Man this book was good! Just when you think you’ve figured it out, you find out you haven’t. The shifts in time and perspective kept me guessing the entire book. Highly recommend!

This book delves into the harrowing aftermath of a daughter's disappearance and the fractured lives of her grieving parents, Harry and Zara King, whose search for answers unravels a web of secrets and sorrow.

Harry and Zara King's world collapses when their daughter, Sophie, goes missing without a trace. Despite six weeks of intensive police investigation, Sophie remains elusive, and their desperation intensifies as they confront the chilling silence from the occupant of house number 210, whose refusal to cooperate becomes a haunting obsession.

As Harry and Zara navigate their anguished journey, their marriage strains under the weight of grief, pushing them into separate realms of sorrow and introspection. The narrative unfolds through alternating perspectives—Harry and Zara's—as well as dual timelines: the immediate aftermath of Sophie's disappearance and a year later during a murder trial that unveils startling truths.

Harry and Zara emerge as complex and deeply human protagonists grappling with profound loss and guilt. Mahmood skillfully portrays their individual grief journeys, highlighting how differently they process their daughter's absence and the toll it takes on their relationship. Supporting characters add layers of intrigue and suspicion, underscoring the novel's exploration of trust and betrayal in the face of tragedy.

The novel delves into themes of grief, parental love, resilience, and the devastating impact of a child's disappearance on a family. It probes the nuances of memory and perception, revealing how secrets buried in the past can shape the present and dictate the future.

Mahmood's writing is taut and evocative, weaving together suspense and emotional depth with skillful precision. The alternating perspectives and dual timelines enhance the narrative's intensity, drawing readers into the emotional turmoil of the characters' quest for closure and justice.

This is a compelling and poignant exploration of loss and resilience, underscored by intricate storytelling and nuanced characterization. Imran Mahmood crafts a gripping tale that captures the complexities of grief and the profound impact of a daughter's disappearance on a fractured family. Perfect for readers who enjoy psychological suspense and heartfelt narratives that delve into the depths of human emotions, this novel leaves a lasting impression as it unravels the mysteries of love, loss, and the price of silence.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I used to read a ton of thrillers, but have gotten a bit bored with them over time. This one felt different at first, with the opening scene being an unknown person facing a trial for an unknown crime. I liked the perspective changes between the main characters, but there were times the story dragged a bit for me.

Harry and Zara King’s daughter, Sophie, is missing. After leaving the house one day, she seemingly vanished into thin air. Ever devoted to her, both are beyond distraught not knowing where she could be. As days turn to weeks and weeks turn to months, the police are without any answers. To both Harry and Zara, they each can’t let it rest. At the same time, however, their relationship starts to show the strain of the unrelenting not knowing.

A complicated exploration of two parents’ grief after the disappearance of their daughter, it felt, for the most part, like a very long, slow burn. Shining a light on how two people can experience grief differently, this story was emphatically thought-provoking and poignant.

I ended up listening to the audiobook on this one, and I listened to almost the entire thing in one setting. I didn’t know who to trust, who to root for, or where it was going. Just when I thought it was just about over, bam, it was not! This was a twisty story that kept me guessing the entire time!

Full disclosure: I did not finish this book. The author did too good of a job writing this novel. I have a daughter about the same age as Sophie- and I couldn't' get past my own emotions and feelings of dread to finish the book.

Rounding up for benefit of the doubt.
This book just wasn't really for me. I have read a good amount of thriller books, and this genre is starting to become a bit formulaic. Yes, the story is pretty solid, but I feel like the writing didn't do the story the justice that it deserved. The ending didn't feel deserved, even with the improvement for the latter 2/3 of the book. This one isn't really for me, but I can see where folks would enjoy.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

This one was hard to put down. I was intrigued the entire time.

Thank you NetGalley, Imran Mahmood and Raven Books for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I am hit or miss with thrillers that have a slower pace but I really enjoyed this one. The way the book was written really worked with the points of view of both Sophie's parents and their nightmare of having their daughter missing as they each deal in their own way. I love that you don't know who is standing trial in the trial chapters. The pace really picks up though the last third of the book and I didn't want to put it down and it kept me guessing all the way to the end! 5 stars for this book!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for an advance copy for review purposes.

A teenage girl is missing and the parents are trying to find her with no leads from police.
I love the flow of this book and the way it was written.

When Harry and Zara King’s teenage daughter Sophie disappeared the police made little progress on the investigation. Going door to door, the Kings questioned everyone along the routes that Sophie may have taken. They also distributed questionnaires for those who were unavailable. Harry goes out every evening to look for Sophie while Zara contacts her friends and prepares to celebrate Sophie’s upcoming birthday, never giving up hope. The only uncooperative neighbor is the man in #210. The Kings begin to suspect that he knows something and as the weeks pass they become more desperate to confront him. Harry goes as far as buying a drone and flying it through the neighbor’s open window. How well did they really know their daughter? She had a boyfriend known only as D that she kept secret. She was also consulting a psychic, who Harry confronts. Rather than the charlatan that he expects, she offers sympathy and advice.

