Forget Me Not - Stacy Willingham

 Forget Me Not - Stacy Willingham

Pub. Date: Aug. 26

She read

Claire’s sister, Natalie, disappeared twenty-two years ago just after her eighteenth birthday. An older man whom Natalie was supposedly seeing was arrested and convicted of her murder, though a body was never found. Claire couldn’t wait to escape her stifling small southern town and headed to New York City as soon as she could, where she became a journalist. Now out of a job, her father calls her home, concerned about her mother, who was divorced from him but had been involved in an accident.

After one day home, Claire escapes and impulsively takes a job at a vineyard where Natalie once worked. When she discovers a hidden diary, secrets are uncovered; will one of them lead to finally finding out what happened to her sister? Danger lurks as she begins to unravel the truth. 

This is the third thriller I’ve read and enjoyed by this author. While the pacing slows down a bit in the middle, there are twists and turns in this dark story that will keep readers constantly on edge. Some of the twists are predictable, while others are unexpected and will keep you guessing. The book is atmospheric, with Willingham painting a vivid picture of the sultry South Carolina summer—hot, humid, odiferous, and filled with biting creatures. I thought Claire a bit reckless at times, and some of her decisions weren’t the best, which was annoying to me.

Willingham uses an interesting technique in this book. As Claire reads the journal she finds, each entry becomes a new chapter in the book, told as a third-person narrative rather than a first-person account.

Thanks to #NetGalley and @StMartinsPress @minotaur_Books for the DRC.

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