Don't Turn Around: A Novel

Written by Jessica Barry

Narrated by Sarah Zimmerman

The riveting follow up to Jessica Barry’s debut Freefall—a controversial, of-the-moment thriller about two women fighting for their right to live. 

322 miles of road. 6 hours. 2 strangers. 1 killer. Too many secrets.

Midnight. Cait Monaghan and Rebecca McRae are on a desolate road that slices through the New Mexican desert. They've never met before tonight.  Both have secrets to protect. Both of their lives are in danger.  

 When a truck pulls up fast behind them, they assume it's punk teenagers or run-of-the-mill road rage, but it soon becomes clear that whoever is driving the truck is hunting them for sport -- and they are out to draw blood.  

As the miles unspool and the dangers mount, the pasts they've worked so hard to keep buried have come back to haunt them.  Someone wants one of them dead. But which one?  And given the lives the two women have been leading, that someone could be almost anyone.

If Cait and Rebecca are going to survive, they'll have to learn to trust one another—and themselves. But trust is a costly business, and they’ve both paid the price before. . . .

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Jun 16, 2020
• ISBN: 9780062967640

Jessica Barry

Jessica Barry is a pseudonym for an American author who grew up in a small town in Massachusetts and was raised on a steady diet of library books and PBS. She attended Boston University, where she majored in English and Art History, before moving to London in 2004 to pursue an MA from University College London. She lives with her husband, Simon, and their two cats, Roger Livesey and BoJack Horseman.  

Reviews for Don't Turn Around

[vanessa_menez-453497 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Two strangers, Cait and Rebecca, are driving across America. Cait’s job is to transport women to safety. Out of respect, she never asks any questions. Like most of the women, Rebecca is trying to escape something.

But what if Rebecca’s secrets put them both in danger? There’s a reason Cait chooses to keep on the road, helping strangers. She has a past of her own, and knows what it’s like to be followed. And there is someone right behind them, watching their every move...

What a road trip! I was immediately attracted to this book when I read the premise and I totally enjoyed it. I couldn't put it down and this was a quick read for me.

This is amazingly written book that covers almost all the problems that women face through the lives of the two main characters, Cait and Rebecca. Some parts of the book are a bit unbelievable. But what I loved the most in this book is the way the two women formed a bond despite not having anything in common and how they worked as a team to encounter the dangers they faced in their trip.

Even though it is not a usual faced paced thriller, it is still enjoyable and does have a bit of suspense!

Thank You to NetGalley and Random House UK, Vintage Publishing for this ARC!!

[johnfishlock · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A good story told through many different perspectives.

[brangwinn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Perfect for the #MeToo titles, this really twisty novel may be a bit much for some, but for me it just added to the suspense as the reader follows two women, one of whom is a Congressman’s wife as she flees from home. The trip through New Mexico is quite scary. Well plotted this book does an excellent job of addressing women’s issues. If you read Barry’s previous book, Freefall you will want to read this one.

[twink_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read Jessica Barry's debut novel Freefall last year - and really liked it! (my review) I was excited to pick up her just released second book - Don't Turn Around. And I'll tell you up front - I think the thrill factor was even higher in this book!Cait works as a bartender, really wants to be a writer and volunteers with the Sisters of Service. The Sisters will get a woman what she needs or where she needs to be. Rebecca needs help and Cait is her driver on an overnight run, taking her from Lubbock, Texas to Albuquerque, New Mexico.Okay, I was hooked from the prologue. "And then she hears it: a long, shivering scrape of metal against metal. She sees a face at the window. It's him. He's outside and he's trying to get in."And from there, the timeline moves back and forth from past to present, and told from each woman's perspective. They both have secrets - but which woman is he after? It doesn't much matter - they're alone in the dark on a deserted stretch of road. They'll have to trust each other to make it through the night. We also have chapters from a number of men - any one of which could be the unknown truck driver following them. The vitriol in their chapters is palpable.Barry employed the same back and forth technique in her first book. It's absolutely one of my favorite methods of storytelling. It's so hard to not read just one more chapter.I was surprised to find out the reason Rebecca needed a ride - and then I wasn't. It's a story you'll find in some newspaper every day. Cait's reasons tie in as well. I'm going to be obtuse here as I don't want to provide spoilers. But the reasons are real and serious themes.But what had me almost breaking my rule of not flipping ahead in a book is the tension, suspense and danger of the pursuit of Cait and Rebecca. So well written! And well played. The chapters count down the mileage to their destination which was another great way to ramp up the suspense. There was no way to predict where the plot was going to go and I was kept on my toes. One big twist near the end had me shouting out loud - no way!An excellent suspense novel - one I definitely recommend. I'll be watching for book number 3!