Reading in Between the Wines book review #59/125 for 2025:
Rating: 3 🍷🍷🍷
Book: Nobody Saw Him
Author: Liz Lawler
Available now!

Sipping thoughts: If you're looking for a book where nothing is what it seems or a book where yearlong secrets could be deadly, then this is your next read. I tried so hard to figure out what happened to Sam, and I was so wrong. I couldn't believe who took him and why. Lawler's books always keep me so entertained.

Cheers and thank you to @Netgalley and @Bookouture for an advanced copy of @NobodySawHim.

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Review for 'Nobody Saw Him' by Liz Lawler

Yet another huge success by the extremely talented Liz Lawler!!! I have yet to come across a book by this fantastic author that is not addictive, page turning and explosive!! This book had me hook, line and sinker from the first page and I could not put it down!!! Every time I said one more chapter it ended on a cliff-hanger and I just had to know what was going on!!! This kept on happened over and over until before I knew it I had devoured the whole book in one sitting!! If you are going to read this then clear your day because it is truly unputdownable. I started this this morning and finished it at approx. 2pm, reading it in one sitting. This is one of those fascinating books that will have you questioning the characters and yourself throughout!!! You have no idea who to believe and if any other of them can be trusted!!! You really do just have to grab your copy of this superb page turner today to find out more for yourselves!!! It is ram packed with twists, turns and surprises you'll never see coming. I definitely didn't and I have read hundreds of crime and psychological books so a HUGE CONGRATULATIONS Liz!!! It is getting harder and harder to surprise me but you managed it in this successful, chilling and page turning psychological thriller!!! Grab your copy and jump on the rollercoaster ride of secrets, family, suspense, drama, twists, thrills, mystery and everything you could ask for in an epic page turner!!! Liz's fantastic and evocative writing skills ensures you are sucked into the lives of the characters feeling your heart pounding and the hair on your arms raise. This book is rammed with suspense and tension and will keep you biting your nails, on the edge of your seat with your heart pounding while your flipping the pages because you just cant stop. I loved the fantastic ending that left me wanting to pick up more of Liz's books and get stuck straight in.

Clear your schedules and get sucked in to this gripping page turner today!

The authors evocative writing skills brings each of the characters to life and leaves you feeling that you are standing next to them as their story unfolds and lives start to tumble around them. Each of the characters were realistic, well rounded and strong characters which makes it a realistic read. All the characters were strong and realistic as well as hiding their own secrets. I was completely invested in each and every one of them. Although many were flawed as well as unlikeable this made them all the more realistic!!! It is rare for me to become so invested in unlikeable characters but the storyline was so addictive I just could not put it down!!!! There were flaws, secrets and so much more you have no idea who to trust and what the truth really is!!! Liz makes you question each and every one of the characters throughout!!! I don't want to risk saying more about how I felt about the characters as I don't want to give anything away to future readers but I will say that I was annoyed, angry, upset, disappointed at the different ones for many different reasons!! Regardless of whether you love them or hate them they each played their parts perfectly!!!

Overall an addictive and gripping emotional rollercoaster of secrets, family, suspense, tension and everything you could want in a gripping thriller!!

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Nobody Saw Him by Liz Lawler was a roller coaster ride with lots of brilliant twists and turns throughout and had me gripped from the very first few pages, a brilliant enjoyable read, I became obsessed and ended up reading it all day which made it a great holiday read. Just Excellent.

Big Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

This book took me on an amazing emotional roller coaster ride from start to finish. When Jo takes her son, Sam, to the local swimming pool, the last thing she expects is for him to vanish without a trace. She’s certain he was there…. she’s not imagining things…. but somehow, everyone around her insists Sam was never with her to begin with. Where is he? What really happened? And who’s telling the truth?
As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that nearly everyone has something to hide. Secrets and lies surround every character, and the suspense is addictive. I loved the way each chapter answered just enough to keep me going, only to end with even more questions. The layers of mystery and deception kept me guessing what truly happened to Sam right until the end, and I absolutely loved every minute of it.

*Thank you to Liz Lawler and Bookouture for the ARC copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.

This one started out great, and I was very invested in the disappearance of the little boy. The mystery seems solid, but then I felt like the middle of the book really dragged for me. I also felt there were too many point points of view and I started to get confused towards the end. I did like the way the story wrapped up and that saved it for me

🌟🌟🌟🌟
How is this even possible?
Jo runs into the bathroom and has her young son wait outside- mistake one!!! When she comes out, he’s gone! And there’s no evidence of him EVEN being there in the security cameras.
This is every mothers worst nightmare and I couldn’t stop flipping the pages. This one made my heart race but I loved every second. Great twisty thriller. Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
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It's every parents worst nightmare. But when everyone around you tells you something that you feel is absolutely not true, at what stage do you question your sanity? Gripping!!!

