Don't Look for Me

 

What a ride!  This book has twisted, turned, bottomed my stomach out, thrown me for a loop and left me wanting to do it all again.  It’s been awhile since I’ve read a good suspenseful psychological thriller, and this one ticked all my boxes of what I enjoy in the genre.  Wendy Walker is a new author for me, and I’ve heard a couple reviewers say that they don’t consider this one of her best books, but considering how much I liked this one, I can only feel optimistic about reading more from her.

This is the story of Molly Clarke, a wife and mom struggling to live life in the aftermath of her young daughter, Annie’s, death - a death she feels responsible for, and one that her husband, John, and two older children, Nicole and Evan, have struggled to absolve her of.  In the midst of the family crisis, she questions whether her family would be happier if she just left for good.  One dark and stormy night (cliché, but it works here), she makes a choice that sets the stage for the ensuing events of the book, which I won’t delve too deeply into for fear of spoilers.  Suffice it to say, this begins a series of harrowing events that is the catalyst for these broken people to examine the trauma of their past and move forward.

There are a number of red herrings, creating a constant tension of who you should believe, and even a character I presumed innocent due to age and lack of life experience had me questioning if what I was seeing could be trusted.  I didn’t love the introduction of one of the final ‘whodunnit’ characters - it just wasn’t the huge reveal I hoped for - but even that didn’t ruin one bit of my enjoyment for the story.  It’s well-written, nicely paced, and kept me wanting to read (and skip work to read - but I was a good girl and didn’t).  I highly recommend it!

★★★★★ ❤️