Where He Left Me is a psychological domestic thriller with atmospheric slow-burn suspense, a missing person mystery, and delicious family secrets. It’s also very much a character-driven story that focuses on the protagonist’s emotional and psychological tension rather than any fast-paced action, so you’ll have to be patient to see its full value—but it’s worth the wait!

The story follows Sadie Sheridan, newly married to Felix, a planetary-sciences professor. The two relocate to Hemlock House, Felix’s remote childhood home deep in Washington State’s North Cascades, where she works on her novel and he on his research. But when Felix disappears after leaving on a work trip, Sadie is left stranded with no answers. As strangers are spotted lurking around the property and a severe storm descends, the house becomes both sanctuary and prison.

Sadie is the heart of the story, as most of the narrative delves into her psychological tension, paranoia, and need for answers. Her journey is more than just survival—she’s forced to confront truths about herself and about the man she thought she loved. The author does a brilliant job making readers feel Sadie’s loneliness, panic, and mounting dread as she’s forced into isolation and potential danger tightens around her. Her husband, Felix, disappears early in the story but remains a looming presence full of unanswered questions—not only of his whereabouts but also of the truth of his past. As Sadie digs deep into searching for answers, everything she believed about him is tested—and the story becomes more multilayered! The few secondary characters, namely the strangers in the woods, make the book increasingly unpredictable and add a lot of tension and compelling emotional stakes!

The pacing is slow-burn to emotionally tense—so don’t expect edge-of-your-seat thrills or fast-paced action (there’s a bit towards the end). Once the storm closes in, the sense of claustrophobia heightens ten-fold—and Sadie’s paranoia and the strangers lurking outside all add to the mounting dread. The midsection is where the buried secrets begin to surface and Sadie begins questioning everything. The story culminates in an emotionally charged climax with a few surprises and hard truths. The final chapter gives a satisfying resolution, and the character arcs are pronounced, especially Sadie’s!

Overall, Where He Left Me is a standout domestic thriller with its literary themes, rich character development/transformations, and intricate missing person mystery. It’s a perfect read for fans of Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley or anyone who enjoys character-driven mysteries, stories about family secrets, or emotionally haunting narratives that linger long after the last page!