REVIEW: The Liar I Married by D.K. Hood

The Liar I Married by D.K. Hood

Genre: Psychological thriller, Domestic thriller

Read: 26th August 2025

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Amazon

Published: 22nd August 2025

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

I trusted him with my life. I shouldn’t have…

Opening my eyes, I see a nurse standing over my bed. She wipes away my tears as she tells me I was in a car crash and it was my fault. Confused, I only remember snapshots of my life, but I’m not convinced the crash was an accident.

My marriage had been perfect, until my husband, John, met Rebecca. He said they were just friends and that I was imagining things when I saw them cosied up like they were on a date. Now, as I lie in my recovery bed, fragments of that night come back to me—John late home from work, an empty wine glass, Rebecca climbing out of John’s car, a blazing row on the doorstep…

I beg John to tell me what happened, but he insists I don’t try to recall any details, that it’ll harm my recovery. He reminds me that I’m lucky to even be alive.

But when someone leaves a note, my blood runs cold: Don’t trust anyone. Were my instincts right? Did someone try to kill me? As I look into my husband’s lying eyes, all I can think is, will I make it out of this marriage alive…?

This absolutely nail-biting and addictive psychological thriller is perfect for readers of The Housemaid, The Girl on the Train and The Perfect Marriage. Prepare to be hooked!

MY THOUGHTS:

I trusted him with my life...I shouldn't have...

This is my first foray into D.K. Hood, having never read her series. But as this is a standalone thriller I decided to check it out. It's an unsettling thriller with twists and a sense of claustrophobic mistrust throughout. Like the protangonist, you won't know who to trust.

Jessie wakes from a twelve month coma in a room she recognises but can't place and a nurse caring for her that she's never met. She's hooked up to all sorts of machines beeping and bleeping that it disorients her and she's suddenly afraid of what this all means. Her nurse Dolly tells her she was a car accident and thus a coma for the past twelve months. She has no recollection of what happened or leading up to the accident. She gets flashes of flashbacks...but nothing much to piece together.

Jessie remembers her husband John, who works long hours as a stockbroker in the hope of making partner, and that they have twin girls Emily and Olivia. Over the years, John has had a roving eye and Jessie found it difficult to trust him where beautiful women were concerned. When John takes on a new lawyer, the stunningly beautiful Rebecca Lawson, Jessie's mind whirls with possibilities and mistrust. The way he looked at her and the socials filled with photos of the pair of them at work functions and seemingly enjoying themselves a little too much. It doesn't help when her brother Michael tells her he's seen John lunching a little too intimately with Rebecca. He's strayed before - what's to stop him doing it again?

When John visits her, she tries to ask him about what happened and the girls but he is vague, citing that the doctors have advised against sharing anything she doesn't remember and to let her remember in her own time. But she longs to see her girls. Even just a photo of them.

Then Jessie receives a note passed to her from a trusted housekeeper saying simply "Don't trust anyone." Who could have written it? What does it mean? Are they lying to her? Was the accident really her fault? What is it no one is telling her? And why has none of her family been to visit her? Why does she not have a phone or computer or even a television? What doe the flashbacks mean? And why is she so tired all the time? If she could just get to the office, she knows she will discover the truth and be able to call her lawyer.

I loved Alex. I think he was my favourite character of all. The rest were either OK or unlikeable - but I won't say who as it will spoil the story.

This book raises so many questions as you race through it and it messes with your head. It is an uncomfortable read in parts as you try to decipher what's real and what isn't. There are so many secrets and so much deceit as you try to unpick the tangled web in Jessie's mind. You really won't be able to see the wolf for the sheep in this one.

It was a quick read that was gripping from start to finish. I can't say it was entertaining because I found it very unsettling and uncomfortable. But it is a good read but I was glad to finish because of how unsettling I found it. The line between what's real and what wasn't was well and truly blurred that made for uncomfortable reading at times but also makes it a good read!

Similar to "Before I Go To Sleep" by S.J. Watson, this is a thriller you won't forget in a hurry.

I would like to thank #DKHood, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheLiarIMarried in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

D.K Hood is THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, USA TODAY, and AMAZON Bestselling Author of the Detective Kane and Alton Series, with over one million copies sold.

