Never Leave

Summary: Some secrets are buried in the archives for a reason... and once they find you, they will never let you go.

 Title: Never Leave
Author: Zahara Breckin
Page Count: 353 

MY RATINGS:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 Psychological Thriller, Domestic Thriller / Domestic Suspense, Murder Mystery 

One missing folder. Two murders in the archives. Now I’m the police’s prime suspect—and my family’s past won’t let me go.

I like my job at the Graydon Archives for one simple reason: everything has its place.
Every document filed.
Every record sealed.
Every story finished.

Until Professor Eveline Vallon walks in with an offer I can’t refuse. Forty thousand dollars to find one missing folder.
I know it’s wrong. But I need that money.

The next morning, Vallon is found murdered in the rare books room.
No witnesses. No clear motive. Just a body in a pool of blood… and a handwritten note left behind, one that reads like it was meant for me.

The police have questions. I have answers I can’t give. Because the deeper they dig, the more it seems like someone is using my own mistakes to build a cage around me.
Someone who knows how I think.
Someone who knows where to apply pressure.
Someone who feels… familiar.

Too familiar.

When the second murder happens, the trap finally snaps shut. And somewhere inside the archives is a missing folder that could prove my innocence—if I can find it first.
Because I'm not just a suspect anymore.

I’m the target.
And in a building full of buried histories, the truth is the only thing that won't let me go.

Never Leave gave me chills after I found out the crazy twist at the end. I can't explain it. I felt sorry for some characters here while feeling completely confused and suspicious of others.

💔 It turns out this story betrayed me in the best possible way. I am still picking up the pieces of my mind! I mean...I was totally unprepared for HOW HARD that ending would hit. It broke my heart into pieces. But watching every scattered piece fall right into place was the most satisfying payoff I could have ever asked for.

So...if you are looking for a true, deeply unsettling psychological thriller, this is the one to read.

✅ This is not for readers who want a fast-paced sprint. The slow-burn atmosphere here will give you an understanding of why that psychological unraveling has to happen.

✅ It brilliantly alternates between different POVs. This will urge you to "READ MORE" to see how these two different perspectives in different timelines connect to the mind-blowing plot twist of the whole story. Brilliant author, especially for a debut novel!

✅ The title Never Leave is absolute perfection! Once you uncover the dark history of the archives and the psychological trap closing in, you realize the title takes on a chilling double meaning that stays with you long after the final page.

😳 Just like the characters from the book, you will also CHASE AND CRAVE knowing what was inside of the missing folder. This is one of the most exciting parts of the book. It feels like I am right there in the rare books room, trapped in the shadows with them. Do yourself a favor and pick this up!

NOTE: This is my personal opinion about the book. My goal is to share my experience, not to change anyone's perspective. Thank you to Zahara Breckin for giving me the opportunity to read this early.