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I Came Back for You
Not yet published
Expected 1 Mar 2610 hours
A mother begins to challenge everything she’s been told about her daughter’s murder in a shocking novel of suspense by a New York Times bestselling author.
Ten years after her daughter, Melanie, was murdered, Bree Winter is finally moving on with a new love, a new home, and a new beginning. Then a deathbed confession from the convicted killer throws Bree’s life into a tailspin all over again. He readily confesses to murdering four girls. But not Melanie.
At first, Bree and her ex-husband don’t buy a word of it. Until inconsistencies about the crime emerge. So does the dreadful feeling that the monster who shattered Bree’s family isn’t lying. The only way she can get to the truth is to power through the trauma and return to the town in upstate New York where Melanie’s life came to a brutal end.
Bree will do anything to find justice for her daughter and finish this nightmare forever. Instead, it’s just beginning. Not only could the real killer still be in their midst, but as Bree begins to dig through Melanie’s past, what she discovers calls into question everything she has believed—about the crime and about Melanie herself.
A mother begins to challenge everything she’s been told about her daughter’s murder in a shocking novel of suspense by a New York Times bestselling author.
Ten years after her daughter, Melanie, was murdered, Bree Winter is finally moving on with a new love, a new home, and a new beginning. Then a deathbed confession from the convicted killer throws Bree’s life into a tailspin all over again. He readily confesses to murdering four girls. But not Melanie.
At first, Bree and her ex-husband don’t buy a word of it. Until inconsistencies about the crime emerge. So does the dreadful feeling that the monster who shattered Bree’s family isn’t lying. The only way she can get to the truth is to power through the trauma and return to the town in upstate New York where Melanie’s life came to a brutal end.
Bree will do anything to find justice for her daughter and finish this nightmare forever. Instead, it’s just beginning. Not only could the real killer still be in their midst, but as Bree begins to dig through Melanie’s past, what she discovers calls into question everything she has believed—about the crime and about Melanie herself.
Audible Audio
Expected publication March 1, 2026
5081 people want to read
About the author
Kate White
49 books2,867 followersKate White is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of nineteen novels of suspense: eight Bailey Weggins mysteries and eleven stand alone psychological thrillers, including the upcoming I CAME BACK FOR YOU (March 1)
Kate’s first Bailey Weggins mystery, IF LOOK COULD KILL, was a Kelly Ripa Book Club pick, a #1 bestseller on Amazon, and an instant New York Times bestseller. She has been nominated for numerous awards, including an International Thriller Writers Award in the fiction category, and her books have been published in over 30 countries.
She is also the author of several bestselling career books, including I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This and the ground-breaking Wall Street Journal bestseller, Why Good Girls Don’t Get Ahead but Gutsy Girls Do.
Kate is a frequent speaker at libraries, bookstores, and conferences, and has appeared on many television shows, including The Today Show, CBS This Morning, Good Morning America, Morning Joe, and CNN’s Quest Means Business.
A former Glamour magazine Top Ten College Women Contest winner and cover girl, Kate had a long career in the media business. For fourteen years she was the editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan, which under her became the most successful magazine in single copy sales in the U.S. Though she loved the magazine business, she decided to leave over a decade ago and concentrate full-time on her passion for suspense fiction.
Kate is an avid traveler and spends each winter with her husband at their home in Uruguay. She holds an honorary doctorate of letters from her alma mater, Union College, where she gave the 2022 commencement address.
Kate’s first Bailey Weggins mystery, IF LOOK COULD KILL, was a Kelly Ripa Book Club pick, a #1 bestseller on Amazon, and an instant New York Times bestseller. She has been nominated for numerous awards, including an International Thriller Writers Award in the fiction category, and her books have been published in over 30 countries.
She is also the author of several bestselling career books, including I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This and the ground-breaking Wall Street Journal bestseller, Why Good Girls Don’t Get Ahead but Gutsy Girls Do.
Kate is a frequent speaker at libraries, bookstores, and conferences, and has appeared on many television shows, including The Today Show, CBS This Morning, Good Morning America, Morning Joe, and CNN’s Quest Means Business.
A former Glamour magazine Top Ten College Women Contest winner and cover girl, Kate had a long career in the media business. For fourteen years she was the editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan, which under her became the most successful magazine in single copy sales in the U.S. Though she loved the magazine business, she decided to leave over a decade ago and concentrate full-time on her passion for suspense fiction.
