The Night of the Sleepover by Kerry Wilkinson

Thank you to @netgalley, @bookouture, and @kerry.wilkinson for the opportunity to read this #advancedlistenercopy in exchange for my #honestbookreview! This book is now available as a physical book as well as in #audiobook format.

Leah goes to her best friend’s house for a sleepover. The girls do all the typical 90s sleepover things - they snack on pizza, gossip, watch Titanic twice, and get tipsy on some borrowed liquor. But when Leah awakens the next day, she is alone. The other three girls are gone without a trace. The mystery of what happened to her friends has haunted her since and the wound is reopened when the brother of one of the girls, who has since become a filmmaker, comes back to town to interview her for the twenty year anniversary. Will the town finally get some peace and answer after all these years or is someone going to get hurt?

This one was super good. I was literally looking over my shoulder a few times over this stalker behavior. As someone who came up in the nineties, a lot of this felt nostalgic (Titanic!) and in a way this kind of felt familiar in that it was during my childhood that JonBenét Ramsey was taken from her home so the very real fear of kidnapping and sleepovers was real for us. Just enough red herrings and threads to keep you guessing and on your toes on this one. I highly recommend for those who enjoy a twisty suspenseful mystery!

TW: death of a loved one, kidn*pping, g*slighting, c*lt behavior, bullying, violence.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 4/5

The Night of the Sleepover is my first novel by Kerry Wilkinson and I was intrigued by the premise: Four girls have a fun sleepover with pizza and alcohol, go to bed and the next morning there is only Leah and the other three are missing: She slept through everything! What happened to the other girls?

Leah is our narrator and it goes back and forth between present day, the days before the sleepover and afterwards. It is twenty plus years later and a documentary is being filmed by the younger brother of one of the missing girls. Leah starts to get messages for the documentary to be stopped. What did happen that night and what is going on now?

This one was a slow burner and I wasn’t pulled in as I thought I would be until it got closer to the sleepover. I wasn’t really interested in the present-day mystery. I was intrigued as to how much this has affected Leah even to today’s time. Even the entire town: This mystery affected everyone so a whole generation has never had a sleepover because no one wants a repeat! The novel did get moving the closer it got to the night of the sleepover and from there I was into the story! I do look forward to the second in the series which will come out December 15th: We don’t have to wait long! I did enjoy the ending even though I wasn’t blown away by it. My reaction was more of: “Oh wow… Let’s keep this story going!”

The narrator is Olivia Darnley, and she did a good job with her narration and adding to the tone of the story.

Many thanks to the publisher Bookouture for granting me a copy to listen to and review!.

Only managed 3 starts from me

Too slow paced for me at beginning and I have no words for the ending of this book.
Totally disappointed

Thank you to Netgalley

The premise of this book was very interesting, though I have to say this has to be a parents worst nightmare. Having your child just disappear from someone's house? Or having children disappear from your home while you were in charge? Nightmare

There were lots of twists in this cold case. It was great to watch the story come together with loose threads that were there, just not picked up on. It was much more plausible then finding evidence after 25 years.

While I love that the one girl who was left got to find out what happened to her friends, I feel bad for all the friends and families of the girls that will never know. It is my only complaint about the book, but I also know that very few people get the conclusion they are looking for in these cases. The filmmaker told the town that he didn't promises answers and they didn't get them. Sad but realistic portrayal of many cold case ends.

3.5 stars
I have read/listened to several psychological thrillers written by Kerry Wilkinson so I had a good idea of what I could expect. I think this one was the best one yet, although it was also rather disturbing.

Now as a parent I worry about my own children going to sleepovers... imagine if one never came home after what was meant to be a fun night. This whole story basically takes place years after the event when a documentary is being made and when Leah still does not know what happened to the 3 other girls that were at the sleepover with her when she woke up all alone. Leah is asked to be involved with the documentary, but then she gets warning emails for her to stop it. Why? Who is sending these emails and what really happened at that sleepover?

I didn't really like the ending, so even now knowing there will be a sequel, I don't think it is for me. I am sure there are other readers who will be desperately waiting for the sequel... just not me.

