MISSING is the seventeenth psychological crime thrillers by bestselling author K.L. Slater, a gripping psychological thriller. I have read all of her novels, and again this novel ticked all the boxes for me: a gripping plot, well-developed characters, and a fast-paced gripping read. Another winner!

Her Novels Include:
Safe With Me (2016)
Blink (2017)
Liar (2017)
The Mistake (2017)
The Visitor (2018)
The Secret (2018)
Closer (2018)
Finding Grace (2019)
The Silent Ones (2019)
Single (2019)
The Apartment (2020)
Little Whispers (2020)
The Girl She Wanted (2020)
The Marriage (2021)
The Evidence (2021)
The Widow (2021)
Missing (2022)
This is my review of Missing.

Eight-year-old Jimmy had died twenty-six years ago, a tragedy, being trapped in an old abandoned warehouse when someone had locked the metal door, and left him to die.

Samuel Barlow, the next-door neighbor, had been charged and was serving time in prison. Samuel’s mum, Maggie had lied to the police to cover for her son after murder of the schoolboy,

Jimmy’s big sister, Josie had been thirteen when he died.

Samuel had been obsessed with Josie…always watching from afar, and didn’t like sharing her with her little brother.

Now, years later, Samuel was free. And Josie’s eight-year-old daughter, Ivy is missing. Josie knows that Samuel has taken her daughter, for ruining his life.

Lots of twists, turns, and secrets to satisfy the reader.

Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and Net Galley for my digital copy.

As I’ve already stated, I’m a huge fan of K L Slater but I think this may be her best yet. It completely revitalises the missing child trope, adding a unique sense of mystery and danger to it.

It was quite far into the story that the main event of the suspected abduction happened. I am so used to reading books where this happens within the first few chapters. However, this choice was clearly well thought out as it enabled Slater to set up the story perfectly. We got an insight into Josie, Terry and their relationship, we were able to meet and develop a bond with little Ivy, and get some understanding of the traumatic background upon which the whole story exists.

Following Ivy’s abduction, the pace of the story massively ramps up and I became completely and utterly engrossed. There are many twists, turns and shocks which will send your head spinning, but will ultimately provide an enthralling and addictive read.

The ending was perfectly pitched, maintaining some of the tension of the earlier stories as there were clearly still some strands to unravel address, but also providing some element of ‘come down’ from the secrecy, danger and violence that lurks within the main story.

Samuel was an ideal villain character. You could completely understand how he was blamed for everything that went wrong, and K L Slater did well to promote this sinister and manipulative persona by allowing us insight into not only Josie’s own narrative, but Samuel’s mother, Maggie’s too. I mean, if his own mother questions his whereabouts, his motives and his mental state, then how can the reader not?

Overall a page turning and compelling read, utterly deserving of five shiny stars. Definitely one of the best psychological thrillers I’ve read in a while, and currently currently sits in my top 22 reads of 2022!

Missing by K.L. Slater continues this author's knack for realistic characters and settings. I loved the way the story was developed, and there was a lot of back story too; certainly what I expect from Slater. Plenty of layers to try and figure out. You definitely have to suspend your disbelief to read this book, however, which is fine, but I'm finding I have to do more and more of that lately. Some things are just too implausible. That might be the case here as the story unravels, but nonetheless, Slater is a skilled writer, and the story pulls you in until the end. Recommend.

4.5 stars. I have read quite a few of this authors books and I can honestly say they never disappoint. There were a good few twists in this one I didn’t see coming and it kept my attention from start to finish

I love K.L. Slater, I’ve read many of her books and was so excited to see her newest release, I buy all her books and couldn’t wait to read this one. It skipp4d right to the top of my To Be Read pile.

We jump right in, as K.L. Slater often does, and we find ourselves inside the head of eight-year-old Jimmy Bennett as he is locked in an old unit and takes his last breath. Its instantly devastating and I am compelled to find out more as soon as possible. My initial thoughts are that this is going to be a fast-paced quick read and I will be done within a day or two.

From there we jump 26 years later. Samuel is just being released after 25 years of a 30-year prison sentence for killing Jimmy. We join Jimmy’s older sister, Josie, a café owner and single mother to her eight-year-old daughter, Ivy. The book is told from multiple perspectives, mostly those of Josie and Samuel’s mother, Maggie. Samuel was always obsessed with Josie as a child and Maggie is worried that his years in prison have made him a hardened criminal now, how might that affect his relationships and his obsession with Josie?

