If I Forget: A Gripping Small Town Psychological Thriller

by Liz Sinclair

A missing child. An impossible deadline, and the truth someone will kill to keep buried.

When Claire Whitlow arrives to pick up her son, he isn't there. Signed out early by an emergency contact she never authorized, with a signature that looks exactly like hers.

The security footage shows him leaving calmly, guided by a woman who seems safe. Familiar.
He isn't afraid. Just confused.

Within minutes, a message HE'S SAFE. DON'T CALL THE POLICE.

Then comes the second destroy the files Claire’s mother died to protect.

Seventy-two hours. Or she will never see her son again.

Someone has been inside her house. Inside those files.
Rewriting records. Silencing witnesses.
Dismantling everything she thought was true.

Claire can't trust the detective hiding too many answers, the lawyer with too much to lose, or the stranger who appeared at exactly the right moment.

Time is running out. Someone is unraveling her from the inside.

And the person who took her son has been there all along…

265 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 20, 2026

Reviews

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I Forget: A Gripping Small Town Psychological Thriller by Liz Sinclair is a spingling Psychological Thriller. A gripping and intriguing small town story. Well written with charming, realistic, and well developed characters. A riveting tale of a son kidnapped, drama, tension, and a 10 year old family secret that must be solved tosave the child. Rewriting history in real time. Powerful story! A must read for fans of Psychological Thrillers, Domestic Thrillers, Crime fiction and story that hold your on the edge of your seat story. Gripping and intriguing!

I received a complimentary copy of this book and am leaving my honest review, voluntarily.

Rating: 5
Heat rating: Mild
Reviewer: AprilR

[Mrs B E Woods · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not to be missed - Psychological thriller at its best

I was sent this as a free read by the author, with no pressure to review. Didn’t expect much as I’d not heard of Liz Sinclair previously. However, once I started, I just couldn’t put the book down.

It is a mother’s worst nightmare but imagine being blackmailed if you want to see your child again. Your every move monitored by person or persons unknown. And wondering whether you will ever see your child again. There is so much more to this story than the kidnapping of a child - as if that isn’t enough. The past holds secrets waiting to be unveiled, who can be trusted and will all be revealed in time to save your child.

Well written and powerful.

[Bren · Rating 5 out of 5]

As soon as Claire realizes her son Noah has been picked up by a stranger listed on his emergency contact named Sarah Whitlow and Claire has no idea who she is that's all it took to pull me in 100%. Truthfully I could not put the book down it took over my mind thinking how awful Claire must have felt knowing she only had 72 hours to complete everything she was told to do in order to get her son back I was sitting on pens and needles the entire time I was reading this book. I highly recommend this book it's so good.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This makes me think I need to start a book of unexplained lost and founds in my life. How often do we loose something and find it years without knowing how it could have turned up in a pocket of a pants you ironed and hung up? We joke about seniors losing their memory now and then, but Liz Sinclair has taken it to the next level.
This is so good that I obtained the prequel hoping I can get more insight into this case and an idea of how it could be done. Oh woe is me, another TBR in an already busy diary.
I received a copy and this is my honest and voluntary review.

[Renae Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Claire finds out Noah has been taken from the school without her permission. And she has to find him and figure out why. Its crazy how money can make people think they are able to do anything they want in this town or anywhere. You get so much time to do as you are told but you need to keep track of everything to make sure you try to remember everything thats happening. Notes and notes so you will remember. And learn who to trust.
Very good book that I didn't want to put down. I was so happy to be able to be an ARC reader for this one. It did not disappoint!! Very twisty but very good

[The Book Ssirren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very riveting story. Right from the beginning it grabs you and pulls you in. Her son having been punched up by someone she doesn’t know. Texts that tell her she has 72 hours to destroy files in her home. Being watched, not knowing who to trust. This was so captivating. I was invested, on the edge of my seat the entire time. I needed to know who and why they were doing this. Truly a phenomenal thriller. A definite must read.

[Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it! One of those books that you're unable to stop reading.

Claire (MFC) is key to solving her son's Noah disappearance, trust is an issue. The supporting characters and actions are very good. The story is intense, runs well with a lot of info without disclosing the culprit until the very end., so many things at once, suspects, betrayal and an enemy who knows you better than you. Recommended!!!

[Michele M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Claire is trying to get her life back together, things are finally settling down. Then her son is taken by someone she doesn't know, a name she doesn't recognize. They want her mothers research on a decades old family mystery. Now Claire must solve the mystery and find her son before the set deadline - all while someone is rewriting history in real time.

[Cindy's · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book kept me reading because I wanted to get to the end to see what happens. It is a nice good mystery. I was really surprised who kidnapped her son. Did not see that coming.
This was a ARC book for me. I will read more of her books.

[Nancy Fagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Um. I found the book a bit difficult to follow sometimes. However, the story was certainly interesting. I am following up now with the prequel, and I think there will be another book.
I received an advance copy of the book for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Sandi Fletcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Her son is gone. Can she trust her memory? A must read. I received as an ARC.