Thank you for the chance to read this book before the release date.
After reading the first couple of pages, I wondered whether this book was going to be for me. Having said that, I was compelled to carry on despite my wonderings, and WOW am I glad I did! This book bats you back and forth between several suspects. I had an idea early on in the book who may have been taken Evie, I could see a why but not a how! I This book was like a jigsaw and all the pieces had to be put together before the picture had full effect. One of the twists was so cleverly done, I almost needed to re-read it because I thought I must have missed something. This was a great read and I recommend it.

The cover of Blink makes a bold claim, describing itself as "a gripping psychological thriller with a killer twist you'll never forget". Luckily for me it's a claim I feel the book lived up to. It really starts off with a bang and within a few pages I was hooked.

Blink focuses on Toni, a widow whose husband was a solider injured in Afghanistan and later passed away, and their young daughter Evie following their move to Nottingham. The story moved between the present day, and three years in the past - the point when Evie went missing - and follows several different characters. K.L. Slater does a great job with her characterisation and she frequently had me second guessing myself, that character I was suspicious of, were they really someone I should be suspicious of, did they have something to do with Evie's disappearance, or was I only thinking that because I was seeing them through Toni's eyes and she was already becoming a little paranoid?

As for the killer twist, I didn't see it coming, I won't go into any detail as I wouldn't want to ruin it for anyone. Safe to say I made some wrong assumptions along the way and was pleasantly surprised when I was forced to rethink everything I thought I knew.

Would I recommend it?

Yes, Blink is a really successful psychological thriller. The only caveat I would put in is that the novel does jump around a lot, both through time and point of view. I followed the storyline fine, the chapters all clearly state if they are set in the present day or the past, and the point of view, but I appreciate it's perhaps not as easy to follow as a linear plotline.

*Review will be posted to the below blog, Goodreads and Amazon on February 15th

A wonderful preface to this book, which just grabbed me. It's a wonderful description. When something awful happens, what truly is the worst of the moments that follow?

Then the book backs up and leads you through a young widow’s story. Having lost her husband from an incident in Afghanistan, she moves to Nottingham to be closer to her mother. After a very promising beginning, the book seemed very leaden. The narrative shifts between the time of the move and the present day, after her daughter has gone missing. Toni has a lot of issues, an addiction to pills, financial trouble and an overwhelming mom. Still, I found it hard to feel any sort of sympathy or kinship with her. Toni and the rest of the characters come across as two dimensional. The assistant teacher for her daughter Evie’s class is a real cliche, as is her nasty work cohort. The book is purposely obtuse about the time between the move and the abduction of her daughter.

Someone is trying to make life even more difficult for Toni than it already is. From the very beginning, someone is sabotaging her life. You get hints in the form of a “report” being written to someone. This was just intriguing enough to make me read to the end. The pace picks up towards the end as it all comes together. But the ending also has a cliche that irritates.

This one just didn't do it for me. I felt cheated after the very promising first few pages.
My thanks to netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of this book.

I loved this book from start to finish, i couldn't put it down.

This for me was a slow starter which generally gathered pace fast, the twists and plot were pure class. After the death of her husband Toni decides to up sticks from Hemel Hempstead and move Evie to Nottingham closer to her mother to make a fresh start. That's where the nightmare begins !
I loved Blink, the characters were believable with not a over load of description, the plot was brilliant, I didn't guess half way through, like you do with so many books, this had me guessing right until the end. It's one of those page turners where you can't put it down. I would defiantly recommend.

Blink opens with a hospitalised woman. We are not told for some time who she is. What we do know is that she has “locked in” syndrome – she is fully conscious of what is going on around her but she is completely paralysed, so has no means of communicating with the medical staff who believe she is in a coma and unlikely to ever recover. The story switches between the past and present in a way that is very clearly signposted and easy to follow.
It does, however, require a certain amount of suspension of disbelief, which, if you can get over it, does not hamper the readability of this psychological thriller.
Toni Cotter is in a difficult place. Once a successful businesswoman she is now newly bereaved; her husband died following a terrible accident in Afghanistan, she is in debt and having a hard time coming to grips with her new situation.
When she is forced by financial circumstances to leave her home with her five year old daughter, Evie, she moves into a down market area near her mother, in Nottingham.
Still grieving, she is having a very hard time coming to terms with her new situation and is relying on her husband’s left over medication to help her through the day.
She finds the neighbours unsettling and though she needs her mother’s help, the relationship between them is somewhat cool as her mother doesn’t really understand what Toni is going through.
Things look up for Toni when she successfully applies for a part time job in an estate agent – a role below her proven capabilities but one which allows her to take Evie to her new school every day and pick her up at the end of the school day.
But Evie does not seem happy in her new primary school, despite the efforts of her teacher, who is going out of her way to be helpful.
One day, Toni is late collecting Evie because her mother is in the hospital. When she finally gets to the school it is empty and Evie has disappeared.
With a myriad of likely suspects to choose from, and some pretty unlikeable characters, the reader‘s attention is focussed on Toni’s relationships with neighbours, colleagues and others who may have a motive.
Blink is an easy read and certainly has lots of red herrings to keep you guessing.
I did work out who was responsible, but there were other clues that did mislead me and so there was enough in the book to keep me guessing and interested.

