This was a thrilling and tense read with unexpected twists and a surprise conclusion. As a page turner, I couldn’t put it down. Luckily, I was in hospital so had the perfect excuse to just keep reading. I read it in a day and it surpassed my all expectations.

It was creepy and held its sinister undertone throughout. Told in three different points of view with seemingly unreliable narrators, it was hard to know who to trust as the story unfolded and the truth of what happened on the fateful night was revealed. This suspicion and twists kept me gripped.

The present dealt with the aftermath of a traumatic event and the effect on adult lives. In some cases, relationships imploded and others the shared event forged deeper bonds. It felt realistic making me engage with the characters more even when their decisions made no sense to outsiders. The threat of vengeance added the tension between the group and was cleverly broken up by the memories of childhood friendships and idyllic summer. Knowing that something terrible would occur to the six children made me fearful for them. I needed to know the inciting event for all the horror and I wasn’t disappointed with the ending.

Would I recommend?
Oh yes, it was a tense page turner where children’s lives were turned upside down by a danger hidden in plain sight and shows how childhood trauma has ramifications into adulthood. The childhood chapters were reminiscent to Stephen King’s Stand by Me in the emotions it evoked.

Keri Beevis is a talented writer and I need to catch up with her other books.

My second psychological thriller on the bounce & my nerves are in shreds!

Eileen Wickham, despite appearances, is evil personified & has her son Bill in her thrall. She has just been released from prison after 20 years & the question is, is she up to her old tricks again?
Prompted by her release, journalist Liam Quinn is writing a book about the events all those years ago & seeks out Hannah & Rosie (part of the original terrorised Hixton Five).

I read this in just over a day, I didn’t mean to but I couldn’t put it down. So many twists & as for that ending! A brilliant thriller.

The Sleepover is a dark, chilling and disturbing suspense thriller that had me completely hooked from the very start. This book will grip you like a vice and you won’t want to put it down. The author drip feeds you little piece of information and I was sure I had it all worked out and then bang changes, all I can say is expect the unexpected. This is a fast paced read that will have you on the edge of your seat at times. Highly recommend.

This is a dark and chilling read, focusing on a group of children who were groomed and abused by an adult who went in to become a monster in their lives.

I enjoyed this book and liked the dual timeline which saw the group as adults and children so we could understand what had happened that made them behave as they did in the past.

I liked the character of Hannah but was a little uncomfortable with Liam as a character and kept expecting something dark to emerge.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Five friends had a terrible experience when they were younger and a woman, Mrs. W, went to jail for her crimes. Now she is out of jail and the friends worry about their safety. Strange things happen and they are afraid Mrs. W is coming for them.

The cover alone made me want pick up this book. The title is perfect for the book as you will find out while reading. The story is told from multiple POV but the chapters were not titled so it took a few sentences to figure out who was talking. That didn’t affect my enjoyment but would be a nice change. This story has so many suspects and the characters don’t know who they can trust. I loved this twisty book!

Keri Beevis is an author who always delivers. I can safely say, I’m never disappointed by a book from Beevis and this has been no different.

The Sleepover is one of those books which had me hooked instantly. This one was a book that pulled me in quickly and became completely addictive.

Beevis has a brilliant talent of transporting the reading and making you feel as though you know the characters that fill the pages. This is definitely evident in this book.

This is another dark and menacing read that has captured my attention I was completely unable to put this book down and devoured this in just one sitting.

I have read many books by Beevis, this is definitely a favourite and one that I highly recommend.

The Sleepover is a psychological thriller that will keep you guessing. It's a tense read, especially when you get to the flashbacks of what really happened that summer when the main characters were just thirteen years old. There are also a few twists thrown in just to keep you on your toes.
The story is told in both present day and flashbacks to the past. The main character, Hannah, is finally getting her life on track after an incident twenty years ago. She's divorced buy remains friends with her ex, she has a dog walking business, and she has her best friend Rosie who she cares for (even when Rosie continues to do the same stupid things over and over again). But her life is about to get turned upside down when a man named Liam Quinn shows up one day, asking questions about that fateful summer all those years ago. He's writing a book and wants to know all the sordid details, but Hannah and Rosie turn him away, not wishing to rehash the trauma. But Liam is persistent, and soon, Hannah is opening up to him. But doing so brings the past back in more ways than one, and now Hannah and her friends are at risk. Could Liam be behind it all? Is he somehow connected to the past, or is he just an innocent bystander caught up in this mess and just as at risk as Hannah and her friends?
I really enjoyed this story. It's honestly kind of dark, especially when the secrets of that summer night are slowly revealed via flashback. You get a glimpse into what a real monster looks like. But the plot is engaging and easy to get lost in, and I found myself eagerly flying through the pages, trying to piece things together and figure out what was happening in present time. I knew there was a red herring thrown in there, and I'm glad I was right about that. And there was a scene where one character goes to visit another person from the past, and I started to suspect things. I can't say if I was right or not, because it would spoil things, especially the ending.
The characters are well-written and come across as real people, and there's one character who was my absolute favorite, although, again, I don't want to say anything in case of spoilers.
Overall, this is a thrilling story that will have you guessing and second-guessing yourself. Check out The Sleepover if you're looking for a good psychological thriller.
4.5 stars!

