Glem mig ikke

by Stacy Willingham

”Jeg har en søster. Men vi har ikke talt sammen i årevis.”
Det var, hvad jeg fortalte alle. Jeg løj.
Min søster har været forsvundet i 10 år, og hendes lig er aldrig blevet fundet.
Hendes forsvinden har hjemsøgt mig lige siden.

Claire Campbell arbejder som journalist i New York, og en dag modtager hun et uventet opkald fra sin far. Hun tager hjem til South Carolina, hvor hun ikke har været, siden hendes søster forsvandt, men da hun ikke længere kan klare sin mors melankoli og den uhyggelige stilhed i barndomshjemmet, søger hun tilflugt på Galloway Farm. En vingård, hvor hun indvilliger i at hjælpe til med sommerens høst til gengæld for gratis kost og logi.

Efterhånden som hun lærer gårdens andre beboere at kende, begynder Claire at indse, at hun ikke er den eneste med en mystisk fortid. Og Galloway Farm har sine egne hemmeligheder – måske også om hendes forsvundne søster ..

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Suspense, Book Club

333 pages, Paperback

First published August 26, 2025

About the author

Stacy Willingham is the New York Times, USA Today and internationally bestselling author of psychological suspense. Her books include A Flicker in the Dark, All the Dangerous Things, Only If You're Lucky and Forget Me Not.

Her debut, A Flicker in the Dark, has sold over one million copies in North America alone. It was the winner of Strand Magazine's Best Debut Award and a finalist for the Book of the Month's Book of the Year award, Goodreads Choice Best Debut award, Goodreads Choice Best Mystery & Thriller award, and ITW's Best First Novel award. Her work has been translated in more than thirty languages.

She earned her B.A. in magazine journalism from the University of Georgia and M.F.A. in writing from the Savannah College of Art and Design. She lives in Charleston, South Carolina, with her husband, daughter, and dog.

Reviews

[Stacy Willingham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wrote this book, so I'm giving it five stars.

Welcome to Galloway, enter if you dare 🐍🌱

[♥︎ Heather ⚔ (Semi-Hiatus-attempting return) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oof. I normally really enjoy Willingham’s books, but this one never managed to pull me in.

I feel like her stories are typically a slower pace, this one was as well… but on top of the pacing (I prefer faster paced thrillers) the entire plot just bored the hell outta me.

I might try and go back again tonight, but I’ve got a stack of books I’m behind on.

DNF @48%


I’m having a hard time sinking my teeth into romance lately so I’m going to switch it up and give a thriller a go, plus knock another arc off my list lol.


A new Stacy Willingham Southern thriller you say? I'm in.

Expected Pub Date - 08/26/25

Previous SW Ratings:

A Flicker in The Dark - 4 Stars
All the Dangerous Things - 4 Stars
Only if You're Lucky - 4 Stars


Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the complementary advanced digital copy, all thoughts are my own.

⋆✴︎˚｡⋆ Connect with me on Instagram ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹

[jessica yeung · Rating 4 out of 5]

this isnt a flashy thriller with twists and turns. its a slow, quiet narrative with a plot that relies on good old fashioned snooping. it has a very “what you see is what you get” kind of feel, but i think it suits the atmosphere of the story quite well.

the mystery of the missing sister and the story that is uncovered is the real highlight of the book. its vividly written and has a great setting, so i enjoyed discovering what happened and how its all tied to the farm. reading about claire actually investigating it all though? well, lets just say her character isnt exactly a selling point for me. also, what was even the point of ryan?! he could be erased entirely and literally nothing about the story would change. lol.

so some questionable characterization, for sure, but learning the answers to the who? what? where? when? and why? of the story was very satisfying indeed!

↠ 3.5 stars

[Sydney Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Macmillan Audio for an advanced listener copy.

I really enjoyed this one, Stacy Willingham has yet to let me down! I loved the pacing, the atmosphere, the writing style. I’m a sucker for a good slow-burn mystery set in the South and this totally delivered that simmering tension I was hoping for without dragging the plot at all. I would’ve loved a bit more focus on the “cult” aspect but this was a solid thriller and I definitely recommend the audiobook!

[MarilynW · Rating 3 out of 5]

Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham

While I enjoyed the last two Stacy Willingham books that I read, this book was just too frustrating for me to enjoy as much as I enjoyed the other books. The mystery sounds very intriguing and and there are thrilling aspects to the story but the main character made me want to stomp my feet and throw my Kindle at her. I think I shouted at her a few times, too!

