Synopsis
THE MESSAGE HAS DISAPPEARED.
SO HAS YOUR BEST FRIEND . . .
‘Full of secrets, lies and betrayal – it will keep you guessing right to the end’ T.M. Logan
'A triumph of clever plotting and sharp writing. A compelling thriller, masterfully executed' Rachel Abbott
---
Saffy is waiting to go into a job interview when she receives a text message from her best friend, Leona:
Can’t speak . . . don’t text or call . . . please just come
As Saffy struggles to understand what is happening the phone screen changes:
This message was deleted.
Saffy races to Leona’s house, but when her friend answers the door, she insists everything's fine. She doesn't know anything about the message. Saffy can tell something’s not right, but after looking around the house, she can’t think of anything else she can do.
Six hours later, Saffy gets a knock on the door. It's the police. Leona is missing, with her young child. There's blood everywhere.
And Saffy was the last one to see them alive . . .
---
WHAT EVERYONE IS SAYING ABOUT MESSAGE DELETED
‘Kim's grittiest book in my opinion and I highly recommend it . . . a terrific read’ ***** Reader Review
‘Just wow! Soooo many twists I loved it’ ***** Reader Review
‘A tense and thrilling story that keeps you guessing, full of shocking twists and turns. Absolutely loved it and
thought the ending was brilliant!’ ***** Reader Review
‘With enough twists and turns to leave you giddy, this psychological thriller will keep you guessing until the very end’ ***** Reader Review
‘You will struggle to tear yourself away from this book even for a few minutes. Full of twists definitely shocking and surprising. Fantastic read’ ***** Reader Review
PRAISE FOR K. L. SLATER
‘Brilliant, very clever . . . I absolutely recommend it’ B. A. Paris
‘Just when you think you know exactly who did what, there is a twist to beat all twists’ The Times
‘One of the best thrillers I have ever read’ Angela Marsons
‘A gripping thriller that will make you question everything you thought you knew about marriage’ New magazine
Message Deleted, Audio bestseller, Amazon, July 2024
Sunday Times Bestseller, December 2024.
Publisher information
- Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
- ISBN: 9780241678442
- Number of pages: 416
- Dimensions: 242 x 162 x 35 mm
- Weight: 636g
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
View all
Plenty of twists and turns!
A great psychological thriller.
Saffy is an anxious young woman and once we learn her back story you can realise why .
She receives a strange message f... READ MORE
Intriguing thriller
I have read a few of K.L. Slater's books and have not been disappointed yet and I wasn't with this one.
The story centres around the main character, Saf... READ MORE
So engaging
I was so intrigued when I saw the blurb of this on NetGalley so I was buzzing that it was available to download. I'm not exaggerating to say I was reading ... READ MORE
An ok read
Saffy is waiting to go into a job interview when she receives a series of text messages from her long-time best friend Leona Bannatyne. The texts are soon ... READ MORE
Good Thriller
This book had a great start with Saffy receiving a set of mysterious messages from her friend Leona (who she met recently after awhile of being distant) bu... READ MORE
A compelling thriller
I've recently gotten really into thriller books and when I got an email from netgalley advertising this book I found the concept really intriguing. We foll... READ MORE
A gripping thriller
I found this book to be quite fast paced. It had me hooked from the beginning. I really needed to find out what had happened. Lots of twist and turns kept ... READ MORE
A complex psychological thriller
A complex psychological thriller in which I could feel the panic of the main character. Imagine receiving texts asking for help but you weren’t in a positi... READ MORE
A pacy page-turner
"Message Deleted" by KL Slater is just what I want in a thriller: pacy, page-turner with lots of twists and turns. The book had me gripped from the beginn... READ MORE
The Past Catches Up With The Present
The past has returned with a vengeance. The author demonstrates well how life can turn on a sixpence. Saffy’s life abruptly implodes. Despite having the be... READ MORE
Great thriller
Saffy is sat waiting for her job interview when she receives three messages from her best friend Leona: Can’t speak…..don’t text or call…..please just come... READ MORE
Not for me
Oh dear, I’m in the minority again. First, how can navy suede stilettos turn into suede pumps in just 6% of the book? It was at 20% when everything just ... READ MORE
Great read
Another great novel by K L Slater, suspense, drama, murder, disappearances - all in all a gripping read and its great for holiday season. Plenty of substo... READ MORE
Another fabulous book by KL Slater
I’m a fan of KL Slater and have read a good amount of her work so I was anticipating another great read; she definitely didn’t let me down!
