Reviews for Wendy Walker's ARC: What Remains

 

            Curl up in your favorite reading spot and prepare to read this one all the way through. We start off with suspense, and we just stay there for the entirety of What Remains, yet masterful storyteller Wendy Walker knows how to save us from fatigue, teasing the suspense like a symphony. Sometimes the horns blare, sometimes it’s just one violin strumming to your heartbeat, and you will find yourself turning pages and checking over your shoulder as you follow along with Walker’s twists and turns.

            We immediately meet our main character, Elise, as she’s in that shock-trauma-denial response some of us get when something very bad is happening and we now have to figure out what our role of response needs to be. Do we freeze, do we run, do we stay and fight? Elise shakes with these thoughts as she unearths her training as a police officer. Maybe she’s not that kind of police officer, but she has training, she has a weapon, and she has to act, doesn’t she? With uncertainty, she proceeds, leading her to action that will change her forever.

            Walker explores how heroism is in the eye of the beholder, and how gratitude can have a dark side. How do you hold killing someone, even if it is justified? What happens when you save the life of a monster? What happens when that monster feels indebted to you?  

            Walker is crafty with our feelings; forgiveness is sewn into the backstory of What Remains in both Elise’s marriage, and to a lesser extent, in her partner Rowan’s past. Hints to this capacity to forgive someone, or one’s self, linger as Elise contemplates the man who is stalking her, and what his motivations might be. 

            Book clubs will enjoy choosing this one; there’s a lot to discuss and ponder after reading What Remains. Whether you were cheering Elise on, or screaming at her to just stop and listen to reason, What Remains will spark interest and fascinating conversation.

 

Jessie Talent

It is rare that I am lucky enough to clear an entire day to devote to reading but I assure you when you start Wendy Walker’s book What Remains – you aren’t going to want to stop until the very last page. Wendy is an incredible story teller who will keep you on the edge of your seat with the various story lines from the start to the finish. You cannot help but feel for Elise throughout this story despite some of her questionable choices. As a mother who’s protecting her family, as a police officer who’s looking out for this world. How Wendy is able to put so much fascinating detail into these pages, I cannot wait to discuss with her during our meeting. I can assure you this book is one you do not want to miss when it’s released June 13^th. We’re so honored at Shelf Indulgence that you let us read it first. You all should be prepared for a captivating ride and some of Wendy’s best work yet. 

 

Brittany Petish 

 

I was one of the fortunate ones to get my hands on an advanced copy of What Remains by Wendy Walker, and I am so glad I did.  This is one of those books that should be a must-read for everyone.  I read a lot of thrillers, but this is easily my favorite. I read a lot of books every year, in all different genres.  And when I say this book is easily my favorite, I do mean top 5 books of all time.

 

I’m one of those annoying people that reads a crime/mystery/thriller and immediately starts figuring out the mystery.  And while my accuracy rate is about 90%, I still enjoy reading the story and getting all the details and the why and the how of the story. But this one, this one was different.  

 

I couldn’t figure it out at all.  I remember telling my husband, “I’m 16 chapters in this book, and I still have absolutely no idea where it’s going, or how it’s going to get there.  And I am loving every single second of it.”

 

It’s perfectly written.  Plenty of details, but not too many.  A story that has you hooked from the very first chapter, and doesn’t let you go until the very end.  One that keeps you guessing every single page.  You have a main story, and some side stories as well that integrate themselves seamlessly, so casually mentioned that you never realize just how pivotal they are until closer to the end of the novel.  The characters are ones that you want to know and love, whose character development continues throughout the story.

 

I love this book.  I have recommended it to so many people already, and can’t wait to talk to more about it.  It’s a thriller without being super spooky, and without all the gore.  A crime novel that isn’t far-fetched at all, and seems like it could happen in any town at any time.  I couldn’t put it down.  I couldn’t read it fast enough, and I can’t wait to read it a second time, and maybe a third, just to see what little nuances and details I missed the first time I read it.  

 

Do yourself a favor and grab this one immediately.  Actually, grab two so that you can give one to a friend.  And make sure you don’t start it unless you have time to finish it in one sitting, because you won’t want to put it down once you pick it up.

Brook Tindale

 

 

‘What Remains’ is a suspenseful thriller that captures you in the first chapter of the book. From an incident in a shopping store with a suspect holding people at gunpoint, to a cop who goes out on her own to try to find the suspect all on her own. What ends up is a game of cat and mouse between the cops and the suspect, with the cop not being completely honest with her work partner or her husband and kids. How far will she go to capture the suspect, and will it cost her own life? 

 

Heather Petish

 

 

Many thanks to Wendy Walker for allowing our book club to read What Remains early! I love Wendy’s writing style. It always sucks me right in and this book did not disappoint. 

 

Elise is a hard working detective, wife, and mother. An innocent trip to the department store for towels turns sinister when an active shooter opens fire. Elise reaches for her gun and makes the tough choice to take the life of one in order to save the lives of other innocent shoppers. 

 

Elise takes a short leave from work to process the traumatic event. She feels guilt and questions her choice, while others call her a hero. She receives thank you cards and gifts. Seems innocent enough, right? Notes and kind messages quickly turn into threatening messages, photos of the inside of her house, videos of her children at school. Why is she being stalked ? How does this play into the recent crime? Elise will stop at nothing to find the pieces to the puzzle. 

 

Wendy blew me away with the scientific details and obvious research that went into writing this book. This is a smart, psychological thriller that you won’t be able to put down. 

 

Bailey Sickeler