Thirty three year old Claire Campbell is heading back home because she's been asked by her dad to go take care of her mom. Long ago they split up about the time that Claire's older sister, Natalie, started all kinds of suspicious behavior. Then Natalie went missing and because of things found, was declared dead. Claire's mom won't allow her dad to help her but really, Claire's mom doesn't want anything from Claire either, so Claire finds a job at the place her late sister used to work before she went missing.

Claire's sister was seventeen when she was doing unwise things and then went missing. I'd like to think that thirty three year old Claire would have gained something from her years of experience as an adult. But no, Claire doesn't seem to have any situational awareness, no ability to say no when she most certainly should say no, and no ability to keep her electronics charged and in working order. As I've mentioned before, I'll never get to be a MC in a mystery/thriller because I never let my phone's battery get close to 0. In fact, I carry mini portable chargers with me to totally ruin that plot twist for me getting into huge messes.

Once again the author has filled the story with twists and turns and just as I would think I had something figured out, I'd find out I was wrong. There is a lot of enjoy here and I just wish it could have happened with a more alert, clear thinking MC. I always look forward to the work of this author and will be waiting impatiently for her next book. I was able to buddy read this story with Jayme, Mary Beth, and DeAnn so I was able to rant to them about my gripes, always fun when reading a perplexing mystery/thriller.

Publication August 26, 2025

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

[Shelley's Book Nook · Rating 2 out of 5]

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While I rated the author's previous book, All the Dangerous Things , four stars, this one didn't impress me as much.

The story is about journalist Claire Campbell, who lost her sister, Natalie, 22 years ago. Natalie was only 18 at the time of her death, and the case has since been solved. Claire has worked hard to move on, but when she ends up back home in South Carolina for the summer, she takes a job at a vineyard. There, she finds an old diary written by one of the owners and is shocked by what she reads inside.

This book is touted as a "pulse-pounding new Southern thriller," but it isn't. The story dragged on for me; it was beautifully written but incredibly slow-going. For someone who is supposed to be an investigative journalist, Claire wasn't very bright, and I didn’t like her very much either. I never felt invested in her story or connected to any of the characters.

This book should have ticked all the boxes for me: it takes place in the South, features an investigative journalist with a tragic past, and includes an old diary that uncovers secrets. However, since nothing happens for more than the first two-thirds of the book, it just didn't work for me on many levels.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Jayme C (Brunetteslikebookstoo) · Rating 3 out of 5]

What happens at Galloway stays at Galloway…

Claire Campbell’s older sister, Natalie, disappeared shortly after her eighteenth birthday, and although a body was never recovered the case was quickly closed.

Upon graduation, Claire moved to N.Y. to become an investigative journalist, and she hasn’t returned to her small town since. But after getting passed over for a promotion that should have been hers, she resigns from The Journal” to freelance. So when her mom is hurt in an accident, she is able to return home to help, since she can write from anywhere.

Claire finds that her sister’s room has remained untouched, and while looking through her belongings, she comes across a photo of Natalie taken at Galloway-the Muscadine vineyard on Wadamaw Island where Natalie worked the Summer before her death.

Claire impulsively decides to visit and when she learns that they are looking for seasonal help and that the position comes with room and board, she applies for the job, since Freelance writing hasn’t exactly been paying the bills and her Mom doesn’t seem to really welcome her assistance.

Perhaps it will nice to spend time at the last place where Natalie seemed so happy?

However, soon after settling in, Claire she finds a hidden diary which seems to detail various unsolved crimes, and as a journalist, she feels compelled to investigate, making one reckless decision after another.

Could her own sister's disappearance be tied to the events from the past chronicled in the diary?

Had I known the direction that this book would take, I would have passed on it, as it isn’t a favorite trope of mine (no spoilers) even though I have enjoyed two out of three of the author’s earlier books.

But, the “trope” wasn’t my only issue with it.

I was often taken out of the story with the purple prose, especially in the first half, as the story sets up. And, the last 25% felt longer than it was as we listen to drawn out confessions.

This wasn’t a bad book, despite these drawbacks, but for me it rates just an average three stars.

But now that I know the secrets, I see something in the intriguing book cover that I had not noticed before..

A buddy read with MarilynW, Mary Beth and DeAnn. Be sure to watch for their amazing reviews for additional insight!

Available Now!

Thank You to Minotaur Books for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. As always, these are my candid thoughts.