Her spine chilling, fast paced serial killer thrillers revolve around Sheriff Jenna Alton and her ex- special forces Deputy, Dave Kane. As the main characters fight crime, their secret pasts are never far away. Set in and around the fictional backwoods town of Black Rock Falls, Montana, known locally as Serial Killer Central, D.K 's imagery takes the reader into the scenes with her. Given the title "Queen of Suspense" by her reviewers, D.K 's writing style offers her readers a movie style, sizzling fast thrill ride.

Social Media links:

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REVIEW: She Didn't See It Coming by Shari Lapena

She Didn't See It Coming by Shari Lapena

Genre: Psychological thriller, Domestic thriller

Read: 23rd August 2025

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Amazon

Published: 17th July 2025

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

She didn’t see it coming . . . And neither will you.

Bryden and Sam have it all - thriving careers, a smart apartment in a luxury condo, supportive friends and a cherished daughter. The perfect life for the perfect couple.

Then Sam receives a call at his office. Bryden – working from home that day - has failed to collect their daughter from daycare.

Arriving home with their little girl, he finds his wife’s car in the underground garage. Upstairs in their apartment her laptop is open on the table, her phone nearby, her keys in their usual place in the hall.

Except Bryden is nowhere to be seen. It’s as if she just walked out.

How can she have disappeared from her own home? And did she even leave the building at all?

With every minute that passes – and as questions swirl around their community – Bryden and Sam’s past seems a little less perfect, their luxury condo less safe, their friends, neighbours and relatives no longer quite so reliable . . .

MY THOUGHTS:

She didn't see it coming...but will you...?

Bryden and Sam have the perfect life. Happily married with a gorgeous three year old daughter Clara and a stunning condo in an exclusive complex. Both are successful in their well-paid jobs, have supportive friends and family, they are saving for a house and trying for a baby sibling for Clara. The perfect life for the perfect couple.

But neither of them saw what was coming...least of all Bryden.

One afternoon, Sam receives a call at the office alerting him to the fact that Bryden has failed to collect Clara from daycare. Bryden was working at home that day and left explicit instructions that no one call as she had plenty to do and needed the peace to do it in. She often thought she got more work done at home than in the office and fortunately her employers were fine with that. Sam tries and fails to reach Bryden, racing to pick up Clara himself. He arrives home with their little girl, calling out for Bryden. Her car was still in the garage downstairs, her laptop is open and in sleep mode, her mobile phone is on the table and her keys are in their usual place. All signs point to Bryden having just stepped out, soon to return.

But Bryden doesn't return. She has seemingly vanished without a trace.

Police are called and as the minutes stretch into hours then days, questions swirl within the community, their friends, family and even online. Suddenly holes are being picked in their carefully curated lives that is seemingly not so perfect after all. And nobody - not their friends, not their neighbours and not their family - appears quite so reliable.

No one is safe from the police's persistent probing as they peck at everyone's life and their alibis in their efforts to unravel the mystery of the missing woman and the truth behind what really happened to her.

There are a lot of characters to contend with but that's to keep us guessing which of them are responsible. Too few leave few surprises as it could only be one of however few there may be. Too many and we get bogged down and can't keep track of who's who. But this had the right amount, I think, to keep us on our toes.

The family: Bryden, Sam, Clara, Lizzie (the sister), Donna and Jim (the parents)

The friends: Paige, Angela (also a neighbour)

The neighbours: Angela, Tracey and Hank

The community: Derek, Alice, Kayly, Michael

The police: Jayne and Det Kilgour (and a few others in the beginning) but these two were the investigating officers

Police procedurals have a danger of being too bogged down in procedure that can have a snore-effect if it's too droning or too confusing with too many aspects. But this had the right balance of procedural and everything else that was going on to keep the pace moving quickly whilst giving us the chance to figure it out ourselves.

It was clear from the beginning who were the psychopaths of the story - but did that make them guilty? Almost everyone had a secret - but, did that make them guilty? And some were completely unlikeable - but again, did that make them guilty.

She didn't see it coming...but did you...?

In a word...yes! I wasn't as surprised as Bryden was. I had my own suspicions, for various reasons, and I kept changing my mind as to who I thought was responsible. I had three on my list - one of which was quickly eliminated (as much as I would have liked them to be the guilty party). The other two remained on my list throughout the duration until something clicked and made me look at them more closely. But with everything Shari throws at you, I could be forgiven for being indecisive about one or the other. BOTH looked equally guilty in my eyes and I wouldn't have been surprised if it had been my other suspect either.

