Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Wherever She Goes by Kelley Armstrong Published by Minotaur Books on June 25, 2019
Pages: 304
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
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“Few crimes are reported as quickly as a snatched kid.”
That’s what the officer tells single mother Aubrey Finch after she reports a kidnapping. So why hasn’t anyone reported the little boy missing? Aubrey knows what she saw: a boy being taken against his will from the park. It doesn’t matter that the mother can’t be found. It doesn’t matter if no one reported it. Aubrey knows he’s missing.
Instead, people question her sanity. Aubrey hears the whispers. She’s a former stay-at-home mom who doesn’t have primary custody of her daughter, so there must be something wrong with her, right? Others may not understand her decision to walk away from her safe life at home, but years of hiding her past – even from the people she loves – were taking their toll, and Aubrey knows she can’t be the mother or wife she envisions until she learns to leave her secrets behind.
When the police refuse to believe her, she realizes that rescuing the boy is up to her alone. But after all the secrets, how far is she willing to go? Even to protect a child.
I think of Kelley Armstrong as a writer of urban fantasy and paranormal romance. However, most of what I have read from her is mystery suspense. I love her Rockton series, so I decided to give Wherever She Goes, also a mystery suspense story a try.
Aubrey is an interesting character. She is in the middle of a divorce but very accommodating to her spouse even when it hurts her. She shoulders the blame for things, which not all of them are her fault. She is hanging on to issues from her past and it makes her rather odd at times. I do think there were a few people whose behavior towards her were more negative than her behavior warranted.
Aubrey gets caught up in the fates of a child and his mother. She does a great job of tracking down information, better than the police, and in a mostly legal way. It’s hard to know who are the good guys and who are the bad guys, both in her pending divorce, for this child and his mother. I was frightened for them, for Aubrey, her spouse and child, and it was tense.
I really enjoyed this, even though Aubrey was a bit strange at the start, which made it harder to root for her. As she became more herself and doing what she knew was right, it was easy. I love Aubrey’s personal growth and how she finds a new foundation for her life.
About Kelley Armstrong
Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could
write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a
story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls
and evil dolls, much to her teachers’ dismay. Today, she continues to
spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked
away in her basement writing dungeon. She lives in southwestern
Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.
I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2019 Releases
- COYER Hunt
I’ve read some books where I couldn’t bond with the character at the beginning and then they seemed to find their stride and I grew to like them. This is a new author for me and I enjoy the genre. I’ll check it out. It’s also fun when an author writes in more than one genre.
This is an amazing author. She has many great books which her paranormal offerings are in tv series (which I’ve never seen) I like the Rockton series better than this one but there are 4 books in that series so I am more invested. But this one was good. I’d like to read more of these characters.
I’ve always thought of Armstrong as a writer in the paranormal genre so it’s nice to see this story fits into something more in my comfort zone. Great review, Anne?
She’s an excellent writer, too.
Sounds like Aubrey was a tricky character to get to know. I’m definitely intrigued by the missing child and why no one else was reporting the child as missing. All in all sounds like a solid mystery/thriller!
Yes. I think this author is a real talent too.
I realized this week that she had a new book to be released so if your review I’m curious to try it too! I really like the books of the author.
Yes it seems to be a standalone and I couldn’t resist when I saw it.
I read the first Rockton one and need to continue. The way she writes; I would definitely pick up her other suspenses. Glad this one was a winner, too.
OK I can’t believe you haven’t continued on in the Rockton series. Well I can, I know how it happens to me but I devour those the second I can get my hands on them.
I am not sure yet if I want to read this one, but I have enjoyed most of her books so far. I still have to continue with the Rockton series as I only read book 1, but I have to be in the right mood for them as I am not always in the mood for a darker book.
Aubrey sounds like an interesting character and that’s great how she gets involved with the investigation and tracks down information in a mostly legal way too and better than the police.
Yes she does things mostly legal. She looks at things police would have easy access like DMV and social media like facebook or even books at the library and high school yearbooks. I like how smart she was to figure out things the police did not.
This sounds great, Anne, and wonderful review! I’ve also enjoyed what I’ve read of the Rockton series and have always meant to try more of her books!
I enjoyed this and does not have paranormal aspects.
I had to set this one aside, it upset me as someone I know went through something similar. I may pick it up later as I love this author.
I’m sorry. Any of the books with something dark can be upsetting, or even when people are treated very unfairly or with deceit.