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Finding Sophie
Win a free print copy of this book!
12 days and 19:21:46
50 copies available
U.S. only
Two parents, desperate to find their missing daughter, stand accused of murder. How far will they go to find the truth?
Someone is guilty.
For the last seventeen years, Harry and Zara King’s lives have revolved around their only daughter, Sophie. One day, Sophie leaves the house and doesn’t come home. Six weeks later, the police are no closer to finding her than when they started. Harry and Zara have questioned everyone who has ever had any connection to Sophie, to no avail. Except there’s one house on their block—number 210, across the street—whose occupant refuses to break his silence.
Someone knows what happened.
As the question mark over number 210 devolves into obsession, Harry and Zara are forced to examine their own lives. They realize they have grown apart, suffering in separate spheres of grief. And as they try to find their way back to each other, they must face the truth about their daughter: who she was, how she changed, and why she disappeared.
Someone will pay.
Told in the alternating perspectives of Harry and Zara, and in a dual timeline between the weeks after Sophie’s disappearance and a year later in the middle of a murder trial, Imran Mahmood’s taut yet profoundly moving novel explores how differently grief can be experienced even when shared by parents—and how hope triumphs when it springs from the kind of love that knows no bounds.
Someone is guilty.
For the last seventeen years, Harry and Zara King’s lives have revolved around their only daughter, Sophie. One day, Sophie leaves the house and doesn’t come home. Six weeks later, the police are no closer to finding her than when they started. Harry and Zara have questioned everyone who has ever had any connection to Sophie, to no avail. Except there’s one house on their block—number 210, across the street—whose occupant refuses to break his silence.
Someone knows what happened.
As the question mark over number 210 devolves into obsession, Harry and Zara are forced to examine their own lives. They realize they have grown apart, suffering in separate spheres of grief. And as they try to find their way back to each other, they must face the truth about their daughter: who she was, how she changed, and why she disappeared.
Someone will pay.
Told in the alternating perspectives of Harry and Zara, and in a dual timeline between the weeks after Sophie’s disappearance and a year later in the middle of a murder trial, Imran Mahmood’s taut yet profoundly moving novel explores how differently grief can be experienced even when shared by parents—and how hope triumphs when it springs from the kind of love that knows no bounds.
352 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication March 5, 2024
About the author
Imran Mahmood
4 books202 followers Imran Mahmood was born in Liverpool in 1969 to first generation Pakistani parents. He has been working on the criminal bar in London for over 20 years and regularly appears in jury trials across the country dealing in serious and complex criminal cases.
He now lives in South East London with his wife and is currently plotting a second novel.
He now lives in South East London with his wife and is currently plotting a second novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
November 19, 2023
WOW! Powerful! Heartbreaking!
At seventeen Sophie is pushing family boundaries, trying to spread her wings. Her parents Harry and Zara are just as strongly trying to keep them clipped. Neither can go on this way. And just as suddenly…Sophie is gone!
Short chapters told from the perspective of both parents. Each going through their own private hell trying to survive and ultimately find Sophie.
How far would you go to find your missing child? Would you commit...murder?
This is not a warm & fuzzy, lite thriller. In fact, at times it is painfully heavy-hearted. The grief and fear of both parents are raw and palpable. My heart broke for both Harry and Zara as I watched them come apart.
I found this book to be utterly unputdownable! Finished in just 2 sittings. Make sure to block off some time because once you pick this one up the world will just fade away until you reach the final page!
This was my first read by Imran Mahmood. His background includes criminal law that you see by his expertise displayed here in the courtroom scenes.
I cannot wait to read more from this very talented author!
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine
At seventeen Sophie is pushing family boundaries, trying to spread her wings. Her parents Harry and Zara are just as strongly trying to keep them clipped. Neither can go on this way. And just as suddenly…Sophie is gone!
Short chapters told from the perspective of both parents. Each going through their own private hell trying to survive and ultimately find Sophie.
How far would you go to find your missing child? Would you commit...murder?
This is not a warm & fuzzy, lite thriller. In fact, at times it is painfully heavy-hearted. The grief and fear of both parents are raw and palpable. My heart broke for both Harry and Zara as I watched them come apart.
I found this book to be utterly unputdownable! Finished in just 2 sittings. Make sure to block off some time because once you pick this one up the world will just fade away until you reach the final page!
This was my first read by Imran Mahmood. His background includes criminal law that you see by his expertise displayed here in the courtroom scenes.
I cannot wait to read more from this very talented author!
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine
January 18, 2024
IT IS BETTER TO LET NINE GUILTY PEOPLE GO FREE-THAN CONVICT ONE INNOCENT PERSON OF A CRIME THAT HE OR SHE DID NOT COMMIT- That is the standard of the criminal justice system in the UK.
Guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the U.S.
I knew from the opening pages that this would be a story to savor….
One day, seventeen year old Sophie left home angry-and never returned home.
Six weeks later, her parents, Harry and Zara have grown frustrated with the lack of progress made by the Detectives and each has taken matters into their own hands in an attempt to find her.
They have interviewed everyone in the neighborhood except the tenant at #210-a man who refuses to speak with them or answer the questionnaire that they have left at his door.
Convinced that he is hiding something-they become OBSESSED with getting him to open up.
Harry cannot even bear to utter his daughter’s name and despite not believing, he turns to a tarot card reader that Sophie would often visit. Zara has turned to prayer although she hasn’t visited a mosque in years.
As the two parents try to save themselves and each other, they end up pushing the other away in their grief.
This is NOT your typical “best selling” crime mystery. It is part character study and part legal thriller, the pace steady but not fast, the writing often POETIC and INTROSPECTIVE.
It unfolds in the alternating first person perspectives of Harry and Zara, and in a dual timeline between the weeks after Sophie’s disappearance and a year later in the middle of a MURDER trial, until we reach its UNEXPECTED and surprising conclusion.
If I hadn’t been invited by the Publisher to read this-I probably would’ve missed out, but I will be watching for the author’s books now.
If you have read books by Kia Abdullah, you will probably enjoy this author as well.
Imran Mahmood has worked on the Criminal bar in London for over 20 years and regularly appears in the jury trials of complex criminal cases, bringing an authenticity to the story, which I appreciated.
A buddy read with DeAnn. Be sure to watch for her amazing review for additional thoughts.
Expected Publication Date: March 5, 2024
Thank you to Bantam for the gifted copy, provided through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review.
Guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the U.S.
I knew from the opening pages that this would be a story to savor….
