This is a story of two women who drive in an old jeep from Texas to New Mexico and what happens on the way.. Very creepy story with unexpected incidents.

The political and social commentary in this book creeps up on you. Our two main characters appear to be from opposite sides of the political spectrum. I do not think they would not have positioned themselves as having the same or similar views at the beginning of their drive. However, as women, they navigate similar issues. And as women, they can see at least tiny bits of themselves in each other, even if in many ways they are very different, and have different lived experiences.

Similarly, neither main character is entirely good or entirely bad. They each had their blind spots, and each made mistakes. As a reader, I was alternately frustrated with and rooting for each of them. This book was a roller coaster. At the end, I so desperately wanted each of them to find justice and peace.

A game of cat and mouse on the road? This had me totally intrigued as it sounded tense, fraught with danger and a total nail biter.

Rebecca, wife to an ambitious policitican. Cait, a 26 year old barmaid with aspirations of becoming a writer.

Rebecca is on the run and Cait is helping her escape. They journey through the night by car from Lubbock, Texas to Albuquerque in New Mexico, however, someone doesn't want them to get to their destination. Through flashbacks you find out what brings both characters to their current situation and plight. The story started off really strong with me getting through almost half in one sitting. While the lead characters are well written, I just wasn't rooting for them to succeed. I felt the pacing, while great at the start, ran out of steam a bit in various places and because of this, I struggled to get to the end as it became decidedly more unrealistic. 3/5*

With its two engaging female protagonists and a plot which features a chilling cat-and-mouse road chase, Don't Turn Around could be described as Thelma and Louise meets Duel. It definitely doesn't stint on tension or drama but Jessica Barry's novel is also a thoughtful exploration of women's fears, particularly relevant to the Me Too discussions.
The two women make unlikely companions for a journey from Lubbock in Texas to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Rebecca is the wife of an ambitious congressman who has his sights on the Senate and beyond. He is wildly popular with the voters, the local boy returned home, she is seen as cold and detached. She wants to support her husband but misses California and it's clear that she is losing who she is as she attempts to fit into a role she doesn't want. Cait works in a bar where the required uniform includes Stetsons and Daisy Dukes. This isn't where she wants to be either, she's a writer but although she gets the occasional freelance job, she is still waiting for her big break.
The book opens with Cait picking Rebecca up in her Jeep and it's immediately obvious that this is not a regular trip. Cait seems to be helping Rebecca escape in a nighttime flit away - they hope - from prying eyes. The storyline is split between their journey and the events of the past which ultimately brought them here. So we learn that Cait wrote an anonymous article about a one night stand that became violently one-sided, hoping it may lead to more work but instead she soon realises just how dark some part of the internet are and how dangerous it can be for a woman to put her head above the parapet. Meanwhile, Rebecca is expected to allow heartbreaking aspects of her personal life to become public until she receives news which means she is no longer prepared to obediently follow her husband's wishes.
Both women have their secrets and so when they realise somebody is following them, they both believe they are the target. The clever switching of the narrative between past and present ensures that the identity of their pursuer is hidden for some time but there are several men in the frame. Although Rebecca and Cait are highly interesting characters - courageous yet scared, principled but flawed - the same can't be said of the men in the story. This is perhaps a rather one-sided novel which examines the worst of men without recognising that there are good men too but I understand why this is the case. This is a book about the strength of women and about the fears many of us can too easily relate to. We don't have to have experienced a violent attack to still feel dread when we hear footsteps behind us. From a young age we've all had the same thoughts, been given the same advice, the same warnings. Is that skirt too short? Is that top too low? Can I run these shoes if I need to? Be careful who you accept a drink from. Don't leave drinks uncovered. Stay in a group. Don't walk home alone. Don't take that route. Choose your seat carefully. Carry your keys in your hand. Are those footsteps getting closer? Don't give off the wrong signals. Don't be too friendly, you might give somebody the wrong impression. Don't look nervous, you'll look like a victim. Plan ahead, stay alert.
So this isn't the time for #notallmen, it doesn't need a man coming in to save the women. It's about Rebecca and Cait; their terror, their mistakes and their tenacity. It's also an disturbing look at the way society and the State - particularly in America - is increasingly claiming ownership over women's bodies and the choices they are allowed to make about them. As the pair join forces against their sinister predator, the book becomes even more nerve-wracking, culminating in a terrifying confrontation.
This isn't the end of the story, however and the thoughtful conclusion allows for a satisfying ending while still acknowledging the very real issues affecting women in an increasing number of states in the US. Don't Turn Around is an excellent thriller, it combines a pacy, exciting plot which superbly communicates the essence of fear with an astute examination of contemporary topics. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

This was full of tension and suspense from the first page. That old cliché but seriously, I couldn’t put it down! We know early on that both women are running from something but to say more will be a spoiler. I’ll be looking out for more by Jessica Barry – you have a new fan here!

