Two girls go missing thirteen years apart. Lainey has a horrible past. When she sees a picture of a missing girl, time stops for her. Olivia has been missing since Tuesday, but Olivia looks an awful lot like Lainey.

This is a slow burner. There is graphic descriptions and some fruitful language. I did not like the main character, Lainey at all. The sypnosis for this book looked promising, but it just didn't deliver. It was very predictable in parts. The ending seemed a bit rushed. There is a few twists and some almost thrilling moments that I never saw coming. I did feel a little uncomfortable reading some scenes, but that could be just me. Although this is not a terrible read, there are some parts that could have been improved with a little more thought. I also didn't like the creepy bond Lainey seemed to have with with the detective investigating Olivia's disappearance.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Hodder and Stoughton and the author Nina Laurin for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I read The Starter Wife recently and realised whilst reading it that I had found one of MY authors!! As bookworms, we all know that feeling don’t we? That gradual inkling whilst reading a book that you’ve found an author who gives you goosebumps with their writing, plotting, characters etc and make you want to devour every single word that they’ve ever put out there! Weirdly enough, although The Starter Wife was Nina Laurins third book, it was only her first to be released here in the UK and so I knew I needed to read her previous two as soon as physically possible. Mulholland Books have now (THANKFULLY!!) printed her debut novel Girl Last Seen which is out tomorrow here in the UK and having just read it I can report that it is absolutely BRILLIANT and has shot onto my favourite books of the year list! I JUST LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT IT!

Lainey Moreno was abducted when she was just 10 years old and held for 3 years at the hands of a vicious paedophile. The opening pages detail her escape and I defy any not to be moved to tears by her bravery as she fights to rejoin society once again after her horrific ordeal. She has tried to wipe it from her memory over the years but her mental scars, just like those that physically adorn her body, are difficult to ignore. For years she has known that whoever took her may well strike again so when she sees a missing poster for Olivia Shaw, and notices a number of similarities, she just knows that her nightmare is about to start over again…

I can’t begin to tell you just how much this book affected me. It was a tough read at times because what happened to Lainey can’t be explained away with a sweep of glitter and happiness-she was violated by a monster and those scenes are very difficult to read. But it’s the character of Lainey who takes this book to the next level for me. Nina Laurin completely dissects her and then puts her back together again as she helps to solve the mystery of the missing girl. Lainey isn’t easy to like but that’s because she doesn’t want you to like her! She lies, she’s an addict and she makes very VERY bad decisions but I understood her reactions completely and she brought out every single maternal feeling in my body because underneath all of that she was still that frightened 10 year old girl.

Girl Last Seen is a shocking and addictive read with some incredible twists that I did not see coming. It made me angry, it made me sad but it gave me a heroine that I took to my heart and I will find it hard to forget. I know she’s fictional but whilst reading Girl Last Seen she became as real to me as my own daughters and I wanted to be able to speak to her to know how she’s doing now! Those last few pages made me cry. They weren’t the ones I had been expecting but they were perfect.

I can’t recommend this book highly enough. I’ve now sourced a copy of her second book What My Sister Knew from a secondhand bookshop and have already preordered her next book A Woman Alone to be published by Mulholland in July 2020..and I’m now off to stalk the publicist to beg for an ARC as soon as one becomes available. Wish me luck!

Thank you for NetGalley for sending me this book for review. I enjoyed this book, but it wasn't the greatest mystery novel I have read, but I enjoyed it nevertheless.
My main issues with the novel were the focus on drug-use and a job as a bartender I'm a strip club as a last resort for the main character. Personally, this felt a little cliche and predictable. It made the novel seem unoriginal. As well as this, the "romance", if I can even really call it that, was not at all necessary. The prologue really gripped me, but the rest of the story did not quit match the pace that had already been set. For me, it did not feel essential to the novel and as a result of these flaws, I had to drop my rating from a four to a three.
However, whilst the novel wasn't pulse-pounding, the mystery kept me guessing, with shock twist and turns that surprised me at every turn. The characters, although not flawlessly written, were individual and had their own interesting back stories that pieced together with the present of the story. Everything in this novel by Laurin gelled together well; every piece of information mattered, which was crucial in making me want to know who was responsible. The plot, though it had some flaws, was mostly understandable and overall created a decent story.

A dark,twisted and tense thriller that I devoured and couldn't put down. The story line and characters had me hooked from the beginning . A book I would highly recommend

Two missing girls thirteen years apart.A slow to start with but then boy did it pick up pace. Every character was a suspect and I had fun whittling them down. Well written but I was disappointed with the ending. I felt as though the story has not finished. This is just my own personal opinion and I am sure other readers will enjoy it more just not for me.
I would like to thank theauthor, publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

I really struggled with this book and feel that it could have been so much more. I felt that it was very slow paced and didnt really come to a lot. I wasnt shocked and didnt find myself wanting to pick it back up to find out what happened next. The blurb really caught my attention but the pages inside didnt live up to the expectation.

Girl last seen by Nina Laurin.
Two missing girls. Thirteen years apart.
Olivia Shaw has been missing since last Tuesday. She was last seen outside the entrance of her elementary school in Hunts Point wearing a white spring jacket, blue jeans, and pink boots. I force myself to look at the face in the photo, into her slightly smudged features, and I can't bring myself to move. Olivia Shaw could be my mirror image, rewound to thirteen years ago. If you have any knowledge of Olivia Shaw's whereabouts or any relevant information, please contact... I've spent a long time peering into the faces of girls on missing posters, wondering which one replaced me in that basement. But they were never quite the right age, the right look, the right circumstances. Until Olivia Shaw, missing for one week tomorrow. Whoever stole me was never found. But since I was taken, there hasn't been another girl. And now there is.
I really enjoyed this book. Didn't guess who it was until Nina wanted me to know. Full of suspense and action. 5*.

Wow what a first book. Twists and turns keep you on the edge of your seat. Can’t wait for the next one from an author who is going to be on everyone’s read list.

This is the best thriller I’ve read this year. Lainey is a spiky character that you can’t help but feel for as she searches her murky past. A real page turner

This was a interesting novel, with a twist. The characters were well fleshed out. Would definitely recommend it to readers interested in domestic thrillers.

I found this book really hard to get into in the beginning so am a bit mixed in my feelings about it, nothing really stood out in it for me and felt that it could have given more than it did.

A good Murder mystery story using both past and present to create a dark and creepy picture. Fantastic. Couldn’t put this book down x

A debut book by Nina Laurie, it is a well written book with an intense storyline. It kept me ready till the last page want to know the ending. I want to read more by this author.

I loved the characters in this book. They were dark and mysterious
The suspense built from the beginning and nearly every character was a suspect. However I felt that the ending was a bit disappointing
The writing style let this book down a little and I was constantly expecting more

This one of the best books I've read recently and it's hard to believe it's the author's first novel. There are plot twists almost from the beginning of the book and a finale that left me stunned. I thought Det. Ortiz was a really strong character and would like to see more of him maybe with a couple of cameo type appearances from Lainey because even though her story has ended I think her experiences would be helpful to law enforcement. I will be keeping my eyes peeled for more from this author.

My feelings are mixed on Girl Last Seen.

I think the plot is brilliant and I haven’t read anything like it before BUT it’s executed poorly, the writing is all over the place and I didn’t like how conveniently the plot moved from one scene to the next.

I enjoyed the flawed characters and the fresh look at how much a kidnapping messes up the rest of your life. Too many authors have characters that have previously been kidnapped / raped going on to live a suburban normal life so to get a character like Laine gave this book a gritty, dark and overall realistic feeling to the story.

I’ll give this 3/5 which I rate as average.