I really wanted to like this book, as I am a fan of the author. But I found the first half a bit slow and found it hard to get into. Thankfully there was a good twist about the middle of the book. This got me back into it and I was able to finish it quickly.. The second half is a lot better and really kept my attention. Am glad I didn’t give up on it.

K L Slater knows how to write a tense, twisted and terrifying psychological crime thriller and her latest novel, The Evidence, is a brilliantly written chiller that grips from the very first line and keeps readers hooked until the final shocking twist.

Simone Fischer’s story had sent shockwaves round the entire country. One ordinary afternoon, Simone had killed her husband in cold blood while their young child was playing in the next room. Simone has spent the last decade in prison for murder and although everybody knows who she is, she has never spoken to the press or told anybody what drove her to murder her husband. Until now. Simone wants to tell her side of the story and journalist Esme is the one she will speak to.

Esme is thrilled to have secured the scoop of the century. Despite of the fact that Simone’s been in prison for years, curiosity and speculation about her story has never wavered. Esme doesn’t know what to expect from Simone. What could this cold-blooded murderess possibly reveal that could help change people’s perception of her? Quite a lot as it happens. This seemingly ordinary woman begins to come clean to Esme and tells her the truth about her toxic marriage and the endless abuse and pain she endured at the hands of her husband. Determined to tell the world the truth about Simone, Esme vows to shed light on the abusive marriage Simone was trapped in. But not everybody wants the truth about Simone’s marriage to come out…

When Esme’s sister is left for dead in a nearby wood, her life starts to spiral out of control. Esme cannot help but wonder why has it taken this long for Simone to tell her side of the story – and whether being the one who will help her tell the unvarnished truth about her life will have devastating consequences on Esme herself.

A mesmerizing thriller that is so addictive readers will cancel all their plans because they simply won’ be able to put this book down, The Evidence is a shocking, disturbing and absorbing tale that deftly explores toxic marriages, the lengths people go to to survive and what lies hidden behind closed doors that is brilliantly paced, cleverly plotted and so shocking readers will be thinking about this book days after they’ve finished it.

If a books has got K L Slater’s name on the cover, readers know that they are going to be reading a top-notch chiller and The Evidence is certainly no exception.

Esme is a true crime podcaster/journalist with a new start-up company of her own. She is excited to learn that Simone, a woman accused of murdering her husband in cold blood, has agreed to speak to her after denying multiple requests from other journalists for the past decade.

Unfortunately, with this great opportunity also comes some shady characters and more tragedy. She was already dealing with a clingy ex and traumatized son after the son was involved in a hit-and-run and seriously injured. Now, added to that, her sister is involved in a brutal attack that leaves her in the ICU. Is it because of this new podcast? Is someone afraid of what will be revealed?

This story is told in a way that makes you want to keep reading to find out what happens next. As Simone’s and Esme’s stories are revealed you start realizing who the bad guys really are. I absolutely did not see the twists coming and was left with my jaw on the floor. I definitely recommend this for anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers!

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for letting me read an advance copy in exchange for my honest opinions.

I love any thriller book. I certainly wasn’t disappointed with this. I had my in a hold from start to finish. I read it over 2 days,
Thank you to both the publishers and NetGalley for gifting me this book.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this arc honestly.

I’m not sure why I waited so long to read this book. I decided to start it when I was in a slump after reading another book with a horrible writing style, and expected to continue the slump, but I was wrong. From page 1 I was drawn in. The storyline was good and well organized without random jumping around and weirdly being repetitive which is a peeve of mine. I was invested in the characters and where the story was going to take me. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the ride and appreciate it getting me out of my slump. Definitely going to be reading more from this author.

A very good psychological thriller. A good read, found myself at it till late at night, definitely recommend this book if you like the genre!

Hooked from the beginning and full of twists! Trademark K.L.Slater novel, where you can't guess until the very end.

Thank You NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

I absolutely love this author and the writing style, the author knows how to create drama, suspense and unpredictable twists and this one was no different!

Thank you to K.L. Slater and the publisher Bookouture for letting me reqad this book.

I have read a few books by K L Slater before, which were all brilliant in their own way, this one is just the same brilliant.