Bryden disappears very early on in the story. I think she has just the one maybe two chapters, as well as the prologue, before she disappears and we're plunged headlong into a missing person's case that throws up all sorts of theories and red herrings. Shari's style is binge-worthy and utterly addictive from start to finish complete with cunning and tension-filled suspense on every page. Short snappy chapters filled with so much family drama alongside buried secrets, manipulative lies and dastardly deception that are paramount in any domestic thriller completing the tangled web that this thrilling tale is.

Whatever Shari has next, I'll be there with bells on!

I would like to thank #ShariLapena, #Netgalley and #RandomHouseUK for an ARC of #SheDidntSeeItComing in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Shari Lapena is the #1 internationally bestselling author of six suspense novels including The Couple Next Door, A Stranger in the House, An Unwanted Guest, Someone We Know, The End of Her, and Not a Happy Family. Everyone Here is Lying is coming in July 2023.

A former lawyer and English teacher, Shari now writes full time from a farm in Ontario, where she lives with her husband.

Her first thriller, The Couple Next Door, was a runaway global bestseller, selling  4 million copies worldwide. It was WHSmith’s “Book of the Year” in 2016 and the #1 Adult Fiction Title in the UK for 2017. All of Shari’s novels have been New York Times, UK Sunday Times, and Globe and Mail bestsellers. Three of her books have been Richard & Judy Book Club Picks. Her books have sold into forty territories around the world and have been optioned for film and TV.

She doesn’t want you to be able to put her books down.

Social media links:

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REVIEW: Cuckoo in the Nest by Diane Saxon

Cuckoo in the Nest by Diane Saxon

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 20th August 2025

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Amazon

Published: 12th August 2025

★★★ 3 stars 

DESCRIPTION:

What secrets lie within?

I've moved into a shared house. My three new housemates aren't just reserved, there's a distinct chill in the air, an unspoken tension that makes me uneasy.

I'm not here to make friends, though.

I have my own secrets.

Nikki is like a sister to me and I'm here to find out what happened to her.

Where is she?

I'm convinced someone knows more than they're letting on. Is she simply missing? Or has something far more sinister occurred within these walls?

I'm not leaving until I find out if Nikki is alive or dead.

Diane Saxon's heart-pounding novel is perfect for fans of Freida McFadden, Valerie Keogh and TM Logan.

MY THOUGHTS:

One house...four tenants...one deadly secret...

I honestly don't know where to start with this one. I always enjoy Diane Saxon's thrillers but this one just left me feeling like something was constantly crawling on my skin. It was seriously creepy and uncomfortable which I guess was the aim of the story but I was just too creeped out and hated every person in the houseshare. They were all self-obsessed and arrogant prats. One rule for them and another for everyone else. And the end result was survival of the fittest. But then, it was about a cuckoo in the nest which is always an uncomfortable read.

I was more drawn in by the past timeline when Alex and Nikki were young and then teenagers growing up. I felt there was more to the story there and I was more invested in that than the one in the present day timeline.

In the present day, Alex has just moved into a houseshare with two females and one male - none of whom are considerate and all equally selfish. The only reason he is there is to uncover what happened to his friend Nikki who was their housemate previously and had mysteriously disappeared. The police had her down as having left of her own accord; she's old enough and just packed up and moved on. But Alex knows different. Nikki wouldn't leave her mum without a word. Besides, she had planned on moving back home with her. So where has she gone?

The alternating chapters in between begin in 2003 and 2004 with a few from Nikki's narrative in 2013 and 2014. They tell of Alex's harrowing story as a child, neglected and abused by his father before meeting sunny young Nikki at the playground one day and though she was five years his junior, they became firm friends - a friendship that lasted a lifetime. Alex is a genuine likeable character, despite his upbringing. Nikki is a delight also, but she features mainly in the past chapters so we get her either as a giggly little five year old or a giggly fifteen year old.

The story is journey through Alex's harrowing upbringing, finding a family who love and care for him right up to him in adulthood. As the story unravels and things begin to slot into place, we find him navigating a mystery that only he can unravel. And be Nikki's hero once again.

The pacing for this one was somewhat slower than Saxon's more pacier thrillers. And the unlikeable characters made it hard to connect with the story. If it weren't for Alex, Nikki and Julia, I probably would have shelved it without finishing...but for them, they made the journey worthwhile and I'm glad I stuck it out. The ending is rather shocking and unexpected to say the least! But I shouldn't be surprised as it is Saxon.

