A harrowingly, acutely observed portrayal of an apparently ordinary couple’s descent into an abyss of despair over the disappearance and presumed abduction of their daughter, and the lengths to which parents might go to find their child and for justice. Brilliantly seen from the alternating points of view of the parents, interspersed with detailed courtroom scenes, initially confusing, but ultimately leading the reader into the parents’ world of pain, disbelief and murder. Imran Mahmood’s experience as a barrister elevates these courtroom scenes and enthralled this reader.

Imran Mahmood's novels bring a refreshingly new perspective to the idea of what makes a psychological thriller what it is. They are slow burners rather than page-turners, but in a good way.

A marriage that was already showing signs of fragility (even if the couple wasn't consciously aware of it) breaks down completely when the seventeen-year-old daughter, Sophie, goes missing. Although the author doesn't use the term, Zara and Harry are the proverbial helicopter parents, controlling every inch of their daughter's life. Zara regularly goes through Sophie's schoolbag and searches her bedroom for things she might be hiding. When there is a family argument two days before she disappears and she threatens to leave, Harry locks Sophie in her bedroom overnight — for her own protection, he says. These actions weave a spine-tinglingly ghoulish thread through the novel.

In their desperate search Zara and Harry discover things about their daughter which they find hard to stomach. This, in turn leads to both of them, separately but with the same purpose, indulging in increasingly reckless, and even illegal, behaviour.

Interspersed with the chapters in which Mahmood writes from Zara's and Harry's respective POVs are third-person courtroom scenes in which a murder trial is being conducted. These brief scenarios are frequently of a farcical bent which feels clumsy and inappropriate to such a serious crime and seem particularly out of place in a novel that is otherwise well written.

Many thanks to the publishers and to Netgalley for the ARC.

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 shreds 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) and the plot is very slow moving. You do get a good idea of the parents^feelings though. 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 ? Presumably 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 enough 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.

This book is based on the question, if your child disappeared, how far would you go to find her and discover the truth? Harry and Zara are devastated when daughter Sophie goes missing. She had been pushing limits recently, resulting in them locking her in her bedroom. In their quest to find her, they speak or write to every member in their local area about the night in question, apart from one man. He lives behind tall walls and never opens the door. As Harry and Zara become more and more desperate, so do their attempts to get behind the walls and see if his house holds the clue.
This is a heart-breaking, yet exciting book which I would recommend.

An absolute must read.
If you are already a fan of his work or new to his story telling you are in for a real treat and this is definitely a book not to be missed.
An easy 5 star read!

Finding Sophie came with a bonus, as the synopsis I read missed out the courtroom drama, which of course some of you will know I have a weakness for. The novel says what it is about on the cover. It has few characters which gives the writer more time with each one. Sophie is missing and her parents don't give up hope of getting her back even though the police seem to have. They drop leaflets and try and engage with everyone living in their area in an effort to find Sophie. However, there is an exception, one house with high walls and an unwilling occupier, one who doesn't want to engage. Their suspicions grow, sufficiently to take the law into their own hands. Ultimately this leads to murder, a trial and a con............, or does it? Interested readers may wish to read a primer on the Galbraith Rule to understand the courtroom battle and its outcome. I lean towards Limb 2.
An absorbing, thriller with many twists. I found it gripping and it would have got a five star review had it not been for the demise of a certain teacher, his ending being out of character with his performance in a fight.
So, I will knock half a star off but with rounding it makes it five stars.

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

A different perspective when both parents are dealing with finding their daughter & how they take different paths
Plenty of twists, turns in this book
A completely compellingly read
Could not put it down

Thank you netgalley Imran Mohmood, and bloomsbury

Taut, tense, thrilling and shocking. Who should you believe and who is perhaps dissembling?

This grabbed me from the beginning as the tale gradually unfolds of two parents anxious and desperate to discover the fate and whereabouts of their missing daughter and perhaps willing to take the law into their own hands.

The ending is sublime and the book never less than gripping. A great read!

Harry and Zara’s daughter is missing, and they are obviously distraught.
There is a court case at the Old Bailey where Harry has been charged with the murder of the person they suspect has taken Sophie.
The narration starts with the court case and then swaps between Harry and Zara, while returning to the case as it progresses.
Things about Sophie’s life slowly emerge, which change the view of the parents and their desperation is viscerally invoked.
But I found the whole book over-long and wordy, felt no connection with any of the characters and lost interest before the end.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing Raven Books for the opportunity to read this book.

Well, I have to admit to not being able to decide whether Finding Sophie is brilliant or just OK. In fact, you could say 'the jury's out'!
I very much enjoyed reading this book. I had worked out the outcome (or so I thought) early on and the book would be steps along the way to this conclusion. One thing that niggled me (could be in the US draft I was sent to review) was the use of 'American' spellings and terms in what is clearly an English book. I cannot believe a 40+ middle class teacher would change into a pair of 'sneakers'.
I did feel the book was stretched at times but probably this is down to me rather than the book itself. The book structure is very good, Harry then, Zara then and either Harry or Zara now. 'Now' starts with a trial at the Old Bailey and never lets up until the very end. I found the Court Case an excellent read. You can both sympathise and understand Sophie's parents actions but I was not certain who actually did what until the final chapters. Just how it should be.
So, I would definitely recommend this book

Another page turner from Imram Mahmood.

