I was happy to get this book because it has my name in the title. The book in the beginning draws you in but the middle gets confusing and the pacing is off a bit. The end picks up a little but not enough to wow me. This was my first book by this author, and i think she writes well, i just didnt get this story completely. I would give her another try.

I was super happy to be excepted for this as it has my name in the title! It was a good quick read and one that you want the story to unravel quickly. It was a slow burn though and I did predict the major twist, but that could be as I’ve read so many psych thrillers lately! I would recommend this book

This is a novel told through a Before/After timeline with Lauren and Rene. Lauren has been missing for 8 years, at 14 years old she walked out of her family home and was never seen again.

Through Lauren and Rene’s timelines you start to unpick a complex storyline that explains the circumstances of Lauren’s disappearance and what has transpired since. The story is quite disturbing at times and the imagery really draws you in.

As some others have mentioned, I found parts of the novel confusing which was a little distracting, but I think once I had worked out the very clever twist my confusion made sense.

I wish the middle section could have been more concise which may have helped the pace of the novel and kept it “on track” a little more.

I think lots of people will find this novel a fantastic page turner. Despite my confusion I found I really couldn’t put the book down.

(Thank you NetGalley for the ARC)

I couldn't get into this book unfortunately. It felt a little all over the place, the concept was interesting but it just felt very all over the place in my opinion. It was also very confusing at time. It is not bad just not my favorite.

𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐞...𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐧𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐬. 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐈 𝐜𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐤𝐞𝐩𝐭. 𝐀 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐮𝐬. 𝐎𝐫 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐫.

Far from just another missing persons book, LAUREN IS MISSING is absolutely haunting and will leave you chilled to the core. Usually I don't connect well with books that have me as a detached observer. I like to be able to immerse myself in the characters' actions and thoughts. But I think the whole point of this book was to feel that unsettling distance.

Jane is home alone one morning when she sees something odd in her garden. To her horror, it's a filthy girl, hunched over and digging in the dirt. She brings her inside, and the girl seems familiar with the layout of Jane's home. She says her name is Rene, and that's where the sense of imminent dread sets in.

Rene's sister Lauren has been missing for eight years, last seen the night she walked out of the house on her mom's birthday. Rene grew up as the sister who was still here, but did anyone really see 𝒉𝒆𝒓, or just the shadow of her absent sister? She loses herself in obsessive behavior to try to take control of her new reality.

As the story unfolds, you will question everything. I found myself reading a page more than once to process what was happening and to make sure I was getting every crumb of information.

Told in dual timelines, before and after, and multiple points of view from Lauren, Rene, and Jane, this was a haunting thriller I won't soon forget. Many thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the early read. Look for this one on July 2, 2025.

Took me a little while to get into it but once i did i enjoyed the building tension and twists.
Well written characters and overall quite difficult to put down.
My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

The biggest ‘twist’ had my jaw on the floor!! Great book! I enjoyed following Rene’s story and thought the author did a great job! 5*s!

I just finished reading this book. The plot was absolutely fantastic! It was quite the page turner, and I could not put the book down once I began reading it. I can't wait for it to be released. I will recommend it to everyone I know!

I couldn’t get into this book it was confusing and all over the place unfortunately! I usually like this author but this book I didn’t like at all.

This is one of those books that has you gasping until the end! Rene's 14-year-old sister, Lauren has been missing for 8 years Jane sees a girl in her garden clutching a book and claims this house is her "home." Told in a "before" and "today" format, the book details the horrific story of what happened to Lauren and how it all transpired. It's deliciously dark and. creepy at times as we discover what happens and what someone in captivity is capable of when pushed to the limit!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Tortured by the disappearance of her sister, Lauren, eight years ago, Rene never leaves her basement flat. She would rather stay there, surrounded by Lauren's collection of photos and objects. She is trying to write Lauren's story, so the world can know what happened.

I could hardly put this book down. I just had to know how it ended. I had my suspicions, and I was right.
Written in past and present and by Rene and Lauren POV's, also Jane's, who found Rene, it wholly grabbed my attention.
Tense, tragic and suspenseful, I am sure that psychological thriller fans will devour this book.

The confusion this creates adds a claustrophobic, uncomfortable feeling exactly what you would expect if someone is missing and you're desperately looking for answers. This is not a relaxing read it's high tension and unexpected twists but it is good.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for providing me with this eARC. All opinions are my own honest opinions.

This book had a quite interesting premise and reading the blurb really made me interested. It started off strong with a plot where we see Rene who is mostly in her basement on med. One day she receives a letter which is supposed to be from her sister Lauren but the twist is Lauren is missing.

It had nice twist and turns but was bit predictable if you read thrillers bd mysteries a lot. It was an okay read and tied up nicely at the end.

The cover is beautiful and gives off a sunny, cheerful vibe. Unfortunately, behind this cover lies a dark story.

The author takes us on a journey that alternates between the present and the past. This is meant to give the reader as much insight as possible into the events and to draw them deeper into the story. I also thought the idea behind the book was good.

I have to honestly admit that I was confused almost the entire time. I never quite knew what to think, and I don’t like that. I prefer things to be called what they are.

I understand that the perfect way to portray someone struggling with themselves is often through repetition, but sometimes less is more. This slowed down the pace of the book, which is exactly what I don’t like in a thriller.

I really want to shout from the rooftops how fantastic I thought every book was, and I’m convinced this story will have many fans, but I must say with a heavy heart that I’m not one of them.  Sorry. 3 stars

Thank you

If you're looking for a book that will twist you up in knots and mess with your mind, then you need to pick up this novel.
Its a story of betrayal, perceived or real, a tale that is as confusing as it is riveting. Its well written and shows vulnerability and realism of relationships between mother's and daughters.
Its a real page turner and i couldn't put it down

Lauren is Missing presents an intriguing premise that drew me in with the mystery of a sister’s disappearance. The story revolves around Rene, who is depicted as a somewhat quirky character with her collection of objects and her routine life. The story is told in “before” and “after” from three characters: Jane, Rene, and Lauren. Sometimes, this format was hard to follow. I did like the Jane portions.

At times, the tension builds nicely, but there were moments when the plot dragged, and I found myself losing some interest.

The arrival of the letter certainly adds a twist, and while it’s meant to send chills down the spine, it didn’t quite deliver the punch I was hoping for.

Overall, Lauren is Missing was an okay read for me, but it fell short of being gripping, though there were some good, twisty parts and revelations. I would recommend this book. I would also check out more books by this author.

#LaurenisMissing #NetGalley @Stormbooks_co

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!