I enjoyed the beginning of Missing; it looks at the impact of one person’s actions on several lives and the long-lasting effects of Jimmy’s death on both Josie and Samuel’s families.

The characters felt well developed. Samuel feels manipulative and chilling, you could easily imagine him playing a trick on someone younger and have no idea what he is capable of now, after all those years incarcerated. Maggie is also very intriguing, she is a devoted and loving mother, she has supported Samuel all these years but seems to have been stalking Josie too. Maggie’s perspective does reveal some plot twists which help to make sense of a lot of the plot but ultimately, I found her frustrating, her ‘help’ wasn’t at all helpful and the way her brain worked was somewhat twisted.

Josie is another issue though, she wasn’t particularly likeable and at times, was completely infuriating! The fixation on her biscuit baking, though mildly relevant to the plot, dragged and gets in the way of the plot a bit. Just one or two mentions would have sufficed enough to make the point that she was successful and busy.

It felt like there was a lot of overexplaining and repetition between the different points of view. I felt like it started well and then got a little bit lost meandering through the plot to the end. The leaping in time hindered the story a little too.

The ending wasn’t my favourite either! There were plenty of twists in the mystery of who took Ivy and what happened, but it was a little too far-fetched. The obvious conclusion was not here and didn’t really make sense. It came out of nowhere and was completely unrealistic. The ends were tied up but a little too loosely and some characters were left hanging a little, with some relationships turning around unrealistically quickly. I also disliked the three future endings, one week later, three months later and then finally eighteen months later.

What could have been a riveting, quick, read turned into a slightly frustrating, drawn out read for me. In the end it took me six days to get through it as I kept putting it down or had to go back and see what had happened before. I did enjoy some parts, the premise was great and the beginning descriptions of Jimmy brilliant and chilling, perhaps even more so if you have children yourself. Some of the twists were good but I think I just had enough by then.

Maybe I have been spoilt by too many excellent books by K.L. Slater previously, she has written some blinding thrillers but unfortunately, this just wasn’t one of them. Not even her fantastic writing style could style this one out.

K.L. Slater is back with this thriller that will have you hooked till the final pages. Josie’s little girl, Ivy has vanished and a top suspect is Samuel who has been released from prison after being incarcerated for killing Josie’s brother 25 years before. Some characters you may like, others you may not, but the plot is top-notch, as is the pacing. A terrific, rollercoaster tale packed with twists. Very highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.

Wow, what an absolutely brilliant read this was!!!
It is a well written, compelling, tense and gripping psychological suspense thriller that had me gripped from the beginning.
It's a book that you will not want to put down and I read it late into the night because I just had to finish it.
Looking forward to the next book from K L Slater.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'Missing' by K.L Slater.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for K.L Slater, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 19th May 2022.

This is the fourth book I have read by this author. I have previously read 'The Girl She Wanted', 'The Widow' and 'The Marriage' which I highly recommend.

I was originally drawn to this book by its beautiful eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that 'If you like Liane Moriarty and Lisa Jewell, you will be totally hooked on Missing.' I am a huge fan of Lisa Jewell so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I am also a huge fan of K. L Slater and if this is half as good as 'The Marriage', 'The Widow' and 'The Girl She Wanted' it is sure to be a page turning read. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of a prologue, 67 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is set in Nottinghamshire, England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 UK. I always seem to get on with books that are set in the UK better as I am from Wales and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book. I have actually spent many holidays and days out in Nottinghamshire so am looking forward to seeing if I recognise anywhere.


This book is written in a mix of third and first person perspective and the protagonists are Josie Bennett, Maggie Barlow, DI Helena Price and Samuel Barlow. The benefits of books written in first person perspective are as long as they are well written it makes you feel that you are being spoken to by the protagonist and it can create more of a bond between yourselves and them. If there are several protagonists you also get to see more of what is going on. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything. To have the benefit of both first and third person perspective ensures you don't miss out on anything.

'Missing' ' discusses some topics that may trigger some readers or may not be suitable for others. I like to point this out ahead of time in my reviews so you can judge if this book is for you or not. In this book K.L Slater discusses/includes child abduction.

OMG!!!! WHAT DID I JUST READ!!!! I DID NOT EXPECT THAT!!! MIND BLOWN MUCH!!!

