This was my first book by K.L. Slater and I will definitely be reading her others. The characters include Eve the narrator and her daughter Scarlett. Toss in mom, the ex husband and his girlfriend, a missing best selling author and an obsessed fan-all the ingredients for a thriller with some great twists! Thoroughly enjoyed this book and definitely recommend! Special thank you to K.L. Slater, Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this thrilling ARC!!

Once again K.L slater gives us another fantastic thriller. Was great with lots of twists and turns which kept me on the edge of my seat. Would definitely recommend this to any fellow thriller fans also the rest of this authors book are great just get better and better.

The Narrator is a twisty, fast-paced thriller that kept me guessing all the way through.

The novel follows Eve, the titular narrator of a series of nine audiobooks by the bestselling author, Philippa Roberts. When Philippa disappears on her way to an awards ceremony, it seems as though she’s vanished without a trace until a hidden manuscript for the tenth book in her popular Tower series turns up. Eve, who has been dealing with the aftermath of divorce, a huge loss in her family, and depression, is asked to narrate the new novel. She finds herself drawn to investigate what actually happened to Philippa when she realises that there’s something strange about the manuscript she’s narrating. On top of this, Eve is worried about leaving her daughter with her ex-husband whilst she’s in London. Can he be trusted? And does Philippa’s new book really hold the clue to her disappearance?

I loved the dizzying twists and turns in this novel! Slater scatters all the puzzle pieces and gradually slots them into place, often in surprising and even shocking ways. It was fun trying to guess at the motives of the different characters whose perspectives we see throughout the story, and to work out how (or if at all) they were connected to Philippa’s disappearance and the strange happenings that Eve uncovers as she narrates the secret manuscript.

My only criticism was that the final twist/big reveal, as well as the last few chapters, seemed to be a bit rushed when compared to how the rest of the plot was drawn out over the rest of the story. Still, it was a good twist that I hadn’t seen coming and the ending was satisfying even if it could have used another chapter or two to heighten the suspense a bit more before the final reveal.

This was my first K.L. Slater novel but I’ll definitely be looking to read more by this author in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a page turner that I really enjoyed reading. I thought I had the answers and knew what was going on, but at each stage it changed. As a reader, this is exactly what I want. A book that has me guessing but gives me the answers before it is finished. I enjoyed the strength of the characters, especially Eve. I felt like I connected with her on a personal level, especially being a single parent and living with her own parent. The storyline featured the good and the bad, which made this novel an easy read for me. I am now going to look out for more books by K.L. Slater as I feel that the style of writing suits my style of reading.

2.5 stars rounded both up and down as I've been writing this review. I'm leaning towards settling up rounded up.

The story starts when famous crime author Phillipa Roberts goes missing on the eve of possibly receiving one of the biggest crime writing awards (which was never answered if she got it or not). 10 months later, she's still missing but a manuscript for Book 10 is found in her attic. Eve, who narrated the other 9 books, is asked to narrate it. And because she's a plucky, go-getter < insert eyeroll > she starts digging into Phillipa's disappearance.

I don't think the Goodreads blurb accurately matches with the book. It makes it seem like the daughter being in danger was a more critical element to this story than it was. I kept waiting for the daughter to be kidnapped or directly threatened, but I don't recall thinking the daughter was in danger at any point. Also, from the blurb:
<blockquote> But as I start reading Philippa’s new novel, I start to wonder if it’s no coincidence that I’ve been chosen to narrate it. </blockquote>
Yes.... it's not a coincidence. In fact, you narrated <bold> THE OTHER 9 OF THE BOOKS IN THE SERIES </bold> so, shockingly, they asked you to narrate book 10.

That ties into one of my big issues with this book - our main character Eve is so weak and passive. She got divorced from her ex-husband a year ago when she found him cheating with her coworker (who he's now living with (married?) and expecting a child). Whenever we see him, he is awful - he tries to gaslight and guilt her and she sort of tries to argue back but mostly goes with it. He then basically kidnaps their daughter (since Eve has full custody and didn't give permission), while making up that Eve's mom was sick, and Eve gets angry but then just lets him. He threatens to sue for shared custody and she lets her daughter stay with him to keep him happy I guess?

Meanwhile, her mom talks about how great the ex is and how it's so important for the daughter to spend time with her dad and Eve doesn't say "hey, this guy is a horrible, manipulative a-hole so maybe stop letting him do whatever he wants". And the mom keeps talking about how Eve's career as a narrator is a failure and Eve slightly pushes back but otherwise listens to what her mom says. It was frustrating to watch Eve be steamrolled by everyone. I kept waiting for her to grow a spine and stand up to someone, anyone, but even at the end, it was very half hearted. <spoiler> And at the end, Eve didn't even solve the mystery! She had to be kidnapped by Chad who took her to where Phillipa was possibly being held and convince her to break in. If Eve hadn't been there, Chad would've found someone else and still solved the mystery and saved the day! </spoiler>

The story is told with multiple narrators/character focus in the past and present: Eve, Phillipa, and Superfan Chad who definitely isn't a stalker despite watching people's houses and taking pictures of them with his camera. Overall, the author did a great job with the multiple perspectives. I found Phillipa and Chad more interesting than Eve, but I also really detested Eve (in case you couldn't tell). Occasionally, the jumps between Eve and Phillipa being held prisoner were a bit jarring, since Eve would have a few chapters and then suddenly, we're focused on someone else.

