Don't Turn Around

by Harry Dolan

The police call him Merkury. He’s a killer who seems to choose his victims at random. He leaves no evidence behind, and no witnesses. Except for one. But what did she really see? When Kate Summerlin was eleven years old, she climbed out her bedroom window on a spring night, looking for a taste of freedom in the small college town where she was living with her parents. But what she found as she wandered in the woods near her house was something the body of a beautiful young woman, the first of Merkury’s victims. And before she could come to grips with what she was seeing, she heard a voice behind her—the killer’s voice— “Don’t turn around.” Now, at the age of twenty-nine, Kate is a successful true crime writer, but she has never told anyone the truth about what happened on that long-ago night. When Merkury claims yet another victim—a college student named Bryan Cayhill—Kate finds herself drawn back to the town where everything started. She sets out to make sense of this latest crime, but the deeper she gets into the story, the more she comes to realize that it’s far from over. Her search for the truth about Merkury is leading her down into a dark labyrinth, and if she hopes to escape, she’ll have to meet him once again—this time face to face.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Crime, Fiction, Audiobook, Suspense, Contemporary

384 pages, Hardcover

First published April 2, 2024

About the author

HARRY DOLAN is the author of the mystery/suspense novels BAD THINGS HAPPEN, VERY BAD MEN, THE LAST DEAD GIRL, THE MAN IN THE CROOKED HAT, and THE GOOD KILLER. His new novel DON'T TURN AROUND is out now from Grove Atlantic. He graduated from Colgate University, where he majored in philosophy and studied fiction-writing with the novelist Frederick Busch. A native of Rome, New York, he now lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Reviews

[Karly · Rating 1 out of 5]

My Rating: 1⭐️ this completely punked me!!!

The police are calling him Merkury. He’s a killer who seems to choose his victims at random. There is no evidence and no witnesses… except for one. Kate Summerlin was eleven years old, when she climbed out her bedroom window and wandered into the woods to look at the lake.

Kate comes across the body of a young woman who she thinks is sleeping… but Kate soon realises the woman is dead. Before she can react he hears a voice say - Don’t Turn Around.

Now, Kate is 29 she is a successful true-crime writer, but she has a secret from that night. She didn’t tell the police the whole truth of the night she spoke to the serial killer Merkury. Now he’s back and her search for Merkury is leading her down a dark and dangerous path…

WOW so upfront this book started out pretty good.. the premise was juicy and the writing wasn’t bad. Short sharp sentences, not too long paragraphs mostly pretty good. I feel like I was being lured into a false sense of security because… this book went south really quickly and it never recovered.

Why did I continue… this is a NetGalley book so I wanted to read to review, also I thought surely when I find out the killer it will be worthwhile… NO!! It was not. What an epic and utter let down.

There were a lot of things I had an issue with… the beginning kind of meandered but I can handle that while we get to know people and the things that make them tick… thats fine… but we flipped and flopped around for a good while. When we finally get into Kate’s juicy story its clear that we have things being held back from us again… which is fine. But to get to a point, any point well what a struggle fest.

The blurb states that Kate is a successful True-Crime writer… I have no evidence to support that after reading this book… from my recollection she had written one maybe two books (she is pretty dirt poor) and she is struggling with writers block and not really willing to write about the one true crime (her own involvement) that everyone wants to hear about…

We also start to go down a weird path where Kate has some deep seated issues… so that was kind of interesting she has some weird sexual fantasies (nothing that will put readers off) and it seems she’s self destructive… but this behaviour really quickly dissipates when the intent for it is used for fodder in an action packed halfway mark. That behaviour is never explored again… we never really find out if and how she overcomes it or why she decided to behave this way to begin with… it’s quite a massive plot hole.

Another thing with this book is Kate is your classic citizen gone rouge like so rouge you want to slap her into next week and tell her to butt out of police business. She literally gets in the way, obstructs justice, with holds evidence and basically acts like a complete twat… so you think surely this is to write her next book…NAHHHH still got writers block bro… all good I will just play fake detective and carry on like a twit for no apparent reason.

I am not going to get into spoilers… but I am going to allude to some things … so if you think that might spoil this book for you… then I suggest skipping on……

Back to the middle of the book literally at 50% I thought we were having the final showdown… I was like this is weird the book went quick. Checked my kindle nope not even close… but there was an epic action packed full on over the top ridiculous “event” that happens and you are left going… wow really… surely thats not related to the story… and while it is, kind of… it really isn’t. Without spoilers it’s difficult to explain but I was kind of dumbfounded by why we needed this amount of diversion. I did soon find out…

The biggest kick in the nuts moment for me was when we have the first reveal of who the killer is (not the actual reveal) but the first unveiling … OH MY GOD WHAT A F*CKING COP OUT… I am sorry but this was the worst. At this point I wanted to King Kong my way to the top of a building and throw my kindle into the river!!! I was so angry… but I though well perhaps this can be redeemed… NO IT CAN’T.

