Don't Let Her Go

Detective Billie Ann Wilde #1

by Willow Rose

A missing five-year-old girl is the key to unlocking a detective’s terrifying past…

When Detective Billie Ann Wilde receives a desperate call that five-year-old Emma Wilson is missing, she rushes to the family home. But inside the picture-perfect house surrounded by Florida marshlands, she finds no children’s clothes or toys, no photos of the innocent child Emma’s mother Marissa describes. Billie suspects Marissa Wilson is hiding from someone.

It’s a race against the clock to find Emma. But Marissa refuses to tell Billie anything about her past, and before long, she also disappears…

And then Billie realizes who Marissa is.

She’s the ten-year old girl Billie failed to find in her first ever case fourteen years ago. The leads went cold because Billie made a fatal mistake.

As more bodies turn up in the same marshlands, Billie must revisit her past and face up to her demons to find Marissa and her child. But she is unknowingly putting herself in the path of a terrifying serial killer…

An explosive new crime series from multi-million-copy bestseller Willow Rose. Fans of Lisa Regan, Robert Dugoni and Kendra Elliot will be on the edge of their seats, unable to put this book down!

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

302 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 2, 2024

About the author

Willow Rose is a multi-million-copy best-selling Author and an Amazon ALL-star Author of more than 70 novels.

Several of her books have reached the top 10 of ALL books on Amazon in the US, UK, and Canada. She has sold more than three million books all over the world.

She writes Mystery, Thriller, Paranormal, Romance, Suspense, Horror, Supernatural thrillers, and Fantasy.

Willow's books are fast-paced, nail-biting pageturners with twists you won't see coming. That's why her fans call her The Queen of Scream.

Willow lives on Florida's Space Coast. When she is not writing or reading, you will find her surfing and watch the dolphins play in the waves of the Atlantic Ocean.

*NEW RELEASES*:
☞ - All The Good Girls (Harry Hunter Mystery #1) - Just released
☞ - Run Girl Run (Harry Hunter Mystery #2) coming soon, pre-order today!
☞ - No Other Way (Harry Hunter#3) coming soon, pre-order today!
☞ - Let Me Go (Eva Rae Thomas #5) - Just released!

Connect with Willow online:

http://www.facebook.com/willowredrose
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Inbox already stuffed? Send the word: “ebooks” to 31996 to get a text alert with news about new releases, giveaways, and bargains from Willow.

Reviews

[Josephine Jarman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic introduction to a new series. It never felt like a long listen as rhe chapters wete short,well narrated and full of action. Another pov story focusing on a missing child who few believe exists alongside various murders and subplots. The mother and the detective narrate the story.. it played out a bit like a Hollywood move. I loved the interwoven stories and timelines. I did gueese the reveal but i found it a very enjoyable listen. I was made to care about the characters but not be distracted away from the story. The audio was high quality and the narrator got the voices right.
I would recommended this to anyone who like a good mystery with interwoven stories with strong female characters leading.the way.
This is a 5 star listen. Rhank you netgallery and publisher and author and narrator

[ellen · Rating 2 out of 5]

stars: ⭐️ . 5

this was awful. the side plots were so unnecessary and quite frankly bad. and i saw the plot twists coming from a mile away.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

[B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall okay, it could maybe be a higher rating if I read the actual book. Audiobooks are not for me. I just really don’t like the narrators voice being 3 different characters.

[Maddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow, what a start to a new series! Gritty, complex, full of twists and turns. I really enjoyed it.
Billie Ann Wilde is a great character. Somebody with a difficult past but not letting herself being stopped to move forward by what happened to her. I loved her resiliance.
The thing that stopped me from scoring it higher was that the writing felt a bit clunky at times. Hopefully, the next book in the series will be edited more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookotoure for providing me with a copy of that book.

[TJ Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

TW for child abuse (not greatly detailed but could turn you away). With that being said, one of the best mysteries I’ve read! I was so intrigued by all the questions my mind had that I couldn’t put the book down. The plot and characters were very developed. I couldn’t even take a guess at the next twist until the end. Multiple POVs. Highly recommend!