One day, seventeen year old Sophie left home angry-and never returned home.
Six weeks later, her parents, Harry and Zara have grown frustrated with the lack of progress made by the Detectives and each has taken matters into their own hands in an attempt to find her.
They have interviewed everyone in the neighborhood except the tenant at #210-a man who refuses to speak with them or answer the questionnaire that they have left at his door.
Convinced that he is hiding something-they become OBSESSED with getting him to open up.
Harry cannot even bear to utter his daughter’s name and despite not believing, he turns to a tarot card reader that Sophie would often visit. Zara has turned to prayer although she hasn’t visited a mosque in years.
As the two parents try to save themselves and each other, they end up pushing the other away in their grief.
This is NOT your typical “best selling” crime mystery. It is part character study and part legal thriller, the pace steady but not fast, the writing often POETIC and INTROSPECTIVE.
It unfolds in the alternating first person perspectives of Harry and Zara, and in a dual timeline between the weeks after Sophie’s disappearance and a year later in the middle of a MURDER trial, until we reach its UNEXPECTED and surprising conclusion.
If I hadn’t been invited by the Publisher to read this-I probably would’ve missed out, but I will be watching for the author’s books now.
If you have read books by Kia Abdullah, you will probably enjoy this author as well.
Imran Mahmood has worked on the Criminal bar in London for over 20 years and regularly appears in the jury trials of complex criminal cases, bringing an authenticity to the story, which I appreciated.
A buddy read with DeAnn. Be sure to watch for her amazing review for additional thoughts.
Expected Publication Date: March 5, 2024
Thank you to Bantam for the gifted copy, provided through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review.
January 12, 2024
Local teachers, Harry and Zara, are devastated when their daughter, Sophie, disappears. Disappointed in the police progress in finding her, they investigate on their own. Harry has visited all the houses in their neighborhood, except one where the homeowner will not let him in. As they become obsessed with the search, to what extremes will they go?
I really liked this fast, engrossing read. Well plotted, it kept me guessing as the truth was gradually revealed. This is a mystery as well as psychological and legal thriller. Told from the perspectives of both Harry and Zara, it is a solid study of parental loss, grief, and familial relationships.
Thanks to #netgalley and @randomhouse for the ARC.
I really liked this fast, engrossing read. Well plotted, it kept me guessing as the truth was gradually revealed. This is a mystery as well as psychological and legal thriller. Told from the perspectives of both Harry and Zara, it is a solid study of parental loss, grief, and familial relationships.
Thanks to #netgalley and @randomhouse for the ARC.
December 24, 2023
How far will you go to find your daughter that has gone missing? This is the question for parents Zara and Henry. Who after the police stopped looking for her, decided to take the matter in their own hands and did what they had to do to find her.
The other half of the story is both parents of Sophie being accused of murder.
This is a tense emotional read and the first book from the author. It is fabulous book and I will look forward to reading others he has written.
5 stars
The other half of the story is both parents of Sophie being accused of murder.
This is a tense emotional read and the first book from the author. It is fabulous book and I will look forward to reading others he has written.
5 stars
October 14, 2023
Sophie has gone missing and what begins as a simple plot turns into a twisted tale. The police have no leads, and Sophie’s parents, Harry and Zara are growing frantic, they're convinced that their very “odd” neighbour is hiding something. Frustrated by the police investigation they take matters into their own hands.But just how far are they both prepared to go? Sophie’s disappearance is one filled with mystery and suspense told mostly from the POV of the parents, your never sure if their narrative is the gods honest truth, or their omitting details to hide the fact that their relationship with Sophie was a difficult one.
The plot is driven by Harry and Zara’s quest for the truth, and the lengths they will go to. Although I appreciated how desperate Sophie’s parents were For answers I thought some of their actions bordered on the unbelievable There are also chapters told from the courtroom which add to the overall tension. To the Who? And why? are slowly but surely revealed as the layers are peeled back. Along with what what really happened to Sophie. It’s a dramatic, tension fuelled journey getting to the truth but it’s brilliantly told and very cleverly executed.
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The plot is driven by Harry and Zara’s quest for the truth, and the lengths they will go to. Although I appreciated how desperate Sophie’s parents were For answers I thought some of their actions bordered on the unbelievable There are also chapters told from the courtroom which add to the overall tension. To the Who? And why? are slowly but surely revealed as the layers are peeled back. Along with what what really happened to Sophie. It’s a dramatic, tension fuelled journey getting to the truth but it’s brilliantly told and very cleverly executed.
Blog: https://thebookreviewcafe.wordpress.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebookrevi...
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@reviewcafe
October 16, 2023
Imran Mahmood slowly builds the tension in this whirlwind story of a parent's worst night mare.
As we learn that Harry and Zara's 17 year old daughter has been missing, we are also given a front row seat to their POV and their train of thought as they both become more and more convinced that the police are not helping as much as they can nor taking their own clues they uncover seriously.
It is very clear however, from Harry's progress in connecting with everyone on all of the surrounding blocks that there is one house hiding something. Someone lives at #210 and both parents begin to believe without a doubt that the answer to where Sophie is lies inside. Twisty, thrilling and realistic - a perfect thriller! #randomhouse #Findingsophie #imranmahmood
As we learn that Harry and Zara's 17 year old daughter has been missing, we are also given a front row seat to their POV and their train of thought as they both become more and more convinced that the police are not helping as much as they can nor taking their own clues they uncover seriously.
It is very clear however, from Harry's progress in connecting with everyone on all of the surrounding blocks that there is one house hiding something. Someone lives at #210 and both parents begin to believe without a doubt that the answer to where Sophie is lies inside. Twisty, thrilling and realistic - a perfect thriller! #randomhouse #Findingsophie #imranmahmood
December 9, 2023
Loved this one and raced to get through it! It opens with a trial: husband and wife, Harry and Zara are being accused of murdering a neighbor they hardly knew as they believe he killed their missing teen, Sophie. But of course there are so many factors at work here! Told in alternating chapters from each of their perspectives, the book details how there were so many secrets that Sophie kept from them--what teen doesn't have secrets--and what secrets they kept from each other. It's a great story about relationships, lies, and the lengths to which we will go to protect our own children--even as we know so little about their lives!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
October 23, 2023
I am a massive fan of Imran Mahmood's previous novels but trust me, this is his best yet.
This book takes the format which I love so much - dual timeline, Then and Now.
Then - Harry and Zara's daughter, Sophie, goes missing. Harry conducts his own investigation, frustrated at the lack of progress made by the police. Harry interviews everyone in the neighbouring streets except one neighbour who won't open his door. What is he hiding? What secrets was Sophie hiding before she vanished?
