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Don't Forget Me
When a body is presumed to be her missing husband’s, a woman must unravel the secrets of her own past to clear her name, find the truth, and put her conscience to rest once and for all.
All Ruby wanted was a fresh start. But after an early retirement and a relocation to a tight-knit community with her husband, Tom, and her daughter, Lily, her new beginning takes a turn.
First her troubled daughter and then her husband disappear without a trace. Unsure how to cope, grief-ridden Ruby turns to her neighborhood friends to find a way forward with new hobbies, including a murder club where they try to solve cold cases.
But just as unexpectedly as her family vanished, a body floats to the surface of the nearby lake.
And everyone is sure the body belongs to Tom…everyone except Ruby.
Determined to find out what happened to her family once and for all, Ruby digs into her neighbors’ lives, and her own, only to uncover secrets that raise more questions than they answer. And the biggest question of all—why doesn’t she recognize the body?
All Ruby wanted was a fresh start. But after an early retirement and a relocation to a tight-knit community with her husband, Tom, and her daughter, Lily, her new beginning takes a turn.
First her troubled daughter and then her husband disappear without a trace. Unsure how to cope, grief-ridden Ruby turns to her neighborhood friends to find a way forward with new hobbies, including a murder club where they try to solve cold cases.
But just as unexpectedly as her family vanished, a body floats to the surface of the nearby lake.
And everyone is sure the body belongs to Tom…everyone except Ruby.
Determined to find out what happened to her family once and for all, Ruby digs into her neighbors’ lives, and her own, only to uncover secrets that raise more questions than they answer. And the biggest question of all—why doesn’t she recognize the body?
266 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 9, 2024
3432 people are currently reading
17635 people want to read
About the author
Rea Frey
16 books1,017 followersRea Frey is the #1 bestselling author of several suspense, thriller, and contemporary fiction novels.
Known as The Book Doula, Rea helps other writers birth their books into the world. To learn more, visit reafrey.com
Known as The Book Doula, Rea helps other writers birth their books into the world. To learn more, visit reafrey.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 882 reviews
March 4, 2024
EXCERPT: . . . his voice faded before he inhaled sharply, choking on his own spit. 'Is that a body?'
I nodded, curt. 'I saw it when I was rowing. It was just . . . there. Floating.'
He looked from me to the lake and back to me again. 'Are you okay? That must have been terrifying, especially after everything you've been through these last few months.'
I swallowed the last part of that sentence, burying it with all the other trauma, and focused on what was at stake now, in the moment. Suddenly, I whipped back to the lake. 'Ralph, if there's a body in our lake, then that means someone put it there.' Though it wasn't a question, he nodded, seeming to make an instantaneous judgement.
'Maybe, but we have to figure out the facts first.'
This couldn't have been an accidental drowning. Not when the body was wrapped up like that. I thought of Cottage Grove's obsession with true crime. There were thriller book clubs and 'whodunnit' crime nights, where we 'solved' cold murder cases in under three hours. We called ourselves the Murderlings. At first, I'd been hesitant to join, but once I solved my first case, I was hooked. Now with a murder in our own backyard, they were going to have a field day with this.
ABOUT 'DON'T FORGET ME': When a body is presumed to be her missing husband’s, a woman must unravel the secrets of her own past to clear her name, find the truth, and put her conscience to rest once and for all.
All Ruby wanted was a fresh start. But after an early retirement and a relocation to a tight-knit community with her husband, Tom, and her daughter, Lily, her new beginning takes a turn.
First her troubled daughter and then her husband disappear without a trace. Unsure how to cope, grief-ridden Ruby turns to her neighborhood friends to find a way forward with new hobbies, including a murder club where they try to solve cold cases.
But just as unexpectedly as her family vanished, a body floats to the surface of the nearby lake.
And everyone is sure the body belongs to Tom…everyone except Ruby.
Determined to find out what happened to her family once and for all, Ruby digs into her neighbors’ lives, and her own, only to uncover secrets that raise more questions than they answer. And the biggest question of all—why doesn’t she recognize the body?
MY THOUGHTS: Rea Frey has done it again! This is the second (out of three) five-star book I have read by this author. Taut, twisty and surprising.
Told in alternating timelines of 'NOW' and "THEN' with snippets from a community online chat thread interspersed, Don't Forget Me is full of secrets slowly being exposed, along with a good helping of domestic abuse, childhood trauma, a murder or three and some missing persons. I recommend you go into this cold, suspend your belief and just enjoy the fast-paced and riveting ride. Oh yes, and trust no one!
Don't Forget Me has an ending I never saw coming. It is deliciously chilling, but not as chilling as the very last line - which sent a shiver up my spine.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#DontForgetMe #NetGalley
THE AUTHOR: I never thought I would become an author.
Growing up, I believed the false story that writing was a hobby; it wasn’t a job. But I’ve always liked a challenge.
Known as The Book Doula, Rea also helps other writers birth their books into the world.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of Don't Forget Me by Rea Frey for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
I nodded, curt. 'I saw it when I was rowing. It was just . . . there. Floating.'
He looked from me to the lake and back to me again. 'Are you okay? That must have been terrifying, especially after everything you've been through these last few months.'
I swallowed the last part of that sentence, burying it with all the other trauma, and focused on what was at stake now, in the moment. Suddenly, I whipped back to the lake. 'Ralph, if there's a body in our lake, then that means someone put it there.' Though it wasn't a question, he nodded, seeming to make an instantaneous judgement.
'Maybe, but we have to figure out the facts first.'
This couldn't have been an accidental drowning. Not when the body was wrapped up like that. I thought of Cottage Grove's obsession with true crime. There were thriller book clubs and 'whodunnit' crime nights, where we 'solved' cold murder cases in under three hours. We called ourselves the Murderlings. At first, I'd been hesitant to join, but once I solved my first case, I was hooked. Now with a murder in our own backyard, they were going to have a field day with this.
ABOUT 'DON'T FORGET ME': When a body is presumed to be her missing husband’s, a woman must unravel the secrets of her own past to clear her name, find the truth, and put her conscience to rest once and for all.
All Ruby wanted was a fresh start. But after an early retirement and a relocation to a tight-knit community with her husband, Tom, and her daughter, Lily, her new beginning takes a turn.
First her troubled daughter and then her husband disappear without a trace. Unsure how to cope, grief-ridden Ruby turns to her neighborhood friends to find a way forward with new hobbies, including a murder club where they try to solve cold cases.
But just as unexpectedly as her family vanished, a body floats to the surface of the nearby lake.
