☆ALC REVIEW☆

I was not a fan of the narrator but the plot was really good. I think I'm going to read the physical copy!

Thank you NetGalley, the author and Bookouture Audio for an advanced listeners copy in exchange for a review.

Sophie Was Here by Kathryn Croft is a gripping psychological thriller that pulls you in from the very beginning and refuses to let go. The story is packed with suspense, and just when you think you’ve figured out where it’s going, it throws a twist your way.

What I loved most about this book was how it gave you just enough information to start forming theories—but never quite enough to feel certain. I found myself constantly second-guessing what would happen next, and I loved that unpredictability. The pacing was excellent, the plot was tight, and the tension kept building all the way through.

The audiobook narration by Naomi Frederick was absolutely perfect for this story. Her voice matched the tone of the book and helped bring the characters and emotions to life in a compelling way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the advanced listening copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book had me completely engrossed from beginning to end! It was packed with twists and turns—just when I thought I had it all figured out, Kathryn Croft would throw in another curveball. I found myself constantly questioning who to trust, which kept the suspense high throughout. The writing was sharp, and the characters were well-developed, making the tension even more compelling.

I listened to the audiobook edition, narrated by Naomi Frederick, who did a fantastic job bringing the story and its characters to life. Her performance added an extra layer of intensity to an already gripping plot.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for providing a copy of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

#SophieWasHere #NetGalley

Remarkably well written, we join Emmie who moves to a small town with her partner and starts to uncover the villages secrets.

I thought at points I knew where this was taking me, but it uses established tropes to subvert what you’re expecting!

Some readers may find it a little tricky, keeping the timeline in mind, but it was an amazing read that I couldn’t put down!

Naomi has done an amazing job in the narration of this piece, with subtle, not distracting, changes to accents and diction to play each character with heart.

Emmie and Charlie, after only dating for about a year, decide to move back to his family home for a fresh start. His family has given him the massive farmhouse as part of his inheritance. Emmie finds carvings in the basement, with what appears to be blood, that say "Sophie was here" and "help me." Emmie then discovers that Sophie is a girl who went missing almost 20 years ago and was never found. This story is told from two different timeframes - one from when Sophie was a teenager and one from present day as Emmie tries to unravel the secrets that Charlie is keeping from her.

I received an audio version of this book from NetGalley for my honest review. I really liked this story and enjoyed both POVs. I loved hearing about the characters and how the past sculpted their characters today. There were some twists that I didn't see coming. I'd recommend this book to others and I would definitely read more books by Kathryn Croft.

Sofie Was here is a fast paced, domestic/psychological thriller that kept me guessing from the first page to the last.
We follow our main character, Emmy, as she moves with her boyfriend, Charlie, to his hometown. His wealthy family has generously gifted them a house, and the events in both their lives leading up to this opportunity strongly suggest it's the fresh start they desperately need. However, shortly after settling in, the true narrative quickly unfolds: the disappearance of a young girl named Sophie, which occurred when Charlie was a teenager, and his potential involvement.

Dual Timelines Done Right
This book masterfully employs dual timelines, a technique I found exceptionally well executed. The transitions between the present and the 2008-2009 timeline, which follows Sophie, were seamless, contributing to an overall polished and effective narrative.

The twists and turn seemed to be constant in the last 20% of the book, and I loved it! Nothing was too far-fetched, everything made perfect sense when the twist started to unfold- and even though I was doing major detective work all throughout I hadn't even considered some of the plot twists as possibilities!

Narration:
I listened to this book on audio, and I thought the narration was perfection. The narrator was engaging, maintained pacing and flow and created a good connection between me, the reader, and the characters.

A huge thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with the ARC of Sophie Was Here!

I was immersed from the beginning of this audiobook until the end and it had many twists and turns it starts off a little slow paced as the author builds the scene and introduces characters but then by the time the main characters Emmie and Charlie have moved from their flat in London to the a large farmhouse in the countryside it all gathers momentum.

All is not quite as it appears or how it is delivered as you can imagine with a psychological thriller and so the writing style of this I found was done well and flowed without confusion as we find we are walking through 2 timelines of when Charlie was a teenager living in this farmhouse then in the current time frame with his now girlfriend Emmie.

When they first arrive the farmhouse is in need of much repair it was gifted by Charlie’s parents to keep the house in the family so it didn’t have to be sold and at the time it suited their needs. Emmie has some personal issues when she discovers a basement but she decides to confront them head on this is when she finds the first message carved in wood please help with what looks like blood… Not long after she finds herself questioning what happened then another message Sophie was here… Will Emmie uncover the story of what happened at the farmhouse and more importantly will she escape with her life?

