Psychological thriller and family drama.

Saffy Morris is waiting for an interview when she receives 3 messages from her old best friend, Leona. The messages sound like Leona is in trouble. But, then they all disappear and show as deleted. When Saffy rushes to the home of her friend, Leona says she doesn’t know what Saffy is talking about. She didn’t send any messages. Hmmm. But then later, Leona, her husband Ash, and their daughter disappear. The door is left open, the fire alarm is going off, and there’s blood on the floor.

This was a slow build with lots of back and forth narration between the 3 main female characters: Saffy, Leona, and Poppy (Saffy’s younger sister). They’ve all known each other since childhood and there’s a lot of past between them. Some of it connected to what is happening in the now. So multiple narrators and time shift make this a bit unevenly paced. The history is dangled without full reveal until the very end in a somewhat underwhelming conclusion. There are some twists along the way and the reader gets a feel for where this is all going.

I never really felt too invested in the story as it was all so contrived. I didn’t like any of the characters really so there was that lack of empathy as well. The whole “why” and “who” just fell flat for me especially for the motivation. I’d say this was OK but definitely not gripping and it took me a couple of days to get through it because I just wasn’t that interested.

Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for this ebook ARC to read and review.

Message Deleted by K.L. Slater started with a bang right out of the gate and the action, twists, and turns kept coming page after page until the end. A longtime favorite author, Slater knows how to engage the reader and keep them wanting more.

Saffy and Leona, longtime friends have started drifting apart in recent years. When Leona sends a text asking Saffy to come immediately, Saffy does just that. Leona, however, has no idea what Saffy is talking about when she shows up at her door. Hours later, Leona and her family have gone missing and Saffy pulls out all the stops to find them.

The premise to the story was intriguing and well plotted out. The characters were all quite unhinged which made it hard to figure out who was the culprit. The story alternated between the characters and the past and present. The chapters were short and easy to follow. This was an amazing domestic thriller and I really enjoyed it. I highly recommend this book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the advanced copy

K.L Slater causes chaos and mystery again. Jam packed with twists and turns around every corner leaving you shrugging your shoulders with a genuine WHAT THE HECK. The character development is right on the nose. The storyline, while longer than I would have liked, wraps up in a magnificent way

First off a big thank you to the publisher, the author and to NetGalley for the invite to read Message Deleted, and for introducing me to K.L.Stater, because I can now understand and see why she's a favorite to so many people , and why others have told me to give her a try and that she wouldn't let me down and they was right ,because right from the start she hooks you and doesn't let go, with every turn of the page she has you asking yourself what would you do if your best friend sent you a message with just this 3 words Can't speak.
Don't text or call. ,Please just come, and then the next thing you know those 3 messages just disappear, or I should say have been deleted, would you go over there and see what's going on and if you do would you believe them when they said they didn't send those messages or would you just leave it along and think someone is pulling a joke on you , it also brings up the question do we really know the people who we let in our lives as well as should we trust people so easy no matter who they are . K.L.Slater has a way that with her writing and story telling it has just the right amount of twist and turns as well as suspense, mystery, and intrigue to make it impossible for you to put down her book.

K.L. Slater (favorite author) returns following The Married Man with her latest gripping twisty who and whydunit thriller, MESSAGE DELETED. A desperate message from a woman's best friend appears, then the message shockingly disappears, and so has her friend and family.

About...

The book opens with a chilling prologue in a suburban neighborhood south of Nottingham in a highly coveted affluent area. This sets the stage for the mysterious stalker and the following unexpected events. No one expects anything to happen in a place like this, which makes the situation even more unsettling.

Meet the characters...

Saffy Morris, formerly married to Neil, an accountant, has custody of her son Fox and is engaged to Mira, who is pregnant. There was an attack on Poppy, Saffy's sister, in the past, and fear has all but ruined her life. She saved her. Both she and Poppy had escaped their attacker, and now, they felt more like curiosities than heroines.

In the present while waiting for her job interview, Shaffy receives a text message from her best friend, Leona. They have been friends since school, and Rosie is her goddaughter.

"Can't speak.
Don't text or call.
Please just come."

Three short messages sent in a panic.
Then "This message was deleted"

She is worried, especially after Leona's confession to her last week. Was Ash abusing her?

She frantically leaves before her interview and hurriedly goes to Leona's house, worried about her safety.

When she arrives, Leona is there with her husband, Ashley, and denies sending the message or needing help.

Six hours later, the police are at Saffy's door. Leona (Age 34, had recently given up her nursing position at the Queen's Medical Centre to become a full-time mom to Rosie (her five-year-old daughter), and Ashley (Age 36, a medical supplies sales director) is missing, and they found blood at the home. Saffy was the last to see the family; she may now be the number one suspect.