I would like to thank #DianeSaxon, #Netgalley and #BoldwoodBooks for an ARC of #CuckooInTheNest in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Diane Saxon lives in the Shropshire countryside with her tall, dark, handsome husband, a retired policeman. She has two gorgeous daughters, a Dalmatian, two cats, numerous rare breed chickens, and a black Labrador called Beau—a name borrowed by her hero in For Heaven's Cakes.

After working for years in a demanding job, Diane gave it up when her husband said, “Follow that dream.” She subsequently has 12 Romances published for the U.S. market.

Inspired by her long, lonely walks in atmospheric woodlands, Diane has gone over to the dark side to write British psychological crime thrillers. With a four-book deal through Boldwood Books, her first in series Find Her Alive was published October 2019 followed by Someone's There in February 2020 and What She Saw is due in September 2020. 

Social Media links:

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PUBLISHER:

Stay up to date with upcoming releases from Boldwood Books by following them on these social media accounts.

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REVIEW: The Wasp Trap by Mark Edwards

The Wasp Trap by Mark Edwards

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 19th August 2025

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Amazon

Published: 16th September 2025

★★★ 3 stars 

DESCRIPTION:

Summer 1999. Will joins five other idealistic graduates working for an eccentric psychology professor. They’re going to launch a website to change online dating forever.

No-one expects it to end in tragedy.

Twenty-five years later, Will gets an invitation: a dinner party. A chance to see the old gang again.

But as soon as he arrives, something doesn’t seem right.

There’s an unexpected guest. The hosts are clearly keeping a secret. And on the way in, Will is sure he heard crying.

Everyone has something to hide about what really happened that summer.

But only one of them is willing to kill to find the truth…

MY THOUGHTS:

Six friends...a reunion dinner...and a secret to die for...

I always get excited when I see a new Mark Edwards thriller as he has the ability to pull you in and shock you all at once! Along with some of his dark humour, I'm usually not disappointed. However, this time I was. I was all hyped up for a reunion of six and a secret that had the propensity to destroy them. But for me, it fell a little flat. I felt it was quite drawn out and none of the characters were at all endearing. I did, however, read it one sitting...but mainly because I wanted to escape the dinner party from hell!

Will is our narrator and one of six people - Sophie, Lily, Rohan, Theo and Georgina - attending the dinner party in the exclusive Notting Hill with friends he has not clapped eyes on for twenty five years. He comes along still carrying a torch for Sophie with whom he worked alongside back then under the watchful eye of the late Professor Sebastian Marlowe, whom they are honouring with this dinner tonight. 

In the summer of 1999, the professor had recruited the six unknowns to be part of a groundbreaking new venture. A dating website based on psychological testing which would then match particpants. Will was tasked with coming up with the name - Butterfly Net. But the psychological questionnaires had another purpose - to identify psychopathy - and that test became known as The Wasp Trap.

Now twenty five years later the group have gathered to honour the late Professor until just before the mains are served, they discover being held at gunpoint and are then informed they must share their darkest secrets to uncover the one secret they are after. Locked in the dining room, their phones confiscated, no one can leave the room until the secret is revealed. But who holds the secret? And will they leave alive?

The concept was interesting and I was intrigued as to how it would all play out. It had those definite locked room vibes that was claustrophobic in that it was every man for himself when it came down to it, as each tried to survive. But I felt it took too long to pick up pace and then it was too drawn out and I kept thinking "is this it?" The scene was set perfectly and there was a definite sense of claustrophobia and fear, but I know what Edwards is capable of so was expecting something more. 

It's not a bad book and it did keep me turning the pages until the end but was that because I wanted to find out the secret or just wanted it to end? I guess it was a little of both. I guess I just know what Edwards is capable of delivering that I found this one to be a bit of a disappointment in comparison to some of his others that I have loved. But then, you can't love every book, can you? 

Still, I will be waiting with baited breath for his next book because I know he can deliver!

I would like to thank #MarkEdwards, #Netgalley and #Penguin for an ARC of #TheWaspTrap in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Mark Edwards writes psychological thrillers about ordinary people who encounter terrifying events. He has been described as ‘a can’t-miss king of psychological suspense’ by thriller author Brad Parks and ‘a natural born storyteller with the darkest of imaginations’ by crime writer Fiona Cummins.

He has sold more than three million copies of his books and topped the bestseller lists numerous times since his first solo novel, The Magpies, was published in 2013. 

