This was such an intense read especially as the tension builds as Jo fights for proof of Sam's existence, great twists too.

I found the premise of this book and the secrets kept by several of the characters very enticing. Not knowing what happened to the missing boy, the intro of a connected family who also have a missing son, and hints along the way about different characters kept me invested in the story. I did, however, feel like the characters weren’t developed enough or that too much of a hint would be randomly presented in the story, making some of the plot confusing.

🧸 The story follows Jo whose son Sam gets abducts at the swimming pool while Jo is away. The situation gets worse when police finds out that Sam was not even with her on the day of abduction…

🧸 Pick this up if you like/ don’t mind:
📌 psychological/ domestic thriller
📌 missing child case
📌 slow burn
📌 multiple POVs/ short chapters
📌 whodunnit
📌 lies/ secrets/ deception/ family dynamics/ legacies
📌 flawed characters

🧸 The book started off good with a fast pace. But then it hit a wall. It dragged on for so long, I think I aged a little. I only kept reading just to finish it, not because I cared about what would happen next. The plot twist came as a total surprise but it failed to have an impact. My brain cells are still in recovery trying to understand the abductor’s motive. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

🧸 PS: I didn’t DNF it because I needed closure, even if that closure was disappointment.

The concept was a good one - mother reported her son missing from a public place…but no one there remembers even seeing him, CCTV doesn’t show anything…the mother starts to look unstable and suspicion mounts.

Like some other readers, I thought the pace was tough - fast, then slow, and then fast again - and the chapters focused on different characters but it wasn’t always clear whose story was being told until a page or two into the chapter, making it difficult to keep track of everything. It may have been helpful to have the chapters titled with names.

I would read another of Lawler’s books. The tagline for The Next Wife is “you married him…but do you really know him?” Definitely intrigued.

Thank you, Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC of Nobody Saw Him.

I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Nobody Saw Him’ written by Liz Lawler in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Jo takes her five-year-old son Sam to the local swimming baths and leaves him sitting on a bench in the changing cubicle while she uses the toilet. A minute later Jo goes back to collect him but Sam has disappeared and nobody has seen him.

‘Nobody Saw Him’ is a psychological thriller where secrets are kept and lies told. The characters are well-described and I especially like Jo who loves Sam and would never harm him, and DC Moraine Morgan who as Family Liaison Officer is sympathetic yet fair. The story is a slow-burn especially mid-way and I was tempted to skip chapters, but I’m so glad I resisted as the story becomes suspenseful with twists and turns that constantly change the direction of the plot. The story has been carefully constructed and focuses not just on Sam’s disappearance but also on what happened five years previously, and I recommend this thriller to anyone who enjoys a mystery with depth and a surprising conclusion.

This book starts off super interesting with the disappearance of Sam. The parents get investigated with Jo being the prime suspect. There’s a lot of focus on the parent’s emotions of having a missing kid which was very sad to read. Jo desperately wants her son back but Pete is distant and suspicious of his own wife. A lot of characters are introduced as the story goes on which I found made the story dull and not able to know much about the characters. The story was very slow paced. I would have liked the story more if the only POV was from Jo. I really liked how it ended and all the secrets that were revealed.

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

In Nobody Saw Him, Liz Lawler delivers a masterclass in suspense, crafting a haunting and emotionally charged thriller centered around every parent’s worst nightmare—the disappearance of a child. From the very first page, Lawler pulls readers into a gripping and relentless narrative, where each moment is saturated with tension, fear, and desperation.

What sets this novel apart is its emotional intensity. The pain and urgency of the search are palpable, as is the growing unease as the mystery deepens. Lawler doesn’t just focus on the act of disappearance but explores the ripple effects—on the family, the investigators, and the community—as suspicion, secrets, and truths begin to unravel.

With its tight pacing and emotionally resonant storytelling, Nobody Saw Him is a suspenseful and immersive read that keeps readers guessing—and feeling—until the final revelation. A chilling and compelling exploration of loss, trust, and the dark corners of human behavior, it’s a standout in the genre.

Absolutely loved this book! I didnt see the twists coming at all. It's every parents worst nightmare. Highly recommend this book to any thriller lovers. Thanks Netgalley for letting me read this book for an honest review.

Definitely a 5 star psychological thriller. It kept me on my toes per se. The twists were great! I would 100 percent Reccomended this one to anyone!

No Body Saw Him
Liz Lawler
06/02/2025
Bookouture
I picked this up hoping for a solid psychological thriller—and it absolutely delivered. Nobody Saw Him starts with a disturbing moment and spirals into a tangled, suffocating web of suspicion, paranoia, and hidden secrets. This isn't just about solving a mystery; it's about constantly questioning what you think you know and realizing that trust can be as dangerous as any killer.
What really hooked me was how the tension builds. It’s a true slow burn that gains speed with each chapter until you’re racing through pages, desperate to know what’s real and what’s not. The story is full of moving parts, layered with secrets and emotional complexity that make it more than just a whodunit. If you're into domestic thrillers that make you doubt everyone, enjoy stories that escalate in intensity, this one’s worth your time.

NOBODY SAW HIM BY LIZ LAWLER.
Release day set for 2nd of June 2025.
The blurb had me so hooked on this story.
Love the cover.
This book pulls you I within pages of starting the story.
I enjoyed the pacing. Enjoyed the writing style.
I found the story mysterious and did not see that twist coming at all.
Really great book
I think this is my first book by this author and it won't be the last ☺

This book had me on the edge of my seat. The subtle foreshadowing in the book was brilliant - with when I thought I knew what was happening, the twist at the end had me!

This was my first time reading Liz Lawler. Nobody Saw Him drew me in but then the storyline seemed to slow down and become drawn out. There were a lot of characters to track and the revealing twist at the end did not quite make sense other than this person was broken. This was still a 3 star read for me and I will read Liz Lawler again. Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC. All opinions are my own. Expected publication date: June 2, 2025

A fun day out with her little boy turns into a nightmare when he disappears and she can't find him. I feel like this is different from missing child stories because there is so much difference happenings in the sub plots. It is a story that takes all your concentration other wise it can be confusing. I enjoyed how the pace was going fast then it slows down and picks up again. With many suprise twists it's hard to pick out the guilty party but I love how the ending is summarised. Overall it's a complex and challenging physcological thriller that will blow you away!

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Review: Nobody Saw Him
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a slow-burning, introspective mystery that focuses more on the emotional landscape than fast-paced plot twists. The writing is thoughtful and layered, and the themes around grief, isolation, and being overlooked are powerful.

That said, the pacing felt uneven at times, and I struggled to stay fully engaged in the middle chapters. The emotional depth is there—but I found myself wanting a little more momentum or surprise.

Still, a worthwhile read for fans of quiet, character-driven mysteries. Just go in knowing it’s more reflective than thrilling.

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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