Why do you do when you’re just about to go into a job interview and you get frantic messages from your best friend, only to have them immediately deleted? This dilemma begins KL Slater’s latest book and the plot becomes more and more convoluted as the story progresses. All the characters are well drawn and real but the plot stretches credibility at times, particularly in the way the main character is treated by police. Nonetheless, the book is engaging and well paced and draws the reader towards the end, wanting to know the outcome.

I'm a big fan of K L Slater so was very excited to read this arc #MessageDeleted. Sadly this one didn't live up to my expectations. I really enjoy books where I feel a connection with the mc, when I want to route for then to suceed/survive. Unfortunately I found it hard to warm to Saffy, as well as all the other characters. I didn't feel invested in their story.
The plot felt quite over the top at times, especially towards the end.
I can only give 3 stars for this but I will give the author another chance as she's usually amazing. Thank you #NetGalley for the arc

This story was so current and the beginning felt like it was so relatable and could happen to any of us and we would all react the same way so it had me hooked very quickly and I was right along with the main character and all her antics to try and figure out what was going on! It eventually did seem a bit chaotic and far fetched in the end and a bit unbelievable but I did enjoy reading it and was definitely intrigued and kept gripped along the way! Smart and enjoyable

Message Deleted by K.L. Slater

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

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.

Saffy races to Leona’s house, but when her friend answers the door, she insists everything's fine. She doesn't know anything about the message. Saffy can tell something’s not right, but after looking around the house, she can’t think of anything else she can do.

Six hours later, Saffy gets a knock on the door. It's the police. Leona is missing, with her young child. There's blood everywhere.

And Saffy was the last one to see them alive...

My Opinion

Message Deleted was a great thriller. In places the pace felt a bit slow, but with many twists it was a gripping read. K.L. Slater was a new author to me but I am looking forward to reading more in the future.

Rating 4/5

I was hooked from the beginning. Very much enjoyed the story and the author's writing style. Solid ending.

First of all thank you for approving my request!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The authors writing style had me hooked throughout this book.

I didn't want it to end, a book I really couldn't put down.

Saffy is trying to get her life on track. She is trying to hold down a job and get shared custody of her son. But every time she takes a step forward, something thwarts her valid efforts.
Things take a sober turn when Saffy, is about to go into a job interview, and she receives a text message from her best friend, Leona, asking her for help. Desperately worried for her friend, she abandons her interview and heads directly to Leona’s house, only to find Leona and her (horrid) husband is safe and well, denying she has ever sent her such a text. The 1st odd and portent omen comes when the message Saffy received, have strangely been deleted.
Whilst simultaneously doubting herself, Leona, can’t help think that Leona is at risk, potentially suffer abuse and coercion at the hands of her husband. Things take a turn for the worst when Leona and her family suddenly disappear, leaving the front door wide open and Saffy is the last person to have seen her. She is suspect no.1 with the police and her past is about to catch up with her.
This is an exceptionally clever and intense story. It had been anxious and on tender hooks for Saffy, who is clearly such a nice person. You know there is some background that has haunted her and you do not know how bad or unfortunate what she has previously been through has been – but it has caused to be emotionally fragile in many ways. Underneath though is a woman with principles and resolve, but what is this shadow and is there another side to her we have been duped by?
I really wanted to get behind Saffy, but always with a nagging doubt. The way the story twists and develops is great, hooking you in, and making you wonder if things are going to work for or against Saffy further. I can’t say more or I’ll ruin the plot – but highly recommend for an absorbing psychological thriller with legs.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. It drew me in from the beginning and I had to keep reading to find out what happened, I will be recommending this book.

I couldn't put this book down after the first couple of chapters. After receiving 3 frantic messages that are immediately deleted Saffy goes to visit her best friend and her day goes downhill from there.

After her best friend, her husband and daughter disappear later that day and Saffy becomes suspect number 1.

This story has a lot going on, with multiple timelines and points of view and various plot points that are threaded throughout the story.

I enjoyed the twists and turns we followed in this book and although I guessed some of what was going on the conclusion was satisfying.

It’s took Saffy three years to get stability back in her life following her sisters attack.
Things seem to be on the up, a job interview and the chance of having more access to see her son, Fox.

Saffy sits in reception waiting to be called in by her interviewers, when she receives the messages from her best and oldest friend Leona.
The frantic messages asking her to go to Leona’s urgently, but not to call or text.
Then the messages disappear and it’s replaced with a notification ‘message deleted’ .
Worried, Saffy leaves the interview and heads to Leona’s house. When she arrives, Leona seems perplexed by her friend’s sudden visit and has no knowledge of the text messages.