A missing girl, two parents desperate to find her, a murder trial and lots of twisty shenanigans.

It's quite a thought provoking tale, makes you wonder how far you'd go in pursuit of justice. At the same time I found the main characters often unlikeable, it makes a change from perfect people looking for a perfect missing child, it makes this far more realistic. No lighting up of a room going on in this story.

I read it in one go, it demands your attention from start to finish and overall it is very entertaining.

As ever this author offers up a genuinely addictive and intelligent novel. Recommended.

The thing I love the most about Imran Mahmood's writing is how real and honest he is and how easily I can picture the scene he's creating.
I spent many years working in the Court Service where I learned how much drama can be created by and with every day people in abnormal situations, and his books make me feel like I'm back there again. The authenticity, of course, comes from being a practicing barrister but the gift for storytelling and the ease with which he takes us with him along every character's journey is something quite unique.
Finding Sophie centres on a family whose daughter went missing and the lengths her parents will go to for answers. Both of their voices are distinctive and their thought processes so clearly laid out for us; the trial transcripts interspersed between their stories serve to build suspense and whet our appetite for what's to come and the way Imran Mahmood unravels the story is just masterful.
Honestly, I have never read another writer like him! I was lucky enough to meet him at a recent book signing and he seems like a genuinely lovely, fascinating and good person - something that makes me enjoy his books even more.
A great, compelling compelling read for anyone who loves family drama as well as good, realistic courtroom drama.

I struggled with this book. Two parents react very differently to the disappearance of their daughter.

It's an interesting premise; a daughter goes missing and the parents go to great lengths to find her. However, unfortunately, none of the characters were likeable and some of the things they did were absurd (although, in their grief, relatable). The emotional elements are well written and the chapters from each POV kept my interest.

Overall, I didn't particularly enjoy it, but, I did keep reading to the end and so have decided it's an OK read.


Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury publications for the opportunity to preview.

Having thoroughly enjoyed You Don’t Know Me and I Know What I Saw, I was pleased to be sent an ARC download for this book Finding Sophie….however… I’m not enjoying it quite as much.

The story centres around Harry and Zara desperate search for the missing teenager Sophie. Harry, in particular is obsessive, searching the streets night and day, while Zara’s efforts are somewhat calmer and quieter. Harry can’t even bring himself to say Sophie’s name out loud, and some of his actions are a stretch, but then, who’s to say they wouldn’t do the same in that situation? They focus their attention on a man who lives across the way at number 210, mainly because he is a recluse, refusing the answer the door to the frenzied knocking. Nobody ever sees to see him and this just makes matters worse.

I found the courtroom scenes especially interesting and well written, the author’s personal experience as a barrister once again stands him in good stead, and it’s this part of the book I enjoyed more than the first part.

Not my favourite of this author’s books, but nonetheless an enjoyable read.

Seventeen-year-old Sophie is missing and her parents will do anything to find her. So just how far will they go…?

I was really into this book at the beginning, but as the plot became more and more intricate and convoluted, I lost interest. While the plot is very clever, I felt it could have been a bit less complicated and obtained the same effect. As it is, it risks losing the reader. I frankly got bored of reading about the ins and out.

In addition, I did think the ending was rather unbelievable so I was slightly disappointed by that.

However, the general plot is gripping and I was interested enough in the outcome to keep reading until the end so it’s worth a read.

You Don't Know Me by this author remains one of my favourite reads of recent years, so I was thrilled to be offered the chance to read this new release, Finding Sophie.
The story leads us through a couple's desperate search for their missing teenager Sophie. They will go to any lengths to find her - but just how far does this mean? Dad Harry has canvassed all of their neighbours with one exception, the elusive resident of number 210, John Douglas. Mum Zara can't sleep or eat and spends hours in her daughter's room trying to work out where she could possibly have gone.
I found some of Harry's actions to be a little far-fetched - but there again, one never knows where the boundaries would be in his situation. My heart broke several times for Zara as she tried to process how the world would function without her daughter there beside her.
The courtroom scenes are exceptionally well written, as one would expect from a barrister with so many years under their belt, but my favourite thing about them was that the reader is never quite sure who is sitting in the dock. I feel this is where the author excels, and I would love for him to write a novel set totally within the courtroom. Personally, I would have preferred the ratio of background story to courtroom interrogation to be more equal if not more focused on the trial.
Overall, an emotional read with excellent story telling skills and a nice smoke screen to whodunit but somehow it just missed the mark for me.

Enjoy is probably not the right word to describe 'Finding Sophie', but it was an emotional rollercoaster of a read. Beautifully written with lots of twists towards the end. This is my first Imran Mahmoud book and I will read another.

The author utilises a dual time line of then and now to good effect and from both parents perspectives. Slow read at times but an interesting storyline into the emotional impact of losing a child and the search for answers. As with his previous books the court scenes are portrayed in a gripping manner.

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.