And everyone is sure the body belongs to Tom…everyone except Ruby.
Determined to find out what happened to her family once and for all, Ruby digs into her neighbors’ lives, and her own, only to uncover secrets that raise more questions than they answer. And the biggest question of all—why doesn’t she recognize the body?
MY THOUGHTS: Rea Frey has done it again! This is the second (out of three) five-star book I have read by this author. Taut, twisty and surprising.
Told in alternating timelines of 'NOW' and "THEN' with snippets from a community online chat thread interspersed, Don't Forget Me is full of secrets slowly being exposed, along with a good helping of domestic abuse, childhood trauma, a murder or three and some missing persons. I recommend you go into this cold, suspend your belief and just enjoy the fast-paced and riveting ride. Oh yes, and trust no one!
Don't Forget Me has an ending I never saw coming. It is deliciously chilling, but not as chilling as the very last line - which sent a shiver up my spine.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#DontForgetMe #NetGalley
THE AUTHOR: I never thought I would become an author.
Growing up, I believed the false story that writing was a hobby; it wasn’t a job. But I’ve always liked a challenge.
Known as The Book Doula, Rea also helps other writers birth their books into the world.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of Don't Forget Me by Rea Frey for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
February 23, 2024
When Ruby’s husband, Tom, decided relocating to the suburbs to build their dream house was their next move, she didn’t exactly put up a fight. Cottage Grove seems like the perfect community—both friendly and safe as well as idyllically picturesque. Besides, after years as a trauma nurse, Ruby’s recent retirement means she no longer needs to be in the city center, so a new start might be just what she, Tom, and their daughter, Lily, need.
Just months after arriving in their new home, however, Lily and then Tom disappear. Ruby knows that her daughter has plenty of problems, but to vanish seems rather dramatic. Suddenly alone in a big, empty house, she turns to the neighborhood true crime group as a distraction. Known as the Murderlings, they get together regularly and dig into cold cases. If nothing else, it’s something Ruby shows a definite knack for.
Until, that is, crime comes knocking on Ruby’s door. While out rowing one morning, a body floats to the surface of the Cottage Grove lake. Shocked and confused, she immediately calls the police. It doesn’t take long, however, for the attention to land directly on Ruby. It seems that all of her neighbors have identified the victim as Tom—a likeness that Ruby can’t see. Is she kidding herself? Or is there something decidedly more sinister going on?
As the police set their sights firmly on Ruby as their prime suspect, she decides she must search out the truth for herself. But with every turn Ruby seems to uncover new secrets. Secrets that only raise more questions than answers. After all, her friends aren’t the only ones hiding things behind their opulent doors. Ruby has her own skeletons buried in her past. Several, in fact, that she’d do almost anything to keep shrouded from view. Is Tom really the dead man in the lake? And why does everyone think she is the killer?
Oh. My. God. Don’t Forget Me was one truly brilliant mind f*** of a book. Starting off as one thing and slowly morphing first in one direction and then another, the final reveal quite literally took my breath away like few others have. Action-packed yet also filled with plenty of gritty topicswell-written premise and ingeniously linked subplots. Ultimately, despite a few tiny flaws, my eyes were riveted to the pages as my thumb swiped left at what was record speed.
The plot on this one was, for the most part, an absolute hole in one. Finely layered as the past intertwined with the present, the storyline had plenty of twists and turns—none of which I was able to see through. Add in the heaps of red herrings and the possible unreliable narrator and my mind was well and truly blown. Told in dual timelines of then and now, the shifting plot kept me firmly in suspense until the timely—and shocking—reveal.
As for those characters, Ruby was a dynamite hit. Potentially an unreliable narrator since she even doubted herself, she was hard to pin down. At the same time, I could absolutely relate to some of her actions. Others, well, they went a little beyond what I could see myself doing. As for the rest of the cast of characters, most were only vaguely described. I would’ve loved to learn more about Daisy and the rest of the Murderlings as how often do you find a group of true crime fanatics within a murder mystery plot?
The biggest bee in my bonnet, however, was the very over-the-top turn that the story took as the bodies began to pile up. Requiring quite the suspension of disbelief, the first and second halves of the book were hard to tally together. After all, what was a certain five star beginning quickly went off the rails. In the end, though, I still was utterly spellbound as I raced through the pages, so, ultimately, I guess my hang up was relatively minor.
All said and done, this domestic thriller had me gasping out loud—especially when I reached that thrilling last page. Ending with quite the bang, I’m praying this is just book one of a series. After all, there are just so many delicious directions in which this one could go. Stuffed to the brim with long held secrets, well-perfected lies, and all-consuming guilt, this is not one to be missed. How I overlooked Rea Frey until now is the ultimate question. All I know is, I’m overjoyed at the prospect of digging into her backlist ASAP. Rating of 4 stars.
Thank you to Rea Frey, Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley, and Thriller Book Lovers Promotions for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: March 1, 2024
Trigger warning: domestic abuse, mental health problems, drug addiction, mention of: infidelity, hit-and-run car accident, suicide
Just months after arriving in their new home, however, Lily and then Tom disappear. Ruby knows that her daughter has plenty of problems, but to vanish seems rather dramatic. Suddenly alone in a big, empty house, she turns to the neighborhood true crime group as a distraction. Known as the Murderlings, they get together regularly and dig into cold cases. If nothing else, it’s something Ruby shows a definite knack for.
Until, that is, crime comes knocking on Ruby’s door. While out rowing one morning, a body floats to the surface of the Cottage Grove lake. Shocked and confused, she immediately calls the police. It doesn’t take long, however, for the attention to land directly on Ruby. It seems that all of her neighbors have identified the victim as Tom—a likeness that Ruby can’t see. Is she kidding herself? Or is there something decidedly more sinister going on?
As the police set their sights firmly on Ruby as their prime suspect, she decides she must search out the truth for herself. But with every turn Ruby seems to uncover new secrets. Secrets that only raise more questions than answers. After all, her friends aren’t the only ones hiding things behind their opulent doors. Ruby has her own skeletons buried in her past. Several, in fact, that she’d do almost anything to keep shrouded from view. Is Tom really the dead man in the lake? And why does everyone think she is the killer?
Oh. My. God. Don’t Forget Me was one truly brilliant mind f*** of a book. Starting off as one thing and slowly morphing first in one direction and then another, the final reveal quite literally took my breath away like few others have. Action-packed yet also filled with plenty of gritty topicswell-written premise and ingeniously linked subplots. Ultimately, despite a few tiny flaws, my eyes were riveted to the pages as my thumb swiped left at what was record speed.
