{Review} Wherever She Goes by @KelleyArmstrong

Wherever She Goes by Kelley Armstrong
Published by Minotaur Books on June 25, 2019
Genres: Fiction, Mystery/Suspense
Pages: 400
Format: Print
Buy on Amazon, Amazon UK, Amazon Canada, Amazon Australia, Available with KU Subscription, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iBooks
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“Whipsaw sharp and whiplash fast.” —Shari Lapena

"This is a gripping tale of secrets, lies, and maternal anxieties.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

From New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong comes a brand new psychological thriller about the lengths one woman will go to in order to save a child.

“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.

I received Wherever She Goes for free. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Kelley Armstrong has a huge body of work. While I haven’t read all of her novels, I will say Wherever She Goes is drastically different from anything I’ve read from her before and just as brilliant.

Armstrong digs into the life of Aubry Finch. Aubry has a past she hasn’t told a soul about. The guilt haunts her so much she’s separated from her husband and left him with residential custody of their young daughter. One of the afternoons Aubry shares with her daughter at the park, they meet young mother and her son about the same age as Aubry’s daughter. That one brief meeting changes Aubry’s life forever. When running in the park a few days later, Aubry notices the little boy get snatched from a parking lot near the park where they first met. After going to the police, she gets nothing except a heaping helping of “they think I’m crazy”. When the young mother turns up dead, Aubry knows she can’t let anyone forget about this little boy.

Armstrong takes us from suburbia to the underbelly of the Mafia life. She shows us how hard it is for Aubry to try to be herself when she is hiding so much behind the persona as a wife and mother. While her world is crumbling around her and not one soul knows what she is going through, Armstrong gives Aubry two things to live for, her daughter and the missing boy.

Every chapter had me fearing for Aubry’s safety and at times her sanity. While I loved the sweet moments with her daughter and the thrill of the hunt for the little boy, Armstrong also gave us a more than a glimpse into Aubry’s heart as she deals with her pending divorce. There is so much I want to say, but I don’t want to give any spoilers! This novel is the perfect combination of action, mystery, and family drama. I loved it from page one and can’t wait to read more stories like this one from Kelley Armstrong in the future.