I was happy to pick up the latest from K.L. Slater!

It turned out to be another quick page-turner, full of interesting characters and some surprising twists to keep the pages turning.

This time we have podcast episodes with the protagonist, Esme interviewing a woman named Simone, convicted of murdering her husband. As Esme "gets to know" Simone better, she notices some of Simone's statements seem to mirror her own life. Probably not a good thing!

Poor Esme has the in-laws from Hell! The MIL, Brooke who has a snooty manner, an opinion on everything, consistently fights temper tantrums to get her way. She is something else! She even washes dishes in fur-lined pink gloves! She might have been my favorite character to hate on.

Recommend to those who enjoy popcorn mystery/thrillers that will keep you entertained for those lazy days!

The Evidence was a fairly average but easy read for me. The story mixes family betrayal and loyalty with a few predictable twists thrown in. I felt the storyline was a bit weak at times and didn't have the usual thrill I like from a really good psychological thriller. That said if you do like this author then you will probably enjoy this latest from her but it was perhaps not one of her finest.

The Evidence by KL Slater is about a woman making a podcast (because writing about writers needed a new cliche) who suddenly has her own real-life mystery. Her sister and business partner disappears, her son was the victim of a hit and run, and she is trying to finish a podcast on a woman who killed her husband. I know KL Slater is known for twists, but there wasn't anything here that was hard to see coming a mile away. I wish people would concentrate on telling a good story instead of trying to create the big twist that they think will shock us. The story itself had a lot to recommend it. The gaslighting alone would have been a lot more entertaining if the author hadn't been trying to be vague in order to set up "aha" moments. The talking around everything gets tiresome and doesn't always work for me.

Another gripping book by this brilliant author, probably my favourite to date. I loved the podcast element and the clever build up of tension and the twists took me by surprise. Believable characters leap off the page, and I enjoyed reading at the end how the story came about. Would definitely recommend.

Woah! KL Slater puts the FUN in one tale of extremely dysfunctional families.

Esme would do anything to protect her son and provide a better life for him so she strikes out on her own with the aid of her sister Michelle to form Fox Productions. Current project: overwhelmingly popular podcasts on one of the countries most well known criminals.. It’s been 10 years since Simone killed her abusive husband while their son was just in the next room playing computer games. Not once in all that time has Simone broken her silence on why she did what she did. But surprisingly, she will speak to Esme, the only journalist ever granted an interview. As each interview is recorded, Esme feels more and more sympathetic and even recognizing some of Simone’s traits in herself.

Esme is currently estranged from her husband Owen and Michelle has moved in. Michelle is the best sister Esme could hope have. Not only is she a great business partner but she also helps Esme in the care and of her son. In order to get these great podcasts out she needs someone she can rely on to look after her son so Michelle is a godsend. Even though Owen is still around, their marriage seems to have run its course. But on the morning Esme and Michelle are to have an important business meeting with a powerful publishing group, Michelle fails to turn up. Soon Esme’s annoyance at Michelle for not turning up turns to worry. It’s so unlike her sister to fail to show up without getting in touch.

As Esme tries to piece together her own life Simone and Simone’s family become a bit of a hindrance and certain events have Esme on guard. With Michelle now found and clinging to life after a horrible beating where she is left for dead, Esme has her hands full with stonewalling family members of Simone’s, cryptic advice from Simone herself, her ex husband getting into his own troubles and meddling in-laws who seem hellbent on breaking up her little family,

It’s soon apparent that in order to regain control, Esme is going to have to make tough decisions, face awful truths and do anything she can to get the monkeys off her back. The story is far from dull and KL Slater takes us on delicious twists and turns right up to its shocking conclusion.

Once again, a good mystery filled with psychological suspense. Special thanks to Netgalley and Bookoutre for another great ARC!

You can always count on K.L. Slater to give you a great ride of a story! Well written, engaging and lots of twists and turns along the way. The whodunnit journey is interesting and you will be compelled to read it straight through!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

Esme Fox is a journalist who runs a start-up media company that runs podcasts for true crime. Her journalistic values made her move from a famous media company in London.