Now - Harry and Zara are on trial for murder.......
The plot intricately moves between the two timelines in the very best way. In the Then timeline, we are drip fed information about Harry's investigation as he slowly uncovers secrets about Sophie that he never knew. We also learn about the difficult relationship he had with her and how unhappy she was becoming at home.
Harry's focus on the neighbour who won't open his door becomes an obsession which takes both Harry and Zara past the point of no return....
I won't say much more for fear of spoilers but for anyone who knows Mahmood's novels will know they are in for a truly thrilling ride with some red herrings and a truly brilliant courtroom battle as Harry and Zara fight for their freedom and fight to uncover what happened to Sophie.
Thanks so much to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ), Raven Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review
This book takes the format which I love so much - dual timeline, Then and Now.
Then - Harry and Zara's daughter, Sophie, goes missing. Harry conducts his own investigation, frustrated at the lack of progress made by the police. Harry interviews everyone in the neighbouring streets except one neighbour who won't open his door. What is he hiding? What secrets was Sophie hiding before she vanished?
Now - Harry and Zara are on trial for murder.......
The plot intricately moves between the two timelines in the very best way. In the Then timeline, we are drip fed information about Harry's investigation as he slowly uncovers secrets about Sophie that he never knew. We also learn about the difficult relationship he had with her and how unhappy she was becoming at home.
Harry's focus on the neighbour who won't open his door becomes an obsession which takes both Harry and Zara past the point of no return....
I won't say much more for fear of spoilers but for anyone who knows Mahmood's novels will know they are in for a truly thrilling ride with some red herrings and a truly brilliant courtroom battle as Harry and Zara fight for their freedom and fight to uncover what happened to Sophie.
Thanks so much to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ), Raven Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review
October 10, 2023
My thoughts about Imran Mahmood’s Finding Sophie is everything you’d want in a mystery thriller, full of twists, deception, and tantalizing crime, which never stops being engaging. Writer Imran Mahmood delivers solid thrills and genuine twists with great effect. This breathtaking thriller, keeps the readers on the edge of their seats. Imran Mahmood has made a habit of pulling off complex thrillers like You Don’t Know Me, I Know What I Saw and All I Said Was True. With ease, and with the multi-layered narrative of ‘Finding Sophie’, he seems right at home. What makes this book feels great is that it knew how to plant the clues and when to reveal the twists and turns in a perfect time. It is a very delicate task to do, yet writer Imran Mahmood seems to manage it. I think, in a way, he knew how put his perspective in the reader’s eyes. Imran Mahmood’s Finding Sophie story begins with Sophie King is missing. Her parents, Harry and Zara, are distraught; for the last seventeen years, they’ve done everything for their only daughter. The police have no leads, and Harry and Zara are growing increasingly frantic – and increasingly obsessed with their highly suspicious neighbour. He won’t open the door, he won’t answer any questions. If they want answers, they’re going to have to take matter into their own hands. But just how far are they both prepared to go. The storyline of Imran Mahmood’s Finding Sophie was arranged like I was involved in solving the crime. The ending gave me goosebumps and was thrilled at the same time. Overall Imran Mahmood’s Finding Sophie is a jaw-dropping, mind-boggling masterpiece that will blow your mind at every second. You don’t get a clear picture of who to root for because the perspective is changed at every turn. It will force you to think one way in one second only to rethink it the next. I like to say a big thank you to author Imran Mahmood and publishers Raven Books for kindly letting me read and review this brilliant book on netgalley which I’ve enjoyed reading. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥💥💥💥💥💥
November 4, 2023
Terrific story from Mahmood about a husband and wife searching for their missing daughter, Sophie, who are put on trial for allegedly murdering the man they believe is responsible for her disappearance. The story deftly alternates between the perspectives of the husband and wife as well as the past happenings and present trial while slowly unraveling what really happened that night. The reader is left wondering the fate of Sophie until all is revealed in a gripping and emotional ending that is at once bittersweet and cathartic. Strong characterizations and a solid narrative style make this one a worthy read. 4.5 stars. Highly recommended. Thanks to Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 5, 2024
Someone is guilty.
Harry and Zara have one daughter, Sophie, who their life has revolved around. One day Sophie vanishes without a trace and the police have no leads. Harry and Zara take it upon themselves to try to find out what happened.
There’s one house where the occupant refuses to talk to them, and they’re convinced he has something to do with her disappearance. Harry and Zara become borderline obsessed with trying to get him to talk.
How far will they go to figure out what really happened to Sophie?
This is one of those books that I needed to marinate on for a while before writing the review. There were some things that I enjoyed, and a few things I really didn’t like, and some things that I had a love/hate relationship with. For example, I was a little annoyed that some of the chapters were only a page or two long, this is too short in my opinion, but I enjoyed how the shortness helped propel the pace of the story, and this one needed it. Which brings me to the biggest gripe I had, the pacing, it was so slow! Snail pace. The only thing keeping me engaged was the short chapters and needing to know how this one worked out. Now for what I loved. The ending! It was just so good and so unexpected. It really took me by surprised and I loved it. The last 25% or so of the book was rather engaging and I perked up and really found myself needing to finish.
This book was a journey of emotions. As a parent I struggled with the topics covered so make sure that they are not triggering one for you, it was borderline for me and one that I am working on getting okay with.
Thank you so much to Random House Publishing Group Ballantine, Bantam and Netgalley @netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars rounded to 4.
Harry and Zara have one daughter, Sophie, who their life has revolved around. One day Sophie vanishes without a trace and the police have no leads. Harry and Zara take it upon themselves to try to find out what happened.
There’s one house where the occupant refuses to talk to them, and they’re convinced he has something to do with her disappearance. Harry and Zara become borderline obsessed with trying to get him to talk.
How far will they go to figure out what really happened to Sophie?
This is one of those books that I needed to marinate on for a while before writing the review. There were some things that I enjoyed, and a few things I really didn’t like, and some things that I had a love/hate relationship with. For example, I was a little annoyed that some of the chapters were only a page or two long, this is too short in my opinion, but I enjoyed how the shortness helped propel the pace of the story, and this one needed it. Which brings me to the biggest gripe I had, the pacing, it was so slow! Snail pace. The only thing keeping me engaged was the short chapters and needing to know how this one worked out. Now for what I loved. The ending! It was just so good and so unexpected. It really took me by surprised and I loved it. The last 25% or so of the book was rather engaging and I perked up and really found myself needing to finish.
