Finding Sophie

A Novel

By: Imran Mahmood

Narrated by: Lydia Bakelmun, Oliver Hembrough

Two parents conduct an increasingly desperate search for their missing daughter in “a clever, chilling thriller that is also unexpectedly moving” (Shari Lapena, New York Times bestselling author of Everyone Here Is Lying)

“Imran Mahmood is the only author writing about a missing person who deals with grief this well. I loved it.”—Gillian McAllister, New York Times bestselling author of Wrong Place Wrong Time

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.

Critic reviews

“This novel is so smart and the plot twists blew me away. Imran Mahmood is the only author writing about a missing person who deals with grief this well. I loved it.”—Gillian McAllister, New York Times bestselling author of Wrong Place Wrong Time

“A clever, chilling thriller that is also unexpectedly moving.”—Shari Lapena, New York Times bestselling author of Everyone Here Is Lying

“Finding Sophie is a rare accomplishment, by turns a heart-stopping thriller, a heartfelt mystery, and a powerful study of grief, hope, and the unbreakable bond between parent and child. It’s brilliant.”—Chris Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author of We Begin at the End

“An exciting and compulsive read—Mahmood has surpassed my expectations with an astonishingly twisty tale of despair, deception, and desperation.”—Liz Nugent, author of Strange Sally Diamond

“Beautifully written, visceral, evocative, and compelling, but with a plot that keeps you guessing to the end . . . So much more than a legal thriller, Finding Sophie is a work of pure brilliance.”—Janice Hallett, internationally bestselling author of The Appeal

“This thrilling and emotional roller coaster moved me to tears with its powerful portrayal of the agonies of parental love and loss. Imran Mahmood has excelled with this clever, heart-breaking thriller, perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell.”—Jo Callaghan, author of In the Blink of an Eye

“Finding Sophie is a domestic noir objet d’art—brilliant, bated-breath stuff.”—Helen Fields, author of One for Sorrow

“A powerful and beautifully written thriller.”—Vaseem Khan, award-winning author of the Baby Ganesh Detective Agency novels

INCREDIBLE!!!

Imran Mahmood has written a brilliant story that will draw you in from beginning to end.

Sophie has been missing for weeks and her parents, Harry and Zara, are frantic for any news of her whereabouts. As they and the police work to find Sophie, suspicions come to life about who she really is and who could have taken her. As you delve further into this dark and gritty psychological thriller you will wonder if Sophie is alive or has been murdered. Once you think you have it figured out, the story moves in directions you never thought possible until you reach the shocking end. It was an incredible adventure.

Great narrators/ Emotional story

I enjoyed this book but did not enjoy hire heavy and depressing the first half was. Once I got through that, I enjoyed the ending with all of its twists and turns.

mostly enjoyed, obvious culprit

I really liked certain aspects of this story, such as the dual point of view, the writing style, and the narrators' performances. Other aspects of the story, including the farcical trial, the obvious culprit (only character with no clear purpose for injection into the story, other than to be unveiled as the bad guy), and the silly resolution, stretched credibility a bit too far.