Simone Fischer was convicted of the murder of her husband twenty years back. Simone never spoke about it the whole time. She kept her silence.
Now, Esme is interviewing Simone as she is ready to speak to her. She wants to tell the world her story.
Esme runs her podcast production along with her sister Michelle Fox. Soon after Esme started this podcast, Michelle was left for dead in the woods. Everything comes crashing down in her life. Her world is falling apart. Something sinister is at work.

The story follows Esme Fox as she has set up her new business involving her skills as an investigative journalist. Her latest case involves the 20-year-old murder of Grant Austin Fischer. She has a lot going on in her life. Her young child met with a trauma that left him bruised not just physically but mentally as well. She is amid a separation from her husband, Owen. Owen is trying his best to walk back into her life.

Esme is portrayed as a strong woman and remains level-headed in the face of trouble. She is self-aware and, she knows she has to trade off crucial aspects of her life.
The structure of the book is divided between podcasts and narrators. Esme narrates the story in the first person. Her narration is interspersed with Justine’s narration. The element of suspense increases with each chapter.

There is a small pool of characters. Each one of them is well developed. Slater has added a pinch of darkness and malevolence. It just increased the tension for the readers and desperation for Esme.

The central theme of the book is abuse, trauma, and loss. All such events can change the inherent traits of a personality.

The mystery is explained at a gradual pace and leaves the reader in a jaw-dropping moment.

The evidence is Slater’s 15th novel and, the book’s addictive element is one notch higher.

My rating for the book is 4 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for the copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

EXCERPT: Simone is sitting at a table, dressed casually in jeans and a lemon tunic top. The women at Bronzefield are permitted to wear their own clothes. Her brown hair is tied back in a loose ponytail and I'm struck by her ordinariness. She looks like your mum, your aunt . . . a random woman you might see shopping in the supermarket.

Yet the majority of the British public detests her. This woman who faced her abusive husband and said, 'No more.'

ABOUT 'THE EVIDENCE': Everyone’s heard of Simone Fischer. The young mother accused of killing her husband in cold blood, one sunny afternoon, while their son played in the room next door.

So when journalist Esme secures an exclusive interview with her it feels like the opportunity of a lifetime. Simone has remained silent since her husband’s death but after a decade in prison, she is willing to talk to Esme. And Esme, recently freed from her own toxic marriage, is confident she can get Simone to open up.

At their first meeting, when Esme sees Simone sitting across the table from her in jeans and a lemon tunic top, she is stuck by her ordinariness. Then Simone begins to tell her story of an abusive relationship where she was a prisoner in her own home, and Esme decides that the truth needs to come out.

But not everyone is pleased that Esme is telling Simone’s story. And when Esme’s beloved sister is left for dead in a nearby wood, Esme’s life begins to unravel. Forced to question what Simone has told her, she can’t help but wonder if murder was the only way out of Simone’s marriage. Why has it taken Simone so long to tell the world the truth? And will the consequences be devastating for Esme?

MY THOUGHTS: For the first two thirds of this read, I was thinking it was nothing special. But then . . . Then Slater started working the magic she had insidiously been building up to. All of a sudden the things I thought were facts, weren't. The 'truth' wasn't, and I was bombarded with new suspicions and finally, revelations.

I had an inkling about one of the twists, but my imaginings fell far short of where Slater was taking me. It was like getting on a train intending to get off at the next stop, then finding myself at the other end of the island.

The characters are not at all likeable. Esme seemed 'cold', except with Zachary with whom she was overprotective. But, in the circumstances that, at least, is understandable. I didn't like her husband, Owen, at all. He made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up in a most unpleasant way. Then, when his mother, Esme's mother-in-law, is introduced into the story, I understood why. She is an absolute nightmare.

One thing that really had me wondering was the lack of support for Simone. This is a woman who was convicted of murdering her abusive husband, a man who had systematically cut her off from friends and family, who belittled and bullied her. And she was despised. Where were the women's support groups?

Slater addresses a whole raft of subjects in The Evidence. Particularly interesting is the relationship between Esme and her sister Michelle, who not only work together, but live together. Each of the sisters sees their relationship very differently. There is marital breakdown, sibling bonds and rivalry, family relationships, spousal abuse, murder, fraud, and more . . .