This was very well narrated all of the characters were completely unique and individual and brought to life an excellent job by Naimi Fredrick.

With huge gratitude and thanks to NetGalley & Bookouture Audio for this ELC in return for an open honest review. With best wishes for publication on July 3rd 2025 🙏🏽📚🎧❤️

I flew through this book! The story, told on two timelines , is interesting, the writing is good and the plotting is spot on. There are several twists which turned all my theories on their heads! I listened way past my bedtime because I absolutely had to know how this ended. If you want an addictive domestic thriller then grab this!

Naomi Frederick did a great job narrating the book.

I loved all the twists in this one. 🤩 it was a bit of a slow burn but all the crazy twists were worth it. I loved the cover and the narration was great.

I want to first thank NetGalley, Kathryn, & bookouture audio for giving me the opportunity to listen to this book in advance.

I really liked this book it was a 4.5 ⭐️ for me. The twists were very well played out & can definitely say I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING. It was for sure a page turner great whodunnit book filled with family secrets. Gave you a bit of that creepy feel with the whole basement story. I will be grabbing more books by the author & reviewing more.

Once again thank you for the audio ARC

A quick read/listen with a lot of twists and turns. Lots of misleading characters and plot points. I listened to this one and the narration was good, a bit flat at times but got the job done.

The story itself was what I’d say is an overblown thriller, where the author throws every possible theory at a wall and the one that lands behind the desk is the one that ended up being the conclusion. It was a bit too jumbled at times where I had to stop and go back and re-listen to see how we got from point A to number 4.

And the sheer amount of gaslighting in the beginning had me considering a DNF. Again, it’s a plot point and it all (sort of) wrapped up in the end but it was not done in a way that made me think anything other than telling her to leave that man.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the ARC!

This was definitely my favorite suspense ARC thus far.. is there anything earth shattering original here? No, not really. BUT it does keep your interest all the way through.. At sometimes it felt a little all over the place and like there was one too many characters.. But this author has a knack for solid twists which definitely keep the reader interested. This would be great for people who love a busy book that's loaded with family gossip. I would definitely be open to reading this author again

🌟 3.75 rounded down 🌟

Sophie Was Here by Kathryn Croft is pretty good. Even though there are a lot of characters, I was able to keep them all straight. The buildup and reveal were both enjoyable, but I did find it a tiny bit underwhelming since I made two guesses before starting the book and was correct about one and a half of them. I don't know exactly what made my brain put it together, but alas... This in no way reflects negatively on the author, as I remained engaged and did change what I suspected throughout, which is why I only deducted one star.

Naomi Frederick is an okay narrator, but I would have appreciated more range or a second narrator.

Thank you to Bookouture Audio for providing me with an ALC.

I really wanted to love Sophie Was Here, and in many ways I did. The author delivers an amazing psychological suspense story, weaving in secrets, doubts, and tension that kept me turning pages. The premise—uncovering what happened to a missing girl—had genuine intrigue, and I appreciated the slow reveal of character motivations .

That said, halfway through I found myself losing interest. The pacing, especially in the middle, dragged a bit, and I began to sense where things were heading—making the final twists feel somewhat formulaic.

Character-wise, Sophie starts off compelling but doesn’t evolve enough to elevate the plot. Her transformation feels subtle rather than climactic. I did enjoy the psychological depth—another reviewer praised the way hidden motivations emerged naturally —but for me, it wasn’t quite enough to sustain the emotional pull through to the end. I also enjoyed the audio as a whole, I appreciated the accent - sometimes I wish it were a little more dramatic during certain tense scenes.

Final Verdict: If you enjoy methodical, character-driven suspense or slow-burn mysteries, Sophie Was Here is worth your time. Just be prepared for a slightly predictable middle act and a payoff that doesn’t always land as strongly as it builds. Still, well worth reading—for the tension, the reveal, and the atmosphere.

Gripping, thrilling, shocking and twist filled! Sophie Was Here: A totally addictive and absolutely gripping psychological thriller is another captivating book by Kathryn Croft. This story builds slowly and normally I have issues with slow building books but I was invested in the mystery surrounding the house, the disappearance of a young woman, and the family that I just cruised along with this drama filled ride and before I knew it, things picked up and I couldn't put Sophie Was Here down!

