This is the fourth book of the Natalie Ward series. This one starts off with an arson attack on a house but in the debris a 15 year old girl is found. I love the camaraderie of Natalie’s team and the back stories that are developing, especially Natalie’s family where everything seems to be crumbling a bit. I would of really liked more of a storyline on her family. All in all a great Read and highly recommended.

I'd describe this book as a detailed police procedural with an added focus on the family of the lead character. For me the plot lacked pace and drama and much of the storyline was obvious but it seemed to take forever to get to the conclusion.

This is the fourth book starring DI Natalie Ward and her team. The start point is simple there is an arson attack and a house burns to the ground. In the debris they find the body of fourteen year old Roxie who was supposed to be on a sleepover at her friends. It seems to DI Ward that everyone is lying and has something to hide. What follows is a rollercoaster ride to get to the truth. You also learn further information about DI Wards team and family.
I enjoyed the story and love the characters. This is definitely worth a read and you don’t have to have read the previous but it will add depth to the characters and their motivations if you have.
Can’t wait for book five.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for an ARc in exchange for an honest review.
#TheSleepover #NetGalley

I really enjoy Carol Wyer’s books and this Natalie Ward series is just brilliant. I have read all of this series so far and this one is just as good as the previous 3. As we have come to expect from Carols style of writing there is plenty of twists and turns and suspense to keep you reading well after bedtime!! I certainly didn’t see the ending coming. Can’t wait for the next instalment.

Following a disagreement with her mum, Roxy goes on a sleepover.. or so she says. Only the next morning there is a house fire and Roxy is dead. The owner don’t know who the victim is , so what is the connection. DCI Natalie Ward is brought in to uncover the truth of what happened to the teenager.

Natalie is a hardworking police officer with her own problems at home. Notably, a husband with a gambling problem.

During the cause of the investigation Roxy’s Mum Cathy is murdered close to where Roxy died. Is it connected. Is there a serial killer on the loose.

This book took some getting into but there were lots of twists and characters to keep your attention. Should be 4.5 stars.

You can never go wrong with reading a Carol Wyer book! She's such a talented author and has quickly become one of my favorites.

In the 4th book in the Natalie Ward series, we open with a house burning down. It quickly involves Natalie and her team, however, when a body is found among the wreckage. What seems likes a quick and cut case becomes entirely different when it is a 14 year old girl, who seems to have no reason to have been in that house. With everybody lying to Natalie, she becomes increasingly frustrated with the case. Which by all accounts, doesn't seem to going in the right direction and can't seem to find links to everybody involved. This was another fast-paced book that kept me guessing. I can find no fault in Wyer's books. She only keeps getting better!

*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I want to start out by saying I was so excited to receive an arc copy of this book. I have read every book in the Natalie Ward series and this one did not disappoint. I have grown to love all the characters very much as this is the fourth book in this series. Even though this is a series every book can be read as a stand alone. But I’m telling you once you read just one you will want to read them all.

This book was about a sleepover between best friends that went really wrong. Roxy was only 14 and told her mom she was sleeping over at her friends house but come morning there was a house fire and Roxy was found dead. The family wants answers and wants them fast. What happened to Roxy?

I just love this author and series so much. I can’t get enough of this series and all the twists and turns it has. I fell in love with all the characters after the first book. The lead detective Natalie Ward is what really makes these books wonderful. I love how she’s rough and tough but also has a gentler side to her. She tries to balance a job, children and a husband that have proven to be not worth her time. I also have to say that I finally got the ending I wanted when she stuck it to her husband. I’ve been waiting quite a while, 4 books, for her to finally figure out what she wants. This was definitely my favorite of the whole series. It had everything from an great case that got solved along with an unexpected ending.

Between the plot, characters and all the twists in this book it made it an easy and fast read. I would definitely recommend it and happily give it 5 Hearts❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Absolutely love Carol Wyer's books. I really enjoy the Natalie Ward series and this was another fab edition to the series. I dropped a star because after 4 books the back story with the husband is becoming irritating.

