate search to find her mother before it’s too late.
They called it a “walk away.” The car abandoned miles from home. The note found at a nearby hotel. The shattered family. It happens all the time. Women disappear, desperate to start over. But what really happened to Molly Clarke?
The night Molly disappeared began with a storm, running out of gas, and a man offering her a ride to safety. But when the doors lock shut, Molly begins to suspect she has made a terrible mistake.
A new lead brings Molly’s daughter, Nicole, back to the small, desolate town where her mother was last seen to renew the desperate search. The locals are sympathetic and eager to help. The innkeeper. The bartender. Even the police. Until secrets begin to reveal themselves and Nicole comes closer to the truth about that night—and the danger surrounding her.
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That first line ‘The sky goes dark as I drive.’ should have clued me in to the ominous and dark tone this book was going to take. Let me tell you, the dark sky ended up being the least of Molly’s worries and was only the beginning of her terror.
Don’t Look for Me took me on a ride I couldn’t have imagined when I started reading. I was not expecting the story that I unfold before me and I loved every minute of it! Twists, turns. lies, not knowing who to trust, nor who to believe. So much hurt and so many emotions. Molly had already been through so much and I wasn’t sure she was going to survive what happened to her on the dark, rainy night.
Don’t Look for Me is the perfect read for those who love psychological thrillers. This one will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. Loved, loved, loved it!
Molly walked away from her life — that’s what everyone thinks. But her daughter Nicole will not stop looking. Propulsive, expertly plotted and moving.
So much more than a cleverly-plotted, beautifully-written novel. This gorgeously layered thriller is riveting, haunting and emotional, following a family broken by tragedy and asking if redemption is ever an option when the unthinkable has happened, or if walking away is really the best option. A chilling and twisty delight I highly recommend!
Author Wendy Walker weaves a wicked thread throughout DON’T LOOK FOR ME. With the use of a child to manipulate human emotions, and an unforeseeable twist, this well-crafted nail-biter kept me wide-eyed into the wee hours.
Brava Wendy Walker! One of the best thrillers I have ever read. Creepy, compelling, and moving at times, Walker does an amazing job of keeping the reader guessing — and gasping — until the very end.
Read this one in two days. I don’t read a lot of thrillers, but this book drew me in and then I had to know what would happen. The suspense elements worked well, and I wasn’t quite sure who the bad guy was until just before it became obvious. One of my favorite things about Wendy’s books is how she delves into psychology and moral ambiguities. She refers to them in this book as “shades of gray” but she mines them well and makes these fantastical situations relatable through them. Great job!
Don’t Look for Me is a unique walk in a different direction. Molly Clarke accidentally hit her daughter with her car five years ago. Her older daughter, Nic, was babysitting when her little sister dashed outside to catch the ice cream truck just as her mother was coming around a blind corner. The oldest brother Evan, husband, John, Molly, and Nic have all suffered in their own ways from this terrible tragedy, but none more than Nic and Molly dealing with their respective guilt over Annie’s death. Driving back from Evan’s ball game, Molly’s car runs out of gas during a terrible storm. She’s tempted to just walk away and leave all the pain and her family behind. A truck comes along, and the man and his child offer her a ride. Things go downhill from there as Molly has now become the prisoner of this man, made to be the “new mother” to nine-year old Alice. The rest of the book is told alternatively between Molly and her struggle to outwit this man and his daughter, and Nic who returns to the town her mother was last seen in to find out the truth of whether her mother is dead or really did just walk away from her life and her family. As the story is told, these alternate chapters become shorter and shorter, accelerating the great unexpected conclusion.
I got this from a friend who won it from Goodreads. She recommended it to me.
It is a fast paced thriller. It’s the first time I have read Wendy Walker. The premise was good and could actually happen, which I always like. I thought I had figured it out a couple of times, but there always ended being a twist that threw me off.
I like books like that, so you are probably wondering why 4 instead of 5. Well, at the end she threw something end, I just couldn’t believe. I just didn’t like it. Overall, though it was a good book.
