VBT# Don't Look Back - J.J Burgess

VBT# Don't Look Back - J.J Burgess - March 2026

There’s something about a psychological thriller that creeps under your skin and lingers long after you’ve turned the final page and Don’t Look Back by J.J. Burgess does exactly that.

From the very first chapter, I felt my heart racing alongside Lucy. As a new mother, already running on empty and pure instinct, her panic is palpable. When she accidentally hits her elderly neighbour while rushing her sick baby to hospital, that split-second decision to flee feels terrifyingly real. It’s one of those moments where you think, what would I do? And that’s what makes this story so gripping is that it feels so achingly possible.

Lucy’s situation quickly spirals, and what begins as a desperate attempt to protect her child turns into something far darker. Her boyfriend Ian initially steps in as her saviour, helping her cover up the accident. But oh, how quickly that dynamic shifts. JJ Burgess does an incredible job of showing how control can creep in quietly, almost unnoticed at first. Small requests become expectations, and before Lucy and the reader fully realises it, she’s trapped in a web of manipulation and fear.

Reading this, I felt a constant sense of unease like being wrapped in a blanket that’s just a little too tight. Lucy’s world becomes suffocating, and as a reader, you feel every ounce of her desperation. The emotional weight of her situation, especially as a mother terrified of losing her child, is deeply affecting and, at times, heartbreaking.

At the same time, we have Mary, the neighbour’s wife, slowly edging closer to the truth. I loved how this added another layer of tension to the story. You know it’s only a matter of time before everything collides, and that anticipation kept me turning the pages late into the night.

I do want to mention that this book contains graphic scenes of domestic abuse, and it doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities of coercive control. It’s confronting, raw, and at times difficult to read but it’s also what makes the story so powerful and impactful.

Overall, Don’t Look Back is a dark, gripping, and emotionally charged thriller that explores the consequences of one moment’s decision and the terrifying cost of being under someone else’s control. If you love intense, edge-of-your-seat reads with a strong emotional core, this one is definitely worth picking up.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lIuKnL