Cait works in a bar and is a part time journalist. Her most recent article was written anonymously and has caused a backlash from men who feel she has been grossly unfair on their sex.
Cait also volunteers for a charity that assists women in trouble. She has been asked to take Rebecca to Albuquerque, an overnight run that should be simple.
Of course it isnt and the journey is fraught with danger, someone is intent on stopping them reaching their destination and events from both women’s lives are about to catch up with them.
This is a fast paced thriller with a different story line from the usual. It keeps flipping to events in the past, which can be a bit annoying, but a generally ending plot.


I

This is a new thriller read that jumps between the stories of two women: Cait and Rebecca. The narrative is choppy, and moves from a journey in ‘real time’ to Albuquerque to the months preceding the road trip. I really enjoyed the narrative splits; the reader is filling in the pieces during the higher paced momentum of the road trip. We begin to discover the missing pieces of these women’s lives and how they find themselves in the situation they are currently in. On the surface, Cait has collected Rebecca in secret to drive her to safety, although we soon realise there’s much more to both of their stories. So, what a hook! I was fully engaged right from the start in this tense, scary and layered thriller read. I really enjoyed the drama behind the road trip as the women become hunted by an unknown assailant, who is determine to scare, chase and hunt.

I really enjoyed the strength behind the female protagonists, both women have difficult back-stories but both use this to become braver, and stronger. There’s a lot of tension and drama in this book, and it’s genuinely hard to put it down.

I love books that make you question everything you are reading, and I’m sure, like me, you’ll have a whole page of questions when reading this book. The pacing works really well, holding enough back until the right moments: it’s great fun!

For me, what made this thriller different, was the depth of the backstories, the controversial storyline elements, the emotional and psychological complexities, and the strength of the women that were weaved into an action led chase thriller.

A heart-pounding, hurtling, drama packed ride with heart and empowerment holding it all together. Highly recommended for thriller readers who are looking for additional qualities in their stories.

I might have given this book 4 - 5 stars as it started off so very well but, unfortunately halfway through it seemed to loose its way a little and there was some inconsistencies in the story. The idea was a good one but I found myself getting very frustrated with it to be honest. I do hope this author writes more as she could be one I’d read at a later date. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Don’t Turn Around was good, in fact it was very good. It was tense, urgent and at times made me feel quite cross and angry, a sure sign that the author had tapped into my emotions, and really made me think about what I was reading.

At the novels heart were two brilliant but flawed women, Cait and Rebecca, both at opposite ends of the economic and social spectrum. Cait, young, a struggling writer, who worked in a bar to make ends meet. Rebecca, beautiful, poised, married to an upcoming politician, with an ice maiden exterior, but something something deeper and vulnerable hidden within.

The reason for their meeting and subsequent road trip was at first subject to conjecture, reasons that swirled around until Barry slowly peeled away the layers and revealed a reason that you couldn’t quite believe.

Barry used the voices of Cait and Rebecca and the characters they encountered to tell the story, enabled us to see the version of events, the reasons from all angles, that gave a balanced viewpoint on the themes raised.

Indeed the themes raised were deep, current and relevant. For Rebecca she had to question, decide how far she was prepared to sacrifice her own happiness and principles and, to some extent her own identity for the love of a man, for the furtherment of his career. Would she allow those around her husband dictate and take away her right to what happened within her own body, make her suffer unimaginable torment and anguish for political gain. As her husband and those around them plotted, strategised I found myself getting angrier and angrier, how dare they assume, belittle, threaten.

For Cait, an article written after a sexual encounter, provoked outrage, but not as you would have thought, as she found herself vilified online and indeed in public. Again Barry provoked thought, the interpretation of sexual experiences from a male perspective wildly different from those of a woman. Who was right, was the old stereotype still in play, a woman’s sexual encounters frowned upon, a man’s seen just as a bit of fun?

As their road trip continued as the danger to themselves increased, you watched as the two wildly different women, found common ground, camaraderie, and renewed strength to believe in themselves, to take control and stand up for what they wanted.