I struggled with suspension of belief on this one. I just did not get how someone could be fully conscious and no doctors realise it. Surely there are brain exams that were performed where the brain activity would be noticeable? Also, she needs a machine to breathe for her but somehow she is able to identify scents and she has her eyes open (who has their eyes open in a vegetative state??) and is able to focus on details such as a doctor's open pores but no change occurs in her eyes?

It took me a while to warm up to it but once I did, about halfway in or so, I flipped the pages as quickly as I could. I enjoyed how the narrative was presented, with different voices - even little Evie's - and mysterious character(s). The suspense built up.

Then at the beginning of the last fifth of the story we get the much advertised shocking plot twist (I truly dislike seeing that by the way, it was even in my ARC book title).
It is shocking indeed but I for one did not find it believable at all. There was nothing in that character's past or later explained that would justify that (view spoiler).

Only when I got to the end did I notice I had read a previous novel by the same author and had felt pretty much the same. The books are so emotionally and psychologically charged that the characters' actions need to be properly backed up and I just don't feel it happens. It's almost as if the book is done for shock purpose, all explanations for what had happened felt that way, as well as extremely rushed, and I have to say I don't really appreciate that.

Still, Blink was very exciting at some points so even though I was not entirely sold I am rating it up.

Disclaimer: I would like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

“Blink” is about Toni Cotter and her five year old daughter Evie. They recently moved to Nottingham in the north of England, to be closer to Toni's mom after the tragic death of Toni's husband in Afghanistan.

Naturally both Toni and Evie are having a hard time adjusting to life after the tragedy. Both are dealing in their own ways. As Toni struggles to maintain control of her life Evie turns from a happy little girl, to one who is difficult and withdrawn. As things spiral out of control for Toni and she thinks it cannot get any worse - every parent’s worst nightmare happens - Evie disappears!

The investigation leads nowhere, and 3 years later, Evie's whereabouts are still unknown - the police have no idea whether she's even alive, but Toni is convinced that she's still alive and as new evidence is presented to her she is determined to find out the truth. What happens next shows a mothers love for her daughter.

This book goes between ‘Three years ago’ and ‘Present day’ as well as different characters points of view. There are a lot of possible suspects but the outcome will surprise you.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley and have given my honest and unbiased review.

A psychological thriller with not just one twist - they kept on coming. A very gradual build up of tension with a very dramatic climax that kept me up all night reading.

I really enjoyed Blink. It's a fantastic thriller following the story of Toni whose five year old daughter disappeared after leaving school three years earlier. The police have never found her but Toni still believes she's alive.

The book goes between the past and present and I found myself glued to the pages. It's so well written and you are completely drawn into the story.

This is the second book I've read by this author and I can't wait to read more.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and he author for the chance to review.

have been looking forward to read another K.L. Slater book ever since I finished Safe With Me last year, and this second book simply blew me away. Her debut psychological thriller was already good, but Blink was just BRILLIANT. Basically I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat the whole time trying to figure out what was going on, and I ended up being SO wrong about everything. This title is without doubt psychological thriller at its best! Excellent prose, excellent plot and plot twists, excellent use of suspense, excellent character development... Blink has all the right ingredients for a great story. The main characters are maybe not all that likeable, but I personally didn't care. The fact that the main character seems to be paralyzed and in coma but is actually awake is truly fascinating and adds another excellent plot twist to the story. I loved every single minute of Blink and it doesn't happen often that a plot is able to mislead me that much. More than recommended if you like the genre!

I have not read anything by this author before, but I am sure that, after finishing this, I will be reading more by her. Psychological thrillers are extremely popular at the moment and this one certainly packs in a great deal of plot twists and turns; veering between a storyline which takes place three years before and the present day and packing in plenty of surprises.

