Told from three POV - Jane, a mother who loves her children dearly and is sad that they have flown the nest; Lauren, a wayward teen who has been abducted and misssing for eight years, and Rene, Lauren’s sister who has severe mental problems.

When Jane discovers a young woman digging something up in her back garden, she has no idea just what mysteries and horrors are about to unfold.

Well that was a dark one!! 😱. I have read this author before and liked her work, but this book is in a different league altogether. Tragic, suspicious and suspenseful, who does the reader trust is telling the truth? Unreliable narratives, with a fair few twists and turns. What I thought was obvious from quite early on was not how it turned out at all, it’s certainly a book that messes with the mind 🤯.

Although the different POV took some getting use to, it’s well worth the perseverance, with a great plot, good characters and a well done ending.

Not for the faint hearted, but definitely 100% recommendation.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing.

My first SJ King novel but definitely not my last! This was dark and gritty from beginning to end. It was impossible to know who to trust. Fantastic characters that kept me flipping pages long past my bedtime.
Thank you NetGalley, SJ King and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I really enjoyed this book. This book, for me, had me losing my mind, in all the best possible ways. The mystery, the gaslighting, the hope, the trauma. Told by multiple points of view: Jane the empty nester, Rene the sister who didn't disappear and Lauren herself. Brilliantly written. 10/10 would recommend to a friend.

3⭐️

This was certainly an interesting and unique read! I couldn’t put this down as I was desperate to know what was really going on. I did predict some of the twist very early on in the story but still was satisfied with the details of it! I will say that 90% of this book was me just being confused as the reader. Janes perspective was the only one where you are getting actual answers and story until the very end of the book. Being in Rene’s POV felt like watching the movie “Momento” I genuinely didn’t know what to feel and who to believe or trust.

The overall concept of this book was very interesting but I wish there was a little more direction and conciseness moving from chapter to chapter. Overall a good thriller that keeps you engaged and certainly messes with your head!

Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an advanced copy of this book!

Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of Lauren is Missing by S.J. King due to be published July 2, 2025.
Rene isolates herself in her apartment, rearranging everything just so. When a letter arrives, she realizes her sister Lauren is alive and she is waiting to find Rene before it is too late.

This book was a little confusing at first going back and forth between Rene, Lauren, past and present, and other characters. I thought I had figured the plot out, and I did somewhat, but the outcome was still good. It was a very haunting book and psychologically gripping. It was a perfect blend of mystery and suspense.

Also recommended by S.J. King: Where You Belong.

#NetGalley #SJKing #LaurenIsMissing #StormPublishing

Review of ‘Lauren is Missing’ by S. J. King due to be published on 2 July 2025 by Storm Publishing.

Lauren has been missing for 8 years, ever since she walked out of her family home on her mums birthday.

The story is told over parts that are ‘before’ and ‘after’ - told from multiple points of view of Lauren herself, Rene (her sister) and Jane the lady who now occupies Lauren’s former family home.

I thought I had the twist worked out really early on, but I was wrong, and in fact it was much better than I had imagined.

Recommended read.

I'm really struggling with how to rate Lauren is Missing. It was definitely well written and exciting; the mystery kept me hooked, and I read it really quickly because I really wanted to know what was going on. The ultimate twist was a great ending, and I loved that the story kept going into the aftermath of what had happened. However, the story was very bleak, and so I wouldn't say I enjoyed reading the book, exactly. A good book, but be prepared--it's kind of a tough read.