I Came Back For You

I love tense thrillers, so when I read this book's blurb, the latest book by new-to-me author Kate White, I quickly requested a copy. 

Unfortunately, this was a miss for me and wasn't the thriller I was expecting. Instead, it's a VERY slow burn mystery that lacked tension and felt oddly paced with not much happening until three-quarters into the story. I spent much of the book waiting for something to grab me, but so much of the book is Bree's inner dialogue and repetitive, filler-type scenes. For example, the first quarter of the book describes Bree's new life in Uruguay, complete with a few scenes (scary noises and a suspiciously sick dog) and I'm still unsure why they were included. 

I was thrilled to see a middle-aged woman as the main character and as a 53-year-old mom myself, I had expected to connect with Bree and sympathize with her experiences. But throughout the book I felt distinctly disconnected from Bree who felt wooden in her emotions, immature and dull and annoying at the same time. 

I didn't guess the culprit (so that's a win), but the reveal felt like a manufactured, last minute Hail Mary. When you add in its impact (or lack thereof) on Bree's life going forward, I was left feeling disappointed and frustrated in the time I spent reading this book. 

Disclaimer: Sincere thanks to the publisher for the complimentary digital advanced copy that was given to me in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. 

My Rating: 2 stars

Author: Kate White

Genre: Suspense

Type and Source: ebook from publisher via NetGalley

Publisher: Thomas and Mercer

First Published: March 1, 2026

Read: Feb 26-28, 2026

Book Description from GoodReads: A mother begins to challenge everything she’s been told about her daughter’s murder in a shocking novel of suspense by a New York Times bestselling author.

Ten years after her daughter, Melanie, was murdered, Bree Winter is finally moving on with a new love, a new home, and a new beginning. Then a deathbed confession from the convicted killer throws Bree’s life into a tailspin all over again. He readily confesses to murdering four girls. But not Melanie.

At first, Bree and her ex-husband don’t buy a word of it. Until inconsistencies about the crime emerge. So does the dreadful feeling that the monster who shattered Bree’s family isn’t lying. The only way she can get to the truth is to power through the trauma and return to the town in upstate New York where Melanie’s life came to a brutal end.

Bree will do anything to find justice for her daughter and finish this nightmare forever. Instead, it’s just beginning. Not only could the real killer still be in their midst, but as Bree begins to dig through Melanie’s past, what she discovers calls into question everything she has believed—about the crime and about Melanie herself.