This was the slowest of slow burns. I had to reread the beginning multiple times because it just wasn't clicking with me and I kept losing focus. The majority of the book was quite boring and it wasn't until maybe the last quarter that things picked up. I usually enjoy legal thrillers, but this one was a real slog up until the ending where most of the court case played out. And I'm not sure about my feelings on how it played out either. I mean I understand what happened, but I am not even sure if it would happen like that in real life? A lot of this book just seemed far-fetched, while trying to be super serious and emotional gripping. Overall, I rate this book as ok.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this book was OK, though it went in an entirely different direction than I expected, and I want to be careful about not giving anything away during this review. The book centers on Harry and Zara, whose 17 year old daughter Sophie goes missing. As the synopsis says, the book deals heavily with their grief, which was alternately moving and repetitive, in my opinion. It's really not a thriller, though there is a mystery involved related to the disappearance and subsequent happenings. I ended up liking the 2nd half more than the first half, where it went in a new direction. That's all I will say without giving away more than the synopsis did. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Seventeen year old Sophie goes missing, her parents only child. Harry and Zara cannot begin to start grieving when they don’t have closure.

Told from past and present POV from both of their - this was well written and thought provoking.

What would you do to get your child back?

I really like the story, but the ending felt rushed.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for an advanced copy

Harry and Zara are devastated by the disappearance of their seventeen year old daughter, Sophie. The story is told in the alternating perspectives of both of them interspersed at times in a current timeframe during an initially mysterious murder trial. Believing that the police are not doing enough to find Sophie, both parents begin to conduct their own separate inquiries which pushes them away from each other. While Harry is obsessed with interviewing a reclusive man who lives on their block, Zara starts to uncover Sophies secrets.
This book is very creatively written and I found myself drawn in right away. Zara and Harry's actions are certainly "cringe-worthy" which seems to be a powerful technique to draw the reader in by creating criticism around their unconventional behaviors. Their lies to each other and everyone else about their secretive inquiries come to a dramatic and extreme head with some unexpected twists towards the conclusion of the story. I certainly found this book to be very entertaining and overall, an enjoyable read. The twists were surprising and creative. My only criticism is that everything seemed to wrap up quickly and the ending was rushed. While it seems that Harry and Zara had no consequences for their outrageous behaviors, one could argue that losing their daughter was consequence enough and this made the story. more thought-provoking.

Zarra, Harry's daughter, Sophie's goes missing and the parents focus their lives on finding her. The police response is minimally helpful. Harry and Zarra knock on every door in their community to find a clue. There is nothing they won't do to find Sophie. The chapters alternate between Zarra, Harry and a court case and does a deep dive into the hearts of the parents, their relationship their fear amd grief. I loved the suspense, the intensity and intimacy of the writing and the story itself. I recommend watching the Netflix series based on an earlier book by Imran Mahmood, "You Don't Know Me," as well as the book. Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced copy of Finding Sophie, an excellent read.

What did I just read. From the first page to the last. I truly can't believe I actually stuck with this book.

This is the kind of review that I HATE to write. I hated this book and still couldn't put it down. I had to stick it out and find out what happened to Sophie. I had to know who possibly murdered Sophie. And what her parents got involved with.

Sophie went missing and her parents would not rest until she was found. They terrorized the man across the street because he refused to open his door and let them interrogate him. I don't blame him. Then he is murdered. They both are arrested for his murder. But there is more going on and they both get out. The trial is dismissed. Yeah right!!

I read this whole book and it makes my skin crawl to think about. I hope I forget this one fast. It will be the one that sticks with me because it was so bad. Oh my I hate writing this review. The ending was stupid. The start was ok but the middle was stupid too. Where were the police during all the things this couple did. During the time this girl, this seventeen year old, was missing. Good grief.

I understand that grief will make you crazy but still. Neither of these two were put in a mental hospital and both needed it bad. They used others and each other. They were nuts. Yeah I get that most parents might be in this situation but it happens and parents have to move on and live somehow. Not try and take the law into their own hands. And again WHERE WERE THE POLICE..

I'm sorry but to me this book is just no good. I feel bad for this author for this review but I have to be honest. I read this whole book and I have to post my feelings. Better luck next time and this is the last by this author that I will ever read.

Thank you #NetGalley, #RandomHouse, #Ballantinebooks, for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

2/5 stars and anyone that knows me knows I never give that low of a rating. I did this time. It earned it.

