Her Stepmother's House

by K.L. Slater

First, she took my husband. Then my daughter moved in. And now my little girl is accused of murder…

I can’t wait to see my sixteen-year-old daughter Brie, and get back to sharing secrets over cozy dinners together. But when I arrive at her stepmother’s stunning house to collect her, she stares at me coldly, like I’m a stranger. A silver stud gleams in her nose, and she’s dropped out of college. And she doesn’t want to come home…

Brie’s eyes slide away from me, as her stepmother Leanne puts an arm around her shoulder. The message is clear. We stand together and you’re on your own. I’m forced to spy on my daughter, watching as she embraces a much older man, and I vow to do whatever it takes to protect her.

But then the call comes in the middle of the night. Brie’s shaking voice telling me she’s in jail, and that she killed her new boyfriend. It can’t be true.

I thought things couldn’t get any worse. Yet hours later, I learn that Leanne has told the police I’m unstable, to look at the bottles in my bin and the lies I’ve told at work. When footage emerges of me threatening Brie’s boyfriend in the street I feel the net closing in. Someone is framing me and my daughter. I know we are both innocent. Will anyone believe me?

Genres: Thriller, Audiobook, Mystery

Audible Audio

Published October 9, 2026

About the author

Kim is the number one bestselling author of sixteen psychological crime thrillers. She has sold over two million copies of her books worldwide. She has also written four Carnegie-nominated Young Adult novels as Kim Slater for Macmillan Children’s Books. Kim has an MA in Creative Writing and lives with her husband in a small Nottinghamshire village.

Publishers: Bookouture, Sphere, Grand Central, Audible
Agent: Camilla Bolton at Darley Anderson

Author website: www.KLSlaterAuthor.com
Twitter: @KimLSlater
Facebook: KL Slater Author
Instagram: KLSlaterAuthor

Reviews

[Caz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This psychological thriller really pulled me in. It’s intense, emotional, shocking and had me going through pretty much every emotion going.

The story starts with Carrie having to go abroad for work, leaving her daughter Brie to spend two months with her dad and stepmother. Brie isn’t exactly thrilled about the arrangement, but it’s only two months… what could possibly go wrong? Well, quite a lot as it turns out!

When Carrie comes home, she heads to the station expecting to meet Brie, only Brie isn’t there. Then her ex phones to tell her that Brie doesn’t want to come home. She wants to stay permanently with her dad and stepmother.

Now that would be enough to send most mums into a complete panic!

From here, things just keep getting more intense. The family dynamics, the secrets and the relationships between the characters kept me completely invested. I was constantly wondering what was really going on and why Brie had suddenly made such a huge decision.

I really liked the characters because there was so much going on beneath the surface. Nobody felt completely straightforward, and I was never quite sure who I should trust. There were plenty of moments that had me thinking, hang on a minute…

The writing is magnificent. K. L. Slater draws you right into the story and keeps the tension building. I felt shocked, angry, suspicious, uneasy and completely invested. There were definitely a few surely not! moments along the way!

I’m not going to say too much about the twists because I think this is one you need to discover for yourself. The less you know, the better.

I had an absolute blast reading this. It kept me guessing, kept me turning the pages and had me wanting to know what was going to happen next.

Intense, emotional, shocking and brilliantly written. I absolutely loved it and highly recommend this one. 🖤✨

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and K. L. Slater for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Publishing date: October 9th 2026

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty, pretty good! This was a classic psychological thriller with just the right amount of intensity. You got your over the top mum, deep rooted missed placed revenge, and Murder. I was on to the twist, but the details of it all had me like “Seriously….wow.” I was pretty much annoyed with everyone at some point, but they made it work.

Looking for a cleverly well put together thriller? Then check this out. It won’t blow your mind, but you will give it a well deserved nod 🙂‍↕️and for that I say….thank you very much!

[Tia · Rating 5 out of 5]

RATING: 5 ⭐
GENRE: Psychological/Domestic Thriller
PUBLICATION DATE: October 9th, 2026

When Carrie’s sixteen-year-old daughter, Brie, announces she wants to live with her dad and stepmother, Carrie is devastated. Despite Brie’s cold, distant and cruel demeanor, Carrie is determined to mend this rift she doesn’t truly understand. But then one night she gets a call that turns her life into a nightmare. Brie has been arrested, accused of murdering her boyfriend. Desperate to uncover the truth, unsure of who to trust, Carrie will go to the ends of the earth to protect her daughter. What mother wouldn’t?

