@kerry.wilkinson’s newest novel, The Night of the Sleepover, is about a group of 4 girls that are BFFs. At one of their sleepovers, 3 of the girls go missing and Leah sleeps right through their abduction! This story is told from dual timelines and is full of twists. The ending was shocking and I completely did not see it coming. I’m still thinking about it days later. Make sure you check out this audiobook when it publishes on 23 October 2023!

Thank you @bookouture for allowing me to listen to this audiobook ahead of publication in exchange for my honest review.

My kind of suspense/thriller - short, to the point and that ending! Did not see that ending coming!
Four girls, weekly sleepovers - four happy girl friends, until 3 disappear and 1 wakes up.
Almost twenty years later, a filmmaker is determined to uncover the truth. A younger brother of one of the missing girls, he pushes Leah for any hint of a lie.
Mysterious emails threatening to reveal the truth, Leah desperately tries to remember any detail she may have overlooked.
I loved the audio - had me hooked!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this audio ARC. This book was going so well until the ending. It just fell completely flat and left me feeling unsatisfied.

**Listened to the audiobook**

The premise of the book really intrigued me and it started off really well. However the more the book went on, the less I cared about what happened. I found the pacing to be incredibly slow, and there were some random sub plots that just seemed to be thrown in and just added confusion rather than added anything.

I really liked the narrator, and I have listened to other books they have narrated before.

Overall it was just OK book - I didn't love this book, and wouldn't necessarily recommend - there are better thriller/mystery books out there!

I wanted to really like this book. But I found it just okay. The character was not really someone I found myself rooting for

I did NOT see that ending coming!!!! What a twisty and suspenseful thriller. I loved this book this narrator, and this author!

4.25+ stars

I really enjoyed this thriller. It was captivating and twisty, and it contained dramatic turns as well as relatable moments and compelling character interactions. I did not see the ending coming, which was a delightful change; I love being taken by surprise with an outcome that still (more or less) seems to fit with the rest of the story. I’m pretty sure I’ve read other books by this writer, and I’m looking forward to what she comes out with next.

Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture Audio and Kerry Wilkinson for this eArc.

Such an addictive story! Here we meet Leah, a girl with a troubled past, who finds herself left after her 3 friends suddenly disappear.

This well crafted thriller takes you on an adventure if twists and deception, just when you think you know what happened - someone changes the narrative! I couldn't put it down! Definitely bingeable!

A very clever ending that I totally didn't see coming... and I can't wait to find out what happens next in the sequel!!

🥛Who done it?
🥛Unreliable Narrators
🥛Thriller

Wow, I would not want to trade places with Leah. This must have been the worst nightmare. The difference is that nightmares end as soon as you wake up.This one only starts as soon as she woke up.
This story is very intriguing. I could not stop wrecking my brain trying to find out which piece of the puzzle fitted where. No matter how I turned them around, one crucial part was still missing. The only thing left for me to do was to shut the world out and dive into the book. I would not put it away before I knew all there was to know. :) And then BOOM!
Every time this author puts his pen on the paper, his writing turns into gold! I loved this book. I could not believe my eyes when it was all revealed. It was shocking, but sad too.
Normally surprises are hidden in stories, but here we were given a little gift after everything was said and done or wasn't it...? 5 stars
Thank you

There were a few things along the way I wasn't too sure about, but this book must be given credit for having a surprise ending.
I listened to the audio, the narration was excellent, and at no point did I guess where it was going.
I actually had to rewind a few seconds as I thought I'd misheard!
I believe there's another book coming, so I'll be looking out for that, just to see where these characters all go next.
Probably somewhere really unexpected.

This intricately crafted thriller immediately captured my attention with its dual timeline narrative. The author's adept handling of the past and present storylines added layers of complexity, keeping me engrossed throughout. The characters were skillfully developed, making their experiences and emotions relatable and authentic.

The writing style was exceptional, painting vivid imagery and evoking a range of emotions. The attention to detail and descriptive prose immersed me in the story's setting and the characters' world. The pacing was perfect, allowing the tension to build steadily and keeping me eagerly anticipating the next revelation.

The suspense in this novel was electrifying, with each chapter unveiling new twists and turns. I found myself constantly guessing the characters' motives and the direction of the plot. The unpredictability of the story heightened the excitement, and I was on the edge of my seat, eagerly awaiting each surprising development.

The climax was executed brilliantly, tying together the various storylines in a way that was both unexpected and satisfying. The resolution provided closure while leaving room for contemplation, making for a deeply engaging read.

This book is a must-read for thriller enthusiasts. Its gripping dual timeline narrative, coupled with exceptional writing and unpredictable suspense, delivers an immersive reading experience. I highly recommend this novel to anyone seeking a captivating, well-crafted thriller that will keep them enthralled from beginning to end."

Well hello Kerry Wilkinson. Nice to meet you and welcome to my auto buy author group.

I am a one and done reader. Please do not trap me in series' (serieses???) which go on and on. That said, here's my biggest compliment I can give The Night of the Sleepover - I did a little jig when it ended and a sequel was promised.