I started this book a few weeks ago, couldn’t get into it, and set it aside. Today I tried again, and in the beginning, I was about to DNF it. That’s something I rarely do though, especially with an ARC I’ve committed to reviewing, so I started to speed read.

When I started the story, I liked the plot but hated our two main characters, Harry and Zara, whose daughter Sophie has been missing for six weeks. They are obviously unreliable narrators, due to the trauma they are going through. Harry can’t say his daughter’s name so in the book (at least, in the ARC, in his chapters her name is written as “S——“. In the beginning that drove me mad, but thankfully, I either got used to it, or it slowed down.

As we know from the synopsis, Sophie is missing and her parents have talked to everyone they know, except their neighbor at 210, Herman. He has a veritable fortress around his house, and he refuses to speak to anyone. Sophie’s parents don’t appreciate that, and events transpire. Harry finds a clairvoyant named Katya through a business card in his daughter’s room, and the things she sees…they aren’t good.

Eventually, I stopped speed reading and started getting into the story. Most chapters are from the POVs of Harry and Zara, but there are also chapters from a courtroom where a murder trial is being held. The parents are not likable at all, but their remorse over small things, and how being without their daughter is destroying them and their marriage, made me slightly sympathetic. That being said, they are idiots, and the ending wasn’t as good as I expected. This book had some weak and strong parts, so I’m going with an average three stars.

(Thank you to Bantam, Imram Mahmood and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.)

"Finding Sophie” by Imran Mahmood
Publisher: Bantam
Publication Date: March 5, 2024
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bantam for the ARC of this book. All opinions below are my own.

This is a slow burning thriller/crime novel about 16 year old Sophie who has gone missing without a trace. Her parents, Harry and Zara, turn inward with their grief, each processing the tragedy in their own way. As time goes on they are driven apart by this, as Zara is deeply depressed while Harry is obsessed with solving the case and seeking revenge.
The story is told in dual POV with both Harry and Zara serving as narrators in the recent past (when Sophie first goes missing) as well as present day when they are on trial for murder. I will say that I particularly enjoyed the latter half of the novel which was set mostly in present day.

I do think this was a well written story, especially for a debut. My only critique is that some of Harry and Zara's actions had me rolling my eyes.

This book was so, so good. Once I started reading it I could not put it down. I hope everyone else enjoys it as much as I did.

Ooof, this was a tough read. More of a slow burn character study than your typical thriller but with all the intensity and addictiveness of one.

A parents worst nightmare … Harry and Zara are distraught over the disappearance of their seventeen-year-old daughter. Taking deep dive into the grief parents go through as individuals and as couple, we go through with them via a courtroom drama, which IMO was so very well done. The UK judicial system goes by the powerful premise of “better to let nine guilty men free, than have one innocent man hang”. 

This was a highly emotionally charged, tense and compelling read.

Huge thanks to @netgalley @bantambooks @penguinrandom for an advanced e-arc 💌

I could not get into this story. I am not sure if it's the writing or what. The blurb on this book was right to my alley but the writing style made it very difficult for me. I believe this could have been a much shorter, well written story but it just fell short for me

I enjoyed this book a lot. The storytelling was very interesting and I enjoyed the writing. I like the two different timelines in this book - going back and forth between what is currently going on for the main characters, Sophie’s parents, (the trial) and then the events leading up to their present day at the trial. A lot of the details were very intricate for this story. You felt the characters heartbreak and their determination and their frustration in trying to find out what happened to their daughter. The author did a great job having me think/believe one thing and then surprising me with taking the story a different way. I was on the edge in parts of this book, thinking I knew when in reality I what I thought was wrong. I loved how this story played out and I really did enjoy Imran’s writing.

Thank you to Imran Mahmood, the publishers and NetGalley for this story in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

There is a lot to like about this novel, the second for this author who is a real-life barrister in the UK. I was glad that among other items, this book also ticks the box as, toward the end, a quality courtroom drama.

Finding Sophie is a gripping psychological thriller that doesn't let go. 

The story follows Harry and Zara Kings, a couple whose teenage daughter, Sophie, goes missing without a trace. Harry and Zara are devastated and desperate to find their daughter, but the police seem to be baffled by the case.

Harry and Zara decide to take matters into their own hands and begin their own investigations. Harry patrols the area around their home, while Zara infiltrates Sophie's social circle. Both Harry and Zara make significant discoveries, putting themselves in danger as they edge closer to the truth.