Four girls go to sleep, but in the morning only one is left.
25 years later a documentary is be made about the missing girls and secrets start to unravel.

I really enjoyed the first half of this book. I thought the story was really good and it held my attention.
Something flipped during the back half and I didn't find myself enjoying it as much.
I really loved the first big plot twist, however the second twist felt a little unnecessary and left me slightly confused.
I'm thinking that maybe the second twist was put in to tie it into the sequel that was mentioned once the book was finished.
I did really enjoy the dual timelines, present day Leah being my favourite.


Thank you, Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for this advance copy in exchange for my review.

Oh, I enjoyed this book. A dark little tale looking at the strange disappearance of three girls during a sleepover and the effect on the fourth girl who slept through everything. Years later a film is being made by one of the girls' brothers and someone is scared that the truth may come to light.
You will not see the ending coming. It's a shocker in two parts. What a great book!

Wow! I don't even know where to start.

25 Years ago Leah and three of her teenage friends have a sleepover. The next morning Leah wakes up alone. The other three girls are gone.

A bit slow at the at the start and for the first half really. I was interested in finding out what happened to the girls, so I kept reading.

Now, the brother of one of the missing girls starts to investigate the case for a pod cast. I enjoyed the unfolding of the events that happened that day and the days leading up to it. I had my suspicions on what had happened but was only partially right. I was not expecting the ending though. I enjoyed this book even though I felt little connection to the characters.

I listened to the audio version and the narrator did a great job. I didn't know this was the beginning of a series until I had already started it. Looks like I'll be looking for the next one that comes out in a few months.

Thanks to netgalley and Bookouture Audio for the arc.

Leah and her friends Jasmine, Victoria and Harriet go to sleep one night and only one of them wakes up but she doesn’t even remember what happened, she didn’t even hear anything that night.
In the present day when Jasmine’s brother wants to meet her to help her remember that night, there are secrets that start unfolding. It’s intriguing to know that someone from the past doesn’t want everything coming out and they are sending anonymous messages to Leah.
It seems like someone might not be really dead, and is trying to stop from the secrets being revealed. The friends didn’t know they have a psychopath among them and could have planned to end things for some of them.
Towards the end, this book got so gripping that I just didn’t want to do anything other than listen to it to know everything!
Super gripping book by Kerry Wilkinson as always, thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture Audio and the author Kerry Wilkinson for approving this audio ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.
Cant wait for Dec 15, 2023 as the 2nd book in this series is out then and the history repeats itself!

Wow... what a book!
First of all: I loved the narrator and I think her voice perfectly matched the story and the character. It was a very pleasant listening experience.
Now more on the book itself: What convinced me to read it was the two timelines and the documentary that was going to reveal what exactly happened 24 years ago. While the documentary itself wasn't as important for the story as I expected, the truth did come out and it was more shocking than I could have imagined.
The two plot twists at the ending totally surprised me and I think I'm still not over them. I didn't see it coming but felt like I should have - that's what makes a good twist. At least in my opinion. I won't say to much but literally nothing is as it seems and the story is brilliantly constructed.
I genuinely enjoyed Leah as a main character and it was nice to follow her around while the truth was revealed bit by bit.
Maybe the pace was a bit slow at times, but that wasn't that big of a deal for me. I like mysteries that unravel slowly and this book did so in a very enjoyable kind of way.
I am extremely curious how the next book is going to play out and can't wait to read it!

Four girls go to sleep. Only one wakes up.
Leah and her three best friends get changed into their pyjamas, eat pizza and argue about what film to watch. But the next morning, when Leah blinks her eyes open and sees three empty sleeping bags she realises she’s alone. Her friends are gone.

It all worked perfectly, the plot was well built, the first plot twist (that I thought was THE one) amazingly tied everything up like so few novels do but then… the last (unneeded) plot twist happened. Absolutely. Not. Necessary.
The whole book ended up getting crumbled and the fascination I started having for the author instantly vanished. I am of the strong opinion that thriller book absolutely do not have ti be necessarily reliant in plot twist to be good books.

Fail for me.