Carol Wyer is a new author for me and I got this from Netgalley and it is the fourth book in the series so I have gone and bought the first book. This is a story full of suspense and what I loved most was the reveal at the end, I genuinely didn't see that outcome. I would like to thank the publishers and netgalley for letting me have the book to review and the opinions expressed are entirely my own views and are completely unbiased.

Loved the first three and this one is even better! Perhaps it’s because we are getting to know Natalie Ward more and I really love her character, and her ongoing family troubles, while she is solving other families nightmares. As always, plenty of suspects and so many twists and turns. So enjoyable and satisfying.! Great read!

What an amazing addition to this utterly brilliant series . A story that will twist you up and spit you out . Fantastic characters cant wait for the next book

Well Carol Wyer you have excelled yourself once more in the 4th instalment featuring DI Natalie Ward and her her team and yup this is a belter of a read, I just loved it.
Lots going in this police procedural as the body of fourteen year old Roxy is found in a burned out house and it seems that a lot of people have lots to hide. As more deaths occur the twists keep coming and the suspense keeps mounting as the book hurtles along at one heck of a pace. Added to all of this we are drawn in to the continuing back story of Natalie and her marriage difficulties and this really makes both this book and the series so damn gripping and compulsive.
Carol you really can write on hell of a story and I just can’t wait for the next book and so a big thank you to you.
To sum up this is a brilliant book so well written with some excellent characters, its also a fantastic series that I can highly recommend and would say one not to missed it’s a definite 5 star read.
My thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

THE SLEEPOVER is the fourth novel in the Detective Natalie Ward Series, a riveting crime-thriller by Carol Wyer. Her books keep getting better and better!

Cathy Curtis and her fourteen-year-old daughter, Roxy, a stubborn and demanding child, had a spat during the day, but all was forgiven and Roxy was off to a sleepover at her best friend Ellie’s house. The two families were neighbors, and the girls had grown up together. Cathy saw no reason to check out her daughter’s story, as the girls are in and out of each other’s homes every day.

Cathy’s partner, Paul Sadler, was out with her eighteen- year- old son, Seth, and would be home later. Her other son, seventeen- year--old son, Charlie, was up in his room playing video games. Her oldest son, twenty-year-old son, Oliver, no longer lived at home but was in the army.

So, Cathy put her feet up, ready to enjoy some down time, watching Netflix. It is a decision she would regret. A day later, Roxy is found murdered in exclusive Linnet Lane, miles across town, in a house owned by two brothers with no apparent connection to Roxy.

Detective Natalie Ward, called to lead the investigation, is determined to get to the bottom of why Roxy was in the basement of this grand Victorian mansion when she should have been at a sleepover with her best friend, Ellie.

Roxy had a secret. Now she’s gone.

Natalie begins to look closely at Roxy’s stepfather and three brothers. She discovers that Roxy had recently been admitted to hospital with suspicious injuries. Cathy is nervous and Ellie refuses to talk. What is going on? What are they trying to hide?

Then Roxy’s mother Cathy disappears.

When Cathy’s body is discovered close to where her daughter was found, Natalie assumes everything is tied together. Then another of Roxy’s school friends is found murdered.

Natalie must solve this case, before another life is taken.

This was a tense, fast-paced crime thriller that had me glued to my seat, flipping through the pages as fast as I could to discover the truth. I loved it! I can’t wait for the next book!

Many thanks to the author, Bookouture, and NetGalley for my digital copy.

The story jumps straight into the action with the death of 14 year old Roxy. Roxy told her mum she was going to stay at a friend’s overnight, but then her body is later found in the burnt out shell of a house belonging to two local nightclub owners. Detective Inspector Natalie Ward takes on the case, and as her team investigate they appear to come up against brick wall after brick wall. When the body count starts to rise, Natalie tries to discover if the cases are all connected….but how?