I haven’t read a K.L. Slater book in a while, and I’m so glad I picked this one up. What a wild, tense, addictive book!

🥳 What I loved

Atmosphere: This was the epitome of suffocating and agonizing. Slater mastered the claustrophobic isolation Carrie is going through, suspecting everyone while dealing with feelings of guilt and heartbreak.

Pacing: Absolutely relentless, from beginning to end, with so many hold your breath moments that left me gasping.

Characters: Slater has crafted a cast of fully fleshed out characters that put you through an emotional roller coaster. Their thoughts, actions and reactions felt completely authentic and natural.

Twists/Ending: Those final couple of chapters were stressful and completely wild. I thought I had it all figured out, but I’m thrilled to say there were so many clever layers, I was totally wrong!

🤔 Things to consider

I can’t find anything to say that I didn’t love about this book, but I will add some possible trigger warnings.

TW: Gaslighting and manipulation, anxiety and paranoia, parental panic and guilt.

Final Verdict

This was such an unsettling book, and I loved everything about it. Fans of fast-paced and addictive domestic thrillers will have a blast with this one. K.L. Slater is a master of her craft!

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and K.L. Slater for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.

[Jayne · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

➡️ Why Do Stepmothers Always Get Such a Bad Rep?
You'll have to dive into K. L. Slater's newest release to answer that question.

➡️ Twisty and Character-Driven.
This domestic thriller delivered plenty of intriguing psychological layers and propulsive twists that kept me guessing.

➡️ Waaay Too Long.
Unfortunately, pacing issues bogged down the middle.
This 9-hour audiobook, easily could have been a tighter 7-hours without losing impact.

➡️ I listened to the audiobook, expertly narrated by Clare Corbett.
While Corbett delivered a standout 5-star performance, a story told from three distinct POVs would have truly benefited from a multi-cast narration to give each voice its own unique weight

➡️ Great Addition to the Audible Plus freebie collection.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would say this is a psychological thriller and family based drama plus police procedural all mixed in to make the story work

We meet Carrie ( Mum ), Brie ( daughter ), Gareth ( Dad and ex hubby ) Leanne ( Gareths new wife ) and Jez ( Brie’s older boyfriend )

All have issues and things they would rather the others didn’t know but on Carrie’s return from a 2 month work trip Brie has totally ghosted her Mum and wants nothing to do with her

And then Jez is murdered and Brie gets the blame

We then follow Carrie and the Police as they try to make sense of the senseless and as revelations start to appear the unpalatable truth slowly emerges

A good read, the author never writes a bad one and is written in the usual involving style fans love

[Cin (cinsnextchapter) · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Carrie returns from a work trip abroad, she’s stunned to learn that her sixteen-year-old daughter Brie doesn’t want to come home and would rather stay with her father and stepmother. The whole reason Carrie went on the trip was to secure a promotion that would allow them to move into a bigger home, but it all feels a bit pointless now. Then Brie is arrested under suspicion of MURDER! What the heck is going on?? Her Stepmother’s House had me turning pages nonstop as I tried to get to the bottom of everything. I was SHOCKED by the reveal!

[Louise Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't wait to see my sixteen-year-old daughter Brie, and get back to sharing secrets over cosy dinners together. But when I arrive at her stepmother's stunning house to collect her, she stares at me coldly, like I'm a stranger. A silver stud gleams in her nose, and she's dropped out of college. And she doesn't want to come home. Brie's eyes slide away from me, as her stepmother Leanne puts her arm around her shoulder. The message is clear. We stand together and your on your own. I'm forced to spy on my daughter, watching as she embraces a much older man, and I vow to do whatever it takes to protect her. But then a call comes in the middle of the night. Brie's shaking voice telling me she's in jail, and that she killed her new boyfriend.

The pace is fast in this twisted read. The characters are well-portrayed. The story is emotional and realistic with secrets, lies and murder, There's a few threads to this story, but they are all tied up by the end of this book.

Published 9th September 2026

I would like to thank #NetGalley #Bookouture and the author #KLSlater for my ARC of #HerStepmothersHouse in exchange for an honest review.