[Maren’s Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fresh out of a job and still grieving the loss of her sister, Natalie, who went missing twenty-two years ago, Claire Campbell leaves New York and returns home to South Carolina, where she is confronted with unresolved questions about what really happened to her sister that fateful summer. When she decides to take a job at the local vineyard, the last place her sister ever worked, she has no idea just how many buried secrets she may unearth there.

I have zero chill when it comes to Stacy Willingham’s thrillers. The second they hit my Kindle, I am compelled to read them immediately. Although I did not love her previous book, Only If You’re Lucky, her newest did not disappoint. In fact, more than a week later, it is still living in my head, completely rent-free.

This story is incredibly haunting. The prose, atmospheric nature, dark themes, and setting all make for a really eerie backdrop within which to drop these very interesting characters. The characters themselves are fully fleshed out and could just as easily exist off the page as on; pretty scary considering one or more of them may be murderers.

Willingham keeps the reader on their toes consistently. There were so many fantastic twists and turns along the way, many of which I did not see coming. When it is over, you can look back and see the breadcrumbs missed; everything making sense when all is said and done. If I have just one small criticism, it is that the pacing was slightly wonky, with a few chapters feeling much slower than others. That said, I was able to quickly push past that issue because of how engaged I was with the overarching story.

Of note, there is one aspect of the writing itself that I am still incredibly confused about. The journal Claire finds and reads is told entirely in the 3rd person, not 1st. I have never seen that before, and I am still questioning the decision to do so.

I had originally given this book a solid 4.5 star rating rounded up, which I felt good about. But given the fact that I cannot stop thinking about the plot or characters, I had to bump it up to the full five stars.

Read if you like:
▪️domestic suspense
▪️true crime vibes
▪️family dramas
▪️southern thrillers
▪️isolated settings
▪️binge-worthy books


Check out my Bookstagram post here ♥

Thank you Minotaur Books for the advanced copy.

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked it, such an eerie and compelling mystery thriller. A story that stays with you, long after you finish it..

Claire finds herself back at her hometown in South Carolina, after her mother had an accident. But being home isn't easy for her, it's filled with ghosts of the past. Her sister Natalie disappeared 22 years ago, never to be found. It was solved, her older boyfriend arrested and charged, but Claire never moved on. Unable to stay with her mother, at the house she grew up in, she accepts a seasonal job at the Galloway Farm. The last place her sister worked. There she finds an old diary, a diary of a eighteen year old girl, one whose story might be similar to her sisters, in more ways than one...
But reading that diary might bring something even more sinister to the surface. Because there is always someone watching..

It was an incredible story, the constant unease you felt while reading it, the tension that was always there, slowly building up the story. It was slow at times, but I didn't mind that at all. That eerie feeling of the Farm and its occupants, always following you, made this much more thrilling. I loved the present and the past timelines.
While I did see the outcome of the story coming, which is why I took away a star, the writing was still compelling enough to make me enjoy it very much.

This author is new to me, but I would really like to read more from her.

*Thank you to Netgalley and to HarperCollins UK for providing me with an ARC.*

[Mary Kubica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stacy Willingham beguiles with her magnetic writing and atmospheric setting, drawing readers easily into a decades-old mystery where a constant sense of danger and unease brews beneath the surface. Shocking and totally twisted. Totally unique, I've never read anything like it.

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 ★

The backstory and setting had all the makings for a 5/5, but I needed more!

In Forget Me Not, Claire Campbell returns home to the small town where her sister, Natalie, vanished 20 years ago, in a case that was hastily closed following seemingly substantial evidence and a rapid conviction. Shortly after returning, she quickly takes a seasonal job at the place her sister worked before disappearing… Galloway Farm. 🌱

I was hesitant going into this book, since I only enjoyed A Flicker in the Dark out of the author’s three other books. When Book of the Month selected it, I decided to give it a chance, and I was pleasantly surprised. This one is now my second favorite.

Starting with positives, I loved the setting of a muscadine vineyard. This was my first book in a setting like this, so it felt new and different. The writing throughout is very strong and detailed which kept me engaged.

The diary entries are what really stood out to me as the strongest part. I was always excited to get to the next one to learn more. In my opinion, they did not come up enough, and there was a lack of development with what was really going on at that time. This part could have been so much creepier and more detailed! 📓

A big pet peeve for me in mystery/thrillers is when all the clues and breakthroughs happen by random chance. Claire always seems to be in the right place at the right time, and after a while it just felt like things always went her way. If the diary entries had come up more, with more being revealed, discoveries could have felt less convenient than they were.

