Kathryn Croft delivers a chilling and intricately plotted psychological thriller in Sophie Was Here, a story that unravels the haunting mystery of a missing girl and the dark secrets that refuse to stay buried. When Emmie learns that Sophie—the ex-girlfriend of her current boyfriend—vanished under suspicious circumstances, her life begins to spiral as she receives disturbing messages and is pulled deeper into the shadows of the past.

Croft masterfully builds tension throughout the narrative, weaving in layers of deception, suspicion, and emotional complexity. Emmie’s growing obsession with uncovering the truth keeps the momentum high, while the steady stream of revelations creates a sense of unease that lingers on every page.

What sets this novel apart is its intricate detailing and the way the story escalates, leading to a climax where everything unravels with devastating impact. Just when you think you understand what’s happening, Croft delivers another twist, making the journey as unpredictable as it is gripping.

Sophie Was Here is a dark, twist-filled thriller that keeps readers questioning motives and truths right up until the final pages. With its compelling mystery and emotionally charged tension, it’s a must-read for fans of domestic suspense and psychological thrillers.

Thank you to Netgalley, Kathryn Croft and the publisher for approving me an advanced audio copy of this book.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It's the first book I've read by Kathryn Croft and I like her writing style and characters.
The story was interesting, although I did feel it took a while to get going. I think for me, the ending still left some things unanswered, which I would have liked to see more on, but that might just be me.

I will definitely be exploring more books by the author in the future.

This book is a very interesting thriller with many plot twists and things that I never expected. I loved the main character and the back story of Sophie, that really made me cry near the end. The book talks about Emmie and Charlie, a new couple that move into Charlie childhood house. Immediately you feel a sense of unease and we look at the basement. Really basements scares me so much but I loved this. From the basement the questions, the doubts everything starts. I loved every single chapter and I couldn’t wait for it to continue, so many things I could’ve never guessed. So really recommended if you love thriller.

Happy (day after) PUB DAY! 🎉

Wellll….that was a shocking and twisty four-star read! While I had my suspicions and kept flipping back and forth on the “whodunnit,” I was totally wrong—and I loved that!

After Emmie is made redundant from her job as a child behavioral therapist, she gives up her London flat to move in with her boyfriend, Charlie, into the family home his parents gifted him. Charlie, a corporate lawyer, met Emmie when he accidentally knocked her off her bike - a fun meet cute, right?!

But when Emmie first sees the house, her unease kicks in. It has a basement, and years ago, her father died in a basement while she was asleep upstairs.
Things get even weirder when she finds a message scrawled on the basement wall: “Please Help Me”—with what looks like blood underneath it.
Charlie admits seeing it, then later acts like he has no idea what she’s talking about.
When Emmie checks again, the message is gone… but another one appears: “Sophie was here.”
She snaps a picture this time and becomes obsessed with finding out who Sophie is.
But the more Emmie uncovers, the less sure she is of anything—or anyone.

Naomi Frederick did a phenomenal job narrating the story, bringing the characters to life, and elevating the already tense and suspenseful atmosphere!

Huge thank you to NetGalley, Kathryn Croft, and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this twisty tale in exchange for a review! 🖤🔍📚

*this is now available to enjoy for free for Kindle Unlimited members!

I did enjoy this book and it was a quick easy listen. Some of the characters annoyed me but that is part of the development of the book. Overall good thriller! Thank you for the ARC!

I thoroughly enjoyed this. It held my interest from start to finish, and the twists were fairly plausible (except maybe for one. How far would you go for a sibling?).

I enjoyed the dual point of view from both Sophie and Emmy, and liked both characters immensely. Miles and Charlie - Ugh. What losers. Vanessa not lagging too far behind. It just goes to show, once again, that what the wealthy and privileged won't do to protect their reputation beggars belief.

