This book was a slow burner but that didn't matter to me, It kept me guessing and with a past and present timeline, I honestly couldn't put it down. Its unpredictable and that's what I love in a book.

This book was bonkers! The main character irritated me so much in the beginning but by the end, I understood why she was acting the way she was. But I’ll be honest, I was thinking, “damn girl, chill” for most of the book. The whole story was a bit over the top with a lot happening and coming at you in all directions, but I still found it to be a fun read and listen.

Thank you bookouture and bookouture audio for my advanced copies in exchange for an honest review.

★★★★ 4.5 stars

The perfect family...the perfect new home...until I found out about the missing girl...

I have to say the cover was slightly misleading in that it insinuated a little girl had gone missing, and before reading the synopsis for the book that is just what I assumed. But this tale was a mystery of a whole other ball game. I've read similar tropes, all with similar outcomes, but all just as thrilling all the same.

Emmie and her partner Charlie have ditched the London life for one of an easier pace in the Surrey countryside. His parents have just gifted them the house that Charlie and his siblings grew up in - a sprawling farmhouse in the sleepy village of Peaslake. Emmie has recently lost her mum and been made redundant in a job she loved. There was no better time than now for a fresh start together.

But no sooner had they walked into the damp-filled musty house that has been locked up for over a decade than Charlie's parents and siblings have thrust themselves upon the couple, a chance to welcome Emmie into their family. But not before Emmie found herself in the basement and saw the words etched there...

Please help me.

But when she went back to look at them, they were gone. But how? Only she and Charlie have been in the house. But then Charlie said she had only imagined them and soon she began to wonder had she just conjured them up after all? Until the day she finds herself locked in the basement when the door slams shut and she can't get out. With all her knocking and calling for help, she sees there at the very bottom of the door carved into the wood...

Sophie was here.

So who was Sophie? And what exactly happened to her?

Emmie starts off by asking questions in the village about Sophie - who was she, what she was like, who her friends her - until it becomes clear someone doesn't want her asking questions. And she has to wonder, why not? What do they have to hide? All evidence points her in a direction she doesn't want to go in but what choice does she have? Sophie was here sixteen years ago and then she wasn't. So what happened to her? And why does nobody want to talk about her?

This was a fast paced thrilling read that had me hooked from the very first page. There are so many clues peppered throughout that lead us down paths that may or may not lead us anywhere, but the ride getting there is half the fun! I thoroughly enjoyed this wholly tension-filled read that was there throughout. The story unfolds mostly through Emmie's narrative but peppered throughout we also have Sophie's third person narrative from sixteen years before. And little by little, the pieces slowly fall into place.

I guess in parts it was a bit of a slow burn mystery but the pace was steady throughout that I didn't notice I was enjoying it so much. An addictive read that had both tension and atmosphere. Well worth the read.

,i>I would like to thank #KathrynCroft, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #SophieWasHere in exchange for an honest review.

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

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Bookouture and Kathryn Croft for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Kathryn’s note to the readers at the end of this novel says that she hopes that we went on a journey with her, and that the characters make us feel something. I can definitely say that this was true for me when reading this book.

This is a thriller that focuses on the tension and dynamic between different families in a small town and their relationships. It’s quite dark and there are some very evil people living in this village! No one is quite who you think they are!

I wasn’t sure what to expect as I’ve never read a book by this author - but I was gripped. There were two storylines that run concurrently in different years. Both had me wanting to find out what was going to happen next, so naturally I had to read quickly to get to the other POV each time!

I managed to piece one of the bits of the ‘true story’ together by the end but I had to say that I was shocked by the rest. Croft is insanely clever as there were so many threats to pull at that all came together. I honestly don’t know how she managed to work the writing out for the plot - and write it so seamlessly so that we were never once confused as an audience.

Thinking about it, this could easily be a true story and as there are so many people that go missing that it’s very sad (and likely) that things like this actually happen - but unfortunately we may never find out as we do here.

I think it was very intriguing that the person found guilty of their crime/s didn’t do everything that they went to jail for…

I would definitely recommend this to thriller lovers, as it wasn’t predictable and felt quite fresh compared to some others in the genre. Thrillers have the tendency to be quite predictable as it’s quite hard to make something different, but this definitely stood out for its complexity in plot yet simplicity to read!

I started reading Kathryn Croft’s books years ago and loved them and that really hasn’t changed. She’s gone from strength to strength and this book is no different! Sophie Was Here gripped me from start to finish, I’ve been snatching every possible moment to read another chapter, and it kept me guessing right up to the end!

An enjoyable read. I can you usually predict the twist in books by this author and this was no different. Worth a read though.