The plot on this one was, for the most part, an absolute hole in one. Finely layered as the past intertwined with the present, the storyline had plenty of twists and turns—none of which I was able to see through. Add in the heaps of red herrings and the possible unreliable narrator and my mind was well and truly blown. Told in dual timelines of then and now, the shifting plot kept me firmly in suspense until the timely—and shocking—reveal.
As for those characters, Ruby was a dynamite hit. Potentially an unreliable narrator since she even doubted herself, she was hard to pin down. At the same time, I could absolutely relate to some of her actions. Others, well, they went a little beyond what I could see myself doing. As for the rest of the cast of characters, most were only vaguely described. I would’ve loved to learn more about Daisy and the rest of the Murderlings as how often do you find a group of true crime fanatics within a murder mystery plot?
The biggest bee in my bonnet, however, was the very over-the-top turn that the story took as the bodies began to pile up. Requiring quite the suspension of disbelief, the first and second halves of the book were hard to tally together. After all, what was a certain five star beginning quickly went off the rails. In the end, though, I still was utterly spellbound as I raced through the pages, so, ultimately, I guess my hang up was relatively minor.
All said and done, this domestic thriller had me gasping out loud—especially when I reached that thrilling last page. Ending with quite the bang, I’m praying this is just book one of a series. After all, there are just so many delicious directions in which this one could go. Stuffed to the brim with long held secrets, well-perfected lies, and all-consuming guilt, this is not one to be missed. How I overlooked Rea Frey until now is the ultimate question. All I know is, I’m overjoyed at the prospect of digging into her backlist ASAP. Rating of 4 stars.
Thank you to Rea Frey, Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley, and Thriller Book Lovers Promotions for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: March 1, 2024
Trigger warning: domestic abuse, mental health problems, drug addiction, mention of: infidelity, hit-and-run car accident, suicide
January 8, 2024
A story with good pace, but a convoluted plot which gets worse in terms of plausibility and logic with each added twist.
This is a story told in current and past timelines. In the present timeline, Ruby is an ex-trauma nurse who is out rowing early and finds a body in the lake. Detective Katherine Ellis oversees the investigation and shortly after tells Ruby that the neighbours have all identified the body as being her husband, Tom. As per Ruby, Tom had left her a few weeks prior. Her daughter Lily is also missing but Ruby tells Ellis that she is studying at MIT. There is a local online forum which discusses Ruby being disturbed after Tom and Lily left. More murders follow. As the investigation proceeds it turns out that Ruby has been hiding secrets, which increasingly make her the prime suspect. The past timeline covers the family relationship, and Ruby’s past.
There are a lot of revelations as the story progresses. This makes the story lose its coherence and plausibility. At the end it simply falls apart. There are also simple aspects which make no sense, nor are they explained - Ruby’s failure to recognize Tom’s body, and many lies told which are easily verifiable and serve no purpose. The online forum chats were distracting and the role in the resolution of the plot felt silly.
If you want an easy read with lots of twist and revelations, unmindful of soundness of plot, this might work for you.
Thanks to Netgalley, Thomas & Mercer publications and the author for a free electronic review copy.
This is a story told in current and past timelines. In the present timeline, Ruby is an ex-trauma nurse who is out rowing early and finds a body in the lake. Detective Katherine Ellis oversees the investigation and shortly after tells Ruby that the neighbours have all identified the body as being her husband, Tom. As per Ruby, Tom had left her a few weeks prior. Her daughter Lily is also missing but Ruby tells Ellis that she is studying at MIT. There is a local online forum which discusses Ruby being disturbed after Tom and Lily left. More murders follow. As the investigation proceeds it turns out that Ruby has been hiding secrets, which increasingly make her the prime suspect. The past timeline covers the family relationship, and Ruby’s past.
There are a lot of revelations as the story progresses. This makes the story lose its coherence and plausibility. At the end it simply falls apart. There are also simple aspects which make no sense, nor are they explained - Ruby’s failure to recognize Tom’s body, and many lies told which are easily verifiable and serve no purpose. The online forum chats were distracting and the role in the resolution of the plot felt silly.
If you want an easy read with lots of twist and revelations, unmindful of soundness of plot, this might work for you.
Thanks to Netgalley, Thomas & Mercer publications and the author for a free electronic review copy.
March 22, 2024
New Beginnings! That’s what Ruby needs. Well actually, that’s what her husband Tom wants. So Ruby, Tom and daughter Lily move to a suburban neighborhood where everyone knows your business.
To say things didn’t exactly go as planned would be a vast understatement.
First…her daughter is missing.
Next…Tom vanishes.
Soon followed by…Ruby discovering a body in the community lake.
The neighborhood forum is on fire with standard–issue gossip and questions:
Who was killed and dumped in the lake?
Who’s responsible?
And of course, are we the residents in the community safe?
I enjoyed the feed from the neighborhood app. Reminded me a bit of my own.😂 (Thankfully, minus the discussion regarding a dead body!)
This was a fun, fast thriller with some great twists to keep you on your toes!
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer
To say things didn’t exactly go as planned would be a vast understatement.
First…her daughter is missing.
Next…Tom vanishes.
Soon followed by…Ruby discovering a body in the community lake.
The neighborhood forum is on fire with standard–issue gossip and questions:
Who was killed and dumped in the lake?
Who’s responsible?
And of course, are we the residents in the community safe?
I enjoyed the feed from the neighborhood app. Reminded me a bit of my own.😂 (Thankfully, minus the discussion regarding a dead body!)
This was a fun, fast thriller with some great twists to keep you on your toes!
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer
May 10, 2024
Don’t Forget Me by Rea Frey is a domestic thriller novel. The story in Don’t Forget Me is told by changing the timeline back and forth between a current time and one from the past. This is also one with an unreliable narrator but has small updates from a neighborhood chat involved too.
Ruby’s husband, Tom, had thought it was time for their little family to get out of the city and finally into their dream home. Ruby agreed and before long Tom, Ruby and their daughter, Lily, moved to Cottage Grove.
Not long after moving to this new peaceful neighborhood though Lily goes missing then shortly after so does Tom. Ruby being left alone in the new home joins a true crime group as a distraction to her own troubles but trouble shows up very close to home when a body is found in the lake nearby.
Rea Frey is an author that I continue to return to time and time again and have yet to find a book in her catalog that I didn’t like. Don’t Forget Me had that same pull that I’ve found in the author’s books before that I pick them up and simply do not want to put them down. This was yet again another twisty ride that while you may need to suspend disbelief a bit it certainly kept me guessing until the very end.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
Ruby’s husband, Tom, had thought it was time for their little family to get out of the city and finally into their dream home. Ruby agreed and before long Tom, Ruby and their daughter, Lily, moved to Cottage Grove.
