Witness: A Gripping Psychological Thriller of Doubt and Deception

by Freya Wolfe

She wakes with a hangover.
A bruise she can’t explain.
And a note on the bedroom I saw it all.

From that moment, nothing in Sadie Jones’s life will ever be the same.

---Sadie thought she had everything under control. But when her search for answers leads to threatening messages and sinister encounters, she realises she can’t trust anyone - not her friends, not her colleagues, not even herself.

The closer she gets to the truth, the more her world tilts out of control.

Witness is a dark and addictive thriller full of twists, secrets and shocking betrayals—perfect for fans of C.L. Taylor, Harriet Tyce and Lisa Jewell.

Gripping, atmospheric and impossible to put down, Witness will keep you reading long into the night. With every page, the tension ratchets higher - until the final shocking twist leaves you breathless.

465 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 27, 2025

Reviews

[NomadicReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so intrigued by the premise of this novel: a woman obsessed with finding the truth after receiving a mysterious note and witnessing an accident embarks on a dangerous quest for answers. Unfortunately, it ended up being a pretty slow burn, and it did take me a bit to get into it. However, the sense of paranoia grew, and the pace picked up in the second half. The author uses red herrings and misdirection to draw the reader away from the truth, but it is still a little predictable. That being said, this novel is still well written, an easy read, and entertaining.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Thank you, Booksirens and Freya Wolfe, for the arc.

[Eileen Murphy-Schmehl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meet Sadie, a married teacher who finds excitement in nights out with her friends. She comes home to her husband, Tim one night and finds a note she can’t remember. What did she do at the bar?

Sadie sets out to find the person who wrote the note, and finds a mystery in the making.

A good, twisty thriller. A must read.

I received a copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Juliana Cotrin Sobreiro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Living in a good marriage, but with a need to feel herself desired by other men, Sadie wakes up one morning, in her house - with a bruise she can’t remember how she got it, also finding a post-it with a note on one side (by someone she doesn't know, saying them knew something) and a phone number on the other (from someone she barely remembers) -, and decides to talk to her friends Helena and Liv to see if they could help her solve that puzzle. When she meets them, the three of them get to solve the bruise matter and figure out the phone number belongs to Fabian - the man she flirted with the night before -, and the note's author remained unknown to them.

Deciding to find out what really happened the night before, Sadie asks Fabian to meet her at the same place they had met. Getting there, they argue and he warns her of the consequences her attitude could get - warning that her friends would later give her too.

With one part of the puzzle solved, Sadie goes after the note's author's identity and what exactly they know about. Setting an appointment with them, she witnesses them being run over by a bus and decides to investigate the accident. As she does, she starts receiving threatening texts, as well as she sees her life turn upside down, going from bad to worse and worst.

This story is full of twists and turns, getting somber at each chapter, also with a dash of levity at some moments. It'll keep you in a good mood sometimes, also on the edge of your seat.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Kevin Veness · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was offered to me by booksirens, in exchange for a review. This is my first experience of such, and to be honest, didn't really sure what to expect.
WOW!! This book all resolves around an incident that our main character Sadie witness's and Mollie is killed by a bus. While the police treat the event as a tragic accident, Sadie is convinced she was pushed. Sadie becomes obsessed with finding out the truth unfazed by the consequences.
This is a really good read. The characters are all well defined and there are plenty of twists to keep you reading just another chapter!. Highly recommended.

[Corinne · Rating 2 out of 5]

My 6P review: Publication, Plot, People, Place, Prose/Pace, Praise

After a boozy night out, Sadie Jones finds a post-it-note in her bedroom. She reacts to the note and her life begins to unwind and spiral out of control.
The blurb was enticing so I was really keen to read this book. Unfortunately it just did not deliver.
The note itself would not really be enough for anybody to follow up on, they would more than likely just throw it away. It was a weak start to the story.
I did not like Sadie. What was with her nighttime trips to pubs and clubs leading men on. I did not like this. Its hard enough for women to be taken seriously when raped and then you have women like her destroying all the hard work women have done. Her behaviour was irrational at times and I just could not understand her or her motives. Her interactions with her friends, colleagues and the police were tedious. I could not really feel any sympathy for her.
The scenes were well written and easy to visualise.
Overall, I found this too unbelievable and the while the ending left me a little surprised, it too was unbelievable in the way it played out. I found myself skimming just to finish the book.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Natalie Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up because it had an interesting premise, and even though I'd say it's a bit of a slow burn, it didn't take long before I was deep in the depths of trying to figure out what was going on.

While I did solve the central mystery quite early on, it was still intriguing to see how it all played out. The writing is very engaging and keeps you interested.

I had never read a Freya Wolfe book before but after reading this one I will have to look up her other books.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Mary Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a while to get into this and I thought early on I'd have to give up. I didn't though and am glad. As the book progresses, and Sadie's mental state becomes more shaky, I became more entrenched in the story.

Sadie is not a sympathetic character but I did feel for her towards the end. The twists came and while I had one figured out , the final one was a surprise. Overall , a very good read.

[Pheadra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance copy of this book and am leaving this review voluntarily.

The blurb on this one appealed to me. A woman awakens with a bruise and no memory of what happened. All she has to assist her is a post-it note claiming to have witnessed everything and a phone number on the reverse side from someone she barely remembers.

The pace was erratic with slow parts then fast-paced then slow paced again, which I don't enjoy. There were several twists so I kept reading. 4 stars

[Heather Beveridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Throughout, the story unfolded with pace and plenty of twists and turns to keep readers guessing. The main character is realistic and relatable, and I was rooting for her to get to the bottom of the mysterious chain of events she finds herself caught up in. It's also really well written, meaning I kept turning the pages well past bedtime. Definitely worth a read!

[Arvin Dhillon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good and fast read. Plot is not unique but telling it, is unique.