Nobody Saw Him by Liz Lawler is a delicious, twisty mystery you won't want to put down. The characters are well developed and believable, and the questions keep building until the satisfying, dramatic conclusion. Highly recommend!

5*

I absolutely loved this book! I was hooked and need to keep reading to find out what was happening. I wasn’t expecting the twist at the end on who done it! I will absolutely recommend this book to everyone and anyone

On a rainy Saturday morning, Jo takes her five year old son for a swim. She only leaves him in the cubicle for a minute or two as she goes to the toilet, but when she comes back, he is gone. No one saw him. The police can’t see him on CCTV. Jo says he was taken, the police say she’s lying.

This was a tense domestic thriller that was a good read. It had a bit of a slow start but the pace really ramped up a bit further in. Liz Lawler is great at drip feeding you information so that you have a bit more knowledge after each chapter, keeping you hooked on the story and guessing until the very end! All of the characters were great and well developed and you can really root for and empathise with Jo, which I think is important for thrillers as you feel her pain and crave answers and justice. I would recommend this book for thriller readers, especially those who like domestic thrillers and those who like a slower starting pace to build tension.

Thank you to Bookoture for providing me with an ARC of the book to review via NetGalley.

As I sit my beautiful blue-eyed Sam down on the bench outside the changing room, i'm certain today is going to be a better day. He can splash about with his pool toys without worrying about making too much noise, and I can take a break from tiptoeing around my husband Pete, who is becoming more distant each day. But when I return to the bench to collect Sam, my little boy is gone....

I could never, ever have left my child somewhere public then walked away and left them, even for a few seconds. But there would be no story if she hadn't left Sam. This is every parents worst nightmare - the abduction of a child. The police find no evidence that Sam was with her at the swimming pool. Jo and her husband Pete are in a loveless marriage, so she gets no support from her.

This is a gripping, dark and tense read. It's also kind of creepy. The first part of the book, the pace is quite slow, but in the second half, the pace picks up. The characters were well-developed. I liked how the book ended.

Published 2nd June 2025

I would like to thank #NetGalley #Bookouture and the author #LizLawler for my ARC of #NobodySawHim in exchange for an honest review.

Nobody Saw Him is a well-written psychological thriller that offers an engaging, if somewhat slow-burning, mystery. The story takes its time to unfold, with a pacing that may feel sluggish to some readers in the early chapters. However, Liz Lawler effectively builds suspense through a steady layering of clues and character development, which keeps you turning the pages.

The central twist, while not a jaw-dropping surprise, is cleverly executed and adds depth to the story. It ties together the narrative threads in a way that feels satisfying, even if not entirely shocking. What stands out most is Lawler’s ability to create a tense atmosphere and believable characters, drawing readers into the emotional stakes of the story.

Overall, Nobody Saw Him is a good read that will appeal to fans of slow-burn thrillers and psychological suspense. It may not leave you stunned, but it’s compelling enough to keep you engaged from beginning to end.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC.

Rating: 3.5/5



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The beginning of this book was great. It was fast-paced and energetic. As the story progressed, I felt it was a bit drawn out. Throughout the story, I often wondered if I had it right - and in the end, I did.
There are several twists that will keep you guessing. Overall, this was a good read.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book early. This book was a great read and I will definitely be recommending it to friends and family to read. I am a seasoned reader of mystery/thriller books and I can normally figure them out quite quickly, however this book keep me in the dark until the end. I did not have a clue how it was going to end. The book moved along at a good pace.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the advance copy to read.

The cover and blurb for this book really had me hooked. The story started out with a bang and captivated my attention. When we got to around 30% my intrigue and the plot really slowed down. That is not to say I didn't enjoy it, but there was a real shift in the pacing.

The ending felt a little rushed to me and didn't really explain much of what happened for me. I felt like I missed a few pages and arrived at the destination, without any clue how I got there.

The story does raise some reflective thinking ideas on parenting and how one would act in a similar situation. I also really respect the way that Jo was shown to parent her child who was autistic and being very understanding of his quirks in a sensitive way.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read and I think others will enjoy it. But don't go into it expecting fast pace and twists galore. Think slow burn who did it style.

Engaging from the starting gripping story nice plot but become boring in alot of time on between

Btw I really enjoyed it thanks for approving the arc of this book

This is the first book I’ve read by Liz Lawler and I did enjoy it. I will definitely be looking into reading more, i enjoyed the length of the chapters and found they worked well with the pacing on the story- however the pacing did seem to slow down in the middle of the book. The points of view from each character were interesting and the balance of highlighting the mental struggle of a parent having lost their child was very well written and sad. Overall I would definitely recommend giving this book a go!

This started so strong—creepy, emotional, and totally had me questioning what was real. A missing kid + CCTV that says he was never there?

The middle got a bit messy with too many characters and plot threads to keep straight, but I was still invested. The writing pulled me in, and the ending actually surprised me. Not perfect, but a solid, twisty read. I’d try more from this author for sure.