So I am going to stop there on the killer front… any more and it will be full blown spoiler territory but if you read this and HATE the direction this took please comment and tell me… cause I am MAD… if you don’t care about spoilers and want to know why I’m so mad… well just ask.

The writing also took a massive nosedive and we went into basic territory and while the beginning was meh at least the writing was keeping me going… I don’t know who say hang on … I am going to hand this over to someone else… but that was a bad idea…

I could keep going… but I am cutting myself off…

Overall, I have no one I would recommend this too, I just really didn’t like it… there were so many other ways this could of gone without it doing what it did…but essentially the “twist” ruined it forever… but there are so many other reasons for me not to enjoy this.

I do really hope others have a better experience and I think the writer can write… I just wish he kept it together for the whole book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atlantic Monthly Press and the author for an advanced copy and I am sorry I didn’t like this more but this is my honest opinion.

[Renee Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audible Audio, 3 stars

Kate, 11, discovers a murdered girl, and the killer is still there, telling her "Don't turn around." The encounter shapes her psychologically and influences the rest of her life. Years and other victims later, the killer returns to her childhood home and Kate investigates...

Pro: the first 2/3 of the book. Interesting, if not always likeable, characters are introduced. More and more red herrings lead us down many, many paths and set up layers of possibilities. There are actually six different stories happening, and you know they will eventually converge, but it's so busy that it's impossible to predict.

Con: the last 1/3 of the book. After revealing multiple secrets, we still don't know the murderer, who's been meticulous and untraceable for almost 20 years. Then suddenly, for no apparent reason, he spirals, does a Rambo-on-the-whole-town type of attack, and reveals himself.

My husband and I listened to this on a road trip. Three stars because it was really intriguing most of the way through, and we were eager to see the solutions to the mysteries. But the ending left us unsatisfied and disappointed. The characters' relationships did not feel well-supported, and their actions often seemed unlikely in retrospect because of the way the author finalized the book. The narrator was good, though.

[Kori Potenzone · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book fairies must be working over time...

Don’t Turn Around, was one of my most anticipated books for this year.

I had high expectations for this book but Harry Dolan, surpassed them.

The minute you open this book you are going to plunge right into a different realm. You will lose track of time and reality. You will speak about these characters as though they really exist. Don't be alarmed with the side eyes people throw your way when you get excited talking about these folks as if they were real. It's all good, you can come to me, I will understand exactly what you are talking about.

This book had so many twists, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.

The secrets that become exposed are WILD .

Before I spoil something, I am going to leave you with this teaser :

The police call him Merkury. He’s a killer who seems to choose his victims at random. He leaves no evidence behind, and no witnesses. Except for one. But what did she really see?
When Kate Summerlin was eleven years old, she climbed out her bedroom window on a spring night, looking for a taste of freedom in the small college town where she was living with her parents. But what she found as she wandered in the woods near her house was something else: the body of a beautiful young woman, the first of Merkury’s victims. And before she could come to grips with what she was seeing, she heard a voice behind her—the killer’s voice—saying: “Don’t turn around.”

Now, at the age of twenty-nine, Kate is a successful true crime writer, but she has never told anyone the truth about what happened on that long-ago night. When Merkury claims yet another victim—a college student named Bryan Cayhill—Kate finds herself drawn back to the town where everything started. She sets out to make sense of this latest crime, but the deeper she gets into the story, the more she comes to realize that it’s far from over. Her search for the truth about Merkury is leading her down into a dark labyrinth, and if she hopes to escape, she’ll have to meet him once again—this time face to face.

[Gatorman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid thriller from Dolan about a young woman who encountered a dead body and serial killer when she was 11 years old and the effect it's had on her life. The killings have continued, and she decides to find out who's behind them. I've been a fan of Dolan for a while through his David Loogan series and this standalone does not disappoint. Strong writing and characterizations propel this one to its satisfying ending. If you've never read Dolan, you should. One of the better ones out there.

[Michelle Adamo #EmptyNestReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kate Summerlin (29) is the author of two crime mysteries. Her publisher wants her to write a third mystery but this one feels too personal. As a child, Kate had liked to sneak out of her bedroom window after dark, just to feel her own independence. At age 11, in the middle of the night, she came upon a dead woman in a field behind their house. The victims body was in an unusual position and on her stomach was printed “Merkury”. Shocked and having never seen a dead body before she stood, mesmerized. Behind her came a man’s voice, “Don’t turn around” he said. She asked the voice if the woman was dead, he acknowledged that she was. She asked a couple of questions and then he told her that it was time for her to leave, again directing her not to turn around. At home she told her father what she had seen and the police were called.


