The Date

by T.H. Murdock

What would you do if your first date ended in murder?

A year ago, after a perfect date, Miles Deverill was charged with murder. The handsome young actor became front-page news when he was accused of killing Caira Kennedy, a social worker he had just met that night.

Now acquitted, Miles can’t escape the past. He tries to rebuild his life, but journalists won’t leave him alone. And then the threatening messages start—in Caira's own voice: This is not over. Is she still alive or is someone playing a twisted game?

Desperate to escape, Miles joins friends on a remote road trip. But deep in an isolated forest, one of their group is murdered. Someone close to Miles knows exactly what happened on his date—and this time he has to face the truth. Guilty or innocent, there is nowhere left to run…

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Psychological Thriller, Amazon, Ebooks

341 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2026

About the author

T.H. Murdock is a former journalist turned author of psychological thrillers. His debut novel, The Date, was published in July 2026.

Murdock was born in Redruth, Cornwall, and lives in Bristol with his wife and son. Before turning to fiction, he worked as a journalist for fifteen years in the UK and New Zealand.

Reviews

[Vicki Herbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is Not Over...

THE DATE
by T.H. Murdock

2 1/2 stars. It took me 2 weeks to get 55% of this book read, then I decided to just stop. I'll rate the half that I did read 2 1/2 stars...

While the first chapter was a pretty good hook, the slow-moving rest was unbearable...

Miles Deverill and Ciara Kennedy met on a dating app. The date went well, but afterward, life didn't go so well...

That night, after the date...

Ciara was murdered, and Miles stood trial for the crime...

Much later...

Miles was found innocent by a jury. To celebrate, he and his friends Elis, George, Rubyn, and his sister Polly took a trip to New Zealand...

But...

On his first day back into civilization, someone posing as Ciara sent Miles a text message...

Now seemed like a good time to take that trip, and the sooner, the better...

Looks like Miles' trial is not over...

Looking back on my assessment of what I had read thus far, this seemed like it might be a good murder mystery. Trouble was, it took 50 plus percent of the book for the group to arrive in New Zealand and board their luxury motor home. My problem with this book is that I don't like reading a lot of fluff and filler to get to the meat of the plot. I honestly couldn't stay awake on this one.

This might have been a good mystery, but I didn't have the patience to get to the end.

[CrinM · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lackluster. Started out ok and then just creeped through the rest to find out who did it with chapters from all of the people. A lot of pointless exposition of their lives that had zero impact on the story being carried along. “Big reveal” was a bit flat because we spent so much time getting through all these chapters of nothing that I just didn’t really care. Nothing thrilling or suspenseful about it.

[Cecily - MillennialBookGal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you T.H. Murdock and NetGalley for the advanced audiobook of this novel.

First of all, I loved the setting for the story. It's not often I get to read a story from the wilderness of North Western New Zealand.

The story plays out as a whodoneit, everyone is suspicious at some point or another but man, the way they treat each other as "friends" is quite awful, which made them all kind of annoying and unlikeable.

There were a lot of parts I just felt were really unrealistic decisions made my the groupm I understand the narrative use of red herrings and what not but it just wasn't that believable.

I will say though that I did not guess the ending. I feel like I should have but I didn't. The very ending of the story was the best part and got a reaction out of me but I just wish more of the novel had that same feeling.

Okay read.

[Melissa Chandler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love love!! Totally recommend this thriller. Hidden gem 💎.
We added his future books to TBR 🙌
It’s a whodunnit trope and writing is exceptional.
Currently free with Amazon prime first reads

[Cynth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twisty and unpredictable. I didn’t know who to trust and I loved the New Zealand setting. A brilliant debut not to miss!

[Ali · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of the dumbest books I’ve read in a long time. Intriguing setup introduced and dispensed with in the first 10% of the novel, followed by a pointless description of a bunch of rich assholes on vacation in New Zealand, ending with a final chapter telling us who the real killer is. Nothing but fake suspense along the way, as the characters are all so ill-defined that one couldn’t care less about who did anything or why. Baffling construction.

[Juliet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was gifted an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK/Thomas & Mercer for this opportunity.

The Date is a well-written, expertly paced thriller from the start. Fans of multiple POV will love this one, as the author effortlessly weaves a varied cast of players together from chapter to chapter.