Wow!!! This book is fantastically written and had me hook, line and sinker from beginning to end. The descriptions were so in depth and vivid that the hair on my arms was standing on the ends and my heart was pounding throughout. The synopsis, title and cover were perfect for the storyline.

I was absolutely absorbed throughout this page turner. It is filled with tension, suspense, lies, secrets and omg the twists!!! I DID NOT see any of them coming!!! A MASSIVE CONGRATULATIONS K.L Slater!! It is getting harder and harder to shock me but by God you did that over and over and over!!! What an ending!!! One of the most gripping unputdownable nerve wracking psychological thrillers I have EVER read!!! You lady have one hell of a talent and I cannot wait to get hold of your previous and future books. I cannot remember the last time I was so hooked by a book but you managed that big time!!! The storyline is filled with crime, shocks, suspense, tension, deceit and murder. There was not one, two but at least 3 explosive bombshells I did not see coming!!! There was so much going on and it was very fast paced and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. Clear your schedule before you start as I read this in one sitting as I could not put it down!! Practically every chapter ended on a cliff hanger so no way could I put it down!! Absolutely hooked!! I would absolutely love to see this turned into a movie!!!!

It is set over multiple time lines. When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader (if it is well done) understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions. It also shows the bigger picture.

I was completely invested in both the storyline and the characters. Each of the characters had their own unique personalities and I felt differently about each of them. I really liked Josie and felt so sorry on her throughout the book. What happened is a mother's worse nightmare and I couldn't even imagine not knowing where my children were and she knew which i should imagine made it even worse, especially considering what she knew about the abductor. I had mixed feelings about Maggie because again as a mother you always want to protect your child. The storyline portrayed village life perfectly and I really do feel that what Maggie went through is what many families of criminals go through on a daily basis. However, she hadn't helped herself by covering for her son. I was glad for Jose's friendship with Fiona who, although Josie attacked her verbally, stood by her in the end. I won't say anymore about the characters as I don't want to give anything away about the storyline not wanting to spoil it for future readers. I loved meeting DI Helena Price again and I think her relationship with DS Kane Brewster was brilliant. I previously "met" them in "The Widow" and was a lovely surprise to come across them again especially as both books are standalones, it's unusual to meet the same characters. They made me laugh a few times especially Helena and her sarcastic attitude and Brewster with his scooby snacks!! All in all a great mix of characters that worked well with this storyline.


This is exactly why you are in my top author Club K.L Slater and your book is one of the best psychological thrillers I have EVER READ!! Bring on the next one!!! I cannot wait!!! Here's to the next success 🥂

Overall an absolutely heart racing, never wracking, unputdownable addictive psychological thriller!!!


Genres covered in this novel include Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, and Psychological Fiction amongst others.


I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of 'Gone Girl' , 'The Girl on The Train', 'The Wife Between Us', Liane Moriarty, Lisa Jewell and anyone looking for an explosive thriller filled with bombshells you won't see coming!!

380 pages.

This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle or free on kindle unlimited (at time of review) via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5/5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.WOW!!! SO many twists and turns. I really liked this book.

Who can you trust?

Josie’s daughter has been taken. She's desperate, scared and wanting nothing more than to get her child back. She is convinced that Samuel Barlow has taken her. She knows Samuel, she has since she was a child. He's the one who killed her younger brother, Jimmy in 1993. Her testimony helped put him in prison. But he's out, paroled early and now her daughter is missing. Like all books, there are characters in this book that readers will either like or dislike. But will you feel sympathy for any of them?

This book is an examination of 'who can you trust?' It's about mothers trying to protect their children and about the truth. Like all books with a mystery, I did my own super sleuthing and came up with a list of subjects. I guessed two of the plot twists early on, but I still found this book to be enjoyable. Confession, Samuel was my favorite character. I feel he was the most developed and richly drawn character. He is devious, manipulative, and cruel, yet he is also a little sympathetic. He is the most complicated character in this book, and I love complicated characters. He's unlikeable yet, has suffered emotional pain in his life which has fueled his anger and actions.

You can feel Josie's fear as she is searching for her daughter, and I felt sorry for her and yet...

Samuel's Mother wants to help, but she lied in the past to protect her child. Can she be trusted now?

Every step of the way, readers will be wondering who can be trusted. This book is told through various character's POV and in the current time and in 1993.

