4.5 Stars for this fast paced psychological thriller! Rose is narrating back & forth between present day and 16 years ago, when she first met Garreth. A series of chilling things happen- including her younger brother being abducted and found dead. The story draws you in & totally creeps you out along the way! It's a quick read, the chapters are short & the twists are good! This is my first book by this author & I can't wait to read more! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I have a confession to make. Although this is the fourth book released by K.L Slater, it is the first one of hers that I have actually read. Don’t hate me everybody. Of course I have the rest of her books on my ever expanding TBR pile, but I just don’t seem to have had the time to read them. However, going by how much I enjoyed this one, I just know that I will just love reading the rest. This is one book that certainly messed with my head but more about that later.
I don’t want to type too much about the storylines as such because I have a nasty but unintentional habit of giving away far too much information about books I have enjoyed. Sixteen years ago Rose was out playing kites with her brother Billy. Billy went missing and forty eight hours after his disappearance, Billy’s body was found. Rose blames herself for his disappearance and subsequent death. She punishes herself in more ways that one. Rose has never quite managed to get over the trauma of his loss but she has had the love and support of her next door neighbour Ronnie and his late wife. One day, Ronnie is rushed into hospital and Rose decides to clean Ronnie’s house for his arrival back home. However, Rose finds something shocking in one of the boxes cluttering up the house and this discovery turns her world upside down. Rose doesn’t know where to turn next and who to trust. Rose thought that she knew who had killed her brother and she thought that she could trust her next door neighbour. The only thing that Rose knows now is that she is in danger. Will Rose survive? Who really did murder Billy? Well for the answers to those questions and more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves as I am not going to tell you.
I have to say that I found the character Rose to be a funny old fish. There are distinct differences between the Rose of 16 years previously and the present day Rose. The past Rose was lacking in self confidence and she had a strained home life, due to her father being unable to secure work and due to the lack of money within the household. When Gareth Farnham took an interest in her, she couldn’t believe her luck and she was almost grateful to him for being so nice to her and for paying her so much attention. To keep Gareth’s attention, Rose felt that she had to play by his rules because failure to do just that would mean he could look elsewhere and find somebody else. To Rose, Gareth is so mature and sophisticated. Past Rose loved her friends but she started to neglect them as her relationship with Gareth intensified. Current day Rose does not have any friends as she finds it impossible to trust anybody. Current day Rose punishes herself by sinking back into the grip of her eating disorder, possibly because this is the one thing that she can control when the rest of her life is unravelling. One thing I couldn’t understand was why had Rose stayed in her home village when it was the cause of so much of her pain. I would have thought that she would have made a fresh start somewhere else to make new memories. It’s as if there is something tying her to her home village and she can’t break free. One character that I really did dislike- moreorless from the start was that of Gareth Farnham. To say that he gave me the heebie jeebies is an understatement. His behaviour set a little alarm bell off and halfway through the book I had a whole shop full of alarm bells ringing. I picked up certain of his behaviours and saw them for what they were. I don’t want to type too much about the specific behaviours as that might give too much away but to say he is a manipulative and controlling bully is being too polite.
In my opinion, ‘The Mistake’ is superbly written. The story is told from the point of view of Rose but in two different time spans- that of past Rose and that of present day Rose. I was literally gripped by the end of the first page of ‘The Mistake’ and reading it became an addiction to me as I just couldn’t put the book down. I had to read on and on because I needed to know what was happening next. The pages were turning that quickly that there were almost turning themselves and before I knew it I had finished the book, which I was pleased about because I knew how the story ended. Even now a while after I have finished reading ‘The Mistake’, I am still thinking about it. On more than one occasion, I literally found myself shouting at the pages of the book trying to open up Rose’s eyes to what was happening. There were times that I almost had to read through my fingers as I genuinely feared what was going to happen next. The author uses such powerful descriptions of the places and the different characters, that I actually imagined myself to be right there in the middle of the action. The author captures perfectly the devastation that was left and the despair that was felt in so many pit villages after the miners’ strike of 1984 and the closure of the pit. (I must admit that the history of coal mining is one of my interests as I come from a long line of miners- at least 6 generations thereof). After I had finished reading ‘The Mistake’ I really did feel as though I had been on a rollercoaster ride because there were lots of twists, turns and stomach churning moments. This is one book that I guarantee will stay with me for a long time to come.
In short, I absolutely LOVED this ever so slightly scary book and I would definitely recommend it to others. K.L.Slater is definitely an author to watch and I can’t wait to read what comes next from her brilliantly talented but slightly twisted mind. I award this book 5* out of 5*.

