I absolutely enjoyes reading this. Will definitely be recommending. Kept me really hooked I'll love to reread again

This was a gripping thriller with a compelling storyline and plenty of potential. The opening drew me in straight away, but I found the pacing dipped in the middle, making it feel like a bit of a slow burn at times. Some parts were slightly confusing, which disrupted the flow for me.

That said, the characters were well-written, and the twists kept me guessing right through to the end — exactly what you’d hope for in a thriller. While it wasn’t as fast-paced as I’d have liked, it was still an enjoyable read overall. I’d definitely be interested in reading more from Liz Lawler in the future.

Tense, dark and every adults worst nightmare! It was well written and had some good twists. Os set the tension and that undertone of fear and anxiety we'll but it was just too slow a burn for me personally. I didn't connect with any of the characters, even though they were well established and brought to life. It's definitely worth a read for any fans of police procedural or domestic noirs

This one is a good story overall with in my opinion a shocking twist but it was just very slow.
I was confused most of the time, not knowing what was real and what had really happened.
I still don’t really understand the why but that’s okay.
If you’re into slow burn thrillers then this is for you

The Beckley House is a grand estate where the Howells live. James is a barrister, his wife Claire a socialite, and they have two young daughters, Phoebe and Lottie. They have a lot of staff, but the guest house is taken by a family they took in. Jo helps watch the girls, along with her five-year-old, Sam. Her husband Pete is a fireman, and is out of town at a conference the day that Jo decides to take Sam swimming.

The mother and son get to the pool and go to the changing rooms - Jo had to use the toilet, so she told Sam to stay on a bench right by their room. When she came out a minute or two later, he was gone. Nobody had seen him, the staff searched the whole area and he was nowhere to be found. After the police show up, Jo is forced to go home, without her son, and without her husband. Soon, the police are back, to tell her they’ve gone through the CCTV cameras, and Sam was never there. The videos show Jo walking alone, getting out of the car alone, coming inside alone. How is this possible?

The disappearance obviously is breaking her, but so are the police, who don’t believe a word she says. This is all the very beginning of the book, but soon we get a lot of characters: several officers, friends of the Howells, and an elderly woman who lives alone. We also get snippets about other missing and/or dead children, which is where the story took a twist for me. It became confusing keeping so many people straight, and whose children are or were missing, even though I was taking notes. The main detective is also called DC Morgan, which is the name of a detective in another English book series I’ve read - that didn’t help the confusion.

The beginning of this book was great, but I felt like it became too drawn-out and slow over time. The ending had several twists, and though this story was slightly muddled, I still enjoyed the read. If you love slow-burn, cozy mysteries, you’ll probably enjoy this book more than I did, and will probably rate it higher. From me, it’s getting 3.5 stars.

(Thank you to Bookouture for inviting me on this book tour! “Nobody Saw Him” will be released on June 2, 2025.)

Nobody Saw Him by Liz Lawler is an interesting, twisty read that keeps you guessing. The plot moved a little slow for me, It's intense initially, however, I didn't feel connected to the characters. Still, the characters are layered and flawed in a real way. It’s dark, emotional, and almost held my attention until the end.. Perfect if you like thrillers that mess with your head a little. A good read if you like a slower pace with a ton of detail and tea.

My first book from this author and it was an excellent read. Great story, good pacing, and kept me engaged throughout. Jo is visiting a swimming pool with her son Sam when he goes missing. Frantically as she searches she begins to doubt herself. Because Jo has a history with a child in her care. But her new employers stand by her and help her & her husband as they navigate this nightmare. But what is her husband hiding? What are her employers hiding? A great insight into the work of FLO’s within the police force too. Highly recommended

Brilliant thriller. I absolutely loved this book and it had me guessing all along and changing my mind every chapter! I felt for Jo whilst suspecting her at the same time! Hated Pete. Moraine is brilliant she should def have her own series!

I haven't read a novel from Liz before, but I'll be sure to check out her others because this book was amazing.

Jo's son goes missing from a swimming pool in a nearby town. Video footage doesn't show Sam anywhere with Jo for the duration of the time they were there. Was he ever with her? What happened to him?

Jo is accused of doing something to him when the shirt he may have been wearing appears in her house. The couple she works for and allowed them to live in the guest house, step in and get her an attorney. The kindness of the couple is astounding and Jo cant believe it.

Jo and her husband have been on the rocks. His secrets come to light during the investigation and he becomes a suspect. Did he take Sam to make Jo look bad?

I appreciate the opportunity for this ARC and I highly recommend to everyone who likes a good who did it.

This was an incredibly tense read that was also a nightmare for any parent. The story was written so well that it could've been a true crime book. This book will keep you up at night if you're a parent! Excellent writing.