For all its myriad themes, Barry didn’t forget that we were actually reading a crime/psychological thriller. I loved the darkness of their road trip, the glaring headlights in their rear window, the sense of fear, of being watched, of not knowing which one of them was the target. Their resourcefulness was admirable, as they gained strength and confidence from each other, the final encounter surprising, hugely dramatic and tense.

The ending was………. Definitely not for me to say as this is a book I want you to read. A novel where the author balanced her thought provoking and current themes with that of a crime psychological thriller brilliantly.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the arc, which I have enjoyed reading.
Don’t Turn Around by Jessica Barry is a hard hitting story about abortion and how the law changes in different states of America. When the woman who wishes to terminate a pregnancy of a disabled foetus but whose husband is standing to be a senator, the issues are even more complex.
A very interesting debate and concisely presented, the two main female characters Cait and Rebecca are very well written. The whole storyline is very complex and was an interesting and challenging book.
Highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! This wasn’t a bad read for me and I did enjoy the unraveling of our two main characters’ stories as well as the eventual intertwining of them. I did find the plot itself to be a bit of a monotonous slog at times: there’s only so much that can be done with a road trip style chase narrative and I felt a little tired of reading by the time the action really kicked in. The ending was very abrupt too so overall I think the book just suffered from some major pacing issues but the premise and characters were intriguing enough to get a decent rating all the same.

I’m still reeling from the impact of this excellent book - my heart rate only just returning to normal. Such a great concept and so well written this novel ticks so many boxes. It is exciting but has a moral tale at the heart of it. Highly recommended.

This book is steeped in mystery at the start. Cait goes to pick up Rebecca in the dead of night and they go on a road trip. Simple. But, why leave under such secretive circumstances? Also, Rebecca and Cait have never met before. What the heck is going on? This is a question I asked myself a lot, I couldn't figure out why they were off on this journey.

The narrative flips from Cait and Rebecca on the journey, to each of their backstories. This then gives us an understanding of how these two women came to be in the jeep together. Dotted into the story are a few chapters from a few other characters, just to keep us guessing.

I kept getting Thelma and Louise vibes from this story, even though they weren't exactly best of friends to begin with. The whole road trip element and encounters on their way make for a cracking read.

Don't Turn Around literally takes you on a journey from Texas to Albuquerque. It's a tense ride as someone is out to get them. But who is it and why? What will they do? Read it to find out!

Miles to go. 2 women. And 6 hours journey. Cait picked up Rebecca. Both had issues to deal with and secrets to hide. Until it all comes out.

My first book by this author, it was an unstoppable action thriller. A few twists in a well detailed plot line, with characters who soon endeared themselves to me. The writing kept moving at the speed of light inciting my curiosity. Until the last page.

A fun action thriller.

Don’t Turn Around is an extremely fast paced novel that was also very quick to read. Many people could easily read it in one sitting.

It has two main narrators, Cait and Rebecca but there are also occasional chapters from others who feature, none of whom were particularly likeable. It wasn’t easy to work out who was responsible for the danger that faced the two women on their journey across the border. I liked both of them and appreciated the way they gained each other’s trust.

There were many reasons why this novel worked for me. The uncertainty who was responsible, the reasons why they might be and what their true feelings were. How these men were known to the women but neither of them had any idea what they really thought. The storyline itself. Original and heartbreaking and impossible to judge. And also, the start of a friendship and feeling of being able to trust for both women. Something lacking in both of their lives.

Jessica Barry is the pseudonym for a well known American author, I have never read any other books under either name. I will definitely be so soon. v

I really couldn't put this book down. The tension of the journey really came through. It brought back memories of Duel!
Cait and aspiring writer is running from a story she published on a little known website, but the story was about someone quite well known, and it backfires on her. The website is hacked and her identity is out there.
Rebecca, is the wife of a future congressman, whose political life is much more important than his wife's health and well being.
They are heading from Lubbock, Texas to Albuquerque, New Mexico a journey of around 6 hours. Actually reading the book you felt it was a lot longer than that.
There were a few twists and turns and a sub plot that I didn't find as believable as the rest of the story.
I found the handling of a difficult subject was done sensitively. Unless you have been there you don't know how you would react.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for my ARC in return for an honest review.

This is an atmospheric thriller with women’s issues running through its core and highlighting the importance of keeping women safe. Whether that be from social media trolls, domestic abuse or body autonomy. Women live in fear and that fear is made normal in our every day lives. How many men think oh I better only have one drink as if I am raped they won’t make out I deserved it or choose their outfit to go out with the same thing in mind? Making sure that their car is parked in a well lit area or crossing the road when walking alone to avoid a member of the opposite sex just in case. These are just a small number of the things women have to think about on a daily basis. There was even a case recently where a woman’s underwear was used in court and the man was acquitted of raping the seventeen year old.