This book was a journey of emotions. As a parent I struggled with the topics covered so make sure that they are not triggering one for you, it was borderline for me and one that I am working on getting okay with.
Thank you so much to Random House Publishing Group Ballantine, Bantam and Netgalley @netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars rounded to 4.
October 21, 2023
How far would you go for the truth?
Two parents conduct an increasingly desperate search for their missing daughter, in Finding Sophie by Imran Mahmood that is equal parts breakneck thriller and compelling family drama.
The story is a sad subject, being reminded how easily children can be groomed. The story was a bit slow in several parts. It did have some good twists and drama.
Just an okay read for me.
#FindingSophie #NetGalley @atrandom
Two parents conduct an increasingly desperate search for their missing daughter, in Finding Sophie by Imran Mahmood that is equal parts breakneck thriller and compelling family drama.
The story is a sad subject, being reminded how easily children can be groomed. The story was a bit slow in several parts. It did have some good twists and drama.
Just an okay read for me.
#FindingSophie #NetGalley @atrandom
November 12, 2023
ARC for review. To be published March 5, 2024.
The novel begins with a trial but the reader doesn’t know who is on trial or why. Then chapters alternate between Harry and Zara, Sophie’s parents. Sophie is 17 and has been missing for six weeks. Zara is sure Sophie is still alive and is planning a birthday party for her. She is also holding close to her faith. Harry goes out searching for her every night and can’t bring himself to say her name out loud.
The couple have visited every neighbor in their vicinity to see if anyone saw of heard anything. Except for number 210 on their street. 210 refuses to answer the door, no matter how many times they knock, no matter how much they beg. There are no leads and Harry and Zara begin to unravel.
Oh, this was a difficult book to read. The author did an excellent job in showing how bleak the world is for this couple, how the walls close in (I would note that I believe American law is different from British law, for what that is worth.) Good read.
The novel begins with a trial but the reader doesn’t know who is on trial or why. Then chapters alternate between Harry and Zara, Sophie’s parents. Sophie is 17 and has been missing for six weeks. Zara is sure Sophie is still alive and is planning a birthday party for her. She is also holding close to her faith. Harry goes out searching for her every night and can’t bring himself to say her name out loud.
The couple have visited every neighbor in their vicinity to see if anyone saw of heard anything. Except for number 210 on their street. 210 refuses to answer the door, no matter how many times they knock, no matter how much they beg. There are no leads and Harry and Zara begin to unravel.
Oh, this was a difficult book to read. The author did an excellent job in showing how bleak the world is for this couple, how the walls close in (I would note that I believe American law is different from British law, for what that is worth.) Good read.
October 18, 2023
Thank you NetGalley and Random House for this ARC of Finding Sophie.
•Finding Sophie tells the difficult story of two parents after their teen daughter goes missing. They believe they know who took her, and they will do anything to make sure they’re right…
•In my opinion, Finding Sophie was a little slower of a read than I’d normally like. I felt like the storyline was great, but I almost lost interest halfway through.
•Finding Sophie will go on sale on March 5, 2024!
•Finding Sophie tells the difficult story of two parents after their teen daughter goes missing. They believe they know who took her, and they will do anything to make sure they’re right…
•In my opinion, Finding Sophie was a little slower of a read than I’d normally like. I felt like the storyline was great, but I almost lost interest halfway through.
•Finding Sophie will go on sale on March 5, 2024!
October 31, 2023
The things that I liked about this book are also the things that I didn’t like. The timeline was confusing, but it also added to the surprises in the book. The narrative flipping from Zara to Harry worked, but the chapters were so short that it could be hard to keep things straight.
All in all, I thought I knew what was coming and there were some definite twists that I didn’t expect. The ultimate conclusion of what happened to Sophie genuinely shocked me.
All in all, I thought I knew what was coming and there were some definite twists that I didn’t expect. The ultimate conclusion of what happened to Sophie genuinely shocked me.
January 9, 2024
The first book I have read by this author, I had mixed feelings until half way through the book. Sophie, the 17 year old daughter of Harry and Zara has disappeared . The police are involved and both parents are distraught by the event and both do what they can to find their daughter. Both of the parents become fixated on a neighbour, based on threads of evidence which really do not stand up enough for the police to take action. The story is told from both Harry and Zara's point of view and the timeline varies from when Sophie first goes missing to the trial when both parents are accused of murdering the neighbour .
I get that the parents are devastated and that their relationship would difficult but some of the actions stretch the bounds of credibility (by almost all of the characters) I preferred the courtroom scenes where the events seemed to make more sense. Would such a case get to trial and would evidence appear last minute during the trial ? Presumeably Imran Mahmood has enough experience in the legal world so it must be credible. Beyond the two parents, I did not feel that the characterizations were great. I was also annoyed with US spelling in a book set in London.
The pace picked up in the second half of the book and I started to enjoy it more and wanted to finish it (the first half I wasn't too sure whether I wanted to go on with it) and I started to revise my opinion. Still not sure about the ending though
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review . 3.5 stars, not a bad read, but with a few tweaks it could be great.
I get that the parents are devastated and that their relationship would difficult but some of the actions stretch the bounds of credibility (by almost all of the characters) I preferred the courtroom scenes where the events seemed to make more sense. Would such a case get to trial and would evidence appear last minute during the trial ? Presumeably Imran Mahmood has enough experience in the legal world so it must be credible. Beyond the two parents, I did not feel that the characterizations were great. I was also annoyed with US spelling in a book set in London.
The pace picked up in the second half of the book and I started to enjoy it more and wanted to finish it (the first half I wasn't too sure whether I wanted to go on with it) and I started to revise my opinion. Still not sure about the ending though
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review . 3.5 stars, not a bad read, but with a few tweaks it could be great.
October 19, 2023
4+ ✨
What a roller-coaster ride this was.
Full of tension, the trying to find Sophie, the flashback scenes, and the court room scenes.
I could never make up my mind if the parents were slightly unhinged , even before Sophie went missing.
By the time we got to the closing chapters, I was on edge of my seat.
Great pacing, good characters, excellent story.
It was cleverly done,
Four books in, we can definitely sat Mahmood is at top of his game.
What a roller-coaster ride this was.
Full of tension, the trying to find Sophie, the flashback scenes, and the court room scenes.
I could never make up my mind if the parents were slightly unhinged , even before Sophie went missing.
By the time we got to the closing chapters, I was on edge of my seat.
Great pacing, good characters, excellent story.