The book begins with a murder trial, the main character accused of murdering a woman he went on a single date with. After being acquitted, he embarks on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to New Zealand with his sister and a handful of friends, where tension begins to build between everyone for various reasons before the plane even leaves the ground.

This was a page-turner for me. I really enjoyed the way the author breadcrumbed details throughout, and it came to a satisfying conclusion. The twists weren’t obvious, but not so outlandish that they couldn’t be at least partially guessed. (It’s a pet peeve of mine when the reader doesn’t have enough information to be clued into the structure of a twist in any way.) I would definitely read another novel by this author!

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caira is 40 and on the dating apps when she meets Miles. They go out, have a nice time, and she invites him in while her orders an Uber. Eleven months later he's charged with her murder! He gets out and later gets a video clip of her saying, "You might think this is over, but this is NOT over!" Now the police are looking for him again. It's a crazy, mixed-up story of jealousy, love, and greed. Loved it!

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super fun suspense story! This one really kept me on my mental toes. Every character became a suspect at one point or another, which is a hallmark of a good mystery. Lots of witty dialogue and unpredictable twists too. I can’t say that I was rooting for any particular character, as none were very endearing, but overall the book was a treat!

[Rich Buickerood · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lots of Empty Words

This is one of those novels wherein every chapter is dedicated to a different character or event. With so many different characters this got old fast. The plot was very slow paced and I wound up skipping entire chapters just trying to get to the point where something actually happened.

[Sarah Empson · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a cracking debut and what an opener! I loved all the characters in this one and the alternating chapters kept it really interesting. This was the perfect read for this time of year and it’s a nice pacy read too. I really enjoyed this as I was second guessing everyone right up until the point of the big reveal. I felt invested in the story and the characters right from the start and enjoyed going along the journey with them all. I can’t wait to see what Tom writes next!

[Bethany Broome · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book made no sense whatsoever the beginning was all about his friends and a case I couldn’t get into it

[Renita D'Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this one

[✨ Brianna Raquel ✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

There was so much written that wasn’t integral to the story

[Shona · Rating 4 out of 5]

A year ago, after a perfect date, Miles Deverill was charged with murder. The handsome young actor became front-page news when he was accused of killing Caira Kennedy, a social worker he had just met that night. Now acquitted, Miles can’t escape the past. He tries to rebuild his life, but journalists won’t leave him alone. And then the threatening messages start—in Caira's own voice: this is not over. Is she still alive or is someone playing a twisted game? Desperate to escape, Miles joins friends on a remote road trip. But deep in an isolated forest, one of their group is murdered. Someone close to Miles knows exactly what happened on his date and this time he has to face the truth. Guilty or innocent, there is nowhere left to run…

I loved the sound of this from the moment I saw it online and I was extremely lucky to be sent a review copy by Tom ahead of release.

The pacing is steady throughout and the book progresses in a direction I definitely wasn’t expecting, the second half of the book ramping up the suspense and suspicions amongst the cast of characters.

Whilst I did figure out a few of the twists I wasn’t totally expecting that final reveal and that twist definitely made me gasp out loud. Whilst the plot in the second half led to some obvious expectations of something bad being about to happen, I was utterly gripped throughout, eager to find out more and if my suspicions were correct.

I have seen a few reviews mention about the title of the book not quite suiting the story and I have to admit I agree, the ‘date’ element was a fairly small part of the book overall, however this is just an opinion and in no way detracted from my enjoyment of the title whatsoever! Definitely keen to read more from Tom and have added his next book, The Best Man, to my wish list already!

[Helen Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a great time reading The Date!

One of my favourite things about this book was the multiple points of view, especially the chapters from Alex. Seeing the story unfold through so many different eyes kept me completely invested, and I loved trying to work out who was telling the truth and who wasn’t.

Once the characters became isolated, the tension really ramped up. Stranded with no signal, no power and no way of getting help, the whole story took on an almost horror-like feel, and I absolutely loved that. The atmosphere became so tense that I couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen next.

I also really enjoyed the constant “did he, didn’t he?” question running throughout the book. Every time I thought I’d worked it out, something else happened that made me doubt myself all over again. There were twists I spotted, plenty that I didn’t, and I loved being kept on my toes right until the end.

For a debut novel, this is a fantastic thriller. It’s tense, entertaining and full of suspense, with plenty to keep you guessing from beginning to end.