For people who love twists, there are a lot here, but most did not land for me, even when I did not guess them. However, they may work for you.

I rate this a 3 and not lower because I did have a fun time trying to figure it all out, and the characters were interesting to follow.

[CatsBnB · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for granting me access to the book in exchange for an honest review.

What a haunting, evocative, and atmospheric slow-burning mystery with a constant sense of unease simmering just beneath the surface!! The Southern setting is lush and immersive, the tension unrelenting, and the story utterly twisted and unique. It's a tale of memory, family, and the price of digging up the past. Though the pace is slower at first, once the mystery deepens, it's impossible to put down. The ending is stunning and shocking! You'll think about it long after the final page! 💜💜💜💜

What if the answers you've spent decades trying to forget are hidden in the very place you were trying to escape??

Twenty-two years after her sister Natalie vanished, Claire Campbell is called back to her coastal South Carolina hometown. With summer stretching ahead and nowhere to hide from old ghosts, she takes a seasonal job at Galloway Farm.

At first, it seems like the perfect escape. But when Claire discovers a long forgotten diary tucked away on the property, everything begins to unravel. Who wrote it and why does it detail eerily familiar crimes that were never solved? And more chillingly, could this be the key to understanding what really happened to Natalie?

As Claire delves deeper into the diary's secrets, she begins to wonder if she has found the truth or is the truth finding her? She is haunted by what she is reading, but also by the nagging feeling that someone else may be watching, waiting, and remembering.

This novel makes you asks: How far would you go to uncover the truth? And what happens when the place you sought for healing becomes the key to everything you were trying to forget?

In conclusion, I highly recommend this novel to anyone who loves stories steeped in atmosphere, emotion, and slow-burning suspense. While it's not an edge of your seat thriller, it's a deeply immersive mystery that quietly builds tension on every page. Days after finishing, I still find myself thinking about this story-how haunting, thoughtful, and beautifully unsettling it was. It lingers in the best way, quietly echoing long after the final page.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[emilybookedup · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded to 5 for GR! what a fabulous atmospheric thriller this was!!! it took me by surprise in the best of ways.

i had no idea where this book was taking me but man oh man did i enjoy the ride! i literally couldnt put it down—it’s been a hot minute since i had a thriller as addictive as this. while it’s a slow burn, there was a lot going on with the present + past plot (the diary).

there was so much i loved about it:
- the small town setting
- the family drama
- the sister that disappeared and the mystery of that
- the farm (!!!!)
- the journalism play / investigative work
- the diary 👀
- part of the savage ending

there’s just so much to like about this thriller. all of her books are so good and so addictive and so atmospheric. she truly made me feel like i was in this small town and on this farm while reading—i could picture it all perfectly. this might be my fave of hers yet!

read if you like: slow burn thrillers, disappearances, small town mysteries

my only issue was the super wrapped up ending—if you know me, this is a broken record… but i like my thrillers with a WOW ending / cliffhanger vibe to keep the mystery going.

this is also good on audio + physical - i did a combo of both and enjoyed each format.

so good! read it and thank me later!

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gripping Southern thriller, Stacy Willingham’s latest novel keeps you on edge from the very start.

The story follows journalist Claire Campbell, still haunted by the tragic murder of her sister, Natalie, 22 years ago. Natalie was killed by her secret older boyfriend, an event that shattered Claire’s family and drove her to escape her Southern hometown for a fresh start in New York. But after resigning from her journalism job—frustrated when a long-overdue promotion went to her best friend, Ryan—Claire finds herself reluctantly returning home when her father calls to inform her that her mother has been injured and needs care. Encouraged by Ryan to confront her past, she agrees to make the trip.

While back in town, Claire stumbles upon an undeveloped roll of film hidden in her sister’s old room. As she unravels the images frozen in time, they lead her straight to Galloway Farm—the place where Natalie worked before her death. Determined to uncover long-buried secrets, Claire takes a job at the farm, immersing herself in its unsettling atmosphere. There, she meets Mitchell, the eccentric owner with an uncanny knowledge of herbs; Liam, the charming yet mysterious farmhand; and Marcia, a silent, haunted woman who seems a shell of her former self. When Claire discovers Marcia’s hidden diary in the guesthouse where she’s staying, she becomes captivated by its cryptic pages, which hint at the farm’s dark past—one that eerily resembles a cult. The more she digs, the more she realizes that Natalie may have been caught in something far more sinister than she ever imagined. But with each revelation, Claire risks not only her sanity but also her life, as the truth about her sister’s fate threatens to upend everything she thought she knew.