[Becky Rice · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, I loved the cover art, it's gorgeous. It's the main reason I read this book.
For the actual book, it had a lot of issues. I figured out the major twists about 30% in to the book. It was very obvious.
The author tried to include way too many hot topics. Rape, pedophilia, racism, sexism, drunk driving, homophobia, and on and on. It got annoying really fast.
The narrator used an overly young voice for the kidnapped child. It wasn't clear enough that she had aged quite a bit. I won't say too much as it will give some of the twist away.
One last thing, the author repeats words quite a bit, and the way she portrayed the main character was a tad immature and selfish, which didn't fit the persona of her profession.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC.
I'm sorry I didn't like it.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don’t Let Her Go (Detective Billie Ann Wilde Book 1) by Willow Rose is quite a twisty mystery and suspense thriller.

Don’t Let Her Go is the first book in this series, and this series has started off well. Billie Ann is an interesting character I would probably like to learn more about in future books.

There were a couple of “whoa, I did not see that coming” or did not guess those revelations. As the author mentioned in her afterward, the story is reminiscent of the Jaycee Dugard kidnapping.

The story takes place in Florida, and I had to laugh when the character mentioned you get soaked in sweat from the brief minute it took to walk from your house to your car. I live in a similar area, and it is quite daunting at times when it is so hot.

The story had very good twists and red herrings. It ended a bit quickly, but I look forward to more in this series.

#DontLerHerGo #NetGalley @bookouture

[mersadie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book. It ended most chapters on a cliff hanger so it kept me interested and eager to know what happened. That said, I didn’t like the subplots about Billy Ann’s family drama. It messed with the pacing and brought me out of the suspenseful feeling. While other readers mentioned that the plot was kind of predictable, I thought it had plenty of unexpected twists and turns. I think the predictable parts were meant to be predictable— like the reader was supposed to know more than the characters at some points. Overall, I would recommend. Readers should definitely be aware of the trigger warnings though because there was some really tough content.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Caroline 'relaxing with my rescue dogs' · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't read a Willow Rose book for a while, so it was an absolute pleasure to get back into the mind of this author.
This is a new series and this book was really the introduction to the series - given where it is ended I cant wait. Initially I thought I was being overwhelmed with the characters and the different timelines but they all came together. The note from the author at the end explained her mindset with the book which I found really interesting and that has just made me more intrigued to see where it goes in the future.

I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

[Yvonne (It's All About Books) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Finished reading: January 16th 2024

"I couldn't help but feel like something was off about the whole situation. Very off."

*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***

REVIEW

WARNING: it's time for another unpopular opinion review!!

I've been meaning to try this author for quite some time now... While I already had other books on my kindle, I couldn't resist the opportunity to try the first book of this newest series. I do always love a good serial killer angle in my detective thrillers, and the marshland Florida setting sounded like a great backdrop as well. I've been looking forward to pick up Don't Let You Go, fully expecting to have an excellent time with it, but sadly it wasn't ment to be in the end.

I can't deny that Don't Let You Go has an intriguing premise, even though the blurb doesn't exactly match the story itself (the events described with that connection to the main character's past only happen in the final part of the story). Initially, things went well enough, and with its fast pace I found it really easy to keep turning those pages. I did start to wonder about certain side plots and POVs popping up only to never be seen again... They felt too much like fillers and only muddled the story instead of adding dept.

And here is were it went wrong for me: it seemed like the author looked at a list of negative behavior and crimes, and tried to include every single one of them in this book. No more space in the main plot? No worries, let's just add yet another random scene or side plot so I can add another trigger warning worthy event. Seriously, things are bad enough with the active child abuse scenes going on in Kitty's POV, but then the domestic abuse, rape, addiction, lesbophobia, religious bigotry, sexism just decide to hit you while you are down. And then there are even more elements I've forgotten to mention because there were simply so many of them... Seriously, every time yet another element was forced into the plot, my eyebrows started to climb higher and higher until I felt like I was climbing a skyscraper.