Woo-hoo!!! Welcome back Natalie! I love this series of books and each one just keeps getting better and better. This is book #4 of the series, and whilst it does make sense to read the books in order, it can be read as a standalone book.

I love Natalie’s character and with each book it’s like meeting up with an old friend! Natalie is her usual tenacious self, determined to crack the case and not letting any of the suspects get the better of her. At work she is gritty, clever and well respected by her team, but Natalie’s personal life is the complete opposite. I’ve never liked her husband David from the very first book, and I dislike him even more in this one! An out of work compulsive gambler who is taking a shine to one or two drinks as well, David seems to blame everyone else for their problems rather than take the responsibility himself. Every time I read one of these books, I just want to shout at Natalie to kick the lazy bum out, but she hasn’t….yet!! I can live in hope!!

All of Natalie’s usual team – Murray, Lucy and Mike – are back and add a little light-heartedness to an otherwise tense thriller! I love Lucy’s character, and really hope that we have more about her personal situation in the forthcoming books. I have also, in the other books, liked Mike and have really wanted Natalie to rekindle the spark that has been waiting there patiently to be lit. However, Mike seems to have his own problems in this book and I have to admit that I initially was getting a bit annoyed with him, although he did redeem himself later in the book!!!

The storyline itself was fabulous!! The death count was rising by the chapter and the list of suspects was endless. I think I accused every one of them until it was revealed exactly what was going!! The author is an absolute genius at producing dead ends, introducing red herrings and leading us up every single garden path to make sure that we don’t guess who the killer is before the author is ready to tell us!! The writing leaves me on tenterhooks at the end of every chapter and I can’t help but turn just ‘one more page’ until I’ve finished it!!

Whilst the mystery of what happened to poor Roxy was solved and all the loose ends tied up, Natalie’s personal story is still open-ended, leaving it to continue (hopefully!!) into the next book in the series! Part of me really wants Natalie to get her ‘happy-ever-after’ but then if that happens, that’ll probably mean the end of this series – I mean, no one wants a happy, settled and loved-up detective!! Keep Natalie with her personal problems which give her that raw grittiness and make her the great detective that she is…just for a few more books yet!!!

Absolutely fantastic, highly recommended and roll on book #5!!!

Absolutely love this series and all of carol’s books.
Roxy is fourteen she tells her mum she is staying at her friends house overnight.
Detective Natalie and her team are called to a house fire where they discover a body has been found.
The body turns out to be Roxy’s
Why was she in this house?
The owners say they don’t know her.
Who set the fire?
And why.
Roxys family are heartbroken and as they are coming to terms with her death another family member is killed.
Can Natalie and her team catch the killer before he/she kills again.
Brilliant read Carol Wyer
Thanks Netgalley

The Sleepover – Carol Wyer

When I saw that my request for this via Netgalley had been granted I was over the moon. I bloody love this series, the DI Natalie Ward series always grabs my attention and keeps me guessing till the end, that’s the way it should be with a police procedural novel.

We all had sleepovers when we were young but we were lucky as we came home ok but when you lie and stay somewhere else there’s no guarantees of a safe return and for Roxy that proved to be the case. This story takes us through a parent’s worst nightmare losing a child in the very worst of circumstances and just how easily things can spiral out of control.

Natalie is called to a house fire after a body is discovered; the body is that of 14-year-old Roxanne Curtis. Her parents think she’s at her friends but she has lied to them and the consequences of that lie proved to be deadly. The house belongs to two brothers Gavin and Kirk Lang and what a pair of charmers they turned out to be, not. The brothers own a night club called Extravaganza that sounds like a less than salubrious establishment, with more than dancing and drinking on offer if you know the right people to speak to.

The Curtis family involved in The Sleepover aren’t the nicest that I’ve come across even the first victim needed a clip around the ear. Aggression and anger were their go to emotions that in turn made it a little difficult to empathise with them but on saying that its not something I’d wish on my worst enemy.