Looking at the reviews already posted for this book I’m in the minority. I was underwhelmed and thought the plot unlikely and when not unlikely fairly predictable.

Last year, I read The People Next Door by Keri Beevis and really enjoyed it, rating it 9 out of 10. So when I heard her new book The Sleepover was out, I was keen to read it.
The book begins with the prologue, explaining that five children aged 13 became known as the Hixton Five – Lauren Bell, Jill Goldberg, Natasha Hogan (Tash), Rosie Emerson and Hannah Freemont. Twenty years later, they are saying the monster has been freed.
Onto the present day. Hannah Cole (nee Freemont) has moved to Wells-next-the-Sea on the North Norfolk coat to live in the flat she inherited from her nan. She has started up her Pawsome Pet Services business. She left Hixton at nineteen and is reluctant to return, but her mother is trying to persuade her to go there for her and Hannah’s stepfather’s silver wedding party.
We meet Hannah’s best friend Rosie Emerson and Hannah’s ex-husband Josh. There’s also the arrival of Liam Quinn, who arrives at Hannah’s flat to talk about Eileen Wickham (the monster). He is writing a non-fiction book on the events that happened twenty years ago. This coincides with Eileen Wickham (now 63) being released from prison after 20 years. She goes to live with her son Bill.
As strange things begin to happen to the Hixton Five, who is responsible?
There’s a lot going on in the book and I enjoyed trying to work it all out. I especially loved the character of Liam Quinn and trying to decide if he was a good guy or a bad guy, as well as enjoying his developing relationship with Hannah.
I didn’t find this to be as much of a page turner as The People Next Door, but it did hold my interest and I was keen to finish reading it and to be able to put all the puzzle pieces together.

★★★ 3.5 stars

After devouring and loving the author's previous psychological thriller "Every Little Breath" I was excited to sink my teeth into yet another by her. Yet I think every other book has a lot to live up to to beat that one as it was explosive. THE SLEEPOVER is something a little different...more of a slow burn but still an undercurrent of something sinister bubbling away beneath the surface. I don't think it quite hit the mark and I felt there were a few loose ends...or rather, a few things that didn't really make a lot of sense in the bigger picture.

Twenty years ago, Hannah and her friends were groomed by Eileen Wickham and her 15 year old son Bill, luring them back to their farmhouse with the promise of fun, freedom and ice cream. The 13 year olds couldn't believe their luck that Mrs W was so cool and allowed them to get away with anything. It was then that Hannah, Rosie, Lauren, Tash and Jill, along with Jill's little brother Miles, began to frequent the Wickham isolated farm throughout the summer.

But when Hannah witnesses something terrible inside the farmhouse one day between Mrs W and Bill that scares her, she flees and vows never to return...despite the rest of her friends continuing to do so. Until one fateful day when everything changed and they became known as the Hixton Five. Because while six of them went to the farm, only five came out.

Now twenty years later, Eileen Wickham has served her time for what she did to those children and has been released, on the strict proviso she never set foot in Hixton again. But the news of her release has the five wondering if she will follow through on the threats she issued them as she was lead away after sentencing. Will Mrs W come after them and seek her revenge?

Liam Quinn is a true crime writer wanting to tell the real story behind the Hixton Five and what they suffered at the hands of Eileen Wickham and her son Bill. When he approaches Hannah outside her flat, she refuses point blank to have anything to do with him or his book. But not to be swayed, Liam enlists the assistance of his trusty pooch Tank to endear him to animal loving Hannah hoping to break down her defences. Instead he almost breaks her ankle.