Kate is an avid traveler and spends each winter with her husband at their home in Uruguay. She holds an honorary doctorate of letters from her alma mater, Union College, where she gave the 2022 commencement address.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 277 reviews
February 8, 2026
A subdued yet also highly charged novel of love, loss, and justice, I Came Back for You easily blew my mind in one very late night of reading. Told from the perspective of a still grieving mother a decade after the loss of her somewhat estranged daughter, this deeply moving tale mixed plenty of chills into the binge-able pages. Tense, immersive, and deliberately paced, the slow-boiling start revealed a plethora of insights about the root-for-able narrator. With a brilliant character arc over the course of the novel, Bree’s persona was one I connected to with ease. Much of that was likely thanks to the unhurried first half, where I not only got to know all of the characters but also felt the darkness creep ever closer. You see, once the dark secrets began to unfurl, the plot took me on an emotional yet adrenaline-fueled ride that I couldn’t put down. After all, the last one hundred pages had me holding on for dear life.
So how exactly did the plot blow me away? Well, this serial killer-centered whodunnit not only offered up plenty of long-buried secrets but even more unguessable twists and suspicious-looking characters. Going up against Bree’s amateur sleuthing, it was only a matter of time until the suspects got whittled down to one. Along the way, though, the drama, scandal, and intrigue had me enjoying the tea with my popcorn-filled bowl at the ready. Did that lessen the impact of this tragic tale? Not in the slightest. You see, the emotion that White packed into these chapters actually had me crying by the last page. Don’t get me wrong, some of Bree’s decisions made me want to shake her but good as the plot picked up steam. That, however, only further convinced me of her roiling grief and anger. All in all, this was yet another explosive one-sitting read of taut writing from White. Rating of 4.5 stars.
SYNOPSIS:
Ten years after her daughter, Melanie, was murdered, Bree Winter is finally moving on with a new love, a new home, and a new beginning. Then a deathbed confession from the convicted killer throws Bree’s life into a tailspin all over again. He readily confesses to murdering four girls. But not Melanie.
At first, Bree and her ex-husband don’t buy a word of it. Until inconsistencies about the crime emerge. So does the dreadful feeling that the monster who shattered Bree’s family isn’t lying. The only way she can get to the truth is to power through the trauma and return to the town in upstate New York where Melanie’s life came to a brutal end.
Bree will do anything to find justice for her daughter and finish this nightmare forever. Instead, it’s just beginning. Not only could the real killer still be in their midst, but as Bree begins to dig through Melanie’s past, what she discovers calls into question everything she has believed—about the crime and about Melanie herself.
Thank you Kate White and Thomas & Mercer for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: January 27, 2026
Content warning: child death, murder, infidelity, inappropriate relationship, suicide, mention of: rape
So how exactly did the plot blow me away? Well, this serial killer-centered whodunnit not only offered up plenty of long-buried secrets but even more unguessable twists and suspicious-looking characters. Going up against Bree’s amateur sleuthing, it was only a matter of time until the suspects got whittled down to one. Along the way, though, the drama, scandal, and intrigue had me enjoying the tea with my popcorn-filled bowl at the ready. Did that lessen the impact of this tragic tale? Not in the slightest. You see, the emotion that White packed into these chapters actually had me crying by the last page. Don’t get me wrong, some of Bree’s decisions made me want to shake her but good as the plot picked up steam. That, however, only further convinced me of her roiling grief and anger. All in all, this was yet another explosive one-sitting read of taut writing from White. Rating of 4.5 stars.
SYNOPSIS:
Ten years after her daughter, Melanie, was murdered, Bree Winter is finally moving on with a new love, a new home, and a new beginning. Then a deathbed confession from the convicted killer throws Bree’s life into a tailspin all over again. He readily confesses to murdering four girls. But not Melanie.
At first, Bree and her ex-husband don’t buy a word of it. Until inconsistencies about the crime emerge. So does the dreadful feeling that the monster who shattered Bree’s family isn’t lying. The only way she can get to the truth is to power through the trauma and return to the town in upstate New York where Melanie’s life came to a brutal end.
Bree will do anything to find justice for her daughter and finish this nightmare forever. Instead, it’s just beginning. Not only could the real killer still be in their midst, but as Bree begins to dig through Melanie’s past, what she discovers calls into question everything she has believed—about the crime and about Melanie herself.
Thank you Kate White and Thomas & Mercer for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: January 27, 2026
Content warning: child death, murder, infidelity, inappropriate relationship, suicide, mention of: rape
September 7, 2025
In I Came Back for You, Kate White delivers a quietly explosive mystery about a daughter’s final days through the eyes of a mother desperate to understand the daughter she lost. Bree returns to the place she hoped never to see again, chasing answers about her daughter’s death—and the version of the young woman she never got to fully know. What follows is a taut, deeply felt whodunnit filled with grief, reckoning, and painful truths that come to light only when it’s too late to ask the questions. A five-star story that lingers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Kate White always has such drama filled, emotional stories. After slowish start, I Came Back For You ramped rough up and I couldn’t put it down. I got caught up in this story, the grief and anger of Bree was so intense, I really did feel for her, despite some of the terrible decisions that she made.