It was cleverly done,
Four books in, we can definitely sat Mahmood is at top of his game.
December 5, 2023
This is quite a chilling thriller that not only will keep you guessing who the villain is, but also questioning what you would do in this situation. How far would you go? Harry and Zara's 17-year-old daughter, Sophie, is missing and they are desperate to find her. The police have no leads, despite all their efforts. In their desperation, Harry and Zara decide to investigate on their own. The chapters alternate between Harry and Zara, as they remember what happened prior to her disappearance, and follows all of their attempts to find Sophie. The alternating chapters are interspersed with chapters centered around a trial at the Old Bailey Courthouse in London, but who is on trial? The plot twists with every chapter, from beginning to end and kept me mesmerized. This book is a thought provoking, mystery within a mystery, full of surprises throughout. Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for the advanced copy. The opinions of this review are my own.
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October 10, 20233.5 stars. This book felt very formulaic and stilted. It was an okay read, but the flow was just not there.
October 31, 2023
I know I am in the minority with this one, but this book just didn’t click with me. The description of the grief Harry and Zara felt at the disappearance of their daughter and the different ways they dealt with their grief was spot on. But then it got ridiculous. The things they did, from the drone to banging down the door were the height of stupidity. Even the steps taken to conceal their actions were stupid. Putting a gun into a mailbox and then calling the authorities? Really? What was the point? Logically it didn’t make sense. A satisfying mystery has red herrings that even if followed incorrectly a reader could see the ending was logical. This one was not. The ending was convenient. 2.5 stars reluctantly rounded to 3 because the beginning was intriguing and I did read through to the end. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 4, 2023
3.5 stars rounded up-I went into this expecting more of a search for Sophie. This is not so much a thriller as a novel about the pain and desperation that parents feel when they have a missing child. The isolation that overtakes them, and how the loss pulls apart their relationship until they are just two people, each on their own journey of grief. In this book, the grief is so raw and so sad. The regrets that the parents have…in one case the mom, Zara, talks about a doll that she wanted so desperately as a child. She finally got it and nurtured it throughout the years, taking it out once a year to clean and check on it. She gave it to Sophie and within weeks the hair was matted and the face colored on. She yelled at her, and now, she thinks back to that moment and thinks that maybe that is what drove her daughter away….i love how the author writes, but I wish there was a little more substance to the story.
January 7, 2024
I was very excited when I received the ARC of this book because of the premise and this author’s work.
This book took me on every kind of emotional roller coaster you can imagine. Sadness, frustration, fear, annoyance, sympathy, etc. Some of these feelings were obviously due to the author’s words, but other times I was feeling these toward the characters themselves and the pace …. Incredibly slow pace of this book.
This is the story of two parents, Harry and Zara, going through the unthinkable experience of their only daughter, Sophie, being missing. As I can only imagine when the police are coming up with no leads they both decide they are going to do whatever they need to do to find answers, sometimes together and sometimes separately.
I could go on forever on my thoughts and feelings of this book. However I will summarize it all up. Starting the book I was immediately intrigued, then even though things and twists were unraveling I was getting frustrated at how slowly, incredibly slowly the book was moving along. The alternating chapters between the two parents were wild as well as a trial simultaneously going on was a lot. It wasn’t until the last 25% of the book I was hooked on every wild, twisted, word finally revealing the answers to all the questions we needed.
Overall this book was written impeccably as far as story development, the raw emotions of the characters, the lengths a parent will go to find their missing child even if that means discovering secrets about those around you, yourself, and your child that would break most people. By the time I finished I was emotionally exhausted. It took me some time to digest everything that happened in this story. Even during this longggg review I still find myself fumbling over it all. To the readers I will say definitely give this book a read, don’t give up when you feel it’s not going anywhere, and be prepared for a hard, heart wrenching story. This is not an easy story to put on paper and this author did it in one of the most human, realest, raw ways possible. It takes you on these parents exact journey as if you are right beside them and truth be told that is not a fast easy quick resolution. But it’s real, sad, frustrating, multi layered, and exhausting. You will find yourself liking one parent one second, hating them the next … repeat repeat repeat. In the end it’s up for you to decide who is the villian, hero, or simply someone in between.
A huge thank you to the Author, Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine Bantan for this ARC!!
This book took me on every kind of emotional roller coaster you can imagine. Sadness, frustration, fear, annoyance, sympathy, etc. Some of these feelings were obviously due to the author’s words, but other times I was feeling these toward the characters themselves and the pace …. Incredibly slow pace of this book.
This is the story of two parents, Harry and Zara, going through the unthinkable experience of their only daughter, Sophie, being missing. As I can only imagine when the police are coming up with no leads they both decide they are going to do whatever they need to do to find answers, sometimes together and sometimes separately.
I could go on forever on my thoughts and feelings of this book. However I will summarize it all up. Starting the book I was immediately intrigued, then even though things and twists were unraveling I was getting frustrated at how slowly, incredibly slowly the book was moving along. The alternating chapters between the two parents were wild as well as a trial simultaneously going on was a lot. It wasn’t until the last 25% of the book I was hooked on every wild, twisted, word finally revealing the answers to all the questions we needed.
Overall this book was written impeccably as far as story development, the raw emotions of the characters, the lengths a parent will go to find their missing child even if that means discovering secrets about those around you, yourself, and your child that would break most people. By the time I finished I was emotionally exhausted. It took me some time to digest everything that happened in this story. Even during this longggg review I still find myself fumbling over it all. To the readers I will say definitely give this book a read, don’t give up when you feel it’s not going anywhere, and be prepared for a hard, heart wrenching story. This is not an easy story to put on paper and this author did it in one of the most human, realest, raw ways possible. It takes you on these parents exact journey as if you are right beside them and truth be told that is not a fast easy quick resolution. But it’s real, sad, frustrating, multi layered, and exhausting. You will find yourself liking one parent one second, hating them the next … repeat repeat repeat. In the end it’s up for you to decide who is the villian, hero, or simply someone in between.
A huge thank you to the Author, Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine Bantan for this ARC!!
January 15, 2024
In Imran Mahmood’s novel, Finding Sophie, Harry and Zara are living the nightmare of one day their daughter, Sophie, going for a walk and not returning. Their new normal is trying to live life as before. Celebrating birthdays, cooking waffles on Sunday morning, but it’s all a ruse. Detectives have investigated, but found nothing that has led them to where Sophie went. The only gap is the house, 210, where the resident doesn’t answer the knocks to be asked questions. Does he have a role in what happened to Sophie? Then there is Sophie’s best friend, Emily, who seems on the brink of revealing something to Zara, but clams up when she feels she might say too much. Both Harry and Zara find out different things about Sophie and the secrets she was keeping that could’ve contributed to her disappearance (death?), but what they each choose to do with the information takes them on a collision course of the grief and unknown would lead any parent to contemplate.