What happened to the Bannatyne family?

Many amateur armchair detectives are involved, sharing their thoughts, online postings, live streaming, and social media updates. Their collective efforts add a layer of realism and intrigue to the story, as the mystery unfolds in the public eye.

Can she uncover the truth before her own life unravels?

My thoughts...

MESSAGE DELETED is a suspenseful, highly entertaining thriller that grabs you from the beginning to the end. The plot is filled with unexpected twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat, eager to uncover the next turn of events. From past to present, we meet the characters and their history, each twist adding a new layer of intrigue.

The detectives and Nottinghamshire Police are investigating, but Saffy must take it upon herself and follow the clues to determine what happened to her best friend and her goddaughter; After all, they are friends who tell each other everything. Right? But is Leona keeping secrets?

The author cleverly ratchets up the suspense, full of mystery, twists, and intrigue. We also meet Saffy's sister, Poppy, and her connections with twists and turns, with surprises, a mysterious cabin, deeply buried memories, and plenty of SECRETS leading up to the unraveling of the real killer and motive.

Told from multiple POVs, including Saffy, Leona, and Poppy from past to present, the narrative becomes multi-layered and complex. Each character is intricately developed, with their secrets and motivations, making the story all the more engaging and the characters more relatable.

Do we know those closest to us?

MESSAGE DELETED is an unpredictable, gripping psychological whodunit suspense thriller. The author's masterful storytelling will keep you turning the pages into the wee hours of the morning, anxious to see how the mystery will unfold, and thrilled by the suspenseful narrative.

Recs...

MESSAGE DELETED is for fans of the author and those who enjoy works by Freida McFadden, Victoria Helen Stone, Daniel Hurst, Keri Beevis, Emily Shiner, and Miranda Rijks.

Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for an advanced digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

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@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
Pub Date: Mar 3, 2025
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Some of the characters in this thriller are truly despicable.
Sassy has a lot of hang ups and she genuinely tries to do what is right.
Too bad she wasn’t kore aware she was being stabbed in the back.
Poppy was all over the place and I didn’t care for her.
I thought Sassy was too forgiving because it’d be a cold day in hell before I forgave the person Sassy did if they had pulled on me what they did to her.
I was glad Neil stopped being a pain in the rear but Mira was an opportunist.

K.L. Slater’s Message Deleted starts with a compelling premise—a cryptic plea for help, a best friend who vanishes, and a chilling mystery that suggests something far more sinister than it first appears. The novel kicks off with heart-pounding tension as the protagonist rushes to Leona’s home, only to find everything seemingly normal. But hours later, Leona and her family have disappeared, leaving behind a blood-streaked kitchen and far more questions than answers.

Slater excels at building suspense, and the early chapters pull the reader in with an eerie sense of dread. The mystery is intriguing, and the pacing remains solid for the first half of the book. However, as the story progresses, the tension begins to wane. The twists, while unexpected, sometimes feel forced, and the protagonist’s decision-making can be frustratingly questionable. Some characters lack depth, making it difficult to fully connect with the emotional stakes of the story.

Despite these flaws, Message Deleted is still an entertaining thriller with a solid dose of psychological suspense. Fans of K.L. Slater’s signature style will likely enjoy it, but those looking for a truly gripping, high-stakes thriller may find it falls a bit short.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC. Message Deleted by K.L. Slater is a gripping psychological thriller that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. The story revolves around a woman who begins receiving unsettling messages that lead her into a web of mystery and danger. Slater’s writing is tense and fast-paced, with plenty of twists that keep the suspense building. The characters are well-developed, and the plot is full of unexpected surprises. Overall, Message Deleted is a thrilling, page-turning read perfect for fans of dark and twisty mysteries.

KL Slater does it again with another knockout thriller that immediately pulled me in! She has an incredible catalogue of works and her novels never disappoint!

Saffy is eleven years older than her sister Poppy and the two are extremely close although Poppy sometimes find Saffy a little suffocating. But it was Saffy who walked in, and stopped, a man who was in the middle of attacking Poppy. The event caused mental health issues for both sisters that caused them to cope in very different manners.

Saffy became withdrawn to the point her husband divorced her and took full custody of their son, Fox. Poppy, on the other hand, purposely put herself in the face of danger.

Despite their differences, the two come together when Saffy’s best friend goes missing along with her daughter and supposedly abusive husband. With the cops circling the two sisters, they know they must find the answers of the family’s disappearance. Trying to piece together the deleted text messages, a new man in Poppy’s life, and the reason being her attack the sisters run into more questions than answers. And time is running out when one of the missing family members is found dead.

Again, this was a delightfully thrilling read that kept me guessing and turning page after page. I definitely recommend checking this one out!