I had previously really enjoyed K.L. Slater's Safe With Me and looked forward to this. Overall I did enjoy the book, but the early set-up is so similar to the earlier book that I was initially a bit frustrated: you have a very introspective, semi-self-imposed-loner female lead, with her own history of family problems and demons, pressures at work and very specific routines and habits, who regularly helps her elderly/infirm neighbour.

Obviously the plot is different, and it progressed well and the story is well-written. I did want to see what happened and I didn't guess the ending (I thought I had, but no!) I didn't particularly enjoy the chapters covering the manipulations of Gareth: they felt like they almost belonged to a different book, a soap or a melodrama, and the developments in their relationship seemed a bit predictable so you were just waiting for the expected outcome. It's quite a bleak book in places, but I did warm to Rose, I did enjoy the mystery and I liked the ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of The Mistake. 3.5/4.

This book grabs you right in the beginning and doesn't let you go! The plot was dark and twisty, and the characters were described in such detail, that you felt you actually knew them. It was very easy to get caught up in Rose's pain and feel her guilt, anger and anguish along with her.

This novel is a "thinker" and will feed your innate sense of paranoia and leave you wondering just how well you THINK you know the people you are closest to. Slater has done an excellent job in crafting a story that will stick with you long after you've reached the book's end.

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book from NetGalley & Bookouture in order to read and provide a voluntary and honest review, should I choose to do so.

The main character does not act like a eighteen year old. In the flashbacks, she supposed to be a freshman in college but I kept on picturing a fourteen year from the '50s with how young she acts. I expected her to giggle at a boy talking to her at one point. At least the ending is decent even though it was so rushed I wasn't sure what kind of character development really happened.

I think the summary is misleading, because this book is less about Billy's disappearance and more about the abusive relationship Rose was in 16 years ago, and the way it effected her family and friends, and how it relates to Billy's kidnapping. The story itself was fairly interesting, and it's told in two time periods - the present and 16 years ago - but the ending fell kind of flat to me, and the culprit came a bit out of left field, it seemed. Rose's character was interesting - very flawed - and I enjoyed reading the book from her perspective.

A good read but predictable. Perhaps I just read too many of this genre.

Big fan of K.L. Slater... this book did not disappoint! This is a fast-paced psychological thriller that hooks you in from the start. A whole lot of twists and tension in this emotional novel, with a little creep factor added in for some really great reading.

"YOU THINK YOU KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE.
BUT ONE DISCOVERY CAN CHANGE EVERYTHING..."

It's been sixteen agonizing years and Rose still blames herself for her little brother's death. How could she have failed to protect Billy? Back during the investigation, all signs pointed to one man as Billy's murderer, Gareth, Rose's boyfriend. Gareth has spent the last sixteen years behind bars for her brother's death. But now Rose has found something in her next door neighbor's attic... and what she finds will turn her world upside down. Rose thought she knew the truth about Billy, but now the only thing she knows is that someone is watching her and she is in danger!

I really enjoyed this psychological thriller from beginning to end. It definitely keeps you guessing and wanting more!

*I would like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for providing my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A great book that draws you into the story from the first page to the very last word and beyond. Free up a few hours because you won't be able to put this one down.

Another gripping , tense thriller by K. L. Slater . Enjoyed the book very much ! This book is centered around Rose and alternates between the past and present. Rose's brother Billy was murdered 16 years ago . Rose's boyfriend at the time was jailed for Billy's murder.
Rose spends time caring for her elderly neighbor and finds something of Billy's hid in his attic. Well crafted storyline and ending ! If you love psychological thrillers I highly recommend this book . Many thanks to Bookouture , Netgalley and K.L. Slater for the chance to review this book in exchange for my honest opinion . Leaving a review on Goodreads, Twitter, Instagram and Amazon .

I absolutely adored this book, I was hooked from the very first page!

When I began reading this, I was hoping it would live up to the claims that were made about it and that the twist would really be brilliant in the end. I'm telling you, it is. I didn't guess who was really at fault until it was nearly revealed. I loved the writing style and the way the author kept me turning pages searching for the truth.

