This ARC was courtesy of netgalley - all thoughts and opinions are mine and unbiased

This author is new to me but I shall certainly be looking out for more - This is part of a series and is so good I now want to go back and read the others!!

Engrossing with lots of twists and turns - the ending was truly a surprise !!

Looking forward to more

I love Natalie Ward! This is one fantastic series and at book 4 I hope that we are just getting started. This book has the detective working a tough and complex case whilst her family are falling apart. She is one tough woman but she can only take so much right? Already looking forward to book 4.

Roxy is 14 year old teenage girl who has just had a fight with her mum about a boy. That night she tells her mother that she is having a sleepover at her best friend Ellie's place, not too far away. Little does her mother know that this will be the last conversation they will have. The next morning Roxy is found murdered in the charred remains of an elite house owned by local nightclub owning brothers - and there is no known apparent link as to why she would be there. Natalie and her team are called in to investigate and it is not long before there is more bodies that are all connected. This is not a straight forward case and the more they delve into the lives of the families the more suspects they find.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are no way biased.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.* Carol Wyer has been such a prolific writer of late and I for one am extremely grateful. I devour her police procedural mysteries as soon as they come out. Or, with the assistance of NetGalley, before they are published! The Sleepover is the 4th book in the Detective Natalie Ward series and once again, readers are given a fair glimpse into Natalie and her families lives, as well as an unfolding mystery to solve. This book focusses on the disappearance and subsequent death of a teenage girl, Roxy. Roxy told her mother that she was going for a sleepover at a friend's house, but this was far from the truth. An engaging and suspenseful story. I look forward to the next in the series.

I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Sleepover’, the fourth in the Detective Natalie Ward series written by Carol Wyer, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

A house has been destroyed by fire and Roxy Carter’s found dead in the games room when she should have been at her best friend Ellie’s house for a sleepover. Later, Roxy’s mother Carol goes out searching for her son and she’s found strangled and dumped in the canal. Habib Malik, a school friend of Roxy and Ellie, is discovered hanging from a tree and although it’s been made to look like suicide DI Natalie Ward isn’t convinced. Ellie says that Roxy was scared for her life but she won’t say why and Natalie has to act fast to discover the identity of the killer before another life is taken.

Yet again Carol Wyer has presented us with an exciting and mind-boggling thriller which has been cleverly written with a complex plot, drama and suspense, twists and turns, and a number of characters any one of whom could be the killer. We learn more about Natalie’s attempt to juggle her work with her private life, her teenage children and husband David who’s struggling to find work and suffers from an addiction to gambling. It doesn’t sound as if their marriage will survive the latest setback but we’ll have to wait for book five to find out for sure. This is another excellent thriller by a very talented author and I can recommend it.

The Sleepover by Carol Wyer is book number 4 in Detective Natalie Ward series but you can read it as a stand-alone like I did and you won’t be lost. This gripping thriller is a quick read, you will be turning the pages quickly to see what’s going to happen next.

Roxy had a secret. Now she’s gone. When fourteen-year-old Roxy says she’s going for a sleepover at her best friend Ellie’s house, Cathy sees no reason to check her daughter’s story. The two families are neighbours, and the girls are in and out of each other’s homes every day.

It is a decision she will regret. A day later, Roxy is found murdered in exclusive Linnet Lane, miles across town, in a house owned by two brothers with no apparent connection to Roxy. Detective Natalie Ward, called to lead the investigation, is determined to get to the bottom of why Roxy was in the basement of this grand Victorian mansion when she should have been eating chocolate in her pyjamas with her best friend.

As Natalie begins to look closely at Roxy’s stepfather and three brothers, she discovers that Roxy had recently been admitted to hospital with suspicious injuries. Her mother Cathy seems very jumpy and Ellie refuses to talk. Who are the people that knew Roxy best in the world protecting?

Then Roxy’s mother Cathy disappears. When Cathy’s body is discovered close to where her daughter was found, Natalie is forced to face the grim fact that the killer is just getting started. She is troubled by the reaction of Roxy’s brother Seth to the tragedies and when his alibi falls through she brings him in for questioning, certain she is making headway.