⭐⭐⭐.8

#TheEvidence #NetGalley

I: @KLSlaterAuthor @bookouture

T: @KimLSlater @Bookouture

#contemporaryfiction #familydrama #crime #mystery #suspense

THE AUTHOR: For many years, Kim sent her work out to literary agents and collected an impressive stack of rejection slips. At the age of 40 she went back to Nottingham Trent University and now has an MA in Creative Writing.

Before graduating in 2012, she gained literary agent representation and a book deal. As Kim says, ‘it was a fairytale … at the end of a very long road!’

Kim is a full-time writer and lives in Nottinghamshire with her husband.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Evidence by K.L. Slater for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...

2.5 stars

The Evidence by K.L. Slater is a psychological thriller.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Esme Fox is interviewing infamous Simone Fischer for a podcast.  She has been in jail for ten years for killing her husband while her son played in the room next door, and has never spoken until now.  Simone admits to the murder, but felt she had no choice.

Perhaps Simone's story will help Esme deal with her own marriage, and help others out there get away from abusive relationships before it is too late.

However, not everyone is happy about this podcast.  Simone's brother Peter feels Esme is taking advantage of his sister, and the trolls are after her as well.

With the onslaught of media attention to her blog, Esme schedules a meeting with a big company that wants to produce a documentary based on it, and Michelle, Esme's sister doesn't show up for the meeting.  A few days pass before Michelle is found badly beaten and left for dead in a nearby wood.  Esme starts wondering.

Meanwhile, Esme is having issues in her own marriage.  She and Owen are separated, but he doesn't seem to be getting the hint to stay away.  It is difficult when they are both trying to be there for their 9-year old son who was in a hit-and-run accident last year.  He still has a long haul ahead of him with physiotherapy, and they want to put on a united front.  Unfortunately Owen sees it as an opportunity to worm himself back into their lives.


My Opinions:   
I must admit to struggling  with this one.   To be honest, I just wanted to throw out the book,  but anyone who knows me knows that I don't even have a DNF pile.  I hated the topic and  I hated the characters.    So this review isn't going to be the greatest.

I found some of it repetitive.  For example,  when Esme is discussing Michelle's absence...."I'd been gullible, refused to face the fact that she'd let me down"....at least verbatim twice.  Then there is Owen "Well excuse me for breathing"....at least twice.

The book is about family, about abusive, controlling and manipulative relationships, and about a woman struggling to make her business work while raising her son.  It's rather depressing, and just annoyed me.  I hate books that show women as such weak characters, even when they suddenly redeem themselves.

The story went back and forth between before and after Michelle went missing, and extracts from the podcast.  It was straight-forward.  Again, I didn't like any of the characters.  I just wanted to smack Owen, and Esme just played into his hands most of the time.  Her mother-in-law was as insufferable as her son, and I didn't trust any of her co-workers.  I admit that Justine surprised me, but no one else did.

So, it is really difficult to enjoy a book when you don't particularly like the topic or the characters, and that I forced myself to read.

However, I must admit that although the events were somewhat predictable,  by about 70% read, I was interested in the outcome.  Way, way, way too late to start enjoying a book.  By this time I'm not sure if I was enjoying it, or happy it was coming to an end.

This book will not prevent me from reading Kim's books in the future, but I may be a little more careful when reading the blurb.  This one just wasn't for me.

My thanks to Bookouture for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Evidence’ by K.L. Slater in exchange for an honest review. I complemented this with its unabridged audiobook edition, read by Clare Corbett and others.

K.L. Slater has established herself as one of the best authors within the sub-genre of domestic noir/psychological thrillers creating highly engaging plots with relatable characters. Her latest novel continues this trend and also integrates social issues, such as domestic and psychological abuse, and elements of crime fiction. Quite a mix!

As with any thriller, I won’t say much about the plot in order to avoid spoiler territory- so just some background on the characters and overall premise.

Former Sky News journalist Esme Fox has set up a small media company, The Speaking Fox. The company has just debuted a podcast focusing on the case of Simone Fischer, a young mother who in 2009 was convicted of murdering her husband in cold blood while their son played in the next room. Simone refused to speak at her trial and has been silent ever since. Now she has agreed to break her silence and be interviewed by Esme for the podcasts.

