A New York Times Best Crime Novel of the Year“Barry’s adrenaline-fueled adventure explores the Me Too movement, cancel culture, reproductive rights and white male extremism. Buckle up for a heart-stopping ride.”–People Magazine The riveting follow up to Jessica Barry’s debut Freefall—a controversial, of-the-moment thriller about two women fighting for their right to live. 322 miles of road. 6 … of-the-moment thriller about two women fighting for their right to live.
322 miles of road. 6 hours. 2 strangers. 1 killer. Too many secrets.
Midnight. Cait Monaghan and Rebecca McRae are on a desolate road that slices through the New Mexican desert. They’ve never met before tonight. Both have secrets to protect. Both of their lives are in danger.
When a truck pulls up fast behind them, they assume it’s punk teenagers or run-of-the-mill road rage, but it soon becomes clear that whoever is driving the truck is hunting them for sport—and they are out to draw blood.
As the miles unspool and the dangers mount, the pasts they’ve worked so hard to keep buried have come back to haunt them. Someone wants one of them dead. But which one? And given the lives the two women have been leading, that someone could be almost anyone.
If Cait and Rebecca are going to survive, they’ll have to learn to trust one another—and themselves. But trust is a costly business, and they’ve both paid the price before. . . .
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DON’T TURN AROUND is about two strangers, Cait and Rebecca, traveling hundreds of miles together in one night, pursued by a dangerous driver that they both believe is coming for them alone. As the story progresses, we learn where they’re headed, why, and who might possibly have it in for each of them, and all the while, the book moves at a stunningly fast pace, the pages turning as quickly as the miles these women drive. This book, like Jessica Barry’s debut FREEFALL, is riveting and sharply written, with characters whose nuanced emotional lives will be sure to stay with readers long after they finish. The chase sequences are as heart-pounding and electric as any action film, and the issue at the heart of the book is handled with great care, insight, and empathy. I also loved how Cait and Rebecca’s relationship evolves over the course of the night, and how the novel ultimately highlights the way that women can support and uplift other women. In short, I thoroughly enjoyed DON’T TURN AROUND, racing through it in less than two days. I highly recommend it for those looking for a quick but impactful read.
Jessica Barry has written a grab-you-by-the-throat novel of suspense that follows the trail of two women pushed to the extreme. Don’t Turn Around is the female-driven thriller you’ve been waiting for.
A slow book for me, except for about 3 or 4 chapters near the end. The characters were one dimensional and I just wasn’t invested in them.
An engrossing story of fear, building to terror, as two women attempt an overnight desert road trip from one US state to another. They face very real stalking terror, inflated and magnified by overactive imagination, based on their lived experiences from death threats, powerlessness against social media trolling, the dread of violence – just for the crime of being women whose voices must be silenced by men. All this compounded by traveling in the unknown claustrophobic darkness of night and the conviction by both women that the villain is after one of them – but which one, and which villain?
Told from different points of view, each character convincingly nuanced, and bouncing between past and present, the story unveils piece by piece the reasons for the journey and the reasons these very different women, united against an unknown threat, might be the intended victim of a stalker.
Jessica Barry’s skilfully told story breaks away from traditional stalker thrillers in that the women represent more than the creepy personal focus of a vicious murderer. They represent women challenging men who want to control them, whether it’s their protest against domestic violence, sexual violence or control of a woman’s body. An excellent 5 star read.
Not what I expected. Not a thriller at all.
This was a good book that could be seen as a controversial subject by many. Many will have their own opinions due to their own morals, ethics and faith. What this book will hopefully do is cause people to open their eyes and just understand how someone may see and feel given the situation. Maybe some will not be so judgmental after reading this book. The book starts out with a little mystery about why and where Cait and Rebecca are headed, but we find out very quickly the reason for their trip. A book that is very thought provoking but somewhat predictable. The best part of the book for me was near the end when the judge gave a ruling decision, Rebecca walked across the courtroom and whispered in her husband’s ear. This book will probably be labeled a women’s rights book but for me, It is a book about many sensitive issues such as sexual promiscuity, abortion, murder, love and trust.
Thank you to the author for providing me a gifted copy of this book. All opinions here are my own.
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Patricia Fayo Reviews
Novels N Latte
Hudson Valley girls
I wanted to like this book but it fell flat. Written like a stereo typical horror movie. Girls being chased and everything that can go wrong, does. They barely get out of situations. Too over the top for me.
Exciting and topical.
Don’t Turn Around by Jessica Barry is going to be one of those books you either like or you don’t. The author manages to take an extremely controversial subject and turn it into this nail-biter of a novel that is about even more.