Rose is a captivating main character and the way we get to know her through a combination of her life in the present and her experiences in the past made her seem very well rounded and realistic. I felt her pain and her stress throughout the novel and found myself gripping my Kindle with a death grip near the end when the truth was about to come out. This is one of the most fantastic books I have read this year and I strongly encourage you to read it.

The setting was perfect for this type of story and I liked the details about the closing of the mine and what happened to the workers in the years after the event. Everything in this book worked well together to make it a compelling read. I was thrilled with it and look forward to hearing what others think about it as well.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Not too long ago I discovered K. L. Slater and understood why she seems to consistently make Bestseller lists as she knows how to write books with addictive plots, surprising twists and characters that know how to amp up the shock value.

The Mistake may be in the mystery genre but that isn’t the main point of this story – Slater firmly puts the focus on creating tense, thrilling moments that engage the senses and creating exciting visual experiences.

As a parent of young children I was a little concerned I wouldn’t be able to handle this well since the premise involves finding the body of a young child the same age as my daughter; sometimes that stuff hits a little close to the fear front. Thankfully Slater handled the story well and she doesn’t make his death into some graphic exhibition but rather a more intrinsic look at how did the boy disappear and die.

Slater, like always, created well-developed characters that acted believably and with appropriate motivations. Even when they weren’t all that likable those flaws fit well into the story and helped move the plot along at a decent pace.

The Mistake is full of great twists and turns with an old school creepy feel that is reminiscent of a time when authors had to engage the mind with its own need to be shocked rather than resort to cheap theatrics. Slater is one whose works you’ll want to immerse yourself in during this Halloween season.

*3.5 stars*

'Our customers love a good mystery, a page-turner. They seem fascinated by terrifying tales or awful deeds that could quite feasibly happen to them in their own ordinary lives. But of course that’s because they are safely afraid.'

Sixteen years after Rose's little brother was found dead, Rose no longer has the luxury of being 'safely afraid', she lived the 'terrifying tale' and is still suffering the devastating consequences.

She is now a sad, flawed, broken woman, never getting over the loss of little Billy, guilt ridden as she blames herself for introducing the controlling, abusive monster, Gareth, the man convicted and currently serving time for Billy's murder, into the family. Rose's life is now one of routinely going through the motions of life, day after day. But the past has not lost its grip on her, tirelessly affecting the ins and outs of every day.

When her elderly neighbour who is practically family falls ill and is taken to hospital, Rose thoughtfully gives his house a good clean. It is here that she unwittingly discovers a crucial piece of evidence relating to her brother's death all those years ago, turning all certainty Rose thought she knew about Billy's death on its head. She is deeply plagued with the possibility of whether her beloved neighbour could in actual fact be responsible for Billy's murder, translating into a possibility of Gareth's innocence.

This story led me in a different direction and is far deeper than I was led to believe by the somewhat misleading blurb.

It extensively covers the effects of being at the receiving end of a controlling relationship and it's long lasting effects on a person, long after the relationship has ended. I grew to intensely loathe Gareth the more I read of him...what a despicable, abhorrent excuse for a man!!!

It also covers the destructive coping mechanisms in which people try to control their lives after having control taken away from them, such as sticking to a strict routine, too afraid to do anything out of the ordinary, sadly, limiting life experiences and also the control over food via eating disorders.

I truly felt great sympathy for Rose. Her life was irrevocably turned upside down after naively falling head over heels for a manipulative, dictating man, causing a domino effect of all the tragedy that followed.

With each page turned as I drew closer to the end of this story, I found that I was rooting for Rose; that Billy get the justice he deserved and that Gareth get his just desserts and stay behind bars for the rest of his miserable life.

I smugly thought I knew which direction the author was going with this one, yet I was thrilled to discover I was dead wrong, surprised that K.L. Slater had a far better, much more satisfying ending than I could've conjured up in my imagination.

So why not 5 stars?

*This one built up tension rather slowly for me, the suspense not as much as I would've liked to have seen for a book categorised as a psychological thriller.
*Like I mentioned earlier, the misleading blurb had me thinking this was an entirely different book than what it was.
*Although the story focuses greatly on Rose, her abduction by Gareth was for some reason downplayed. We were not given many details as to what happened to her during that time before she was found. The same applies to Rose 's breakdown and the emotional turmoil she must have gone through after the deaths of her beloved brother and friend. This unfortunately had me feeling somewhat of a disconnect to Rose, and therefore to the story.