I would like to thank Bookouture & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review

I found this book a bit tricky to follow with all the characters and found myself searching the names of characters to remember certain plot points as I was getting confused. I didn't expect the twist at the end or the reasoning behind it so that brought the book up a bit. Rating it 4 stars instead of 5 as I think some characters were thrown in as red herrings that could have been removed and the twist would haave still been unexpected.

Again I requested this book having not heard of the author do this review is completely unbiased. I have to say i will definitely be reading Liz’s other books. This was brilliant, it had me completely hooked from the beginning, lots of secrets and twists. I highly recommend this.

When Jo's lttle boy goes missing from his swimming session no one seems to have to seen him go..

But things take a turn when Police disocver that Sam has not been seen with mother at that time.

Jo's life isn't a happy one, her husband pays no attention and her marriage is not a happy one, the neighbours seem obssessed with Jo and her situation but are not helping.

This is a fabulous read. of course there are many secrets and as the story unfolds it gets quite dramatic.

A pacy and terrific read.. pack it in your beach bag..

The synopsis of this book sounded very intriguing but unfortunately I didn’t really enjoy this much. The beginning starts off interesting but then the pace slows to a crawl. There is nothing wrong with a slow burn story but I did not not have enough interest in the characters to get through the slow parts. I think this could make a great short story but I didn’t think there was enough here for a whole novel.

Thank you to Bookouture, NetGalley and Liz Lawler for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

'Nobody Saw Him' is a gripping and atmospheric thriller that begins with an intriguing mystery but gradually becomes more complex and, at times, difficult to follow. The story centers on Jo, a mother whose young son, Sam, mysteriously disappears at the Beckley House pool while she's briefly away using the restroom. Jo's world is shattered when no one—neither the staff nor the police—can find Sam, and CCTV footage reveals an even more disturbing truth: Jo was alone the entire time, suggesting Sam never even entered the building.

As Jo desperately searches for answers, the narrative delves into her fractured relationship with her husband Pete, whose indifference and emotionally detached behavior only heighten her sense of isolation and guilt. While Jo is frantic, Pete seems focused on other matters, adding to the emotional tension and drawing a sharp contrast between their reactions.

The book’s pacing fluctuates, with the first part drawing you in, only to slow down significantly as the plot unfolds. The introduction of numerous characters—police officers, friends of the Howells, and a mysterious elderly woman—along with multiple subplots involving missing and dead children, makes the narrative harder to follow. It can be difficult to keep track of who’s who and what exactly is happening, especially when the writing veers into very lengthy inner monologues.

Despite these pacing issues, the writing is immersive and atmospheric, and the emotional depth of the characters shines through. Jo’s internal struggle and sense of despair are vividly portrayed, and the differences in her and Pete’s attitudes towards the disappearance make for a compelling dynamic. Though the story is at times slow and muddled, the twists near the end add an exciting layer to the narrative.

Overall, this was my first experience with this author, and it was a decent read, even with its flaws. The mystery and character development were enough to keep me somewhat engaged, though the pacing could be improved. For fans of slow-burn, character-driven thrillers, this will likely be a satisfying read. I’m rating it 3.25 stars, but I can see why others might rate it higher.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

3 🌟 Thank you to the publisher for sending me the ARC via Netgalley! This thriller explores the story of a child who goes missing while under the care of his mother. This story discusses some complex family dynamics & the seemingly endless faults of classism & family legacies. I found the novel to be okay, as I didn’t find all the characters well developed and the ending felt a bit lackluster for me. I would feel more inclined to recommend to someone newer to thrillers rather than a more seasoned thriller reader

Gripping and emotionally intense. Nobody Saw Him pulls you into every parent’s nightmare—and then turns it completely upside down. The tension builds fast, and the twists don’t let up. I was constantly second-guessing what was real, what was imagined, and what dark secrets were hiding just beneath the surface.

The pacing is relentless, and the emotional stakes are high. While a few plot points felt a little far-fetched, the ride was totally worth it. A solid four stars for a thriller that kept me flipping pages long past bedtime.

Nobody Saw Him is a deeply disturbing psychological thriller with so many twists that you'll be dizzy by the end. There is so much deception and so many lies that it's hard to keep them all straight.

Jo takes her son Sam to the pool for a day of fun. She has him wait on the bench near their changing room while she uses the bathroom. When she comes out, Sam is gone. As the search progresses, many layers of secrets are uncovered, and we are left with more questions than answers.


This is a tension filled story that grips you from the start. It is fast-paced and easy to get caught up in. I loved peeling back the layers one by one to see what each one held. I highly recommend this book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the advanced copy

Whilst I enjoyed the plot of this book, the pacing felt wrong to me.. it went fast then extremely slow then fast again.

It’s a classic who done it book, it did have me guessing till the end.

Overall a good book