Now unfortunately I can’t actually say what the controversial subject is, or I would give the whole book away, but it is definitely something that gets people talking and usually evokes very strong opinions. I wasn’t expecting the book to be quite so heavy in this way, but I still ended up really enjoying it. Don’t Turn Around focuses on Cait and Rebecca’s drive from Texas to New Mexico, but also so much more! There are a lot of different skips to other times prior to them being on the road and for me it made the book fly by even faster. I would consider this a slow burn with a quick pace if that makes sense.
Between the quick pacing, short chapters, and time jumps this book really flew by for me and it is easy to read in a day. There are a couple parts that get a little violent/gory so maybe beware of that, but overall the book isn’t like that the entire time. There are also a few different viewpoints, most of which were probably not necessary, but I enjoyed them just the same. Don’t Turn Around will make you think, feel, and despise certain characters but it was a wild ride indeed. I love Barry’s writing style and I can’t wait to see what she thinks up next.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy of this book, all opinions and thoughts are my own.
Making life-changing decisions in the public eye
Well, first of all, I thought this was a second book in a series, after FREEFALL. So I re-read FREEFALL to reacquaint myself with it. And found out when I read this book that it was just a newer book by the author. It was no great hardship since I enjoyed FREEFALL but I have so many books to read and so little time.
Second of all, I wouldn’t have chosen this book to read if I had known what it was ultimately about. I can’t explain without giving spoilers but it’s not a topic I read about or believe in.
The book was written well. I felt like it could have moved along faster and had quite a bit of filler. The characters were well fleshed out.
Cait is young, a bartender that wants to be a serious writer, and wrote an article that proved to be inflammatory to the wrong people. Rebecca is older and is a rising politician’s wife.
Cait ends up driving Rebecca to Albuquerque and they end up being pursued on desolate highways, not knowing which of them is the target.
I would have rated this 3 1/2 stars if I could have.
I received this book from Harper Books through Edelweiss in the hopes that I would read it and leave unbiased reviews.
Cait is your average twenty year old girl, she kind of has a day job writing journalism pieces here and there, and then bartends at night to keep a steady stream of cashing coming in. On a night off, she is out partying it up, when a local making his big break is eyeing her up from his stage performance. She follows him home later, and what unfolds is an experience that most woman fear when in the heat of the moment.
Rebecca, a politician’s wife doesn’t even know how she got to where she is in life. Things seemed so good, and Patrick was so perfect, but she just isn’t cut out for politics. She doesn’t have that warm motherly look about her, she often been referred to as another Hilary Clinton. She is NOT that, but she is not a fan of the cameras and all that jazz.
These two women end up together, in the same vehicle both running. Each running from their own issue, but the other having no clue. Sworn to secrecy was what the agency said. Cait worked a side job helping women get to places they needed to go with no questions asked, until she overheard Rebecca’s name from one of the calls. She badgered the original lady into swapping so Cait could take on Rebecca’s drive instead.
What was supposed to be a secret, turns into a nightmare for Rebecca and she cannot believe she trusted this girl and agency to help her handle what needed to be done without anyone knowing, or any scrutiny but apparently that won’t happen now. The two end up in a game of cat and mouse on their adventure and each one thinks they are the reason for this. But who really is at fault for their terrible “luck” and what secrets are they trying to hide from?
I will be honest, at times I felt this novel would dip and be a little cumbersome but then it would sideswipe you back into the plot line and I did not see any of the twists or turns that came out of this book. Stick with this one, it is worth it!
Thank you to Shelf Pro Awareness and Harper Collins for the arc!
Thank you in advance to the publisher, Harper/Harper Collins, for this advanced review copy. A positive review was not required and all words are my own.
The author of this novel uses a pseudonym so I don’t know if I’ve read other works by her. I have not read her first book (under this name) – “Freefall”.
I enjoy good suspense novels, preferably clean, but occasionally I’ll select something that isn’t so “clean” based on the premise. The premise of this stood out to me, particularly as I know most of that stretch between Texas and Arizona. And, to be honest, driving it at night is a horror story all its own. Naturally, I was interested.
While this is similar to the author’s first novel “Freefall”, “Don’t Turn Around” is a standalone novel. Both have heavy “social” themes to them.
“Don’t Turn Around” focuses on abortion, domestic violence, safety of social media, internet shaming, and doxxing (someone’s information given out for revenge). It also has political tones to it that are obvious. There are strong feminist themes in this story, which is told from multiple points of view (POVs). The language can be coarse and rough at times.