This was a different suspense novel than I’ve read in the past. There were not a whole host of character to separate and keep track of in who might’ve done whatever crime might’ve happened. The story centers on the parents and the emotions you might feel if the circumstances were in your life: missing daughter, not knowing her fate, finding out secrets she had and friends who were unwilling to be upfront about them, uncooperative neighbors who possibly saw something that could help find Sophie. As for the main character, I felt Harry tried to do too much. Not only did he have a plan A, B, and C, but he also had various paths for each plan in case something he deed what he had carefully planned out in his mind. Zara appears weak due to how she struggles with Sophie’s disappearance, but within her, she has a bit of steel although it is bent based on my visual of her as hunched from the burden on her shoulders. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the advanced copy. Opinions expressed are my own. This book is set for publication on March 4, 2024.
#netgalley #arc #bookstagram #ImranMahmood #FindingSophie #RandomHouseBallantine
This was a different suspense novel than I’ve read in the past. There were not a whole host of character to separate and keep track of in who might’ve done whatever crime might’ve happened. The story centers on the parents and the emotions you might feel if the circumstances were in your life: missing daughter, not knowing her fate, finding out secrets she had and friends who were unwilling to be upfront about them, uncooperative neighbors who possibly saw something that could help find Sophie. As for the main character, I felt Harry tried to do too much. Not only did he have a plan A, B, and C, but he also had various paths for each plan in case something he deed what he had carefully planned out in his mind. Zara appears weak due to how she struggles with Sophie’s disappearance, but within her, she has a bit of steel although it is bent based on my visual of her as hunched from the burden on her shoulders. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the advanced copy. Opinions expressed are my own. This book is set for publication on March 4, 2024.
#netgalley #arc #bookstagram #ImranMahmood #FindingSophie #RandomHouseBallantine
January 19, 2024
I am left absolutely speechless. When I started this book, I went in thinking it was going to be a very different story.
Finding Sophie is a story about parents, Harry and Zara King. Their lives have revolved around their only daughter, Sophie. One day, Sophie leaves the house and doesn’t come home. Six weeks later, the police are no closer to finding her than when they started. Harry and Zara have questioned everyone who has ever had any connection to Sophie, to no avail. Except there’s one house on their block—number 210, across the street—whose occupant refuses to break his silence.
As the question mark over number 210 devolves into obsession, Harry and Zara are forced to examine their own lives. They realize they have grown apart, suffering in separate spheres of grief. And as they try to find their way back to each other, they must face the truth about their daughter: who she was, how she changed, and why she disappeared.
Told in the alternating perspectives of Harry and Zara, and in a dual timeline between the weeks after Sophie’s disappearance and a year later in the middle of a murder trial.
It’s really difficult for me to comment on too much off the story without giving away any spoilers, which I will not do. What I will say is that the author brilliantly develops his characters and creates a mood that makes the reader truly understand the sadness and despair of the storyline. As a parent, I found myself connecting with Harry and Zara and understanding so many of their choices and actions. It was told beautifully but heartwrenchingly, in a way that draws the reader in so they can’t put it down.
This book was absolutely a 5-star read for me. These characters are going to stay with me and I will be thinking of this book for a long time.
Thank you to NetGalley and to Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for this ARC of this amazing book in exchange for my honest review. I am so grateful for the opportunity, and it was my pleasure to read this work.
Finding Sophie is a story about parents, Harry and Zara King. Their lives have revolved around their only daughter, Sophie. One day, Sophie leaves the house and doesn’t come home. Six weeks later, the police are no closer to finding her than when they started. Harry and Zara have questioned everyone who has ever had any connection to Sophie, to no avail. Except there’s one house on their block—number 210, across the street—whose occupant refuses to break his silence.
As the question mark over number 210 devolves into obsession, Harry and Zara are forced to examine their own lives. They realize they have grown apart, suffering in separate spheres of grief. And as they try to find their way back to each other, they must face the truth about their daughter: who she was, how she changed, and why she disappeared.
Told in the alternating perspectives of Harry and Zara, and in a dual timeline between the weeks after Sophie’s disappearance and a year later in the middle of a murder trial.
It’s really difficult for me to comment on too much off the story without giving away any spoilers, which I will not do. What I will say is that the author brilliantly develops his characters and creates a mood that makes the reader truly understand the sadness and despair of the storyline. As a parent, I found myself connecting with Harry and Zara and understanding so many of their choices and actions. It was told beautifully but heartwrenchingly, in a way that draws the reader in so they can’t put it down.
This book was absolutely a 5-star read for me. These characters are going to stay with me and I will be thinking of this book for a long time.
Thank you to NetGalley and to Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for this ARC of this amazing book in exchange for my honest review. I am so grateful for the opportunity, and it was my pleasure to read this work.
November 10, 2023
Wow, what an emotional rollercoaster of a book that really sinks its claws in deep from cover to cover!
Told between alternating chapters of Harry and Zara you get to see through both of their eyes the devastating effects a missing child has on a family. This book is both emotionally charged as they deal with all the emotions of their daughter being missing, a crime thriller as well as part courtroom drama.
But who is in the courtroom and why?
Even after weeks and months of no sightings or no news about their daughter Sophie, neither parent are prepared to even entertain the idea that their teenage daughter is dead.
With the police investigation coming up with no answers, Sophie’s father Harry carries out his own investigation, checking with every neighbour in a several mile radius. All the neighbours and households are willing to talk to him, even filling out his questionnaire. That is all but one!
Number 210 on their own street. The man who lives there behind his high fences, Herman, who won’t even come to his towering locked garden gate, let alone answer his door.
Both Harry and Zara know there isn’t something right with the man who hides himself away and very rarely leaves his house but the police have no cause to suspect him and there is nothing they can do.
That’s when Harry decides to take the law into his own hands and focus his own investigation on number 210.
What transpires is revelation and shocking actions that you will never see coming with several shocking plot twists that will not let you put the book down!
If you are already a fan of Imran Mahmood’s books then you will already know you are in for a real treat with this book, and if you are new to this author you will definitely end up as a fan.
This is a definite must read book of 2024 and I highly recommend pre ordering it now!
