This mystery thriller was so so well done. This slow burn will keep you on your toes and keep you guessing until the end. Emmie’s boyfriend Charlie wants a new start, and encourages them to leave their past and secrets behind them. His parents give them a farmhouse to live and start again. Em finds some creepy writing in her new dwellings and is understandably freaked out. She learns the writing is from an ex-girlfriend of Charlie’s, Sophie who disappeared years ago. Sophie was a local girl who disappeared when she was 17 , and never heard from again.

I loved this audio thriller, it flew by so quick and I was invested. I did not see the twist coming and really appreciated it. Highly recommend this to any mystery/thriller fans out there.

The beginning is a tad slow, but otherwise I have no criticisms.

I first read this book liked it, and I listened to it during a drive for our baseball tournament, the narrator was likable and I kept with the pace of the story itself

Like all Thrillers I dont want to give anything away. But this one was a strange one. I was torn between a 3.5 and 4 star but it came out to a low 4 star for me. I was very confused in the beginning on why she was so interested in finding out what happen to Sophie but once we get closer to the end it starts making sense but also out of left field and with Charlie and his family like wtf man.

Thank you NetGalley for this Audio-Arch in exchange for my thoughts.

Sophie Was Here
Kathryn Croft
Forest Farm was a beautiful farmhouse. Charlie and I had been together about a years when his parents gifted us the home. It made me feel like I was part of the family. However, the people in the village didn’t accept us. When I went shopping, I heard the citizens whispering about Charlie and me. At the local pub everyone goes silent when we walk in. Eventually I learn about the girl that disappeared. Sophie was Charlie’s girlfriend; she was seventeen years old. Charlie became upset when I asked him about her. Thinks didn’t seem right. I found it in the basement; the words Sophie was here were scratched into the wall. I couldn’t leave it alone; I had to find out what happened. I was surrounded by members of his family if I continued trying to find out what happened to Sophie I could be in danger.
This tale is told from several points of view and from two timelines. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep readers turning pages/listening. The main characters are Emmie and Charlie; Emmie suspects Charlie is tied to Sophie’s disappearance. There are times when we look at something through rose colored glasses; but we can be deceived.
This tale has great potential however, the plot moved at a sss…lll…ooo…www pace. This book falls under the psychological thriller genre. I found it difficult to stay involved in this tale for the first 60% because of the pace. The ending wrapped up the plot very well.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

This domestic thriller was fantastic. I love the way you follow the characters and while it does tell two timelines at the same time I’m very impressed with how it was done. The narrator was pleasant to listen to. The surprises were jaw dropping and I’m so thankful to have gotten to enjoy this thanks to NetGalley and Kathryn Croft

Kathryn Croft delivers a chilling and intricately plotted psychological thriller in Sophie Was Here, a story that unravels the haunting mystery of a missing girl and the dark secrets that refuse to stay buried. When Emmie learns that Sophie—the ex-girlfriend of her current boyfriend—vanished under suspicious circumstances, her life begins to spiral as she receives disturbing messages and is pulled deeper into the shadows of the past.

Croft masterfully builds tension throughout the narrative, weaving in layers of deception, suspicion, and emotional complexity. Emmie’s growing obsession with uncovering the truth keeps the momentum high, while the steady stream of revelations creates a sense of unease that lingers on every page.

What sets this novel apart is its intricate detailing and the way the story escalates, leading to a climax where everything unravels with devastating impact. Just when you think you understand what’s happening, Croft delivers another twist, making the journey as unpredictable as it is gripping.

Sophie Was Here is a dark, twist-filled thriller that keeps readers questioning motives and truths right up until the final pages. With its compelling mystery and emotionally charged tension, it’s a must-read for fans of domestic suspense and psychological thrillers.

Thank you to Netgalley, Kathryn Croft and the publisher for approving me an advanced audio copy of this book.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It's the first book I've read by Kathryn Croft and I like her writing style and characters.
The story was interesting, although I did feel it took a while to get going. I think for me, the ending still left some things unanswered, which I would have liked to see more on, but that might just be me.

I will definitely be exploring more books by the author in the future.

This book is a very interesting thriller with many plot twists and things that I never expected. I loved the main character and the back story of Sophie, that really made me cry near the end. The book talks about Emmie and Charlie, a new couple that move into Charlie childhood house. Immediately you feel a sense of unease and we look at the basement. Really basements scares me so much but I loved this. From the basement the questions, the doubts everything starts. I loved every single chapter and I couldn’t wait for it to continue, so many things I could’ve never guessed. So really recommended if you love thriller.

Happy (day after) PUB DAY! 🎉

Wellll….that was a shocking and twisty four-star read! While I had my suspicions and kept flipping back and forth on the “whodunnit,” I was totally wrong—and I loved that!

After Emmie is made redundant from her job as a child behavioral therapist, she gives up her London flat to move in with her boyfriend, Charlie, into the family home his parents gifted him. Charlie, a corporate lawyer, met Emmie when he accidentally knocked her off her bike - a fun meet cute, right?!

But when Emmie first sees the house, her unease kicks in. It has a basement, and years ago, her father died in a basement while she was asleep upstairs.
Things get even weirder when she finds a message scrawled on the basement wall: “Please Help Me”—with what looks like blood underneath it.
Charlie admits seeing it, then later acts like he has no idea what she’s talking about.
When Emmie checks again, the message is gone… but another one appears: “Sophie was here.”
She snaps a picture this time and becomes obsessed with finding out who Sophie is.
But the more Emmie uncovers, the less sure she is of anything—or anyone.

Naomi Frederick did a phenomenal job narrating the story, bringing the characters to life, and elevating the already tense and suspenseful atmosphere!