Yet Esme is encountering resistance to her telling Simone’s side of the story including the usual internet trolls. Her life is already complicated as she has recently separated from her husband and her 9-year-old son, Zachary, is still struggling with the life changing injuries that he suffered after a hit-and-run accident two years previously. Add a missing sister and toxic in-laws to the mix and you have a totally gripping domestic noir.

Once I started reading ‘The Evidence’ it proved impossible to put down. I was very drawn into Esme’s life and while there were twists, I felt that they emerged organically from the narrative.

Overall, it was a very satisfying read.

Simone, brutally murdered her husband of twenty years marriage and was sentenced to life imprisonment. She never wants to talk to the media until now that she agrees to be interviewed by Esme Fox for her podcast.
Besides busy with her podcast project, Esme is also busy taking care her son who is still in progress recovery after a hit and run accident.
One day, Esme's sister, Michelle, who works closely with her in Simone's podcast interview, gone missing, and found unconscious with severe injuries a few days later.
A wide selections of characters to be liked and disliked, amazing plot, and as usual, the twists...Kim never disappoint us in the twists.

If there’s one thing I’ve taken from this book it’s the high expectations women place on themselves and it can only take one little thing to either break them or make them snap. I could be talking about all of the female characters in this book with that statement too.

Journalist Esme is riding high on the success of her serial podcast “Speaking Fox” gaining an exclusive interview with husband killer Simone Fischer. Who, up until now, has refused all media interviews and kept silent, even at her own trial ten years previous.

Being completely honest I didn’t like Esme and at the start thought this book wasn’t for me and I was feeling the crushing disappointment of a possible dnf. Not being a quitter and after giving myself a good talking to I decided to plough on. Even if it was just to find out if Simone was a downtrodden, controlled housewife or a complete psycho.

And boy am I glad I did, as all of a sudden something just clicked into place and my earlier disappointment turned into triumphant joy.

As Esme interviews Simone and hears about the gaslighting she was a victim of, she starts to recognise the coercive behaviour techniques in her own marriage to her estranged husband Owen. Who is still managing to control her even though they are separated, often using their son Zach, who needs care following a hit and run accident, to infiltrate her life.

With the possibility of a television docuseries, after being approached by a production company, Esme is worried after her sister Michelle doesn’t show up for the meeting. With colleague Justine also going awol, after she rejected her ideas, she’s on her own. Esme is spinning a lot of plates and they are all about to come crashing down….

This book threw me for a loop and my review is more than likely an incoherent babble of the jumbled mess that my brain has become. What I will say is that this contains some insidious characters, some unpredictable twists and will make you ask questions you NEED answers to.

Esme is overjoyed when her fledgling true-crime podcast manages to secure what is notoriously one of the hardest to obtain interviewees.

She now has exclusive access to Simone Fischer, a woman who was convicted for murdering her abusive husband, who has until now refused to speak to the media about the events that took place surrounding her arrest. The more time Esme spends with Simone, the more she can see similarities between them – especially when it comes down to their marriages, and from here onwards a tentative friendship begins to form between these women.

However, the worst is yet to come for Esme, when her sister Michelle is found seriously injured and abandoned in the woods. As Esme’s life begins to unravel at al alarming speed around her, she loses focus on the podcast as she tries to take in everything that is happening around her, alongside having to fathom out who she can trust and who is behind her sisters attack, it is safe to say that she has every reason to be feeling somewhat overwhelmed by it all.

As the story pushes forward, the tension levels reach dizzying heights – keeping you well and truly perched on the edge of your seat as the plot begins to unfold. I loved the snippets of Simone’s interview that was interlaced throughout the book, giving us a much better insight as to who she is as an individual, and the truth behind what happened back then. My heart really went out to Esme too, as she tried to pick up the pieces of her life that was crumbling around her. Not only was she dealing with the break up of her marriage, she then had to try and come to terms with her sisters brutal attack, all whilst trying to hold on to the podcast that she had built up from the ground.

Despite having my inclinations as to how the story may well conclude, nothing could have prepared me for that ending!. The devious twist that takes place is completely unexpected, and left me utterly shocked, yet extremely giddy all at once as I do love a book that delivers the unexpected!. K. L. Slater has once again provided us with a chilling tale that has you perched on the edge of your seat as the plot unfolds. If, like me, you love a captivating read, then you simply MUST read this book!.