Five years ago, Molly and John Clarke’s youngest daughter died. It changed their family forever, devastating Molly and John. Molly blames herself. Their son, Evan, is now at boarding school and eldest daughter Nicole, 21, has a fractured relationship with her mom. Then Molly disappears coming back from visiting Evan. Everyone says she left on purpose, backed up by the note they find. The police call it a “walk away.” Molly’s car was abandoned by a gas station, the note discovered at a nearby hotel. But what really happened to Molly? Nicole is convinced her mother wouldn’t just walk away from them, no matter how bad things had become.
“This was her fault and now she had to make it right. She had to find her mother.”
Oh my gosh. I read this book in one breathless day, despite working for 12 hours. It’s an utterly and completely spellbinding thriller. I read the last half in one sitting, desperate to know what became of Molly. Walker gives us a twisty thriller that is filled with surprises. It’s dramatic, beyond readable, and heartbreaking at times. Told from Molly and Nicole’s point of views, it’s amazing. I love a book that can shock me, and this is that book.
I’m not going to offer much more, as it’s best to go into this one blind. Just know that, hands down, it’s one of the best thrillers I’ve read this year. 4.5+ stars. Pick up this book!
I received a copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
“Don’t Look For Me” unfolds step by step in two deliberate narratives, starting with Molly Clark’s first person account; she has a husband John, a daughter Nicole, and a son Evan. On “Day One,” Molly agonizes that she is not a good mother, that her husband does not love her anymore. Why? Because of what she did. She drives and drives until on a deserted road in a terrible storm, she runs out of gas. A truck stops; a man and young child offer a ride. They have been waiting for her; they knew she was coming, and they know what she did.
The account shifts to Nicole’s narrative on “Day Thirteen.” It is not easy to disappear, people need money, a place to stay, and food; all of these things can be traced. But disappear Molly did, and she left a note. “Don’t look for me,” it stated. The dual narratives of Molly and Nicole continue, moving back and forth in time until the stories merge. The events are suspenseful and unsettling; the pace is slow and unhurried with deliberate details and events that seem ordinary, but are far from it. Then, things change dramatically and tragically on “Day Eighteen.”
Walker takes readers on an intense and disturbing journey. Clues gradually pile up and point to an ending that seems clear, until it turns into something else, something unexpected. I received a review copy of “Don’t Look For Me” from Wendy Walker and St Martin’s Press. It will keep readers turning page after page.
Wow this book is everything a thriller should be! I knew I was in for a crazy ride after the first chapter, so many times I was yelling “OMG” it’s intense, twisty, and unputdownable! It has been two weeks that Molly Clarke disappeared, the news and Hastings Police Department believed she walked away from her life. But her daughter, Nicole, doesn’t believe her mom would and is determined to find the truth. Well we come to find that Hastings is the exit you drive past for gas, it’s pretty much run down and the towns folk all have secrets. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an ebook ARC. This is my honest review.
To me this book was like taking a hike on a steep mountain that is very new to you. You walk briskly and take each twist and turn with careful steps. You watch out for anything and everything. So many things that are there in your way. Possibly it will never end. Just when you think it will go straight another huge curve is thrown at you. The twists are plenty. You are so out of breath by the time you finish you are not sure it really happened. But it did…
A few excerpts from the story:
Please let me go. Let me walk away. I feel the words in my head like a prayer. Please, they whisper. Don’t look for me.
My beloved family, I am so very sorry. I couldn’t make it home, and they I thought maybe you are better off without me.
But for now, for right now, as she drove away, there was just one thought. I’m not going home. Not without my mother.
And when a series of actions come together to create a tragedy, that’s what it’s called-an accident.
It never goes away. God, help me. It never leaves. I’m sorry, John, for falling off the scale. For being unworthy of you.
I feel it. The truth. The fight is coming.
This is the story of a mother. A mother and daughter. The things that happen between them. The things they will do for each other. What they each will sacrifice for the other. The fights between them. The sorry that drives a wedge between them. Then what they each do for the other. One to find the other and one to keep the other out of harms way. Mothers will do anything for their daughters. Most will. Even give up their own lives.