Overall: A fast-paced and gripping Southern thriller, this novel delivers an addictive blend of suspense, mystery, and atmospheric tension—perfect for fans of Stacy Willingham’s work.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for providing me with a digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

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[chantalsbookstuff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Claire is spending her summer at Galloway Farm, not for a relaxing break, but to investigate the mysterious life her sister Natalie lived before she vanished. Posing as a seasonal worker, Claire takes on tasks like grape picking and helping around the farm. But when she discovers a hidden diary tucked away in a vent, her mission becomes deeply personal. As a journalist, she's used to uncovering stories, but nothing could prepare her for what the diary reveals. What follows is a gripping unravelling of secrets with major consequences.

I really enjoyed the mysterious atmosphere of the story. The creepy, edgy farm owner added a great layer of suspense, and Liam, the overly enthusiastic guy on the farm, was an interesting add. The characters were compelling, each with awesome backstories that gave the book depth. The twist (because any thriller/mystery book needs one) was well thought out, a little reread required of the last bit to make sure I got it right, but good.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the chance to read and review this ARC!

[suspenseisthrillingme · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the first gripping chapter until the very last word, Stacy Willingham’s tale, Forget Me Not, was the definition of a *chef’s kiss* Southern Gothic suspense/thriller. Laced through with a haunting level of foreboding and a delicious true crime feel, I was beyond impressed by the vivid characters and the eerie small town setting. A deft mix of a clever family drama and taut psychological suspense, the combination began with a slow-boiling start that eventually caught fire and exploded in the middle. You see, from the moment I read the first earth-shattering twist, the entire plot shifted right before my very eyes. Don’t worry, I’m not going to explain—just know that it was as atmospheric as it was chilling.

As for the characters, not only were they all both relatable and true-to-life thanks to their flaws, but they gave a near-perfect arc to the novel. With various plot lines connected in truly jaw-dropping ways, there wasn’t a chance of me working even a single piece of it out. After all, I didn’t see any of the twists coming by a mile despite my armchair sleuthing skills. Paired with two dynamite protagonists, who both absolutely came alive on the page, the setting almost felt like yet another persona. Drawing me in just as it also repelled me away, I couldn’t shake the chills running up and down my spine. Put together with the realistic cast, and I easily found myself on Ladmadaw Island as the events unfolded around me.

All said and done, I was absolutely bowled over by this breathtaking new book. A shining example of the stunning literary chops that this author has in her arsenal, the highlights ranged from the evocative descriptions to the deftly interwoven dual timelines and dual POVs. Producing an unguessable tale of long-buried secrets and dark, manipulative lies, the mysteries in this novel took root in my brain so much that I couldn’t put the book down. This was so true, in fact, that I read it in one single sitting despite the fact that I was as sick as a dog. So if you like unique plots that are as shocking as they are twisted, grab this one as soon as you can. After all, I loved every darn minute. Rating of 5 stars.

BRIEF SYNOPSIS:

I highly recommend going into this one as blind as possible. All you need to know is that investigative journalist Claire Campbell has been haunted by the disappearance-turned-murder of her sister Natalie for over two decades. So when a surprise call from her father has her returning to her small hometown in South Carolina, she takes the opportunity to dig into the case by visiting the last place she has a happy memory with her whole family. A nostalgic vineyard not far from their home, Claire finds herself working the very same vines that her sister did the last summer of her life. But as quickly as she falls in love with the place, a sinister feeling invades after Claire discovers a hidden diary. Spinning a tale of young love and abandon at first, it quickly turns dark and Claire wonders what exactly she might’ve stumbled into at Galloway Farm.

Thank you to Stacy Willingham and Minotaur Books for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

PUB DATE: August 26, 2025

Content warning: missing person, gun and knife violence, mention of: burglary, grooming

[Emily May · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Willingham's first and second novels, but the two since then have left me feeling disappointed. I actually DNFed this one first before coming back to make myself finish it. I should have left it where it was.

Unlike in the first two books, especially All the Dangerous Things, the stakes in Forget Me Not felt low and, because of this, the whole story lacked tension. A number of things contributed to this. First, that the story is set a couple of decades after the central mystery took place, meaning it didn't feel urgent. I had a similar experience with Tintera's Listen for the Lie— cold cases don't get my heart pounding.

