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 friend asking for help, even though the message is almost immediately deleted, she walks out of an interview to be there for Leona. However, when she arrives at Leona’s house, all seems to be okay even though Saffy can’t shake off a feeling that something is amiss. A few hours later, the police are knocking on Saffy’s door: Leona and her family have disappeared and there is a lot of blood on the scene.

There starts a brilliant thriller, which had me hooked. The police are convinced Saffy is behind it all so Saffy’s best chance at her proving her innocence is to try and find out what really happened and where her friend is. This isn’t as easy as it looks and everyone is and has been keeping secrets!

The story is told from multiple aspects, both in terms of characters and also timelines. We get a glimpse into the past, into Saffy’s relationship with Leona but also Saffy’s sister, Poppy, who suffered a terrifying attack just three years ago, which nearly left her dead - all bringing us to a very satisfying conclusion at the end. And just when you think, you might have it figured out…. think again!

A fab, easy to read thriller - you will be turning the pages and reading “just one more chapter”.

Had me hooked and I loved the storyline. I love this authors books and this didn’t disappoint. The story has lots of twists and turns

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.

Sadly, this book didn’t work for me. I found it drawn out and repetitive. I didn’t like the characters much and found them weak and silly at times. I was full of cliches and I found the writing style poor.

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to read prior to publication. The book was ok but not riveting. I wasn’t overly keen on Saffy’s character which did influence my feelings about the overall story.

Oh, such lovely twistiness between these pages. The character development is great - I really cared about these girls & how things were going to play out for them. At its heart, this book is about belonging & family - whatever form that might take - and the lengths people will go to to protect their own. I'd definitely recommend - it's another winner from KL Slater..

Saffy was about to go into a job interview but her mind was preoccupied with the cryptic text message she had just received from her best friend, Leona. "Can’t speak . . . don’t text or call . . . please just come." Saffy's heart raced as she tried to make sense of the message, but before she could respond, the phone screen changed: "This message was deleted." Panic surged through Saffy and without a second thought, she bolted from the building and raced to her friend's house. When Leona opened the door, she greeted Saffy with a smile, insisting that everything was fine and she had no idea about any message. Unable to shake off the feeling that something was terribly wrong, Saffy took it upon herself to search the house, but there was nothing out of the ordinary, nothing to explain the chilling text that had set her on edge. Hours later, there was a sharp knock on Saffy's door. Her heart sank as she opened it to find two police officers standing on her doorstep. Leona was missing, along with her daughter, Rosie. Bloodstains had been found in the house, and the chilling realisation dawned on Saffy that she was the last one to see them alive.

This book was insane! I loved it. It was a wild journey filled with twists, turns and suspense. From the very first page, I was hooked, and as the story unfolded, I found myself completely engrossed in the world the author had created. The build-up of the plot was expertly done, drawing me in and kept me on the edge of my seat, I couldn’t put it down and raced through it.

I really enjoyed this book. It had good characters and an interesting plot development. The twists in the plot weren't expected which always makes for a good read. Although it wasn't an 'happy' ending for all it did close all parts of the plot which not all novels do. It didn't leave me with any questions thinking something had been missed. It all tied up perfectly together. The past in relation to the plot could have been more informative, as it just randomly added information in from the past. Overall I did enjoy it and would read another similar book by this author.

I am afraid that I found the book somewhat repetitve and it failed to engage. was not able to finish. Thanks to NetGalley for ARC.

Saffy and Leona have been friends since they were teenagers. They've been through a lot together. So when Saffy receives messages from Leona begging her not to call or text, just to come, Saffy drops everything to get there, especially as the messages have now been deleted. Hours after speaking to Leona, Saffy receives news that Leona, her husband Ash, and her daughter Rosie have disappeared without a trace. And she was the last one to see them. Now, Saffy is desperate to find what really happened before the police close in on her.

I loved this one. It was a bit of a slow burner, and there were a few slow moments throughout, but it was such a great read. There are a few chapters that look back at past events, which all comes together with the main story at the end. It certainly kept me guessing throughout, and while I figured out some of the twists, I wasn't expecting a few of them, nor did I expect the story to go the way it did.
A thoroughly enjoyable read.

