Don’t Look Back

by J.P. Pomare, Genevieve Hegney (Narrator), Daniel Webber (Narrator)

Myer lives on a NZ mountain farm with her border collie, chickens, sheep and her faithful horse, Mustard. She hunts and forages, and barely leaves the mountain, only venturing into town to stock up on provisions once or twice a month. It’s on one of these trips that she notices a toddler choking in a public carpark. She springs into action and saves the child, and then slips away, back up the mountain.

It’s been seven years since she fled to the edge of the world and reinvented herself, but her spontaneous act of mercy has brought her into the public eye. Which means that, despite all of Myer’s best efforts to outrun her brutal past and disappear, he will be able to find her at last...

A chilling, high-octane thriller from the bestselling author of Tell Me Lies and Trapdoor.

Genres: Audiobook, Thriller, Crime

Audiobook

Published November 11, 2024

About the author

J. P. Pomare is a New Zealand author who lives in Melbourne, Australia.

He is the author of a number of critically acclaimed and best-selling novels including Seventeen Years Later, Tell Me Lies, and The Wrong Woman.

His novel In The Clearing was adapted for the screen as an eight part miniseries by Disney (The Clearing) and The Last Guests (Watching You) has been adapted as a series by Stan.

Reviews

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this latest thriller by J P Pomare, which is currently only available on Audible. Both narrators were good, but Genevieve Hegney - who did most of the heavy lifting - deserves special mention for her accent-work.

Myer has been living a solitary life on her mountainside NZ farm for a number of years. Apart from her distant neighbour, she really doesn't mix with others, and certainly doesn't like to draw attention to herself. The neighbour sometimes notices Myer's accent slipping into something else (kudos to Hegney), but he respects her privacy and doesn't ask too many questions. Of course, Myer has secrets. Big, life-threatening secrets. These are gradually revealed in the Before chapters from her old life in Canada.

Anyway, one day Myer is in the small nearby town doing one of her infrequent supply runs, when she sees a toddler in danger and steps in to help. There is no question - she saves the young boy's life. Everyone in town is beyond grateful, and Myer reluctantly allows herself to be dragged to the local pub so that they can show it. There she discovers that a video of the incident has gone viral, and that an 'American' stranger, dressed all in black, has blown into town and taken an interest in her. And then it's ON!!

OK, there's nothing particularly new here, but it is done well. The pace is good, and once all the exposition from Myer's past is done, Pomare keeps the tension ratcheted right up till the end.

New release, currently free on Audible.

[Alisonbookreviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

Short book but packed a punch. Mia lives alone on a mountain in New Zealand.
She's fled from Canada but nobody knows where or who she is. She's hiding from someone.
Mia got involved in something really bad she knows she might not get out of.
This started slow but got good very fast.
Worth the read.
Another underrated author imo.

[Lavins · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

The story was a bit over the top but I did enjoy the writing and the locations.

[Kath Dorrans · Rating 5 out of 5]

He is such a good writer, a lot Lime Michael Robotham, totally recommend!

[Georgia Vaughan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read. Nothing too extraordinary. Great storytelling. The descriptions of violence and gore were very detailed and impactful.

[Yvette Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy to get through and a short novel. No twists like i expect from Pomare so that was a bit of a let down, but still a decent book.

[Renee Cubitt · Rating 2 out of 5]

It felt like it was missing a whole lot of content

[Vicki Munro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good story from JP Pomare, altho lacking the usual twists.
The narration was clear & easy to listen to, but the Kiwi (NZ) accents were dreadful - more mangled Australian. Such a shame

[Tom Edgoose · Rating 2 out of 5]

Derivative and predictable, and not nearly entertaining or engaging enough to get away with it. Mercifully short, so that's good I guess?

[Rina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Myer lives on a NZ mountain farm where she lives in solitary, hunts and forages. On one of her stocking trips, she notices a toddler choking in a public carpark. She springs into action and saves the child. It’s been seven years since she fled to the edge of the world, but her spontaneous act of mercy has brought her into the public eye. Which means that, despite all of Myer’s best efforts to outrun her brutal past and disappear, he will be able to find her at last...

This was another great, fast-paced popcorn thriller from J. P. Pomare. Short and sweet, it didn’t waste any time before going straight into the suspense.

I loved the atmospheric NZ setting. I could imagine the vast nature and feel the solitude Myer lived in, which would’ve been both freeing and scary at the same time. I listened to this on audible, and it was fantastic. I’d really recommend checking this out, especially if you’re a fan of J. P!

See my bookstagram review.

[Klee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saving a choking toddler changes everything for Myer, a reclusive woman living a quiet life on a remote New Zealand mountain. Accompanied by her loyal border collie, Shep, her horse, Mustard, and an assortment of farm animals, Myer has built a life of solitude. But her self-imposed isolation hides a dark secret - and when her past comes knocking, there’s no turning back.

The narrative weaves between Myer’s present, the dark and mysterious Lott, and flashbacks to "Before." These glimpses into Myer’s upbringing as a prepper in Canada reveal her childhood dreams, a complicated romance with someone carrying their own baggage, and the dramatic chain of events that eventually leads to New Zealand.