That's it. What more can I say to tell you this one had me captivated? On audio I was at the sleepover. I felt the palpable suspence of that evening. I never saw the ending. Loved the characters. Loved the past and present telling. The narrator, Olivia Darnely, was a teen and a fully fleshed adult woman.

Awesome book.

3.5 read for me. 4 girls go to sleep and only one is there when they wake up. 25 years later and still no one knows what happened. At the center of this is Leah the girl who did wake up. I enjoyed the audio book and wasn’t expecting either of the last big twists. Just didn’t like that there was an odd amount of silent time between one chapter and the next

This is beautiful and sad. Our protagonist has stayed in her hometown despite people treating her oddly due to an incident that happened when she was a child. As a young teen she fell asleep at a sleepover and woke up alone. Her friends were gone and were never seen again. Now she's nearly 40 and a divorced mom. Her missing friends older brother is working on a documentary about the disappearance and it is digging up a lot of crap.
She visits her dad in prison and then has some interactions with her new stepmom.
I like our protagonist because her childhood is a bit like mine. She isn't fed at home and has only a few friends. She eats when people offer her food or at sleepovers. Her friends are weird with her, not always nice, but she is all they have.
The narration is perfect.
I won't reveal the ending. This isn't one of hose books you remember for life but I liked it.

Compulsive, gripping and horrifying! Will keep you on the edge of your seat! Oh my goodness, I absolutely and totally loved this book. Outstanding and compelling, it gave me whiplash from all the twists and turns!

Oh wow. That. Was. Really. Good!

I didn’t have very high expectations for this audiobook, as thrillers often fail to completely excite me, but this one was wonderful.
The characters were all incredibly intriguing and I liked their personalities and also how they behaved in stressful situations. It was understandable, even if it just made you angry as a reader/listener.

From the beginning I didn’t really trust our protagonist, because how do you sleep through such a night? But yes, the author built up the story so well that at the end everything seemed so logical (and unexpected) and then ... oh ha, I didn’t expect the ending xD

The writing style (as far as I can judge by listening to it) was pleasant and captivating. The whole story also built up rather slowly and you experienced a lot of what was going on in Leah’s life. It was just really like stumbling into the middle of our protagonist’s life.
The time jumps between the now and the past were well placed and kept the tension going.

Olivia Darnley read very pleasantly - if a little slowly. She gave the story that certain small town calm and nothing seemed overdone. Her characterisations were enjoyable, if not always particularly powerful.
In any case, she was able to carry the mood of the book well and I would definitely want to hear more from her. <3

'The Night of the Sleepover' by Kerry Wilkinson has an incredibly promising premise, but some pacing issues. That said, the very last twist pushed it up to 4 stars!

The story is told as a split narrative, partially back at the time of the sleepover and partially 25 years later. Leah is the only girl (out of four) who survives a sleepover - the others are all gone when they wake up. I was so curious! I thought there would be Yellowjackets vibes here, catty infighting and secrets and drama and some brilliant resolution I could have never seen coming.

The story starts out realllllllly slowly. The beginning bit really feels like nothing at all is happening. It eventually picks up the pace, but is still pretty slow until the last 20-30%.

There's a twist at the almost-end, but I anticipated it unfortunately. I wrote it off, thinking it would be too obvious, so I was disappointed when it turned out to be the twist. It just wasn't going to be a very satisfying ending to me. It was so close to the end that I was sure it was the resolution, BUT... it wasn't the end! The final twist worked so well! This was going to be a 3 star review, but the final twist made it a 4.

The pacing didn't work for me, but the ending was fantastic. I would read more from this author and imagine the pacing stuff will work itself out over the course of his career.

Thanks, NetGalley and RBC, for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Alcohol, parties and secrets are a toxic mix when friends are missing from their slumber party! Where was the dad? He said he checked on them when he got home and they were all sleeping! Is he telling the truth?
As the girl left behind, Leah is getting texts warning her to stop the show! A documentary is being made by one of the brothers of the missing girl? Could he be involved?
Just when you think you know what happened, Wilkinson shows you that you have no idea. This part comes out October 24. There is a sequel to this book called After the Sleepover on December15. Count me in.

The Night of the Sleepover was the first book that I have read by Kerry Wilkinson, but it definitely will not be my last!

Leah was at a sleepover with three of her closest friends twenty years ago, but when morning came, she was there, with the others disappearing and never being seen again.  Leah has never forgotten that night and has dealt with the small town gossip about the night.  People wonder how she could have slept through the night when something must have happened.  How is she the only one left? Now that a documentary is being made about that night, is Leah in danger and will the truth of that night finally come out?

As with all good psychological thrillers, this one is filled with twists and turns and leaves the reader in awe.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an ARC.

I received an audio arc copy of this book and this is my honest review.

The audio is done very well. I always knew who was speaking. I was immersed into the story. The narrator did a phenomenal job.

This is a very enjoyable mystery thriller.

It has a few twists.
One I did not see coming... and was shocked!
the last one I speculated about but was not sure until the reveal.

The characters were super interesting.
I am super curious to see what develops with Mandy.
I really hope she keeps herself safe.

If everyone discovers the truth I cannot wait see how they react.

There is going to be a sequel, but this does not end on a cliff hanger.

I really do not want to give away anything so this is one of my shorter reviews.

TW: Domestic Abuse