Toni is thirty five when we first meet her and is deeply depressed after the death of her husband, Andrew in Afghanistan. She has uprooted herself, and five year old daughter Evie, to move from Hemel Hempstead to Nottingham to be near her mother. Toni certainly needs support, relying heavily on a cache of pills that belonged to Andrew, and feeling as though she cannot face the future. Still, she knows she has to carry on for Evie and so she enrols her in a local school, St Saviours Primary, and manages to find a job.

One day, though, the worst happens. Toni is delayed picking up her daughter from school and she vanishes into thin air. I obviously do not want to give away the plot, but the storyline from past and present gradually unfold, to explain what happened leading up to Evie’s disappearance. This book has an exciting conclusion and excellent characters, including the extremely creepy teaching assistant, Harriet Watson…

The author is interested in not only the disappearance of a child, but of how parents – particularly mothers – are blamed when such tragic events occur. Toni is not a character that would probably get a great deal of sympathy on social media, but she is a woman struggling to cope and doing her best for her daughter. This is not only an interesting crime novel, but it will make you think and has a lot for reading groups to discuss. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.

2.5 stars

Not sure if you caught the fact that this a twist in this book? (Insert heavy sarcasm here)
The publisher didn't even leave it up to the reader to point out in their review. Nope-they felt they needed to add it right there next to the title where it will smack you in the face. You know-just in case you might miss it...

This is part of the reason for the lower rating. Anytime a publisher alerts me to what's coming, I'm on high alert and therefore already thinking of every scenario possible of what the big 'twist' is going to be. So when it was actually revealed, all I could do was pat myself on the shoulder for already having figured out part of it. That's right-only part of it. I think that was the saving grace for me about this book, as there were some elements that I didn't see coming.

Another reason I couldn't rate this higher is that I didn't care for any of the characters. The author tried to make the reader sympathetic to the main protag, but I just couldn't do it. Same old plot-Wife loses husband tragically, she has melt down and becomes reliant on pills. Her young daughter is struggling with the new move, sketchy neighbors, strange behavior from those around her that she completely ignores...yada yada yada.

There was just too much predictability here and not enough intensity for me to call this a 'psychological thriller'. Others disagree with my feelings, so if you are on the fence, I say give it a shot as it's a fast read coming in under 300 pages, and decide for yourself.

I heard that her first book was really strong- I'm just not sold enough on this one to go check it out. Maybe if I can get my TBR mountain cleared out. (Again, insert sarcasm here)

ARC provided by NetGalley

*4.5 STARS*

Blink' grabbed me right away with this opening sentence "You don't know this, but I watch you, I watch you a lot" It was clear that there would be a chill factor throughout, that 'shivers down your back' kind of feeling.

Toni Cotter and her five year old daughter Evie, have recently moved to Nottingham in the north of England, to be nearer Toni's mum. It's to be a fresh start after the tragic death of Toni's husband in Afghanistan.

Naturally she is having a hard time adjusting to life after the tragedy, and with money being scarce too, she relies more and more on medication to get her through each day. She eventually secures a job with a local estate agent, but really struggles to maintain control of her life. Evie meantime has started at her new school, but she changes from a happy, bubbly little girl, to one who is difficult and uncommunicative. And then comes that dreadful day - a day that would, without doubt, be every parents worst nightmare - Evie disappears! No witnesses, nothing, she just appears to have vanished from the face of the earth. The media blame Toni as she arrived late to pick Evie up from school, so as well as being driven crazy by thoughts of what has happened to her daughter, the panic, anguish and desolation, she has to cope with the fact that the public put the blame firmly at her door.

Investigations lead nowhere, and 3 years later, Evie's whereabouts are still unknown - the police have no idea whether she's even alive or not, but Toni is convinced that she's still alive, that she's out there somewhere, and is determined to find her.

Oh my! This was a phsychological thriller of the highest order. Misdirection is the name of the game, as it leads you to believe one thing, but be careful what you do believe as it's definitely a case of smoke and mirrors. The characters were well rounded, there were twists and turns galore, the plot was extremely clever, and it was difficult to put down.

'Blink' and you'll miss this one! Don't let that happen, get your hands on a copy, and see what all the fuss is about, you'll be glad that you did.

*Thank you to Netgalley & Bookouture for my ARC, for which I have given an honest, unbiased review*

Pretty gripping and not really an obvious tie up. A few too many red herrings!

