I haven't read any books by K.L. Slater before so didn't know what to expect but I enjoyed this pacy, tense, psychological thriller.

Initially, I found it hard to get into and had to re-read the opening chapters a few times and also felt the setting could have been stronger, however I liked the premise of the deleted messages so kept going. I was glad I did, because Saffy was an interesting character with a traumatic past and I was rooting for her to find out what happened to Leona and Rosie, as well as overcome her anxieties. The police certainly didn't give Saffy an easy time, and it feels authentic that once they'd made their minds up about what they thought happened, they were single minded in their determination to pursue one suspect, because you hear about this happening in real miscarriages of justice. I also enjoyed Poppy's viewpoint chapters, and the complexity of the sibling relationship between her and Saffy.

The story was multi-stranded and woven together neatly, with a satisfying ending that surprised me slightly (I'd guessed quite a bit of what was going on as I read a lot in this genre, but hadn't put everything together).

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Quite an interesting storyline and characters. I wasn’t sure of which character I liked and kept changing my mind. Quite different from others!

I'm not sure what I expected with this one, but I struggled through it.

When Saffy gets a message from her friend Leona, she's about to head into a job interview but is so unsettled with the 'come now' text that she leaves and heads to her friend's home fearing the worst. However, Leona insists that everything is fine and she knows nothing about any text. Returning to her own home, Saffy frets over what's going one until, that is, a police detective turns up to inform her that Leona and her daughter are missing, leaving blood trails behind - and Saffy was the last person to see her alive . . .

I found that, for me, this one dragged a bit; I was constantly thinking 'get on with it' and annoyed when things kept changing. If you're innocent, why lie to the police? I think, perhaps, it just wasn't one for me. 3.5*.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

While waiting for a job interview, Saffy receives an urgent and troubling text from her best friend, Leona. Rushing out of the interview, Saffy heads to Leona’s house, only to find Leona denying she sent the message. Later that day, Leona, her husband Ash, and their daughter Rosie vanishes, leaving behind a scene marked by blood.

This psychological whodunnit is a gripping thriller that keeps you guessing and second-guessing. From the very first page to the final twist, the story is full of unexpected turns and twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

http://thesecretbookreview.co.uk

We first meet Saffy as she waits nervously to go into a job interview. Her friend Leona texts asking urgently for help, and the message is then deleted. This is the 'message deleted' which kicks off a whole series of events which see Saffy arrested for the suspected kidnapping/murder of her friend Leona and her family. This was an engaging and at times very tense book. It was a book that did draw me in, in the sense that I wanted to know what the 'truth' was, and I have to admit that I did not guess the ending until right at the very end - there were a couple of red herrings in there. Not my favourite book though, perhaps because Saffy and some of the other characters seemed a little unrealistic/unplausible to me. For that reason I give this 31/2 stars rounded to a 3. Thanks to Netgalley for giving me a chance to review this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have been a fan of K L Slater books for a very long time, but feel this must be the best one yet. I really enjoyed this. It was totally gripping.
It was scary, in a way but so enjoyable.

I love this author so this was one of my most anticipated ARCs to read and I read it as soon as I got accepted! It did not disappoint and anything by this author is amazing, you can’t go wrong with a K. L. Slater book.

I have read a great deal of this authors work and this book did not disappoint. This was one of the up all night psychological thrillers which I adore.

3 messages - simple, clear but then deleted. This is just the start.

This is a gripping thriller with plenty of twists and turns.

Highly recommended

A clever page turner, with lots of twists that you will never see coming. I thoroughly recommend this book.

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A gripping thriller & a must read. Beautifully written.
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I had been waiting to read this for ages and I was delighted when I saw it was on Netgalley. This blew my mind a little once I realised what was going on and that wasn’t till really close to the end. Well worth a read if you are looking for suspense and to be left with no fingernails.

Fabulous page turner. Was gripped from the first page to the last. Twists and turns galore. Highly recommended

First publication by this author that I've read.
A very good, well written thriller with several twists that I certainly didn't see coming.
Will certainly read more by K L Slater

This was a very suspenseful gripping read.
Imagine receiving a message from your friend that then disappears and all is not as it seems.
I won’t give anything away as I think it’s better to go into this a little blind to get maximum impact.
Was a fabulous read! Thank you so much for allowing me to read pre release! Can’t wait to read more from this author

The panic that would set in when your friend sends you a crptic message and then deletes it.
You drop everything you are doing to go help her, but does she really need your help?
Really gripping read.
Thank you to Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House, K.L.Slater and Netgalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

'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. ...'

So begins the story....why was the message deleted...who, in fact, sent and deleted the message....and why?

Things aren't as they seem in this twisty psychological drama...

A fast paced book that was hard to put down!

A gripping page-turner. Saffy is immediately worried when her best friend Leona messages her asking her to come over immediately however, the messages are soon deleted and Leona denies all knowledge. Hours later, Leona, her husband and her daughter are reported missing and Saffy was the last person to see them.

This novel was very fast-paced and had me wanting to know more from the outset. Thought frustrating at times, Saffy was likeable and I was rooting for her. The plot and ‘twist’ were satisfying however the ‘reason’ for the end was disappointing and didn’t seem to mirror the characters’ personalities and what they would actually do, based on the first 90% of the book. Lots of suspense but tension was lacking at the climax.

This was my first K.L.Slater and I would definitely read another.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Books for the ARC.

Imagine your best friend sends you a message asking for help. To get to her ASAP. But not to message her back or call. Of 6 rush to her. Only to find all seems to be well. She has no idea what you're talking about. And the message? Well, it's been deleted.
And then she and her family vanish.

That's the premise of this novel from K.L.Slater. And to be honest, the synopsis didn't grab me like other novels she has written. But I gave it a go as I know from experience this writer knows how to write a thriller, and I'm very glad I did. Confusion, twists, and turns, back stabbing, it's all here. It isn't my favourite book from this writer but it's definitely entertaining.

Message Deleted is a gripping thriller that begins with a deleted text message, setting off a suspenseful journey that explores trust, friendship, and hidden truths. The plot is intense and filled with twists that keep you on the edge of your seat. Slater’s writing skillfully creates a chilling atmosphere, with lots of tension. While some twists felt slightly contrived, the overall experience is riveting and unforgettable. Fans of psychological thrillers will find this book hard to put down. Highly recommended!

Absolutely loved this book! From page one I was hooked and couldn’t wait to pick the book back up. Can’t wait to read more by this author.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.