Since that time there have been other murders of men and women, most with the same writing, most in the same odd position. Kate still wonders about the killer, now known as “Merkury”, whose true identity remains unknown. She has tried to learn what she can of him by looking into each subsequent murder. A recent murder of a student at a local college beckons Kate to the town where it all began.


The Chief of Police calls upon Kate periodically, she believes that Kate knows more than she has said about the first murders and she is frustrated by Kate’s amateur sleuthing which leads to continued interference in the new cases. Kate does have a secret, in fact, more than one. Still, she is determined not to tell what she knows. She believes that to end the killings, it will be up to her to find Mercury.


A good mystery thriller with plenty of surprises and twists and turns. The story line, at times, feels overly complicated as there are a lot of subplots and it feels disjointed. Also, Kate doesn’t have any personality, she’s very flat. She’s the protagonist but she’s not especially likable (or dislikable). ⭐️⭐️⭐️


Thank you to Harry Dolan and NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. Publication date: April 2, 2024


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[Kim Young · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don’t Turn Around by Harry Dolan tells the story of Kate. When she was 11 years old she snuck out of her bedroom window in upstate New York and found a woman who had just been killed by a serial killer. The killer was still there and told her “don’t turn around”. Ever since then Kate’s life has been marked by darkness. Now 20 years later, more victims of the serial killer have turned up. She goes back home to live with her dad and try to figure out what is going on.
The plot was somewhat disjointed at times. The first half of the book and the second half of the book could be two different stories. While I enjoyed both of these, they didn’t necessarily go together. I did enjoy the backstory of Kate and her family. Overall, when I think back about the book as a whole, it was a great story. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Carole Barker · Rating 3 out of 5]

An encounter with a serial killer forever altered her life.

When she was just eleven years old, Kate Summerlin snuck out of her house one hot summer night and stumbled across the body of a young woman. Worse still, the killer was still nearby, and while she never saw him she heard his voice when he told her, “Don’t turn around”. Years later she has become a writer of true crime books and still grapples with the trauma of that summer evening long ago. When another dead body turns up in that same town where she lived as a child, most assume that it is the work of the killer, (who came to be known as Mercury) whom she encountered long ago. Her publisher wants Kate to center her next book on Merkury’s killings, and Kate reluctantly heads back to the town where her nightmares began. How many other lives will be ripped apart or lost? Kate remembers more about that fateful summer night then she is telling….what does she know, and why has she kept it a secret all these years?

I was intrigued by the premise behind the story….a young girl who encounters a killer and survives. Kate’s life was never the same, and she continues to suffer from the residue of the encounter. She will forever be linked with a serial killer, and lives with the fear that someday he will reappear. When the recent death draws her back to her childhood home, she starts investigating the crime with the help of a podcaster whose own career started with the original Mercury killing. She can relate to the trio of young people who found the latest body, and is able to get each to talk to her. Amateur sleuthing doesn’t always go well, and that becomes the case here. When another person related to the case turns up dead, it becomes clear that there is more is going on than it appears. The mystery is intriguing, and there are twists to the plot that help keep the reader’s interest. The character of Kate was hard to like or get a real handle on…..she is damaged, certainly, and keeps herself distanced from others emotionally, and perhaps that carried over to how I as a reader perceived her. It was a quick read with some surprising developments at the end. Readers of authors like Hank Phillippi Ryan, Addison McKnight and Phillip Margolin might find this something to add to their TBR pile. Many thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic/Altantic Monthly Press for allowing me early access to Don’t Turn Around.

[Jacquelyn Dohoney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m so torn on this review. I loved the idea of the story and have thought about writing something like it in the past. It also had great dialogue. The part I’m torn about is that I’m really surprised at the amount of telling instead of showing. The story was entertaining enough, but was more like a list of events that happened. Maybe that was his strategy? I don’t know. But it was enough to pull me out of the story a few times. Not necessarily as a reader, but definitely as a writer. I think the story would have packed far more of a punch had he been more descriptive than just telling me what happened. It made some parts of it fall flat for me. But again, it was entertaining enough for me to finish it, and I did like the story itself. The writing just was not at all what I expected.

Huge thanks to Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for sending me this ARC for review! All of my reviews are given honestly!

[Maggie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was immediately intrigued by the plot of Don't Turn Around, but I struggled with the writing style. It felt very stark and almost emotionless, like the narrative was a series of actions being listed out, rather than a story unfolding. I don't know if this was intentional — and there's nothing wrong with it if it is — but it made it hard for me to get invested and keep reading. I hope other readers will connect with it more than I did, as the premise is really interesting.