Second, nothing really happens for a good 70-80% of the book. Claire takes a job, reads an old diary, makes stupid decisions and goes round and round the same cycles of thoughts in her head. I found Claire a really quite annoying character and— despite being a journalist —she seems to only figure things out by having answers fall into her lap. It is so hard to care when you're not invested in the characters.

Also, I was massively irked that so much stupidity could have been avoided if she'd just read the whole damn diary first.

And, finally, the story just feels unoriginal and the reveals were underwhelming. Very standard mystery, very few thrills. This point stood out to me because I gave All the Dangerous Things 5 stars for being different. Why? It wasn't that a missing child was a unique premise, or that the twists were mind-boggling. But I thought Willingham's use of sleepwalking to make the story creepy and unsettling was so effective and unlike anything else I'd read. This detail gave the book its own flavour, made it memorable. Ironically, I have already almost forgotten Forget Me Not .

[Heather Adores Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Happy publication day!
3.5⭐
Genre ~ mystery fiction
Setting ~ South Carolina
Publication date ~ August 26, 2025
Publisher ~ Macmillan Audio
Est Page Count ~ 336 (p+ 52 chapters +e)
Audio length ~ 9 hours 26 minutes
Narrators ~ Helen Laser, Karissa Vacker
POV ~ single 1st & single 3rd
Featuring ~ past secrets, slow burn

Claire is reluctantly heading back home to help her mother after a fall. Home is a place she hasn’t been interested in visiting since her sister, Natalie, went missing 22 years ago. Mom isn’t too keen on having help, so Claire soon hits the road, but not back to NYC…to the place her sister used to visit right before she disappeared.

Claire gets hired for the summer by Mitchell and stays on the property, Galloway Farm, a vineyard. Also, living nearby are Marcia, Mitchell’s wife, and Liam, their son. She locates a diary in her cabin written back in the 80’s. She shouldn’t read it, she really shouldn’t, but her nosiness gets the best of her and she devours the pages any chance she can get…as would I. Could there be any information in there that might give some answers about Natalie?

About the diary ~ we had a different narrator for those chapters, yay!, but it’s told in the 3rd, which I found a little bit odd. I never had a diary, but if I were to write in one I assume I'd be writing it in the 1st, no?

There were some draggy bits, but overall it was fine. The vineyard gave off a creepy vibe, which I liked. Some obviousness and a couple zingers kept me listening. Can’t say my pulse was pounding really at any point, but Karissa has a way with her tones that makes me feel like it should be!

Narration notes:
Absolutely no complaints.

Connect with me ➡ Blog ~ Facebook ~ X

[Rachel Hanes · Rating 4 out of 5]

For some reason I haven’t been reading as fast as I used to (not that anyone cares), but I did end up enjoying this one. It wasn’t my favorite Willingham book to date, but after last year’s “Only If You’re Lucky”, which wasn’t a favorite of mine, I was pleasantly surprised with this one. This story kept me turning the pages, and I was eager to find out how this story ended.

In this story, we have Claire, who gets a call from her estranged father that her mother could use some help back home. Out of work, and struggling financially and a bit personally, she decides to travel from New York City back to her small town home, which she hasn’t been back to in fifteen years. Once home, Claire has to face her traumatic past, and the realization that her mother doesn’t even want her there…

To get away from her childhood home, Claire takes a drive to Galloway Farm, where her older sister Natalie used to work 22 years ago, before she disappeared. Once Claire arrives at Galloway Farm, she is offered a job, and accepts this position to stay in the guesthouse. Once inside, she finds a diary, and throughout the pages of this diary she finds some disturbing facts that just aren’t settling right with Claire. In fact, some of the contents of this diary are very concerning and disturbing. Will Claire ever uncover the truth about the disappearance of her missing sister? Is Galloway Farm a safe space for Claire?

While some things were easy to figure out in this story, there were a few twists that I didn’t see coming. So overall, I did enjoy this story and I do recommend reading this. I am also looking forward to Willingham’s next book!

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books, and the author for a DRC of this book in which I had the pleasure of reading.
Publication date: August 26, 2025
Genre~ Mystery & Thriller, General Fiction (adult)

[Kaceey · Rating 4 out of 5]

🌟🌟🌟💫
Claire grew up under the shadow of her sister’s disappearance. Now, over twenty years later circumstances bring Claire back to her hometown. The site of her family's downfall.

Claire accepts a job at a local vineyard. Something to keep her busy. But quickly, Claire uncovers a diary that may hold a deeply buried mystery of the past.

Will Claire finally find the peace of mind regarding her sister? Or will she be the next family member to vanish!

