The Date
A year ago, Miles Deverill was a rising star. Then he was charged with the murder of Caira Kennedy after their very first date. Though acquitted, the public isn't convinced, and the media won't let him breathe. When he begins receiving threatening messages in Caira’s own voice, Miles flees to the woods with friends to escape the nightmare. But when a member of their group is murdered in the isolated forest, Miles realizes someone close to him knows the truth about that night—and they aren't finished with him yet.
- Ciara - Social worker
- Miles - Actor
- David - Miles’s solicitor
- Elis - Mile's friend
- George - Miles’s friend
- Reubyn - Miles’s friend
- Polly - Mile’s sister
- Ben - Ciara’s ex-boyfriend
- Chris Lewin - Detective investigating Ciara’s murder
- Jessie - Tourist in New Zealand
- Faith - Tourist in New Zealand
- Alex Burnfield - Alias used by Miles’s stalker
- Ciara and Miles meet on a dating app and go on a date.
- Part One
- Eleven months later: Miles is found not guilty of Ciara’s murder.
- Miles gets an e-mail claiming to be from Ciara; it contains only an audio file of her saying, “This is not over.”
- Part Two
- A week after the acquittal, Miles, Elis, George, Reubyn, and Polly arrive in New Zealand for a two-week trip.
- Lewin says the IP sending the voice notes traces to a library computer used by Alex Burnfield, which he identifies as an alias.
- At Miles’s trial, Elis testified about the exact time Miles arrived at his flat the night of the murder giving him an alibi.
- The group meets Jessie and Faith at a bar; they are also on holiday.
- The ‘Ciara’ voice notes mention very specific details, making Miles believe someone is following him.
- Reubyn tells Miles about the RV and Faith and Jessie agree to join the group.
- Part Three
- Alex leaves a package at the hotel front desk for Miles; it contains a bullet.
- The group drive the RV to the forest where they stop to camp.
- Jessie sees a man in the woods.
- Elis had lied about Miles being with him on the night of Ciara’s murder.
- Part Four
- The next morning, Elis is missing.
- The group finds Elis dead in a bird hide with his throat slit.
- The RV won’t start, and they have no cell signal.
- Burnfield Court is the name of a drug house Ciara visited often for her work.
- They discover that someone deliberately sabotaged the RV engine.
- Faith and Miles hike out of the forest to try and get a cell phone signal.
- Faith pulls a gun on Miles.
- Faith is Alex Burnfield.
- Faith lived at Burnfield Court with her druggie mother and she thought Ciara was an angel and the only good thing in her life.
- Faith lured Elis to the bird hide, got him to admit his alibi for Miles was false, and then killed him.
- Miles lunges at Faith; she shoots him in the shoulder, but he grabs the gun.
- Miles explains that on the night of Ciara’s murder, he fell asleep in his car because he was too drunk to drive home.
- Faith flees.
- Several weeks go by and Faith is still on the run, Elis is buried.
- Faith paid the man at the bar to ask about the whiskey the guys were drinking.
- Miles wants to quit acting and become a social worker.
- Epilogue: Reubyn appears on a podcast to talk about ‘Escape to Hell’ the true crime series he produced.
- Reubyn says he plans to return to New Zealand to look for Faith, and Jessie agreed to join him.
- Reubyn was the man Jessie saw in the forest; he followed Miles and Jessie to the bird hide, observing Miles to learn how to attract women.
- On the night of Ciara’s murder, Reubyn saw Ciara and Miles on their date, followed them to Ciara’s house, and knocked on her door after Miles left.
- Reubyn kept Ciara's scarf as a trophy.
The Date is a tense and enjoyable read. I really liked T.H. Murdock's writing style and the short chapters. The narrative structure—jumping between the present tense and past snippets from Miles’s trial across a few different POVs—builds and layers the suspense.
The official book blurb feels a little deceptive, as the characters don't reach the forest until the 50% mark. However, the steady build-up and sharp prose make the journey worth it.
Miles is an interesting main character. The story keeps you questioning his guilt or innocence regarding what actually happened to Ciara, acting as a hook that keeps you turning pages right up to the reveal. With its escalating tension and a good twist, it’s a solid thriller from start to finish.
#NetGalley #TheDate
- Ciara - Dead - Strangled by Reubyn
- Elis - Dead - Had his throat cut by Faith
- Faith - Alive - On the run from the police
- Miles - Alive - Plans to quit acting and become a social worker
- Jessie - Alive - Returning to New Zealand with Reubyn to search for Faith
- Reubyn - Alive - Considering killing again
- Murder
- Harassment
- Stalking
- Blackmail
- Alludes to rape of a child
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
ISBN: 9781662529337
Publication Date: July 1, 2026
Note: Details are for the original edition. Other formats, editions, and audiobook versions may be available.