Not long after moving to this new peaceful neighborhood though Lily goes missing then shortly after so does Tom. Ruby being left alone in the new home joins a true crime group as a distraction to her own troubles but trouble shows up very close to home when a body is found in the lake nearby.
Rea Frey is an author that I continue to return to time and time again and have yet to find a book in her catalog that I didn’t like. Don’t Forget Me had that same pull that I’ve found in the author’s books before that I pick them up and simply do not want to put them down. This was yet again another twisty ride that while you may need to suspend disbelief a bit it certainly kept me guessing until the very end.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
December 7, 2023
Ehhh. This one started out with a lot of promise, but about 1/3 of the way in it started to fall apart. By the end I was disappointed because it felt like a juvenile attempt at writing a thriller/mystery and it suffered from trying to do too much and poor writing, especially when it comes to dialogue.
The now and then timelines were fine in theory, but in practice the “Then” timeline kept switching around with no notice - sometimes we were in Ruby’s childhood, sometimes at the beginning of her relationship with Tom, sometimes when Lily went missing, etc…And it skipped around (ie the then timelines were not chronological). I liked that the twists were sprinkled throughout the book and not all unveiled at the end, but at a certain point it was too many reveals and not very many of them were actually that surprising. I didn’t like that the narrator was unreliable/deliberately withholding info from us - that was not necessary as a plot device in my opinion. Ruby does a lot of stupid stuff that makes no sense, the community forum is an unnecessary and eye roll worthy plot device as well, the police are utterly useless - they would’ve caught the killer in the act in five minutes if this were real life, everyone’s reactions to their neighbors being murdered in cold blood were nonsensical (was this a neighborhood full of sociopaths?? That would’ve made more sense and actually probably would’ve been more interesting…). It was just ugh.
Potential spoilers below!!!!!
So many loose ends due to sloppy writing, for example: Why does Ruby not recognize her own husband’s dead body? Ok I get if she disassociates when she’s abused or when she “does something bad” but she was not present for the murder of her husband so why does she have a mental block on his face?? Ruby managed to cover up a hit and run???? Lol yeah right. Also did the kid die?? Why is zero information shared about this relatively major event?? Ruby also manages to convince her neighbor who is a JUDGE to help her cover up said accident (I think???) but at the very least he helps her secret away her mentally ill step daughter who potentially just killed someone even though he is the acquaintance of her husband, not her?? Huh??? Ruby has a lot more skills than it seems! Including writing weird rhyming riddles to taunt serial killers 🤣🤣🤣. I was cackling! Hmm what else made no sense…how the hell Lily pulled off all these murders without being caught of course, that goes without saying…argh my daughter just woke up from her nap so I’ve run out of time to list all the hilariously under thought aspects of this book, but rest assured there are many. Finally, the last line was completely ridiculous; I laughed out loud while my eyes rolled back into my head. Clearly aiming for a sequel? Needless to say I won’t be reading it.
2.5 rounded down. This could’ve been a 4 star read if the writing stayed as tight and the plot as strong as it was in the beginning. Sad.
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for offering this as a Read Now in exchange for my honest review.
The now and then timelines were fine in theory, but in practice the “Then” timeline kept switching around with no notice - sometimes we were in Ruby’s childhood, sometimes at the beginning of her relationship with Tom, sometimes when Lily went missing, etc…And it skipped around (ie the then timelines were not chronological). I liked that the twists were sprinkled throughout the book and not all unveiled at the end, but at a certain point it was too many reveals and not very many of them were actually that surprising. I didn’t like that the narrator was unreliable/deliberately withholding info from us - that was not necessary as a plot device in my opinion. Ruby does a lot of stupid stuff that makes no sense, the community forum is an unnecessary and eye roll worthy plot device as well, the police are utterly useless - they would’ve caught the killer in the act in five minutes if this were real life, everyone’s reactions to their neighbors being murdered in cold blood were nonsensical (was this a neighborhood full of sociopaths?? That would’ve made more sense and actually probably would’ve been more interesting…). It was just ugh.
Potential spoilers below!!!!!
So many loose ends due to sloppy writing, for example: Why does Ruby not recognize her own husband’s dead body? Ok I get if she disassociates when she’s abused or when she “does something bad” but she was not present for the murder of her husband so why does she have a mental block on his face?? Ruby managed to cover up a hit and run???? Lol yeah right. Also did the kid die?? Why is zero information shared about this relatively major event?? Ruby also manages to convince her neighbor who is a JUDGE to help her cover up said accident (I think???) but at the very least he helps her secret away her mentally ill step daughter who potentially just killed someone even though he is the acquaintance of her husband, not her?? Huh??? Ruby has a lot more skills than it seems! Including writing weird rhyming riddles to taunt serial killers 🤣🤣🤣. I was cackling! Hmm what else made no sense…how the hell Lily pulled off all these murders without being caught of course, that goes without saying…argh my daughter just woke up from her nap so I’ve run out of time to list all the hilariously under thought aspects of this book, but rest assured there are many. Finally, the last line was completely ridiculous; I laughed out loud while my eyes rolled back into my head. Clearly aiming for a sequel? Needless to say I won’t be reading it.
2.5 rounded down. This could’ve been a 4 star read if the writing stayed as tight and the plot as strong as it was in the beginning. Sad.
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for offering this as a Read Now in exchange for my honest review.
February 25, 2024
This book was a surprisingly fast read. It is a twisty thriller and while I did figure out where the story was going (and both of the major twists) I felt like this was a right way to use an unreliable narrator. The story unfolds slowly in both present and past tense. Ruby is rowing on the lake when she finds a body. She calls police and is shocked when her entire neighborhood is instantly convinced the man is her husband Tom who left her. She doesn’t believe it could have been him, but she and neighborhood murder solving club are on the case. As more bodies appear Ruby becomes certain that someone is trying to frame her and she is determined to figure out who it is before she ends up in prison. I liked the style. While the mystery got a little over the top I found it to still be a fun read and definitely recommend this one to anyone who enjoys a good thriller.
February 8, 2024
What a fabulous surprise this book was!! I love it when a book by a new author to me is a 5 star read. I couldn’t get enough of this story.
This was a Kindle Unlimited First Reads pick for March, and I received the audiobook from Thriller Book Promotions.