The book is... READ MORE
Mystery
Saffy and Leona have been friends since school - but since Leona married Ash they have drifted apart a little
However when Saffy receives 3 mysterious te... READ MORE
All the players here are hiding something.
This book is a slow burner that builds to a gripping, tense finale, and the author then treats us to a few more chapters that nicely tie up all the loose e... READ MORE
Slick, quick and scary.
All the elements for a good psychological thriller are there – tests of friendship, a long-smothered secret and lie, revenge, clever twists and plenty of a... READ MORE
loved it
An author from my local area who discusses places you visit is a joy.
I have only listened to KL Slater on audible prior to this.
The story of Saffy and ... READ MORE
Very enjoyable!
A very enjoyable read, a well crafted story which kept me intrigued and guessing to the end. Likeable and interesting, though somewhat flawed, characters.
... READ MORE
Good but could have been pacier
I felt in the mood for a thriller and thought Message Deleted had a great premise. Saffy receives three messages in quick succession from her best friend, ... READ MORE
Page turner
This brilliant psychological thriller had me on the edge of my seat from the first page until the last. Dealing with long held secrets and revenge it had m... READ MORE
A thriller with lots of twists and turns.
I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley.
This book was excellent, with lots of twists and misdirection to keep you guessing.
You follow Saf... READ MORE
Clever and gripping
Saffy is on the road to recovery from mental health issues that stemmed from recent events. Her ex-husband, Neil, has custody of their little boy, Fox, but... READ MORE
A brilliant psychological mystery thriller
This is my first book I’ve read by @klslaterauthor and I wasn’t disappointed. I absolutely loved #MessageDeleted
It’s full of suspense, tension and myster... READ MORE
A tense, twist mystery
Saffy has had a difficult few years. Her younger sister was attacked, she had a mental breakdown, her marriage collapsed and her husband had sole custody o... READ MORE
A well written summer read!
I really enjoyed this story. It got me thinking and I was always keen to carry on and read the next chapter. I did find some of Saffys actions questionable... READ MORE
A good read
Saffy is just getting her life back together & is hoping to get a better job so she can see more of her son. She is waiting to go for an interview when she... READ MORE
Fast paced, gripping story
When Saffie receives an urgent message from her friend Leona, which is then deleted, suspecting she needs help Saffie rushes to her friend’s home to see wh... READ MORE
Sorry to slow for me
I have read several books from K L Slater, she is one of my go to authors, so I was looking forward to reading Message deleted.
Saffy and Leona has been b... READ MORE
Slow burn thriller
While waiting to go into a job interview, Saffy receives a text message from her best friend, urgently asking her to come quickly. The message is mysteriou... READ MORE
Edge of your seat!
A suspenseful thriller about disjointed relationships and revenge. Told across multiple POVs and timelines which adds to the intrigue. Keeps you guessing h... READ MORE
3.5, just too unbelievable
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book with no obligation to review.
A lot goes on in this book, secret after secret, li... READ MORE
An intriguing modern day thriller
This modern-day thriller was full of mystery, twists, and turns - I enjoyed the multiple POVs and flashbacks and felt that they really added to the suspens... READ MORE
Thrilling
Perfectly thrilling. Loads of twists and turns.
A proper psychological thriller.
Nail biting and plenty of intrigue and drama.
Highly recommend... READ MORE
Slow Burner
When during a job interview, Saffy receives three text messages urging her to immediately come to the rescue of her best friend Leona, she complies. Upon S... READ MORE
Decent enough read, if a little formulaic
I've not read many books by this author but was intrigued by the blurb. It was a good page turner, with some decent characters and plot development. Howeve... READ MORE
Must read
We have all been there at some point our best friend needs us and we drop everything but what if when you get there they deny ever reaching out to you wha... READ MORE
Message Deleted by K L Slater
Message Deleted by K L Slater was an extraordinary psychological thriller, at times the storyline was giving me goosebumps.