The worst part is that most of the side plots weren't even properly tied up, and there were so many loose threads that the whole story just started to unravel for me. Especially since the murders themselves don't seem to get the attention they deserve, and instead other elements take over the plot. I also saw the big twist coming from a mile away, and there were so many red herrings that it just wasn't believable that the main character didn't see it coming. More fleshing out of the main plot and more viable suspects probably would have helped... Although by then the story wasn't really salvageable for me.

I wasn't sure what to think about the writing itself. Sure, it read fast enough and I still managed to get through this story quickly despite my issues. BUT. For example with Kitty's POV: she just sounded SO young, basically like a six-year-old, and then we are supposed to believe she got pregnant? While she kept talking like a young child? Just no. The tone in Billie Ann's POV wasn't consistent either, and there was something about her character that I just never could warm up to. Especially since her life choices only seem to have been chosen to generate even more conflict in the story rather than giving her an authentic feel.

All in all it's no surprise when I say that Don't Let Her Go and me definitely didn't get along, and I won't be continuing this series. I might try one of her other series since I already have copies on my kindle... That said, I seem to be in the minority when it comes to this book, so if you don't mind graphic child abuse, sexual abuse and other heavy topics, Don't Let Her Go might just be the book for you. It's a fast read at least either way!

P.S. Find more of my reviews here.

[Jody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Willow Rose’s book, Don’t Let Her Go, is a thrilling story that keeps people wondering all the way through. The story is about Detective Billie Ann Wilde, who has to find a five-year-old little girl named Emma quickly. She’s gone missing. As the investigation continues, Billie finds out a surprising link to her history and understands she’s dealing with a scary serial murderer.

Willow does a great job of making the story exciting. The story is very carefully written, with surprises and changes that will surprise and make people want to discover what will happen next. The people in the story are excellent and easy to understand. Billie, a character, has her problems and old mistakes that make the story deeper.

The location of the swamps in Florida makes the story more scary and mysterious. It adds to the overall feeling of fear and risk. The speed of the story is good; it moves quickly and keeps readers interested in what happens.

Overall, Don’t Let Her Go is an exciting and well-written mystery that will be liked by people who enjoy suspense-filled and tricky thrillers. Willow Rose has given another exciting story that will keep readers wanting to read more. I recommend this book to anyone wanting an exciting and scary book.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

[Jackie C · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would rate this a 3.5. It was a great story but I felt it was a bit predictable especially after the first twist. The dual POV/dual timeline was a bit hard for me to follow at a couple of spots. I am still invested in the characters and am excited to continue reading this series. I loved the “under dog” theme throughout.

[Els · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first book by this author and I can wholeheartedly say she has gained a fan.

The story grabbed me by the throat, broke my heart more than once and I love every minute of it.

I loved the characters, the good ones as well as the bad ones. How can you love a baddie? Simple. When characters are as well built as they were by this author there is nothing you can do but to appreciate that.

And then of course there is Billie Ann. She is like a dog with a bone when she has set her mind on something. Besides the things she has to deal with in her professional life, she also has a battle on her hands in her private life. I could understand all parties, but after all everybody has to be respected for who they are even if you, maybe, not see it from their point of view. That's why it is important to put yourself, every once in a while, in the other persons shoes and try to see it through their eyes.

I also loved the short chapters. They helped to up the pace of this amazing book. 

If this book is a reflection of how the series will develop, we are in for quite some treats. 5 stars

Thank you

[Berke Kılıç · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bu kadar tetiklemesini ben de beklemiyordum. Özellikle kadınlar için zor bir polisiye.

[Sascha · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️
Very unbelievable in my opinion

[Robin Loves Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not only has a five-year-old girl named Emma gone missing, but her very existence is doubted by Detective Billie Ann Wilde and just about everyone else. No photos, no birth certificate. Nothing. Billie and her team can't help but wonder if the mother Marissa is having mental issues.

Billie digs deep into the case of missing Emma, but also is on the case for some recent murders. Meanwhile, Billie's home life is falling apart, despite the strong love she has for her husband and children.