A huge congratulations on your debut, T. H. Murdock! 🥳 And thank you so much for reaching out and asking if I’d like to read and review The Date, and for so kindly sending me a signed copy of your debut novel. It was a real pleasure to read, and I’m so glad I got to discover your writing.

[Lu thrillskillsandchills · Rating 5 out of 5]

There’s something so satisfying about picking up a debut novel with no expectations and coming away wondering how it’s someone’s first book. The Date is exactly that! Yet another incredible debut that had me completely hooked.

What begins with a seemingly perfect first date ending in murder soon becomes something far bigger, taking the story from England to the incredible landscapes of New Zealand. I loved the cross-continental feel of the novel, and the court case woven throughout the story added another layer of intrigue as more pieces gradually fell into place. Once the group headed into the remote wilderness, the tension ramped up beautifully. T.H. Murdock did such a fantastic job bringing New Zealand’s wilderness to life that I could vividly picture every scene unfolding.

The multiple POVs kept me constantly questioning everyone’s motives, and I genuinely didn’t see the twists coming. The isolated setting, constant paranoia, red herrings and steadily building suspense all came together for a thoroughly entertaining read. If psychological thrillers with plenty of suspects, shifting alliances and an atmospheric setting are your thing, this is absolutely one to add to your TBR.

4.5⭐️

[tanith_justanotherchapter]

The premise to The Date sounded intriguing and something that I would enjoy so I'm sad that I DNF'd this at 35% in. I tried to go on but I was really pushing myself already. I hate DNF-ing ARC's but I'm also not going to put myself through a book I'm not enjoying.

The book was lackluster but the narrator's voice was also grating (I'm so sorry). Nothing was keeping my attention and I found myself not caring. The characters are unlikeable and not even in a "i'm going to root for you anyway/ you're so unlikeable but I love you" way.

It's a miss from me.

ALC received from Netgalley and the publisher.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Satisfyingly twisty mystery

Miles is falsely accused, tried, and acquitted of the murder of Ciara, an internet date he’d just met. He and his closest friends are treated to a getaway holiday in New Zealand after the trial, by Miles’ parents. One of the friends is a podcaster, hoping to grow his audience by making a video of a rare type of parrot, and the group takes off in a deluxe camper bus for a secluded forest where the birds live. Meanwhile, even away from the press scrutiny in the UK, Miles is being stalked and threatened by an anonymous vigilante who is convinced that he got away with murder. Many surprises are revealed during the sojourn in the remote forest, but the identity of the killer is the book’s last surprise. Unputdownable.

[Ari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could NOT put this one down! Finished it in less than 24 hours. It kept me guessing right up until the end. Unexpected twists and turns, interesting characters, a great read. I’ll have to check out more of Murdock’s work.

[Luis Moreno · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty darn good beach/summer/airplane read. Fast paced, twists you don’t see coming and some interesting characters and locations. Not exactly first rate literature, but not bad at all. Quick, fun read.

[Victoria (storieswithtorie) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful. I can’t believe I read all the way through. I wanted to stop so many times. Just hated the storyline and the fact that a simple reveal got tied up in so much absolute nonsense. Narrator also annoyed me.

[Andrew Potter-Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the book and I was sooo hooked!! I predicted one part of it and not the over, lowkey loved the ending paragraph!!

[Karm Barter · Rating 3 out of 5]

i enjoyed this one but i still had no idea what the point was lmao. I enjoyed the writting style. I will read this author again. nothing too twisty but still fun.

[Tommasina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Chanele · Rating 2 out of 5]

In sum, this was a dull murder mystery involving a bunch of self-centered, generally unlikable characters built on stereotypes. The series of big reveals at the end were not even satisfying.

[Tatum · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was so bored. I couldn’t wait for it to be over and then I just couldn’t take anymore and quit reading.

[Summer Bendle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really like this book in the beginning, but then it just drugged on and on and I really had a hard time focusing. I lost interest and really couldn’t wait for it to be done. I did finish and there was a slight twist at the end, but overall I’d say this book wasn’t a top choice for me.

[Kristi Jett · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book, but it just seemed slow for the first half of the book. The first chapter was fantastic, but then it slowed tremendously for the first half. The second half was much more fast paced. I also did think all the characters were pretty unlikable. Yet, I did find it an entertaining.

Spoiler:
I also hated how the killers got away with murder. I like to have books end with the murderers getting justice.