There also were some issues with details. The most glaring one is that Phillipa is held prisoner in 2 areas - a dungeon basement with black mold and a nice plush room, if she cooperates and writes Book 10 in the series. Throughout the scenes, there's no mention of any type of chains/manacles. Then one chapter starts by mentioning the padding manacle - I figured it was a jump in time, Phillipa had tried to escape, so a chain was involved now. Makes sense. Except then the chain is gone in later scenes, including one of the final scenes.

The resolution and reveal was almost comedic <spoiler> and was a little silly with who all was in on it </spoiler>. It felt like the author was trying overly hard to make it less obvious for the reader but strayed into the laughable. The wrap up also felt abrupt despite there being 3 chapters of epilogue. I also was left with questions like <spoiler> what happened to the book Jasmine was writing?? </spoiler>

This wasn't a bad book, per se. It was fast paced and a quick read. But when it ended, I looked at my Kindle and thought "that's it??" This is my first book by this author and I plan to give one of her other books a try.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this advance review copy.

I enjoyed this read. I was excited to get started and then I could not put it down! The twist just kept coming.

Best-selling crime author Philippa Roberts vanished on the night she was widely anticipated to win a prestigious writing award. Nearly a year later, Philippa is still missing but an unpublished manuscript of the tenth installment of her famous DI Towers series has been discovered in her attic. The publisher calls upon the series’ long-time narrator Eve to record the audiobook version. As she delves into the new book, Eve is troubled when she discovers glaring inconsistencies with Philippa’s earlier work. Convinced that something sinister has happened to Philippa, Eve puts on her amateur detective hat and tries to unravel Philippa’s mysterious disappearance. But someone out will stop at nothing to keep Eve from finding out the truth.

This slow burn but compulsively readable suspense novel is full of twists, turns, and red herrings. The characters are well developed, and the immersive setting in the publishing industry is a fresh perspective for a thriller. Obsessed superfans, the politics of publishing, and Eve’s deteriorating personal life are skillfully interwoven in unexpected ways. And what an ending! A complete shock - I dare anyone to see that one coming!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me an advance copy of this book.

I generally enjoyed this one - it was well-paced, set in the publishing world, and had a good twist near the end. However, the actual ending fell flat for me and felt rushed. Rounded up to 3.25 stars as it was an overall enjoyable read that kept my interest.

Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

K.L Slater's "The Narrator" is well written, infused with twists and turns with a surprising ending. Props to the author for creating such an immersive world that reels you right from page one. Even if you take a break, returning to the suspenseful and haunting disappearance of Philippa Roberts, a renowned author, is effortless. Eve, her colleague and audiobook narrator, is coming to terms with loss, trauma and a relationship breakdown. When Philippa's tenth book is found, Eve is asked to narrate it. However, she cannot ignore the blatant discrepancies and inconsistencies. She takes it upon herself to connect the missing pieces. However, this comes at a price, one she never saw coming. The ending was shocking and jaw-dropping. I couldn't even predict it coming! However, there were moments when I thought it was too far-fetched. The characters are well fleshed out, enough for readers to support them or run for the hills. Overall, this is a delightful book, and I highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me an ARC. This honest review is left voluntarily.

This one is a wild ride, with many different POVs!

Phillipa Roberts, a best selling thriller author, gets abducted on her way to an awards show. For almost an entire year, there are no leads on what happened to her. Some people believe she was abducted, some think she’s hiding away somewhere, some think she committed suicide.

Her wife mysteriously discovers a manuscript in their house for the 10th book of her famous mystery series. The narrator for her other 9 books, Eve, reads the original manuscript and finds some discrepancies and believes Phillipa is trying to convey something through her writing.

Slater also incorporates Chad, Phillipa’s #1 fan that gives off some stalkerish vibes.

Eve doesn’t know who is to blame for Phillipa’s disappearance but she is determined to find answers.

This book grabbed my attention from the very start. I personally love thrillers surrounding abduction. I found it was a bit of a slow burn for a while, with a very sudden ending. I originally thought the ending was silly and then was pleasantly surprised by the twist that was added at the very end, which I did NOT anticipate at all.

I really loved the different POVs. I found they were well written and were easy to follow and understand. Each character added a lot to the storyline.

