mandylovestoread's review
5.0
I love Natalie Ward! This is one fantastic series and at book 4 I hope that we are just getting started. This book has the detective working a tough and complex case whilst her family are falling apart. She is one tough woman but she can only take so much right? Already looking forward to book 4.
Roxy is 14 year old teenage girl who has just had a fight with her mum about a boy. That night she tells her mother that she is having a sleepover at her best friend Ellie's place, not too far away. Little does her mother know that this will be the last conversation they will have. The next morning Roxy is found murdered in the charred remains of an elite house owned by local nightclub owning brothers - and there is no known apparent link as to why she would be there. Natalie and her team are called in to investigate and it is not long before there is more bodies that are all connected. This is not a straight forward case and the more they delve into the lives of the families the more suspects they find.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are no way biased.
Roxy is 14 year old teenage girl who has just had a fight with her mum about a boy. That night she tells her mother that she is having a sleepover at her best friend Ellie's place, not too far away. Little does her mother know that this will be the last conversation they will have. The next morning Roxy is found murdered in the charred remains of an elite house owned by local nightclub owning brothers - and there is no known apparent link as to why she would be there. Natalie and her team are called in to investigate and it is not long before there is more bodies that are all connected. This is not a straight forward case and the more they delve into the lives of the families the more suspects they find.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are no way biased.
yvo_about_books's review
5.0
Finished reading: August 21st 2019
"Some days I wonder what on earth I'm doing. The world's such a fucked-up place with millions of fucked-up individuals causing mayhem. We're fighting a losing battle all the time."
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
Spoiler
I think most people know by now I'm a fan of Carol Wyer's books, as her detective thrillers seem to be a guarantee for an entertaining and thrilling ride. I still might prefer Robyn Carter a tiny bit more, but there is no doubt that Natalie Ward is a worthy contender. The Sleepover is already the fourth meeting with detective Natalie Ward and she is really growing on me despite initial reservations. I like the way she handles the investigations as well as the interactions with the rest of her team... I think this team work in general is what really makes the books work for me. The Sleepover is fast, thrilling and entertaining; without doubt another excellent addition to the series.The writing and plot development are more than solid and make it really easy to fly through this fourth installment. The plot will grab you straight away, and with its many twists, secrets and surprises you will find it difficult to stop reading before you discover the truth about it all. More and more secrets and lies are slowly untangled, still leaving you with more questions than answers as you try to solve the puzzle along with Natalie Ward and her team. It makes for an engaging and compelling read, and any fan of the detective thriller genre will have a great time reading it. Natalie's personal story evolved a lot this time around as well, and I really hope she will stick with her final decision in the next book... Fingers crossed!
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
bookedupgirl's review
4.0
Overall: It’s kind of predictable now with Carol Wyer’s books ... we know they are just going to be so freakin’ awesome! No exception with her latest novel, The Sleepover, cantering around the latest case for DI Natalie ward!
Boy OH boyyy.. does this one keep us on our toes! It’s got some ‘will they, won’t they ‘ factor along with a new gruesome case for Natalie and team to sink their teeth into. LOVED IT!
I love uncovering a little more about each of the characters throughout the books. They now feel SO real, I just can’t wait for the next instalment
Boy OH boyyy.. does this one keep us on our toes! It’s got some ‘will they, won’t they ‘ factor along with a new gruesome case for Natalie and team to sink their teeth into. LOVED IT!
I love uncovering a little more about each of the characters throughout the books. They now feel SO real, I just can’t wait for the next instalment
syren1532's review
5.0
Roxy is fourteen years old and has told her mum Cathy that she”s spending th night at her friend Ellie’s house. The girls often have a sleepover on a Saturday night so Cathy isn’t concerned. Across town, on the affluent Linnet Lane, a hose has caught fire. The fire investigator finds signs of arson and then a gruesome discovery is made - a body in the basement which was used as an entertainment room by the owners. DI Natalie Ward and her team are called in to investigate and the body is identified as Roxy’s. The owners are two brothers who run a local nightclub and neither seem bothered by the loss of their home but claim not to know Roxy or how she got into their house. The team struggle to find a motive for Roxy’s death and soon realise that several people. including her family, are not being fully forthcoming with them. This reticence continues Ben after another two deaths. While working in the case Natalie is still struggling with her relationship with her husband David and is becoming increasingly concerned about her son Josh’s behaviour.
Absolutely love this series by Carol Wyer. Hope another installment will be available soon.
Thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and Carol Wyer for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
Absolutely love this series by Carol Wyer. Hope another installment will be available soon.
Thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and Carol Wyer for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
sweet_dee_reads's review
4.0
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. In the 4th installment of the Natalie Ward series, a teenage girl is found burned beyond recognition. Like all of the books in this series, Natalie Ward and her team work together to figure out what has happened to the poor girl. The Sleepover has many twists and turns throughout the book and was an enjoyable read.
jecarson's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
robinlovesreading's review
5.0
Roxy is a fourteen-year-old girl who tells her parents that she is going to a sleepover. However, not only did she not go to her friend's house that night, she died at a fire. Her family, especially her mother Cathy, are completely devastated.
Detective Natalie Ward is in charge of the case, and cannot help but think of problems she had with her own teen daughter Leigh. Also, her son Josh is going through some difficulties now. To make matters even more difficult for Natalie, her marriage to David has become increasingly difficult. David was made redundant on his job a while ago and he is dealing with an addiction. So, Natalie is completely overwhelmed, but must find answers as to what happened to the girl Roxy.
As she begins her investigation, she looks at the owners of the house where Roxy was found dead, two brothers. Natalie also looks hard at Roxy's family. When Natalie is called to another crime seen soon after Roxy's death, she is shockingly appalled to discover that the body belongs to Roxy's mother, Cathy. Natalie must widen the net in her investigation, so she begins to focus even more on the family, which include Roxy's stepfather and three brothers.
There are a lot of clues, a lot of suspects and more than one secret revealed in The Sleepover. The story is fast-paced and was a remarkably quick and compelling read. Carol Wyer did a great job of making the discovery of the killer difficult to figure out. The conclusion was incredible. Reading this book was like savoring a seven-layer cake. Every turn in this book had a different flavor. This series keeps on getting better and better. Waiting for the next book will definitely not be easy.
Many thanks to Carol Wyer and Bookouture for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.
Detective Natalie Ward is in charge of the case, and cannot help but think of problems she had with her own teen daughter Leigh. Also, her son Josh is going through some difficulties now. To make matters even more difficult for Natalie, her marriage to David has become increasingly difficult. David was made redundant on his job a while ago and he is dealing with an addiction. So, Natalie is completely overwhelmed, but must find answers as to what happened to the girl Roxy.
As she begins her investigation, she looks at the owners of the house where Roxy was found dead, two brothers. Natalie also looks hard at Roxy's family. When Natalie is called to another crime seen soon after Roxy's death, she is shockingly appalled to discover that the body belongs to Roxy's mother, Cathy. Natalie must widen the net in her investigation, so she begins to focus even more on the family, which include Roxy's stepfather and three brothers.
There are a lot of clues, a lot of suspects and more than one secret revealed in The Sleepover. The story is fast-paced and was a remarkably quick and compelling read. Carol Wyer did a great job of making the discovery of the killer difficult to figure out. The conclusion was incredible. Reading this book was like savoring a seven-layer cake. Every turn in this book had a different flavor. This series keeps on getting better and better. Waiting for the next book will definitely not be easy.
Many thanks to Carol Wyer and Bookouture for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.
faysieh's review
5.0
Join Di Natalie Ward and her team Lucy, Ian and Murray as they struggle to join all the dots to discover why Roxy didn't return from her sleepover. As the detectives embark on yet another investigation we learn how Roxy's best friend, kids from a sink estate, two nightclub owners, two lap dancers and Roxy's family are involved. Lots of characters, interviews, puzzles, and pieces of evidence to link together and underneath all this the back story of Natalie. She might be a great cop but that doesn't stop trouble visiting your own doorstep. Just what is going on with husband David and is her son Josh on drugs?
As time ticks on and subsequent deaths total 3, Natalie really needs to put her family life and marriage on hold to secure a conviction or two.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, raced through it and now eagerly await the fifth book due out at the end of 2019.
Thanks Carol (I am also going to try and read everything you have written!), the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book ahead of publication. Fans of Carol Wyer and crime thrillers will devour this book in no time at all.
As time ticks on and subsequent deaths total 3, Natalie really needs to put her family life and marriage on hold to secure a conviction or two.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, raced through it and now eagerly await the fifth book due out at the end of 2019.
Thanks Carol (I am also going to try and read everything you have written!), the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book ahead of publication. Fans of Carol Wyer and crime thrillers will devour this book in no time at all.
meg728's review
5.0
The fourth book in the series of Detective Natalie Ward. Saying that this book grips you from the beginning is an understatement. What I love about Wyer’s books is the attention to detail she uses without boring you. Everything she writes has a meaning in the end and the plot twists so strategically placed are genius!
Patiently waiting for the next in this series!
Patiently waiting for the next in this series!
lori_89's review
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5