[Jamie Galayda · Rating 2 out of 5]

To say this book is not for me would be an understatement. There wasn't any real character development and there was too much randomness thrown in to seemingly fill the pages. There were plot holes and wandering ideas that led nowhere. I really wanted to like this one because the description sounded great and I always root for every author to do well. Two Stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for this ARC.

[Ray Palen · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a full moon that initially drew 11-year-old Kate Summerlin into the backyard of her home in Alexander located in Upstate New York. Her father was a professor at nearby Seagate College and young Kate had quite an imagination. While looking for the perfect place to see the moon in the middle of the night, Kate travels beyond the confines of the family barn.

Ending up in the woods, Kate comes upon something she did not expect. She nearly trips over the body of an attractive young girl, older then herself. Kate is old enough to recognize that this young lady was no longer alive. She was bound in a strange position with a ribbon tied around her throat. Written in red on her stomach was the word Merkury. It was then that she heard the voice a man behind her who had simply said: “Don’t turn around.” That was the story she told the police, but it was not the entire story.

Eighteen years later, Kate Summerlin is now living in rural Ohio where she has been doing a very good job of escaping the past events of that night as well as the truth. It also became the impetus for her career as a successful crime writer, in the same way that author Harry Dolan used the three-word phrase spoken by the serial killer named Merkury to 11-year-old Kate for his latest thriller, DON’T TURN AROUND.

Kate is surprised to find a familiar looking vehicle in the gravel stone driveway of her remote Ohio small home. It has New York plates and was driven by Police Chief Vera Landen who had traveled all the way from Alexander, New York to Bradner, Ohio. When Kate asked Chief Landen how she located her she dropped the name of an Alexander resident she wanted to forget about, photo-journalist Lee Tennick.

The reason for this unexpected and lengthy excursion was not to catch up but to revisit the events of that moon infused evening when Kate was a little girl. Even though Kate claims to have tried to block it out and swearing she had nothing additional to add to what she already told the police, Landen insisted on pushing her because the serial killer known as Merkury seems to have reappeared in Alexander and this time broken with his usual modus operendi and killed a young man.

After several hours, Kate send Chief Landen away with nothing worthwhile by way of additional information. However, it does make Kate recall the lengthy conversation she actually had with Merkury, far more than the mere three words she told the police about. Ironically, Kate’s book publisher reaches out to her claiming that, while she loved the handful of chapters she had sent for her next title, she wanted her to change direction as she was in need of a hit. With Merkury returning, her publisher wants her to revisit this case since she was personally involved in it after having found the first known victim once upon a time.

Kate warily returns to Alexander to find things not much different. Outside of the fact that a young male college student had just been murdered and her father was letting Lee Tennick live in his RV on their property. The latest victim was also an actor who had been filming a horror movie in the area. Kate interviews the director as well as a few other students who were working on the film and also found Bryan Cayhill’s body.

She also speaks at length with Lee Tennick --- even though she did not care for him or completely trust him, he seemed to know everything there was to know about Alexander and the events surrounding the latest Merkury killing. Reconnecting with Chief Landen, Kate traces Merkury’s serial killer career that included a long stretch with no activity. It as surmised that he must have been behind bars for a stretch with some other crime and then released to resume his killing spree.

It seems that the deeper Kate gets into her own investigation for this story, the more she reopens old wounds and her own conversation with Merkury that she chose to keep to herself Harry Dolan provides many twists and turns along the way which keeps the reader guessing and the darkness at the end of Kate Summerlin’s personal labyrinth is something she had never wanted to revisit.

Reviewed by Ray Palen for Book Reporter

[Paul Sand · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the previous Harry Dolan books I read (The Good Killer; Bad Things Happen; Very Bad Men; The Last Dead Girl; The Man in the Crooked Hat). I was kind of disappointed in this one. Not bad, but not up to his usual standards. I didn't find the main character very interesting or sympathetic. The wry humor Dolan injected into his previous books is missing here. Everyone's sort of flat and glum.

Worse, there's a not-all-is-what-it-seems teaser on page 14 that's not resolved until the end of the book, around page 362 or so. Kind of a cheap gimmick, Harry.

That said, the plot is twisty, and there are a couple pulse-pounding thrilling action scenes along the way where the protagonist faces off against someone who wants to do her harm.

Plot: As an 11-year-old out for a midnight stroll, Kate Summerlin stumbles across a female murder victim in the woods outside her house. Scrawled on the victim's bare stomach: "MERKURY". Worse, the murderer is still hanging around, and utters the three titular words to Kate, scaring the bejeezus out of her, and (I think) kind of giving her psychological problems that persist into her later life.