This book began as a slowly developing mystery, as Claire realized that there may be a very different story regarding her sister’s disappearance. The second half ramped-up, offering the thriller-readers what they were looking for. (Well, this thriller-reader anyway!‍🙋🏼‍♀️). Twists!

Stacy Willingham is one of my go-to authors. And looking forward to her next!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a full spoiler version of this review, please check out my blog, spoiledbooks.blogspot.com

2.5 rounded up — Forget Me Not… or maybe go ahead and forget it 😬

Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham follows a journalist who returns to her hometown to uncover what really happened to her sister decades earlier. A vineyard, a hidden diary, and a very unsettling past pull her deeper into the mystery.

This was a total page-turner—I flew through it and was especially hooked on the diary sections (honestly, the best part). I needed answers.

But… the ending? It just felt way too familiar. Like I’ve read/seen this story before in slightly different packaging.

So yes, I was entertained… but also a little underwhelmed.

[megs_bookrack · Rating 4 out of 5]

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Claire's older sister, Natalie, disappeared 22-years ago. This was a traumatizing event for young-Claire, and she's carried heavy feelings regarding it ever since. It severed their family and nothing was ever the same.

In fact, after leaving home for college, Claire has never returned. She was more than happy to leave the past in the past, where it belongs.



She moved to a city and worked her way up as an investigative journalist. Recently, after not receiving a promotion she should have been a shoe-in for, she gave up her position and decided to do freelance work.

Unfortunately, securing that work has been more difficult than she anticipated, so when she receives a call from her Dad saying her Mom has been injured and can use her help, she decides to go to her aide.

Returning to her hometown after such a long period of time away churns up all sorts of buried emotions. Additionally, her estranged mother doesn't seem all that happy to see her, like not at all. It hurts.



With nothing but time stretching ahead of her, and restless where she's at, Claire decides to do a little digging. She's an investigative journalist, after all.

She decides to go to visit Galloway Farm, the vineyard in South Carolina where Natalie had a Summer job just prior to her disappearance. The visit ends up turning into temporary work for Claire, who although she's never been a farm hand, is excited about the offer of free room and board.

The idyllic escape quickly moves in a more mysterious direction though after she stumbles across the owner's wife's old diary stashed away in her cottage. Originally thinking it's just a tale of young love, Claire is surprised when the diary reveals much darker truths involving unsolved crimes and missing persons.



I really enjoyed my time reading Forget Me Not. Stacy Willingham definitely knows how to write a compelling and suspense-filled story. I always anticipate her latest releases, and so far, I've never been let down.

I read this via audio, and it does feature dual narration, with one of my favorite voice artists, Karissa Vacker, voicing Claire, and Helen Laser voicing the diary bits. I appreciated that the publisher chose to use the two narrators as it really helped to make the separate sections distinct.



This also features a couple of my favorites tropes, the MC returning to her hometown after a long-time away and the found diary, so it was sort of fated to work for me.

I also tend to love mystery stories that follow journalists, because it feels natural for them to be digging into things the way they do. It doesn't seem forced, or far-fetched. It's literally part of their jobs and they have the training and experience to do so.

I felt bad for Claire as a character. My heart definitely went out to her. She lost her sister, a person she idolized, and through that also ended up losing her Mom and Dad. They separated, and her family unit all went their separate ways. She felt very alone.



The intensity builds steadily throughout. It pulls you in and while I did guess a few of the big twists that were revealed, there were many more that I didn't see coming.

This is def entertaining and I would recommend it to Mystery, Thriller and Suspense Readers. I'm not sure how memorable it'll be for me long term, but it was very fun.

It's a bit culty, a bit cringey domestic drama and dark family secrets. It's got a lot going for it, honestly, for those of us who love messy relationship dynamics.



Thank you to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I've enjoyed all of Willingham's books and will be anxiously awaiting whatever she writes next. I can't wait to see what she has in store for us.

[Casey Reads &#x1f338; · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

Her sister disappeared many years ago & she moved away to start over. She finally comes back to town & ends up being drawn to the place her sister worked before she died. Finding clues along the way that what she thought happened to her sister may be wrong.

This is actually a slower thriller, but I still really enjoyed it. She slowly finds more and more puzzle pieces that keep you wondering what is going on. I will say my initial feelings of what might have happened proved to be right in the end but with a lot of wild details.

There were moments in the 2nd half of this book where I was thoroughly creeped out and scared, because this was written very well. I also felt like I was reading true crime with the way it was written, because it was just so believable of a story. It was also so intricate with every detail connecting and meaning something to the overall story.