[Get Your Tinsel in a Tangle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Date starts with a nightmare so aggressively modern it feels like the universe personally subtweeting the dating apps. Miles Deverill, pretty young actor and apparently Britain’s favorite tabloid chew toy, goes on one perfect first date with Caira Kennedy. Cute, right? Drinks, chemistry, maybe a second date. Except no, because by the next morning Caira is dead and Miles is being charged with her murder, which is a fairly dramatic way for a first date to end. Suddenly the man is not “romantic lead energy,” he is “grainy photo under a headline” energy.

A year later, Miles has been acquitted, but acquitted is not the same as free, and The Date knows that in its bones. The court says one thing, the public says another, and the internet is out here acting like it got a law degree from the comment section of a Daily Mail article. Miles is trying to rebuild his life, but everyone keeps staring at him like they’re waiting for him to accidentally confess over a latte. Then the messages start coming in Caira’s voice saying this is not over, and at that point I would personally become a cave woman. No phone, no Wi-Fi, just vibes and moss.

Miles, unfortunately, chooses a group trip to New Zealand with his sister and friends, because nothing says “healthy coping mechanism” like international travel with people whose emotional range appears to be guilt, secrets, and expensive outerwear. This is where the book starts layering on that good, clammy paranoia. Is Miles innocent? Is someone punishing him? Is Caira somehow alive? Is this friend group actually a support system, or just a collection of men who say “mate” while actively ruining your life? The answer to that last one feels spiritually obvious.

The first half takes its time, maybe a little too much time, getting everyone onto the board. There’s court fallout, media pressure, creepy messages, friend tension, sister tension, general “this man has not slept properly since the incident” tension. I liked the psychological mess of it, but there were moments where I wanted the book to stop circling the emotional drain and get to the murder woods already. The setup is juicy, but sometimes it lingers like a guy at the bar who has explained crypto to you twice and is somehow still holding eye contact.

But once the trip turns remote and the forest starts doing forest things, The Date finds its nasty little rhythm. Now we’ve got bad weather, a trapped group, a camper situation, secrets sweating out of everyone’s pores, and another body, because apparently one murder was just the appetizer. This is exactly the kind of thriller setup that makes you suspicious of anyone who says, “We should stay calm,” because that person either knows something or has never watched Scream, and both are red flags.

Miles is the best part of the whole unraveling because he is not packaged as some innocent little cinnamon roll wronged by society. He’s traumatized, yes. He’s also privileged, evasive, scared, and just off enough that you keep shifting in your seat. You feel bad for him, then you side-eye him, then you feel bad for side-eyeing him, then he says or does something and you’re back in the bushes with binoculars. That’s a fun thriller lead. Give me a man whose innocence comes with a terms and conditions page.

The friend group is messy in that very specific way where everyone has secrets, but nobody has the self-awareness to be interesting about them right away. Early on, some of the boys blur together into one smooth prep-school soup of bad choices and suspicious vibes. But once the pressure hits, their personalities start cracking open, and that’s when the book gets much better. The loyalty stuff works. The shame stuff works. The way everyone is performing innocence while privately panic-Googling their own moral compass? Delicious.

What gives The Date a little more bite than just “hot man accused of murder, then everyone goes camping like fools” is the way it plays with public guilt versus private truth. Caira is dead, Miles is acquitted, but nobody gets cleanly released from the story. The book keeps poking at how fast people become headlines, suspects, symbols, villains, victims, and content. It is bleak, but not in a homework way. More like, “Wow, society is a haunted toilet and we all brought phones.”

Did I want the middle tighter? Absolutely. There are stretches where the tension is present, but it’s wearing slippers. I also wanted a little more sharpness from a few characters earlier, because the payoff is strongest when everyone feels distinct enough to be individually judged, which is my God-given right as a thriller reader. But the premise is strong, the back half moves, the reveals are satisfying enough, and the whole thing has that fun “trust no one, especially not the hot one” energy that keeps pages turning.

The Date is a solid 3.5-star thriller for me, the kind of book you read while muttering “oh, come on” and then immediately turning the page because apparently you are the problem too. It’s dramatic, suspicious, a little uneven, and deeply committed to making first dates seem like a public health risk. I respect that.

Whodunity Award: For Turning One Bad Date Into an International Group Trip From Hell With Bonus Murder Sprinkles

Huge, chaotic thank you to Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for the ARC, because apparently my love language is being handed a thriller where dating, friendship, travel, and basic survival all need separate legal waivers.