A well paced saga of a friendship between two women which is tested by events.
I found it more of an unfolding story than a biting thriller but it was excellently written with likable characters and an overall good plot.

Saffy receives WhatsApp messages from a friend seeming to ask for help but these are quickly deleted. Saffy leaves her interview to go and check on her friend, Leona, who denies knowledge of the messages. All seems to okay if not a little uncomfortable in their house but less than 24hrs Leona, her husband and daughter are all reported missing.

The storyline flows a few subplots from the past and present day which interweave together as we discover more of Saffy’s past and what has happened to Leona and her family. The pace for the most part was okay but there were definitely sections that were felt a little lacking and slow. I found some of the authors writing techniques such as puttingwordsaltogetherlikethis kind of annoying. I didn’t particularly like or connect with any of the characters either which left me a little underwhelmed.

My first experience with this author. I’d perhaps try another book but this wasn’t my favourite.

What a fabulous thriller. This book is so well written and keeps the reader on the edge of their seat.

A very clever story which keeps going to the very end.

Brilliant

This was a brand new author for me, and I was NOT disappointed! There were several very strong story lines that at first seemed to be unrelated, and the author kept me guessing on many things right to the end. Despite the often convoluted twists it wasn't confusing at all, and was instead a really enjoyable read.
This story really is a lesson in why you should always be honest, and I'd like to think Saffy learned from it. Saffy was a great main character, if maybe a little ditsy, but given the history that's actually not surprising.

I'll definitely be looking out for more by this author.

An engaging read, though not my favorite from K.L. Slater, and I've devoured all of her books.

The story kicks off with Saffy receiving urgent SOS messages from her best friend Leona, only to see them vanish instantly. Ditching an important interview, she rushes to Leona's side, only to find Leona denying ever sending the messages. Saffy’s instincts tell her something's off, especially since she’s never trusted Leona’s husband, Ash.

The plot thickens when Leona, Ash, and their daughter Rosie disappear. With Saffy being the last to see them, suspicion naturally falls on her.

There are plenty of sub-plots that weave together nicely in the end (no spoilers here), but I felt the story dragged in parts. The repetitive police interviews with Saffy became a bit monotonous, slowing down the overall pace.

Saffy gets a message from her best friend Leona and then it's deleted which upsets her so leaves an interview to go to her house but all is ok there so no problem, but 24hrs later the family goes missing and Saffy is the last person to see them and a major suspect.
Plenty of twists over present and past.
I just couldn't find any character likeable.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC and I give my honest review.

Fantastic book , I thoroughly enjoy it . I do love novels by this author but this one was better than ever . Great characters and just the right amount of tension . I had no idea where the story was leading and certainly didn’t expect that ending . I would highly recommend this book . Five Stars from me , can’t wait for the next

Publication date: 18 July 2024

An interesting read but I wouldn’t say it was the best one from K.L. Slater and I’ve read them all.

When Saffy receives SOS messages from her best friend Leona which are immediately deleted, she ditches the interview she’s about to have and runs to her rescue. When she gets there, Leona denies having sent the messages and Saffy knows something isn’t quite right. She’s never liked Leona’s husband, Ash, and there doesn’t appear to be any love lost.

Leona, Ash and her daughter Rosie then go missing and with Saffy being the last one to see them, she becomes the prime suspect.

Lots of sub-plots which all tie in later (no spoilers) but I did think this dragged on a little bit in places - Saffy was interviewed time and time again by the police and it was the same thing over and over for me. 4⭐️

Another fabulous twisty read from K L Slater. Another book where the characters get right on your nerves and are despicable. The book kept me guessing all the way through. I do think there were some unanswered questions but the main plot of the book all came together at the end. I recommend this one.

Intriguing, a page turner and it will keep you guessing.

I enjoyed this book and the idea behind it, great read and I'd recommend to a friend.
The last quarter kept me awake way past bedtime as I had to finish it.

I've never read anything by this author before but I will definitely try her other works.

I have to admit to being a little bit disappointed with this not so thrilling thriller.

Saffy and Leona have been best friends for years, yet lately Saffy feels that Leona is slipping away from her. Leona's husband Ash is less than thrilled with their friendship and has preferred to keep them apart and now Saffy has suspicions that Leona is being abused by Ash due to some suspicious bruising. Saffy has issues of her own due to something in her recent past that caused her to seek therapy and broke up her own marriage to Neil, who has custody of their little boy, Fox. Into this mix is added Saffy's sister, Poppy, who is also dealing with trauma from the past and choses to tackle her demons by making dangerous choices with a string of unsuitable men.

One day, Saffy receives a Whatsapp message from Leona asking for help, which is then mysteriously deleted. Rushing to Leona's house, Saffy is mystified to find that nothing is wrong and Leona seems anxious to get her out of the house...Later that night, Saffy receives a visit from the police - Leona, Ash and their daughter Rosie are missing and she was the last one seen leaving their house...Soon, Saffy finds herself a person of interest and struggles to prove her innocence. Can she find out what has happened to her friend before she ends up going to jail.

I was hoping to be thrilled by this book but sadly I just wasn't. The story had a good premise and started well but it went downhill when Leona went missing. I had already figured out that things weren't as they seemed - it was too obvious that it wouldn't be. The reveal seemed far fetched and I just didn't buy into it as believable. I was also not a fan of the ending chapters being six months later and then a year later - I felt that they weren't really needed and were more suggestive of being short of word count so put in as extra padding as they didn't add anything really.