Finding Sophie will be published on 14 Mar. 2024 and is not to be missed.
Told between alternating chapters of Harry and Zara you get to see through both of their eyes the devastating effects a missing child has on a family. This book is both emotionally charged as they deal with all the emotions of their daughter being missing, a crime thriller as well as part courtroom drama.
But who is in the courtroom and why?
Even after weeks and months of no sightings or no news about their daughter Sophie, neither parent are prepared to even entertain the idea that their teenage daughter is dead.
With the police investigation coming up with no answers, Sophie’s father Harry carries out his own investigation, checking with every neighbour in a several mile radius. All the neighbours and households are willing to talk to him, even filling out his questionnaire. That is all but one!
Number 210 on their own street. The man who lives there behind his high fences, Herman, who won’t even come to his towering locked garden gate, let alone answer his door.
Both Harry and Zara know there isn’t something right with the man who hides himself away and very rarely leaves his house but the police have no cause to suspect him and there is nothing they can do.
That’s when Harry decides to take the law into his own hands and focus his own investigation on number 210.
What transpires is revelation and shocking actions that you will never see coming with several shocking plot twists that will not let you put the book down!
If you are already a fan of Imran Mahmood’s books then you will already know you are in for a real treat with this book, and if you are new to this author you will definitely end up as a fan.
This is a definite must read book of 2024 and I highly recommend pre ordering it now!
Finding Sophie will be published on 14 Mar. 2024 and is not to be missed.
January 15, 2024
Review of Uncorrected Proof
It’s every parent’s worst nightmare . . . seventeen-year-old Sophie has disappeared. Vanished without a trace. Gone.
Harry and Zara King, struggling with the lack of progress in the police investigation, remain haunted by Sophie’s absence. Harry has visited every house on the street, seeking any shred of evidence; only the occupant of #210 refuses to answer his desperate knocks at the door. As the days pass, Harry and Zara struggle with the lack of answers. They’re desperate.
What happened to Sophie?
=========
Told alternately from the viewpoints of Sophie’s mother and father, the unfolding narrative reveals their struggles and shows how Sophie’s disappearance has affected their relationship as much as it focuses on finding the answers they so desperately need. The characters are well-defined and believable; the situation, both agonizing and emotional.
The story is both captivating and heartbreaking, suspenseful and intriguing, desperate and frustrating. Short chapters help keep the suspense building; the plot twists and turns, offering readers unexpected surprises as the unfolding narrative slowly reveals its secrets.
This is difficult reading, especially for parents who have lived through this nightmare or for those who have lost a child. Grief is all-consuming and unrelenting. Many will find that, despite the intensity of the tale, the emotion engendered in the telling of the tale forces them to step away for a time before continuing to read.
Readers who enjoy family drama, thrillers, and mysteries will find much to appreciate here. The unfolding story lays bare the struggles parents face as the story races toward a completely unexpected denouement.
Highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this book from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Bantam and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
#FindingSophie #NetGalley
It’s every parent’s worst nightmare . . . seventeen-year-old Sophie has disappeared. Vanished without a trace. Gone.
Harry and Zara King, struggling with the lack of progress in the police investigation, remain haunted by Sophie’s absence. Harry has visited every house on the street, seeking any shred of evidence; only the occupant of #210 refuses to answer his desperate knocks at the door. As the days pass, Harry and Zara struggle with the lack of answers. They’re desperate.
What happened to Sophie?
=========
Told alternately from the viewpoints of Sophie’s mother and father, the unfolding narrative reveals their struggles and shows how Sophie’s disappearance has affected their relationship as much as it focuses on finding the answers they so desperately need. The characters are well-defined and believable; the situation, both agonizing and emotional.
The story is both captivating and heartbreaking, suspenseful and intriguing, desperate and frustrating. Short chapters help keep the suspense building; the plot twists and turns, offering readers unexpected surprises as the unfolding narrative slowly reveals its secrets.
This is difficult reading, especially for parents who have lived through this nightmare or for those who have lost a child. Grief is all-consuming and unrelenting. Many will find that, despite the intensity of the tale, the emotion engendered in the telling of the tale forces them to step away for a time before continuing to read.
Readers who enjoy family drama, thrillers, and mysteries will find much to appreciate here. The unfolding story lays bare the struggles parents face as the story races toward a completely unexpected denouement.
Highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this book from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Bantam and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
#FindingSophie #NetGalley
December 21, 2023
The story is told in alternating chapters between Harry and Zara, Sophie’s parents. As a parent myself, I know only too well the fear of your child growing up and the helplessness of having to let go the older they get and give them their own independence. Sophie is seventeen when she goes missing. Technically an adult but still very much a child. Whilst they had hit a difficult patch in the family dynamics with Sophie rebelling against her parents, her disappearance isn’t like her.
Harry and Zara’s world is torn apart when Sophie disappears. Even though the police are doing what they can, that isn’t enough for her parents. Both of them are struggling to cope with Harry doing everything in his power to try and find her. Their obsession with their neighbour at 210 increases the more evasive he is and the build up of suspense becomes electrifying!
Along with the parents chapters, there are also chapters in present day with the parents in court. I had so many questions in my head. Not only where was Sophie and what had happened to her but also why were her parents in court? The need for these questions to be answered pushes the story along with speed and boy does it mess with your head.
Finding Sophie by Imran Mahmood is my first book by the author and definitely won’t be my last. The author’s legal background really comes into force in the story which makes it even more compelling with some unexpected surprises in store. I wouldn’t have put the book down if real life hadn’t gotten in the way and when I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it and trying to work out in my head how it was all going to end. A powerful and totally unexpected read that you will want all your friends to consume also. So good!
My thanks to Tracy Fenton for inviting me to be part of the blog tour. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
Harry and Zara’s world is torn apart when Sophie disappears. Even though the police are doing what they can, that isn’t enough for her parents. Both of them are struggling to cope with Harry doing everything in his power to try and find her. Their obsession with their neighbour at 210 increases the more evasive he is and the build up of suspense becomes electrifying!
Along with the parents chapters, there are also chapters in present day with the parents in court. I had so many questions in my head. Not only where was Sophie and what had happened to her but also why were her parents in court? The need for these questions to be answered pushes the story along with speed and boy does it mess with your head.
Finding Sophie by Imran Mahmood is my first book by the author and definitely won’t be my last. The author’s legal background really comes into force in the story which makes it even more compelling with some unexpected surprises in store. I wouldn’t have put the book down if real life hadn’t gotten in the way and when I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it and trying to work out in my head how it was all going to end. A powerful and totally unexpected read that you will want all your friends to consume also. So good!