But while Seth is in custody, one of Roxy’s school friends is found murdered and Natalie knows she must cast her net wider. Things take a more sinister turn when Ellie vanishes, her mobile phone switched off. What is Ellie hiding about the night Roxy died that could put her in terrible danger? And can Natalie work it out before another innocent life is taken?

This was my first Carol Wyer novel but won’t be my last. She is a fantastic writer and I am looking forward to reading more from her.

Due out September 5.

Loved this thrilled of a book! I have not read the previous three books in this series, but never felt confused or lost. It is exciting, gripping and you truly will not see the end coming. My first book by Carol Wyer, but will not be my last.
Thank you to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Sleepover is a harrowing roller coaster ride of trying to figure out who did it among several suspects. Carol Wyer's DI Natalie Ward and her team work to solve another crime.

I really enjoyed this book. I haven't read any other from the series, but still it was OK as a fourth book.
It follows Detective Natalie Ward, and this time she is investigating the murder of fourteen year old, Roxy after she's gone to a sleepover at her best friend's house. But, she was found elsewhere!

It was a very gripping thriller form the beginning till end, really twisty with a high pace. I read it in a very short time.
Totally recommend it if you're after a good thriller.
Thanks a lot to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was absolutely my kind of book - multi-layered, gripping and no idea who the "baddie" was until the author revealed it!

I swear, these Natalie Ward books get better and better as they go. I like that Natalie is a wife and mother as well as a police officer, and juggling her various roles is hard work at times. I really don't like her husband very much although I have to admit that I do have some sympathy for him being out of work, that can really mess with a person's confidence.

The case of Roxy and her mum is a very complex one and there are many leads and dead-ends to contend with left, right and centre. Then there is yet another murder, and more possibilities in terms of suspects etc, eeek.

All in all, this is a terrific addition to the series and I cannot wait until the next one!

5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture.

Fourth in the Detective Natalie Ward series, The Sleepover was my introduction to author Carol Wyer. As promised in the description, the story opens with tension between Roxy, a teenage girl, and her Mum after an argument. Roxy tells her mother she is going to spend the night with a friend and is not heard from again. Her mother receives a report, while on the job as a police detective, of a body found in the remains of a house fire only to discover it is her daughter. This is just one aspect of a complicated and twisty investigation involving Natalie and her team.

At first, the various subplots seemed a bit confusing and unconnected. In fact, the whole investigation somewhat flat-lined midway through the story - for both the team involved with trying to put all the pieces together as well as this reader. But then things start to come together and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to reach the conclusion which I did not see coming.

For fans of crime fiction/thrillers - this was a winner.

Loved the book!!! I would give it 4.5 stars. I felt like it was slow to start and it took me a little bit to get into the story. After awhile I couldn't put it down. I love Detective Natalie Ward. She needs to be more appreciated at home. I thought Leigh might act a bit nicer after the stunt she pulled in the last book, but no. I have never liked David. After this book, I dislike him even more. Adding alcohol to his gambling addiction is not a smart move. Since he's not working, one would think he could clean up the house, make dinner and keep an eye of the kids. All that seems too hard for him, especially when there's alcohol or a dollar to make a bet with. Natalie needs to get away and not stay just for the sake of the children. I foresee something bad happening. There were so many twists and turns in this book. I wasn't sure who was behind everything. There were so many lies and secrets. Everyone lied, it seemed like no one was able to tell the truth. There were so many suspects to choose from between the whole Curtis family, Gavin and Kirk Lang, Habib and Tucker. OK, so pretty much everyone in this book. The more I learned about Roxy, the more I disliked her.

Definitely recommend this book and the previous books. This is one of my favorite detective series. I can't wait to find out what is next for Natalie and her officers.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bookouture through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Another fantastic read featuring Detective Natalie Ward. While reading this book I had my list of suspects but as I came to end I knew I didn't have a clue. A real rollercoaster of a read, a whodunit, more twists and turns than a barley twist. Read this book in one sitting, spent most of this read sat on the edge of my seat tapping my kindle like a demented wood pecker. I finally turned the last page in the wee hours. I could not put it down I HAD TO KNOW. When I got to the big reveal I was shocked. Never in my wildest dreams would I have got that right. Natalie's personal life is starting to get interesting. This series just keeps getting better and better and yes this author has done it again. A MUST READ I LOVED IT, an easy five stars and so Highly Recommended.
I would like to thank the author, Bookouture and Netgalley for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