What a messed up story!
One of the worst fears is losing a child and Jo has experienced a couple of losses.
Pete was a total jerk and I wasn’t surprised to find out what he’d been up to.
Claire and James were an odd pair and I wondered about them which was revealed in due time.
Some people have strange obsessions!
It’s a good what’s going to happen next book.

Nobody Saw Him by Liz Lawler is a well structured storyline, which is intense, immersive, slowly evolving and highly textured. I thought the suspense was well woven throughout the book and kept me turning pages.
Lawler is a fantastic writer. I thought it was really well paced and the characters give just enough away all the way through to keep you guessing.
I’ve read a couple of her titles and she always keeps me glued to the pages and anxiously waiting for her next title.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this ahead of its publication date in return for my honest review.

Nobody Saw Him by Liz Lawler.
A good read. I liked the writing style and the story. Twisty. Didn't see that twist coming at all. Read in a few days. Likeable characters.


Blurb.
You say your child was taken. The police say you’re lying…

As I sit my beautiful blue-eyed boy Sam down on the bench outside the changing room, I’m certain today is going to be a better day. He can splash about with his pool toys without worrying about making too much noise, and I can take a break from tiptoeing around my husband Pete, who is becoming more distant every day.

But when I return to the bench to collect Sam, my little boy is gone…

I can feel my heart hammering as I search for him, rushing to the staff at the front desk who tell me they haven’t seen him. Nobody spotted Sam waiting patiently for me or saw him wander off through the frosted front doors. Nobody saw me reassuring him on our way in, his tiny hand clutched tightly in mine. Nobody saw him at all.

My blood turns to ice as the police show me the CCTV. I strain to see Sam’s light-brown hair through the grainy footage, sure I’ll see his curls bouncing as we walked in. But in the video, I’m completely alone.

How is this possible? He’s been erased. Gone without a trace.

And then it hits me. Will the police now discover my past?

I will stop at nothing to find Sam. My child won’t pay for what I’ve done…

Great story. But it's like an onion. More and more layers keep getting revealed. A loving mother of a five year old, who has some developmental issues and who is also small for his age, takes him to an indoor pool on a rainy day. When she needs to use the toilet, she leaves him sitting in a seemingly safe location for those moments. And when she comes out, he's missing. When she cannot find him, a search is started immediately. Police are called and her story isn't all that believable. No one saw him, not even on the outdoor security cameras.

The family lives in a home on an estate where the mother is a nanny. But both families have secrets. Slowly, the layers are peeled back and the reader learns just a bit more - or hints that there's more hidden in their histories. The reader is kept guessing, although they may start putting together clues.

Not a pleasant subject, but I enjoyed the suspense and mystery.

My third book from this author and it quickly turned out to be my favourite.

Like WTAF! You've just told them your son has gone missing. They're calling you a liar as he was never there! It certainly grabbed my attention, I was sold, hooked, lined and sinkered!

It's a slow paced read which wasn't an issue for me as it allowed the suspense and tension to build to a crescendo and THAT ending!

The secrets, lies and flawed characters added to the intrigue, making Nobody Saw Him a thoroughly enjoyable and engaging read.

Book Review- NOBODY SAW HIM By Liz Lawler ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was such a ride. This story grabbed me from the very first chapter and kept me rurning pages into the night. It's about a missing boy who disappeared while being with his mother.
Throughout this entire book I felt like I was right there in the story, trying to solve the mystery. The tension builds slowly but was never boring. And the twist at the end? I did not see that coming.
This book has everything I enjoy in a thriller, suspense, a strong female lead and a plot that makes you think twice about who to trust. Which had my emotions in a net, not trusting NOBODY!
If you like mysteries that keep you guessing, then NOBODY SAW HIM is definitely worth reading. 😉

A fun trip to a public pool turns into a nightmare for Jo when her five-year-old son goes missing from the changing rooms. Distraught over the disappearance, Jo's day only gets worse as CCTV footage reveals no trace of her son ever entering the public pool and she becomes suspect number one. With the police involved but no leads, Jo must convince them to keep looking elsewhere, even as more bizarre things start to point to her.

I absolutely loved the premise of this book. In a world where everyone is on camera dozens of times a day, the idea that a small child could be missed on CCTV was very interesting and from the start you're left to wonder if he ever really was at the pool in the first place. Jo's insistence never waivers no matter how many people (her husband, the police, her landlord/employer) get involved but at the evidence mounts you have to question her story. The web of secrets is so vast that you'll continue wondering who is telling the truth until the very end.