Special mention must go to narrator Hegley, whose voice work truly brought the audiobook to life. Her narration added depth and tension, elevating the story and making it all the more immersive.

This book introduced me to the term "popcorn thriller," and it couldn’t be more fitting. It’s a fast-paced, gripping read that entertains from start to finish. Highly enjoyable!

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

DON’T LOOK BACK may be on the short side as far as audio books are concerned, but it sure packed a lot of punch. Set in a small community in New Zealand, it tells the story of a young woman, Myer, living a reclusive life on a secluded farm in the mountains to escape her past. All is well until her anonymity is shattered by her own act of heroism – saving a toddler from choking. Unbeknownst to Myer, someone has filmed the whole incident and posted her image all over social media. Myer knows that the people she has been hiding from will soon come to find her. Should she run again or stand her ground and fight?

There were many tense moments in this story which kept me on the edge of my seat, wondering how Myer would get herself out of danger. Action packed and tense, Pomare’s latest novel made for great listening and kept me wide awake on my commute to and from work.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't look back - 3.5 ⭐️

Chk, chk, boom

The one is short. Everything needs to be taken on face value and some things are left unanswered at the end. In a way it's a series of events rather than a book...but entertaining nonetheless. There's action and momentum and it's mostly about a woman trying to out run her past, though we never really work out what she's running towards.

A character from another book by the author got an upcycle which I thought was great (though reading prior books isn't pivotal to enjoy this one) and the right number of characters got got.

It may not have had some of those signature twists we have come to expect but it was certainly pacey and packed with the usual pomare pizzazz.

[Veronica Clunes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don’t Look Back is a thoroughly enjoyable short listen, coming in at just around five hours—perfect for a weekend or a couple of commutes. I especially appreciated the setting in New Zealand, which gave the story a fresh atmosphere compared to many thrillers I've listened to.

The narrators did a great job bringing the characters to life, maintaining tension and pace throughout. This was my first book by JP Pomare, and it certainly won’t be my last. I’ll be keeping an eye out for more of his work.

[Liat M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Myer lives on remote NZ mountain with her border collie, chickens, sheep and her faithful horse. She hunts, forages and only leaves her mountain to stock up on provisions she’s unable to gather outside once or twice a month.

When Myer saves the life of a child, she hopes her anonymity would help her stay hidden but as video footage of the rescue goes viral, Myer realises that her mercy has brought her into the public eye. This means that everything she has done to outrun her past and disappear is about to catch up to her.

I thought this was really intriguing. For a short audiobook, it definitely packs a punch and I love the way that Myer’s survivalist upbringing is mixed in with her desire to go to college, get a boyfriend and live a somewhat normal life.

The tension is high and the hits just keep coming.

[Arlene Bowers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick “read”. Enjoyed the fact it was based in NZ. Was my first book by this author and I’d be keen to read more.

3.5 stars but that was probably mainly my own bias of being real sick of dudes killing women. But I ended up enjoying that the plot was different to what I was expecting when I started it.

[Emma Balkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another gem from J P Pomare. Myer grew up as a prepper in Canada, equipping herself for the end of civilisation. She finds herself in a terrible situation and flees to New Zealand, where she builds a new life. Until her old life catches up with her. Full of tension and alternating between past and present, it’s a satisfying story.

[Liane Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed most of this book about a woman trying to build a life after her perfect one was so horribly taken from her. It was nice being set in NZ and I could picture the isolated and friendly community in which she lives. The villains were horrifically sadistic so her Revenge was sweet.
A satisfying read.

[Rosemary Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have submitted this review after listening to the audiobook of this title. (Audible Membership)

Trained in survivalist skills by a paranoid father, these skills help her when all goes to h3ll, and her boyfriend is murdered.

[Saskia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable short-ish novel that had me a little anxious at points! Well put together, although I did guess one of the plot points.

I don't usually like neat endings ... life is messy ... but this one was good.

3.5 stars rounded up.

CW: gun violence, body horror

[Ella Leadbeatter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have loved J. P Pomare's other works but didn't particularly enjoy this one. I felt like the story moved too quickly and there wasn't enough development for me to be actually invested. Wouldn't read again.

[Barb · Rating 3 out of 5]

The daughter of a doomsday prepper who gets caught up in her boyfriends murder is on the run hiding on a mountain in New Zealand. After 7yrs of vigilance, a heroic act puts her in the spotlight and her past catches up with her.

[Leona Silk · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 🌟 a good story

[Ant · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointingly bad for this author. There was nothing interesting about the plot or the characters. I’m glad it was relatively short.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 good listen to help pass domestic duties

[Merrin Millard · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always, gripping! Even as an audible only listen, this was an edge of the seat ride!

[Celia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly short book, and not one of Pomare's best - but still relatively entertaining.

[Isaako Teuati · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is very difficult to follow. You don’t really have an idea what the story is about until 10ish chapters in.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure if it’s because it was audible but I really didn’t enjoy this one like I normally would when physically reading one of J.Ps books.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love a JP Pomare