I think this one will 100% be a hit. Even though it is slower at first, it is such a great story.

Thank you to netgalley for this free advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Delaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️? 4 ⭐️? TBD. This is my first Stacy Willingham book &, man, she’s a great writer. I was hooked from the start. Really a fun, wild ride!

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
⭐⭐⭐💫 Review: Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham



Forget Me Not is the fourth novel I’ve read by Stacy Willingham, and once again, she delivers what she does best: dark, brooding Southern thrillers soaked in atmosphere and secrets.



This time, our protagonist is Claire Campbell, who is reluctantly called back to her rural South Carolina hometown after her estranged mother suffers an accident. Claire quickly grows restless and takes a job at a local vineyard—coincidentally, the very place where her sister Natalie worked before vanishing without a trace twenty-two years earlier.



If you're a seasoned thriller reader, you can probably see where this is going: a hidden diary, mysterious vineyard owners, fleeting memories of the past, a suspiciously secretive farmhand—all the familiar ingredients of a twisty page-turner.



I listened to the audiobook version, and I have to say: Helen Laser and Karissa Vacker expertly narrate this moody, slow-burn mystery. Their performances brought depth and emotion to a story that might otherwise have felt too formulaic.



In truth, this isn’t one of Willingham’s strongest novels. While atmospheric and engaging, the plot felt predictable at times, and the twists lacked the punch I’ve come to expect from her earlier work.



That said, the narrators elevated the experience for me. I’d give the story itself a solid ⭐⭐⭐, but the audiobook narration bumps it up to ⭐⭐⭐💫.



A good choice for fans of Southern Gothic thrillers and anyone looking for a moody escape with mystery, memory, and just enough suspense to keep the pages turning.

[Teres [on hiatus] · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can always count on bestselling author Stacy Willingham for a juicy mystery-thriller.

Fast paced, twisty, haunting Forget Me Not will have you tearing through pages long into the night.

Me likey. 😉

[Aya ☕︎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was supposed to be a thriller but for me it was just a mystery that I half figured it out in the middle of the book. It didn't make my adrenaline rush nor it made me on the edge of my seat. It's interesting just enough to complete it. The audiobook narration may notch the rating up by half a star or something I love the female narrator so much it's unhealthy

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝕻𝖗𝖊-𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

I need a palate cleanser from romances and this thriller would be perfect. Thank you so much Netgalley and St. Martin's Press & Macmillan Audio for the early copies 💙💙

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[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

“To make sure lost girls are never forgotten.”

Her older sister Natalie disappeared at age 18. It didn’t take long for Claire to escape her smothering feelings in her hometown and those memories and to find her way to being an investigative journalist elsewhere.

But when something happens that causes her to return to her town, she doesn’t realize she is heading back into the storm that took her sister.

What will Claire discover about her sisters’ disappearance? Was a just outcome ever reached in her sister’s case? Will her sister ever be found? Who can Claire trust as she asks questions and seeks answers? What secrets will be revealed? And, how close to home do some of these secrets lie?

“Forget-me-nots.” Planted in her memory. “…and then they spread, invasive under the right conditions. Irrepressible and wild, just as… ‘she’ had been.”

This is a scenic, yet twisty, slow-paced mystery which might appeal to most psychological thriller fans. It has adequate suspense and well-developed characters (especially the ‘creep’ factor) that will most likely keep readers turning pages as they too, seek answers.

3.5 stars

[Krysta ꕤ · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I guess I’ll start with my name, Marcia, because most days, my name feels like the only thing that’s mine.”

Claire’s sister disappeared years ago, causing her to flee that town and leave everything behind since she couldn’t handle the pain or constant reminder. then one day, her father calls her in concern for her mothers health, which makes Claire return where she decides to get to the bottom of what has happened to her sister Natalie. i was immediately suspicious of Mitchell and the whole Galloway farm, i really enjoyed the dual timelines— Marcia’s story: told through Claire reading her diary entries and then the present story as it occurs. there were some twists that I didn’t exactly predict, so that was a nice surprise. i think if you like cult thrillers with murder mysteries mixed in.. definitely give this a read.

➬ many thanks to NetGalley, the author and St. Martin’s Press for the arc.. all opinions are my own.

[Francesca (pavisfrancesca) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 This was for sure more of a slow burn plot, but not necessarily in a bad way. Very deep south US vibes with a lot of tension and some twists I did not see