This book is definitely for fans of domestic mysteries and slow burns. While it starts off with a big dramatic disappearance, the pace drops off dramatically after that at and stays consistently measured throughout. That being said, the story and the characters definitely keep you reading and the multitude of twists/secrets makes it a pretty easy book to finish. When you hit the end and the last twist, you'll be glad you stuck around. Highly, highly recommended for readers who appreciate a well plotted mystery!

3.5 stars. A quick and enjoyable read—I finished it in 2 sittings. This was a twisty and engrossing story, but I’m taking half a star away for the various meanderings into dreams/nightmares, characters’ (needlessly long) inner monologues, and various repetitions, e.g., how strong a certain almost-90-year-old was.

I also felt the two police officers, DC Morgan and PC (John F.) Kennedy made a delightful pair, and I’d love to have them team up again.

"You say your child was taken. The police say you're lying."

Nobody Saw Him by Liz Lawler is a slow burning, emotionally charged thriller that looks into the aftermath of a missing child and the complexities of relationships.

When Jo leaves her 5 year old son Sam alone in the changing room at the swimming pool for a minute, she returns to a nightmare. Sam is missing. No one has seen him and Jo is frantic. When the police are called in to investigate, they make a worrisome discovery. The CCTV cameras show Jo on video, but Sam is not anywhere on video, she is by herself. With the police suspecting Jo and her husband Pete of abducting the boy, and grief and guilt wrecking Jo's mental state, can they figure out the truth about what really happened?

This was definitely an interesting premise and I was intrigued at first. I thought that the book started out really strong and exciting, but I felt that it started to become a bit confusing and hard to follow at times. There were a lot of characters to keep track of and some of the plot got muddled a bit. While this wasn't my favorite read, I still would recommend it to fans of thrillers with a more layered emotional experience. I would be interested in checking out another book by Liz Lawler though!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Liz Lawler, and Bookouture for this ARC!! Publication date is June 2nd 2025.

Jo decides to go to the pool one day with her son Sam, however when she leaves him briefly she comes back to find him gone. With no one knowing where he is the police are called. When they review CCTV they find that Sam was never there. How could this be possible?

I have enjoyed a few other books by this author so was excited to read this one, especially due to the premise originally seeming a bit different. I found the mystery compelling and was keen to see where it would go. The story starts strongly but then seems to start losing pace as it carries on and becomes a bit predictable. There are also quite a few characters which were hard to track at times. Even though this was a solid thriller, I didn’t like it as much at some of this author’s other books, likely due to reading a few similar books recently. Saying that though, I will still be interested to read what else the author creates. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

Jo, a devoted mother, leaves her 5 year old son Sam alone in the changing room at the swimming pool for 2 minutes, she returns to find the changing room door shut and a woman hands her out her bag but there is no sign of Sam. Jo is frantic, no one has seen him, he has just vanished the police are called. Joe is hysterical with worry!
As the story unfolds, Jo and her husband are suspects, her husband is quickly cleared as he has a strong alibi, Jo finds herself under intense police scrutiny as no one seen Sam with her the morning he disappeared. Jo finds herself doubting her sanity especially when the green top she was sure Sam was wearing that morning is found in their home.
As the story unfolds we learn that Jo’s neighbours who employ her as a child minder, are harbouring dark secrets, they begin to unfold layer by layer, years of untruths, secrets and lies.
Really good characters I especially liked the family liaison officer DC Moraine and her colleague Kennedy.
This was a slow burn read, but cleverly written, I thought I had it figured out but great twists to the story concludes.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Bookouture for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.

A chilling, emotionally charged mystery about every parent’s worst nightmare.

Nobody Saw Him is a slow-burn psychological thriller that gripped me from the opening scene. Liz Lawler doesn’t just tell the story of a missing child—she delves deep into the ripple effects of that disappearance, examining the emotional fallout on a family, the suspicions that spread through a community, and the secrets that rise to the surface when trust is shattered.

The story follows Jo, a devoted mother whose five-year-old son vanishes in the space of a single minute. What unfolds is a multi-POV narrative layered with lies, flawed characters, and the weight of past trauma. I especially loved DC Moraine Morgan as the Family Liaison Officer—calm, fair, and quietly compelling.

The middle did slow slightly, but I’m so glad I stuck with it—because the payoff is worth it. The tension builds with every chapter, and just when you think you’ve figured it out, another sharp twist sends you in a new direction.

With its short chapters and emotionally resonant storytelling, this is a haunting and immersive read for fans of character-driven thrillers, dark secrets, and twisty whodunits.

This book was a slow burn to me, very boring. Super hard to get into. I wouldn’t recommend this to my friends and family because they are like me they like books that catch your eye, keep you interested and invested! Nonetheless I rate this book a 3 out of 5.