Billie wonders if the recent murder of a teen girl is tied to Emma's disappearance. More than that, there is just something about Marissa and Emma is determined to figure out exactly what that is.


As this is the first book in a new series, some background is given on Billie and the decisions she is facing and how some past events have affected her career in police work. This good read was made even better as I had the opportunity to listen to it as an audiobook.

Many thanks Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

[Julie Lacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great start to a new series.
Detective Billie Ann Wilde is contacted when a child goes missing from her back garden. Her Mum is distraught but when Billie Ann starts to ask questions, she clams up.
Her colleagues are not sure the child exists as there’s no record of her and no details about the Mum either.
Something about it intrigues Billie Ann so she starts to investigate.
A body is found nearby but it’s a young woman, and not Emma. However they soon release she was linked to Emma.
We also have chapters from Kitty who has been taken from her Mum and kept hostage for several years.
Billie Ann is also going through some personal problems at home and it’s good to get an insight into her family life.
This is a great crime thriller and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next for Billie Ann.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

[Sarah Dacombe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, the chapters were short & feisty & it was a complete page turner! It was a good story line too. I was lucky enough to find this for free on my kindle but this is book 1 of 4 so I’ve downloaded the next ones already! A new author to me & I’m pleased I chose this to read 🌟

[Jacquelyn Dohoney · Rating 3 out of 5]

TW: Graphic child abuse, sexual abuse, rape.

The story started off really intriguing, but I found myself losing interest about half way through. I think the story has a lot of potential, but there are some areas that need to be worked on in my opinion. Some of the plot lines weren’t really tied up and some didn’t really seem to have anything to do with the story even from a B-story perspective. I would have like more fleshing out of the main plots and more insight into the motivations for what happened. The other thing that kept pulling me out of the story was that the language didn’t seem to match Billie Ann’s character. In one chapter, she would be talking normally, and then all of a sudden she was speaking overly proper. It was like two different people wrote for her character. I can also see the child abuse and sexual abuse being hard for certain readers. It was rough for me, and I don’t usually have issues with reading much of anything. With all of that being said, I do think the story has a lot of potential, it just needs more editing.

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

[Salome G · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book didn't connect with me for a number of reasons, including that some plotlines felt unfinished. However, I'm sure I'm an outlier, and this book will find an audience.

[Ellen White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detective.Billy..is a new series, giving us different characters over a period of time.
Beginning with a mother worrying were they safe, to her child now missing.
This story will keep. you on the edge thru the whole book. .
It has twist and surprises, the author was a master as how this story unfolds.
Given arc by Net Galley.and bookouture for my voluntary review

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh I do love me some Willow Rose and couldn't wait to sink myself into another one of her mystery series'. Don't Let Her Go in the first book in the Detective Billie Ann Wilde series. Having thoroughly enjoyed the Eva Rae Thomas books, I couldn't wait to try this one out.

This was a good mystery which is what I'd expect from Willow (Author) with some predictable plot lines, but also a few I didn't see coming (I'm sorry but I often work things out). I did find the amount of characters a little confusing (I blame my frazzled menopausal brain!) but was able to navigate the book still and enjoy this. I think with many detective books, it just takes a couple of books to really get the gist of the characters. I found Billie fairly ok even with her troubled past, I didn't love her but she wasn't someone I loathed to read about either. I enjoyed the story settings and the pace and style were both good. If you've enjoyed other Willow series' then I would definitely say check this one out.

A solid 3.5 star mystery, I look forward to seeing where the next book takes us! This is a kindle unlimited read, so free to those who subscribe to the service!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC in exchange of an honest review.

[Chayenne · Rating 5 out of 5]

De thuissituatie en het wraakgevoel van rechercheur Billie Ann Wilde krijgen een grimmige wending als haar neefje Charlie vermoord wordt aangetroffen en haar broer Peter bekent schuld, terwijl zij voelt dat iets niet klopt. Billie Ann mag de zaak niet sturen omdat het te dichtbij komt. Echter is ze vastberaden de waarheid te achterhalen. Ondertussen vecht ze om de voogdij van haar kinderen na de scheiding met haar man. Maar dan, wordt haar eigen zoon Zach ontvoerd. Is Billie Ann nog op tijd om hem te redden? Het wordt een race tegen de klok!

