Title: SLEUTH
Author: CHARLOTTE LANGLEY
ISBN: 9781835013403
Publisher: No Exit Press
Pages: 329
Source: Review Copy from Publisher
Blog Tour Organised by Random Things Tours
Two women hunting the same killer. One seeks justice. One seeks fame. Both have something to hide.
In a remote Scottish town where everyone knows everyone, the disappearance of local girl Poppy McCarthy should be impossible to hide. But as Detective Sarah Morton discovers, some secrets run deeper than blood.
When internet sensation Casey Jones arrives to investigate, her viral YouTube videos about the case spark a media frenzy. The town some worship Casey as a crusader for justice, others see her as a dangerous provocateur. For Sarah, she’s a threat – not just to the investigation, but to the fragile peace of a community already fracturing under pressure.
As Casey’s revelations start destroying lives, Sarah realizes she’s dealing with something far more sinister than a fame-hungry influencer. Because Casey knows things about Poppy she shouldn’t. And Sarah is beginning to suspect that the real predator isn’t hiding in the shadowy hills of Galloway, but broadcasting to millions from plain sight…
Official Summary
01 October 2026
Thank you to Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for the invitation to participate in this blog tour. The blurb immediately caught my attention, and I was excited to dig into this one, especially as I hadn’t read anything by Charlotte Langley since 2024.
This book explores the influence of social media on crime investigation, looking at both the positive and negative sides of how online platforms can affect a case. It is an interesting premise and one that fits perfectly into the world we live in, where information can spread incredibly quickly and everyone seems to have an opinion.
The author creates an intriguing mystery centred around the disappearance of a young woman in a beautiful setting. As the investigation progresses, more and more characters appear to have something to hide, leaving you constantly questioning who can be trusted and what really happened to Lily.
There are plenty of questions throughout the story, and Ruth, our narrator, has a few mysteries of her own. The slow reveal of the problems she is experiencing with her daughter adds another layer to the story and gave me even more reason to keep turning the pages. I wanted to understand Ruth as much as I wanted to find out what had happened to Lily.
Ruth is an experienced detective, but she is also deeply connected to the community, which makes you question whether she can remain completely objective. She is determined to uncover the truth about Lily’s disappearance, even when her investigation becomes increasingly personal.
Her obsession with Mia was perhaps a little overplayed at times, although I could understand why Ruth was suspicious of her. Mia never quite sat right with me either. So much of what she did seemed driven by her own interests, and I found her character particularly interesting because she revealed the darker side of being a content creator and the lengths some people may go to in order to keep themselves relevant.
I found myself completely engrossed in this story and racing towards the end because I desperately wanted to know the truth about Lily’s disappearance. I particularly enjoyed the small-community setting, where everyone seems to know everyone else, but behind those friendly faces are secrets that they would rather keep hidden.
What I really appreciated about this book was that it remained focused on the mystery rather than getting caught up in lengthy police procedures. It kept the story moving, while still giving us enough of the investigation to keep me invested.
Overall, this was an engaging crime mystery with an interesting premise, plenty of secrets and enough twists and questions to keep me guessing. I enjoyed my time in this little community and was eager to discover what had really happened to Lily.
Four stars from me.
REMEMBER TO VISIT THE OTHER TOUR STOPS
Also by Charlotte Langley
THE INTRUSION
When a police detective is found murdered, all clues point to Amma Reynolds, a young woman who lives in the town. Amma has a clear motive. She resents the police for failing to properly investigate her brother’s death, written off as an accidental drowning, but which she believes was murder. If that wasn’t suspicious enough, she is now refusing to speak to the police.
Former detective and private investigator Erin Crane is hired by Amma’s family to try and convince her to talk and to find out what really happened on the evening of DI Mark Stormont’s murder. As she digs deeper, Erin realises that in order to solve the case, she first needs to uncover why Amma’s brother turned up dead in a river all those years ago. Even if it means tearing her friendship with DI Lewis Jennings apart. Because there are some secrets the Wakestead police force would rather stay buried…
About The Author
Author bio from the author’s site
Charlotte lives in London where she works as a journalist. Her debut novel, The Blame, is a psychological thriller following the story of DI Erin Crane. It has been adapted into an ITV series featuring Michelle Keegan and Douglas Booth, out in late 2026.
She has also written a sequel, The Intrusion, and her third crime thriller Sleuth is out in 2026. She is currently working on the third DI Erin Crane book.
I love starting the new month with a blog tour stop. This one was extremely entertaining and left me feeling a little differently towards content creators. I hope you enjoy this one. Until next time…. Happy Reading!