Nobody Saw Him by Liz Lawler opens with a gripping and chilling premise—a mother loses sight of her child at the pool, only to be told no one saw him at all… not even on CCTV. The tension is immediate and the twists come fast. While the setup is solid and the psychological elements intriguing, it ultimately fell a bit flat for me. Still, it's a quick, page-turning read perfect for fans of twisty domestic thrillers.

you turned your back for a minute and your young boy is gone. nope no no! this has got to be the most terrible feeling for a mother to experience ever. so i was already tense just from the blurb. and Liz does yet again a fantastic job of bringing that seem in your gut unease feelings throughout the whole book. even in the down moments you were still waiting, waiting knowing something was coming# or fearing what would.
the characters seemed all a bit shady and i couldnt quite believe Jo a few times either but then i wondered whether i myself was being gaslit! and most of the time i just felt for her. her fear and absolute mess in her head of what was happening just rippled from the pages.
the other characters had me squinting my eyes at them trying to figure out just what was going on. the husband had me wanting to be really mean in some parts. whats with him?
this book was top notch. the story is told with just the right pace that builds the story and sense of "oh no" all the way through with some added twist and shock moments too. i enjoyed this book so much. truly Liz Lawler knows her genre and she knows it sooooo well.

This was a tense, twisty read that kept me turning the pages late into the night. Liz Lawler taps into every parent’s worst fear with a chilling premise: a child disappears in a public place, and somehow no one remembers seeing him at all. From the very first chapter, I was hooked.

Jo’s character really stood out. Her fear, confusion, and isolation were written in a way that felt incredibly real. The story builds steadily, layering in doubt, mistrust, and buried secrets that kept me guessing. I appreciated how nearly every character felt suspicious at some point, which added to the tension.

There was a slight dip in pacing during the middle, but the ending made up for it. I didn’t see the final twist coming, and I love when a thriller can still surprise me like that.

If you enjoy psychological suspense with emotional weight and an unpredictable edge, this is definitely one to add to your list.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture, and Liz Lawler for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

I have been a fan of Liz Lawler for some time, on the basis of some fantastically gripping previous novels. Im delighted that this novel lived up to my hopes, delivering a very twisty tale of secrets and deceptions.

The story is every parents worst nightmare - the abduction of their child. For mum, Jo, whose son, Sam, disappears from a changing room at the swimming pool, events get even worse when police find no evidence to corroborate her insistence that Sam was even with her on the day in question. With an unhappy marriage, Jo receives little support from her husband as the search for Sam progresses, but her neighbours (who employ Jo as their childminder) become very involved, preoccupied and troubled by Jo's situation.

As the novel progresses we learn that many of the central characters have secrets and the unveiling of these plays out in quite spectacular fashion!

This a great read with an ending I did not see coming!

My thanks to NetGalley, author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an advance copy.

This thriller starts with a haunting premise—a missing child, vanished without a trace, and a mother left to question everything she knows. The opening chapters are gripping, pulling the reader straight into the emotional turmoil and panic. The author does a solid job of creating atmosphere and urgency, especially in the early scenes.

However, while the concept is compelling, the writing can sometimes feel overly dramatic or repetitive, and certain plot developments feel a bit rushed. There are strong moments of suspense, but they’re occasionally undercut by uneven pacing. Still, the mystery of what happened to Sam and the hints at a dark past keep the pages turning.

Fans of domestic thrillers who enjoy fast-paced plots with emotional stakes may find this a satisfying, if slightly uneven, read.

Thank you Netgalley for my ARC read.

This book was a struggle for me. I kept losing interest and had to reread pages over and over again. The story felt very drawn out and could have been wrapped up much sooner.

I have this 2 stars because the ending was a shock to me, but overall this was a bore.

Sam was taken from the changing room
His mother was called Jo
He was only 5 years old
The police didn’t believe it
I had an ARC

Well paced and full of twists that kept me guessing until the end and left me not knowing what to think or who to believe while I was read it. I was on the edge of my seat nearly the whole time

A rollercoaster ride. Everybody has secrets but where is Sam and is there any connection with a boy who vanished several years ago and was never found. The family liaison officer is confused first she suspects the husband then the mother. The reader is also cleverly kept in the dark with no certainties until the final chapter. very enjoyable.

3.5!

this was my first time reading anything by this author, and i was pleasantly surprised by how much i enjoyed it since thrillers are usually a hit or miss for me. the writing style was immersive and atmospheric, it really roped me in. the beginning was a bit slow for my taste, but once the plot picked up, i was hooked and binged it in a day.

the pacing wasn’t always flowing nicely, plus all the info dumping and inner monologues made things really confusing at times. even with all that, the characters were incredibly well developed, each with their own perspectives and nuances that really brought the story to life.

it's an engaging and well written thriller that i’d definitely recommend to anyone who likes the genre.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC — opinions expressed in this review are my own.