Killing Me Softly

by Sandie Jones

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Reese's Book Club Pick The Other Woman and The Guilt Trip comes a twisty and suspenseful new novel about love turned deadly.

Charlie and Freya used to be the picture-perfect couple everyone in their idyllic village in the Cotswolds envied—and if you couldn’t be them, you wanted to be with them. Happy, healthy, forging successful careers, and with a beautiful son in tow, they had it all . . . until one night a tragedy tears their lives apart.

Unable to live with themselves, let alone each other, they’re looking for someone to blame and who they land on is each other.

Told from both Freya and Charlie’s perspectives, a cat and mouse game ensues, as each of them become determined to win-out against the other, both battling to emerge victorious and guilty-conscience-free. But can Freya stay one step ahead of the man who knows her best? Or will Charlie’s stoic conviction to get what he wants, be the death of her?

Sandie Jones’s latest addictive novel is a wickedly twisty tale of obsession and the deadly consequences of loving someone too much.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Suspense, Audiobook, Fiction, Crime

320 pages, Hardcover

First published March 31, 2026

About the author

Sandie Jones has worked as a freelance journalist for over twenty years, and has written for publications including the Sunday Times, Woman’s Weekly and the Daily Mail. She lives in London with her husband and three children. The Other Woman is her debut novel.

Reviews

[Rachel Hanes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sandie Jones is back!! I say this because I have enjoyed every book that I have read by this author, except this year’s “I Would Die for You”. With that being said, I’m glad that I gave this author another chance, because I highly enjoyed this book. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough! I also love the title of this book, because it reminds me of the song with the same title 🎶

In this story, we have a very happily married couple of Charlie and Freya. One night Charlie and Freya go to a friend’s dinner party, and after too much wine 🍷, a fight between them occurs. They both leave the dinner party, only to wake up the next morning to realize that a tragedy has occurred. How did this terrible tragedy happen, and who is responsible?

After the awful dinner party, and the horrible tragedy that occurred, Freya and Charlie start to realize that maybe they weren’t that happy after all. Maybe they didn’t have the picture perfect marriage they thought they did. A game of cat and mouse ensues between the two of them, and you will constantly question who you can trust in this book. Is it Charlie? Or is it Freya?

Some of the twists were a bit predictable, but overall it was very entertaining and I highly recommend it!

“Killing me softly with his song
Telling my whole life with his words
Killing me softly with his song” 🎶 ~ by the Fugees

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books, and the author for an ARC of this book in which I had the pleasure of reading, in exchange for an honest review.
Publication date: March 31, 2026
Genre~ Mystery & Thrillers

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

A couple who possibly doesn't belong together seem to make things work. Someone's hiding something behind the scenes. Perhaps both. A tragic event happens when both seem to have retreated from an angry conflict, so they have no alibis. Can they really trust each other? A suspenseful story where readers have to interpret trust, fact, and importance. Good POVs. Enjoyable dialog. Scenes were set well. Leaves you guessing, but also a little frustrated as you learn facts later than you should have, which is necessary to create the suspense and thrills. Overall, perfect for a lazy afternoon when you just want to immerse yourself in someone else's drama for a few hours.

[CarolG · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charlie and Freya used to be the picture-perfect couple. Freya enjoyed a rewarding job heading up a charity’s fundraising efforts, and Charlie was fast becoming one-to-watch on the London culinary scene. They had it all until one night a devastating accident tears their lives apart.

This story is told from the viewpoints of Charlie and Freya in alternating chapters and I was never too sure who was telling the truth or what else was happening that we weren't aware of. I was totally immersed from the beginning and couldn't wait to get back to it whenever I had to stop reading. I'd have trouble trying to describe the many twists in this book so I won't even try. You really need to experience it for yourself. Although not perfect, this book was a 5-star read for me. This is the second book by Sandie Jones that I've read and I really liked both of them. I wish I had the time to read some of her others on my list. Maybe some day!

Thank you to Minotaur Books/St. Martin's Press, via Netgalley, for inviting me to read a digital review copy of this novel. All opinions expressed are my own. This review will be posted on Goodreads.com on April 10, 2026 and on Amazon.ca on or after April 10, 2026.
Publication Date: March 31, 2026

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of, Killing Me Softly, by Sandie Jones, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Freya and Charlie are the perfect couple, until they are not. These are both unlikable characters, I did not care for either of the, they are far from perfect.

