Three teenage boys go missing and Leah is reminded of the disappearance of her own friends 25 years ago…
After The Sleepover is a psychological thriller set in the UK. It is a sequel to The Sleepover but works perfectly well as a standalone novel. There are NO SPOILERS despite multiple references to Leah knowing the truth about her friends’ disappearance.
Leah is called over by someone she barely knows. Jennifer’s son and two friends have vanished during a sleepover and she calls on Leah to support her due to Leah’s own experience from the past. The police have no clues but Leah uncovers a range of suspects from the odd neighbour to Jennifer’s allegedly abusive ex.
I loved the drama of the plot. A child going missing is every parent’s nightmare but three kids at once when you are letting them have some freedom is almost worse. There was a brilliant tension as Leah compares and contrasts the past with the present. Her confusion and fear felt authentic and increased the tense atmosphere.
In the personal life subplot, Leah confronts her past by making contact with her father who has been in and out of prison. Her mixed emotions were portrayed sympathetically and added to the depth of her character.
After The Sleepover is a tense and emotional psychological thriller.
Book Description:
“Gone. They’re gone.” Dylan’s wide-eyed mother bites her nails in desperation. “All three kids. They wanted to sleep outside. But I went to check this morning and… the tents are empty. They’re gone.”
Twenty-five years ago: teenage Leah had a sleepover with her three best friends. By morning, the other girls were missing. This small town has been searching for answers ever since. Now it’s happened again…
Three boys decide to camp in a field next to one of their homes. When dawn comes, dew glistens on their empty tents.
Overgrown farmland is searched. Three distraught families are desperate for news. A mother herself now, Leah’s heart breaks as terrible memories flood back…
Leah thought she knew what happened at the sleepover years ago but now another three children are missing. What if she was wrong? And how far will Leah have to go, to finally discover the truth, before it’s too late?
A completely addictive psychological thriller packed with twists, that will have you up all night racing through the pages. After the Sleepover can be enjoyed as a standalone read, and anyone who loves Shari Lapena, Lisa Jewell, or The Perfect Marriage won’t be able to put it down.
Author Bio:
Kerry Wilkinson is from the English county of Somerset but has spent far too long living in the north. It’s there that he’s picked up possibly made-up regional words like ‘barm’ and ‘ginnel’. He pretends to know what they mean.
He’s also been busy since turning thirty: his Jessica Daniel crime series has sold more than a million copies in the UK; he has written a fantasy-adventure trilogy for young adults; a second crime series featuring private investigator Andrew Hunter and the standalone thriller, Down Among The Dead Men.
Three teenage boys go missing and Leah is reminded of the disappearance of her own friends 25 years ago…