[Susan Belman · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

This one started off a little slow for me. The prologue got the wheels turning, and then I had to wait a bit to get back to that feeling of “okay, what is REALLY going on here?” Once the story picked up in the middle, though, I was back on board and ready to hop on the information train. 😂

One thing I liked was how you could feel for pretty much everyone involved. You feel for the mom who just wants to understand why her daughter doesn't want to come home. You feel for Brie, who just wants to be understood (ugh, teenage years!). And you feel for Leanne, the stepmom who's trying to keep the peace without being a pushover herself. Then there's Dad, who seems pretty clueless about what's happening around him… or is he? 👀 I liked watching the pieces come together, and the reasons behind everything made sense to me. I also thought the reveal of who was responsible was believable, even if it wasn't a huge shocker for me. The ending was happy-ish, I guess? I mean, somebody *did* get murdered, so let's not get too carried away with the happily-ever-after. 😂

Overall, I enjoyed this one. K.L. Slater's writing kept me interested, and once the story got moving, I wanted to know how everything would play out. It just didn't quite have that extra something to make it a five-star read for me. A solid psychological thriller that I enjoyed, even if it wasn't a new favorite.

[Landa · Rating 3 out of 5]

👌🏽👌🏽👌🏽

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 3.25 out of 5]

Her Stepmother‘s House by KL Slater, Kerry is so excited she’s been in Spain for two months for her work and is now back and can’t wait to see her daughter and give her all the souvenirs she brought from there. not only does Bree not want to go home with her mom she doesn’t even after two months even want to see her. Carrie isn’t leaving until she sees her daughter in needless to say the reunion doesn’t go well at all. Kerry goes home but she is beside herself with sadness and anger Adbury not wanting to be with her. It bothers her so much that the next day even though she has an important meeting having to do with the work she did in Spain she does not attend the meeting nor after many inquiries from her coworkers does she even acknowledge their questions. Instead she gets in her car and waits down the road from Gareth and Leanne’s house her ex and stepmother, so she can see her daughter Bree. She isn’t prepared to see her daughter pull up in a car with a grown man after all Bree is only 16 years old and if Carrie was angry before now she’s livid it doesn’t help matters that Jess the boyfriend seems to find amusement in all of carries distress. while all this is happening she learns Gareth knows about the grown man but thankfully it seems Leanne is on her side and despite once not liking her during the situation she couldn’t be kinder. This is why when Carrie sees Jess and Bree kissing on the high street she parks in the middle of the road and has a loud argument ending it with with her telling Jess “I’ll kill you!” leanne who is at a local pharmacy comes out and drives carry home so she can calm down and get her witts about her. unfortunately this is when things go off the rails because her daughter is soon arrested for the murder of her older boyfriend and Carrie takes it upon herself to solve the case. let me just say for most of the book I didn’t guess who the perpetrator was but eventually I did and was shocked to see I was right having said that there were many things about this book that irritated me I get the whole gentle parenting but as parents you’re supposed to prepare your child for the real world and sometimes instead of gentle parenting you need practical parenting where you explain to your child the error of their ways more than once have been carry I would’ve have added it I mean not every thing ends like a thriller so the sake of course in my case hopefully would be less life-changing but I just couldn’t get over how she spoke to her and how Carrie was just OK with that and the dad was just say OK with that talk to your mom anyway you want it’s fine it just just got on my nerves I don’t like to see kids disrespect the only people that would put their life on the line for them and they talk to them like crap now that that is out of my system for the most part this is still a very thrilling book and one I definitely enjoyed I was so excited to see it on kindle unlimited and I am grateful I got to read it and definitely recommend it. #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview,

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Her Stepmother’s House is a standalone psychological thriller by bestselling author K.L. Slater. Having read and enjoyed her previous novels, I was anxious to start her new novel.
Her Novels Include:
Safe With Me (2016)
Blink (2017)
Liar (2017)
The Mistake (2017)
The Visitor (2018)
The Secret (2018)
Closer (2018)
Finding Grace (2019)
The Silent Ones (2019)
Single (2019)
The Apartment (2020)
Little Whispers (2020)
The Girl She Wanted (2020)
The Marriage (2021)
The Evidence (2021)
The Widow (2021)
Missing (2022)
The Girlfriend (2022)
The Narrator (2023)
The Bedroom Window (2023)
Husband and Wife (2023)
Message Deleted (2024)
The Married Man (2024)
The Lucky Winners (2025)
My Husband Next Door (2025)
The Chef (2026)
The Waitress (2026)
We Tell Lies (2026)
Her Stepmother's House (2026)

This is my review of Her Stepmother’s House.

Carrie, an IT Professional has been working abroad for two months in Spain and returns home to find that her sixteen -year-old daughter, Brie, wants nothing to do with her, and has fallen in love with a twenty-year-old older boy, Jez. Brie has been staying with Carrie’s father, Gareth and stepmother, Leanne, in their converted barn in a rural village. Brie tells her mother that she wants to continue living with her father and stepmother. Why is Brie so distant?