A mother discovers that there is doubt over who really killed her daughter. She needs to know what happened to her and why, so reluctantly returns to where it happened to get answers. She finds that she didn’t really know her daughter all the well after all, uncovering her secrets and bringing new suspects into the case.
It was a sad story, the unimaginable nightmare of losing a daughter in such a brutal way. I read this in a day, easy to get lost in the story.
Thank you Thomas and Mercer for the early copy of this book to read. Publishes on March 1st.
A mother discovers that there is doubt over who really killed her daughter. She needs to know what happened to her and why, so reluctantly returns to where it happened to get answers. She finds that she didn’t really know her daughter all the well after all, uncovering her secrets and bringing new suspects into the case.
It was a sad story, the unimaginable nightmare of losing a daughter in such a brutal way. I read this in a day, easy to get lost in the story.
Thank you Thomas and Mercer for the early copy of this book to read. Publishes on March 1st.
August 28, 2025
Couldn’t put this book down!
Kate White doesn’t disappoint.
This book is a rollercoaster with so many twists. I couldn’t stop reading.
Bree is such a formidable character and she stopped at nothing to solve the crime of her daughter’s death.
Kate White doesn’t disappoint.
This book is a rollercoaster with so many twists. I couldn’t stop reading.
Bree is such a formidable character and she stopped at nothing to solve the crime of her daughter’s death.
October 8, 2025
3.25
First I want to say thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read this in advance!
It was an interesting book, following Bree while she comes back to the place where her daughter was murdered while navigating being close to her ex husband and also finding out new details regarding her daughter’s murder.
I’d say it had a great potential and the second part was interesting with all the reveals. However, the first half felt too slow, there was also this romantic drama where Bree started contemplating between her ex and her current partner that kind of felt not something that brings much to the plot, in my eyes.
Neither of the characters felt deep and I couldn’t connect to either. There were some nice twists happening that were quite entertaining to read about and ones that I appreciated. But then Bree did something that just lost me as a character as well and I simply couldn’t see her as someone likeable or relatable.
Let me say I strongly believe once a cheater is always a cheater. Moving on from grief is not an easy and I’d say impossible because it’s always there. And yet certain actions of the characters…well I couldn’t like them.
This being said, i don’t think it’s a bad book, the reveal at the night was nice. The ending works with everything that happens in the book as well. I believe most people would enjoy it!
First I want to say thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read this in advance!
It was an interesting book, following Bree while she comes back to the place where her daughter was murdered while navigating being close to her ex husband and also finding out new details regarding her daughter’s murder.
I’d say it had a great potential and the second part was interesting with all the reveals. However, the first half felt too slow, there was also this romantic drama where Bree started contemplating between her ex and her current partner that kind of felt not something that brings much to the plot, in my eyes.
Neither of the characters felt deep and I couldn’t connect to either. There were some nice twists happening that were quite entertaining to read about and ones that I appreciated. But then Bree did something that just lost me as a character as well and I simply couldn’t see her as someone likeable or relatable.
Let me say I strongly believe once a cheater is always a cheater. Moving on from grief is not an easy and I’d say impossible because it’s always there. And yet certain actions of the characters…well I couldn’t like them.
This being said, i don’t think it’s a bad book, the reveal at the night was nice. The ending works with everything that happens in the book as well. I believe most people would enjoy it!
January 29, 2026
#ad much love for my advance copy @mbc_books #partner
& @brilliamceaudio #partner for the ALC
🅸 🅲🅰🅼🅴 🅱🅰🅲🅺 🅵🅾🆁 🆈🅾🆄
< @
ʀᴇʟᴇᴀꜱᴇꜱ: ᴊᴀɴᴜᴀʀʏ 𝟤𝟩, 𝟤𝟢𝟤𝟨
Okay, I love Kate White’s books. Usually. But what the heck is this book .. boyfriend leaves (bc he just has to) leaving you alone for days when your ex husband shows up (who you haven’t seen in 7 years) and one of the first things you talk about is the food? Horrible start and I was so bored. 🫣 But it came around lol.
They thought they knew who murdered their daughter, but when the killer confesses to all of his crimes, she isn’t one of them. Now he’s died and all they are left with is more questions. If he didn’t kill their daughter then who did.
🎧: Also listened to the audio while following along and really enjoyed this audio. Sarah Naughton has one of those voices that were just made for audiobooks. So talented with her pitch, tone, and changes in her voice.
I liked this one. Solid mystery and typical White vibes.