[Sherri Thacker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Revenge, lies, secrets … Killing Me Softly has it all from beginning to end. I was glued to this book and found myself racing to the end because nothing was as it seemed … literally throughout the whole book!! Sandie Jones did a great job as she always does. This was my 6th book by Sandie and I can’t wait for her next thriller!!

[Anais · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC.

Whew, this book was a almost a DNF so many times. The only reason I powered through was because I wanted to be able to write a fair review for this advanced copy. But, honestly, this book was rough. It was boring, chaotic, nonsensical and just plain silly. The whole unreliable narrator trope was taken way too far and it left me more tired than entertained. I know a lot of people seem to enjoy this author's work but after reading this I won't be picking her up again.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Talk about a PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER!!! This one was INSANE!!
If this is your genre… DO NOT PASS THIS ONE UP!

I felt like I was on an old wooden roller coaster…where you get thrown from side to side (like whiplash) and have absolutely no idea what’s coming next…

You are fed some information, so in your head, you are devising the plot…
And then a shoe 👠 drops… and you realize you were totally off base…
And so you begin collecting the info all over again…
And then another shoe 👠 drops…

And each and every time I thought I had it all figured out! And, I was totally wrong! 😳

And you continue this way throughout the entire book… until… the WHOLE FLOOR GIVES OUT… from right under you! 🫣😮😳😩

This was truly amazing! And I will definitely be looking for more from this author!!

In a nutshell, without giving too much away…
Charlie and Freya are married. He’s gorgeous. She’s jealous. But… they are IN LOVE!

Is he cheating on her? Does HER Mother get involved in every aspect of their lives? Is everything as it really seems to be?
He’s opening a new restaurant (master chef). She’s working to get monies for a child with cancer… to get much needed treatment that his family cannot afford.

Throw in about a million other monkey wrenches… and you have this book!

That’s all I’m giving you!! 🛑 🛑

Pick this one up to find out more!!!

All the stars for me, as my heart was racing …and breaking… and mending back together… over and over again!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨✨✨✨✨🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟💫💫💫💫💫

#KillingMeSoftly by @SandieJones and narrated stunningly by @MatthewBiddulph and @AnnaBurnett.

**** THIS ONE HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED YET!! PLEASE LOOK FOR IT ON 3/31/26!! ****

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and @MacmillanAudio for an ALC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review!!

You can also find my reviews on: Goodreads,
Instagram: @BookReviews_with_emsr and/or
My Facebook Book Club: Book Reviews With Elaine

Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, & click ‘LIKE’ below… And, let me know YOUR thoughts if you read it!!

And as always, thanks for reading along with me! 📚⭐️🩷

[Danielle B · Rating 4 out of 5]

KILLING ME SOFTLY was excellent! It was fast paced and grabbed me right from the start. The narrators were also really good. When I can't stop thinking about a book, I know I've found a treasure. If you enjoyed Sandi Jones' THE OTHER WOMAN you will really like this one. Highly recommended!

Many thanks to Macmillian Audio for my #gifted copy.

[Natalie K · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was something else!

It started off okay—I wasn't a fan of the constant mysteriousness, but I understand the author did that to keep us guessing. But until about 85% in, it was a 3-star book.

Then, it picked up. 3.5 stars, then finally 4! The ending was well done. Overall, a decent thriller that keeps you guessing throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley for the free review copy.

[Melissa Dunlavey · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars….
I absolutely loved her last book and I was so excited to read this one but it definitely fell short for me. I liked the different points of view, but found the storyline at times confusing and long winded. This will not stop me from reading any of her other books because I do love her writing style. This one just wasn’t for me.

[Maren’s Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

3-3.5⭐️ Charlie and Freya had it all before their marriage hit a rough patch. When a terrible tragedy leads to accusations and the unearthing of secrets, they begin to turn on one another as each looks for someone else to blame.

There is a reason I am hard-pressed to skip a Sandie Jones novel, and it is this— her thrillers are bingeworthy, slightly unhinged, and wildly entertaining. I usually find myself hooked in almost immediately, mouth agape as I begin to try to parse just what in the world her characters have gotten themselves into. Killing Me Softly is no different. I loved the cat-and-mouse he said/she said game and how unlikeable literally all of these characters are. While I may not always love the ultimate outcome or her FMC’s self-doubt (some books feature it more than others), I know that I am sure to fly right through her novels as though watching a movie.