Book reviews
3.5 stars (Audiobook version)
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the ARC of “The Night of the Sleepover”.

25 years ago, Leah woke up from a sleepover and was all alone. Her three best friends disappeared that night and were never heard from again. Now, 25 years later, the brother of one of the girls wants to do a documentary on the case, in hopes he will find out what happened to them.
As Leah picks a part the events of that dreadful night, she begins questioning the possible motives of the people around her. Could her dad be the culprit? What about her dad’s new girlfriend? Could it be one of her friends’ sister/brother/father that made the girls disappear? Where are they?

Audiobook component- the narrater had a very smooth English accent that was pleasant to listen to; however, there was very little variation between the character voices she used. At times it was hard to figure out which character was speaking.

Overall,
The book didn’t “wow” me with the storyline or the ending. I didn’t warm up to any of the characters and the story seemed to drag out.

While I read quite a few books by the author in the past, I found this one lacking in many parts. The narrator was good and engaged but the story itself lost me so much in the first half of the book.
I’m not even sure what to say that I liked and dislike in the end honestly.
I’m not one to say just once and be done because I will be reading more in the future by the author as I know the potential he has within the genre and storytelling.

Very grateful to the publisher for my ALC

Really enjoyed this book! Good story progression and the story moved along at a good pace keeping my interest. Twist and turns throughout that kept you guessing and changing your mind on what you thought was going on and what the ending would be. I did not guess the ending! Worth a read.

I like the concept and ending, but the pacing was too slow for my taste.

The book was relatively uneventful until the final 15%. I feel the story could have been more engaging if it had contained more action and excitement throughout the book, rather than saving it all for the very end. Overall, it was an okay read.

*** Thank you to NetGalley, Kerry Wilkinson, and Bookouture for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***

OMG, I did not see that last twist at the end coming! So, so good! I can't wait to see where the story goes from here! This was my 1st book by Kerry Wilkinson but it will certainly not be my last, I am adding all of her books to my TBR.

#TheNightoftheSleepover
#NetGalley

A reasonable plot with a double twist at the end which just about made it worth listening to the more boring and repetitive parts of the story
I’m not keen on the sequel being pushed on to me at the end of a book it seems contrived but I can see that this book needs a follow on… I’m not sure I will be looking out for it though.

4 girls at a sleepover and only one is left in the morning. What happened to them? Leah is left to spend the rest of her life living in fear, being judged, always waiting for the other shoe to drop and hoping her abusive and dangerous father never gets out of jail again. Now years later on the 25th anniversary of the disappearance of her school friends one of the missing girls brothers decides to make a documentary to find out what really happened to them. Then she starts receiving seemingly threatening emails and wondering who knows what, is her father potentially guilty, dealing with her jerk of an ex who will do anything for money, while raising her son as a single mom and trying to protect him from…everything. It it a wonderfully narrated twisted whodunit, thrilled with a really unexpected ending. I can’t wait for the follow-up, but there is resolution, surprising and extra creepy as it may be!

Whoa - this is a great thriller that takes you on a winding road from past to present. Leah's best friends disappeared at a sleepover and this has clouded her entire life. Now someone is filming a new documentary hoping to find new information on what could have happened.

Leah also starts receiving emails telling her she needs to stop the documentary. The notes keep getting more threatening.

I liked that I was able to go back in time and see what was happening during that sleepover, what the kids were doing, thinking etc. Leah's family is also very dysfunctional and her up bringing often was a source of angst for her as a child and even into adulthood.

I felt like there were two endings one I could wrap my head around and the second blew me away. I could totally see it but wow. Definitely a strong ending that reminded me of The Push.

I really enjoyed this psychological thriller. The story is about a young girl called Leah, who has a sleepover with her friends, but wakes up the next morning alone, with her friends nowhere to be seen. Full of twists and turns, I was reeled in, and I couldn't stop listening, to find out what happened next.

The audiobook narrator did a great job, and she had a lovely voice. The dual timeline theme was done well, with being in both the present time, and in the past when the girls went missing.

If you are looking for an interesting thriller, with a twisty touch, then you will love this book. Highly recommended!

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book.