Imran Mahmood alternates Harry and Zara’s search with scenes from a murder trial. The details on the trial are vague at first, but as it progresses it becomes clear that the Kings’ desperate search had gone too far. Throughout their initial search, Harry and Zara lean on each other for support, but as time passes they begin to grow apart, keeping secrets from each other and following their own paths. Even when they separate Harry plans his actions to protect Zara. Mahmood brings his trial to a surprising conclusion and the revelation of Sophie’s fate is revealed as Harry finally discovers the identity of D. Mahmood’s story is an emotional one that offers a number of surprising twists that make it difficult to put down. I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine for providing this book.

Harry’s and Zara’s lives have revolved around their daughter Sophie since she was born almost eighteen years ago. But one day, she leaves home and doesn’t return. Six weeks later, the police case has stalled but Harry and Zara believe that a man on their street has the answers. Unfortunately, he refuses to answer the door or even leave his house, which only fuels their obsession. But as their obsession grows, so does the distance between them, until tensions increase to a breaking point, and they find themselves willing to do whatever it takes to find answers and reclaim their lives.

This story is told from the dual perspectives of Harry and Zara as well as in a dual timeline. I enjoyed the POVs as it was interesting to see how the parents’ reacted differently to the same situations as well as two completely different reactions to grief. What I disliked was how little suspense was included around the suspicious neighbor, because we weren’t really given any reason for him to behave so guiltily and since he did from page one, there was no buildup or tension present.

The last third or so of the book shifts to more of a court procedural, which unfortunately is not something I tend to find interesting. Similarly, the book is much more of a family drama than a thriller. It was rather slow and there were many times that I had a difficult time remaining engaged. The ending was surprising, but not in a good way, more because there wasn’t enough development for it to be believable and it felt anticlimactic after that whole journey.

If you’re looking for a slower paced family and legal drama, then you’ll likely enjoy this one. My thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I enjoyed this novel by Imran Mahmood. It was told through the perspective of husband and wife Harry and Zara and also through various timelines. The novel follows the couple in the wake of the disappearance of their daughter Sophie. It picks up about 6 weeks after her disappearance and alternates between this period as well as a year later. I found the shifting perspectives interesting, as well as a helpful addition to the story. The courtroom scenes were my favorite and I enjoyed learning about the British system of law. The book started slow, but picked up in the second half. May be slow for some mystery and thriller readers. All in all a good and enjoyable read.

A slow burn legal thriller that picks up the pace in the third act and doesn’t let up! I really Enjoyed this story of a teenage girl who goes missing and her parents commitment to finding out what happened to her. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I tried so hard to really get into this book but I just could not connect with the plot line or the characters, It was a quick read but overall did not leave an impact on me.

This book really wasn't for me. The beginning of the book was extremely slow for me and it took me a while to get into it. I found myself getting very bored and at one point I considered not finishing the book, but I pushed through it and eventually developed a greater interest in the story.

There was a lot of unnecessary detail in some points, and I feel that if those details had been omitted, the story would have moved a lot faster for me. I also found the main characters, Harry and Zara, to be unlikeable, and though they were grieving, I had a difficult time connecting with them.

I became invested when I approached the last third of the book. I picked up my reading pace to find out how the story would end, only to be extremely disappointed by the ending. The book went from being slow-paced with not a whole lot going on, to being very out-there and fairly unrealistic considering there wasn't much build-up getting us there. If there was a place to have extra details, the last third of the book would have been it.

Overall, this book was a very slow read for me and I didn't enjoy it as much as I would have liked to. The plot had some good suspenseful moments, but the slowness in between really took away from it.

This is intense but yet also a slow burn where not much happens for most of the book, but also I was completely hooked and had to know how this was going to go, which is always a great sign. The premise is basically how far would you go to find your daughter who is missing, and what these parents uncover / think they know happened drives them to do things they wouldn't normally do. I could not imagine going through this, and after the slow build for most of the book, the ending was a bit abrupt but not altogether unrealistic.

Thank you to Ballantine and PRH Audio for the copies to review.

An underage girl in her last year of School disappears. Her parents, both teachers at her school, immediately start searching for her. They interview all their neighbors with the exception of one man who lives down the street. Finally her exasperated father breaks into his home and assaults him in an attempt to find her. Days later the man is found murdered. Both parents are arrested and held in prison for a year while awaiting trial. Going any further into the complex and multi-faceted plot will only lead to spoilers. The book is narrated by both parents and also by the trial. The climax is exceptional. Thanks to Net Galley and Ballantine for an ARC for an honest review.

I couldn't put this one down.

The subject matter is definitely heavy. Relationships are complicated. Raising children is complicated. Grief and loss are complicated.

What are we truly capable of if our loved ones are lost or hurt. How far would you go, as a father or mother, to right the wrongs and put things back in order.

Loved the story, the mystery, the discovery, and the ending. I highly recommend this one.