🎧 I almost always enjoy her novels on audio, thanks in large part to the gorgeous accents, and this is no exception. Dually narrated by Anna Burnett and Matthew Biddulph, the engaging quality of their narration helped to create an almost cinematic-like experience. I highly recommend checking this one out on audio if it is on your to-be-read list.

Read if you like:
▪️popcorn thrillers
▪️domestic suspense
▪️cat-and-mouse games
▪️who can you trust?
▪️marriage on the rocks
▪️dual timeline and POV

Thank you Minotaur Books for the advanced copy.

[Lisa Leone-campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buckle up! You are in for the ride of your life with Sandie Jones' new book Killing Me Softly. It's a love story but also about the perfect couple whose lives come crashing down around them due to a terrible, tragic incident which changes everything and each of them. Still trying to hold on to each other, they seem to begin to make irrational decisions as well as start to mistrust each other. Can unforeseen outside influences hinder or help them stay together or completely tear them apart.

Charlie was an up-and-coming chef, who has just been promoted and Freya, his wife is a social worker. But during a congratulatory dinner for Charlie, Freya hears something she shouldn't have and an argument breaks out. There had been a lot of drinking, words said which cannot be taken back, then...

An accident

A coverup

They decide to leave London and move to a small town where no one knows them. Charlie decides to try and open his own restaurant, and Freya gets a job trying to find money to help sick children. At first, they try to pretend nothing is different, but then the pressures of this new life and their secrets start to wear on them. They begin to look at each other differently. And seek solace it seems from other places.

Freya's mother is no help. A narcissist who seems to have it out for her daughter, she begins to interfere with their lives. As much as Freya tries to stop her, she seems to insist and poke her nose into their lives.

Told in their own named chapters they explore Charlie's perspective and how he is doing and feeling and the next what Freya sees happening and what she feels. Both need someone to talk to, besides the other. But unfortunately, they stop talking to each other.

This is when the cat and mouse game truly begins.

How much can each endure. Both begin to make mistakes. What would YOU do if you loved someone so much you would never be able to let them go?

Would you protect them forever? What if you can't! What happens them?

Killing Me Softley's ending will kill you! The adrenaline rush you will feel as you read the story is exhausting! Sandie Jones is a genius! Read this book now!

Thank you #NetGalley #MinotaurBooks #SandieJones #KillingMeSoftly for the advanced copy.

[Kelsie Gilkey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Killing Me Softly
Publication date: March 31, 2026

The book initially hooks you in with a dinner party gone wrong into the main characters’ (Freya and Charlie) car being involved in a hit and run. These events cause ripples in the couple’s marriage and begin to reveal other secrets within their partnership.
I really enjoyed this book. I found the writing to be engaging and fast paced. Short chapters kept me turning pages, overall a thrilling and fast read. I think the characters are meant to be kept a little more ambiguous for the sake of the plot, but I think slight more character development would be preferred. I think a more distinct voice between the 2 POVs would be nice also.
I guessed several potential endings to the book and was kept guessing until the very end. The twist at the end was unexpected but not unbelievable. The book definitely left me with a sense of creeped out paranoia.
Not quite 5 stars, but a very enjoyable and easy read. I would recommend, especially to those who enjoy a fast-paced thriller!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC!

[Eileen Acosta · Rating 2 out of 5]

This novel started out interesting but quickly spiraled into a very convoluted marriage/family drama. I didn't like either of the main characters and the many deliberate misguiding leads just made the story confusing. This was almost a DNF, but I'm stubborn. Thank you to NetGalley for this digital advanced readers copy.

[The Bookish Elf · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a particular kind of dread that domestic thrillers do best — the slow, creeping realization that the person sharing your bed may not be who you thought they were. Killing Me Softly by Sandie Jones weaponizes that dread with remarkable precision, wrapping a hit-and-run, a cover-up, and a collapsing marriage inside the deceptive prettiness of the English Cotswolds. If you thought you knew how a love story turns dark, Jones is here to remind you that the most lethal poison is often the kind that is administered with a smile.

The Author Behind the Suspense

Sandie Jones is no stranger to the art of the slow reveal. The New York Times bestselling author built her reputation on The Other Woman — a Reese's Book Club Pick that earned its place as a compulsive read — before following it with The Guilt Trip and The Trade Off, each one tightening her grip on the domestic thriller form. Her novels share a particular DNA: a heroine navigating the treacherous terrain of a relationship she thought she understood, and a plot that keeps pulling the rug from beneath reader expectations. Killing Me Softly by Sandie Jones continues in that tradition, though with a darker edge and a more cynical eye than her earlier work.