En alweer het 3de deel in deze leuke serie! Wederom ben ik aangenaam verrast. Ondertussen zijn de boeken van Willow Rose boeken die ik wil lezen en dan ook in één zit uitlees.
De wisselende korte hoofdstukken houden mijn aandacht goed bij het verhaal. In het begin lijken het losse verhalen maar gaandeweg vloeien ze in elkaar. Ik vind het heel knap hoe Willow dit telkens voor elkaar krijgt.
Het duurde dan ook even voordat ik doorhad hoe het verhaal precies is elkaar zat.

Ook Billie Ann krijgt in elke deel een diepere laag en volgen we ook haar prive leven, wat bet geheel leuker en realistischer maakt.

Zou wel heel tof zijn als ze dit deel zouden gaan verfilmen… maar ook heel benieuwd naar deel 4!

[Honestmamreader]

Don't Let Her Go is the first book in the Billia Anne Wilde series. It's a good foundation story, Billie is an interesting character and she has a good backstory. This can easily be developed further in the series.

Willow Rose has put her heart and personal thoughts into this story. Billie Ann has come out as gay after being married with kids for years. Which is something that Willow herself has done.

Billie's chapters are told from a first person point of view, we see the story unfolding through her eyes. This way we get a deeper connection to her, as we get to experience her thoughts and feelings.

We are drip fed information throughout making this a good mystery. The Then narrative plays perfectly into this concept as we try to piece together everything.

The pacing of the story was good. A slow start, building up the story and the characters. And as the story comes together the pace quickens up.

I really enjoyed being left on cliffhangers at the end of chapters, only to then chop to another point of view and having to wait to find out what the outcomes will be.

A great start to the series and I can't wait to find out what happens next.

[Summer Bendle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good! I couldn’t put it down, it was so well written. It definitely kept me engaged. This is about a detective who is struggling with some personal issues, but still focuses on the job at hand. She was investigating murders in her area and trying to figure out how they were all linked. The back story that went along with the main story was really good, and I enjoy reading books that have that in it. This is a book I would highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read ARC.

[NrsKelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow I almost had to put this one down for a minute and walk away because it got pretty dark there for a minute.
TW definitely needed for rape, physical abuse, suicide, child abduction, child pregnancy
Even with all that this was definitely a good read for me. Not good in that it was happy at all, but good in that the story flowed well. There were multiple viewpoints telling the story, and enough plot twists to keep me interested.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Shawna · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're looking for a creepy detective thriller, this is going to be a great series for you. Detective Billie Ann Wilde has had a bumpy career, but Don't Let Her Go will take her to some dark places. A missing 5-year-old, and her desperate mother whom no ones believes because there are no record of either of them. An unsolved missing child case from 14 years ago that mistakes were made on. Then Billie realizes the mother is that past missing child.

This was a dark and twisty ride, which keeps the reader engaged and turning the pages to figure out just how all the pieces will fit together, and find out if Billie can find the missing child.... before it's too late.

I did take 1 star off just because I felt the ending was a little rushed, and I felt there were a couple of loose threads that weren't clarified.

Overall, great read. Looking forward to seeing what Detective Billie Ann Wilde has on her next case!

Pub Date: 02 Feb 2024

[Cynthia Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley, Willow Rose, and Bookouture Audio for the advanced reader audiobook. I loved this audiobook narrated by Lisa Rost-Welling. It was a quick and fast paced thriller. Switching from then to now and connecting the story expertly. I can't wait to read more of Detective Billie Ann Wilde.

[gwen graves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow

As always Willow Rose writes a creepy but really good story. I will say that about three fourth. Of that way thru I figured out the killer. Probably because I've read so many of Willow Rose's stories.

[Victoria Stolte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting and twisty read. The story flowed well and kept me guessing. I think it was a great start for a new series and will be waiting for more!