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? This dilemma begins KL Slater’s latest book and the plot becomes more and more convoluted as the story progresses. All the characters are well drawn and real but the plot stretches credibility at times, particularly in the way the main character is treated by police. Nonetheless, the book is engaging and well paced and draws the reader towards the end, wanting to know the outcome. Many thanks to author, publisher and to NetGalley for my review copy.

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 receives a message from her best friend Leona asking her to come immediately- don't answer, just come. As Leona had stood by her when she had the breakdown that stopped her having custody of her son, she dropped everything. When she got there, all seemed fine. Even Leona's unpleasant husband is in good form. However a few hours later the police are at her door. Leona, husband & daughter Rosie have disappeared. There is blood in the house & Saffy was the last to see them. When she goes to show them the message has disappeared! This was a premise that sounded good & I am a great fan of K. L. Slater, however I didn't think this was as good as many of her previous books. I found it odd that the police were so fixated on Saffy even if she had allegedly been the last to see them. However I did enjoy it. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

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 position to do so straight away & then the texts disappear. Saffy is divorced & not the primary carer for her son. Her ex, Neil, & his new wife, Mira, are concerned about her & Leona, her best friend, is married to the vile Ash & they have a daughter, Rosie. Saffy receives the said texts from Leona whilst in an interview. The messages disappear so she races to Leona’s, only to find she never sent them. When Leona, Ash & Rosie go missing, Saffy is suspect No. 1 but as the story unfolds it is really difficult to know who to trust. Great characters with some really tense & twisty moments but I think I was spoilt by the opening of the book; that anxiety wasn’t maintained - probably just as well! An enjoyable read.

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 get deleted. After Leona and her family go missing and Saffy was the last person to see her she comes under suspicion by the police investigating the disappearance. There’s a lot of back history to the characters in this which does add further mystery to the story but I did struggle to engage with the characters which made it a more challenging read for me, I had some suspicion regarding the perpetrator fairly early on which possibly also altered my feelings about this book as there were no major revelations for me. The concept of this is great and if I hadn’t sussed parts out sooner the conclusion would have been more satisfactory but that’s more a reflection on me than the story. 7/10

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 mysteriously deleted almost immediately, which is very out of character for her friend. Concerned, Saffy rushes to her friend's place only to find her acting suspiciously. Soon after, her friend goes missing. This book is a definitely slow burner, meticulously setting the scene before gradually building up the tension. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that everyone has something to hide, keeping us guessing the whole way through. It's a compelling suspense read with plenty of twists and turns. Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in return for an honest review.