Molly goes to hell and back in this book. She’s a mother and a wife. She loves her children more than life. She has three children and no one can say any different. One died. One died at Molly’s hands. She ran over her own daughter. Now her life will never be the same. She doesn’t believe she deserves any kind of happiness. She needs to pay for what she did.
Nicole/Nik, Molly’s oldest daughter, has guilt of her own. She lives in a life of degrading herself with vodka and men. Once an ace student on her way to bigger and better things. Then the accident that caused her sister’s death. Nicole blames herself. If she would have been different maybe Annie would still be alive. Maybe her mother would not have run over her. If only. Now Nicole drowns herself in vodka and sleeps with men she doesn’t know. Trying to fill that void.
On a stormy night on a deserted highway Molly runs out of gas. Her nightmare is just beginning. She thinks it’s best for everyone if she just walks away and they never see her again. She has no idea what that thinking is going to do to the ones she is leaving behind. Her husband, her son and her oldest daughter. Each has done some pretty awful things to Molly since that awful day. Each has turned their back on her in every way possible. Her mind can’t take it anymore. The loss of a child broke her.
This story is going to take you into what happened to Molly. To who took her and why. To a child that needs a mother and a man who is totally insane. There are many characters in this story and each is likable. Each one seems to have a reason or chance to have taken Molly. But only one does. You may figure out who but you will never see each twist that comes. Each turn. Each reason for what is happening. What does Molly’s daughter have to do with any of it. Nicole never believed her mother just walked away. She knew how much she had hurt her mom and also knew how much her mom loved each of them. She didn’t just walk away. Nicole made it her mission to find her mother. She made a promise to her brother, Evan, that she would not stop until she found their mother.
So many twists and turns that your head will spin. But it’s easy to follow also. This is one of the best, if not the best, thrillers I have read. EVER! I did not see many things coming. Many of the things that happen near the end will leave you holding your breath for sure. The depths that a mother will go to protect her daughter and that a daughter will go to find her mother. That love is so strong. Unbreakable. Perfect.
Thank you #NetGalley, #WendyWalker, #StMartin’sPress for this arc. This is my own true review.
5/5 stars and a very high recommendation to all!
While I found the premise to “Don’t Look for Me” to be intriguing, I am clearly in the minority when it comes to my opinion of this book, because this one just didn’t do it for me. Perhaps it’s because I guessed the perpetrator’s true identity early on. Or maybe I can blame it on the unrealistic way that the story ultimately played out. Regardless, “Don’t Look for Me” failed to meet my highly eager expectations. Don’t get me wrong—there are enough good components to this story to make it a fairly decent mystery, but overall, it just wasn’t enough for me to deliver a 5-star rating.
*4.5 Stars*
This was my first book by this author and I will be quickly going back to read her previous releases. This story was very twisty with an entertaining creep factor told in dual POVs with alternating time lines.
I did not expect to be sucked into the story right off the bat but I was hooked wondering what was going to happen.
We follow Nicole (the daughter) and Molly (the mother), after they find themselves in a situation they never imagined, after a horrible tragedy. The author pushes these characters’ limits and even the reader’s limits. While giving these two characters everything they can handle, you’d think they’d give up. They don’t. They are fighters until the very end.
If you’re looking for an addicting, creepy, suspenseful thriller, look no further. Don’t pass this one up!
Grateful to have received a complimentary ARC copy to honestly review.
I loved this book! Electric, pulse pounding, and TWISTED. The perfect combo for an intense thriller. Fast-paced, creeptastic, and full of wily characters. Walker is a go-to author for me and this book cemented that! Masterful and brilliant. Grab this book now!
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Thank you to @NetGalley and the publisher @stmartinspress (partner) for an eARC of this book. All thoughts are my own.
