“Forget Me Not” Is a Twisty and Turny Psychological Thriller https://ift.tt/qUmFljX
Stacy Willingham’s new novel Forget Me Not is the perfect remedy for feeling like you missed out on vacation this summer. Perhaps you’ve spent the last three months scrolling through your phone, envious of all the gorgeous people sunning themselves on white-sand beaches, sitting on balconies with their arms draped over the railing, Aperol Spritz in hand. If so, you aren’t alone—and this gripping Southern thriller will make vacationing seem like a snooze fest.
Forget Me Not is the next in Willingham’s series of modern psychological suspense novels that is sure to leave you guessing at every turn. The story follows Claire Campbell, a journalist from New York City with a murky past. Haunted by the death of her older sister, Natalie, and struggling to find work as a freelance writer, Claire returns to her hometown in South Carolina where she slowly unravels the truth behind her sister’s mysterious death. Upon taking a job at Galloway Farm as a grape harvester for the summer, Claire feels close to her sister—closer than she’s ever been before. As she works alongside Liam, the handsome but secretive farmhand, she stumbles across a diary from 1984 that brings her ever closer to uncovering her sister’s connection with Galloway Farm, as well as the heart-rending secret her mother has been keeping for years. Overall, this is not a tale for the faint-hearted—from snake bites to a sinister cult leader, Forget Me Not plunges straight into the thorns of Southern life, no gloves necessary.
Willingham’s prose is simple and direct, following suit with her previous novels. She gets to the heart of the story with a no-nonsense attitude, trading long-winded descriptions for short, snappy bites of the sun-dazzled setting. The few words with which she describes the scenery surrounding Galloway Farm are carefully selected, drawing us deep into the Southern atmosphere:
“It’s a gorgeous sight, just like I remember, although it feels a little unkempt now, a little neglected. Patches of overgrown grass peppered with weeds; algae floating across dollops of marshland, a boggy breadcrumb trail leading up to the creek itself.”
These no-fuss descriptions give an effortless feel to every page; while reading, I often found my eyes skimming, each scene vivid in my mind like I was watching a film. Honestly, there’s no need to drop hundreds of dollars on a plane ticket when you can peel open the pages of this summer mystery and get lost in the marshes and vineyards of Galloway for free.
But I should probably warn you: this isn’t a read that will have your eyelids drooping as if you were drinking in the sun on a foreign beach. Every chapter is packed with twists and turns that will make your heart race, wondering what new clue Claire will stumble upon next. Willingham is known as the Queen of Southern Suspense for a reason: her novels are fast-paced and engaging, and Forget Me Not is no exception. Just look at how she ends Chapter 14:
“For a second, it looks like he’s about to say something else, his mouth parting only an inch, but then he shakes his head, a gentle twitch like he changed his mind, before bringing the bottle back to his lips and downing the rest in one fell swoop.”
If anything can summarize the experience of reading Forget Me Not, it’s this little scene, jam-packed into one sentence. And while this sort of leading on, then holding back, might be one of your biggest pet peeves, it works in Willingham’s story world.
So what are you waiting for? Dip into the broiling underbelly of the South with a thriller that will rock your world. You’ll rush to tell your friends about the shocking conclusion.
FICTION Forget Me Not By Stacy Willingham
Minotaur Books
Published August 26, 2025
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