Hannah is Rosie's best friend. It has always been her and Hannah against the world. After all, Hannah is the only one to truly get her and understand what she has been through...because she was the only other one to endure the same as she did...and come out alive. For the past twenty years, Hannah has been a sort of crutch for Rosie; someone she can call on when things get to dicey or when she's freaking out. But now Liam has turned up and is threatening to come between the friendship they have. Despite claiming she won't talk to him, she continually finds Liam still hanging around...and this time, Hannah doesn't appear to be giving him his marching orders. What's that all about then?

When strange things start happening with break-ins, notes, flowers, a music box, and things only Rosie and Hannah would understand....Hannah alerts the other three to the potential threat of Eileen Wickham come to wreak revenge on them for putting her away two decades ago. But suddenly Eileen has disappeared and no one can find her.

Things take a sinister turn when one of the five turns up dead in suspicious circumstances. Has Mrs W found them? And is she knocking them off, one by one? Things are a little more dangerous now and Hannah isn't sure she can trust Liam, despite her raging attraction to him. There is something off with him, but what is it?

The devil comes creeping when Hannah least expects it but is the threat closer than she really knows?

A dark and twisted psychological thriller that shows you that monsters are indeed real and not hiding under your bed...but where you least expect them to be. I love how the story flips between excerpts from the past mingled with the present as we are slowly drip-fed pieces of the puzzle bit by bit. However, I was confused over the title and why it was five when it really was only three of them who truly suffered the torturous sick games and abuse. And the title alluded to it all happening one night instead of being spread out. I kept waiting for the big reveal involving them all, but it never came so I was left a little puzzled by they were all involved.

The ending was a little underwhelming that even now having finished it just half an hour ago, I can't even remember it. Ah, yes...I can now. But overall, it was a bit of an anti-climax.

It was dark; it was disturbing; it was chilling...but but didn't grab me as much as "Every Little Breath" did. And what exactly did happen? We are kept guessing for most of the book, though it wasn't quite as shocking as I expected. Maybe I'm a little macabre but I did expect something BIG and EXTREMELY SHOCKING. But it was only a little bit shocking...and half hearted at best.

Overall, THE SLEEPOVER is a compelling read that will keep you guessing. It is dark and disturbing and a good solid read...but not a great one.

I would like to thank #KeriBeevis, #Netgalley, >b>#BoldwoodBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #TheSleepover in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

The cover of this book was what drew me in. But the story was what kept me in!

Summer should be all about friends, fun, eating ice cream, swimming in the pool and having sleep over. But for the Hixton Five one summer changed their whole lifes for ever! The summer Eileen Wickham invited them for a sleepover. And now Eileen is back on the streets after a long prison scentences. Are the girls safe?

I really enjoyed this book and a big part of that enjoyment came from the mystery. As a reader you have to earn information. What happend that summer? Why was Eileen in prison? Why are the girls traumatized? And you learn all that during flashback chapters that take you back to that faithfull summer. But on the other hand there is also the mystery of what is going on now. Why are their mystery floors dropped of on the door? Is Eileen back at her wicked games? Who can the girls trust?

The book is fast paced and has some good twists and turns! I would recommend.

The Sleepover mostly focuses on two of the Hixton Five, Hannah and Rosie. For the most part, the story is concentrated on Hannah, who is seen to be the stringer of the two, as she navigates the release of the woman who abused her and her growing feelings for Liam, the author who wants to write a book about what happened. Rosie is the more unstable of the two, self-medicating with drunk, drugs and sex. Hannah and Rosie make an interesting pair and, throw in Liam and chapters from a mysterious narrator, there are enough different personalities to keep the reader intrigued.

Of course, the plot itself is enough to keep turning the pages. Many times I thought I had everything figured out only to be caught of-guard, right until the very end. When you read enough psychological thrillers, it can become difficult to be surprised. However, parts of The Sleepover certainly pulled the wool over my eyes.

A bit of a slow burn, The Sleepover leaves you hanging until the end, releasing just enough information to keep you reading.

I enjoyed this twisty book it had a lot of false trails and I enjoyed it very much. The characters were interesting and it was a quick read. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

The Hixton Five as they were once dubbed are still coming to terms with the events which happened to them over twenty years ago but the psychological scars of their ordeal, at the hands of the notorious woman who was sent to prison for what she did to them, still remain. Twenty years on and the perpetrator has now been released and suddenly everything comes back to haunt those who have tried so hard to put this terror behind them.

The Sleepover is a menacing and chilling story which hits the ground running as we are introduced to Hannah and Rosie, two of the main characters, who on the surface are living reasonably normal lives and then, out of the blue, a true crime journalist appears who wants to tell their story. At the same time weird things start to happen opening up the terror which they have tried so hard to keep under control.