This book presents as a typical thriller, but turned out to be so much more! It is a look into the past, into family, into black holes of society. I really enjoyed the historical elements to this thriller, such as the newspaper articles and journal entries. This was a well-rounded thriller, and should be marketed better, as Croft is not a fly-by-night author, but an established literary thriller maven. She did not disappoint with this masterpiece. I really enjoyed how the past and present intricately twisted together to surprise us at the end. Crazy good!

Sophie Was Here completely pulled me in from the start and kept me guessing all the way through. Just when I thought I had everything figured out, the story would twist in a direction I never saw coming. I loved that feeling of constantly second-guessing myself—it made the whole reading experience even more intense.

The atmosphere is eerie, and the pacing is spot on. Every character felt like they could be hiding something, and I never knew who to trust. I was hooked the whole way through, and every twist caught me off guard in the best way. If you enjoy twisty psychological thrillers that keep you guessing and deliver a truly surprising ending, this book is definitely worth picking up. It’s suspenseful, smart, and full of jaw-dropping moments.

Sophie vanished without a trace and the case went cold now years later there are signs that Sophie may still be alive or that someone knows more than they are saying.

This was another solid read by Kathryn Croft I was hooked from the start. A brilliant quick read thriller with lots of tension and some great twists.

I listened to this on audio and the story was really well read and kept me engaged though out the story.

Thank you to Netgalley, Bookouture and Kathryn Croft for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Fantastic book. I loved the storyline line, & the characters . Kept me up all night as I couldn't put it down⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is an enjoyable read from Kathryn Croft, an authors whose name is synonymous with an excellent psychological thriller.

In this story, Emmy and Charlie relocate to the village Charlie grew up in. His family live in the village and have gifted Charlie and Emmy his childhood home. Emmy learns that in 2008, a girl, Sophie, went missing from the village. Emmy finds it strange that Charlie has never mentioned this, even more so given that Sophie and Charlie were in a relationship at the time. As this story plays out we learn a lot an about Charlie's family and indeed what happened to Sophie. As might be expected there are distinct timelines relating to past and present. Also with the clever use of smoke and mirrors, we discover that all is definitely not what it seems!

Another great story, well told. by this esteemed author.

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

One of my fav authors has once again written an terrific read.

I loved the characters and the plot twisted and turned in all directions.

The creepiness of Charlies countryside home gave me the chills and that's before I knew what would happen next.

A fabulous read and one to recommend..

So twisty and suspenseful! This book sure kept me guessing and I loved how the past and present were intricately woven together. You get little snippets at a time and it leaves you wanting more! So many shocking moments and uncovered secrets from the past that I could never have guessed!

Emmie moves with her boyfriend Charlie to his family’s countryside home—but things quickly take a dark turn. Villagers are whispering, the basement has creepy writing on the walls, and Charlie’s past is full of secrets he’s clearly not ready to share. As Emmie starts digging into the disappearance of his ex, Sophie, the tension ramps up fast.

The story alternates between Emmie in the present and Sophie (Charlie’s missing ex) in the past, and I loved how the mystery slowly unraveled through both timelines. Some twists I saw coming, others totally got me!

Super readable, well-paced, and just the right amount of creepy

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

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so twisted and full of so many secrets. I really enjoyed the premise of this book and how the events unfolded throughout. I could not wait to find out what happened to Sophie and how had harmed her. I felt so bad for that poor girl and could not believe the twists in this book and did not see that ending coming! This was a great thriller that was full of intrigue.

Sophie Was Here is a totally addictive psychological thriller that pulls you in from the very first page. Kathryn Croft tells a tense, twist-filled story of obsession, memory, and hidden truths. With an unsettling atmosphere and a plot that keeps you guessing, this is a gripping read that fans of dark domestic suspense won’t want to miss.

This is eerie and tense .... a great book page after page I read and didnt want to put it down. When charlie and Emmie move to the country where charlie grew up. After his parents had gifted them the old farmhouse it's run down and needs work.. charlie never wanted to move there. Why not? Does Emmie know charlie as well as she thinks ? Lots of i didnt see that coming moments! Would definitely recommend it

Loved the twists in this story! In this small town, there are so many secrets and people aren’t always what they seem. This was a good thriller with some very tense moments!

Great introduction that drew me in immediately! There was this not so subtle foreshadowing throughout the story but I was eager to find out if the family knew what happened to Sophie, were they all involved, why didn't the townspeople like her boyfriend's family from the beginning and what happened to the girl in the prologue; was she Sophie?! It had me hanging on the edge of my seat until the twisting end wondering if all my questions would be answered...and they were! I have read other books by this author and they've all been good but this one was definitely better!

I loved this book! The story had so many twists and turns, they kept me on the edge of my seat. I will definitely read more thrillers by this author.