His other novels are What You Wish For, Because She Loves Me, Follow You Home, The Devil’s Work, The Lucky Ones, The Retreat, In Her Shadow, Here To Stay and The House Guest. He has also published two short sequels to The Magpies, A Murder of Magpies and Last of The Magpies, and six books co-authored with Louise Voss.

Many of his books have been translated into foreign languages including French, German, Italian, Spanish, Estonian, Thai, Lithuanian, Czech, Hungarian, Turkish and Russian.

In 2019 Mark won The Cat and Mouse Award for Most Elusive Villain at the Dead Good Reader Awards for Last of the Magpies.

Mark loves hearing from his readers and encourages them to contact him. He regularly interacts with readers on his Facebook page, where he hosts book release launch parties and lots of giveaways.

You can follow Mark on Twitter, like his Facebook page or take a peek at his pics on Instagram.

Mark lives in the West Midlands, England, with his wife, their three children, three cats and a golden retriever.

 

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

REVIEW: The Lucky Winners by K.L. Slater

The Lucky Winners by K.L. Slater

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 17th August 2025

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Amazon

Published: 14th August 2025

★★★★ 4 stars 

DESCRIPTION:

You’ve won the house of your dreams. It’s about to become a nightmare…

A gripping twist-filled thriller from the bestselling author of Message Deleted. For fans of T.M Logan, Gillian McAllister and Lisa Jewell.

When Merri and Dev buy a ticket on the last day of a national draw to win the house of their dreams, they never, in a million years, expect to win.

Less than a week later, they’re receiving the keys to their new Lake District mansion.

For Dev, it’s a dream come true – no more stressful rent negotiations, or waiting for the landlord to finally fix the damp. Of course he’s delighted to be interviewed about their good luck.

But Merri feels a little uneasy. Dev doesn’t realise there’s a reason she’s never wanted to put down roots, always trying to run away from the memories of what happened the day her little sister died.

At first it’s easy to think she’s imagining the shadowy figures in the lakefront garden. It’s silly to think that someone is watching her through the gorgeous floor-to-ceiling glass windows.

And then a body is found in the lake. And Merri’s new perfect life is about to come crashing down…

MY THOUGHTS:

They've won their dream home...but are they really lucky...?

Dev and Merri are my people. They are real. They know what it's like living paycheque to paycheque, scrimping and scraping, trying to get by. This is my life! At last, characters with whom I can identify in the real world. And then...Lady Luck comes knocking. They've won a three million pound mansion in the exclusive Lake District overlooking Lake Windemere AND a quarter of a million pounds to go with it! Yep, just like that. But how did it happen?

It was their third wedding anniversary and Dev, a spontaneous easy going guy, buys Merri a lottery ticket for the occasion. He doesn't expect to win, but it's the thought that counts. Merri, ever the practical and thoughtful one of the couple, is almost livid that he wasted £20 on a ticket that will win them absolutely nothing and could have been best spent on one of their mounting bills and growing debt. In the light of the day the following morning, Merri has calmed down and appreciates Dev's thoughtfulness, even if it was a little reckless. They'll get through this - they have before; they will again.

Days later, Merri is trying to enjoy a lie in but the doorbell is ringing constantly and her phone is blowing up with a deluge of missed calls from Dev who is on his way to work p by bus (since their car gave up the ghost). Frustrated and yelling at the ringing doorbell to wait whilst reading Dev's senseless messages, she opens the door to a group of people with cameras and lights and a microphone shoved in her face asking "What does it feel like to be an instant millioniare?"

Standing on the doorstep in her dressing gown, Merri is speechless. What are they talking about? And then she remembers. The lottery ticket. And the realisation dawns. They've won the Lake District mansion and a quarter of a million pounds! No more scrimping and scraping! No more struggle street!

What then ensues is lots of photographs and a visit to their new home, more photographs, a guided tour, a deluge of paperwork legalising their ownership, loads of packing and then moving from Nottingham to the Lake District before they can finally sit back, breathe and enjoy their moment. All this is really theirs! But they have hardly settled in when the subtle threats begin. A brick through the window. Scratches in the glass balustrading. Spray paint on the windows. Their car mysteriously keyed. And the social media posts boasting their win under Merri's name which she never posted. Somebody isn't happy with their good fortune.