I am not going to go into too much detail on the plot. You really want to going in not knowing too much. It was so a wild and twisty story, with an ending that really did shock me. There were plenty of characters that were hard to pick, were they good or bad? The story was told in then and now timelines and it worked really well. Cottage Grove becomes a murder town, can the surviving residents stop this killer.
The narrator was fantastic.
Thanks to Brilliance Publishing and Brilliance Audio for the advanced listening copy. Out on March 1st
This was a Kindle Unlimited First Reads pick for March, and I received the audiobook from Thriller Book Promotions.
I am not going to go into too much detail on the plot. You really want to going in not knowing too much. It was so a wild and twisty story, with an ending that really did shock me. There were plenty of characters that were hard to pick, were they good or bad? The story was told in then and now timelines and it worked really well. Cottage Grove becomes a murder town, can the surviving residents stop this killer.
The narrator was fantastic.
Thanks to Brilliance Publishing and Brilliance Audio for the advanced listening copy. Out on March 1st
March 4, 2024
Happy Release Day!
This book opens with Ruby who is out rowing and finds a body in the lake, everyone is sure the body belongs to her husband…everyone except Ruby, the residents start pointing fingers at her, and Ruby thinks she is being set up. as more people get murdered, it becomes clear there is a serial killer in the neighborhood, meanwhile, the neighbors are playing Solve the Murder games for fun. She needs to prove to the police and the neighbors that it isn't her. This is a fast-turning page story with many twists and turns that will have you guessing until the end. I have to admit that this book exceeded my expectations and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was invested in the story and the characters from the first page all the way through until the last page. There is a then-and-now timeline that is easy to follow, which makes the story more meaningful, and the ending surprising, choking, and just more amazing.
There's also the neighborhood online community gossip page, that brings a little humor. that sounds all too familiar.
A fantastic domestic thriller that kept me interested and guessing. I was hooked from start to finish. Highly recommend!
Don't Forget Me contains a little bit of everything from drama, lies, cheating, child trauma, mental illness, domestic abuse, and murder.
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for providing an eARC of this book. I really enjoyed reading it. All opinions are my own.
This book opens with Ruby who is out rowing and finds a body in the lake, everyone is sure the body belongs to her husband…everyone except Ruby, the residents start pointing fingers at her, and Ruby thinks she is being set up. as more people get murdered, it becomes clear there is a serial killer in the neighborhood, meanwhile, the neighbors are playing Solve the Murder games for fun. She needs to prove to the police and the neighbors that it isn't her. This is a fast-turning page story with many twists and turns that will have you guessing until the end. I have to admit that this book exceeded my expectations and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was invested in the story and the characters from the first page all the way through until the last page. There is a then-and-now timeline that is easy to follow, which makes the story more meaningful, and the ending surprising, choking, and just more amazing.
There's also the neighborhood online community gossip page, that brings a little humor. that sounds all too familiar.
A fantastic domestic thriller that kept me interested and guessing. I was hooked from start to finish. Highly recommend!
Don't Forget Me contains a little bit of everything from drama, lies, cheating, child trauma, mental illness, domestic abuse, and murder.
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for providing an eARC of this book. I really enjoyed reading it. All opinions are my own.
March 5, 2025
Ruby has moved to the community of Cottage Grove after an early retirement as an ER nurse. But a missing daughter, then a missing husband, and now a body in the lake have all turned her world upside down. Ruby suffers from childhood trauma, domestic abuse, blackouts and repressed memories, leading us to wonder if she can possibly be a reliable narrator. There are plenty of red herrings and secrets revealed as the murders pile up in this quiet community and Ruby becomes the prime suspect. I guessed some of the twists but the reveal at the end did surprise me. There were a few plot holes and things that seemed too coincidental, but overall this was a compelling murder mystery.
March 23, 2024
Don’t Forget Me was a well-plotted, intense, suspenseful thriller read with shocking twists/reveals at the end which I didn’t see coming. And that last line…!!!!
I also liked that it was a fast-paced read that easily kept my attention. In addition, the use of two timelines - then and now - was an effective way to bring together the various threads of the story. Don’t miss this read!!
Thanks to Thriller Book Lovers Promotions and Thomas and Mercer for the complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
I will post my review on my book IG, X and Threads on March 25 as part of the Thriller Book Lovers Promotion book tour for this novel.
I also liked that it was a fast-paced read that easily kept my attention. In addition, the use of two timelines - then and now - was an effective way to bring together the various threads of the story. Don’t miss this read!!
Thanks to Thriller Book Lovers Promotions and Thomas and Mercer for the complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
I will post my review on my book IG, X and Threads on March 25 as part of the Thriller Book Lovers Promotion book tour for this novel.
January 6, 2025
4.5★s
Don’t Forget Me is the sixth novel by award-winning, best-selling American author, Rea Frey. Three months after her husband, Tom Winslow left their Cottage Grove home, Ruby Knight is enjoying a quiet early morning row on the lake when a man’s body pops to the surface. She calls 911 and retreats to her friend and neighbour’s cottage.
Detective Katherine Ellis canvasses the neighbourhood, and the body, which is without teeth or hair, with fingerprints scrubbed and throat slit, is identified as Tom. But Ruby doesn’t recognise it as her husband. With formal ID to be established via DNA, Ruby tells Ellis “You think if the man is Tom that I killed him? And what? I was able to drag him toward the lake with nobody watching, then somehow sink and secure his body to the bottom? And then, when he magically resurfaced, I called the cops to report it? That seems completely rational.”
In the months since Ruby left her job as a trauma nurse in a busy city hospital, sold her beloved little East Nashville bungalow (for a surprisingly good price), and uprooted their seventeen-year-old daughter, Lily to move to Tom’s dream home, Ruby has tried to fit into this new life. She lacks the enthusiasm to decorate, but has posed for a local artist, resumes her own painting hobby, and joins Murderlings, the neighbourhood true-crime club run by a popular podcaster who lives next door.
There’s a lot that Ruby doesn’t reveal when interrogated by Detective Ellis: that Lily is inexplicably missing; the parlous state of her marriage; and the childhood she’d rather forget. But she vehemently denies any guilt over the body in the lake, whether or not it’s Tom. And if it is Tom, who killed him? Someone to do with his work as a criminal defence attorney? Or someone in Cottage Grove?
Discussion on Cottage Grove’s online forum gets quite heated when the body surfaces, lots of opinions about suspects and guilt. This addition to the dual timeline narrative provides an extra layer of intrigue as the reader tries to guess which alias belongs to whom. And as more townspeople are picked off, the discussion gets all the more frenzied.
