🏃🏻‍♀️ Wherever She Goes 🏃🏻‍♀️ (2019) - Book Review



MY REVIEW

Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books (June 25, 2019)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1250181356
ISBN-13: 978-1250181350
Click Picture for Purchase Information

“Few crimes are reported as quickly as a snatched kid.”
That’s what the officer tells single mother Aubrey Finch after she reports a kidnapping. So why hasn’t anyone reported the little boy missing? Aubrey knows what she saw: a boy being taken against his will from the park. It doesn’t matter that the mother can’t be found. It doesn’t matter if no one reported it. Aubrey knows he’s missing.

Instead, people question her sanity. Aubrey hears the whispers. She’s a former stay-at-home mom who doesn’t have primary custody of her daughter, so there must be something wrong with her, right? Others may not understand her decision to walk away from her safe life at home, but years of hiding her past – even from the people she loves – were taking their toll, and Aubrey knows she can’t be the mother or wife she envisions until she learns to leave her secrets behind.

When the police refuse to believe her, she realizes that rescuing the boy is up to her alone. But after all the secrets, how far is she willing to go? Even to protect a child.

["Wherever She Goes" - thank you to Henderson Libraries]

“Wherever She Goes” is a psychological thriller by Kelley Armstrong.

The plot centers on Aubrey Finch, a woman with baggage and a past. A woman, newly separated from her husband and working to provide for herself while attempting to get shared custody of her three (3) year old daughter Charlotte.

She had been a stay-at-home (SAH) mom, but walked away. Not because she didn’t love her husband or child – but because of the secrets from her past.

She talks to a woman in the park and a few days later watches the woman’s son being abducted. Being a good citizen, Aubrey reports the abduction.

She had been a stay-at-home (SAH) mom, but walked away. Not because she didn’t love her husband or child – but because of the secrets from her past.

She talks to a woman in the park and a few days later watches the woman’s son being abducted. Being a good citizen, Aubrey reports the abduction.

There’s a snag though – the police don’t believe her. And, without a parent reporting the child as abducted, there’s not much they can do. Aubrey is able to identify the vehicle as well as the license plate. Still, the police don’t seem to be doing anything in the way of following up. Even after two days, the boy hasn’t been reported as abducted.

Aubrey is torn between trying to find out the truth and walking away. She is also running from a past that she feels would destroy her chances of getting custody of her daughter. Still, as a mother she’d want someone to help her find her child.

When a woman’s unidentified body is found, Aubrey is certain it is the mother. It’s the same woman she saw with the boy. However, the police realize the woman (later identified as Kim) doesn’t have a child.

Aubrey knows what she saw.

Feeling that the police are not doing enough to find the boy, Aubrey, with things she learned in her “past life”, begins tracking down the woman’s identity and who the boy was. She stumbles on a roadblock when the police inform her that the woman doesn’t have a child. Even Kim’s sister verifies it.

But, Aubrey can’t shake the feeling that something is wrong.

Her soon-to-be-ex-husband even assists her – sometimes he is a bit doubtful – that is until their daughter is threatened.

This was one of those books that starts off slow, and the main character is almost annoying – and, I’m sorry, Aubrey Finch was annoying in the “woe is me” attitude.

Moving past that …

The premise is interesting – a kidnapping without a child being reported missing, an unidentified woman who apparently has no children, and evidence to the contrary. It was interesting to see how everything connected and how Kim had managed to cover her tracks in hiding her son.

There were some parts that I found a bit incredulous though – mainly the police involvement, or lack thereof. In addition, the lack of motive with Mama Zima. That was something I was trying to find out – what was going on there.

I liked how the writer left it open about Paul and Aubrey’ s relationship.

The book held my interest long enough to finish it and it was a rather quick read. I spent about five (5) hours on it.

This wasn’t really a thriller, more of a suspense type novel, at least to me.

It earned four (4) (really liked it) for being a quick read, and for showing a realistic struggle with the female main character. Although it is probably closer to 3.5, I’ll go for four (4)

This would be (well for me it was) one of those “quick weekend reads”. I’m thankful to my local library for having a copy I could borrow.


4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


ABOUT THE AUTHOR


KELLEY ARMSTRONG graduated with a degree in psychology and then studied computer programming. Now, she is a full-time writer and parent, and she lives with her husband and three children in rural Ontario, Canada. Kelley is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of both YA and adult novels, including the Otherworld series and the Rockton novels.
Kelley Armstrong

You can find her on the following social media accounts:




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