The Bodies by Sam Lloyd
published 19 June 2025
PUBLISHER: Bantam
FOMAT: arc paperback
PAGES: 384
🌟 Review Note:
This review is provided as part of the Virtual Book Tour hosted by Zooloo’s Book Tours which runs 19 June to 2 July 2025. Follow along, with the Book Tour Schedule.
Thank you to the author Sam Lloyd, publisher Bantam, and, of course Zooloo’s Book Tours for including me on this book tour and for providing a paperback advanced reader copy of this crime thriller to read and review.
As always, this review reflects my honest thoughts.
About the book
How many times would you let your child get away with murder?
When you look down at your newborn baby, you realise they were right, those smug parents you’ve always rolled your eyes at: you’d do literally anything for your child. To make them happy, keep them safe.
So when Joseph Carver wakes one night to find his teenage son Max scrubbing the kitchen, hands wet with blood and panic flooding his voice as he promises it was an accident, he didn’t mean to do it, Joseph does the only thing he can. He helps Max bury the body.
Joseph thinks that’s the end of the nightmare. Until he finds Max with stricken eyes and bloody hands once again . . .
You’d do anything for your child – even cover up a murder.
But how many times?
About the Author
Sam Lloyd grew up in Hampshire, where he learned his love of storytelling. These days he lives in Surrey with his wife, three young sons and a dog that likes to howl. His first three thrillers, The Memory Wood, The Rising Tide and The People Watcher were published to great critical acclaim.
Twitter: @samlloydwrites
My Review
The Bodies by Sam Lloyd is one of those rare books that doesn’t just hook you — it grabs you by the throat and refuses to let go. From the very first chapter, I was pulled into this dark, gripping, and heartbreakingly intense story. It’s one of the best thrillers I’ve read in a long time — a solid five stars and then some.
The premise is terrifyingly simple: Joseph wakes one night to find his teenage son, Max, scrubbing blood from the kitchen floor. An accident, he says. Just an accident. And Joe does the only thing a parent can do — he helps cover it up. But when it happens again, and again, the stakes spiral wildly out of control, and the questions cut deep: how far would you go for your child? What lines would you cross? What monsters would you become?
This book hit me harder than I expected. The writing is sharp, clever, and infused with a raw emotion that kept me breathless. The twists come out of nowhere — brutal, shocking moments that left me reeling. The tension is relentless, building with every chapter until I felt like I was right there with Joe, panicked and desperate, unable to look away.
And the gore… wow. Reading this during the hottest week of the year was an experience in itself — it felt like every scene, every description of the bloody aftermath, turned my stomach just a little bit more. But it’s a testament to Lloyd’s storytelling that I couldn’t put it down. This is a book that doesn’t just entertain; it burrows under your skin and lingers long after the final page.
The Bodies is an absolute masterclass in psychological thrillers — a dark, disturbing exploration of parenthood, guilt, and sacrifice. It’s brutal, heartbreaking, and completely unforgettable. Do yourself a favour and pick it up… just be prepared to lose sleep, shed a few tears, and possibly skip a meal or two along the way. It’s that good.
This review may also appear on my social media and selected book platforms. All links are correct at the time of posting.
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The Tour…
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