Emmie and her boyfriend, Charlie have moved into Forest Farm, Charlie's family home which has sat empty for years. When Emmie discovers writing on the wall ("Sophie was here”) in the basement her interest is piqued! Emmie soon learns that Sophie, Charlie's high school girlfriend went missing years ago. I love a good cold case and apparently so does Emmie's and she begins asking questions around the village about Sophie....

This book is told in two timelines using multiple POV's. This was a nice touch and provided insight into many of the characters' lives from when they are teenagers and into adulthood. I always enjoying trying to determine whodunit and was shocked when the reveal occurred.

Families can be complex, and this family is no exception. There are secrets, lies, and gaslighting galore in this book. At times I wondered who could be trusted, who was telling the truth, and how much danger was Emmie getting herself into by asking questions that made certain characters uncomfortable.

As I mentioned, this book begins slowly as the author builds the plot and introduces readers to members of the family and village. I enjoyed when things began to get tense and individuals began getting uncomfortable. This book has a nice amount to twist which kept me on my toes and changing my list of suspects. There were a few reveals that I did not see coming and I always love it when that happens.

I had both the book and audiobook versions of Sophie Was Here, which made for a full immersive reading experience.

Wonderfully written, well thought out, clever, and full of secrets!

I won't lie, the first half of this book, I found slow and repetitive, but I stuck with it, and it got much better. The ending was wild! (No spoilers). If you enjoy small town drama, investigating family secrets and murder. Then you will like this. 4 stars

This was a twisty story with lots of revelations throughout to keep you guessing.

There is a lot going on with the plot moving from the past to the present to get to the truth about what happened to Sophie. I like the how all the different characters had a side story happening that linked into the main the mystery of the missing girl.
I listened to the audiobook and Naomi Frederick was an excellent narrator.

Very good fast paced read

Sophie Was Here by Kathryn Croft, brilliantly narrated by Naomi Frederick, was an audiobook experience I won’t soon forget.

From the very start, I was hooked. The pacing, the suspense, the way each layer of truth peeled back with perfect timing was utterly captivating. The twist Completely blindsided me. I thought I had things figured out, but Kathryn Croft masterfully kept me second-guessing right to the finish line. Even when I sensed a reveal coming, it didn’t play out the way I expected, and I loved every second of it.

The story follows Emmie and Charlie, a couple who relocate to Charlie’s childhood hometown. But when Emmie discovers cryptic words carved into the basement wall of their new home, she becomes fixated on uncovering the truth about Sophie, who vanished without a trace years before. As Emmie digs deeper, the chilling possibility arises: could the man she loves be tied to the mystery?

Told through dual timelines and multiple points of view, the narrative builds a rich web of secrets, guilt, and obsession. Some twists I saw coming, others took me completely off guard, but they all kept the tension sky-high.

Naomi Frederick’s narration was the perfect match for this psychological thriller. Her performance elevated the story, giving the characters depth and urgency, making it impossible to stop listening. this story was made for her voice.

The intertwining of past and present was mesmerizing. The story explores perfection in all its forms, perfect lives, perfect facades, and the perfect secret that threatens to unravel everything. I felt completely immersed in the world of Emmie, Sophie, and Vanessa. Their emotions, their fire, their need for the truth, I was right there with them.

In short, this was a gripping and immersive listening experience that had me glued from the first chapter to the last.

I’ve already read a few of Kathryn Croft’s books, less than I remember it seems, but perhaps they predate my presence here. I thoroughly enjoyed Sophie Was Here, and guess what? not only did I not see the twist coming, I was completely shocked when it did. I absolutely love not guessing the twist.

Emmie has a great new life to look forward to, boyfriend Charlie’s parents have gifted them a large farmhouse in a beautiful village, a far cry from the life she lives in London. A dream come true, yet a nightmare about to start. The couple haven’t been in their new home for very long when snippets of information start to come at Emmie in whispers, it seems that Sophie, the local girl who disappeared when she was 17 year old was Charlie’s girlfriend, moreover it seems she’s left a message in the basement!

I’d say this was a little bit of a slow burn, or perhaps more methodical than slow, but that allowed me to really get into the story.

Naomi Frederick’s narration was excellent although I did have to adjust my listening speed to 2.

Many thanks to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ALC 🎧

What started out as a mystery about a missing Sophie, a teenager from the past, twists into so much more. Wealthy family drama, lies, assumptions, and issues with trust all created an unexpected act three. Could not stop listening until all my questions were answered.