& @brilliamceaudio #partner for the ALC
🅸 🅲🅰🅼🅴 🅱🅰🅲🅺 🅵🅾🆁 🆈🅾🆄
< @
ʀᴇʟᴇᴀꜱᴇꜱ: ᴊᴀɴᴜᴀʀʏ 𝟤𝟩, 𝟤𝟢𝟤𝟨
Okay, I love Kate White’s books. Usually. But what the heck is this book .. boyfriend leaves (bc he just has to) leaving you alone for days when your ex husband shows up (who you haven’t seen in 7 years) and one of the first things you talk about is the food? Horrible start and I was so bored. 🫣 But it came around lol.
They thought they knew who murdered their daughter, but when the killer confesses to all of his crimes, she isn’t one of them. Now he’s died and all they are left with is more questions. If he didn’t kill their daughter then who did.
🎧: Also listened to the audio while following along and really enjoyed this audio. Sarah Naughton has one of those voices that were just made for audiobooks. So talented with her pitch, tone, and changes in her voice.
I liked this one. Solid mystery and typical White vibes.
August 29, 2025
Thank you NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I Came Back For You is a mystery that will keep readers guessing until the end. While the premise was intriguing and the ending did deliver a surprise, I personally struggled with the pacing and didn’t feel as connected to the characters as I’d hoped. For me, a bit more emotion, a more relatable protagonist, and some added suspense would have made the story more engaging.
That said, I think readers who enjoy a slower burn mystery with a surprising conclusion may connect with this one more than I did.
I Came Back For You is a mystery that will keep readers guessing until the end. While the premise was intriguing and the ending did deliver a surprise, I personally struggled with the pacing and didn’t feel as connected to the characters as I’d hoped. For me, a bit more emotion, a more relatable protagonist, and some added suspense would have made the story more engaging.
That said, I think readers who enjoy a slower burn mystery with a surprising conclusion may connect with this one more than I did.
February 11, 2026
I can’t say enough bad things about this book. The main character was so paranoid and self-depreciating that I couldn’t deal with it. Her inner monologues of her every thought would go on for many pages. If you trimmed out all the bullshit, the book would have been much shorter. I got to the point where I was skimming through the inner monologues just to get through the book. I almost DNF’d it, but decided to push through because I was interested in who the murderer was. The twist was interesting but the thing that her mother didn’t know about was that she was a lesbian or bi or some shit like that. Nevertheless, I was so excited when I deleted this book off my kindle.
February 12, 2026
Anticlimactic.
January 28, 2026
Review to come.
read-fiction
February 14, 2026I received an advanced copy of this book, so I am reviewing it before its publication. While it was not a bad book, I found Bree, the central character, to be a troubled and troublesome woman--and she had every right to be troubled as her only child, her daughter Melanie (a college student), had been murdered several years earlier. But I didn't like Bree very much, so that decreased my enjoyment of the book. Those who are fans of intricate mystery stories (more than I am), though, will likely find this narrative to be of considerable interest, which will make many of them want to keep on and keep on reading to see how things turn out.
September 3, 2025
This was a page turner I couldn't put it down! I liked the character of Bree. (I find it notable that White often assigns names that start with "B" to her main characters.) The mystery of whether her daughter was killed by a convicted serial killer or not drives the story and then there is the relationship with her ex-husband that is compelling as well.
The synopsis says that college junior Melanie Chase was killed 10 years ago, but in the book it's been 8 years. It's a strange coincidence that Mel's former college is having a reception thanking Bree and her husband for their scholarship fund right after the man they thought killed Mel, Calvin Ruck, claims he didn't. Is he pulling their chain or is he just not willing to take "credit" for something he truly didn't do? Bree decides to leave her new home in Uruguay with current partner Sebastian to go to the reception and look into things with the police there. And there is nothing full of more secrets and suspicious characters than a college campus!
The ending was a surprise - I didn't predict whodunnit - BUT my biggest complaint is the pacing. The killer is found and caught rather uneventfully at 90%. The last 10% is Bree going home and dealing with the emotional fallout of everything. I actually thought there'd be a twist and that they had the wrong killer because there was quite a bit of book left! That was my only complaint and knocked it down a star for me.
I'm also confused about the cover of this book - it makes it look like someone drowns but that's not part of the story at all. Maybe it's to do with the creek? But that isn't related to Melanie's case at all.
Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read and give my honest review!
The synopsis says that college junior Melanie Chase was killed 10 years ago, but in the book it's been 8 years. It's a strange coincidence that Mel's former college is having a reception thanking Bree and her husband for their scholarship fund right after the man they thought killed Mel, Calvin Ruck, claims he didn't. Is he pulling their chain or is he just not willing to take "credit" for something he truly didn't do? Bree decides to leave her new home in Uruguay with current partner Sebastian to go to the reception and look into things with the police there. And there is nothing full of more secrets and suspicious characters than a college campus!
The ending was a surprise - I didn't predict whodunnit - BUT my biggest complaint is the pacing. The killer is found and caught rather uneventfully at 90%. The last 10% is Bree going home and dealing with the emotional fallout of everything. I actually thought there'd be a twist and that they had the wrong killer because there was quite a bit of book left! That was my only complaint and knocked it down a star for me.