Kim has done yet another amazing job in keeping thew reader engaged in the story. I even mentally found myself reaching for the tissues on several occasions.

Such a good book. I cannot wait to read the other books of hers that I have on my list. I am missing a few though.

Absolutely loved this addictive read. As with all the books I’ve was by this author I love the writing style and characters. I would highly recommend this addictive read to anyone.

“A devoted wife or a dangerous killer”


Why, after having already published over a dozen psychological thrillers, have I only just discovered this amazing author, and how quickly can I clear spaces in my schedule to begin catching up with the back catalogue?

Whilst the premise does pose some tantalising questions, it has been quite cleverly crafted so as not to give away too many ‘spoilers’, so now my challenge is to make sure that I don’t inadvertently ‘let the cat out of the bag’, so to speak!

…

Esme has recently decided that she and her nine-year-old son Zachary will be better off living apart from her husband Owen, although as yet it is still an informal separation of which Zachary does not approve. Esme has set up her own small Podcast company ‘The Speaking Fox’, along with her sister Michelle, friend Justine, Mo her trusted techie, and newbie to the team Toby. Michelle has moved in with Esme and Zachary, for moral support and to help out with the domestic logistics, as Zachary is still recovering from a horrendous hit and run incident, which has left him permanently lame and in pain in one leg, and still totally traumatised by the experience.

‘The Speaking Fox’ has just received a prestigious contract to exclusively interview Simone Fischer, who is serving a lengthy prison sentence for the murder of her husband, committed whilst her then, young teenage son Andrew, was in the house. Grant Fischer had been gaslighting and mentally coercing his wife for years, until one day, ten years ago, now isolated from any personal relationships with family or friends, thanks to Grant’s insidious lies and manipulation, Simone had snapped – or had she? Esme is hoping that the Podcast will help get Simone’s case re-opened, in the light of recent changes to the laws surrounding coercive and abusive behaviour and a hitherto silent Simone, seems only too happy to co-operate in a series of open and candid interviews, which Andrew apparently does not object to, as he can remember little of the events leading up to that fatal day – or does he? Simone’s brother Peter, is however, a little less than happy with the situation, as he is preparing to write his own book about events surrounding Grant’s death and Simone’s lengthy prison sentence, and doesn’t want Esme stealing his thunder. In fact, Simone is so at ease when discussing Grant’s manipulative behaviour and lies towards her, she at one stage even goes so far as to offer Esme advice and support, so much so that eventually I was forced to consider whether it was Simone or Esme who was truly the victim of the piece.

In fact, it is probably true to say that the book very much began as one where the spotlight seemed to be very firmly focussed on the coercive and controlling behaviour of men. However, as the storyline progressed, I did begin to wonder whether mental abuse, dominance and debasement, can solely be attributed to men, or if the same behaviour traits are equally prevalent in women. Pay special attention to the words and actions of Simone, and Esme’s mother-in-law Brooke, and I’m sure you might agree with me!

Everything begins really well and the first Podcast instalment is a runaway success. But then, in a series of seemingly unrelated incidents, both the company and Esme’s personal life, take a spectacular turn for the worse and ‘normal’ as everyone knows it, will never be the same again. Esme has no idea who she can trust anymore, including her friends and family alike, leaving her feeling totally isolated, vulnerable and a complete emotional wreck; making her easy prey for those who she does not realise, wish her nothing but harm. In fact, just to prove how off the mark I was in my thinking about so many aspects of this storyline, the one person I had thought might be the cause of so many of the company problems, turns out to be something of a shoulder for Esme to lean on and with their help, the business might possibly be salvaged. However when the dust settles on a few weeks that seem like a lifetime and which no one will ever forget, Esme once again needs to re-evaluate her own and Zachary’s personal futures in light of the wreckage which is all that remains of their former selves.

…

I realise that doesn’t give you much to go on, however there are so many twists in this gripping and disturbing, swiftly evolving, multi-layered storyline, that to write anything else would be sure to give the game away to some degree. The immersive writing is crisp and fluent, with the wonderfully textured story being narrated in multiple voices, interspersed seamlessly with some Podcast conversation/interview segments, which despite my scepticism as this was a first for me, actually worked really smoothly.