This was my first book by Slater and I know it won’t be my last! I really liked her writing style. It wasn’t overly descriptive and the chapters always ended on a hook so I never wanted to stop reading.

I enjoyed it!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I couldn't wait to start reading The Narrator but also wanted to take my time as I hadn't long finished The Girlfriend which was an amazing book and knowing it would be a while before another KL Slater book would be released. Eve is the narrator of The Tower series but when the author Philippa goes missing Eve becomes involved in trying to find out what has happened to her. This is another gripping book by KL Slater which kept me hooked the whole time and the ending was mind blowing. What more could anyone want from a book? Roll on the next book they can't come quick enough for me from my favourite author.

Yet another book from K.L Slater. I don't know how she does it. The books she writes are so well done. I love the characters and the interactions. Some of the story lines are gripping and I literally devour them. While this one is an easy read it wasn't my favourite. I liked the storyline but felt it was a little far fetched towards the end. Cant wait for the next one!

Thank you for the advance copy

Great new story from K L Slater. Lots of twists and turns with an ending I would never have guessed.

I really liked this one. I found Eve to be a likable character that I rooted for. There were enough red herrings that it truly was a guessing game right up until the very end. The only plot point that I wasn’t crazy about was how and why Chad would know where Phillips was but waited so long to save her. And why involve Eve specifically? How would he know that she was “asking questions” about the disappearance. This was the only part of the story that seemed hard to believe.

The Narrator
by K.L. Slater
Earc:NetGalley
Publisher:Bookouture
Publication Date: 6 January 2023
Genre: General Fiction, Mystery, and Thriller

I enjoyed the Fast-paced of this book. You are straight into the action.
Eve is currently dealing with a lot of trauma and relationship breakdown. Add on top of that, in the book she audio narrates; four authors have gone missing. So Eve has left London with her daughter Scarlett. I enjoyed the characters, each having chapters where we get to know them better. It adds so much to this book.

Philippa understands where she is and doesn't understand what has happened or why she's been taken.

Philippa Roberts, an author, vanished on the night she was expected to win a prestigious crime writers award. Eve, the narrator of her books, is affected by her disappearance as her life unravels. However, Eve is again in the narrator's booth eleven months after a new manuscript for the successful Tower series' tenth book is discovered. However, this narrative stands out from the others, and Eve begins working as an amateur sleuth to determine what happened to Philippa nearly a year ago.
This book was an excellent read. It was written quickly enough to keep the reader engaged and interested, there were a few red herrings along the way, and the story took an unexpected and shocking turn.

#NetGalley #bookstagram #bookreview #goodreads #generalfiction #mysteryandthriller #booktok #thenarrotor @K.L Slater @bookouture

#thenarrator was a great story! Clearly from the title the book is a about a narrator who has read for a very popular series over the years. When a new book appears while the author is still missing, the crazy twists and theories start. This book had me guessing until the very end and wow! I loved how this was written with the flash backs and different character view points. Another great one from KL Slater!

On the night she's expected to win a prestigious crime writers award author Philippa Roberts vanishes. Her disappearance has a knock on effect for Eve, the narrator of her books as her life falls apart. But 11 months on a new manuscript is found for the 10th book in Philippa's successful Tower series and Eve is once again in the narrators booth. But this story reads differently from all the others and Eve starts to work as an amateur sleuth to try to discover what happened to Philippa almost a year ago.
This was a really good read, fast enough once to keep the reader intruiged and interested, a few red herrings along the way as well and an explosive twist in the story, at least one I didn't envisage anyway

This is my 7th book by K. L. Slater and this one moved a little S-L-O-W for me so it took me awhile to get into it. I almost gave up but with all the 5-star reviews, I just had to keep going plus I loved all her other books. I did enjoy the book overall even though I did not like Hugo and said a few choice words against him! Lol Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review. To be published January 2023.

The Narrator by K. L. Slater (book review)

Bestselling author K.L. Slater has established herself as one of the top psychological thriller writers in the world. Over two million copies of her books have been sold worldwide.

The Narrator is a twisty thriller featuring jaw-dropping plot twists. I was stunned by the mind-blowing turn of events in the book! There is a small rumble at the beginning of the novel that soon turns into an earthquake! Slater throws in some of the most shocking plot twists I've ever read!

Synopsis:
Philippa Roberts, a famous bestselling author, disappears without a trace during a trip to accept a writing award. Philippa's colleague Eve follows a series of intricate clues in hopes of finding her. Why would someone harm Philippa? What motivated them? Money or jealousy?

The Narrator is available on January 6th. (4.25/5)

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for sharing this exciting book with me! It was so much fun reading it!

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A brilliant thriller from K L Slater with a plot twist that you won’t see coming.
Easy to read in one sitting, 4 stars.