Because of the lies the team are being told and secrets being kept from Natalie and the team are being fed it’s sending them all over the place but she has a sense that things are not what they seem and she is determined to suss it out. Setting her team to work Natalie gets to know everyone involved, picking apart their alibis as she does.

Please please please make Natalie leave David. Their toxic relationship is affecting the kids as if they haven’t been through enough. I feel that David has lost her, her heart is no longer in it and she no longer trusts him. I just want her to be happy and she won’t be if she stays with him.

One of the best things about the police procedurals that authors like Carol Wyer, Angela Marsons and Kerry Wilkinson to name but a few write is the short sharp chapters that just make you turn or swipe the pages at a rate of knots. The main protagonists are all relatable with flaws and foibles like the rest of us with the added gift of being able to get to the rub of the problem. I’d recommend everything that I’ve read from all of the above.

Read for an honest review. Thank you Carol Wyer, Netgalley and Bookouture.

Wow , wow , wow . I couldn’t put my kindle down reading this story .
I think it’s the best yet of the Natalie Ward series and can’t wait to read the 5th .
It kept me in suspense and hooked from the very beginning. I won’t go into the story as I feel it spoils it for other people so just buy it and see for yourself how good it really is .


Thank you for allowing me to read an early copy .

Book 4 in the Detective Natalie Ward series.
I loved the first 3 books in this series and this one didn’t disappoint either. The series is just getting better and better.

The books are easy to get hooked into from the first page and each book we learn a little more about Natalie and her team.

There’s a fire in a house and a body is found in the back. Who is it? And what were they doing there?

This book has lots of great characters that jump from the page. You can see how they all interlink and it keeps you wondering who has committed this crime.

The book is easy to read and keeps you guessing and gripped from start to finish. Loved it and can’t wait for book 5

Book 4 in the Natalie Ward series and it's every bit as great as the previous 3.

I was hooked from the beginning and didn't want to put it down until I'd devoured every word.

The plot was slick with lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing. The characters are realistic and you get drawn into their emotions.

I love this series and I can't wait for the next one.

Easy 5 stars from me.

The Sleepover Carol Wyer


I love this series. Carol Wyer has a way of hooking the reader from the very first page. Her continuing characters have their own story going on which will have new readers engaging with them straight away, and will have those of us who have been reading from the beginning wondering how some things are going to be resolved. Twice I made out-loud exclamations at the antics of two of the characters. Yes it can be read as a stand-alone, but it’s much better to read the series.

Carol also has a way of keeping it real. The crimes she uses in her books are realistic, but so is the investigation. She uses the incestuous nature of those involved in the criminal world, and those on the fringes, to keep the character count down and to ensure that the reader is not trying to remember spurious names. There is always only a handful of characters outside of the main group of her colleagues and their families.

The time frame is always right, cases don’t get solved over-night, forensic results aren’t instant, and the investigation is always factually correct.

I know she does her research, I’ve been one of the people she spoke to about this book and I know how much emphasis she puts on getting even the smallest detail right.

There are only two or three authours whose books will make me drop what I’m reading and start theirs when they are available, and Carol is right at the top of that list.

This book starts with a teenage girl arguing with her mother. All of us, who have been parents will know that feeling, but thankfully what most of us don’t experience is that teenager storming out and never coming home again.

Following a fire, in a large detached house on the outskirts of a Staffordshire town, a body is found and DI Natalie Ward and her team are tasked with investigating who it is, and how they died.

The house belongs to two brothers that run a nightclub in the town, which is popular with customers but a pain to the local residents.

The fire was started deliberately so who was the target, the fire victim or the Brothers? And what is the connection between the brothers and the victim.

When a woman is found dead near the house Natalie and her team can’t help but connect it to their investigation.

As the investigation continues there are more questions than answers, and on top of that some of Natalie’s team haven’t got their eye on the ball.

The end of this book just makes me want to reach for the next in the series. Time to be patient again.