I loved this book it was a slow up hill climb up a hill that and on the way down you rolled it was really good! I was on the edge of my sit, I wanted to know what happened to Sophie I was invested! new author to follow unlocked

What is it about mysteries that make background characters so unbearable? Ugh! I was suspicious of everyone 🤣 every time Charlie or his family opened their mouths I was yelling at them to shut up! I wasn't trusting ANYBODY!

There were some red herrings that threw me off at times, and in the end I was wrong with my guess, but it was a fun story and kept me entertained. The narrator was fantastic! I'll absolutely be revisiting this author's catalogue.

*Review given freely of my own volition. My opinion is not all that should be taken into account and readers should be aware that not all tastes are the same and my view may not be the norm. This statement made remains fact, regardless of how I obtained any copy.

Great audio on! It was an easy listen, with a brilliant narrator. The storyline kept my attention the entire time and I was guessing (incorrectly) who did it until the reveal. Solid 4 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture audio for allowing me to listen to this arc.

Kathryn Croft wrote a chilling, slow burn mystery. Prior to reading “Sophie Was Here”, I had not read any of Croft’s mystery-thrillers. Not sure why I hadn’t because I appreciate her writing style. Croft wrote her newest novel in a straightforward way with character centered dialogue, dual timelines, multiple perspectives, and a slow burn, mood driven pace.

“Sophie Was Here” told the story of Emmie and her boyfriend, Charlie. They moved into Charlie's family home, a beautiful farmhouse. As the story moved forward, Emmie found herself increasingly unsettled by the cold reception from the locals and Charlie's evasiveness about a previous resident named Sophie. As Emmie explored the house, she discovered a chilling message scratched into the basement wall: "Sophie was here”. This fueled Emmie’s growing unease and prompted her to uncover the truth about Sophie's disappearance.

What started out as a slow burn mystery turned into an immersive culmination. Despite the slower pace, I was most compelled to the underlying mystery of the disappearance of Sophie, the rich fabricated protagonist, and the intriguing mystery themes.

I really enjoyed following, Emmie, the main protagonist. She was a multi-layered and emotionally vulnerable character. Her psychological transformation and emotional state drove most of the tension throughout the story. Even though she was sensitive, Emme was also suspicious, courageous, and self reflective. From the first chapter to the last, Emmie’s evolution was evident. At the beginning, Emmie was determined to start fresh after having had experienced trauma or loss. I loved how her vulnerability and determination contributed to her transformation. Altogether, Emmie’s journey was a mix of emotional unraveling and psychological growth.

In addition to really liking Emmie’s persona, I also enjoyed the dual timeline structure that alternated between Emmie’s present-day perspective and Sophie’s flashbacks of her life before her disappearance. This enhanced the dialogue by building suspense through a parallel unfolding as well as deepening the characters insight and the themes of hidden truths.

Moreover, I really enjoyed the atmospheric plot. It was an intriguing, slow burn mystery that disclosed revelations and red herrings at precise times that had me continually questioning everyone.

Croft skillfully navigated captivating themes. The most prominent of the themes explored were deception, trust, and the haunting power of the past. The narrative probed how buried secrets within a family can unravel lives, such as Emme’s psychological unraveling and obsession with learning the truth about Sophie, the story scoured the emotional toll of isolation, the fragility of memory, and the fear that we may never truly know those closest to us. Even more, Croft’s story highlighted how our atmosphere can intensify vulnerability, creating a tense exploration of identity, intuition, and the consequences of confronting long-concealed truths.

Collectively, Kathryn Croft delivered a highly immersive and emotionally charged mystery. For those that like slow burn mysteries, unreliable characters, and atmospheric plots, I recommend reading “Sophie Was Here”.

Thanks to Net Galley and Bookouture Audio for an advance audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley, Bookouture Audio and Kathryn Croft for the Audio Arc of Sophie Was Here.
Narrated by Naomi Frederick

I have been a long term fan of Kathryn's writing style, her character development and her twisty plot lines so I was delighted to be accepted for the audio of Sophie was here.

This was one twisty narrative in which it was very hard to trust anyone! Told in first person, we have our MFC Emmie ,who with her partner Charlie, are moving into Charlie's old family home. This farmhouse is massive and has been gifted to them both but has been empty for 20 yrs while his parents were in Dubai. On exploring the house, Emmie finds 2 messages engraved in the banister and the old door of the cellar. " Sophie Was Here " This sets Emmie on the path of detective as she wants to find out who was Sophie and why was these messages left.

This narrative is told on two timelines from the POV of Emmie in the present and the past leading up to what happened with Sophie. In the present we get introduced to Charlies family and a few friends and it's clear that while most are happy to see him back in his hometown, there is a few that are not. You will form theories and they may be right, or they maybe wrong. One thing is for certain, this book is such an engaging, speculative read in which I binged in a morning!

Naomi Fredrick who narrated this book did a brilliant job in keeping all the characters separate with her male and female voices. I did listen to this book at 1.5 x speed which is a personal preference to me. Naomi's voice is such a pleasure to listen to and ill be looking out for more books from Kathryn Croft and narrations from Naomi Fredrick.

4.5 stars for Storygraph. 4 stars for other review sites