Published October 26th, 2026 by Bookouture
Thriller, Psychological Thriller, Domestic Fiction
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ABOUT THE BOOK:
It’s every mother’s worst nightmare…
Kim arrives early at the school gates, bursting with excitement to see her daughter, Molly, after a week-long history trip. Shy and a little anxious, time away from her loving parents is a big deal for Molly – but the emoji-filled texts Kim’s been receiving all week prove her daughter has been having the time of her life. But when the bus pulls up, Molly’s seat is empty. Her teachers say she never went on the trip…
As the search for Molly begins, distraught Kim feels like the police are dragging their feet and the school is acting a little too defensive. And with each precious day that passes, the secrets binding Kim’s tight-knit community begin to unravel. Why isn’t Kim’s best friend by her side? And why is her husband being so shady?
Nothing matters to Kim but bringing Molly home safe. With nowhere to turn and no one left to trust, only Kim can find her. And she’s running out of time…
A totally unputdownable psychological thriller that will keep you up all night reading. Perfect for anyone who loves Freida McFadden, Andrea Mara and Jeneva Rose.
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MY REVIEW:
16-year-old Molly has been in France on a school trip since Monday. It’s her first time abroad without her parents and her mother, Kim, has tried not to let her anxieties about it show. But she knows Molly is fine thanks to the regular updates she’s been sending by text. So, when Kim arrives at the school to collect Molly and she doesn’t get off the coach, Kim is confused. That confusion only grows when Molly’s headteacher tells her Molly didn’t go on the trip and he received an email from her on Monday morning saying Molly was poorly and couldn’t attend. Kim feels like the ground has fallen from under her feet. Where is her daughter?
Wow! This heart-pounding, twisty and bingeable thriller was one hell of a ride. Samantha Hayes never disappoints and this is one of the best I’ve read from her so far. Skillfully written, deftly choreographed and intricately interwoven, it held me in a chokehold from the first page. As addictive as a can of pringles, once I started there was no way to stop and I devoured it in just two sittings, staying up well past my bedtime to finish it.
But while it is a first-class thriller, what also shines through in this book is the emotion as Samantha makes you feel everything alongside Kim and Molly. As a middle-aged mum I felt a strong connection with Kim and my heart broke as this ordinary mum was plunged into every mother’s worst nightmare. I felt every moment of her heartache and fear as she searched for her daughter and cheered her on as she went rogue by conducting her own searches. As a mother I don’t know if I could sit around waiting for the police either even though I know it is what you’re supposed to do.
Molly’s chapters perfectly captured her confusion, terror and determination, making me feel like I was right there with her in the dark. She doesn’t remember what happened or where she is, which ramps up the tension and puts the reader in the same position as everyone but the culprit. As Molly tried to piece it all together I was on the edge of my seat, incapable of putting the book down until I knew what happened.
There are a number of suspicious characters and we are never quite sure who we can trust. This made me question everything and there were a few people I thought might be behind Molly’s disappearance. But as I followed the clues that were dropped like breadcrumbs, I could never be completely sure and was kept guessing right up until the jaw-dropping moment when all was revealed.
A must-read for all thriller lovers.
Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰
Thank you to Bookouture for seding me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Samantha Hayes grew up in Warwickshire, left school at sixteen, avoided university and took jobs ranging from private detective to barmaid to fruit picker and factory worker, and she lived in Australia and the USA before finally becoming a crime author (which was a relief, given she wrote her first work of fiction aged ten).
Sam’s books are family-based ‘domestic noir’ thrillers, with the emphasis being on ‘real life fiction’, and they’re published in many countries and languages – oh, and she’s pretty proud of getting the No 1 spot on Amazon with DATE NIGHT.
Her books focus on current issues and set out to make her readers ask, ‘What if this happened to me or my family?’ And you’ll always find a BIG twist at the end! HER HOUSEKEEPER is available for pre-order now (book twenty-something!).
GOOD HOUSEKEEPING said “We’re big fans of Samantha Hayes. Her believable psychological thrillers are completely gripping…” and THE INDEPENDENT called her writing ‘fantastically written and very tense’.
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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxxx
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