I'm also confused about the cover of this book - it makes it look like someone drowns but that's not part of the story at all. Maybe it's to do with the creek? But that isn't related to Melanie's case at all.
Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read and give my honest review!
October 24, 2025
I’m fairly new to Kate White, but I have to say I really enjoy her books. This was a great story with deception and red herrings. I liked the throw backs to the past. And I was left with a feeling of hope when I finished it, which is pretty rare for thrillers.
Thank you to NetGalley for this arc!
Thank you to NetGalley for this arc!
August 29, 2025
#ArcReview
What if the killer you believed destroyed your life… wasn’t the one at all?
📖 Book: I Came Back for Y
✍️ Author: @katewhite_author
📅 Pub Date: January 27, 2026
🏷️ Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
⭐ My Rating: 4.5/5
Ten years after the brutal murder of her daughter, Bree Winter has finally begun to stitch her life back together—new love, new home, a fragile sense of peace. But all of it unravels with a single deathbed confession. The man who admitted to killing Melanie now claims he never touched her. He confesses to four murders… but not hers.
That moment pulls Bree back into the shadows she thought she had escaped. Did the justice system get it wrong? Was the real killer still out there, hiding in plain sight? And worse—what dark truths about Melanie’s life are waiting to surface if Bree keeps digging?
This is one of those books you simply cannot put down. Every chapter raises new questions, each twist pushing you deeper into a chilling and unpredictable truth. Just when you think you’ve pieced it together, Kate White proves you wrong.
The characters are powerfully written—Bree, whose strength is as raw as her grief; Logan, who adds steady grounding amidst the chaos; and Bas, whose presence brings both comfort and tension. Together they create a web of relationships that feel real and layered, pulling you closer into their world.
The story grips you from the very first page and refuses to let go. You keep reading, desperate to uncover what really happened to Melanie, yet dreading what the next revelation might bring.
I Came Back for You is haunting, riveting, and full of heart-stopping suspense. A must-read for mystery and thriller lovers who crave a story that lingers long after the final page.
Thank you @netgalley and @thomasmerceruk for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
#ICameBackforYou #katewhitebooks #MysteryThriller #NetGalley #ThomasAndMercer #ThrillerBooks #Bookstagram #BookReview #Unputdownable #jan172026 #MustReadThriller
What if the killer you believed destroyed your life… wasn’t the one at all?
📖 Book: I Came Back for Y
✍️ Author: @katewhite_author
📅 Pub Date: January 27, 2026
🏷️ Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
⭐ My Rating: 4.5/5
Ten years after the brutal murder of her daughter, Bree Winter has finally begun to stitch her life back together—new love, new home, a fragile sense of peace. But all of it unravels with a single deathbed confession. The man who admitted to killing Melanie now claims he never touched her. He confesses to four murders… but not hers.
That moment pulls Bree back into the shadows she thought she had escaped. Did the justice system get it wrong? Was the real killer still out there, hiding in plain sight? And worse—what dark truths about Melanie’s life are waiting to surface if Bree keeps digging?
This is one of those books you simply cannot put down. Every chapter raises new questions, each twist pushing you deeper into a chilling and unpredictable truth. Just when you think you’ve pieced it together, Kate White proves you wrong.
The characters are powerfully written—Bree, whose strength is as raw as her grief; Logan, who adds steady grounding amidst the chaos; and Bas, whose presence brings both comfort and tension. Together they create a web of relationships that feel real and layered, pulling you closer into their world.
The story grips you from the very first page and refuses to let go. You keep reading, desperate to uncover what really happened to Melanie, yet dreading what the next revelation might bring.
I Came Back for You is haunting, riveting, and full of heart-stopping suspense. A must-read for mystery and thriller lovers who crave a story that lingers long after the final page.
Thank you @netgalley and @thomasmerceruk for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
#ICameBackforYou #katewhitebooks #MysteryThriller #NetGalley #ThomasAndMercer #ThrillerBooks #Bookstagram #BookReview #Unputdownable #jan172026 #MustReadThriller
February 14, 2026
It was okay. While I really enjoyed the story, I didn’t connect to the writing style. So many unnecessary words.
Good twists though. It’s definitely a who done it novel.
Good twists though. It’s definitely a who done it novel.
February 24, 2026
It was decent but some of the words felt like the author was trying too hard. Also, the hostility towards Logan was a bit much for me. Not sure why it bothered me so much.
February 10, 2026
Eh, this book showed promise, but it was sort of slow moving and not much happened. The mystery was not suspenseful at all, a lot of the main character just talking in too much detail. I can’t really say why anyone would read this book, very mediocre. I guess that’s what I get for a free Amazon read.