Apart from that, and although this was a somewhat depressing and at times an uncomfortable read, I enjoyed getting to the end knowing there was a light at the end of this very dark tunnel.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and the author for an ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion of this book.

The Mistake was such a gripping read, I really enjoyed it, have loved all books by this author and look forward to more.

Rose is a crushed woman, ok she has over the last 16 years muddled through life existing but not living, not trusting and definitely not falling in love. I mean how could she when her brother was dead because of her and her parents had never been the same. They had both died a while ago so now it was just her. But the nightmares had come back and all because of a kindly neighbour that lived next door.
This is my first K. L. Slater novel and I am over the moon that I have finally read one of her books. Set in two-time zones the first the months leading up to 8-year-old Billy’s disappearance and murder while he had been in Rose’s care and present day when an accidental discovery of an item from that fateful day throws her into turmoil.
What a brilliant story, I don’t really want to go in to too much detail because that would take the edge from it. I was immersed in this story from the very first chapter with both time lines taking my breath with events that were happening. My heart was breaking for the loss of innocence of a young naive girl in such a wicked way and my heart was pounding for the woman in present day as she had to face the past and find a future.
I connected with Rose straight away, who even as an adult still seemed child like at times stuck in the past and not wanting to really grow up. Kim Slater tells a wicked story and I mean wicked as this is so darn good. I still shudder at the thought of a particular nasty piece of work even 16 years later. He made my blood run cold and although I was only reading words they penetrated into my mind like it was him staring at me. God damn it he scared the heebie-jeebies out of me.
A fantastic story and definite must read.
I wish to thank the publisher for an ARC of this book which I have reviewed honestly

I’ve granted K.L. Slater a Best Unforeseen Ending Plot Twist award three times in a row so the odds were against us this time.
Now this sentence might tell you right away that I did not like The Mistake. I did! Let’s not be mistaken here! (See what I did here?)



Her writing style is sharp.
Her understanding of human beings and their motives is very accurate.
The path she creates for you to follow her characters on are always muddy, dark, and creepy.
She weaves some of the best psychological plots ever
She’s the queen of sentences that haunt you long after you’ve read them.


Truth never disappears or deserts us; it’s there forever, shining strong.


I mean, take a look at this sentence! It sent shivers down my spine. Not that I have anything very serious to hide!!

Now off to the story. Oh my! So many layers! I warmed to Rose very early on, she’s damaged good. She’s surviving, not living, and it was heart-breaking. The words glued her to her past, and the beauty of this story is the character development, it is the what behind it all, it is the way Rose is, becomes, and ends up being.



Books helped me get well back then and I feel happiest now when I’m around them.


Rose is a special character. She’s a bookworm! But she also had to go through a tragedy, and most of all, she’s alone in the world. The more I read about her, the more I recognized feelings I’d experienced, feared, or imagined, and I just wanted to be her friend. I know you can enjoy a book without any bound to the main character but Rose, shy, torn, sad, and broken Rose, unable to see her own courage and warrior side (after all, she’s still here and living, no matter how hard it is) just won my heart and I felt true love towards her.

Other characters did not obtain my sympathy, but gosh did I love the layers The Mistake is composed of! This story is a giant poisoned cake sitting on the edge of the table, and Rose makes it topple, along with her world, just out of a good intention. Before you know it, everything is messed up, questions are raised, suspicions are around, and you’re lost in a pool of cream, sugar, and blood-red cherries. I can’t say more without spoiling anything!



Sometimes, misery is a comfort to the soul… like a bitter poultice.


I was hooked from the very first page, as always with Kim’s books. The Mistake is made of the past and the present intertwined, keeping scars open for you to discover the truth, the one we see, the one we think we know, the one we can't imagine. All kinds of truths, all kinds of mistakes, in a single shattering and riveting story that creeps on you like a stranger in the night!

The book is darker than I thought, and the only niggle I have with it is that X factor twist that went missing, leaving me with a different but just as intense reading experience!

What do YOU consider to be a mistake?