Whilst the storyline does command two diverse locations, Esme only makes the journey down country to Middlesex, on the days when she is due to interview Simone in prison. The focus of events actually has quite a small footprint in Nottinghamshire, although enough detail is casually dropped in, so that I could actually picture some of the locations and their relationship to one another, as a demented Esme criss-crosses the county maniacally, in her futile attempts to stay on top of an ever deteriorating situation.

There were three major “Wow! I never saw that coming!” moments and as you might expect, they all featured in the second half of the book, after the opening chapters were spent in carefully setting the scene with all those sneakily laid red herrings, which did exactly what they were supposed to do, tripping me up and sending my thoughts off at the wrong tangent every time. This was a story built on lies, secrets, buried emotions and manipulated versions of the truth. No matter where Esme is, the atmosphere seems thick with tension, as if she somehow manages to suck all the oxygen out of a space, with her permanent aura of impending dread and menace, which is emotionally draining.

What can I possibly say about the characters which might somehow redeem them, or restore my faith in their humanity? – and in all honesty I think my answer is, absolutely nothing! Not one single thing about this volatile cast made them compelling, easy to connect with, or want to invest in. There was not even any good synergy between them, only mistrust and an overwhelming tendency towards duplicitous and manipulative behaviour, which at this particular time all seemed to be directed at Esme, although she herself is such an emotionally complex person, that believing in her, despite her obvious fragility of mind, was quite difficult and challenging, even though it was clear that she doted on her son Zachary.

If all the previous novels are as good as this one, then I am in for one heck of a journey, as I seek to play ‘catch-up’!

Another cracking read from the author. I am never disappointed! Kept me hooked throughout and some good twists.

This is a must read for anyone who enjoys a good thriller!!
Absolutely loved the characters, the plot, the tension - impossible to put it down

The Evidence was a good book but I've read great books by K.L Slater! Blink was one such great book. When it comes to this book, the storyline & plot are unique & that keeps you turning those pages, but the main character Esme was an infuriating mix of a smart woman making questionable choices in my opinion. It was quite interesting to see Esme run her podcast- The Speaking Fox. I like that she was built as a strong character even if occasionally she made some dumb decisions. Scenes between Esme & her mother-in-law were the very best! The other supporting characters were good too! The plot was a slow burn & the story of Simone Fischer added some more suspense to the already twisted storyline. The intersection between these two stories was a great read. As you read the book, you're never quite sure if you can take the characters at face value. I liked how this was used to keep me guessing till the very end. The end was shocking but believable!
Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture & K. L. Slater for an arc!

I've read almost all kl slater books. One of my favorite ones I've read by her. It kept me on my toes all whole time. I would give it 4.5 stars.

Such a shame but this was not one of my favourites of K L Slater. The timeline was a bit jumpy for me and I just couldn’t connect with the characters. I see that there a lot of excellent reviews though so am sure its just that its not my thing.

Thank you Netgalley

I enjoyed reading this book. It was hard to read and un put downable. I had to know who did it, and every single chapter had a twist. This was a good read by a great author.

I wish I could read it again and be surprised over and over again. Fabulous book.

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

As always I was hooked from the beginning. The characters are very well cast. This book if full of secrets, and twists. I loved the pace and you are always in for a ride with K L Slater.

Esme Fox has always wanted to be that rare thing - a journalist with integrity. Now she's working for herself with her sister Michelle making podcasts. Now they have a massive opportunity. Simone Fischer, a notorious husband murderer has never spoken about what happened the day she brutally killed her husband while her teenage son sat in the next room playing a computer game. However, now she wants to give her side of the story and Esme is the one with the scoop that rather than been a vicious killer Simone was psychologically abused for years until she could take no more. But a lot of people don't want this story told and direct their bile at Esme and her team. But Esme thinks that it will be worth the hassle of the online trolls. That is until her sister is found brutally beaten in local woodland. Is this connected to Simone's case?

OK first things first. I really enjoyed this. K.L.Slater can really draw a reader in and has produced a fast-paced and gripping read. However, if you have read a lot of her books (like me) you may well see some plot twists coming. Overall though a really enjoyable thriller.