They say to never judge a book by its cover but I had such high hopes after seeing this cover, in combination with the title and its blurb. And I'm happy to say that it definitely lived up to what I expected.
I've got a soft spot for US road trip stories and this was a completely unique take on that for me.
The back and forth between the flashbacks (with them getting ever nearer to the present day) and what is happening in the present is great and really builds up both the characters and the suspense.
The two women work well as a team, despite the fact that they are from very different backgrounds. And they both grew stronger towards the end.
Don't Turn Around is tense, atmospheric and a great read that I would recommend to many.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It was slow-moving leaving the reader puzzled by what was happening. A suspense novel and a fascinating journey through America. I didn't take to Cait at all. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK

Extremely pacey and suspenseful, and dealing with current themes such as #MeToo and reproductive freedoms. Not for the fainthearted - a tough, feminist action thriller with living and breathing characters who will get under your skin.

"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."
Who is it that's after the women? Are they after Cait or Rebecca?
This is a bit of a rollercoaster book right from start to finish with no let up . Well worth a read.

I thought this book was very original,not like anything I have read before.I think it would make a great film.The two women were well portrayed and believable and the story was tense.I did find it on the slow side at times ,but I am an impatient reader.Good book, well worth a read.

Thank you NetGalley and ndom House UK Vintage for a copy of Do not Turn Around by Jessica Barry. I have read their previous novel Freefall which I really enjoyed so I was excited to receive a copy of this.
Cait works for the Sisters of Mercy an organisation that helps women in difficult situations. She has been given the task to drive Rebecca 322 miles to New Mexico who currently is in a situation. But as they go a truck is following them not far behind. But Cait has a situation of her own and she thinks is the truck following her is out to get her. As the story develops, we learn more about the two women and what they have both been through.
This is a well-written story is about rape, murder and abortion and the hold that men have over women. It is a quite thought-provoking book. And shows women in a more positive light than men. For me I found though I found this really slow and I thought of giving up in some points but, the ending gave it justice. Three stars from me.

When two women who are strangers embark on a pre arranged 322 mile road trip at midnight you know there has to be compelling reason but you have to read on to find out. By interspersing flashbacks of Cait and Rebecca’s lives, the author gradually unveils the exact reason(s) for the trip and trust me it’s worth waiting for. I think I enjoyed the back stories slightly more than the actual road trip but all together it’s a really engrossing read. I realise I said the same about Jessica Barry’s first book Freefall, but this would make a great movie. In the meantime thought it’s a great read.

Undoubtedly utterly professional piece of writing .. and, yes, people have reasons for what they do .. I guess the tropes of women-in- danger stories begins to get me down (I'm female!) .. but in a way, the scenario of being followed by mysterious threatening driver, as these two conflicted women make their way, is almost derivative, common place, it's a framework for exploring how tough it is to tell your story as a woman and to keep safe. From that point of view i admire theme and skillful presentation .. just a bit distracted by sense perhaps of contrivance. However, recommended even if my heart did not go out ...

I really enjoyed the story and the authors way of writing . Entertaining and twisted , everything I love In a book !!I would like to read more by this author !!

Wow!

Don’t Turn Around is breathtaking. Possibly the best book I’ve read this year!

I have a real weakness for books based in America and this had me going crazy with suspense.

Summer must read

Wow, what a thrilling book. You really don't want to turn around (or skip a page) as you are too scared you will miss something! This was a well written, riveting book and I can't wait to read some more by this author. Recommended.

Thanks to Random House UK, Vintage Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

'Don't Turn Around' is without doubt a gripping read. Fast-paced, gritty, and at times, downright scary, this one will have you on the edge-of-your-seat from the get-go. It is pure adrenaline distilled in novelistic form, but thoughtfully crafted, too. 'Thelma and Louise' updated for the 21st Century? Well, maybe. It certainly has that vibe about it. But in the best traditions of the thriller genre, not everything is as it seems. It is primarily the story of Cait and Rebecca. Cait spends much of her time helping to extricate abused women from the domestic terrorism of spousal abuse. Yet, Cait is running from something, too. Indeed, there is certain opaqueness at the heart of both women's lives. But what? Both women have secrets that may well impact upon they relationship with one another. Are they allies or frenemies? Then there is the car that seems to be following Cait and Rebecca across America. Coincidence or something more insidious? Let's just say that the concentric circles that ripple forth from the two women's lives are about to intersect to devastating effect. This is an exciting romp, without doubt, but it is certainly not one-dimensional. Richly contextualised within the current issues of the day, 'Don't Turn Around' reverberates with some astutely observed social realism by Jessica Barry. Impeccably plotted and thrilling - 'Thelma and Louise' for the 21st Century.