This book begins in Texas with journalist Cait picking up Rebecca and driving her to Albuquerque, New Mexico overnight. A 322 mile road trip that should take 6 hours. Following the journey we learn their stories and what lead them both there.

Cait’s life having been ruined by a social media witch hunt and Rebecca’s caught up in a political mess means that when the jeep they are in is hit by a truck who is it they are after?

I liked Cait and Rebecca and although their personal stories are very different you really empathise with both of their situations and the bonding of female solidarity and sisterhood is made prevalent as they have to trust each other.

I loved the cat and mouse aspect and it really brought the fear of women travelling alone to life. Lots of tension as the solitary surroundings adds to the dread of what may happen with no one around to help them. Slower paced than most thrillers however with short chapters it still felt like a quick read.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Right from the off I new it was a winner. It sucked me in and I literally couldn’t put it down. It was action packed. Fast paced. Exciting. Everything you look for in a book

In the old days (ahem before 2020 locked us down) I used to enjoy the long drive going somewhere with the scenery, listen to music and think. There would be the odd occasion I’d be doing this at night and that’s a different type of journey – you’re often the only person on the road; the thoughts can get more sombre and when you do suddenly cross someone else on the road you wonder what they’re doing. In Jessica Barry’s taut thriller Don’t Turn Around we go on a night-time road trip into the wilds of Texas exploring two women’s secrets and watching them realise they are definitely being followed.

We meet Cait a secretive driver awaiting her passenger Rebecca to leave her Austin Texas home in the middle of the night. Cait is on edge hoping no one sees them. Rebecca is having second thoughts but then decides she must leave. Neither woman knows the other although they are strangely connected, and both want to hide their secrets from the other. In the middle of the night they have to keep awake; keep the car fuelled and avoid detection. Every pit-stop brings danger and yet they start to be aware at least one other driver is fixated on them and is gaining speed.

One thing I noticed pretty quickly was how this story shoots out of the block at speed. Its gripping - who are these women? Why are they being so secretive? And who are they avoiding? Barry has created a wonderful premise that raises so many questions and such an unusual scenario it hooks you in pretty quickly. As the car weaves through Texas we get flashbacks slowly leading up to the present day. We see Cait a twenty five year old bar tender who would love to be a journalist finds herself in a media storm and we also watch Rebecca a thirty year old Californian teacher who is now getting into the role of a promising politician’s wife. Both stories are compelling and as we cross various moments of their lives, we get greater insight into why they are now where they are.

I’ll be circumspect on the plot in this review as I think Barry really gives us something very meaty to chew over. What I think I can say is this story is very much about the roles that society expect of women. In Rebecca’s case what should a young republican politician’s wife be setting an example for in the world. In Cait’s world an alarming encounter with a famous musician in a nightclub leads to fame and notoriety. These are women we may see briefly on the news and we assign roles to them based on initial impressions; Barry’s skill is reminding us they are human beings – neither perfect nor immoral. A patriarchal society though is fairly unforgiving to both. As the real reason for this trip emerge this novel firmly plants itself in many issues affecting women today – control of their bodies and the right to be believed. I loved how the story makes us remind us these women are not roles but people.

This texture is fascinating, but a thriller also needs the thrills and the mystery of the women plus their growing realisation they are being followed makes for a really tense ride. Barry gives us a series of encounters on the road to unsettle us; make us suspicious and fearful. What I liked is interspersed with the action we meet various men all with issues and a desire to show the world their own importance. Barry both creates very credible threats to Cait and Rebecca but also links them to the overarching theme – we know this type of guy and what they can be capable of. There are also many of them.

Don’t Turn Around is very much a fast car hurtling into the night. Its powerfully taut in terms of building tension then unleashed action scenes yet as we get closer to events, we see more and more of what is really going on. Cait and Rebecca are by the finale very real to you and their fates lead to a tense finale for both women and asks how they can finally interact with one another. On the one hand this delivers a fast paced read you will want to devour but rather than simply the thrill of the chase it also gives the reader something to think about. The women out there who are alone; not listened to and not allowed to live the lives they want. It’s a remarkable balancing act and delivered powerfully – very much a thriller for our times and the battles to come.

Secrets can be deadly! Follow these two strangers on their deadly journey through deserts and see the secrets unfold, every one a shock. If you're looking for a thriller that grips you from the start then here's your book.