I was in the mood for a quick suspenseful read this week and I was approved for an ARC of this book on audio so I gave it a listen!🎧⁣
⁣
Initially I was pulled in and intrigued! Though right off the bat there were a few things that just felt a little too far fetched for me. I know it’s fiction and I tried to keep that in mind but some things just were a smidge too unrealistic. There also seemed to be quite a few characters to keep track of and around the 75% mark I felt like it was getting a little messy and convoluted. ⁣
⁣
Overall I enjoyed the story itself and the twists that come along with thrillers and mysteries!⁣
⁣
Thank you to @NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for this ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4/5

The golden boy from a wealthy family takes interest in the new girl in town. They “fall in love” and then she disappear. Years later, that same golden boy moves back to his family home, with his new partner. She finds a secret message in the basement and everything starts to unravel.

This book kept my interest (and kept me guessing) until the very end.

Read this book if you’re into:
- who-dun-its
- dual timelines
- family secrets

Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture, and Kathryn Croft for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was so intrigued by the cover and title that I knew I had to read it ASAP. This book had me hooked from the very beginning. It was so mysterious and I loved all the characters and how they interacted in different parts of the story. I just had to know what happened to Sophie since the first carving in the basement and the plot did not disappoint! One of my favorite reads of the year so far!

Sophie Was Here by Kathryn Croft is twisty and is told in dual timelines and it as it went on, I kept thinking I had it figured out, I did not! The suspense was on par and I enjoyed it from beginning to end.

I listened to the audio version of this and the narrator made it even more enjoyable.

Thank you so Netgalley for the audio book of this great book!

I listened to this one on audiobook and found the narrator to be solid overall — her pacing was clear, and the emotion came through well. However, I do wish she had distinguished the characters’ voices more clearly. At times, it was hard to tell who was speaking, which pulled me out of the story here and there.

The plot pulled me in right away with a strong, fast start, but I felt it hit a bit of a lull in the middle. Some of the momentum faded, and I found myself waiting for things to pick back up. That said, I really enjoyed the twist toward the end and thought the conclusion tied things up in a satisfying way.

A good pick if you like psychological thrillers with a layered mystery — just be prepared for a slower second act.

Title: Sophie Was Here
Author: Kathryn Croft
Format: 🎧
Narrator: Norma Frederick
Publisher: Bookouture Audio
Genre: Psychological Thriller – Family Drama
Pub Date: July 3, 2025
My Rating: 5
Pages: 369

I was lucky to have read the Galley and enjoyed it. I am an audiobook fan so when I the opportunity to get the audiobook – I excitedly took it.
Yes! The narrator was great. I have a good imagination but cannot image hearing the Brit accent so loved the audio!!

Story is told from the POV of Emmie ~Now and Sophie ~Then.
and Charlie have been together for about a year when Charlies parent’s give the happy couple Charlie’s childhood home a sprawling farmhouse. It is a dream come true for Emmie but Charlie isn’t excited.
Once they arrive, Emmie finds out that a girl named Sophie, who has been missing for seventeen years, was once Charlie’s girlfriend.
Charlie was on holiday when she vanished. Emmie is alone and find a locked door. She finds the keys and opens it to find it is the door to the basement. She down to the basement and under the light of the single bulb, scratched into the wall, I see
Sophie was here.
However, when Emmie tries to talk to Charlie about it he either doesn’t want to talk about it or lies! Emmie then starts her own investigation as she has to know the truth. The more she searches the more she doesn’t trust Charlie.


I read and enjoyed only two Ms. Croft’s stories and they were both great so have been looking forward to another.
I read "Suspect and The Girl in Room 12" so I went into this with high expectations!
Needless to say Ms. Croft didn't disappoint !!!
Want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for granting me the pleasure of listening to this audiobook.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for July 3, 2025.

Who is gaslighting who here?

A well written domestic thriller which I both read as an ARC and listened to as this audio. Both scored an easy 4☆.

The plot line is quite convoluted (perhaps a little too much so at times) but on the whole this is engrossing with many thoroughly unlikeable characters.

The setting is atmospheric, more so, for me in the written version as you visualise your own interpretation rather that the narrators.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARAC which was very much appreciated.

I gave this book 4 stars.
Emmy and her boyfriend Charlie move to his old house in a town outside of London. They are fixing the house when Emmy finds some carvings on the basement “Sophie was here”, she starts asking too many questions in order to find out who was Sophie and what happened to her. Not knowing that all those questions could put her in danger.