Huge thank you to NetGalley, Kathryn Croft, and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this twisty tale in exchange for a review! 🖤🔍📚

*this is now available to enjoy for free for Kindle Unlimited members!

I did enjoy this book and it was a quick easy listen. Some of the characters annoyed me but that is part of the development of the book. Overall good thriller! Thank you for the ARC!

I thoroughly enjoyed this. It held my interest from start to finish, and the twists were fairly plausible (except maybe for one. How far would you go for a sibling?).

I enjoyed the dual point of view from both Sophie and Emmy, and liked both characters immensely. Miles and Charlie - Ugh. What losers. Vanessa not lagging too far behind. It just goes to show, once again, that what the wealthy and privileged won't do to protect their reputation beggars belief.

I was in the mood for a quick suspenseful read this week and I was approved for an ARC of this book on audio so I gave it a listen!🎧⁣
⁣
Initially I was pulled in and intrigued! Though right off the bat there were a few things that just felt a little too far fetched for me. I know it’s fiction and I tried to keep that in mind but some things just were a smidge too unrealistic. There also seemed to be quite a few characters to keep track of and around the 75% mark I felt like it was getting a little messy and convoluted. ⁣
⁣
Overall I enjoyed the story itself and the twists that come along with thrillers and mysteries!⁣
⁣
Thank you to @NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for this ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4/5

The golden boy from a wealthy family takes interest in the new girl in town. They “fall in love” and then she disappear. Years later, that same golden boy moves back to his family home, with his new partner. She finds a secret message in the basement and everything starts to unravel.

This book kept my interest (and kept me guessing) until the very end.

Read this book if you’re into:
- who-dun-its
- dual timelines
- family secrets

Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture, and Kathryn Croft for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was so intrigued by the cover and title that I knew I had to read it ASAP. This book had me hooked from the very beginning. It was so mysterious and I loved all the characters and how they interacted in different parts of the story. I just had to know what happened to Sophie since the first carving in the basement and the plot did not disappoint! One of my favorite reads of the year so far!

Sophie Was Here by Kathryn Croft is twisty and is told in dual timelines and it as it went on, I kept thinking I had it figured out, I did not! The suspense was on par and I enjoyed it from beginning to end.

I listened to the audio version of this and the narrator made it even more enjoyable.

Thank you so Netgalley for the audio book of this great book!

I listened to this one on audiobook and found the narrator to be solid overall — her pacing was clear, and the emotion came through well. However, I do wish she had distinguished the characters’ voices more clearly. At times, it was hard to tell who was speaking, which pulled me out of the story here and there.

The plot pulled me in right away with a strong, fast start, but I felt it hit a bit of a lull in the middle. Some of the momentum faded, and I found myself waiting for things to pick back up. That said, I really enjoyed the twist toward the end and thought the conclusion tied things up in a satisfying way.

A good pick if you like psychological thrillers with a layered mystery — just be prepared for a slower second act.

Title: Sophie Was Here
Author: Kathryn Croft
Format: 🎧
Narrator: Norma Frederick
Publisher: Bookouture Audio
Genre: Psychological Thriller – Family Drama
Pub Date: July 3, 2025
My Rating: 5
Pages: 369

I was lucky to have read the Galley and enjoyed it. I am an audiobook fan so when I the opportunity to get the audiobook – I excitedly took it.
Yes! The narrator was great. I have a good imagination but cannot image hearing the Brit accent so loved the audio!!

Story is told from the POV of Emmie ~Now and Sophie ~Then.
and Charlie have been together for about a year when Charlies parent’s give the happy couple Charlie’s childhood home a sprawling farmhouse. It is a dream come true for Emmie but Charlie isn’t excited.
Once they arrive, Emmie finds out that a girl named Sophie, who has been missing for seventeen years, was once Charlie’s girlfriend.
Charlie was on holiday when she vanished. Emmie is alone and find a locked door. She finds the keys and opens it to find it is the door to the basement. She down to the basement and under the light of the single bulb, scratched into the wall, I see
Sophie was here.
However, when Emmie tries to talk to Charlie about it he either doesn’t want to talk about it or lies! Emmie then starts her own investigation as she has to know the truth. The more she searches the more she doesn’t trust Charlie.


I read and enjoyed only two Ms. Croft’s stories and they were both great so have been looking forward to another.
I read "Suspect and The Girl in Room 12" so I went into this with high expectations!
Needless to say Ms. Croft didn't disappoint !!!
Want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for granting me the pleasure of listening to this audiobook.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for July 3, 2025.

Who is gaslighting who here?

A well written domestic thriller which I both read as an ARC and listened to as this audio. Both scored an easy 4☆.

The plot line is quite convoluted (perhaps a little too much so at times) but on the whole this is engrossing with many thoroughly unlikeable characters.

The setting is atmospheric, more so, for me in the written version as you visualise your own interpretation rather that the narrators.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARAC which was very much appreciated.

I gave this book 4 stars.
Emmy and her boyfriend Charlie move to his old house in a town outside of London. They are fixing the house when Emmy finds some carvings on the basement “Sophie was here”, she starts asking too many questions in order to find out who was Sophie and what happened to her. Not knowing that all those questions could put her in danger.

It was such a great book, it had a really good plot twist. The only thing I have to say is I HATE HATE HATE HATE the Hollingers, that family has a lot of problems, they only one that can be saved is Vanessa that girl has been through so much because of her horrible family.

I listened to it on audiobook and it was sooooo good love the emotion she gave it.

Overall it was a great reading, it had me hooked I couldn’t put it down! I really recommend specially for a winter read!

Thank you bookouture audio for giving me a copy of this book through NetGalley!

Four star thriller! This twists and turns keeps you guessing till the very end. The narrator was great and I really enjoyed this one. Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the early release arc.