Her dissociation, her repressed memories and her selective honesty all tell the reader that Ruby might be a not-entirely-reliable narrator, while the less-than-accurate blurb is a little misleading, but this is such a gripping thriller with so many twists that it might be wise to pre-book a chiropractic appointment before starting. Definitely a page-turner.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer.
Don’t Forget Me is the sixth novel by award-winning, best-selling American author, Rea Frey. Three months after her husband, Tom Winslow left their Cottage Grove home, Ruby Knight is enjoying a quiet early morning row on the lake when a man’s body pops to the surface. She calls 911 and retreats to her friend and neighbour’s cottage.
Detective Katherine Ellis canvasses the neighbourhood, and the body, which is without teeth or hair, with fingerprints scrubbed and throat slit, is identified as Tom. But Ruby doesn’t recognise it as her husband. With formal ID to be established via DNA, Ruby tells Ellis “You think if the man is Tom that I killed him? And what? I was able to drag him toward the lake with nobody watching, then somehow sink and secure his body to the bottom? And then, when he magically resurfaced, I called the cops to report it? That seems completely rational.”
In the months since Ruby left her job as a trauma nurse in a busy city hospital, sold her beloved little East Nashville bungalow (for a surprisingly good price), and uprooted their seventeen-year-old daughter, Lily to move to Tom’s dream home, Ruby has tried to fit into this new life. She lacks the enthusiasm to decorate, but has posed for a local artist, resumes her own painting hobby, and joins Murderlings, the neighbourhood true-crime club run by a popular podcaster who lives next door.
There’s a lot that Ruby doesn’t reveal when interrogated by Detective Ellis: that Lily is inexplicably missing; the parlous state of her marriage; and the childhood she’d rather forget. But she vehemently denies any guilt over the body in the lake, whether or not it’s Tom. And if it is Tom, who killed him? Someone to do with his work as a criminal defence attorney? Or someone in Cottage Grove?
Discussion on Cottage Grove’s online forum gets quite heated when the body surfaces, lots of opinions about suspects and guilt. This addition to the dual timeline narrative provides an extra layer of intrigue as the reader tries to guess which alias belongs to whom. And as more townspeople are picked off, the discussion gets all the more frenzied.
Her dissociation, her repressed memories and her selective honesty all tell the reader that Ruby might be a not-entirely-reliable narrator, while the less-than-accurate blurb is a little misleading, but this is such a gripping thriller with so many twists that it might be wise to pre-book a chiropractic appointment before starting. Definitely a page-turner.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer.
August 18, 2023
I saw this as a Read Now on NetGalley and snatched it up. Did not disappoint!
Dead body in a lake, family secrets, neighborhood drama and domestic abuse. Secrets are slowly revealed through the "then" and "now" timelines and kept me hooked from the beginning. This was a fast paced read that had me quickly turning the pages. I absolutely loved the neighborhood murder club aspect of this book, the "murderlings!" What a great idea!
Recommend for mystery and suspense lovers! I have read other books by this author and enjoyed them as well. I can't wait to see what Rea Frey comes up with next. 4 stars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A big thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book!
Dead body in a lake, family secrets, neighborhood drama and domestic abuse. Secrets are slowly revealed through the "then" and "now" timelines and kept me hooked from the beginning. This was a fast paced read that had me quickly turning the pages. I absolutely loved the neighborhood murder club aspect of this book, the "murderlings!" What a great idea!
Recommend for mystery and suspense lovers! I have read other books by this author and enjoyed them as well. I can't wait to see what Rea Frey comes up with next. 4 stars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A big thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book!
February 24, 2024
This was a fun novel with a layered plot, complex characters, and devil in the detail. It was surprising and a total page turner!
When Ruby finds a body in the lake and everyone but her seems to think it's her estranged husband, I knew this one would be a head scratcher. There was so much going on under the surface and the use of multiple narrators and varying timelines kept me guessing while also creating (and sometimes answering!) more questions.
It was really hard to know who to trust. I couldn't decide if Ruby was a reliable narrator or not or whether or not her memories were truth. References to time gaps and blackouts had me confused and on edge about what happened to her missing daughter and who the man in the lake really was.
The tie in to the community was a fun plot twist and I enjoyed the forum chat as an alternative method of moving the story forward. Clues were hidden on every page and within every interaction, I just didn't always know to look for them!
I listened to this book on audio and while it was good and highly entertaining, I didn't love the narrator. Her voice was great for audio but the cadence felt really mechanical and was often distracting.
Overall, this one kept me guessing and eager to learn more. I loved how everything played out and that there were surprises at every turn!
Thank you to Thriller Book Lover Promotions, Thomas & Mercer, and Brilliance Audio for the copy. This one releases March 1st and is even an Amazon First Read so DO NOT MISS OUT!!!
When Ruby finds a body in the lake and everyone but her seems to think it's her estranged husband, I knew this one would be a head scratcher. There was so much going on under the surface and the use of multiple narrators and varying timelines kept me guessing while also creating (and sometimes answering!) more questions.
It was really hard to know who to trust. I couldn't decide if Ruby was a reliable narrator or not or whether or not her memories were truth. References to time gaps and blackouts had me confused and on edge about what happened to her missing daughter and who the man in the lake really was.
The tie in to the community was a fun plot twist and I enjoyed the forum chat as an alternative method of moving the story forward. Clues were hidden on every page and within every interaction, I just didn't always know to look for them!
I listened to this book on audio and while it was good and highly entertaining, I didn't love the narrator. Her voice was great for audio but the cadence felt really mechanical and was often distracting.
Overall, this one kept me guessing and eager to learn more. I loved how everything played out and that there were surprises at every turn!
Thank you to Thriller Book Lover Promotions, Thomas & Mercer, and Brilliance Audio for the copy. This one releases March 1st and is even an Amazon First Read so DO NOT MISS OUT!!!
January 17, 2024
This is my 6th book by Rea Frey so when I see a new book of hers coming out, I immediately want it. So happy NetGalley and the publisher sent it my way for my honest review. This had a lot of suspense to it, all till the end. It’s actually her very first thriller and she did a great job with it! That ending! Wow!!! I really enjoyed it!
November 28, 2023
I really enjoyed the beginning of this and was drawn right into the plot. Unfortunately, by the third murder the plot became completely implausible. I figured out the twist but I felt like it was contrived. Despite being one of my favorite authors, this was not my favorite by Rea Frey.
February 4, 2024
3.5 Stars ⭐️
February 12, 2024
Ruby is a woman dealing with grief. First her daughter Lily goes missing and then her husband. To keep herself busy she joins the “Murderlings” a neighborhood group that gets together to solve murders. When she finds a body in the nearby lake everyone is convinced it’s her husband Tom, but Ruby doesn’t think so.