It was such a great book, it had a really good plot twist. The only thing I have to say is I HATE HATE HATE HATE the Hollingers, that family has a lot of problems, they only one that can be saved is Vanessa that girl has been through so much because of her horrible family.

I listened to it on audiobook and it was sooooo good love the emotion she gave it.

Overall it was a great reading, it had me hooked I couldn’t put it down! I really recommend specially for a winter read!

Thank you bookouture audio for giving me a copy of this book through NetGalley!

Four star thriller! This twists and turns keeps you guessing till the very end. The narrator was great and I really enjoyed this one. Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the early release arc.

Kathryn Croft delivers another gripping mystery thriller in her novel, Sophie Was Here. From the very first page, the story pulls you in and refuses to let go.

Told through dual perspectives—one set in the past, the other in the present—the novel masterfully weaves two timelines into one suspenseful and emotionally charged narrative. Each chapter leaves you eager to piece together the truth, creating a puzzle that slowly and satisfyingly comes together.

Croft’s writing is crisp and immersive, and her pacing is spot-on. The characters are compelling, and the mystery unfolds in a way that keeps you guessing without ever feeling confusing. Whether you’re a longtime fan of psychological thrillers or new to the genre, Sophie Was Here is a must-read.

"Sophie Was Here" by Kathryn Croft had me in a full-on audiobook chokehold from the very first chapter. I hit play…and suddenly it was three hours later, my coffee was cold, and I was side-eyeing everyone around me like they had secrets too.

This isn't your typical in-your-face thriller—it’s more of a smoldering unravel (see what I did there?). The kind that sneaks up on you, weaving tension through dual timelines until your brain's doing somersaults trying to figure it all out. And just when I thought I had it nailed? BAM. Plot twist. Cue me yelling “Excuse me?!” at my car stereo.

The shifting timelines are done so well, keeping the suspense high while slowly peeling back layers of secrets, lies, and that delicious sense of dread. Kathryn Croft knows how to serve mystery with a side of whiplash—and I ate it up.

If you're looking for a twisty, keep-you-guessing till the very end thriller audiobook, Sophie Was Here is absolutely worth your ears. Trust me—this is one of those stories that makes you want to cancel plans, ignore texts, and live in your headphones. No regrets.

4.5⭐
Pub Date: July 3rd, 2025

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookoture Audio, and Kathryn Croft for this Advanced Listener Copy. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

What a page turner that had me guessing until the very end! So many twists and turns i never saw coming. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from Kathryn Croft.

The was a fantastic audiobook to listen to! So many people with dark secrets and they have come back to Peaslake where I knew the truth would be uncovered by the end, hopefully without anyone else going missing. And it does with twist after twist, sad times (yep, several heartbreaking moments), good times, and a bang of a climax! Emmie is awesome with how she is willing to keep searching for Sophie ( I mean who wouldn't after finding marks and writing in the basement of the giant farmhouse that she and Charlie have just moved into) even when she gets cold shoulders from the residents of the town and Charlie not telling her anything and covering up all the evidence as soon as Emmie finds it. I do like how it jumps from the present back to the past so we get Sophie's last days and choices she made before disappearing. It really amps up the denials, gaslighting, and additional disappearances that pop up as Emmie races to find the truth (about Sophie and another secret that is just Emmie's) before she too might "disappear!"

I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook and the narrator (Naomi Frederick) did a wonderful job in bringing Emmie and Sophie to life and let them tell their stories about what happened in the town of Peaslake so long ago. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me listen to this audiobook.

This book had me in a chokehold the entire time. Good freaking God I didn’t see any of this coming. One second I thought I knew what was going to happen then BOOM joke is on me because I didn’t. This was so well written and there was NEVER a dull moment! Vanessa had my heart. She went through so much. I hated how she was treated like a fragile child by everyone. She deserved so much better. Amazing story. Mind blowing twisted. This has got to end up on the top of the charts when it comes out! 10 stars!!!