I believe it could be one of h... READ MORE
An easy read
Message Deleted by K. L. Slater is a thriller with a compelling premise. While the plot is well-constructed and free of major holes, the predictability of ... READ MORE
Tense thriller!
While attending an interview, Saffy receives a message from her best friend Leona but when she reads it a second time the message has been deleted. She le... READ MORE
Dark and gritty thriller
A gritty dark psychological thriller set in Nottingham which slowly but surely builds up to a shocking climax. The book features Saffy who is divorced and... READ MORE
Message Deleted
I have read a lot of this author's books and although this is a good read, I don't think it's one of her strongest. That said, it did hold my attention thr... READ MORE
Message Deleted
Saffy is at a job interview for a job she really wants/needs in order to get her life back on track and earn enough money to have her young son over to sta... READ MORE
A good read.
This is a very good psychological thriller which started slowly but the tension soon built up and continued to the end. I really liked the main character, ... READ MORE
Slow burn thriller
This was a decent slow burn thriller featuring Saffy who is concerned about her best friend Leona after receiving some concerning text messages that then g... READ MORE
Twisty
With many thanks to Netgalley for this free arc and I am leaving this unbiased review voluntarily
Overloaded with tension and suspense this is a riveting... READ MORE
Another blockbuster
K L Slater at her best yet again. Thrilling, superb writing.
This book has it all twists and turns, red herrings galore. A great read that really grip... READ MORE
enjoyable thriller
An enjoyable and well written twisty thriller. I felt by the end there were maybe a few too many coincidences and tenuous links, but it kept me reading unt... READ MORE
Friend suspected of causing friend's disappearance
Saffy is a data manager, late thirties, divorced. Polly (21) is her sister, currently a university student. Their parents are dead and Saffy promised her... READ MORE
A fab, easy to read thriller
Saffy and Leona have been best friends since school and they have shared so much in the years since. So when Saffy receives a WhatsApp message from her fri... READ MORE
Not as good as earlier ones
I used to enjoy KL Slater no end. Their very mundanity made the ensuing chaos more surprising but this was weird from the start and unnecessarily gory. A... READ MORE
Brilliant plot & characterisation
Superbly designed plot, told from the point of view of the main characters in lovely bite size chapters which constantly tempted me into ‘just one more’. ... READ MORE
A well constructed page turner
Why do you do when you’re just about to go into a job interview and you get frantic messages from your best friend, only to have them immediately deleted? ... READ MORE
Well plotted
An interesting story with many twists and turns which held my interest throughout. Saffy is being investigated by the police in regard to the disappearance... READ MORE
Four stars!
Thank you so much to Penguin Books and NetGalley for a review copy of Message Deleted by K.L. Slater. The premise of the book was so interesting and I am a... READ MORE
Great thriller!
When Saffy receives three messages from her friend, Leona, that quickly disappear - Can’t speak. Don’t text or call. Please just come - she goes to Leona’s... READ MORE
Totally Gripping
Amazing! I have somehow never read anything by KL Slater before but will now be adding more of their work to my TBR shelves.
A great , twisty story wit... READ MORE
Not KL Slaters usual magic
I'm a big fan of K L Slater so was very excited to read this arc #MessageDeleted. Sadly this one didn't live up to my expectations. I really enjoy books ... READ MORE
Pages fly by
Message Deleted draws you in slowly but surely to the story.
Saffy is desperately trying to get her life back on track , she is quirky but loyal, believ... READ MORE
Never Got Going.
I wanted to like this book but it was a meandering story which never gets going, I persevered but wished I had DNF'd it. I finally got to the end and in m... READ MORE
Good
This is a thriller about a woman called Saffy whose friend Leona texts her to tell her to come to her immediately. Saffy goes to her house but when she ge... READ MORE
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