Jack Heath's The Mistake is a taut psychological thriller that delves into the crushing weight of a dark secret and its devastating ripple effects. Elise was once the shining hope of her hometown, a promising young runner destined for national championships. But after a catastrophic "mistake," her life imploded: no job, no girlfriend, no prospects, and the deep-seated hatred of a town that mirrors her own self-loathing.

The only person who has never abandoned her is her brother, Callum. Yet, a chilling mystery unfolds: Callum is missing, and to Elise's disbelief, the police aren't even concerned. Callum, always the "good one" and her unwavering support, is now gone, and Elise feels an overwhelming obligation to find him.

However, the deeper she digs, the more sinister the truth becomes. Why would anyone want to harm Callum? Elise, who intimately understands how "one little secret can change things forever," finds herself ensnared in a perilous investigation where past mistakes might just be leading to a deadly present. This gripping novel explores the desperate search for a loved one against a backdrop of guilt and hidden dangers, proving that sometimes, "mistakes" can indeed be lethal.

Amazing!!! This was my first Jack Heath novel and it most certainly won’t be my last! The ‘twist’ had my jaw on the floor!!

#TheMistake #NetGalley
Elise used to be the great hope of her hometown. A promising young runner who'd make everyone proud at the national championships. That was before she messed everything up. After what happened, she's got no job, no girlfriend, no prospects. And the whole town hates her - almost as much as she hates herself. The only person who's never given up on her is her brother, Callum. But something weird is going on. He's missing. And the cops aren't even worried. Callum was always the good one when they were kids, and he's always been there for her. She's got to find him - she owes everything to him. But the more she digs, the worse things seem. Why would someone want to hurt Callum? Elise knows better than anyone how one little secret can change things forever . We all make mistakes. What if this one is deadly?
Thanks to NetGalley and Embla Books for giving me an advance copy.

I loved this book it kept me engaged and wanting to know what was going on till the end. Major plot twist so many of them.

The Mistake by Jack Heath

5 ⭐️

Completely Unputdownable thriller! This is my second read by Jack Heath and he’s quickly becoming one of my top favorite authors.

The escalating tension and plot twists had me on the edge of my seat!

"One dark secret will ruin everything..."

The Mistake by Jack Heath is a fast paced psychological thriller that explores how one decision can change your life forever.

Elise was once a young runner with a promising career in front of her. But after a mistake Elise has lost the trust and admiration of her hometown, her friends, and her girlfriend. The one person that she still has in her corner is her brother Callum. But when Callum disappears, Elise finds that no one seems to care that he is missing except for herself. As she starts her own investigation, Elise wonders why someone would want to do this to her brother? Why was he taken? And can Elise find him before she loses the last thing she has left?

I think that the best way to read this book is to go in as blind as possible without knowing too much. The twists are unpredictable (at least not most of them) and the suspense continues to increase until the very end. I really liked the character development, all of our characters were really well written and each had their own personality. With a tense storyline and twists that will change the way you look at anything, The Mistake is definitely highly recommended!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Jack Heath, and Embla Books for this ARC!! Publication date: May 1st 2025.

📚 Book Review for Jack Heath Pub Day 📚
Happy Pub Day, author Jack Heath!! 💙
The Mistake by Jack Heath
4 ⭐️
PUB DAY: May 1st, 2025
KU
Thank you, NetGalley & Embla Books for my eARC
The Mistake is a psychological thriller that left me feeling the thrills as I was reading it. In this book everyone makes mistakes but you’re left wondering which one will be the deadly one. I literally read this book today in 3 hrs because I couldn’t put it down! 🤯 I was enthralled and engrossed with the storyline that I never figured out! This author makes you dislike all the characters for an array of different reasons. Nail biting & heart pounding are perfect ways to describe this storyline.
I’d highly recommend this novel for others to read! 😉
QOTD: Do you have a May release that you’re excited about?!
#JackHeath #NewBookReleases #NursesWhoRead #TeachersWhoRead #AutisticBookworm #NetGalley #PsychologicalThrillers #NewToMeAuthors

One fateful mistake is all it takes to have catastrophic consequences.

What I loved about this book is the smooth transitions between past and present day thoughts between characters that really made reading easy. A sister is searching for her missing brother, and while she does, the author gives us plenty of twists and turns along the way. None of which I saw coming.

The end of the book left me in complete and udder shock. This one is very unpredictable and a I cannot recommend more.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!

Jack Heath’s The Mistake is a fast-paced, tightly wound psychological thriller that dives headfirst into the consequences of a single fateful decision—and the spiraling aftermath that follows. With a gripping premise and relentless pacing, this novel hooks readers early and doesn’t let go until the final page.

At the heart of the story is a woman whose life is upended by one catastrophic mistake. But what begins as a singular lapse quickly evolves into a labyrinth of secrets, revelations, and escalating tension. Heath masterfully constructs a narrative filled with unexpected twists that continuously shift the reader’s understanding of the characters and their motives. Each chapter peels back a new layer, keeping the suspense high and the reader guessing.