February 11, 2026
Really conflicted with this one. The plot twist was good, but it was hard to stay engaged for at least the first half.
October 28, 2025
Title: I Came Back for You
Author: Kate White
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date Scheduled for January 27, 2026
My Rating: 4.5
Pages: 304
Ten years after Bree Winter’s daughter, Melanie, was murdered, Bree is moving on. She has a new love, and a new home- surely this equals a new beginning.
One night when Sabastian her partner is away she gets a call from Logan Chase her ex-husband. He tells her they got a letter from Calvin Ruck’s lawyer of a deathbed confession (Calvin Rock was their daughter’s convicted killer). Ruck confesses to murdering four girls- two he was convicted of killing but also two other who were college students -one from Ohio and the other PA both when missing. He also states although he was in the area of their daughter the night she was murdered - he DID NOT killer her.
When Sebastian return she tells him about Logan’s visit. She also states she doesn’t believe Ruck is telling the truth.
Later she and Logan return to where it all happened to speak to police. While there Riley … tells them she was attacked that night but was afraid to tell her parents so didn’t come forward. She believes it was Ruck who attacked her and since it was in the same park not far from where Mel was found. She believes Ruck killed Mel.
This story indeed was a wild ride for me. I do love thrillers – one with loads of twists is a joy! I love it. Bree is a great character. I had mixed emotion regarding her new or perhaps old feeling for Logan so wasn’t sure where that was going. But have to love that Bree didn’t stop until crime of her daughter’s death was solved.
About the Author Kate White ~ She is a former Glamour magazine Top Ten College Women Contest winner and cover girl, Kate had a long career in the media business, eventually running five national magazines. For fourteen years she was the editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan, which under her became the most successful magazine in single copy sales in the U.S. Though she loved her magazine career, she decided to leave eleven years ago to concentrate full-time on another passion: writing suspense Fiction
Kate is an avid traveler and spends each winter with her husband at their home in Uruguay. She holds an honorary doctorate of letters from her alma mater, Union College, where she gave the 2022 commencement address.
.Want to thank NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this granted me the pleasure of reading this great early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for January 27, 2026.
Author: Kate White
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date Scheduled for January 27, 2026
My Rating: 4.5
Pages: 304
Ten years after Bree Winter’s daughter, Melanie, was murdered, Bree is moving on. She has a new love, and a new home- surely this equals a new beginning.
One night when Sabastian her partner is away she gets a call from Logan Chase her ex-husband. He tells her they got a letter from Calvin Ruck’s lawyer of a deathbed confession (Calvin Rock was their daughter’s convicted killer). Ruck confesses to murdering four girls- two he was convicted of killing but also two other who were college students -one from Ohio and the other PA both when missing. He also states although he was in the area of their daughter the night she was murdered - he DID NOT killer her.
When Sebastian return she tells him about Logan’s visit. She also states she doesn’t believe Ruck is telling the truth.
Later she and Logan return to where it all happened to speak to police. While there Riley … tells them she was attacked that night but was afraid to tell her parents so didn’t come forward. She believes it was Ruck who attacked her and since it was in the same park not far from where Mel was found. She believes Ruck killed Mel.
This story indeed was a wild ride for me. I do love thrillers – one with loads of twists is a joy! I love it. Bree is a great character. I had mixed emotion regarding her new or perhaps old feeling for Logan so wasn’t sure where that was going. But have to love that Bree didn’t stop until crime of her daughter’s death was solved.
About the Author Kate White ~ She is a former Glamour magazine Top Ten College Women Contest winner and cover girl, Kate had a long career in the media business, eventually running five national magazines. For fourteen years she was the editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan, which under her became the most successful magazine in single copy sales in the U.S. Though she loved her magazine career, she decided to leave eleven years ago to concentrate full-time on another passion: writing suspense Fiction
Kate is an avid traveler and spends each winter with her husband at their home in Uruguay. She holds an honorary doctorate of letters from her alma mater, Union College, where she gave the 2022 commencement address.
.Want to thank NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this granted me the pleasure of reading this great early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for January 27, 2026.
September 3, 2025
⭐️2.5 stars⭐️
A twisty mystery that will keep you guessing. The pacing for the first half of the book is VERY slow, but I thoroughly enjoyed the second half. A true “whodunit” that will have you theorizing until the very end.
While I really enjoyed the story, I found the characters to lack depth. I wasn’t emotionally invested in any of them except Logan, the ex-husband. I found Bree (FMC) to be a bit infuriating at times. Her character seemed very timid and not at all assertive in the beginning of the book, but then she abruptly became this pushy person (rightfully so because she wanted justice for her daughter) that seemed out of character to who she was in the beginning. I did particularly enjoy how the book ended, it was one of the few times I felt emotionally connected to the characters.