Still, ever since they have moved in Merri has felt unease. A prickling sensation on the back of her neck, a movement in the shadows and the unsettling knowledge that she doesn't really deserve this. That if Dev really knew the secret she has been keeping, she would lose him. But Merri's world is about to come crashing down when she realises that somebody knows her secret. And they will stop at nothing to reveal it. And bring her down with it.

The pacing was a little slower than some of her other thrillers, dipping slightly in the middle. I did lose patience with Merri occasionally as she seemed to be second guessing everything they did or everything others did. The story unfolded primarily through Merri's narrative with a little perspective from Dev and a few chapters from an unknown narrator titled "The Watcher". Although the house they won was stunning by all accounts, it's certainly not to my taste. All those clean lines, minimalism and glass facades - I'd feel like I was living in a fishbowl! I prefer something with history and character...as did most of the locals, from what I gather.

Another great read by Kim Slater, though not her best I still thoroughly enjoyed it for the most part. Looking forward to what else she can deliver us.

I would like to thank #KimLSlater, #Netgalley and #Penguin for an ARC of #TheLuckyWinners in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

After years of trying to get published and never getting further than the slush pile, Kim went back to university at the age of 40 where she gained  a first-class honours degree in English & Creative Writing and an MA in Creative Writing with distinction.

Kim's first adult psychological thriller for Bookouture, ‘Safe with Me’,  actually started life as a dissertation on her English & Creative Writing degree in 2010. She says "the creepy voice of Anna came to me strong and insistent . . . she wanted to be written, she wouldn’t go away. I’m so glad I listened!"

Kim first became published writing Young Adult fiction for Macmillan Children’s Books under the name Kim Slater. Her award-winning YA debut, SMART, started life as a short story for her MA in Creative Writing in 2012.

Kim is now a full-time writer. She has a daughter and two stepsons and live with her husband Mac in Nottingham and Yorkshire.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

REVIEW: Sophie Was Here by Kathryn Croft

Sophie Was Here by Kathryn Croft

Genre: Psychological thriller, Domestic thriller

Read: 16th August 2025

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 3rd July 2025

★★★★ 4.5 stars 

DESCRIPTION:

The perfect family. The perfect new home. Until I found out about the missing girl…

When I make my way down to the cellar of my boyfriend Charlie’s family home, a chill slides down my spine. I didn’t expect to see the message, scratched into the walls:

Sophie Was Here

Sophie was Charlie’s ex-girlfriend. She went missing ten years ago when she was only seventeen. Charlie and his family were on holiday when she vanished, and this tragedy has scarred them all in different ways.

But I can’t stop digging. I no longer feel safe in the place I live. And then I discover another hidden message:

Please help me

I know that something terrible happened to Sophie. I must find out what it was. But in an isolated house, with a family I can’t trust, will I be the next victim?

A gripping and totally addictive read from Amazon number 1 bestselling author Kathryn Croft. Fans of Lisa Jewell and The Housemaid will be completely hooked on Sophie Was Here.

MY THOUGHTS:

The perfect family...the perfect new home...until I found out about the missing girl...

I have to say the cover was slightly misleading in that it insinuated a little girl had gone missing, and before reading the synopsis for the book that is just what I assumed. But this tale was a mystery of a whole other ball game. I've read similar tropes, all with similar outcomes, but all just as thrilling all the same.

Emmie and her partner Charlie have ditched the London life for one of an easier pace in the Surrey countryside. His parents have just gifted them the house that Charlie and his siblings grew up in - a sprawling farmhouse in the sleepy village of Peaslake. Emmie has recently lost her mum and been made redundant in a job she loved. There was no better time than now for a fresh start together.

But no sooner had they walked into the damp-filled musty house that has been locked up for over a decade than Charlie's parents and siblings have thrust themselves upon the couple, a chance to welcome Emmie into their family. But not before Emmie found herself in the basement and saw the words etched there...

Please help me. 

But when she went back to look at them, they were gone. But how? Only she and Charlie have been in the house. But then Charlie said she had only imagined them and soon she began to wonder had she just conjured them up after all? Until the day she finds herself locked in the basement when the door slams shut and she can't get out. With all her knocking and calling for help, she sees there at the very bottom of the door carved into the wood...

Sophie was here.

So who was Sophie? And what exactly happened to her?

