Undercover police officer Chris and his wife Jill have gone into hiding as the press are hounding Chris about the death of his lover Sophie Roy two decades ago. When Jill unexpectedly goes missing a lot of fingers are pointing to Chris and he must fight to clear his name whilst keeping his secrets close to his chest.

Told with snippets from WhatsApp chats, newspaper articles and comments on X alongside the narrative the story blends a mystery novel with questionable characters and several versions of what potentially happened the night Jill went missing before the truth is revealed.

Many thanks to NetGalley, publisher and author for my fix ed eARC.

L.V. Matthews has done it again! This master of suspense has crafted another gripping tale that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. What sets this book apart is how Matthews delves into lesser-known aspects of police work, making each story feel fresh and unique.

In this latest thriller, we meet Chris and Jill, a married couple hiding out, each with secrets of their own. As the plot unfolds, we discover the reasons behind their seclusion, but just when you think you have it all figured out, Jill goes missing, and the suspense intensifies.

This book is perfect for readers who love to unravel complex marital secrets and navigate the murky waters of morally ambiguous characters. If you enjoy tightly wound psychological thrillers that explore the far-reaching consequences of past betrayals, this is a must-read!

The story is told over different time lines. When PC Chris Fletcher's lover is discovered in an abandoned council house - questions are raised about his involvement. Fast forward 19 years, Chris and his wife, Jill, are staying in her Aunt's cottage as he's needed to attend an inquest, which has been reopened by Sophia Roy's Sister - Leila Roy. We switch between times to learn more about the background of Chris and his time as an undercover police officer infiltrating activist groups. All the lies, mysteries and secrets come back to haunt him and then his wife goes missing. How is everything connected? Let's just say, all the subplots are woven tightly to lead to a dramatic ending.

Give me anything by L.V. Matthews and I will read it, devour it and love it!! This book is no exception and I love how original and different Liv’s ideas are. This one catches your attention right from the start and it doesn’t stop until the end. I loved the inclusion of different scenarios and it makes you really think about what actually could have happened.

I loved all the little comments from social media/book reviews and felt that really added to the story and gave it a nice modern twist!

The whole book keeps your attention and you are guessing right up to the last chapter. Really loved it and can’t wait for more from Liv in the future!!

Such a gripping read, I love how the book drew me in To where I thought I knew the characters, but then threw in different theories and perspectives. None of the characters are perfect, and so you never quite trust where it’s going. Unusually and gripping, loved it!

This is quite the gripping read, which engrossed me from the start. It's a multi layered story, with different timelines and woven expertly. I liked the characterisation, especially Chris and the plotting worked really well. Congratulations to the author for an engrossing tale of betrayal and delivering a completely immersive read. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

Having your lover found dead in an abandoned house under mysterious circumstances is bad enough but when - nearly 2 decades later - your wife is also found dead, that is at least one murder too many!

Yet that is precisely the situation in which Chris Fletcher finds himself. So what's the real story? Could he possibly be innocent of both murders? Or is the situation, in fact, the reverse...

Mathews delivers a gripping piece of story telling, holding the reader's attention throughout. This one is not to be missed.

Thanks to an early proof, I had the joy of reading this gripping thriller on vacation. What happens to a marriage when your husband is an undercover policemen leading a secret, separate life and you discover his girlfriend is found dead by an overdose of heroin.  When his wife disappears, Chris Fletcher's stands to be accused of possibly two deaths. This is just the beginning of a terrific plot with many twist and turns. Really loved this thriller because of its unusual story and excellent writing .

I loved this book. An intriguing and very well written story about the havoc undercover cops can cause in their own lives and the lives of their targets. Obviously it’s a timely release, coinciding as it does with the ongoing enquiry into these matters. The characters are believable and complex; much more nuanced than is often the case in this genre. I liked the possible alternative storylines within the overall story. The ending is satisfying and left me feeling hopeful. The author was new to me but I will be seeking out her earlier novels as a result of reading this one.

Whoop Whoop.. this book is amazing..

Chris is a liar and a conniving man.. Two women have disappeared from his life but is he guilty of anything..

I loved Jill. She is a brilliant character and really made this an intriguing read.

The writing is superb,the storytelling sublime and OMG I loved it .... Give me more from L.V...

Chris is a liar! But just how much can his wife trust him? Does she even know when he's telling the truth? His whole world is about to come crashing down around him and there's nothing he can do about it. I loved this book but don't want to give anything away in the review that's why it is so short. If you love thrillers then this is definitely for you! Can't wait for it to be published!
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this. Will be highly recommending!

This was bloody brilliant. I didn't really have many expectations going in, but the blurb sounded intriguing.

I found the story so immersive - we really got to know the characters, and they all felt realistic. The plot was very interesting, I have never read anything quite like it and in a genre where the same plots are recycled constantly, this was really refreshing. I liked how little clues were dropped throughout the book, so that all the possible scenarios of Jill's disappearance felt plausible, and when it all came together at the end it made perfect sense. There were lots of layers to the story, and it is clear that the author put a lot of time and effort into making sure the timelines worked, because as far as I can see, there weren't any inconsistencies.

I would 100% recommend this book.

✨My Review ✨

Thank you to Netgallery and the publisher for this ARC. The publication date is the 13th March 2025. This book was about love/ betray and everything else in between!

I throughly enjoyed this book it all the elements of a fantastic psychological thriller; a suspenseful plot, lots of twists and turns and a nail-biting ending!

My favourite character was Jill as she dealt with the fallout from everything and at times I did feel sorry for her as the book progressed. I’d highly recommend this book it’s definitely worth the wait for 2025!

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟stars

I really enjoyed this book but am confused by all the “alternative truths” and stuff. I think I know how it all ended but that def does confuse the reader. Chris is being blamed for the death of Sophia Roy. His wife, Jill, is trying to deal with the fallout. Jill disappears and now the world thinks Chris killed her as well. The author takes you back to show how he met Sophia and what their life together entailed. This book was full of suspense and kept my attention. I def rec this book.