My thanks to Tracy Fenton for inviting me to be part of the blog tour. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
October 31, 2023
At the center of this novel is a couple, Harry and Zara, whose daughter Sophie went to school one day and didn't come home. The police haven't solved the case. Harry and Zara, each dealing with the devastation of losing a child in their own way, start their own search. This leads to cracks in their relationship, and ever more desperate tactics in their search for their daughter.
The primary suspect in Harry's mind is the man who lives across the street. Out of all the neighbors, he is the only one who did not respond to Harry's questionnaire asking if anyone had any information to share, So, naturally, he must be hiding something. Without anything stronger to go on, Harry starts stalking his neighbor, going so far as breaking into his house and flying a drone over the property. This part of the story strains credulity for me. I can't imagine anyone, even someone desperate to find a loved one, breaking the law repeatedly with no other reason than the man didn't respond to a request for information.
The narrative is broken up into three voices: Harry, Zara, and a description of a courtroom scene that is obviously taking placing long after the events Harry and Zara are living through. The courtroom scene plays out too quickly, revealing information that pretty much spoils Harry and Zara's stories.
I appreciate that the author separates Harry and Zara's voices, to allow us to see into the mindsets of two people responding to tragedy in different, sometimes irreconcilable ways. Unfortunately, the couple's obsessions with their neighbor's guilt made the reader less tolerant of the family dynamics.
Thanks to Ballentine Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
The primary suspect in Harry's mind is the man who lives across the street. Out of all the neighbors, he is the only one who did not respond to Harry's questionnaire asking if anyone had any information to share, So, naturally, he must be hiding something. Without anything stronger to go on, Harry starts stalking his neighbor, going so far as breaking into his house and flying a drone over the property. This part of the story strains credulity for me. I can't imagine anyone, even someone desperate to find a loved one, breaking the law repeatedly with no other reason than the man didn't respond to a request for information.
The narrative is broken up into three voices: Harry, Zara, and a description of a courtroom scene that is obviously taking placing long after the events Harry and Zara are living through. The courtroom scene plays out too quickly, revealing information that pretty much spoils Harry and Zara's stories.
I appreciate that the author separates Harry and Zara's voices, to allow us to see into the mindsets of two people responding to tragedy in different, sometimes irreconcilable ways. Unfortunately, the couple's obsessions with their neighbor's guilt made the reader less tolerant of the family dynamics.
Thanks to Ballentine Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
November 3, 2023
This is the fourth novel I have read by author Imran Mahmood and all of them are written to a very high standard. I love legal thrillers and Imran Mahmood who practiced as a barrister specialising in criminal law writes very good ones. “Finding Sophie” is an emotionally charged novel in which two parents are desperately searching for their missing daughter Sophie. It appears they will stop at nothing to find their missing daughter, willing to sacrifice everything.
Sophie is everything to her parents Harry and Zara King so when she mysteriously disappears, they are desperate to find her.
With each passing day Harry and Zara’s desperation grows and they start to suspect their neighbour may be involved in Sophie’s disappearance. The suspense and tension builds throughout as the couple try to uncover the truth behind their daughter suddenly vanishing.
The cleverly written novel is told and the line between truth and deception becomes fuzzy and keeps the reader on the edge of the seat trying to guess what will happen next. This novel is full of emotion, tension and mystery, with surprises along the way making it a very enjoyable read.
This is another excellent courtroom thriller by Imran Mahmood and yet again had me on the edge of my seat.
I would like to thank both Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for supplying this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Sophie is everything to her parents Harry and Zara King so when she mysteriously disappears, they are desperate to find her.
With each passing day Harry and Zara’s desperation grows and they start to suspect their neighbour may be involved in Sophie’s disappearance. The suspense and tension builds throughout as the couple try to uncover the truth behind their daughter suddenly vanishing.
The cleverly written novel is told and the line between truth and deception becomes fuzzy and keeps the reader on the edge of the seat trying to guess what will happen next. This novel is full of emotion, tension and mystery, with surprises along the way making it a very enjoyable read.
This is another excellent courtroom thriller by Imran Mahmood and yet again had me on the edge of my seat.
I would like to thank both Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for supplying this novel in exchange for an honest review.
December 2, 2023
“Finding Sophie”, by Imran Mahmood, is a propulsive thriller that kept me turning the pages to the end. So. Many. Surprises!
Harry and Zara’s seventeen-year-old daughter, Sophie, has disappeared. Did she run away or was she kidnapped? As they desperately search for answers, Harry and Zara are fracturing; they are keeping secrets from each other about discoveries they are making about Sophie, and they are keeping some of those these secrets from the police, as well.
When it’s clear that each parent is putting a dangerous plan in place, the tension ramps up!
Mahmood has structured the novel so that from the beginning, titled “NOW”, we know that someone is going on trial. Then he alternately narrates from the point of views of Harry and Zara, occasionally going back to the “NOW” of the trial. Thus the reader knows what Harry and Zara knows and doesn’t know.
Expect to be a bit confused at some points, but trust Mahmood will skillfully and satisfactorily clear everything up. This is part of the appeal of the novel!
Who is on trial? What is he/she on trial for? Kidnapping? Murder?
What really happened to Sophie?
Is the weird neighbor the one who took her?
Manmood keeps the reader interested and invested in Sophie’s story and provides such an action-packed and twisty plot that I could see it easily becoming a limited series! I’d sure watch!
Harry and Zara’s seventeen-year-old daughter, Sophie, has disappeared. Did she run away or was she kidnapped? As they desperately search for answers, Harry and Zara are fracturing; they are keeping secrets from each other about discoveries they are making about Sophie, and they are keeping some of those these secrets from the police, as well.
When it’s clear that each parent is putting a dangerous plan in place, the tension ramps up!
Mahmood has structured the novel so that from the beginning, titled “NOW”, we know that someone is going on trial. Then he alternately narrates from the point of views of Harry and Zara, occasionally going back to the “NOW” of the trial. Thus the reader knows what Harry and Zara knows and doesn’t know.
Expect to be a bit confused at some points, but trust Mahmood will skillfully and satisfactorily clear everything up. This is part of the appeal of the novel!
Who is on trial? What is he/she on trial for? Kidnapping? Murder?
What really happened to Sophie?
Is the weird neighbor the one who took her?
Manmood keeps the reader interested and invested in Sophie’s story and provides such an action-packed and twisty plot that I could see it easily becoming a limited series! I’d sure watch!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews