Message Deleted

by K.L. Slater

The message has disappeared. So has my best friend.

When I read the message from my best friend Leona, I sense the danger screaming from every word.

Can’t speak. Don’t text or call. Please just come.

I race to her house, thinking about the circle of bruises I saw on her wrist days earlier. But when she opens the door, Leona is smiling, her husband’s arm tightly around her narrow shoulders, her little girl’s laughter echoing from the living room.

She says she never sent me a message and she’s fine. And when I look at my phone, the message is deleted.

But six hours later, the police are at my door. Leona and her family have disappeared, their dinner burned, blood all over the kitchen.

My best friend and her beautiful family are missing. I was the last one to see them alive…

A completely gripping and addictive thriller from the number 1 ebook bestselling author K.L. Slater, Message Deleted will have you glued to the pages until the very last twist. Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell and Freida McFadden.

What everyone is saying about Message Deleted:

‘QUEEN of psychological thrillers… WOW! WOW! WOW! WOO HOO!… mind-blowing… I thought I could predict what was going to happen, but damn, I was so wrong… fantastic… Loved everything.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘This book was insane! I loved it… a wild journey filled with twists, turns and suspense… I was hooked…completely engrossed… kept me on the edge of my seat, I couldn’t put it down and raced through it.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Kept me guessing, and changing my mind throughout. From the first page until the end, this story was twisting and turning, to the point I almost got whiplash.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I could not read this fast enough! Driven by the intense need to get to the bottom of this story, I ate up the pages like it was my job.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Clever and gripping… with many twists and turns. I stayed up far later than I should’ve done to finish it because I really couldn’t put it down. Absolutely brilliant!’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Get this one now. I’m thrilled I did. So highly recommended, I want to scream from the rooftop, “Epic, I say! EPIC! EPIC! EPIC!”’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I devoured this book in less than 24 hours!! I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a gripping thriller that has you guessing right from the start.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A continuous page-turner! My heart was pounding! Once you think you've guessed what’s going on, you turn the page to find another twist in the ever-winding road! One of the best thrillers I have ever read!’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Genres: Thriller, Audiobook, Fiction

418 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 3, 2025

About the author

Kim is the number one bestselling author of sixteen psychological crime thrillers. She has sold over two million copies of her books worldwide. She has also written four Carnegie-nominated Young Adult novels as Kim Slater for Macmillan Children’s Books. Kim has an MA in Creative Writing and lives with her husband in a small Nottinghamshire village.

Publishers: Bookouture, Sphere, Grand Central, Audible
Agent: Camilla Bolton at Darley Anderson

Author website: www.KLSlaterAuthor.com
Twitter: @KimLSlater
Facebook: KL Slater Author
Instagram: KLSlaterAuthor

Reviews

[Emina Barzinji · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did enjoy this book but the story line was a slow burn. While it did keep me engaged, I felt like I had to push through it. It did have some great twists but also some moments were predictable. Overall, the story line was pretty good and the ending was pretty good too! I would recommend this book.

Thank you #NetGalley for this #ARC

[Cheryl P. (review hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This really had me hooked towards the end, the story of a woman who receives an urgent message from her best friend for her to come over, then the message soon vanishes. She goes to check on her friend, who oddly says she and her family are fine and she never sent any message.. Later that day, the best friend and her husband and daughter disappear.

This novel had some good twists, but it was hard to sympathize with the main character, Saffy. She wasn't a very emotionally strong woman, nor was her best friend Leona. I did relate a bit to Poppy, Saffy's sister, who had her own baggage. I do look forward to reading more from this author, though.

[Judy Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
Pub Date: Mar 3, 2025
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[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Message Deleted by K.L. Slater is a fast-paced psychological thriller that kept me hooked from the very first page. The plot is cleverly done, filled with secrets, lies, and unexpected twists that kept me guessing until the end. Slater’s writing is sharp and she does a fantastic job of building tension throughout.

The characters are well-developed. However, I felt that some aspects of the story were slightly predictable, and the ending, while satisfying, left me wanting just a bit more depth.

Overall, it’s a gripping read with plenty of suspense.

[Kel’s Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 🌟 A great read if you’re after a twisty, easy-read thriller that you don’t want to think too hard about. I lost count of the secrets and betrayals because there was so many in this story. This is the kind of thriller you’d read if you’re a newbie thriller reader or you just want to read a thriller that’s easy to get through and keeps you interested with a stack of twists and reveals. Fun thriller vibes.

3.5 scary faces out of 5 😱😱😱

[Eilish Ivin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Message Deleted is, unfortunately, one of the most disappointing books I’ve ever read. The pacing is painfully slow, and the plot is weighed down by unnecessary twists that do little to add to the story.

What bothered me most, though, was the portrayal of the female characters. They are consistently depicted as weak and overly dependent on the men around them. Saffy, the main character, is particularly frustrating - she comes across as naive and constantly makes poor decisions for the sole purpose of creating drama in an otherwise uneventful narrative. There’s also a scene where Poppy spends a chapter agonising over whether to go to the police to help clear her sister’s name.

The ending, which should have been a culmination of all the complex storylines, feels rushed and unsatisfying. With so many characters involved, the ending comes too quickly and the outcome of the crime feels entirely random.

[Maddy McInerney · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was a trashy read but it did have me hooked by the end !

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

[Kayleigh Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another review I read mentions the last quarter sort of makes up for the first three quarters, and I second that.

The first three quarters were okay, but wasn't a real page turner. Felt like it was dragging out and the story felt fairly dull. The pace was too slow for my liking.

However, this did change in the last probably quarter and I was eager to keep reading to see what happened next.

Not a fantastic read, but decent.

[Leah Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

i could not put this down for literally the entire second half

there was so many potential links between all the characters that could end up in so many different plot twists omg and i can’t believe all the truths revealed at the end wowee

10/10 recommend

[bookloverness · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It has a good storyline that had me hooked since the beginning. It has different povs, and will keep you guessing the whole time. I will be reading more from this author.

[Stacey Mayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐kept you guessing all the way through! very good read!

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this one. Lots of twists and turns and it was very fast paced. A very quick and easy read.

[Lacey Hagen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great popcorn read! Could not put it down all weekend. I was hooked from start to finish. Would read more by this author.

[Katie Squires · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good storyline!

[Chloe Keys · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5. Some parts were underwhelming and predictable but nonetheless enjoyed reading it 🥰

[Anna-Marie Corcoran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 56/80

4.5/5 ⭐️

Slow burn for the first 100 pages but then I was gripped and the plot twists kept coming!

[Natalia Grzeszkiewicz · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars.

Deleted Messages will make you question if you already read that sentence and the answer is yes, about 20 times earlier in the novel. Slater loved repetition, however I am unsure if it is purposeful most of the time - if I had to read "I am her godmother" one more time it would lose all of the little meaning it had left.

The writing is simple and the story is predictable. Furthermore, from page 1, absolutely no one belives anything that Saffy, the protagonist, has to say. They question her words, her motives, her actions and her past even before she starts doing all the sus stuff. The police is onto her from the beginning, her sister and ex-husband seem to lowkey hate her at the beginning (even though her ex left her for their nanny when she was going through mental health issues, and somehow he is not portrayed as a bad guy??).

I read it in a day. It's not the worst thing ever, but it could've conveyed the same plot with 100 pages less and not much would've been lost.

[Jade · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was sooooo slow and overly descriptive to the point where it felt like the author was just trying to hit their word count. The twist at the end was unexpected but still somehow anticlimactic. Not a single one of the characters felt like real people, instead of wasting all of those characters on describing the scenery, the author should have spent more time fleshing out the characters. I will be actively avoiding all works from this author moving forward.

This was as fast paced as a lazy river. Yawnnnn.

[Mike Parkes · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolutely awful from the first page to the last! Possibly the worst book I have read to date.

Let me explain:

- I disliked every character in this book, there was not one character I enjoyed or liked. Every character in the book is selfish, a liar, self centred, annoying and just an awful person, making the book such a chore to read.

- Oh god the officers, just the 2 most annoying incompetent officers in any story surely the most inexperienced officers would not do what they do in this book. It just makes no sense at all!

- Boring. The book is just boring and full of repetitive sciences with a different character, oh someone is lying, oh someone else is lying, omg someone else lying. So much information pointless on childhood story’s yet it basically skips over Poppy’s attack and the aftermath.

- Everything that happens in the book is gaping with plot holes:
• The main suspect Saffy would have an alibi from a taxi, nursery, bus and sister yet still gets investigated and arrested.
• The book emphasises the distinct lips of Poppy’s attacker but she doesn’t recognise them on a picture of her attacker?
• Harry / Harris had evidence of someone who may have kidnapped his daughter and did nothing with it until Poppy found it?
• Saffy who is anxiety ridden and desperately wants her friend and goddaughter found goes, ALONE, looking for the kidnapper in an old cabin?

- The whole plot is just silly and unrealistic - stage a kidnapping, frame Saffy with a deleted text and zero evidence, then come clean so Saffy admits to purposely letting Wes’ brother drown. Mmm k.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this was my first read by this author and it was a pretty good psychological thriller since it kept me wanting to keep going to find out what the heck happened. After receiving a few frantic texts from her best friend Leona, Saffy blows off the job interview she was at and goes rushing over to Leona's house only to find that Leona claiming that everything is fine and she never sent the texts that Saffy received. Of course Leona used an app where you can delete or unsend messages so there is no proof and it looks like Saffy is the crazy one. Later, when Leona, her husband, and their daughter go missing, Saffy is convinced there was foul play and is determined to help figure out what happened even if she implicates herself since she was one of the last people to see them and because of a few bad decisions and a lil bit of framing it looks like she could be involved. As one of the major revelations occurs, you can't help but feel horrified. Attacking someone because you want revenge when you think they wronged you is not really acceptable behavior and by the end of the story a few of the characters redeemed themselves from being what were portrayed as meh/ crappy/ unlikeable to actually being good people and of course a couple others proved how vile they could be and I'm not sure I could have been as forgiving. Although this book moved a lil slow at times and there were a few storylines and a lot of characters to keep track of, the slow burn ended up igniting to a point where it made me say holy moly a few times and was a good story. Will definitely check out other books by this author soon.

[Ophelia Sen-Rainczuk · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why does everyone say this is a psychological thriller? There's none of that, certainly no thriller, certainly nothing that plays with your psych.

The book begins as the main character going for an interview and there was so much detailed on it (the company, the building, the reception area, etc) that you'd think there would be more to it later but no, she leaves the place when she gets the mysterious Whatsapp msg and that's it. You'd think she goes back for an interview at the end, just to close the loop, but nothing.

The chapter changes between main character, her friend, her sister, present and future.

*spoiler*
It's another cliche storyline - crazy ex returns because of some anger he has held onto for years, enough to kill and stupid gullible friend can so easily betray you despite being best friends for over 20 years! There's one part where this ex goes, you did this and the main character says no I didn't, but he insist she did, she denies again, and it just goes on for a full page, so annoying, like shut up already, try another reply!

In the end, everything just falls into place. The best friend suddenly goes "I realised I was wrong" why suddenly she has so much sense? I can't stand writing like this, everything chaotic and nonsensical just to create suspense but later the chaos/nonsense conveniently goes away, the stupid suddenly smart, the ones you can't talk sense to suddenly start listening. This is just lazy writing!

[Rio · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story follows childhood best friends Saffy and Leona, along with Saffy’s sister, Poppy. From the very first chapter, it’s gripping and full of mystery. After Leona and her family suddenly go missing following Saffy’s visit, the tension never lets up. I loved the constant uncertainty — never really knowing who to trust or what was true.

The author did an amazing job of making you feel like Saffy might be losing her mind. For most of the book, everything seems to point against her, which kept me second-guessing everyone’s motives. The character development was excellent too — each person’s past is slowly revealed in just the right way, especially the dark thread connecting back to the mysterious assault on Poppy three years earlier.

While I did manage to guess part of the twist a bit early on (the constant mentions of a certain ex, Wes, had me suspicious!), it didn’t ruin the experience for me. The ending still delivered plenty of tension, surprises, and satisfying reveals that tied everything together well.

Overall, this was a dark, twisty, and emotionally layered thriller that kept me hooked from start to finish. I really enjoyed it and will definitely be picking up more books from this author!

[Heidi Lynn’s BookReviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, I want to thank K. L. Slater, Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I can bring you this review.

For me Message Deleted didn’t draw me in right away which I was disappointed by. Usually, I love a book that grasps my attention right away and hooks me so I can’t stop reading the book. For me it took a few chapters to start getting faster paced. However, when it did boy did it,

K.L. Slater is back with another twisted psychological thriller in Message Deleted to add to your TBR list. This was a story that was written creatively out of the box.