Toni is not the most reliable mother. She lost her husband in Afghanistan and everyday chores such as doing the dishes or taking her daughter to school become insurmountable obstacles. She adores her daughter Evie, but she is so messed up that she neglects her. Her Mum tries to help her, but Toni is shutting her out. Toni's secret is that she is taking her husband's sedatives to help her cope, and the consequences of this go from the not so important (her house is a mess) to the dangerous (her daughter goes out to play with their neighbor, a condemned criminal) and finally to the devastating when her dear Evie disappears. There are several points of view: in the present we get a woman with locked-in syndrome (she is fully conscious but she can't move, which has made her doctors believe her to be in a comma). The woman is obsessed with Evie's disappearance... is it Toni? What happened to her and how will she get her daughter back? There is also what's happening to Toni three years ago, just before Evie went missing. And we also get some chapters from the points of view of Evie's creepy teacher, and some other peripheral characters. This was a little confusing at times, the switch between first person to third, but the characters are well defined, so it is not hard to follow. The story is very well plotted, even if I found Toni so unlikable that it was hard for me to root for her. Yes, I get that her circumstances are horrific but she has a child and a mother who wants to help. I just wanted to slap her when she refused to listen to Evie when she was trying to tell her that there was something very wrong with her teacher. It's still a very good novel, that will please fans of unreliable narrators.

Copy furnished by Net Galley for the price of a review.

Too many obvious "red herrings" spoiled this pot o'fish for me. Once upon a time, red herrings were slyly introduced into a storyline. The ones within these pages smack you upside your head like badly thrown fish at Seattle's Pike Place Fish Market.

Giving three stars for its readability and for one assumption I made early on that did not pan out. Also I loved the delivery of flowers <spoiler>with a wasp nest nestled inside</spoiler>that were so stingingly beautiful.

<spoiler>When the cover of a book trumpets the fact of a killer twist you'll never forget, it's pretty clear you can cross the blatantly suspicious bad eggs off the list.</spoiler>

Finished this book in one sitting (now we have no clean clothes for the week but it was so worth it!!) This book drags you in straight away from the very first page and keeps you there. There are so many twists and turns in the book and at one point my jaw actually dropped...without spoliing anything you think you know what you're reading.... but then the penny drops! The characters were so well written and some of them actually quite unsettling. This was a fantastic read which kept you on the edge of your seat.....literally in some parts. What a fantastic author

After reading Slater’s debut novel Safe With Me courtesy of Bookouture and Netgalley, I was SUPER excited when I found out about this book and couldn’t wait for it to be available for request on Netgalley!

I just knew that this book was going to be so good because he debut novel was pretty good also! But this book surpassed my expectations! It was such a good read and I didn’t want to put it down to go to sleep or go to work.

The chapters were told from a few different perspectives. Toni present day, Toni 3 years ago, the Teacher, the Nurse, and the Stroke Victim.

I thoroughly enjoyed the different perespectives, but I looked forward to the stroke victim’s chapters the most because the readers had NO IDEA who this person was! That played a lot into the suspense and thrill of the book. The reason we didn’t know who it was had to do with the fact that this person was paralyzed due to her stroke and believed to be comatose. This is part of what was so interesting about the novel! This poor person was stuck inside of her own body, believed to be in a coma. This person could hear what the doctors were saying and they wanted to pull the plug on life support. Due to this person also being paralyzed, they couldn’t even make a movement to let the doctors know they were in there.

I loved where the title of the book came from! I was not expecting it to be what it was and it was very clever.

So the main situation surrounding the story is that Toni’s little girl Evie was abducted 3 years ago and no one knew what happened to her. The mystery is solved in the most unexpected way possible. Just keep in mind that every little person plays a large role!

I want to take this time to mention a few possible triggers from the details of this book. The triggers include the loss of a husband/spouse, child abduction, and prescription drug abuse. Keep these in mind when deciding if you want to read this book.

When we FINALLY find out who abducted poor little Evie I was in COMPLETE SHOCK, but there’s another twist that comes along with this revelation which is way more shocking than finding out who abducted Evie. I could have NEVER guessed the twist at the end!

When everything tied together in the end, it was kind of wonderful and such a happy ending. I really enjoyed it! The major lesson here is you never really know someone even if you’ve known them for years!

There was so much mystery and suspense surrounding this book, I really enjoyed it!

I devoured this novel. I loved the way the reader was lead from one idea to the next to keep you guessing. The characters are completely flawed but this made me empathize more. I recommend this novel to anyone who loves a great psychological thriller.