Well written, full of twists and turns. Fans of K. L. Slater will not be disappointed!!

Twists, turns, secrets, deception.... Missing.

3.5 stars

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

This has been such a fast paced, tensed and addictive read. I just had to know what happened and who's to blame
All characters were so well created that it made me warm to them but I also absolutely despised some of them and this made me love the book even more
As I got into the story, about half way, I got sucker punched and left speechless. That was the last thing I would have expected
Going further, I knew what happened, I knew who did it and how, I found out why and that was a shock. I kept thinking, the book will surely end as everything has been revealed
But I was so wrong. There comes another twist and then all pieces fell into place..it all made sense at the end. I warmed up to the outcome of it all, although I wasn't quite all for it This has been such a great read. I totally recommend it. An absolute page turner that I finished in two days (sometimes life got in the way so I had to stop 🤷🏼‍♀️)

Another great psychological thriller from the Queen of Twists.

Every time I read one of this author's books I'm convinced this time I've worked out what is really going on. And each and every time I'm totally wrong!

A great book that had me hooked from the start.

Loved this!!!

K.L Slater has done it again! This book was so gripping and such a page turner!
I wanted to know what was happening, and therefore wanted to keep reading, I HAD to keep reading!!

Slighting disappointing ending, but it didn't dampen my view of the book.
More of the same please!

I don’t think this author can write anything but brilliant books. This is a great twisty turny read with so many possible villains that you’ll be stunned when the real one is unveiled and wow the big twist!

Thanks to Kim and NetGalley for allowing me to read Missing before the publication date.
Missing was the first of Kim's books which I have read and it won't be the last.
It is a roller coaster of a tale from start to finish.
The tense atmosphere kept me turning the pages into the wee small hours.
Just as I thought that I knew about a character, the storyline goes back in time and drops in a smidgen more information which had me reassessing my original view.

Somewhere around the 75% mark, I was sure that I knew where this tale was going, only to be totally wrong and the roller coaster took off again.
There were so many twists, turns and red herrings that I was completely surprised by the result.

K.L. Slater is a go to author for me when I feel like a good, fast paced, intriguing, suspense read. And she delivered again this time. It's a compelling story, full of twists and turns, that I literally couldn't stop reading. Nothing is like it seems and you are left guessing the whole time.
In all honesty it's not my favourite of her books, because I found some parts a bit repetitive, due to the various POVs (and that's the only reason why I don't give it 5 stars), but a fantastic read, nonetheless!

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

Missing is a completely gripping psychological suspense thriller that hooked me from the very start. KL Slater is one of my absolute favourite authors and one when I hear she has a new book out I don’t even need to read the blurb, as I’ll be in for a rollercoaster of a ride. Well this book certainly ticked all the boxes for me ; gripping, intense , page turner and lots of OMG moments. One chapter I was certain I knew who was guilty and then suddenly I was slapped in the face by what I learned in another chapter which honestly at times had me taking in deep breaths and having to read back a little to be sure I’d read it right. This is what I love about Slaters books the absolute suspense and thrill of them and Missing was certainly that.

Am utterly addictive read with so many twists and so much drama. Josie's world is turned upside down when Samual is released early from prison after abducting and murdering her brother. Six days after his release a child goes missing. This had it all, a wide range of emotional reading.

Wow ! Amazing and brilliantly written thriller ! Disturbing , dark and shocking ! A must read ! Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review this book! ! Opinions are solely my own ! #Netgalley #Bookouture #Missing

Ahhhh I loved this book what a brilliant read from K.L Slater I love her books and am never disappointed by them and this one was no different. Once I started it I honestly didn’t want to put it down.

Josie is a single mum to Ivy and runs her own business she has a full and pretty hectic lifestyle by anyones standards; however her world is turned upside down when Samuel is released early from prison after abducting and murdering her brother. Six days after his release Ivy goes missing and Josie is convinced that Samuel has taken her daughter and she will stop at nothing to get her back.

I really loved Josie’s character she is a mother who wants what is best for her daughter. Josie also had a difficult upbringing and growing up her life wasn’t the perfect childhood she had hoped for. Josie also has a deep secret she wants to keep hidden but there is someone out there who knows josie’s secret and once one thing is discovered a whole Pandora’s box of secrets, lies and truths are uncovered. This book really did have it all.

Thank you to NetGalley, bookouture and K.L Slater for an advance copy of this book in exchange for this review