The strength of the novel lies in its ability to sustain a sense of urgency and unease. Heath’s writing is sharp and cinematic, perfectly suited for fans of thrillers that rely on psychological depth as much as action. However, the novel could have benefited from a deeper exploration of the protagonist’s background and a fuller picture of her present circumstances. These additions might have elevated the emotional stakes and provided more context for her decisions, making her journey even more resonant.

Still, The Mistake delivers what it promises: a tense, twist-filled ride that explores how one decision can unravel a life—and how much more may be hidden beneath the surface. It’s a compelling read for anyone who enjoys thrillers that keep you second-guessing until the very end.

I was able to get this as an ARC through NetGalley. Thank you to both NetGalley and Embla Books for this opportunity.

This book was so good! It pulled me in right from the start. The story follows Elise as she’s hunting for her brother Callum who went missing. Elise having fallen from grace doesn’t get the help she is desperately in need of.

The book flips between the past and current time. Letting you learn more about each character through their own stories and giving you more bits of information to piece together. What exactly is the mistake and who made it??

By the ending of the book I was in shock! I couldn’t believe what I had just read but it was AMAZING. I can’t recommend this enough to those who love a really good, fast paced thriller/mystery.

I’m a big fan of Heath. He’s written another fantastic thriller!
The Mistake by Jack Heath is another excellent and thrilling read from Heath, who pulls together another insane, yet highly clever, mystery that you really cannot put down.
I loved the well fleshed out characters and found them to be entertaining.
They were vivid and actually believable.
The story itself was decent, there was a wonderful atmospheric and suspenseful tone set.
A quick and interesting read that I enjoyed.

Thank You NetGalley and Embla Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Always a wild ride with Heath.

Elise is looking for her brother. He has gone missing and no one is taking it seriously, thinking he just ran away, but Elise knows better. As she search’s, she ends up finding him, but her kidnapper gives her a deal, kill Callum, and you can go free.

Why was Callum taken? What will happen to him and Elise? What would anyone do in that situation? Hingis aren’t always as it seem, and although the story does some jumping from time to time and persctives without much telling you so, it’s easy enough to follow along and learn the truth.

This book kept me invested as we follow Elise's journey to find Callum but also finding out more secrets along the way which kept me invested.

When Stephanie offer Elise a not to miss offer it changes her life..for the worse.

Elise and her brother Callum are close so when he goes missing Elise wonders why no one seems to be bothered as much as she is..

This is a book filled with drama, there are secrets and lies and a really good suspenseful plot.

It is a book that I read in one sitting as it's so addictive and I couldnt out it down.

It is a book that is hard to talk about as it would be easy to give away spoilers but for me it is a must read.

After her spectacular fall from grace, Elise lost almost everything - including the respect and affection of people in her small town. The only person who stood by her throughout was her brother.

But now Callam is missing, and no one seems to be giving this the attention that it deserves. Is Elise the only one who cares? And given that Callum is a far better person than she has ever been, how can that possibly be?

Suspenseful, interesting and original, this one is definitely worth a read! It gets 3.5 stars.

I only have one word...WOW!

What a book...I was hooked from page one!
We are following Elise and she is searching for her missing brother Callum and what ensues on that journey is a thrilling ride!

You go back and forth between the past and present while trying to piece together everything going on. I was constantly trying to figure out the connections in this story and I never did! The ending and how this all wrapped up has my jaw on the FLOOR! I will be thinking about this one for a while. So So So GOOD!

I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review! Thank you Netgalley and Embla Books for this ARC! Loved it!!!

The Mistake opens with a scene involving Elise, Stephanie, and Callum. Stephanie offers Elise a deal but, what is it? you'll have to read this book to know!

This is one of those stories that you have to read without knowing much about to avoid spoiling the story. There's a lot of heavy stuff in this book, which comes with a trigger warning in the beginning.

I liked that this was quite "meaty" and explored the characters' personalities and reasons for being they were they were (although some things are inexcusable) The are some good twists, nothing is as it seems and no-one is as it seems! I really didn't see the twist, mostly because deep down I was rooting for that character. It was shocking and I gasped out loud!

The ending was good, like you know in the end it was the best possible outcome.

Elise made a great character. not only because she will stop at nothing to dig into the disappearance of her brother. but also the unveiling of what revolved around her own secrets and issues too.
there is danger round every corner. there is twists that have you gasping. and this is one thriller you will want to keep reading right until the end. i loved the excitement and tension of this book. nothing was as i first thought it might be and i loved having no idea of the authors thinking until he let us see it..

One dark secret will ruin everything . . . Elise used to be the great hope of her hometown. A promising young runner who'd make everyone proud at the national championships. That was before she messed everything up. After what happened, she's got no job, no girlfriend, no prospects. And the whole town hates her - almost as much as she hates herself. The only person who's never given up on her is her brother, Callum. But something weird is going on. He's missing. And the cops aren't even worried. Great read! This book was a great chilling thriller just like! It had suspense, murder, mystery, some crazy characters and some shocking twists! The story was very interesting! I highly recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

I had a few hours to spare today, which was lucky, as I'd have struggled to put this book down and get on with things.
It was a one sit read for me.
Action packed, and with a few surprises, it kept me entertained rightthrough to the end.
The insights into who Elise was and how she was treated fleshed out not just the story, but her motivation for looking so desperately for her brother.
Excellent read.