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. However, I did think there was quite a lot going on with the different back stories - and the unfolding of these seemed to take a long time which was frustrating. I didn't buy the Police approach but recognise this was being used as a narrative device. I can't decide whether Saffy was likeable or just annoying, but both she and Phoebe certainly make some terrible decisions. There was a lot of 'laying the ground' for different characters to be involved in the key plotline, but some of it was also a little convenient and/or far fetched. The big reveal was good, but I had already got there, and the ending, I felt, was a bit twee. Still, on the whole it was a decent read which didn't take too long.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It's a well-written thriller with plenty of twists and turns. Recommended

This book was extremely gripping the entire way through. I found myself picking it up intending to just read a couple of chapters and then being unable to put it down every time. There were so many twists in the book, none of which I expected, which left me never feeling bored and always wanting to read on.

I thoroughly enjoyed the way that the chapters switched between different character’s perspectives, as well as between past and present time. The author managed to do this in a way that wasn’t in any way overwhelming or confusing, which I feel can sometimes be the case with books written with a similar approach.

Overall, I’d say this was one of the best books I’ve read recently and I was not one bit disappointed. I’ve already recommended it to family and friends and I can’t wait to read more from this author, definite 5* from me!

Saffy got on my nerves more than once, but overall the story was amazing, full of mistery and twists I didn't see coming. I really liked it and I finished it in one day.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read it.

What a great read I couldn’t.t put it down. Interesting characters, it had it all murder, love, friendship, betrayal, forgiveness . It kept you guessing.

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 a fast paced thriller with plenty of action. Slater’s style of writing is always a hit for me as you’re never focused on one scene for too long.

The story is told by flipping between different characters and their back stories. This works really well as you are given small pieces of the puzzle that then fit into place and everything makes sense at the end.

I liked the main character and her development throughout the book. She was definitely the character that showed the most grit, strength and growth which made her likeable.

If you’re looking for a snappy, quick paced thriller then this could well be the book for you and also check out Slater’s other work which is just as good.

I thought it was an enjoyable thriller with an intriguing story and lots of subplots vaguely mentioned to keep you guessing where they fit into the plot. None of the characters are particularly likeable but their flaws I think are the point of the story.

I’ve never ready a K L Slater book but I will definitely read more in the future after reading this!

An intriguing plot line but a bit too unbelievable as regards the characters and police handling of the main event. None of the characters are particularly likeable but it's a serviceable thriller.

This is such a tense and exciting read, I instantly felt for Saffy a character who puts others before her own needs. The plot builds slowly as Saffy tries to help her best friend whilst dealing with a controlling (IMO) ex. I was dubious of most of the characters and felt they was all out to get her, even thinking Leona was a tad attention seeking.

I loved the different timelines and character development, especially the blast from the past! This is an exciting read and worth adding to your TBR!

"Your best friend begged for your help.
Then the message vanished.
And so did she..."

This is the story of Saffy who is trying to get her life back on track after numerous traumas and set backs, when she gets a message off her best friend, Can’t speak . . . don’t text or call . . . please just come , but then the message is deleted. Confused and worried for her friend Saffy rushes around, to find everything is fine with the household, to later discover she is the last person to visit the family before they go missing, and she is the police's number one suspect...

What a story line and how it unfolds is very clever and keeps you reading and gripped to the end, switching between the characters pasts and present day in a really clear way, the story weaving is great.

There weren't too many characters and they're introduced in away that I was able to keep track of the story without distraction and of course given it is a suspenseful thriller, there are some unsavoury characters, but all feel very real and fleshed out.

I did want to shout at some of the decisions that Saffy was making, but all were relevant and moved the story on and helped other parts of the story unfold.

A gripping read.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

3.5 stars rounded up

This is my first K L Slater book but I doubt it will be my last.
This one was a bit of a slow burn with all of the action happening near the end although you do get to know the characters very well throughout the book. There were plenty of twists and turns some which I did see coming others which I didn’t.
This one is told from several points of view but is very easy to follow.
If you’re looking for a slow burn this one is for you.