K.L. Slater The Evidence Bookouture 2021

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for this uncorrected proof for review.

When I finished reading The Evidence, I was about to give it a rather grudging four stars, once again wishing the there were half stars available to reviewers. However, I thought again and am happy with the four-star rating I have eventually decided. The two reasons for this reflection fall into the category of spoilers, so I am forced to be oblique in my reference to them. What I can say, is that I admire the cleverness of K.L. Slater in intelligently introducing clues that, when one looks back on the narrative, provide the evidence for what I initially thought of as a resolution that while clever lacked plausibility, the obvious solution. There are hints from early in the novel, following the characters’ professional capacities and interests, as well as the pattern and parallel nature of events and relationships, that provide the impetus for the ending. The title, The Evidence, behoves the reader to really look for the evidence, which is provided in a series of clues worthy of a lawyer doing her best for her client. Or, I suppose, the crime writer leading readers ‘up the garden path’ with the clues so well hidden they need to be sought out. But, they are there, and worth looking for.

The novel begins outside Bronzefield women’s prison with Esme Fox recording her podcast on her impending visit to Simone Fischer. Now fifty-two, Simone Fischer was convicted of killing her husband ten years previously. She had been married to him for twenty years, they have a son who was twelve at the time of the murder and was nearby on his computer at the time. The Speaking Fox, Esme’s new company, has had a break though – Simone Fischer is about to give her first media interview.

The Speaking Fox is a small company, and the staff has been assembled from new but respected professionals and includes a past contact. Michelle, Esme’s sister, is also on the staff as well as living with Esme and assisting her with the care of Zachary, the nine-year-old son of Esme and her estranged husband, Owen. Justine, a university friend, and occasional contact through their previous work as journalists, is now finding her true calling in research for The Speaking Fox. Mohammed Khaleed, known usually as Mo, is the Production Manager, relied upon by Esme to finalise the celebratory drinks on the occasion of the successful first podcast. Toby is the new, and somewhat subdued, production assistant.

Esme is torn between caring for Zachary and ensuring the success of The Speaking Fox. The latter is a combination of Esme’s concern to ensure a future for Zachary who has been severely damaged, physically and mentally, from a hit and run incident near his home, and her professional aspirations. Her relationship with Owen has been fraught since the accident, and they have agreed to separate, with him moving out of the house. Michelle and Owen’s disagreements, which Esme sees as sparring rather than serious, contrast with Zachary’s love for his father and desire that he come home. Both undermine Esme’s hold on her determination to ignore Owen’s pressing to resume their relationship, initially with his returning home.

Michelle is violently attacked, resulting in her hospitalisation, a police enquiry and Owen’s increased care for Zachary, resulting in his returning, but to the spare bedroom. Esme’s work with Simone brings her into contact with Simone’s brother and son. Her increasing reliance on Owen for Zachary’s care and happiness, brings Owen’s assertive parents into the story. The narrative proceeds between the past and present, with parallels between Simone’s story and Esme’s experiences, the mystery of the attack and troubles at The Speaking Fox.
The podcasts by Esme are written with such authenticity: we can see the thrill Esme feels when introducing herself to the listeners; her observations are detailed and genuinely background the listener; her interactions with Simone are personable and build the relationship between the two women and their experiences.

The Evidence is another novel that enlists the reader’s sympathy with a mother juggling paid work and domestic responsibilities. At the same time, it draws upon the social issues around coercion between men and women in its most severe terms when considering Simone’s situation, and the questions arising from Esme and Owen’s relationship. The reader is forced to understand Esme’s reluctance to act as we know she ‘should’, at times becoming almost fed up with her inability to acknowledge her situation. This is a clever device indeed when the public responses to Simone’s situation are considered.

Yes, as the blurb advertises, there is a twist. Its cleverness lies in the way in which the groundwork is laid so it is a plausible twist rather than a simple resolution for dramatic effect. There are too many novels relying on a description that refers to the value of the ‘twist’ that in some cases is quite implausible, a twist for the sake of it. The Evidence is not such a novel. Throughout the narrative K.L. Slater makes a persuasive case for the events and outcomes - we just need to look at the evidence.