If you like your thrillers a little lighter then you will probably enjoy this, however if, like me, you want them a bit more thrilling then you should look somewhere else.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review,

I loved this book. I thought the premise was brilliant. It just kept getting more twisty and crazy but a thoroughly enjoyable read. Highly recommended xx

I enjoyed reading this book, very much my type of thriller.

Plenty of twists and turns to keep you interested and once I started I struggled to put it down.

MESSAGE DELETED

When I was given the chance to read a K.L. Slater book before publication of course I said yes !!

And I was not disappointed !

This cleverly written, psychological thriller has you gripped from the very first page.

The whole story is filled with dramatic twists and as the drama unfolds it becomes even harder to put the book down.

So, thank you #NetGalley, the publishers #MichealJoseph #PenguinRandonHouse and of course the author #KLSlater for my #eArc copy of #MessageDeleted in exchange for my honest review.

#MessageDeleted #author #klslater #mystery #thriller #pshychological #friendship #marriage #domesticthriller

Saffy and Poppy are sisters and quite close. A while ago something happened to Poppy that put Saffy in a complete tailspin and she lost custody of her son Fox who now lives with his father and his girlfriend. Saffy has always been close to Leona since growing up together. Saffy is at an interview when she gets a message from Leona asking for help but not to call or text, which then disappears from her screen, message deleted. Saffy dashes off to find the house empty . A short time later the police turn up at Saffy’s door saying Leona and her family have all gone missing, Saffy possibly being the last person to see them and is hence under suspicion. What on earth is going on and can Saffy still have some time with her son?

Oh wow! Once I started this I found myself racing through it- I was so keen to find out what was going on. Its cleverly written engaging the reader and occasional chapter take us back in time to the three main characters' lives (Saffy, Leona and Poppy). There are numerous twists and turns which put me on the edge of my seat. I liked Saffy and her loyalty to her friends and sister despite everything they had been through. A well thought out, very clever premise and one I thoroughly enjoyed.


For more reviews please follow me on Twitter (X) @nickisbookblog
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A really enjoyable and nail-biting book from K.L. Slater, the plot is tight and well-wrought. Clues are left along the way but they are subtle and kept me guessing until the end, and I enjoyed how not everything was how it seemed! I thought the characters were excellently depicted and each had a personality of their own, which sometimes suffers in these kinds of thrillers, but happy to say not here! Poppy especially grew on me, at first she seemed slightly entitled but by the end I was rooting for her just as much as Saffy. A really enjoyable read, thank you Netgalley and Michael Joseph for the arc!

A very interesting and intricate mystery/thriller with a cast of flawed yet human characters. I thought the premise was really good, the writing flowed brilliantly with just enough detail and pace, and I admit that I was left guessing how it would all tie in for quite some time. The ending was exactly what was needed, nothing ambiguous about it which is how I like these books to end!

Not quite 5* for me personally, just because I feel it’s hard to empathise and care for any one character when moving between them and written in this style. However, that’s personal preference because the writing style is absolutely what’s needed to keep the mystery alive!

Message Deleted was a good read but not my favourite from this author. I was drawn in by the premise of the deleted messages but I thought it lacked in the police procedural part.

Saffy is waiting to go into a job interview when she receives a string of strange WhatsApp message from her friend Leona. “Can’t speak… don’t text or call… please just come.” Then as quickly as they arrive they are deleted by the sender and, when Saffy arrives at the house, Leona claims to have no idea what she is talking about. A few hours later Leona and her family disappear and, as the last person to see them, the police focus on Saffy as their number one suspect.

The attitude of the police right from the beginning really annoyed me. They had no obvious motive or reason to suspect Saffy at that point and yet they were extremely hostile from the moment they arrived at her home. Given that Saffy couldn’t have been at the house more than an hour, and could prove both where she was before and what time she left, it made no sense that they immediately thought she was somehow responsible or that they would focus their entire investigation on her.

The idea that Saffy has no visitation or parenting time with her child ex-husband deigned to allow also seemed so unbelievable. Even if her ex-husband has sole custody, that doesn’t mean he can decide whether or not she gets to see her son, especially given that Saffy has a job, a home, and her mental health issues seem to be well controlled.

The story is told in dual timelines, and that is something I really enjoy in a crime novel. It allows us to learn more about the characters as we are slowly introduced to the moments in their lives that have led to this present one.

None of the characters are likeable or sympathetic, and it makes it very difficult to care what actually happens to them. Being inside Saffy’s head, where she is full of self-pity and self-blame, is not at all fun and it makes the story drag a little.

The ending is a little bit melodramatic and slightly unbelievable but the story does build towards it in a way that all makes sense.

Thank you to Netgalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

I do enjoy a novel by KL Slater and this was no different. It’s always a gripping story with great characters, who sometimes aren’t that likeable. Saffy spends her life trying to keep everyone happy & safe, in particular her younger sister and best friend. When she receives a concerning text from Leona, the best friend, she rushes round to check on her. Everything appears fine so she goes home where she later has a knock on the door from police saying Leona, husband Ash and Daughter Rosie have all disappeared and Saffy was the last to see them.
Saffy tries desperately to try and find them but as she’s the prime suspect she can’t decide what she actually knows and what she believes but might not be true.
Saffy is a great character although at times you just roll your eyes at her decision making and actions. Written from the perspectives of Saffy and her sister Poppy the tale unravels at a fast pace and keeps you guessing.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book with no obligation to review.
#MessageDeleted #NetGalley