Of all the characters in this book Ash was my least favorite one. He just rubbed me the wrong way because of the way he treated Leona.

My heart was with Saffy when she just went through something horrific moments prior to a big job interview. I think I would have reacted the same way that she did.

Message Deleted has a lot of wicked twists, turns, action scenes and some violence thrown in.

[Kaitlynn | angelbabyreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5🌟 this one was good but so very long and could have been condensed a lot. 400+ pages was a little much & had lots of fluff that it didn’t need. With that being said, I enjoyed it. I kept guessing who was behind the kidnapping and was wrong each time. The cops incompetence frustrated me a little, but it made for a good story. Poppy’s ignorance frustrated me, but at the same time I understood her reasoning behind how she acted and why. Saffy needed help for sure, but she’s the only one who kept pursuing the truth behind her friend’s and goddaughter’s disappearance so I’m glad she was as persistent as she was, but dang did nobody around her feel the need to sit her down and help her? Her ex husband and new fiancé and even sister all just looked at her like she’s crazy. Bless her heart. It’s a good read for sure with all kinds of twists that I didn’t see coming. I would recommend it but it’s a long one so prepare yourself.

[Melissa * bookedwithmel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first foray into K.L.’s books, and boy did I like it. Comparing her to Lisa Jewel and Frieda McFadden was a big selling point. I didn’t know what to expect with this one. I figured there would be a lot of unlikeable characters, and surprisingly I liked most of them. I felt bad for Saffy. She suffered from such severe anxiety, and I felt like she deserved more support instead of what seemed like manipulation because of her ‘issues’. No one believed her when she expressed her concern about Leona and her husband’s relationship.

I didn’t expect the twists at the end, but that’s what makes a great book for me. If it’s too predictable, it’s not nearly as fun to read.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my copy of this book.

[SKP · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever since I first heard about this book, I’d been waiting anxiously for it to be available in the US on Kindle, and once it was, I couldn’t wait to read it! It did not disappoint either. I haven’t read a lot yet by this author, but have intentions to read them all eventually. I thought this story was very well put together, although a bit of a slow burn, and maybe parts of it a little predictable, but I really couldn’t put it down once I got into it. The main character, Saffy, was not particularly loveable in my opinion, but she grew on me, as did Poppy. There were a couple of moments when I was a bit baffled about what was going on, but it was all explained in the end. I do look forward to reading more by this author.

[Amy Starnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Because this was such a slow burn I almost gave it four stars. But the last quarter of the book and the ending was good enough to make up for it and I'm going with five stars. I enjoyed the story but really had to push myself through the slow middle. Thankfully I was invested enough to want to know what happened in order to stick with it. I felt like some of it could have been omitted without really missing much. Slater builds the characters well though so that you feel invested in knowing if they are going to be okay. It felt like three different stories combined into one which I feel is why it felt sluggish but what kept me hooked to the end. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the advanced copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a Great thriller! ✨ Recommend!!

Quite a slow burn but as the threads begin to overlap it was quite the page turner!

Sisters Saffy & Poppy were forced to grow up to quickly. Saffy took on a motherly role to her as well as her best friend Leona. As time went on she became very protective of both of them, and less time looking after herself, leaving her vulnerable. As they say, no good deed goes unpunished, and Saffy is framed for a “possible crime.” She immediately tries to dig herself out of trouble while it seemed everyone doubted and blamed her. My heart went out to her and I suspected practically everyone along the way was going to betray her. I did not predict the ending.
It was quite a long story as it seemed to not know exactly where to end. However, I grew attached to the characters and appreciated hearing more of their story. Really enjoyable read!

[Johnna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book didn’t make any sense to me.

The police thought one woman abducted 3 people? Then she was arrested for murder with no evidence other than being the last person to see them. The police were idiots who didn’t take anything seriously. Saffy made ridiculous decisions that didn’t line up with her personality - she’s so scared and anxious but has no issue with confrontation? People kept all kinds of secrets while Saffy is arrested.

The big one - Why would you ask her to bring the kid to the party and then tell her she can’t stay, why not just one of them get him…?

This book got 3 stars bc I read it quickly and I didn’t guess the end or any of the twists but honestly it was not a good book. I will give the author another chance bc it really had good potential.