The story is really quite tense and I found that I was turning the pages faster and faster to see what was going to happen next and to find out what part of the story would reveal even more terrible secrets. The author writes really well and combines emotional strain with a taut atmosphere which allows the creepy edginess to remain throughout the whole of the story.

Taut, tight and tense The Sleepover is one of those stories to read in one sitting, preferably with all the lights on

Well that was a ride and a half! The authors writing made both timelines as freaky as each other.

The characters were so interesting, complex and quite frankly odd! It was good to see how they developed over the years and how they dealt with the events.

Off to binge the authors previous work

OMG. Where do I even start with this brilliant read? The story revolves around an incident that happened in the past 12 years ago and its all very mysterious. Huge build up. But the story is mostly told in the present with chapters referring back to the past event and memories and how that event is still effecting them today in the present. The story focuses on three main characters Rosie, Hannah and Mrs Wickham (Mrs W).

I was absolutely hooked an the huge build up was worth it. I don’t think I have despised a character as much as Mrs W before. Wow. Twisted. Evil. Monster. Disgusting. But she is and was very clever about how she did everything. Gripping until the last page. Devoured this story and will not be able to forget it for a long time. Highly recommend! I also adore this cover. Very eye catching and perfect for this story. A well deserved five stars. I loved it.

The Sleepover is one of those books that sounds fantastic from the blurb and you really need it to deliver...thankfully it did! The description of the book drew me in and it was incredibly easy to get into the story.

The story focuses mainly on Hannah, then Liam, a writer, and Rosie. It is set in the present but there are flashbacks to the past and some chapters or paragraphs from an unknown character.

The subject matter is pretty chilling - psychological abuse, torture, murder and implied / attempted sexual abuse. The descriptions of the encounters that Hannah, Rosie and Miles endure are terrifying, particularly when combined with the knowledge that Hannah was so scared she couldn't tell anyone.

There are twists and turns and the story keeps you guessing and second guessing throughout. The pacing is just right and the tension builds and ebbs perfectly.

Liam's character is interesting and you are kept wondering about him and thinking back to previous bits of the plot to work out what's going on!

The ending is really well done and I would put this on my 'to reread' list, which is a good sign.
In the spirit of balance, I had a few minor issues with some of the characters' actions and there were a couple of chapters where the prose didn't flow so well, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment and I loved it all - the plot, tension, twists and characters and would love to read more from the author. Highly recommended if you like psychological thrillers

Wow! I think this is definitely the best psychological thriller that I have read in 2022!

I was quickly drawn into this story and read the whole book in just over a day. I found it so hard to put it down! I just had to know, what exactly had happened all those years ago and now, were the remaining friends going to be okay and would they all be alive at the end of the story?

I instantly warmed to Hannah and could only imagine the hell she and her friends had gone through as the story revealed what had happened back then. I also loved Tank.

The story moved quite quickly, alternating between then (20 years ago, when Hannah and her friends were 13) and now.

It's been a long time since I was so gripped by a thrilling story that I read the whole book with an uneasy feeling in my stomach, not wanting to put it away. Now that I have finished it I am just a little scared of going to sleep in case I dream about it.

The Hixton Five are now all grown up, but the one night that turned into a nightmare, 20 years ago, has come back to haunt them.

I enjoyed so many things about this book!

Beevis gives us a narrative where we also flick back to the night which changed everything, but it wasn't overdone. I sometimes feel this can overpower the main story and the past chapters can become insignificant but this is not like that at all.

This novel kept me guessing and intrigued throughout, each chapter ending to want me to read the next. This was honestly unputdownable and kept me guessing until the end.

This is the first novel I have read by this author and I will be sure to look out for them and recommend them to other readers.

Wow what a twisty thriller! The twists just keep coming! Hannah and her friends are invited to the farm by Mrs Wickham and her teenage son Billie to have an ice-cream from then on they keep returning to the farm but Hannah witnesses something she shouldn't have. Mrs Wickham seems to be a lovely person but she is evil. Mrs Hickson is in jail and Hannah and friends are getting on with their lives when she is released and she is out for revenge!

An outstanding physcological thriller with dual timelines and told from different characters points of view. The chapters are the perfect size not too long or too short. A dark and disturbing read that had me unable to stop turning the pages fast and there are plenty of surprises and unexpected turns that keep you engaged and guessing until the end.

Keri has written a supburb book that physcological thriller fans will not want to miss!!