That later life is where most of the novel occurs: over the years, "MERKURY" has persisted in killing people without getting caught. Kate has become a true-crime writer, and (it turns out) has some pretty good detective skills. She gets involved with finding a missing girl and also investigating the murder of one of the actors in a horror film made by a student at the local college. There are a lot of characters introduced, with names like "Devin", and "Bryan", and "Todd".

I have to say (spoiler free) that the book takes a very dark view of humanity. Read it, you'll see what I mean.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

 I enjoyed this for what it was. The suspense was done well and it kept my interest. I liked the writing style and will definitely be reading more from Harry Dolan. If you enjoy mysteries, I would recommend this! Special Thank You to Harry Dolan, Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast paced and tight storyline. Good plot. First Dolan novel that I have read and I will read more.

[Steve Antczak · Rating 1 out of 5]

Huge Harry Dolan fan. That being said, this book was terrible. There wasn't a single character you were rooting for and the entire plot and subsequent twist was ridiculous. Couldn't be more disappointed.

[Keiko · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Harry Dolan's gripping thriller, Don't Turn Around, the story unfolds when Kate Summerlin stumbles upon the lifeless body of a young woman. The chilling encounter takes an ominous turn as a mysterious voice warns her, "Don't turn around." Years later, Kate has become a crime writer, harboring concealed secrets about that fateful night. When the elusive Merkury claims another victim, Kate is thrust back into the sinister world of unsolved crimes. Dolan skillfully employs a fragmented writing style that propels the narrative forward, offering readers an immersive and easily digestible experience in this suspenseful mystery thriller.

I will start by saying that I have never been involved in a police investigation so I don't know standard protocol for investigations but I felt the police were oddly lax in their approach to the murders. The ease with which Kate and Lee accessed the residences of the deceased students struck me as irregular. In a real-life scenario, one might question the thoroughness of the police investigation. I also felt the characters were able to make leaps in their conclusions for things that were not obvious. They ran full speed ahead with these hunches and it felt unrealistic, as though the author was forcefully advancing the plot. There were instances where I couldn't help but draw parallels to Harry Potter, with Kate consistently finding herself in the midst of action, seemingly always at the right place and time.

I found Kate's behavior to be somewhat erratic, fluctuating between audaciousness and vulnerability. Initially, she appeared remarkably fearless, bravely navigating the night alone, yet at other moments, her demeanor suggested deep-seated fear stemming from her experiences. This inconsistency made it feel as if I were observing the perspectives of two distinct individuals, leaving me yearning for a more cohesive portrayal of her character. Moreover, the significance of Kate leaving notes about those who wronged her remained elusive to me. It seemed as though she wanted Merkury to retaliate against these individuals, a notion that struck me as extreme. This aspect of her motivations left me questioning the coherence of her actions and the underlying logic of her choices.

The ending left me somewhat underwhelmed, as I had anticipated Merkury to emerge as a more distinct and memorable character. Although the depiction of Kate's interaction with Merkury infused a human dimension into his persona, offering a fresh perspective and revealing his humanity, I found myself wishing for a deeper exploration of his background. I had hoped for greater insights into the reasons behind his apparent affinity for Kate.

In conclusion, Don't Turn Around by Harry Dolan is an intriguing thriller that successfully captivates readers with its suspenseful narrative. While Dolan skillfully maintains a gripping hold on the audience's attention through his dynamic writing style, certain elements, such as police procedural details and character consistency, may leave some readers questioning the realism of the plot.

Thank you to Grove Atlantic for the advance reader's edition of this book.

[Melissa Widener · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't Turn Around by Harry Dolan
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Thriller
Format: paperback ARC (thanks GroveAtlantic and Goodreads)

Loved:
*kept me on my toes, guessing
*Good character development
*fast-paced

Loved Less:
*anticlimactic
*killer revealing

Description:
The police call him Merkury. He’s a killer who seems to choose his victims at random. He leaves no evidence behind and no witnesses. Except for one. But what did she really see? When Kate Summerlin was eleven years old, she climbed out her bedroom window on a spring night, looking for a taste of freedom in the small college town where she was living with her parents. But what she found as she wandered in the woods near her house was something the body of a beautiful young woman, the first of Merkury’s victims. And before she could come to grips with what she was seeing, she heard a voice behind her—the killer’s voice— “Don’t turn around.” Now, at the age of twenty-nine, Kate is a writer, but she has never told anyone the truth about what happened on that long-ago night. When Merkury claims yet another victim—a college student named Bryan Cayhill—Kate finds herself drawn back to the town where everything started. She sets out to make sense of this latest crime, but the deeper she gets into the story, the more she comes to realize that it’s far from over. Her search for the truth about Merkury is leading her down into a dark labyrinth, and if she hopes to escape, she’ll have to meet him once again—this time face to face.