Harry and Zara are both complex and well-developed characters. Harry is a former soldier who is struggling to cope with his daughter's disappearance. Zara is a lawyer who is determined to find Sophie and bring her home.

The novel is also a meditation on grief and loss. Harry and Zara are both grieving the loss of their daughter, but they are also dealing with the pain of their own pasts. The novel explores the different ways that people cope with grief and loss, and it shows how grief can both bring people together and tear them apart.

Finding Sophie is a powerful and moving novel that will stay with you long after you finish reading it. It is a must-read for fans of thrillers, character studies, and novels about grief and loss.

In addition to the above, here are some other things that I liked about the novel:

The writing is excellent. Mahmood's prose is clear, concise, and evocative.

The plot is well-paced and suspenseful. I was constantly wondering what would happen next.

The characters are complex and believable. I felt like I really got to know Harry and Zara, and I cared about what happened to them.

The novel is thought-provoking. It made me think about grief, loss, and the power of hope.

Overall, I highly recommend Finding Sophie to anyone looking for a well-written, suspenseful, and thought-provoking novel.

I have tried multiple times to read this one but I just couldn't get into it. I didn't connect with any of the characters. And I found the writing style confusing. Things were just so disconnected and it was hard to follow what was going on.

What could have been a simple missing girl story has a slight shift to the parent's desperate reaction and criminal actions in this thriller/suspense fiction. Sophie, an 18 year old girl is missing, and her parents begin investigating what happened, and find they are willing to go to any length to find out what happened. The first half is a bit slow, more suspenseful but not thrilling. As we piece together what happened, the pace picks up significantly, with an action packed final quarter. I really enjoyed this story, though the final bit does have a few too many twists and turns that stretch the unbelievable to the truly implausible. Overall, a well-told thriller that puts its own spin on domestic thriller tropes.

I love thrillers about missing kids. It’s the true crime lover in me. This book was very fast paced and easy to read which to me, made it even more enjoyable with a satisfying ending

I received a free copy from NetGalley. Two parents dealing with grief and each other. I like that you read events from both of their points of view.

Published March 5th
2.5 When their teen daughter Sophie goes missing, teachers Harry and Zara are desperate to find her and unable to cope emotionally with her loss. Harry cannot use his daughter's name and goes door to door searching for clues. Zara becomes depressed and spends hours lying on her daughter's bed. They are both unable to resolve what they know about their child with what they're learning about her life. The police are no help at all when a neighbor's activity becomes obviously suspicious. This portion of the book was interspersed with chapters in a courtroom, though we will only later learn who is on trial and for what crime.

When Harry and Zara each independently decide to take matters into their own hands, things certainly become more interesting.

Overall, the pacing was very slow.
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Harry and Zara King’s 17-year-old daughter, Sophie, went missing and has not been found. The police have done a lot to try to find her. Harry and Zara are both teachers and have been off work for a while now. Harry can’t bring himself to say her name but stays up in his loft trying to figure out where she may have gone. He has even consulted a psychic who says she’s behind a wall. Zara cannot eat and is so frail. They have talked to all of their neighbors who have ben so sympathetic. However, there is one man who has high walls around his house and refuses to talk to them. Harry is convinced this man knows something.

The story is told from Harry then Zara’s point of view. Their pain is intense. Then, they find something that Sophie had been involved in that has shocked them. Next, we are taken into a courtroom for a murder trial but we don’t know who is on trial for that offense.

This book is so heavy and tense. The extreme grief shared by Harry and Zara is heart-wrenching. It’s incredible how the author captured these emotions and put them on the page. The courtroom drama is spectacular. Be prepared to read a novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Enjoy!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thank you very much @netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of Finding Sophie by Imran Mahmood. Sophie is 17 years old and she is missing. Her parents are not impressed with the police investigation, and they both try to do some investigating themselves. It causes a rift in their already fragile marriage. Will we find out the truth? Good murder mystery, lots of twists. #findingsophie #imranmahmood #netgalley #advancedreadercopy #bookstagram #booklover #reader #bookblog #lovetoread #fictionreader #bookreview #bookrecommendation #readersofinstagram #bookloversofinstagram #takeapagefrommybook #readallthebooks #booksbooksbooks #booksofinstagram #bookwormproblems #bookaholic #booknerd #whattoread #readingtime #bookaddict #ilovetoread #ilovebooks #needtoread #readallday