Carrie had been working overseas to help build a better life for her and Brie. What did her ex-husband and his new wife do or say to make Brie so resentful of her mother?

What follows is murder, secrets and lies.

I really enjoyed this one! I kept turning the pages to see who did it!

Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for my digital copy.

[Carrie Shields · Rating 3 out of 5]

𝑵𝒐𝒘, 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆, 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝑮𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒉 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑳𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒆, 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑩𝒓𝒊𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒔𝒏'𝒕 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒂𝒃𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆. 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒇, 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒉𝒐𝒘, 𝒊𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒇𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒏𝒖𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒅.

After working abroad for two months in order to gain a promotion. Carrie expects to pick up her sixteen-year-old daughter, Brie, and fall back into the comfortable rhythm they once shared. Instead, Brie is distant. Her stepmother Leanne has clearly become the person she turns to, and Carrie finds herself on the outside looking in. Then Brie is arrested for killing her boyfriend, and the situation becomes even more complicated when evidence begins pointing toward Carrie. Suddenly, mother and daughter aren't just struggling to find their way back to each other. They're both fighting to prove their innocence.

This was a perfectly serviceable domestic suspense that kept me turning the pages without ever quite delivering the thrills or shocks I was hoping for. Where the story worked best for me was in the complicated relationship between Carrie and Brie. That frustrated mother-daughter dynamic felt believable, particularly when you add a stepmother into the mix and all the resentment, insecurity, and misunderstandings that can come with it. I appreciated that the emotional tension between these women was given room to develop rather than simply being used as background noise for the mystery.

Overall, this was a solid read for me. The writing is good, the family dynamics are handled well, and there are enough questions surrounding Carrie, Brie, and Leanne to keep the story moving. I just never reached the point where I felt genuinely shocked or on the edge of my seat. For readers who enjoy straightforward domestic suspense with complicated family relationships at its center, this should be an enjoyable and easy read. Many thanks to Bookouture for this early copy that will publish October 9, 2026.

[Jo Woodcock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well it doesn't surprise me but this book is brilliant as with all K.L Slater books are. This is totally one you get drawn into from the beginning and I found it so hard to put down. Thoroughly enjoyed it and the storyline and characters kept you totally hooked. Thanks to Netgallery for letting me read this early 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 5 stars from me.

[Shelly Turula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripped from the very start! I read this in the same day since I could not put it down! The story begins with a murder sans victim details and switches to Carrie, returning back home from a 2 month work abroad trip, ready to reunite with her 16 year old daughter, Brie. Carrie shares custody with Gareth, her ex-husband, who has remarried. Brie has seemed to transform over the 2 months Carrie was in Spain and does not want to go back home with Brie and requests to stay with her dad and stepmother, Leeanne. Brie is also dating a 20 year old man named Jez which concerns Carrie but Gareth/Leeanne seem much more accepting. As I read this, I did not know which characters to trust as the story built and I loved the twist! Highly recommend! I enjoy reading K.L. Slater and look forward to her next one! Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC. All opinions are my own. Expected publication: 09 Oct 2026

[Ashley Shirah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rounded up to a 2.5

I really wanted to love Her Stepmother's House, but the pacing completely killed my momentum.
The story relies heavily on a slow-burn setup to build up the domestic tension and family dynamics. While I understand setting the stage, the first half dragged so much for me that I completely lost interest. Once a book drags like that and breaks my immersion, it’s almost impossible for me to come back from it.
I pushed through to around the 50% mark—right where the major turning point and arrest happen—hoping the shift in momentum would hook me back in. But by that point, the damage was already done. Even with the plot accelerating into the investigation phase, I just couldn't re-engage with the story.
If you love very slow-building domestic suspense where the payoff happens in the second half, this might work better for you, but the slow execution in the first 50% just wasn't a fit for my reading taste.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Andria Lambert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read a couple of books by this author and enjoyed them. I actually have purchased about a dozen more over the last year and added them to my tbr list to read.

Her Stepmother's House is a psychological domestic thriller that hooked me from the beginning and kept me reading and hooked to the end. Carrie is going away on a work trip and her daughter Brie is staying with her father and stepmother. When Carrie returns from the work trip, Brie doesn't want to go back and live with her, she wants to permanently live with her father, Gareth and stepmother, Leanne. Brie seems to have totally changed in the couple of months that Carrie has been gone. The changes in Brie and circumstances really hits Carrie hard. Then also not only is that devastating, but Carrie also finds that she is getting blame for something from the work trip and she is being scapegoated by the company who seeks to fire her. It seems her life is falling apart but it only gets worse, her daughter Brie is then arrested for a murder. Carrie is just trying to be a mother but at every turn things keep going wrong and people keep getting in the way. I don't want to go into all the twists and turns because I don't want to spoil the story and there are several great twists. There are several characters( Carrie's ex-husband, his new wife, Brie's too old for her boyfriend) in the story that you don't know whether they are trustworthy or not and you don't quite know what all the connections are until close to the end when it all comes together. I found the story to be fairly fast paced and entertaining. I really enjoyed this one! I love thrillers but I also like stories that make me feel something and I couldn't help but pull for Carrie and Brie to resolve their mother-daughter difficulties.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the complimentary copy of the story.

[Angela Mellor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Her Stepmothers House was a really good domestic family thriller.
Carrie lives on her own with Brie her daughter, Brie spends weekends with her father and new wife until Carrie has to go abroad for work for two months leaving Brie with her father. When Carrie gets back Brie has changed, things in her life have changed and she doesn’t want to really speak let alone live with her mother. Carrie is at her wits end but what can she do? Then a something happens and Carrie must find out what really is going on with her daughter.
This was a really good read with complicated family dynamics which gave it an edge. The characters were good strong and independent that had been well developed. Brie was my most unliked character but maybe because underneath her skin she was a scared young girl not knowing who to turn to and who to trust. The book set off quite slow and took me a couple of chapters to settle in but there were a lot of twists along the way, some I got some i didn’t and I enjoyed the ending. When I see a book by this author I know I can relax into a decent thriller.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

[Audible Book Junkie · Rating 2.5 out of 5]

While I normally enjoy a KL Slater book, this one was very frustrating. The plot itself was good, but the mother and daughter relationship was a rough read.

There is no way in hell I would ever allow my 16 year old child to speak to me like this girl talked to her mom. PLUS, after the daughter gets arrested WHY WAS THE STEP MOM ALLOWED TO BE WITH HER??? It made zero sense and made the entire thing frustrating to listen to. She was a 16 year old child, yet she got to choose a random adult to be wiith her during questioning? Thr police were fine with it.... And worse yet, her mom didn't fight it?? Sorry. No.

On top of that, the way the stepmother constantly talks for the girl and the mom just allows it. She would be like, oh come on let her rest and YOU can talk to her tomorrow.... I'm sorry what??? It was maddening.

Especially after this 16 year old CHILD gets released from police custody.... She is told she can't talk to her father..... Soooo she goes home with her CUSTODIAL parent right???? Nope. She goes home with the stepmother......Who LIVES WITH THE FATHER... The father was conveniently missing at the time .... Sure.... Because that makes sense.

The entire story was based on everyone involved having and keeping secrets. The father, the mom, the stepmother, the kid, all of them. That in itself was fine... The rest of the plot.... Good... The twist? Nicely done.


The legal end with the child? Ridiculous.

[Mimosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of advanced copy received from NetGallery

3.75/5⭐️

This is the first K.L. Slater book I’ve read, so I had no idea how I would like her writing. It’s definitely easy to read and got me hooked quickly. Even though I prefer shorter chapters and the chapters in Her Stepmother’s House could be on the longer side, I had no issue with the length at all. This isn’t only because of the plot, but also because of the structure of the chapters.

Even though the book stole some precious hours of sleep, the plot was okay. I wasn’t on the edge of my seat while reading, but it was the enjoyable. The beginning of the book wasn’t really action packed, so you got know more about protagonist.

Overall, an easy, interesting and fun book to read. I’m definitely interested to read more books of K.L. Slater!

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another cracking read by KL Slater. From the first page, I was drawn in.
Carrie has just spent two months in Valencia for work, leaving her sixteen year old daughter Brie with her father, Gareth, and stepmother Leanne.
When Carrie returns home, Brie does not want to speak to her mother, let alone return home with her.
Carrie is at her wits end and starts to unravel both at home and at work.
Brie has a boyfriend who is totally unsuitable. Then, in the middle of the night, the police are knocking on Carrie's door. Brie is in trouble.
There are so many threads to this, and I loved how each reveal unfolded and came together.
The number of times I wanted to throttle Carrie, give her a shake, tell her to calm down, back off from her daughter. Of course, she wasn't going to do that!
This is fast-paced, has plenty of twists, and is very believable.
An easy 5 star read.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC in return for an honest review.