My opinion:
Awesome storyline for the 1st 3/4 of the book. I was planning on giving a score very close to 5 stars. I liked the well developed characters that are real with some grit. There was not too much wordiness or description of non-important "stuff." The novel was so fast-paced, and I was really enjoying trying to figure out whodunit! Then....the partial killer reveal...such a let down. Then the whole killer reveal...just awful. And not awful because I liked the character, but because...spoiler. It dropped my rating a whole point. That disappointed.

[Maven_Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don’t Turn Around by Harry Dolan – Review

Don’t Turn Around by Harry Dolan is a gripping psychological thriller that threads past horror into present terror with chilling effectiveness. When Kate Summerlin was eleven years old she stumbled into the woods and found a girl’s body staged in a grotesque tableau, the murderer whispering the words that became the book’s title into her ear, a moment that haunted her for nearly two decades. Now a true‑crime writer who has avoided telling the whole story of that night, Kate is pulled back to her old college town when the serial killer known as Merkury strikes again, leaving her with fresh bodies, old secrets, and unanswered questions about what really happened so long ago. As she investigates, long‑buried truths about herself and her connection to Merkury begin to surface, pushing her toward a confrontation she has feared her whole life.

What intrigued me most was how Dolan balances the mounting dread of the killer’s return with the emotional unraveling of Kate, whose past trauma and present choices make her both sympathetic and frustratingly complex. The writing pulled me deep into the eerie atmosphere of small‑town dread, and the twists kept me guessing about how much Kate really knows about Merkury and whether she can trust her own memories. At times the plot leans into intense suspense that asked me to suspend disbelief, but the psychological depth of Kate’s journey added a richness that made the thrills resonate.

Rating: 4 out of 5 because it is a tense, character‑driven noir that lingers in your thoughts long after the last page.

[Alexa Stripe · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a dumb ending. Also very hard to follow

[Bookreporter.com Mystery & Thriller · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a full moon that initially draws 11-year-old Kate Summerlin into the backyard of her home in Alexander in upstate New York. Her father is a professor at nearby Seagate College, and she has quite an imagination. While looking for the perfect place to see the moon in the middle of the night, she travels beyond the confines of the family barn.

Ending up in the woods, Kate comes upon the body of Melissa Cornelle, a former student of her father. Kate is old enough to recognize that the young lady is no longer alive. She is bound in a strange position with a ribbon tied around her throat. Written in red on her stomach is the word “Merkury.” She then hears a man behind her say, “Don’t turn around.” This is what she tells the police, but it’s not the whole story.

Eighteen years later, Kate is living in rural Ohio where she has been doing a very good job of escaping the events of that awful night, as well as the truth. It also became the impetus for her successful career as a true crime writer, in the same way that Harry Dolan uses the three words uttered by the serial killer Merkury as the title of his latest thriller, DON’T TURN AROUND.

Kate is surprised to find a familiar-looking vehicle in her driveway. It has New York plates and is driven by Alexander Police Chief Vera Landen. When Kate asks Landen how she found her, Landen drops the name of an Alexander resident whom Kate wanted to forget about: Lee Tennick, a photographer and true crime blogger.

The reason for this unexpected and lengthy excursion is not to catch up but to revisit the events of that moon-infused evening. Even though Kate claims to have tried to block it out and swears she has nothing else to add to what she already shared with the authorities, Landen insists on pushing her. Merkury seems to have reappeared in Alexander, and this time he has departed from his modus operandi and killed a young man.

After several hours, Kate sends Landen away with no further information. However, it does make her recall the conversation she had with Merkury, which consisted of far more than those three words. Kate’s literary agent, Audrey, reaches out to her; while she loved the handful of chapters that Kate had sent for her next work, she would like her to change direction as they need a hit. With Merkury returning, Audrey wants her to revisit the case and go back to Alexander, which Kate reluctantly does.

Bryan Cahill, Merkury's 12th victim, was a college student and an actor who had been filming a horror movie in the area. Kate interviews the director, as well as a few other students who were working on the project and found Bryan’s body. She also speaks at length with Tennick. Even though she does not care for the man or completely trust him, he seems to know everything there is to know about Alexander and the events surrounding the murder. Reconnecting with Landen, Kate traces Merkury’s path as a serial killer, which includes a long stretch with no activity.

It seems that the deeper Kate gets into her own investigation for this story, the more she reopens old wounds and her secret conversation with Merkury. Harry Dolan provides many twists and turns along the way to keep readers guessing, not to mention darkness at the end of Kate’s personal labyrinth, which she had never wanted to revisit.

Reviewed by Ray Palen

[Mamadukes · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! WOW! WOW! Harry Dolan’s latest thriller DON’T TURN AROUND was a twisty, dark tale with characters who were relatable, well-drawn and very interesting.