The World Jones Has Built — and How Carefully It Shatters

The novel opens in London, where Freya and Charlie Adams are the couple everyone envies: her ambitious and sharp, him the celebrated chef on the cusp of taking a stake in one of the city's most sought-after restaurants. Jones drops readers into a dinner party at Regent's Park — all Calacatta Gold marble and Hockney originals — with an eye for class performance that is both satirically precise and socially astute. A single evening, fueled by expensive wine and barely contained jealousy, sets off a chain of events that sends them fleeing to the Cotswolds carrying a secret that could destroy them both.

What makes the setup so effective is Jones's refusal to let the idyllic relocation feel like redemption. The farmhouse kitchen, the rolling meadows, the birdsong — it all reads as a trap dressed up in pastoral clothing. The Cotswolds here are not cozy. They are the walls of a cage.

Freya and Charlie: Two Unreliable Narrators in a War of Omissions

The novel alternates between Freya's and Charlie's perspectives, and this is where Killing Me Softly by Sandie Jones earns its psychological credibility. Neither narrator is fully trustworthy — not because Jones cheats the reader, but because both characters are cheating themselves. Freya's self-awareness is painfully acute; she sees her own insecurities with forensic clarity, yet keeps walking toward the fire anyway. Charlie, on the other hand, operates with a terrifying capacity for compartmentalization, his affection for Freya never quite separating from his impulse to control her.

Jones gives both characters enough internal logic to make you root for them in spite of everything, which is a harder trick than it sounds. Freya's hidden vodka bottle, her visit to the hospital bedside of the man they wronged, her desperate friendship with Tess — all of it layers into a portrait of a woman under siege, not just from external threat but from her own conscience. Charlie's dogged determination to keep their house of cards standing, his covert tracking of Freya's car, his relationship with Tess — it all reflects back something more disturbing than villainy. It reflects love curdled by guilt and fear.

Where the Novel Gets It Right

Killing Me Softly by Sandie Jones delivers on several fronts that readers of the genre will recognize and relish:

The dual-perspective cat-and-mouse dynamic is executed with real confidence. Neither character has the full picture, which means neither does the reader — and Jones manages the information flow with surgical control.
The social observation is razor-sharp. From the passive aggression of Coco's dinner-party barbs to the quietly devastating transactional nature of wealth, Jones understands that cruelty operates in registers as refined as it is brutal.
The pacing in the opening third is close to flawless. The dinner party sequence — building from pleasantry to accusation to catastrophe — is among the tautest writing Jones has produced, each beat landing with the conviction of a thriller writer at the top of her craft.
The theme of addiction is handled with more nuance than the genre usually permits. Rather than using alcoholism as shorthand for dysfunction, Jones lets it operate as a lens: revealing how dependency distorts memory, compromises loyalty, and makes complicity feel almost inevitable.
Freya's mother Anita is a quietly extraordinary supporting character — all narcissism and sharp instincts, never fully wrong and never fully right, and entirely capable of pulling a thread until the whole sweater unravels.

Where It Doesn't Quite Land

For all its strengths, Killing Me Softly by Sandie Jones carries a few of the genre's familiar limitations. Coco, for all the menace she represents, tips occasionally into caricature — too decorated in leopard print and fake lips to feel fully threatening. The novel's most commercially satisfying impulses sometimes override its more interesting ones; there are moments when the plot reaches for a clean twist where ambiguity might have done more work. And while the middle third earns its tension, it does occasionally stall in its own circling, with both narrators retreading their anxieties in ways that stop just short of claustrophobic in the productive sense. Readers looking for a jaw-drop final act may find the resolution somewhat tidier than the chaos that precedes it — though Jones executes it with enough earned emotional weight to make it stick.