Overall, I found the plot to be very intriguing, and I enjoyed reading the book. I just wish the characters had more depth to them so I could feel invested in what they were doing.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for sending me an advanced eBook copy!
A twisty mystery that will keep you guessing. The pacing for the first half of the book is VERY slow, but I thoroughly enjoyed the second half. A true “whodunit” that will have you theorizing until the very end.
While I really enjoyed the story, I found the characters to lack depth. I wasn’t emotionally invested in any of them except Logan, the ex-husband. I found Bree (FMC) to be a bit infuriating at times. Her character seemed very timid and not at all assertive in the beginning of the book, but then she abruptly became this pushy person (rightfully so because she wanted justice for her daughter) that seemed out of character to who she was in the beginning. I did particularly enjoy how the book ended, it was one of the few times I felt emotionally connected to the characters.
Overall, I found the plot to be very intriguing, and I enjoyed reading the book. I just wish the characters had more depth to them so I could feel invested in what they were doing.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for sending me an advanced eBook copy!
October 7, 2025
4.5 stars
✨This is a compelling and emotionally resonant suspense that kept my mind racing with suspicion, all while my heart was aching for its characters. The author did a fabulous job bringing together a murder mystery with some really deep themes like motherhood, loss, guilt and reckoning. This is a tale of the stories we tell ourselves to survive when the world falls apart, and it’s beautifully told within the framework of a riveting thriller.
✨For me, the book's heart is the lingering grief of a mother, who must confront the painful possibility she never really knew her child. The suspense is palpable, but it’s the characters' aching emotional journey that truly makes this story come alive.
✨This is definitely a book I’ll be recommending.
🌿Read if you like:
✨Whodunnit mysteries
✨Mid-life main female main characters
✨Crime fiction
✨Dual settings/small-town Northeast US and Uruguay here
✨Slow burn tension
✨Thrillers with an emotional gut punch
✨Last lines that leave you in tears
✨Stories that linger
✨This is a compelling and emotionally resonant suspense that kept my mind racing with suspicion, all while my heart was aching for its characters. The author did a fabulous job bringing together a murder mystery with some really deep themes like motherhood, loss, guilt and reckoning. This is a tale of the stories we tell ourselves to survive when the world falls apart, and it’s beautifully told within the framework of a riveting thriller.
✨For me, the book's heart is the lingering grief of a mother, who must confront the painful possibility she never really knew her child. The suspense is palpable, but it’s the characters' aching emotional journey that truly makes this story come alive.
✨This is definitely a book I’ll be recommending.
🌿Read if you like:
✨Whodunnit mysteries
✨Mid-life main female main characters
✨Crime fiction
✨Dual settings/small-town Northeast US and Uruguay here
✨Slow burn tension
✨Thrillers with an emotional gut punch
✨Last lines that leave you in tears
✨Stories that linger
February 8, 2026
A slow burn, twisty serial killer whodunit.
When a death bed confession threatens everything Bree Winter thought she knew, she is determined to find the person responsible for her daughter’s murder. Leaving behind her new found peace, Bree joins her ex husband in NY to uncover the truth. At first, she’s hopeful that the convicted killer was lying, only trying to find salvation, but the more she learns the more she has doubts. Now she’s suspicious of everyone who crossed paths with her daughter. What if she never finds out the truth? Was it better to have believed Melanie’s killer was found, even if it wasn’t true? Or live life not knowing who it was, and that no justice was served?
Spoilers!
‼️ ‼️ ‼️
I rated this book a 4 because of the journey. It was a slow burn for the first I’d say 40%. I felt that the ending was lacking something.
I wish we would have felt more of a connection to Melanie but I was rooting for Bree to get the answers she needed.
The hypocritical cheating storyline was annoying though. Divorce your husband for cheating when you’re already grieving, but then turn around and cheat with the cheater who’s now cheating again 🤣
When a death bed confession threatens everything Bree Winter thought she knew, she is determined to find the person responsible for her daughter’s murder. Leaving behind her new found peace, Bree joins her ex husband in NY to uncover the truth. At first, she’s hopeful that the convicted killer was lying, only trying to find salvation, but the more she learns the more she has doubts. Now she’s suspicious of everyone who crossed paths with her daughter. What if she never finds out the truth? Was it better to have believed Melanie’s killer was found, even if it wasn’t true? Or live life not knowing who it was, and that no justice was served?
Spoilers!
‼️ ‼️ ‼️
I rated this book a 4 because of the journey. It was a slow burn for the first I’d say 40%. I felt that the ending was lacking something.
I wish we would have felt more of a connection to Melanie but I was rooting for Bree to get the answers she needed.