Emmie starts off by asking questions in the village about Sophie - who was she, what she was like, who her friends her - until it becomes clear someone doesn't want her asking questions. And she has to wonder, why not? What do they have to hide? All evidence points her in a direction she doesn't want to go in but what choice does she have? Sophie was here sixteen years ago and then she wasn't. So what happened to her? And why does nobody want to talk about her?

This was a fast paced thrilling read that had me hooked from the very first page. There are so many clues peppered throughout that lead us down paths that may or may not lead us anywhere, but the ride getting there is half the fun! I thoroughly enjoyed this wholly tension-filled read that was there throughout. The story unfolds mostly through Emmie's narrative but peppered throughout we also have Sophie's third person narrative from sixteen years before. And little by little, the pieces slowly fall into place.

I guess in parts it was a bit of a slow burn mystery but the pace was steady throughout that I didn't notice I was enjoying it so much. An addictive read that had both tension and atmosphere. Well worth the read.

I would like to thank #KathrynCroft, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #SophieWasHere in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Kathryn is the bestselling author of ten psychological thrillers and to date she has sold over one million copies of her books. Her third book, The Girl With No Past spent over four weeks at number one in the Amazon UK chart, and she has also appeared on the Wall Street Journal's bestsellers list.

Kathryn writes full time and is now hard at work on her next book.

After twelve years living in London, she now lives in Guildford, Surrey, the place she grew up, with her husband, two children and two crazy cats.

Social media links:

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REVIEW: The Surfacing by Claire Ackroyd

The Surfacing by Claire Ackroyd

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 15th August 2025

Goodreads

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Published: 1st June 2025

★★ 2 stars 

DESCRIPTION:

The secrets you bury don’t disappear. They rot…

It’s twelve years since teenager Peter Ferguson drowned in Loch Ness—on the same night that Stephanie, her mother and her sister, Aurelie, were camping on its shores. In the shocking aftermath, their family and life as they knew it fell apart, and the sisters no longer speak. But now Aurelie is getting married, and Stephanie realises that a reunion might finally bring the truth about that fateful night to the surface…

As the wedding celebrations get underway, tongues loosen, and dangerous whispers circulate among the guests. Yet the real danger—the rot that threatens to break them all—might come from within the family itself. As she confronts the suspicions swirling around her, Stephanie is about to uncover secrets that will change all their lives forever.

She never planned to get blood on her hands in her pursuit of the truth. But as the clock ticks down on the family reunion, that may be her only option…

MY THOUGHTS:

The secrets you bury don’t disappear. They rot…

In a rather interesting debut, we meet Stephanie who lives a somewhat hermit-lifestyle at an artist's retreat in the Scottish Highlands. The place she used to frequent every summer as a teenager with her family until a tragedy and her family fractured - though both events were unrelated.

Some twelve years later, Stephanie is returning to England for her sister Auriele's lavish wedding at some illustrious estate manor that would only do for her self-obsessed sister. It's the last thing she wanted to do but her mother wrote her a letter pleading with her. And it seems she has an ulterior motive. To uncover the truth of what happened that tragic night at Loch Ness when a young man disappeared. Does her mother know something? Or does she suspect that someone else knows something?

The entire book takes place over twenty four hours - from the evening before the wedding and the wedding day itself. I love the time format of each chapter as the events played out. But what I loved most was Stephanie's snippy snarky quips - some of them silent and mostly her internal monologue but some were not. 

Interestingly, Stephanie is not someone I would warm to although I did sympathise with her with regard to her difficulty making friends as a teenager at school and the bullying but generally, she is not someone I would like. She is completely standoffish and gives off those vibes in droves. None of the other characters are particularly likeable either so I didn't really care one way or the other what happened to any of them.

This tale is a slow burn and while I did enjoy Stephanie's snippy thoughts, I didn't entirely warm to the book. It was an OK read but nothing entirely earth shattering. I found the reveal to be somewhat disappointing though not surprising. I had hoped for something different, I guess.

I would like to thank #ClaireAckroyd, #Netgalley and #LakeUnionPublishing for an ARC of #TheSurfacing in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Born in Washington DC, Claire Ackroyd’s first novel, THE SURFACING, a domestic thriller which was shortlisted for the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize, will be published in June 2025 by Lake Union Publishing. She is currently working on her second book, THE UNFORESEEN, which is due out in Spring 2026.

Claire is an economist by background and loves cold-water swimming, travelling, cryptic crosswords and all things book related. She lives in Bedfordshire with her husband and two children.

Social Media links:

Twitter | Goodreads