Cait is more or less a “driver” to take Rebecca somewhere that Rebecca’s influential husband can’t know about or wouldn’t approve. It is with great urgency that Rebecca get where she needs to be. And, it’s fairly apparent early on as to what the appointment is for. The why is clearly established in a way to make Rebecca a more sympathetic character and to add some humanity to the situation.
Yet, on their journey there is someone stalking them on that lonely, desert highway. But, who is the person after – Cait or Rebecca? Both know someone with a motive to see them fail. The who is not established, until the end, which made this a “have to keep turning the page” type of read. The “why” is a bit murky though. There are references to an anonymous article that Cait wrote after a violent sexual encounter with a celebrity and this is where the internet and victim shaming comes into play. The “Me Too” theme is quite prevalent in this book as well. The mystery is still left at the end as to the “why”.
The short, quick chapters are not numbered but rather “named” as to the POV Ken, Jake, Patrick, Adam are by their name and the “timeline” can be easy to figure out, but not obvious. “Years earlier” is told from Cait or Rebecca’s POV, or the location/distance to Albuquerque which is either told from Cait’s POV or Rebecca’s – all written in third person.
Despite their differences, Rebecca and Cait seemingly bond on the trip; especially when their survival depends on it. And, in a way, they are also connected as the reader finds out.
The writer does a great job at creating suspense – especially with the pickup truck chasing them down.
The blurb showed great potential for this story. But, it is the “statement” that tends to bog down what could’ve been a great book. It becomes more of a political, social driven story than a truly great suspense tale. To me, the social issue seemed to be the main focus of the story.
The male characters are characterized as “bad guys” with the women categorized innocent victims. Yes, there is no doubt Cait was a victim. So too was Rebecca.
But, it was the lop-sided “women are good/men are bad” POV that caused some eye-rolling on my end. Perhaps that is how I saw it, and as a reader reviewing the book, that is what I saw. There were two remotely “semi” good male character towards the end, and both were minor. Both were supportive and doing their jobs. Nothing outstanding. Even a gas station attendant and a semi-truck driver were not “good” characters, with one being described as creepy. The semi-truck driver wasn’t too bad, but not “good” either.
While I admit, some guys can be jerks (I used to work with quite a few); there are some really great guys out there (and I’ve worked with quite a few of those too). With the way the author created the suspense, dialogue, and friendship with Cait and Rebecca – it shows she does talent as a story-teller. I don’t know if it was the author’s intention for this to come off as one-sided or not. Looking back, the “tagline” – “it’s never been so dangerous to be a woman” should’ve been a clue.
The character I felt sorry for was Rebecca, especially how she had seemingly lost herself in everything going on around her and how people’s impressions of her were wrong. What was worse was that there was no one to guide her, only a “manager” who was looking for an “image” to sell (mainly her husband’s), rather than focusing on her good traits while tempering bad ones. Only at the end did Rebecca find her strength, and it had to come in a truly horrific manner.
While I’m not one to stick my head in the sand over things – there are always multiple sides to an issue. And, yes, a writer should be able to express their view in their writing. For that, I do respect the author. However, this just didn’t work for me. I read for the escape, for the entertainment – not politics or social issues. This should be disclosed as part of the summary of this book.
SPOILER: one of the reasons Rebecca is so adamant about getting where she needs to be is pending legal action. That’s as much detail as I can give out without revealing the entire plot.
I believe it could’ve worked without the social issues in it – just the “dark, desert scene” when they’re being hunted down was enough to build on. The unlikely alliance formed between Cait and Rebecca was another place to go. And, having perhaps more balanced good vs. bad in it with regard to the characters.
Another thing that bogged this down was “too many” POVs – Cait, Rebecca, Patrick, Ken, Mike, Jake, Adam. I was beginning to wonder how everyone tied into this story, as well as their role in it. Too many people with too many agendas is the conclusion for that.
The unresolved end with the “stalking” truck driver was satisfying with regard to the suspense element. I would be slightly interested to see if that issue ever comes back into play in another novel. The resourcefulness of both Cait and Rebecca shined right in that moment. So, again, this had potential, it was the delivery and execution that seemed to have done it in for me.
For those looking for a thriller/suspense story with political themes, social issues, and multiple characters; this might work for you. It honestly wasn’t the worst thing I read, definitely not the best, and again not something I would’ve chosen had I truly known some of the content.
I will admit, the character I really rallied behind was the Jeep. That thing kept rolling along despite everything thrown at it!