When Kate Summerlin was 11 years old, she snuck out one night to wander the woods, only to discover a body. Before she even had the chance to run a voice behind her said, “Don’t turn around”. Eighteen years later, Kate is a true crime author when another body is found and she returns to her father’s home to investigate. Also investigating is Lee Tennick, a photographer and part-time true crime blogger. Since Kate found the first body, there have been a total of 18 deaths connected to Merkury who has a very strange signature to his kills. When Kate is contacted by the Chief of Police, Vera Landen about that long ago night, she too is trying to get more information about this killer. The victims do not seem to be connected in any other way, only in so far as they are connected by their suspected killer and his calling card.

Kate is also dealing with stalking behavior by her ex-boyfriend, who she walked out on after he struck her. Is he following her to try to win her back? Or for other nefarious reasons. Meanwhile, a group of local students find yet another body while in the woods filming a movie. The body count continues to rise. Along her investigative track, Kate, learns of Jenny Wyler whose father had reported her missing months ago. Just what is going on in Alexander, New York?

This is my first Harry Dolan novel, but if he writes like this in all of his others, it will certainly not be my last. His writing is clear, concise, and had me on the edge of my seat. I could hear the twigs breaking as I snuck through the forest and felt my breath catching during certain spots. I will definitely be adding Mr. Dolan‘s name to my list of authors to watch.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for this ARC opportunity. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.

[Amelia Storck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t Turn Around is a tense, psychologically rich thriller that examines the lingering effects of trauma, memory, and fear through the eyes of a protagonist whose past and present collide in chilling ways. Harry Dolan immerses readers in a narrative that balances suspenseful plotting with deep character exploration, creating a story that is both gripping and emotionally resonant.

Kate Summerlin is a compelling central figure haunted by a childhood encounter with the notorious killer Merkury, she has built her adult life around true crime, yet the unresolved shadows of her past continue to shape her decisions and relationships. When Merkury claims another victim, Kate is drawn back into a world she thought she had left behind, confronting not only external danger but the internal scars that have defined her for years.

Dolan’s writing shines in his ability to weave high-stakes suspense with authentic emotional depth. The story moves with relentless tension, from the eerie atmosphere of Kate’s hometown to the escalating peril that surrounds her investigation. Every twist and revelation heightens both the narrative and the psychological complexity of the characters, making the book a satisfying blend of mystery, thriller, and character-driven storytelling.

Don’t Turn Around will resonate with readers who enjoy smart, suspenseful thrillers that prioritize both plot and emotional resonance fans of psychological crime, true-crime narratives, and tense mysteries with memorable protagonists.

[Maine Colonial · Rating 4 out of 5]

After coming across murder victim Melissa Cornelle and having an encounter with her killer, Kate Summerlin grew up damaged. Superficially she appeared normal. She wrote two true-crime books that were published and can take care of herself. But she’s bad at relationships, spends a lot of time on her own, and her mind can’t get escape her past. She’s a complicated character who does some stupid and risky things, not because she’s stupid but because she’s damaged.

When another college student is murdered in Kate’s old home town, she returns to her father’s house and begins to look into what becomes multiple murders. At about halfway through, there is a heart-pounding series of events, but it’s just a part of this multi-stranded plot. Prepare to suspend your disbelief, because there are quite a few things that require it.

This book is a reminder that just because a book has unlikely events doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a failure. The bottom line for me was that I felt like I was hardly blinking my eyes for the last half, I was so anxious to find out what was going to happen next. Another plus is that the Kate character is appealing, despite her occasional frustrating moves. There are a few cracks in her tough shell. In particular, she opens her heart and protects a young woman she encounters through her investigations.

[Diane Knecht · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the opportunity to read and review Don't Turn Around by Harry Dolan. All opinions are my own.

We start off with a young girl who discovers a body after sneaking outside at night. She is surprised to also find the killer still present at the crime scene. The killer,we soon find out the police will call him Merkury, tells her "Don't Turn Around." This begins a journey for Kate over many years trying to find the truth of what happened that night and more about Merkury, who has continued to kill and not be apprehended by the police.

Pro: Twists and turns throughout the book that will leave you guessing, multiple plot lines that eventually all come together and make sense, good action scenes that propel the story and enhance the reading experience, and interesting characters. The author gives you tidbits of information to form conclusions up until the very last few pages.

Cons: At times it felt like the multiple plot lines were a bit too much and the main character Kate kept making horrible decisions.

Even with my dislike of the main character, I still enjoyed this book very much. It was truly a ride. Don't Turn Around is available now, published April 2nd, 2024. Happy Reading!

