K.L Slater is a mainstay of the genre who never disappoints for me and I'm thrilled to say Message Deleted was no different.

I'm used to the general twists and turns of a mystery thriller but things were a little more complicated and hidden this time. There's no big 'third act reveal', instead it's a slow and creeping thread that's twisted throughout the chapters, in such an expert way that you barely notice it until it reaches crescendo and suddenly all the pieces of the puzzle fit.

It took a little while to get going for me, but I will 100% say it's worth the background scene setting and the initial misdirection.

Thanks to NetGalley for this one.. a very fast paced read!

Now this book isn't perfect, and I had mostly predicted the outcome in the first third of the book. But, it was a very fast paced, thrilling read! For much of the book,.you don't know where to out your loyalties which I think actually was the best bit.. this was also mostly plausible I feel, which adds to the enticement!

Another intriguing blurb, another disappointing delivery.

Saffy is at a job interview when she receives some worrying messages from her best friend Leona, asking her not to ring, but to come immediately. When Saffy gets there, Leona is fine and claims to have no knowledge of any messages. However, hours later, Leona, her husband and her child are all missing, and the police have found blood in the house and Saffy was the last person to see them all.

My main issue with Message Deleted, is that I found Saffy beyond irritating. I really struggled to feel anything other than exasperated by another protagonist making stupid decisions. I think novels without a likeable protagonist need to have something else to keep a reader interested, and Message Deleted just didn’t have it.

The potential was there, and it’s a shame that such a good idea had such a poor payoff. I know it was supposed to be a slow burn, but there’s slow burn and then there’s just a story that drags and becomes dull. I was expecting moments of high tension but all I got was insane plot holes that just didn’t make sense and an unrealistic police investigation. I also found the climax of the story even more poorly written and was very clunky and awkward to read.

This is my third two-star review for this author, so I think it’s safe to say that this author isn’t for me.

A great read with plenty of twists in it. It really had me hooked and I couldn't stop reading. A very clever story which I recommend. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

When you receive a text from your best friend asking for help, you would just react and head to their aid however then the message disappears and your friend denies all knowledge.Mystery. Not only that but a whole can of worms opens up and they just keep coming.
Plenty going on in this story with lots of twists and information going along that keeps the reader guessing and trying to fathom out what is really happening. Slow to begin with but quickly builds pace. The ending though is a bit of a marmite one - it wouldn't be me is all I'm saying!!!

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC to review,

I couldn’t put the book down. It was a quick and easy read but written well enough to keep the suspense and the need to read ‘just one more chapter’
There was a good little twist which although I was suspicious of, I didn’t see the full story coming.
I will definitely be looking to read more of the authors books

*Delayed review due to holiday*

We meet sisters Saffy and Poppy, Saffy suffering with anxiety due to past trauma herself and Poppy suffered.
Heading to an all important job interview, Saffy receives a text from her childhood best friend, Leona, saying she can't speak, and not to text, not to call "please just come" and then, they are deleted.
Saffy makes the visit, leaving behind her interview and before you know it she is tied up as a prime suspect in a missing family case.

Told from 2 different timelines, past and present, KL Slater kept me hooked from a couple pages in. An ending that makes sense, and a few twists and turns along the way!

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another fab read by K.L Slater who has always been a go to author of mine. Her books never disappoint so if you want something fast paced that will keep you on the edge of your seat then message deleted is the perfect book for you. I loved every single word I read.

Thank you to NetGalley the publisher and the author for an advance copy of this book in exchange for this review.

Thanks to NetGalley, I was able to read this amazing book!

I love crime, mystery and thriller so I knew this would be right up my street.

It was a slightly slow burn, but definitely worth the wait. I couldn’t put it down once I’d started it! I just HAD to know what was happening.

This is a perfect quick read for anyone who is a fan of psychological thrillers and who wants to be gripped from start to finish.

A well written book that kept me engaged from start to finish. I had several days at work yawning as the book kept me awake as I always read at bed time. Loved it !

Highly recommend this book - in fact I have already to many friends whilst reading it . . a terrific read
Lots of twists and turns, tense and thrilling, really keeps you guessing right to the end. Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Thank you

A decent psychological thriller. My first from this author but I'd definitely read another.
Had some tense moments with some good twists and turns.
Enjoyable over all.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoy K.L. Slater’s thrillers and this is no exception. I would say it’s more of a slow burn than typical thrillers I’ve read and it is on the longer side, I think it could of been 100 pages shorter but all in all a good solid thriller that I read in one sitting with a plot that kept me guessing until the end.

★★★½ ROUNDED UP ⭐️⬆️
———————
I want to thank NetGalley and The Publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

I have read quite a few novels from KL Slater so when I had the opportunity to receive this book for NetGalley I jumped at the chance.

The plot of this book is about Saffy, waiting to get into an interview when her childhood best friend sends 3 ominous messages which are quickly deleted. Deciding this is far more important than the interview she rushes to her aid but all is not what it seems.

I have found previous novels to be easy to spot the twists as they come but this book is one of her best I have read so far. There is enough information to keep you guessing on each characters involvement but also enough that you’re left questioning each one and whether they’re the guilty party. I particularly enjoyed the end of the book where it is wrapped up well and there isn’t that annoying niggle of a question. It’s also nice to see what happened after it was figured out.

Overall this was a great read, I would recommend giving it a go!

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.

What an intriguing story that had me hooked from the beginning. The story weaves between the past and present as it's told in multiple POV'S. It's very well written, and the author definitely had me lured in and on the edge of my seat.

I really like Saffy, our main protagonist. I felt like she had been through so much and not just in her adult life. It seemed to me like her issues started with her upbringing once her sister was born. She was such a strong character and faced everything head-on. All the characters were introduced in a way that meant it didn't become confusing. Being a thriller, we had a few not so nice characters, but they added to the story well, and it all felt like it could be real.

My only critique is that I felt the police just didn't show any empathy or understanding towards Saffy, and although they have a job to do, I thought they should have shown some compassion.

Overall, it was a great thrilling read to get hooked into with some surprising twists throughout.

When Daffy receives a message from her friend which us then deleted, she knows her friend is in some sort of trouble or danger. However, she's not prepared for the can of worms that's about to open.
Great twists that keep you turning the pages to get to the bottom if it all.
A definite must read

After a slow start Message Delete gripped me in its twists and turns. The characters are flawed and not particularly likeable and some of the decisions made by the main character, Saffy, had me cringing. However, I liked the premise of the book and for anyone grabbed by the blurb like I was, I hope you enjoy the book too.

I was sent a copy of this novel by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I liked the twist at the end but Saffy"s critical thinking skills left the chat way too many times 😩.

Over all it was a well paced book and I stayed up until 1 am to finish it.

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for an ARC of #MessageDeleted.
3.5 stars
An intriguing book, keeping the reader hooked by flipping between narrator and timeline. But the main character Saffy, I just couldn't build any empathy/compassion for. I would go so far as to say there were situations where I found her irritating. However the story was great. From about 50% I was convinced I knew what happened, how wrong was I!

Good story, annoying characters but definitely a recommended read.