Book Review: Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham 🌿🔎

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Stacy Willingham has quickly become one of my go-to authors for moody, atmospheric thrillers that blur the line between family drama and psychological suspense. With Forget Me Not, she delivers another tense, layered mystery that keeps you guessing right up until the final reveal.

The story follows Claire Campbell, an investigative journalist who has spent years running from the grief and trauma of her sister Natalie’s disappearance. But when a phone call pulls her back to her South Carolina hometown, she ends up taking a summer job at a picturesque vineyard that hides far more than grapevines. An old diary, buried secrets, and the chilling possibility that her sister’s case was never as neatly closed as everyone believed set the stage for a gripping unraveling of truth.

What I loved most about this book was the setting. Willingham has a knack for evoking place in a way that feels alive—the humid South Carolina summer, the dusty vineyard rows, the eerie quiet of an old family home. The Galloway Farm becomes more than just a backdrop; it’s almost a character itself, equal parts comforting and unsettling.

Claire is a strong, if imperfect, protagonist. Her journalistic instincts and emotional scars make her both determined and vulnerable, which draws you into her headspace as she digs deeper into the diary’s chilling confessions. The slow-burn pacing mirrors her obsession—at first leisurely, then tightening like a noose.

That said, I’m giving this one 4 stars instead of 5 because the middle section dragged just slightly for me. While the diary entries were deliciously creepy, some passages felt repetitive as Claire retraced similar ground. The payoff, though, is worth it: a well-executed finale that ties together family, memory, and the dangerous ways the past refuses to stay buried.

If you enjoyed A Flicker in the Dark, you’ll appreciate how Willingham once again balances Southern Gothic atmosphere with a sharp, twisty mystery. Forget Me Not isn’t just about solving a disappearance—it’s about confronting the stories we tell ourselves in order to survive, and what happens when those stories crack wide open.

Verdict: A compelling, atmospheric thriller that blends family drama, haunting secrets, and small-town unease. Perfect for fans of Riley Sager, Megan Miranda, or anyone who likes their mysteries with a heavy dose of Southern heat.