It’s been a while since I read a book set in the present-day US; the last one might even have been Jessica Barry’s last book Freefall. Like that, Don’t Turn Around wastes no time in introducing the characters and getting on with events.
I like the way the story is told: the action in the present is intercut with flashbacks (clearly indicated and dated, thankfully) which dole out just enough of each person’s story to keep you intrigued and wondering which way the story will turn for them. While perhaps on the surface the two main characters are clichés – thirtysomething Rebecca appears to have it all but something isn’t right in Paradise; mid-twenties Cait is working a bar job while hoping to make it as a writer – they are fleshed out fully enough and well enough that I liked them both (not essential to enjoy a book, but it can help) and wanted to know all about what had happened to them and how the story was going to pan out for them now.
The story and events feel very appropriate for today (pretend I said that before coronavirus struck), covering Me Too, abortion, disaffected white men and running for political office. On top of that, this is a chase story which really ratchets up the tension as the two women race against the clock along deserted highways. Think Duel levels of tension. I had to keep reading to avoid feeling I was abandoning them to their pursuer. I’m not one to try and guess the end of a story but, even so, this one surprised me a little – the outcome wasn’t obvious.
I’d recommend Don’t Turn Around if you want an engrossing read to take your mind away from your four walls and out into the big sky of America.

A tense, well-written and fast-paced psychological thriller following two strangers - Cait and Rebecca - on a road trip from Texas to New Mexico, along the way we discover what has led them to meeting and travelling together.

Both Cait and Rebecca are compelling characters who have been judged harshly for their actions without being given an opportunity to defend themselves. As a result, both are secretive and their relationship is initially fraught. As their journey progresses, they are followed by a mysterious truck whose occupant is out for blood and they need to trust and rely upon each other to survive.

Fantastic. Perfect for fans of Harlan Coben and Lisa Gardner.

My thanks to Random House UK, Vintage Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Random House UK, Vintage Publishing, for the ARC.
This is a well-written, fast-paced scary thriller. The atmosphere is tense and unrelenting as two women travel across State lines in America from Texas to Albuquerque, each harbouring their own secrets, each with a reason to believe that someone is out to stop them reaching their destination.

Cai is a part-time barmaid and freelance journalist and a driver for a women's organisation, whose purpose is to take women to places of safety. She picks up Rebecca at midnight to drive through the night to their destination. Cait doesn't need to ask questions, she's just the driver. As their trip continues they find themselves threatened by another vehicle on the long, dark road; the driver of which seems intent on killing them. Who is he after, and why?

Tense and atmospheric this keeps you on the edge of your seat!

Good. An excellent atmospheric book that will keep you on the edge of your seat, as it builds to mounting crescendo which will leave speechless. This book also makes you question what you would do in the situation faced by one of the main characters and will have you asking other people about what they would do.

Tense from the very outset, Cait drives for an organisation helping women who need to escape a situation at home or get somewhere that will change their futures and Rebecca needs a lift for that very reason. However it is not a straightforward journey with someone on their tail, ramming them and trying to drive them off the road.
Both women are harbouring secrets from each other and both think that they are the target.
As the tale untwists the complexity increases and it is hard to know who to believe and who is really at risk.
Fast, messy and twisted- leaves you breathless!

A brilliant and tense novel from Jessica Barry and my first. Cait and Rebecca are on a road trip in America, but it is a road trip with a difference. Cait works for an organisation that helps women get away from their current situation and Rebecca is the woman on this occasion. But there is someone on their tail. A truck is trailing them and along the lonely highway constantly tries to drive them off the road. Cait the driver has to keep her wits and get her passenger to her destination.
But who is it on their tail?? And who wants them dead?? The story is told in flashbacks for both Cait and Rebecca and is very tense indeed. The women are together for over 8 hours and after a chilly start, they began to talk and secrets come out. An unusual genre and one I thoroughly enjoyed.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this arc. I loved Jessica Barry's debut novel, Freefall, so was excited to read this and it did not disappoint. Just like Freefall this a pacy, action-driven thriller revolving around two compelling female protagonists.
We follow Cait, who is a driver. Her job is drive women safely to their destination without asking any questions. She is waiting outside a lush suburban house for Rebecca. Rebecca gets in the car and they drive off to their destination. However both women are hiding secrets...And who is following them?...
There was so many twists and reveals I did not see coming, so the less you know the better. Barry writes such complex, messy female characters that have you hooked. I really enjoyed the way flashbacks to the past was woven throughout the book. The chapters are short and quick, there is such momentum in Barry's prose. Barry also taps into topical issues, such as the Metoo movement, and the current thorny political atmosphere of America. Don't Turn Around is high in adrenaline, pacy, topical with compelling female protagonists. 5/5

This was a wonderful novel with characters that draw you right in and don’t let go. The storyline flowed seamlessly and kept me glued to the pages.