[Corrine Townsend · Rating 3 out of 5]

When 11 year old Kate snuck out of her house late one night she never expected to find what she found. A young girl, murdered deep within the woods by her house. Transfixed at the scene before her, Kate didn't realize someone was watching and waiting. Before she could run, she heard a voice,
"Don't turn around". This would become the first of a series of murders by the killer known as Merkury. 29 years later, Kate remembers that faithful night and it has forever tormented her. Now a famous writer, she's never told anyone the truth about that night and what really happened. However when another victim turns up, Kate feels like it could be a message and she returns back to her town that started it all. In her hunt for Merkury she will not only come face to face with the killer, but with her own demons as well.

This book was creepy in the fact that the killer chose the MC as a survivor. I can't imagine being so close to a murderer, witnessing their act and being let go free....only to forever be tormented and paranoid. Parts of this book were not practical or realistic which I can totally let go, but I felt a lot of the twist were given up too soon. It wasn't a bad book and very quick to read, but at times I felt like the book was drawn out and losing momentum. 3.5 stars.

[Debbie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book didn't do it for me. I found most all of the characters unpleasant and/or unbelievable. I found most of the plot unbelievable - what is the likely hood that a person would 'run into' two different murderers? Two characters have such trauma that one cuts (old stuff) and another participates in violent sex - boring. There is a serial killer on the loose - the FBI and a local cop have been looking into the case the entire time -yet they miss vital information - like a father who slept with the first victim - the father who is now in a relationship with the cop- a cop who still doesn't know that the father sleeps with co-eds.

As a reader - there could only be two people who were the serial killer- I had my guess. Well wait...it's not a serial killer!!! a change that, for me, ended any sort of belief that I had left in the plot/characters. However, I can say, that while the character I thought was the killer - not the killer -this character did provide the murderer - so maybe I was half-right.

I've read other books by this author and will do so again - this one was not for me.

[Linda Munro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have no idea how it took me so long to find this author, but I am glad I did.

The police call him Merkury. He’s a killer who seems to choose his victims at random. There is nothing that makes him a typical serial killer.

He leaves no evidence behind, and no witnesses. Except for one, Kate Summerlin an eleven-year-old, had climbed out her bedroom window on a spring night, looking for a little freedom. Instead, she finds the body of a young woman, the first of Merkury’s victims (or, was it?). And before she could come to grips with what she was seeing, she heard a voice behind her—the killer’s voice— “Don’t turn around.”

Now, Kate is a successful twenty-nine-year-old, true crime writer.

When Merkury claims another victim in the town where the whole thing started (a college student named Bryan Cayhill) Kate is drawn back to the town she had escaped.

Instead of discovering the identity of Merkury, Kate discovers a secret that will rock her to the core. Will she survive the killer a second time? If she does, will she survive the truth?

[Larry Fontenot · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very good read with an interesting plot. There are some twists that occur, but what mystery doesn’t have twists? But the twist this time is not who the killer is, but the motive of the killer. The story begins when 11-year-old Katie finds a body and is confronted by the killer who tells her “Don’t turn around.” So she doesn’t know who the killer is. Almost two decades later, the killer strikes again in the small town where Katie grew up but has since moved away from. Now a true-crime writer, she goes back to her home town. Thus begins an interesting deep dive into the characters and nature of the home town. About three quarters into the book, we learn that the suspected motive of the killer may not the true motive. And Kate has always carried a deep secret about her encounter with the killer and her subsequent texting with him. The book is about crime and consequences, but it is also about how Kate struggles with her own culpability. Her emotions are a big part of this fine novel.

[Julie]

No rating because it was DNF

I thought this had potential but I couldn't stick with it. About a woman who, when she was 11, had an encounter with a serial killer. Of course she was traumatized but didn't have therapy and now 20 years later the serial killer is active again and she decides to "investigate". Concurrently, a man who is a photographer and blogger and podcaster took her photo when she was 11, publicized it on his website and wrote in his blog some suggestive things about her dad. She was angry about it but now it seems they are sort of teaming up to "investigate".

I didn't stick with this because I really didn't like any of these characters and tbh, didn't really care whodunnit and why. Was it writing style? Or simply the lack of depth or connectivity within and between the characters. Just disparate people in the same geographical area going about their own thing.
DNF

[ML · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting premise: More than twenty years ago, 11-year-old Kate finds the victim of a serial killer, who is present at the scene and tells Kate “Don’t turn around.” Now, Kate has become a true crime writer, more victims of the serial killer are discovered, and Kate is forced to deal with many things she has kept hidden for decades.

I have enjoyed other books by Harry Dolan, but this one missed the mark a bit for me. I found the plot to be somewhat disjointed in points, and some parts of the storyline just seemed to go nowhere. Nonetheless, overall I found this to be a good and entertaining read, and I look forward to reading other works by Dolan. Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.