This was a combo audio/kindle read for me for the simple reason that the audio wasn’t fast enough! What happened to Lily? Is the body in the lake Tom? I simply HAD to find out what in the world was going on RIGHT. NOW! I love dual timelines and Don’t Forget Me has that in spades as well as non linear storytelling which was easy to follow. Ruby is a captivating if unreliable narrator. She has memory gaps and has had them since she was young; she dissociates. The secrets of her past are slowly revealed while in the present she scrambles to figure out who is killing off her neighbors one by one. Yes, more bodies are found!
My only qualm is that there are some unanswered questions and areas that I wish had been explored further. Then again maybe the ambiguity is the point? Is there even more to the story that what has been explicitly revealed? I’d like to think so.
The audio was fantastic and Rachel L. Jacob’s was a pleasure to listen to. She captured emotions perfectly and I enjoyed the community forum excepts when listening. When reading the neighborhood texts, it didn’t add as much and I could’ve done without it.
I won’t hesitate to grab another thriller by Rea Frey ! This was a mind bender of a read with some twists that took me by surprise! I did succeed in identifying the killer. I think? I’m still pondering that ending. . .
Thank you Rea Frey, Thriller Book Lovers Promotions, Thomas & Mercer, Brilliance Publishing and NetGalley for my gifted audio copy. All opinions are my own.
Scroll down for potential spoiler trigger warnings.
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⚠️Trigger Warnings: Alcoholism, mental illness, infidelity, drug addiction, domestic abuse/violence, suicide
This was a combo audio/kindle read for me for the simple reason that the audio wasn’t fast enough! What happened to Lily? Is the body in the lake Tom? I simply HAD to find out what in the world was going on RIGHT. NOW! I love dual timelines and Don’t Forget Me has that in spades as well as non linear storytelling which was easy to follow. Ruby is a captivating if unreliable narrator. She has memory gaps and has had them since she was young; she dissociates. The secrets of her past are slowly revealed while in the present she scrambles to figure out who is killing off her neighbors one by one. Yes, more bodies are found!
My only qualm is that there are some unanswered questions and areas that I wish had been explored further. Then again maybe the ambiguity is the point? Is there even more to the story that what has been explicitly revealed? I’d like to think so.
The audio was fantastic and Rachel L. Jacob’s was a pleasure to listen to. She captured emotions perfectly and I enjoyed the community forum excepts when listening. When reading the neighborhood texts, it didn’t add as much and I could’ve done without it.
I won’t hesitate to grab another thriller by Rea Frey ! This was a mind bender of a read with some twists that took me by surprise! I did succeed in identifying the killer. I think? I’m still pondering that ending. . .
Thank you Rea Frey, Thriller Book Lovers Promotions, Thomas & Mercer, Brilliance Publishing and NetGalley for my gifted audio copy. All opinions are my own.
Scroll down for potential spoiler trigger warnings.
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⚠️Trigger Warnings: Alcoholism, mental illness, infidelity, drug addiction, domestic abuse/violence, suicide
February 14, 2024
Very disjointed
The story reads like that of an armature. I get the flashbacks, but that coupled with the forum dialogue and the murder club was annoying. I did really like the forum and trying to figure out who each person was, but again too much with jumping from present to past so much. After the big reveal at the end (which was obvious earlier in the book), the author still had to go back and put all the pieces together. That to me is a clear indication that the author felt like the story still needed explanation. I'm not a fan.
The story reads like that of an armature. I get the flashbacks, but that coupled with the forum dialogue and the murder club was annoying. I did really like the forum and trying to figure out who each person was, but again too much with jumping from present to past so much. After the big reveal at the end (which was obvious earlier in the book), the author still had to go back and put all the pieces together. That to me is a clear indication that the author felt like the story still needed explanation. I'm not a fan.
September 9, 2023
3.5 stars rounded down
My first book by this author! This story definitely kept me wanting to keep reading to find out what would happen next. I thought the last chapter was fantastic. I look forward to reading other books by Rea Frey
I normally like alternating timelines but had a hard time keeping track of which time I was in and how much time had passed. I think towards the end it started to get a little unbelievable but it ended strong.
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
My first book by this author! This story definitely kept me wanting to keep reading to find out what would happen next. I thought the last chapter was fantastic. I look forward to reading other books by Rea Frey
I normally like alternating timelines but had a hard time keeping track of which time I was in and how much time had passed. I think towards the end it started to get a little unbelievable but it ended strong.
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
September 19, 2023
This was my first novel by the author and it was such an enjoyable one!
Ruby has moved to the country for an early retirement from being an ER nurse, with her husband Tom and daughter Lily. But her troubled daughter disappears, followed soon after by her husband. Deserted by them both, Ruby remains in the tight knit community and even joins a murder club with the neighbours, where they try to solve cold cases. She has a peaceful life, until one day she is out rowing and finds a body in the lake. One that all of her neighbours say is her husband. Everyone except Ruby.
This one pulled me in from the beginning and the secrets and discoveries along the way kept me turning the pages. The now and then timelines worked so well in this novel and it was another enjoyable one.
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for this gifted review copy.
Ruby has moved to the country for an early retirement from being an ER nurse, with her husband Tom and daughter Lily. But her troubled daughter disappears, followed soon after by her husband. Deserted by them both, Ruby remains in the tight knit community and even joins a murder club with the neighbours, where they try to solve cold cases. She has a peaceful life, until one day she is out rowing and finds a body in the lake. One that all of her neighbours say is her husband. Everyone except Ruby.
This one pulled me in from the beginning and the secrets and discoveries along the way kept me turning the pages. The now and then timelines worked so well in this novel and it was another enjoyable one.
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for this gifted review copy.
February 10, 2024
Wow, this was such a twisty story that has so many layers you just cannot put this book down. I listened to the audiobook and I did not want to pull the earbuds from when ears. I feel like I listened to this with a marathon pace because it was that good. While I suspected the murderer, that ending was so surprising and a perfect cherry on top! This was the first and certainly not my last book by Rea Frey.
I listened to the audiobook that was narrated by Rachel Jacobs, which is a new narrator to me, but she did an amazing job. This is such an atmospheric book that will keep you wanting to keep reading.
****Many thanks to Thriller Book Lovers Promotions and Rea Frey for my gifted ALC in turn for my honest review.
This was also my selected February Amazon First Read, so if you still need to make your selection, this is a great choice.