Later that day, Leona, her husband and their daughter Rosie all disappear… The police arrive to find the house with the front door ajar, dinner smoking from the kitchen and the smoke alarm ringing out continuously. Significant amount of blood found at their home. Saffy is the last person to have seen them, making her the number one prime suspect in their disappearance.

Saffy needs to know what happened to her best friend, and her god -daughter . The police aren’t listening to her, and they seem hell-bent on Saffy having something to do with it.

Saffy needs to find her friends, and prove her innocence..


Well this was a roller coaster of a book!
My first by this author and it won’t be my last. I really enjoyed it, it was packed full of suspense and intrigue and kept you guessing throughout.
I’d definitely recommend this book to others, if you like a whodunnit/ mystery with relatable characters, easy flowing words and story that kept you up at night longer than you should be!

Thanks to Netgalley for my arc in return for an honest review!

I was sure I’d read a book by this author before but I hadn’t - must be just one I see regularly. So I was super excited to dive into this one!
I love a story that drip feeds you another story alongside the main one - and this book had about 2/3 other sideline stories along the way.
This book was definitely a slow burner, with some good twists and turns, this book won’t change your life but it’s well written. I actually didn’t like a single character in this book, and the police were so incompetent it was very stressful. But I’d definitely be interested enough to pick something else up by this author !

This book was full of unexpected twists and clever writing and I loved it. It was a bit predictable but I enjoyed the story and the characters were great

I have mixed feelings about this book. I enjoyed the story to some extent but I found it very slow throughout and the ending seemed rushed,

At the beginning it did leave me intrigued, who sent the message and why it was deleted but I found it quite far fetched.

Overall, I don't regret reading it but I also don't think I'd recommend it to anyone.

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC.

I was hooked by the synopsis and the very first page. The book is so good with creating tension and I don’t know what it is about technology in books it makes me think about what I’d do getting the same message. Really good. Really really good.

I love K L Slater’s books, they are like a comfort read for me, and this one was no different! I enjoyed the sense of true crime esque nature to this book, the incorporation of technology (hence the title) and the twists and turns along the way. I thought I’d guessed the ending - but not quite!

4/5 stars! My 4 stars is fully for the first 2/3 of this book. The first 2/3 were engaging and fast-paced and I couldn't wait to see how it all wrapped up. However, the ending was very bland and didn't match the energy of the rest of the book. Would give another K.L. Slater book a chance to see if I prefer the ending on a different one better.

3.5⭐️

This was a fast-paced, twisty read that kept me guessing right to the end. The premise hooked me immediately and I flew through the chapters.

That said, while the plot was gripping, some of the twists felt a little far-fetched, and I struggled to fully connect with the characters at times. Still, it delivered on suspense and was a quick easy read!

I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley.

This book was excellent, with lots of twists and misdirection to keep you guessing.

You follow Saffy as she enters a job interview for a data analyst role, when she received 3 texts all in quick succession from her best friend, Leona.

Can't speak...
Don't text or call...
Just come...

However as soon as Saffy has read the messages they are deleted by the sender and on Saffy's screen it just says "Message Deleted" for each of the 3 messages she received.

Saffy leaves the job interview part way through and rushed to her friends house Leonas house to find out what is wrong. To which Leona opens the door to her house, confused as anything as why Saffy is distressed, standing on her doorstep begging to find out is she ok and what had happened. Leona is fine, he husband and daughter are also at home and everyone seems fine. Leona knows nothing about the messages.

Saffy returns home confused and the next thing we hear is that Leona and her family have disappeared and Daffy was the last person to see them. The police get involved and the story continues...

I enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it.

I enjoyed this book. From the start this book kept me engaged. There was a few twists I didn’t expected but also a few that were predictable. I enjoyed the storyline and found myself wanting to read more especially towards the end but I did find the ending a little flat and was expecting more and leaving me a little disappointed.

K.L. Slater is one of my go to authors and I always enjoy her books. Having said that this one isn’t a favourite of mine. It’s a slow burn with not overly likeable characters. Found the storyline to be very drawn out and repetitive and the outcome was a little unbelievable and underwhelming. I didn’t really care for any of the characters. It had great potential but the pay off didn’t work. The police investigation had huge holes and just made the storyline unrealistic and that for me really takes from a read. Unfortunately this one didn’t work for me.

2.5/5 🌟🌟/🌟

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read and review #MessageDeleted