The Verdict

Killing Me Softly by Sandie Jones is the novel that asks, with genuine moral interest, how well any two people can ever really know each other — and what happens when the answer turns out to be: not well enough. It is not always a comfortable read. It is not meant to be. But it is an accomplished one, from a writer who understands that the most dangerous relationship is often the one where love is real, the harm is real, and both people are telling themselves they had no other choice. Pick it up in the daylight. You will finish it when you should be sleeping.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHAT did i just read?!?! Amazing 🤩 Immediately starts off with a bang with married couple Charlie & Freya, who are not even remotely what I thought or what they seem on the outside if you were to know them. Like they say you never know what happens behind closed doors, but the beginning of the book they opened those doors wide open & let out all the crazy & mess. BUT! What is SO lovely is it’s just a taste of what’s in store for the reader throughout the rest of the book! Kind of a cat & mouse but more of an even scale that’s a fair fight .. maybe cat & cat … like two mean cats & we get to find out which one is more feral. I loved the entire book & everything that happened & intertwined with Charlie, Freya, her mother & the other people caught in their messy web of fuc$ery. I didn’t even remotely expect anything, what direction the author was going to take us & who was actually ‘good’ or which bad person was better than the latter. Some characters were definitely not as they seemed. Also love how Jones included some little sub plot in there, which I was fully surprised on that (nice job!). Can’t say much more without spoiling but this was quite the ride & had an exceptional ending!!

Oh, super random but the title is actually very fitting (often I question how some book titles are chosen), but I also think it could’ve been Killing Me Slowly (if you’ve read this maybe you agree?)🤷‍♀️😜

I have a lot of Sandie Jones books on my tbr but somehow never actually read one..I’ve been missing out to say the least! This is a must read 🖤

Many many thanks to both NetGalley & the publisher (St. Martin’s Press you seem to never steer me wrong😍) for this ARC, always appreciative of the opportunity!

[Bookaholic__Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is no such thing as the perfect couple. Toxic toxic toxic!


Freya and Charlie appear to be madly in love. Freya has a rewarding job in charity and Charlie is climbing the culinary ladder in London. All it took was one horrible fight and a devastating accident to shatter the facade of perfection.

This tale is twisty! If you love stories with the most unreliable of narrators, can't get enough stories about obsession, want all the deceit and have ever wondered if it's possible to love someone too much... then go ahead and check this one out.

[Jennifer Moore · Rating 2 out of 5]

Title: Killing Me Softly
Author: Sandie Jones
Rating: ⭐️⭐️

A man is injured in a late night hit and run car accident, ending up in a coma. Somehow, Freya and Charlie are linked to the accident but police don’t know that since the victim can’t tell what happened. The accident lead Freya and Charlie to move from London to the Cotswold where they struggle to start over and out the past behind them.

Takeaways:
1. Honestly, this one was a struggle for me. I felt there were so many subplots that seemed thrown in for one reason or another, but instead of being easily connected, they were a bit dodgy. Did they all come together at the end? Yes, but it wasn’t satisfying
2. It was almost like from the beginning, I woke up in the middle of the plot and spent the rest of the book trying to catch up and grasp what was happening and how we had gotten to that point. Some fine details were lacking. For example, there is a point where Freya has a phone conversation with her mother about 2/3 of the way through the book. Yet at the same time there are things and dialogue happening with her husband and there is a disconnect in how it’s laid out.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy. Opinions expressed are my own. This book will be published on March 31, 2026.

#arc #netgalley #bookstagram @sandiejones_author @stmartinspress #killingmesoftly

[Christina C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Killing Me Softly by Sandie Jones is an engaging psychological thriller that explores the complexities of a dysfunctional relationship. At the start of the story, it feels easy to blame both members of the couple for the breakdown of their relationship. However, as the story unfolds and more truths are revealed, it becomes clear that one person carries far more responsibility than the other.

The narrative is told through two different character perspectives, which adds depth to the story and keeps the reader questioning what is really happening. This dual point of view works well to build tension and slowly reveal the darker aspects of the relationship.
I listened to the audiobook, and the narrators did an excellent job bringing the characters and emotions to life. Their performances made the experience even more immersive.

Overall, this was a compelling and well-written story that kept me interested from start to finish. My only small complaint is that I wish the ending had gone in a different direction.

[Zoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ominous, immersive, and addictive.

Killing Me Softly is a sinister, compelling novel that draws you into the lives of married couple Freya and Charlie as their world is irrevocably altered by a tragic accident that leaves one man fighting for his life, and the couple consumed by fear, suspicion, secrecy, and doubt.

The prose is expressive and charged. The characters are complex, deceitful, and conflicted. And the plot unfolds into a menacing exploration of life, loss, family, deception, friendship, guilt, denial, secrets, self-preservation, manipulation, and coercion.

Overall, Killing Me Softly is a dark, twisty, gripping tale by Jones that kept me guessing from the very first page and left me chilled, satisfied, impressed, and curious to see what her devious mind will come up with next.