The hypocritical cheating storyline was annoying though. Divorce your husband for cheating when you’re already grieving, but then turn around and cheat with the cheater who’s now cheating again 🤣
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Writing thrillers seem tough. There are so many moving parts and scenes constructed to support misdirection that could easily make things confusing. But this book did an amazing job sitting me in the chair and ensuring I didn't miss a beat. I really enjoyed it!
However, the reveal made me feel empty inside, and I kept waiting for the real plot twist to arrive that never landed. And then the book was done.
Overall, the story was okay. After suffering weeks in a book slump, this kept me entertained. I couldn't put it down! This book was a 4.25, but it should've been a 5. I'll definitely go looking for more books by the author because I loved her writing style.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read this ARC!
However, the reveal made me feel empty inside, and I kept waiting for the real plot twist to arrive that never landed. And then the book was done.
Overall, the story was okay. After suffering weeks in a book slump, this kept me entertained. I couldn't put it down! This book was a 4.25, but it should've been a 5. I'll definitely go looking for more books by the author because I loved her writing style.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read this ARC!
January 21, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was my first Kate White novel and honestly… yeah. I get it.
This book hit heavy. Grief, trauma, anxiety, deception — all of it — but somehow still insanely easy to binge. I flew through it without even realizing how invested I was.
Bree Winter had me. Her anxiety felt real, her trauma felt messy, and the mystery around her daughter was unsettling in that quiet, creeping way that just sits with you. It wasn’t twists for shock value — it actually made me feel something.
Dark. Addictive. Lowkey devastating.
Huge thanks to NetGalley for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.
This was my first Kate White novel and honestly… yeah. I get it.
This book hit heavy. Grief, trauma, anxiety, deception — all of it — but somehow still insanely easy to binge. I flew through it without even realizing how invested I was.
Bree Winter had me. Her anxiety felt real, her trauma felt messy, and the mystery around her daughter was unsettling in that quiet, creeping way that just sits with you. It wasn’t twists for shock value — it actually made me feel something.
Dark. Addictive. Lowkey devastating.
Huge thanks to NetGalley for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 5, 2026
It was okay. I found the way she divided up the chapters very distracting. It seemed like she finished the book, then decided to put a certain number of chapters in and just divided up the pages. Right in the middle of a conversation there would be a new chapter. It was so strange.
There wasn’t closure for a couple of things, which bothered me, like who actually locked her in the room. And one character who I assumed would end up having a bigger role, didn’t. The content of the phone calls and text messages to Bas seemed mostly unnecessary. And honestly, I didn’t like her as much after she cheated on Bas.
It was my first Kate White book, and although I wouldn’t rush out to get another, I won’t write her off just yet.
There wasn’t closure for a couple of things, which bothered me, like who actually locked her in the room. And one character who I assumed would end up having a bigger role, didn’t. The content of the phone calls and text messages to Bas seemed mostly unnecessary. And honestly, I didn’t like her as much after she cheated on Bas.
It was my first Kate White book, and although I wouldn’t rush out to get another, I won’t write her off just yet.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 8, 2026
Good quick murder mystery!
February 21, 2026
A surprise twist
It was a goid book from the start. I didn't want to out it down. It was also a great ending. I highly recommend it.
It was a goid book from the start. I didn't want to out it down. It was also a great ending. I highly recommend it.
February 16, 2026
Too slow. Too many characters with no wrap up for multiple of them. They just fall out of the story. Almost DNF it but forced my way to the ending. The relationship with her new husband felt off the whole time honestly. Overall not a fan.
February 16, 2026
I enjoyed this book and the characters. It kept me guessing throughout and do not see the ending.
September 29, 2025
This was not exciting.
Okay...I literally wanted to end the review right there because that kind of sums it up. But, if you need more...
* I did not like Bree. At one point,. she started to grow on me but then ended it with one bad decision and a ton of excuses for that decision. In real life, I would have been done with her.
* I did not understand why the first 20% of the book...was. It was 20% of pointlessness that could have been reduced to a few pages of backstory.
* Our dead daughter. While I was curious about who killed her and why, I absolutely felt nothing for the girl. The author gave us nothing here - the girl had little personality and I never, ever felt like she was real or interesting.
I did finish the book. I was curious enough to do so, but am also kind of glad it's over.
* ARC via Publisher
Okay...I literally wanted to end the review right there because that kind of sums it up. But, if you need more...
* I did not like Bree. At one point,. she started to grow on me but then ended it with one bad decision and a ton of excuses for that decision. In real life, I would have been done with her.
* I did not understand why the first 20% of the book...was. It was 20% of pointlessness that could have been reduced to a few pages of backstory.
* Our dead daughter. While I was curious about who killed her and why, I absolutely felt nothing for the girl. The author gave us nothing here - the girl had little personality and I never, ever felt like she was real or interesting.
I did finish the book. I was curious enough to do so, but am also kind of glad it's over.
* ARC via Publisher
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