I listened to the audiobook that was narrated by Rachel Jacobs, which is a new narrator to me, but she did an amazing job. This is such an atmospheric book that will keep you wanting to keep reading.
****Many thanks to Thriller Book Lovers Promotions and Rea Frey for my gifted ALC in turn for my honest review.
This was also my selected February Amazon First Read, so if you still need to make your selection, this is a great choice.
August 4, 2023
I love a good domestic thriller and this one did not disappoint. The writing kept me engaged from the very beginning. We had multiple timelines where each chapter alternated between the past and the present, a neighborhood murder club called the Murderlings, a plenty of suspense that kept me on my toes. I was able to figure out the twist, and I’m usually not very good at that, but I still loved it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity review this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity review this book.
April 3, 2024
I listened to DON'T FORGET ME in a day's times. This was definitely a good story. It held my attention the entire time and kept me in suspense as I tried to figure out who killed Tom. I was glad in the end, I did figure out who it was. I've enjoyed several of Rea Frey's novels and DON'T FORGET ME is just another one I can recommend.
Many thanks to thrillerbookpromotions, and NetGalley for my gifted copy.
This review will be shared to my Instagram (@coffee.break.book.reviews).
Trigger warning:Physical abuse
Many thanks to thrillerbookpromotions, and NetGalley for my gifted copy.
This review will be shared to my Instagram (@coffee.break.book.reviews).
Trigger warning:Physical abuse
February 16, 2024
This was a great story filled with lots of suspense and a whole host of characters who could be guilty of murder. It starts off great, but at times, the story becomes a little farfetched and a bit convoluted. The ending was not the best, but it was certainly a surprise. Although, the last line was chillingly brilliant and I hope there's a follow up book.
March 4, 2024
I had high hopes from this book from the blurb. And who can't use a new author to read? But sadly, I was let down by this book in nearly every respect. The writing, although clear and concise, was mediocre and at times, laughable (giving independent agency to eyes, which happened more than once--what you mean, dear author, is gaze; eyes don't 'fall on someone's face). The characters were pretty stock and many were good or evil, with none of the shades of gray that mark good fiction. The suspense, for a thriller, was lacking. Even the "surprise" twist ending offered like excitement or suspenseful pacing. Unfortunately, this was my first book from Rea Frey and it'll also be my last.
May 2, 2024
Another new to me author, and another winner! Told in duel timelines of now and then, secrets are slowly revealed in this wild and twisty thriller. A cleverly written plot full of subterfuge, we slowly become aware of the neighbourhood drama and family secrets - throw in a few dead bodies, some domestic abuse and a gasp out loud ending and ta da!
This one is best going into blindly, trust me, you’ll catch on - it’s that addictive.
Many thanks to @netgalley and #thomasandmercer for an advanced e-arc 💌
This one is best going into blindly, trust me, you’ll catch on - it’s that addictive.
Many thanks to @netgalley and #thomasandmercer for an advanced e-arc 💌
March 31, 2024
A Fun Twisty Throat Slashing Ride
Wow! What a fun to read slasher. It definitely reminds me of those slasher movies from years ago. You know the ones I mean right? There is a group of people and one by one they end up dead? And you try to guess who the killer is? And if you guess the wrong person then you may be the next victim? Because the people in those movies always try to guess who it is. Well this book is just like those. And setting is a tiny little town called Cottage Grove TN. Nice little houses by a manmade lake. Perfect place to go rowing a boat (which the main character Ruby does often). But unfortunately a body was found in the peaceful lake and that is the beginning of Ruby's newest nightmare.
So Ruby is one of those characters that has tons of dark secrets in her past. She has so many secrets in fact that there are proverbial skeletons not only stuffed in her closet but under her bed and in the drawers too... And then her husband Tom has his own secrets. And none of these secrets are good.
I was shocked at how Ruby lies to the police so early on in here. And the book makes no secret of that. Its right in your face. That definitely adds to the tension in this twisty story. Then I was thinking "why are you lying to them? That's not good!" Even if she has a reason it only makes her look more guilty. Now I never thought Ruby was the killer but I couldn't get why she was only creating more problems for herself.
There are lots of suspects in here. Some looked more guilty than others. I did come up with a theory of who the killer was as this book interested me enough that I actually tried to guess - but I was wrong. Oops! I had tried to pick the person who I had thought had a motive.
This one definitely had some big twists in here. That was very satisfying.
There are sections in here where the various characters chat on a message board. I often found those conversations very humorous! It was a nice little touch to the otherwise serious murder story.
And this is a complicated story. Lots of twists.
Wow! What a fun to read slasher. It definitely reminds me of those slasher movies from years ago. You know the ones I mean right? There is a group of people and one by one they end up dead? And you try to guess who the killer is? And if you guess the wrong person then you may be the next victim? Because the people in those movies always try to guess who it is. Well this book is just like those. And setting is a tiny little town called Cottage Grove TN. Nice little houses by a manmade lake. Perfect place to go rowing a boat (which the main character Ruby does often). But unfortunately a body was found in the peaceful lake and that is the beginning of Ruby's newest nightmare.
So Ruby is one of those characters that has tons of dark secrets in her past. She has so many secrets in fact that there are proverbial skeletons not only stuffed in her closet but under her bed and in the drawers too... And then her husband Tom has his own secrets. And none of these secrets are good.
I was shocked at how Ruby lies to the police so early on in here. And the book makes no secret of that. Its right in your face. That definitely adds to the tension in this twisty story. Then I was thinking "why are you lying to them? That's not good!" Even if she has a reason it only makes her look more guilty. Now I never thought Ruby was the killer but I couldn't get why she was only creating more problems for herself.
There are lots of suspects in here. Some looked more guilty than others. I did come up with a theory of who the killer was as this book interested me enough that I actually tried to guess - but I was wrong. Oops! I had tried to pick the person who I had thought had a motive.
This one definitely had some big twists in here. That was very satisfying.
There are sections in here where the various characters chat on a message board. I often found those conversations very humorous! It was a nice little touch to the otherwise serious murder story.
And this is a complicated story. Lots of twists.
May 17, 2025
3.8 🌟- The two reveals seemed rather obvious, and I guessed them pretty early on. However, I had a great time, which is really what you want while reading a thriller. The Murderlings seem like my kind of people - a fiction crime-solving group of neighbors with hangouts that mirror that of book club meetings? Yes, please!
July 18, 2024
Entertaining? Sure. Predictable? Yep. Fun? Meh. Would make a good wine night/book club pick if your focus is more on the wine and less on the intricacies of being a sleuth.
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