[Liza (LitLifewithLiza) Armstrong · Rating 4 out of 5]

NetGalley ARC: Charlie and Freya's relationship is a ticking time bomb. Toxic, but they can't stay away from each other and the secrets they're hiding from each other pile up. 

I loved getting the two different POVs and the very different versions of the story they were experiencing (or trying to convince the reader was true). This is a great fast paced, popcorn thriller read and the ending really took me by surprise.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sandie Jones delivers again! I was so hooked on this book. The pacing and back and forth chapters had me flying through the pages. Watch out for crazy women.

Thanks to NetGalley for this arc.

[Katrina (Catching up on Reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many unexpected twists and turns! Knocked down a star because the beginning was a bit drawn out.

[Nicole Wuthering Vines · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlie and Freya appear to have the perfect, idyllic marriage, but looks can be deceiving. Beneath the surface lies a toxic, high stakes game of cat and mouse in this gripping psychological thriller.

Jones delivers another fast paced, addictive domestic suspense, built on the unsettling question: how well do you really know the person you love? The story dives into themes of guilt, deception, obsession, vengeance, control, manipulation, and paranoia, keeping tension high throughout.

The audiobook is especially compelling, with Anna Burnett and Matthew Biddulph narrating in dual POVs that steadily intensify the suspense and pull you deeper into the story.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Killing Me Softly by Sandie Jones

Thank You NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
This novel is about a couple...Freya and Charlie. To everyone, they are the couple to be envied because they are so perfect together and have everything they want and need!!

Or....are they perfect.....?


One night, while visiting some friends, an argument breaks out, both Freya and Charlie are inebriated and on their way home, something tragic happens!
The question is, who is to blame? What happens when you think you know someone so well, only to realize you never knew them at all?!?!?

I enjoyed reading this and loved the twists in it!!! This novel will be available March 31, 2026!!!

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

YES! This is an auto-read author for me because WOW does she know how to weave a story. Even with my suspicion at an all-time high, I can never see where these stories are going and I absolutely love this intricate ride. I felt the stress creeping up on me in a subtle way until bam I was on the edge of my seat. The hits kept coming and the twists were absolute perfection. My chest still feels stressed from the ending and I am still unraveling everything in my head. I could not put this book down!

The audiobook is perfectly conducted to keep you guessing at not only the truth, but the true natures of all the characters and helps lead you completely on the wrong paths.

Thanks to the publisher for an ALC; my thoughts and review are my own.

[Corinne Carson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Freya & Charlie thought they had the perfect marriage, until one night at a dinner party when too much wine was consumed, and a huge fight ensues. They leave the party in quite an uproar and wake up the next morning to a tragedy. But who is responsible for the tragedy? And here begins the cat and mouse game between the two of them where they start to realize maybe their marriage wasn’t so perfect after all. Before it’s all over, you don’t know who is telling the truth or who you can side with. I found the story to be entertaining and fast-paced.

Many thanks to NetGalley & Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely diabolical and I loved every second of it!

Freya and Charlie, the most envied of newlyweds, live a fairy tale life. But after a fateful dinner party the tendrils of their life begin to unfurl and no one can guess who is to blame or how it will all end.

I have loved all of Sandie Jones novels and this one spun my head! I suggest the reader go in blind and enjoy the journey.

The audio narration was fantastic performed by Anna Burnett and Matthew Biddulph

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and the author for this ALC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be available for purchase on March 31, 2026

[Brynn | readyourworriesaway · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sandie Jones is one of my auto-buy authors. Her books are always quick and twisty, and I love that they can be read in less than a day!

KILLING ME SOFTLY is a domestic suspense about a couple who had a perfect life, until one night tore everything apart.

I enjoyed the dual POVs and short chapters. Charlie and Freya’s dynamic left an unsettling feeling and I was trying to pinpoint what more was happening behind the scenes.

This was a fun cat and mouse mystery!

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've loved every book by Jones and this one was fabulous too! Charlie is a chef married to Freya who has a troubled past and is insecure about everything! When Charlie realizes he's in debt as his new upscale restaurant isn't doing as well as he'd hoped, things fall apart for him as he's unable to borrow more money. But both Charlie and Freya have their own secrets from each other and when they collide, everything is bound to fall apart. There are so many themes in this book that they kept me reading long into the night! Brqvo! Another winner!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!