[Victoria Fensom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brie moves in with her dad and step-mum when her mum travels to Spain for work, and much to her mum’s disappointment, they become a picture perfect happy family… or do they?

This was exactly how a thriller should be — gripping, intense and full of unexpected twists. I was completely invested in the story from the get go and constantly questioning what was really going on.

The family dynamics added so much tension, and there was an unsettling atmosphere throughout that kept me intrigued. The twists kept coming, and just when I thought I had things figured out, another revelation had me questioning everything again.

I really enjoyed this one and think it’s one of K. L. Slater’s strongest books so far. A great psychological thriller for anyone who enjoys secrets, suspicion and plenty of twists - I’d definitely recommend! Thank you NetGalley for my ARC.

[Catherine · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

K.L Slater is back on form with this latest outing.

Carrie has spent time away in Spain on a work trip. Needed to develop her career and to provide for her teenage daughter Brie. Brie was entrusted to the care of her father and his new wife Leanne.

However, the daughter she left all those weeks ago is not the one she returns to. Brie doesn't want to go back to her mums. She's dropping out of college and a new much older boyfriend. She's also on very good terms with her Stepmum.

But when Brie is taken in for murder family ties are tested.

A great read.

[Sarah Bloomfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many thanks to netgalley,the author and the publisher for approving my request to read this book.

I love this authors books and I think this one is my favourite that I had read so far. It's dark, brooding, unsettling, expertly woven and very clever in regards to the twists, I 100% didn't see one coming!

This one had my reading way past my bedtime, do yourself a favour and add it to your to be read list pronto, you will not be disappointed!

[Carvanz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one! There was so much tension surrounding Carrie and her daughter Brie, especially once Brie started acting like a completely different person and seemed determined to stay with her father and stepmother. I kept wondering what had happened while Carrie was away and why Brie was suddenly so distant from her.

Then everything takes a much darker turn and Carrie finds herself caught in a situation that any mother would fight like the devil to fix. There were so many secrets, lies and twists that kept me questioning who I could trust. I had all kinds of theories while I was reading, and I definitely didn't see the ending. This was a tense, twisty read that kept me turning the pages to find out what was really going on.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC copy. I loved it! I loved the story line. I love that it kept me guessing! I thought the story was going one way and then it went the opposite. There were things I didn't see coming! 5 stars!

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this one! Love seeing DI Price and Brewster together again working the case!

[Maja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you very much Bookouture for the ARC!

Maybe I am biased because I do usually enjoy all the KL Slater books I am reading, but I can wholeheartedly say that Her Stepmother's House did not disappoint! I was drawn in from the beginning thanks to all those things I like - a twisted story moving along in a fast pace and short chapters that always wants you to read 'just one more'....

Also, I did feel for poor Carrie! Like, who could get over the fact that their only child suddenly wants to live with their stepmother? Say what you7 want, something can net be right then... and seeing this is a thriller - without wanting to put any spoilers here - this is most likely going to be the case! Full 5 stars from me!

[Katie Lovell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not for me

[Dee Groocock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of advance copy received from NetGalley and the publisher.

When Carrie returns from a long work trip abroad, her sixteen-year-old daughter, Brie, won’t go back home with her. She wants to carry on living with her dad and stepmother.

Carrie’s life starts to fall apart, and as things go from bad to worse, Brie won’t have anything to do with her mum.

When Brie’s older boyfriend, Jez, is found dead, Carrie wants to rush to her daughter’s side after Brie says she killed him. Only wanting her dad and stepmother by her side, it’s down to Carrie to get to the bottom of the death of Jez, as well as trying to get her life back on track.

This was a book that I couldn’t put down, I was intrigued as to where the story was going and found myself quickly hooked.

I felt sorry for Carrie, she had no one in her corner fighting for her and she had so much to deal with.

I did find it hard to take to Brie, but at the same time, I felt for her, she was a scared young girl who had no idea who she could trust.

I always say each book is my new favourite from the author as she manages to grip me immediately and leave me wondering what direction the story is going to take. A dark and disturbing story that had many twists and kept me guessing.

[Kim (hundredacreofbooks.com) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mother. A daughter. A murder accusation. And far too many secrets.

The Stepmother’s House by K.L. Slater had a premise that immediately pulled me in. While I struggled to connect with some of the characters, the plot kept me turning the pages, particularly once the story reached its midway point. With family tension, manipulation, secrets and twists slowly being revealed, this was a difficult book to put down.

Read the full review over on Hundredacreofbooks.com
https://hundredacreofbooks.com/her-st...