Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

ISBN: 9781250198709

When a woman disappears, her daughter decides to look for her in defiance of the police and her family. Despite the general consensus that her mother left on her own, the daughter is determined to follow her instincts and bring her home. Author Wendy Walker builds a compelling plot that fizzles out and devolves into something much less serious in her newest novel Don’t Look for Me.

For five years, Molly Clarke has lived with a mountain of guilt. After an accident that killed her youngest daughter, Molly has lost her confidence in herself as a mother. Her husband, John, has pulled away from her. Her oldest daughter, Nicole, has dropped out of school and spends her days drifting in and out of sobriety. Her middle child, Ethan, lives at his boarding school and does everything he can to give Molly the cold shoulder. 

That doesn’t stop her from driving to his school every other week to attend Ethan’s football games. John might be having an affair and Nicole barely speaks to her, but cheering Ethan on is something tangible that Molly can do to regain her center as a mother and she’s going to do it. No matter what.

After the most recent game, though, Molly is driving home alone with her guilt renewed. She starts to wonder whether it would be better for the entire family if she disappeared. Clearly no one wants her around, and she’s only making everyone unhappy. She can see it and sense it, and she’s tired of feeling so awful all the time.

When her car breaks down, she doesn’t think her day can get any worse. It seems like serendipity then when a truck slows down to ask if she needs help. That’s the last anyone hears of Molly Clarke.

After a few weeks, Nicole makes a drastic decision regarding her mother’s disappearance. She’s sick and tired of medicating herself to avoid her life. She couldn’t do anything to help her sister, but Nicole is going to go find her mother. 

The police found a note in a hotel not far from where she disappeared that says, “Don’t look for me,” but Nicole isn’t buying it. Her heart and instincts tell her that her mother didn’t leave; she was forced to go against her will. As the story switches between mother and daughter, both will fight to get back to what they once had: a strong bond and a sense of normalcy.

Author Wendy Walker’s two main characters will touch readers’ hearts. Molly’s guilt and her constant source of emotional pain are real. At times she may come across as a little too needy, but once the reality of her disappearance is made apparent she anchors the story. Readers will appreciate her persistence in trying to work through her problems.

Nicole’s despair is also grounded and feels real. Like her mother, Nicole is reaching for anything that will restore her life’s balance. Her determination to find Molly is refreshing. Even as she deals with her alcoholism, she lets her goal keep her focused. 

The story is let down by the last third of the book. As Nicole gets closer to finding Molly and Molly gets closer to coming home, major plot elements meant to be twists actually seem too convenient. They don’t do justice to Molly and Nicole’s grief and distract from the larger narrative. The fact that they’re meant to work out the climax doesn’t help at all.

Also, while Molly and Nicole’s objectives are clear, the goals and even the purpose of secondary characters seem less so. Readers may get distracted by several questions about logistics that arise as a result of the direction the plot takes. The narrative never answers them, making it harder to buy into the “big reveal” toward the end.

Unfortunately the book, with its strong start, is almost undone by the last several pages. I recommend readers Bypass Don’t Look for Me.