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Molly’s life has not turned out the way she expected. After losing her young daughter, her family has fallen apart. Her husband is having an affair. Her older daughter has dropped out of high school. And her young son shunned her the last time she appeared at a game. Would they even care if she walked away? This has crossed her mind several times in the past couple of weeks. But, did this really happen the night Molly disappeared? The police think so…
Oh wow! So much to say about this novel. Molly is a character which pulls at your heartstrings. She is struggling to survive and keep her family together. Then…something else happens. Can you tell I am trying not to give anything away!
Nic, Molly’s older daughter, is the one who refuses to give up. She knows her mother is out there. Her mother did not WALK AWAY! Nic faces adversity at every turn. The police are no help. They believe Molly walked away. It has happened before in their little town. No way is Nic giving up.
This story is full of intensity and intrigue! I was mesmerized from the very beginning. And then…when you find out exactly who is behind the disappearance…OMG!
Grab your copy today!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
Lately, I have been a sucker for psychological thrillers and this one did not disappoint. There were even times where I got the heebie-jeebies and that doesn’t happen often.
This story has a lot of twists and turns especially at the end. There were several things that totally surprised me and I never saw coming. I can’t say too much because it would definitely give away the ending.
It is interesting to see what people will do and believe when it comes to family. The Clarke’s have seen some tragedies over the last few years which have also torn their family apart. Denial, acting out, losing hope are just some of the things that the family endured. But despite all of that, Nic just couldn’t believe her mom was gone and that could have led to her downfall if she trusted the wrong person.
The book flips between Molly and Nic’s POV which kept the story interesting. Once we know what happened to Molly, I have to admit I was a bit freaked out because I knew this couldn’t end well and just the situation itself was intense. There is a little girl, Alice, that is around the same age as Molly’s deceased daughter, Annie. For a young girl (9), she came across and possibly a sociopath. Her emotions were all over the place and we would see her go from happy to mad to sad to coy in what seemed like minutes. But at the same time, she wanted Molly to be her new mommy and she would do things she probably wasn’t supposed to do.
This is the first book I have read by this author, but I will definitely check out what else she has written because if they are anything like this book, I’m sure I will enjoy those stories.
So…Freaking…Good! So many twists and turns, false direction, suspicion…and pure terror as you finally fingure out what’s going on.
Molly’s family is destroyed because of her. It’s been five years since her youngest child, Annie, was killed.
”We are not wired to witness the death of a child. To endure it. To survive it.”
”
She thinks her husband is having an affair. Her oldest, Nicole, is twenty-one and can’t stand to look at her. She has nothing but harsh words for her, anymore. Evan, her son, is at boarding school four hours away. When she makes the long drive to watch him play footbal, he dismisses her. Walks past her, as if he doesn’t know her. Her family no longer loves her. She is a burden to them now and she doesn’t blame them.
She’s making the four-hour drive home, as hurricane weather hits and she runs out of gas. As she’s walking along the dark, deserted road, she makes a decision. Her family would be better off without her, to remind them of their grief and loss everyday.
”Please let me go. Let me walk away. I feel the words in my head like a prayer. Please, they whisper. Don’t look for me.”
Excellent writing by an excellent author. If you haven’t read a Wendy Walker novel, you are missing out!
Thank you to Edelweiss, Wendy Walker and St. Martin’s Press, for this free digital ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!
Another incredible group read with No Rules – Just Thrills!
My Rating: 5 ’s
Published: September 15th 2020 by St. Martin’s Press
Pages: 352
Recommend: Yes
@wendy_walker @StMartinsPress @weiss_squad
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After publication, my reviews can be found:
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BN.com, BookBub
This is Molly’s story, Molly is having a hard time dealing with her life and family after a tragic accidentally kills her youngest daughter in a tragic accident. Her other children are also having trouble with the changes at home. This is her story. She disappears on her way home from her son’s football came. Did she walk away from her life? What really happened? Lots of suspense and all the feels. Be prepared not to get to sleep early….
5 exciting stars for being a fast paced and exciting read. It kept me guessing all through the book of who in the town is the one not to trust as it could have been any one of them. Almost every single character has flaws. Highly recommend to those who like psychological thrillers. A stormy night starts the scene, a creepy dead town, and then there are the townspeople! Strong women heroines.
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the ARC