I am a massive fan of KL Slater so couldn't wait to get my teeth into this beauty after seeing the stunning cover. Has always KL Slater doesn't disappoint with yet another brilliant psychological thriller. Grabbing my attention from the beginning with an intriguing start right until the very end.

We follow the story of Rose whose 8 year old brother Billy goes missing one day and is found dead two days later 16 years ago. To this day she still blames herself. She has never got over the trauma and keeps herself to herself each day she follows the same routine. Until her neighbour Ronnie falls ill and she makes a shocking discovery in his attic.Weaving a story where we follow two time lines,what is happening now. And we alternate between the present of what happened 16 years ago.

Wowsers I couldn't put this down the author does a brilliant job of sucking you in and I actually started to question every single character in this story. This will certainly keep you guessing until the end…...and OMG what an ending, I flipping loved it.

If you are looking for a page turner that is full of mystery and suspense then this is the book for you which I highly recommend giving it 4 stars.

Thank you to Bookouture for a copy and inviting me to take part on this fab tour.

Another hit by K. L. Slater! Keep them coming please! I have now read all four of her books and have thoroughly enjoyed them all!

The Mistake centers around Rose, alternating between her past and present life. Oh how I felt for her, this poor tortured soul. She fell for a controlling manipulative narcissistic monster who brought danger to all near and dear to her and is still torturing and blaming herself sixteen years later. Will she ever really know what happened to her brother Billy? Everything she thought to be true is unraveling around her and she needs to finally find out the truth.

Another well written, engaging and suspenseful read by K. L. Slater. Looking forward to more! 4/5 stars. I would like to thank, Bookouture, NetGalley and K. L. Slater for an advance copy of this book.

You know as soon as you begin a book by Kim Slater you are in for a bumpy ride with your emotions in free-fall. She is the queen of tense, gritty thrillers.

Rose and Billy are siblings who adore one another despite Rose being quite a lot older, she is very protective of him. One dreadful day Billy disappears while out playing .. what follows shows what a traumatic life Rose has had.

The story is told in past and present so we find out all about the life Rose has endured growing up, the people she was involved with spanning sixteen years. Flitting between the two time frames was a useful way to retain the info and form a clear image in my mind.

She certainly has some issues, the conniving, manipulative, obnoxious git called Gareth who she was in a relationship with is jailed for the murder of Billy. I can’t begin to tell you politely what I thought of him! Some of the situations make for difficult reading and I would put a *trigger* warning in for any domestic abuse. None of it is gratuitous but may be unsuitable for some readers.

But what if they have the wrong man? Rose spends a lot of time caring for her neighbour when he is taken ill she discovers something in his home that calls into question her whole past. So many possibilities confront her but will she find the truth?

This brilliant story explores the dynamics between family, friends, love and loss. And primarily trust. I was rooting for Rose to get herself into a position where her life was her own.

The Mistake had me flying through the pages to reach the conclusion and what a smugly satisfying ending it was.

If you are a fan of psychological thrillers then this is a must read to add to your list.

My thanks the the author, publisher and Netgalley for my copy which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

The Mistake by K.L.Slater

Title: The Mistake
Author: K.L.Slater
Published: October 17
Publisher: Bookouture
Price on Amazon: Kindle: £1.99
ASIN: B073RUKQ5J

Even after sixteen years the past catches up with you.

Sixteen years ago Rose's little brother Billy was killed and Rose can't stop blaming herself for his death. Sixteen years later Rose is working in her local library, living in her childhood home. She thinks she knows her neighbours, she has lived next to them her whole life, visted them over and over. But how well can you really know someone?

When her neighbour's wife dies, Rose steps in to help him out, collecting his shopping, stopping by to visit him. One day when Rose pops by she finds her neighbour collapsed on the floor. After phoning for an ambulance, he gets taken to hospital, leaving with a message to Rose telling her not to go upstairs. Deciding to do somthing nice for his return Rose sets out to tidy his house for him, ignoring his warning to not go upstairs.

Soon Rose is thrown back sixteen years as secrets arise and Rose is left wondering if she really knew her neighbour at all. Who killed BIlly sixteen years ago and can Rose finally forgive herself.

i got this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. When I read the blurb for this book I thought it sounded really good however, i found I was about thirty chapters in and nothing had happened yet, this book was extreemly slow and I found I just got bored and gave up.

I would not recomend this book and I shall not be rereading this book therefore I have chosen to give it a single star.

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