Thank you NetGalley, KL Slater, and Bookouture for the opportunity to read the book ahead of the US release date in exchange for a review. Thoughts and words are my own.

What would you do if you received a text message that says "Can’t speak… don’t text or call… please just come"? That is what Saffy is trying to understand after her best friend sent this to her, but the message ends up being deleted. Want to find out what happens? Then make to sure read this one. This was such an intriguing read from the start and I could not stop turning pages until the end. The author did such a great job writing this and all of the characters were great in this. I did not see the twists coming in this one at all. Overall, this is one that was an easy fast read that I highy enjoyed and would recommend to any reader who loves thrillers. Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for this read in exchange of my honest review of Message Deleted by K.L Slater.

A great thriller, kept me hooked from the beginning, the cast of characters felt authentic and I didn't see some of the unexpected twists, a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat and up all night!

If you want to stay at night reading this into the morning. Then you may want to read this book, every single time I thought I knew what was about to happen. I was hit with a twist. This story starts out a simple text message that surprised and then the message disappeared and so did her friend and daughter. A shocking and twisted story. The connections will have you with you jaw on the floor. So make sure you pick up this book and enjoy.

An excellent read for any and all readers! Author comes at you with both barrels and knocks you out of your shoes! Great job fleshing out all the characters. I give this book FIVE stars! Definitely recommend!

I enjoyed the way the story unraveled and all the plot twist that were thrown in even though some are easy to predict. The way the story is told is in the perspective of Poppy and Saffy and it smoothly alternates between the past and present.

The way law enforcement handled the situation was unrealistic. I didn’t like any of the characters which in turn made it difficult for me to enjoy the story as much as I would have liked.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release: March 2, 2025
Publisher: Bookouture

3.25 ⭐

Review:
Message Deleted by K.L. Slater is a gripping psychological thriller packed with tension, secrets, and unexpected twists. Slater masterfully builds suspense, keeping the reader hooked with short, punchy chapters and a dual timeline that slowly unravels the truth. The characters are layered and flawed, making them feel real, and the mystery surrounding the missing messages adds an extra layer of intrigue. While some twists may be easier to predict, the way the story unfolds remains compelling. Slater’s ability to create an unsettling atmosphere and a sense of unease throughout makes this a fast-paced and enjoyable read for fans of psychological thrillers.

Summary:
When a woman receives a cryptic message that vanishes before she can fully read it, she’s thrown into a whirlwind of paranoia and doubt. As she digs deeper into what the message could have meant—and who could have sent it—long-buried secrets start resurfacing. The more she investigates, the more dangerous her situation becomes, as someone is determined to keep the past hidden at all costs. With time running out, she must uncover the truth before she becomes the next victim.

Favorite Quote:
"You can try all you like to keep someone on a safe path, but as is their right of free will, they can step off it any time they like.”

I enjoyed this psychological thriller, but it didn’t pull me in. There was a lot happening in this book and it seemed to move a little slow.

This book was interesting at the beginning but then a slow burn and longer than it needed to be in my opinion .
Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Message Deleted by KL Slater is about savvy who goes to check on her friend Leona after receiving three messages that were instantly deleted telling her “don’t call, don’t text, come right over.“ Leona acted clueless as to where the messages could’ve came from but later when the police show up to tell savvy the family is missing she is baffled. She is even more confused when she is treated like the main suspect. Savvy will have to take it up on herself to find out what happened to her best friend Leona and goddaughter Rosie. There is a lot more to this story than what I put in this review There’s a whole sub block with her sister Poppy who I initially did not like but by the end of the book I warm to her. As far as the book there is a lot and I mean a lot of twist and turns so many it almost becomes confusing. I do want to say at no point did I want to put the book down but by the end I almost felt letdown by the culprit not because I guessed who it was only because it just seemed so far-fetched. It’s still a twisty read and KL Slater is one of my go to thriller authors for a great book so I do recommend it it just wasn’t my favorite. #MyHonestReview, #NetGalley, #TheBlindReviewer,#Bookouture, #KLSlater, #MessageDeleted,B

Very gripping from the beginning- great job of keeping the suspense flowing from beginning to end. The book jumps around in time a lot which was a little difficult to follow but the flashbacks were certainly critical for the plot. I didn’t think it was predictable though I also wasn’t reading it to “figure things out”- just happily along for the ride! This is the first book I’ve read by this author and won’t be the last.

I really enjoyed this book, the characters, and the edge of your seat twists and turns. I feel like it had an appropriate pace although I do feel like the backstory for Leona came a little too late. After I found out who the killer was and what really happened, I wasn’t as engaged or vested in the story as I was in the beginning, but overall, I did enjoy the book.