Detective Natalie Ward and her team are investigating the murder of fourteen year old Roxy that had gone to a sleepover at her best friend's house . However that is not where she was found ! This police procedural was masterfully written ! Full of secrets and lies with a shocking ending ! I highly recommend ! Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review this book ! #Netgalley #Bookouture #TheSleepover

“The Sleepover” by Carol Wyer is my second book by the author, the first being “the Birthday Girl” and this certainly does not disappoint.
Fourteen year old Roxy tells her parents that she is going for a sleepover with her best friends. When she goes missing at first everybody thinks (and hopes) that this is just a teenage girl playing truant. When her body is found in a fire wreckage, the family is devastated.
Detective Natalie Ward is facing personal demons of her own, having to deal with her teenage daughter and son as well as her husband, David who has been laid off and is dealing with an addiction. Natalie is completely beleaguered with this perplexing case.
Her list of suspects seem to be growing with the owners of the house where Roxy’s charred remains were found, Roxy’s family, her best friends all under the radar of suspicion. Everybody seems to be hiding something or the other. Natalie is frustrated at the slow progress of the case and just when things cannot get any worse, Natalie is called to another gruesome crime scene and is shockingly appalled to discover that the body belongs to Roxy's mother, Cathy. It then becomes a compelling race to discover the real perpetrator before more bodies turn up.
With layers of suspense building up as we turn each page, it finally leads us to an explosive climax.
Carol Wyer is crisp in her writings and her plots are well created with just the right amount of subplots without sucking the reader into too many details. The protagonist Natalie is a well crafted character having to face real grueling situations in her own personal and professional life. She is no super hero, yet she inspires and motivates.

This is the 4th book in the Detective Natalie Ward series and it certainly lives up to all my expectations.
This is a fantastic series and once again this is a super read.
It is a fast paced intense tale filled with twists and turns as Natalie and her team try to sift through the lies and deceit to solve their latest case.
Not only is she investigating the disappearance of Roxy a teenager who told her mother she was sleeping over at her best friends house and hasnt returned but her own family seems to be breaking apart.
When Roxy`s body is discovered in a house fire, a house that belonged to people she could not have known, Natalie and the team find they have a suspicious death and an arson to investigate.
Their enquiries have barely begun when Roxy`s mother Cathy is found murdered.
Various suspects are revealed though through interviews and forensic evidence they are rejected just as quickly.
This is a complex case, will Natalie be able to bring it together and track down the killer?
Cant wait for the next book in the series!
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the chance to read this as an ARC a worthy 5* from me.

When I read "The sleepover" synopsis, and after the small dissapointment that was for me the previous book in the series, I thought, please no, no more dead teenage girls! But was I wrong! After fourteen year old Roxy is found dead in a fire, in a house owned by two brothers with no apparent connection to her, DI Ward and her team begin to investigate and soon they find themselves with two more bodies in their hands.

"The sleepover" is a fast paced police procedural (I read it in less than 24 hours!), with lots of twists and a set of strong characters. While I understand the need of showing also DI Ward's family life, I think that part of her life has being dragged along for the last couple of books (girrrrl, what do you need to leave that sorry excuse of a husband!?), although after that epilogue hopefully that will change soon.

Cant' wait for book 5 in the series!

Carol Wyer has written another amazing book featuring Detective Natalie Ward. Not until nearly the end of the story did I have any idea what was going on! Although there are a lot of characters the story is easy to follow because it's so well written. I enjoy reading more about Natalies personal life and I'm stunned by the ending. Didn't see that coming Carol!

My heart was in my mouth reading this, lots of twists and turns, this is why Carol Wyer is such a brilliant writer, she keeps you on the edge of your seat, fantastic book

This book was the first of this author that I had read, To me it was a little strange to read at first, and my feelings on this book are "its an ok read" I have read better books, I guess you could say I didn't like the ending, but then again it is a series book.

I have read other books by this author but this one didn’t live up to my expectations
The book was very slow and lacked tension. The ending was so predictable
The characters were not very nice and I couldn’t relate or attach to any of them
Hoping the next book will be better