Tyrell Johnson takes his readers along on an insightful journey into one woman’s life and psyche, as she works to overcome her demons and take back the control she thought she’d lost forever.

Jeanie King lost her mother very young, when a car accident claimed her life while Jeanie watched on helplessly from the back seat. She’s only twelve when tragedy strikes again, and her father disappears – and takes her beloved twin brother Jamie with him. Suddenly abandoned, she finds herself falling into a spiral of impulse decisions and self-isolation, until a visitor from her past appears and offers her the chance to confront and conquer her darkest fears.

I had a slightly rocky start with this book – it took me a while to warm up to Jeanie, as she’s an intentionally confronting character. But when I settled into the story and got to know her better, I was pleasantly surprised; Tyrell Johnson has written a wonderfully complex character and takes a thoughtful approach to telling the story of the trauma and experiences that shaped her. Side characters were equally three dimensional and realistic, and The Lost Kings grew on me quickly.

Despite the title, this is really Jeanie’s story, told in alternating timelines between her present self and the child who went through so much. The author takes his time, and before long the journey overtook the destination as the important part in my eyes. I did want to see Jeanie have the chance to find the brother and father whose absence so shaped her life – but I was also happy just to enjoy the process of getting there, as Tyrell Johnson worked his magic and created a story that completely captivated me.

I came away from this book uplifted, and more than a little bit emotional. The Lost Kings is an excellent thriller, but it’s those memorable characters who will really stay with me.

I’d like to thank netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. The premise drew me in but once I started reading this, I just couldn’t get into it at all.

Such an intense , depressing, character driven, dark psychological/ domestic thriller hooked me up truly with her damaged, broken MC Jeannie! Her story truly made me sad. Her genuine broken voice, her self sabotage, her suffer, her guilt feelings, her inner punishment truly made me sad! It was impossible not to fe for her!

Even though 20 years passed after the most tragic night in her lifetime, she still suffers from PTSD, burying her head into hard liquor bottles, having an affair with a married man! She’s a mess and she has no intention to fix things in her life! She left her life in Washington: because there is nothing left there to hold on: an ominous night sealed her future: her father came to her childhood house covered in blood and took her twin brother Jamie with him. She never forgave herself to stop him even though she was only 12!

Now she’s hiding from her past, denying everything about her old self till her childhood boyfriend Maddox appears out of nowhere, telling her father is finally found which means she has to face the evil for learning the truth about her brother’s whereabouts!

She learns to put aside her complex feelings, reluctantly flying to the states to open the can of worms for bringing out for secrets she can absorb!

I liked the dark and riveting tone of the story which intrigued me from the beginning. The final twist is a little foreseeable but I still enjoyed it!
Overall: it’s gripping, complex, well executed thriller I’ve read in one sit! Absolutely recommend it to the psychological thriller lovers!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

Jeanie’s life is a train wreck, she’s way too fond of alcohol and married men. Now living in the UK, Jeanie is still suffering PTSD after seeing her father come home covered in blood one night when she was only 12. The next day her father disappeared, taking her twin, Jamie, with him. Now, twenty years later, her childhood boyfriend, Maddox, has tracked her down to tell her he’s found her father. She agrees to travel back to Washington with Maddox, but only so she can find out what happened to her brother. This is a surprisingly good read, easily a cut above the flood of domestic thrillers on the market because the characters are so real and the story is just different enough to hook you from page one