Esme's fledgling true-crime podcast has landed the impossible-to-get interview! Esme has exclusive access to Simone Fischer, who hasn't spoken to the media since her arrest and conviction for killing her abusive husband. Instead of being on top of the world, Esme's life is falling apart around her.

There's a lot going on in this story; it is full of twists and suspense. Hearing Simone's story causes Esme to realize that there are some uncomfortable parallels to her life. Then her sister goes missing; she is eventually found beaten and barely alive. Esme has to puzzle through the strange events in her life and Simone's story to figure out what's going on.

The Evidence has no shortage of dislikeable characters with questionable agendas. The whodunit aspect looms large over this story. Between the twists, suspense, and unsavory characters, you are guessing until the end!

While I enjoyed the story, the conclusion fell a little short for me. Everything gets wrapped up rather quickly after the final twist, but some key details related to a few subplots are missing. The ending left me with several unanswered questions.

Fans of domestic thrillers will enjoy The Evidence; it is entertaining and keeps you guessing until the end!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC to read and enjoy! My review reflects my honest, unbiased opinion.

This wasn’t quite what I was expecting. I thought this would be mainly about the podcast, Simone, and getting justice for events that would be proved to be wrong.
However, the podcast and that part of the story is really only on the periphery of Esme’s life. The central part of the book is more about her life falling apart, her sister has gone missing, and her ex-husband has been arrested. An old crime involving her son is coming to light, and she is having to deal with nightmare in-laws, coups at work, and other disasters being thrown at her. At times the book felt a little bit too hectic, and too much was going on. This wouldn’t have been a bad thing if the protagonist had been reacting in a suitable way. However, most of the time, she ignored what was happening, carried on working, lied to her son and generally acted very strange herself. She didn’t really react to much happening around her. Her reactions were just so lacklustre. It was very hard to care about what was happening to her, and in turn, it ended up being hard to enjoy the book.
With a little bit of tweaking, the book could have been dynamite. The premise was there, but it just wasn’t tied together quite right. The podcast and Esme’s life just jarred up against one another instead of working seamlessly together. As a result, when the big reveal came at the end, it fell a bit flat. This author is usually very good at building the suspense throughout, and I did feel it a bit; I just think my frustration with Esme took over too much to really enjoy it.
So, unfortunately, this wasn’t one of my favourite Slater books. I still read it quite quickly to see if it did pick up and so that I could find out if it did all tie together. Esme just needed a little more gumption to have made this book so much better.

This is not my first K. L. Slater, I've read a few now, and loved them all. But boys, this is from another planet entirely, my absolute favourite since now!
Characters, plot, storyline, twists and turns, style: everything is sooo good.
I would have given more stars if possible!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Along with the proliferation of true crime podcasts comes the proliferation of true crime podcast related thrillers. I enjoy the books much more than the podcasts themselves, though I love myself a quirky crime! While the plot for this story was a good one and the characters were interesting, this book felt like a rough draft to me. Well, it felt more like a music demo album before the producer gets in there, slows things down a bit, streamlines things, and gets the music focused. There was just so much stuff going on in this book that I felt like the story was distracting me from the story. What was I supposed to be paying attention to? There was no ebb and flow of action so there was no time to digest what had happened before the next thing came up. It was all monotone high anxiety. So maybe this is a book to read at the same time you are reading another book to provide artificial breaks throughout the story? Well, unless you want to be on that high wire the entire time? (Sorry for all the analogies today!)

I have read a few books by K.L Slater now and I'm really enjoying her style of writing. I found The Evidence had enough twists and turns to keep me hooked and it had an ending I didn't see coming which kept me reading straight past my bedtime!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

I really enjoyed reading this story. It was a bit hard to get into until the middle for me personally but overall I thought it was entertaining. I originally thought this would be about Simone and her case and Esme trying to figure out her motives behind it but it turned out to have a lot more subplots. I think each of the plots were interesting on their own but it got to be a bit much to juggle all of them at once. Additionally, many of the characters were aggravating/annoying/controlling which I know was probably done on purpose but sometimes it made it a bit hard to connect to the story and want to keep reading. I thought all the twists at the end with Owen and Andrew and the sister were interesting but it felt like everything neatly wrapped up in just a few short chapters a little too neatly