Renee's sister Lauren is missing, but one day Renee receives a letter that Lauren is alive. good psychological thriller.

Sadly I couldnt get into this story. Sorry but this one isnt for me but from the other reviews I can see that I am in the minority

Lauren is Missing is a taut, chilling psychological thriller that lingers in the mind long after the final page. At the centre is Rene, a fragile yet determined woman whose life has become a solitary routine of medication, memories and mourning. Her sister Lauren has been missing for years, a shadow over Rene’s existence. But when a letter arrives suggesting Lauren may still be alive, Rene is jolted into action, unlocking a web of buried secrets and fractured recollections.

S. J. King crafts an atmosphere of claustrophobic unease, with the basement flat setting enhancing the sense of isolation and dread. The writing is sharp, the pacing deliberate, and the tension relentless. As Rene’s search unfolds, the narrative expertly toys with the reader’s perception of reality, leading to a shocking twist that reframes everything that came before.

This is a book that will appeal to fans of psychological thrillers that delve deep into the emotional scars of trauma, family dysfunction and the elusiveness of truth.

3.5/5.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

First things first, thank you Netgalley and Storm Publishing for this ARC!

In this book, we do meet Rene, and her sister, Lauren, who is missing for several years at the point where the story starts. Rene is convinced Lauren is still alive somewhere, waiting for her sister to find her.

The plot is certainly not new, but I was glued to it from the start. Good pace, a lot of twists and tension that makes you feel like needing to question everything! Well done, 4.5 stars from me!

Lauren is missing is about a sister who went missing 8 years ago and the other sister who won’t give up looking for her.

This story is told through the POVs of Jane, Rene and Lauren. Rene and Lauren are sisters and their POVs are told in the past while Lauren was held captive. Jane’s POV is in the present and begins with her finding a girl digging through her garden. Laurens chapters consist of her time in captivity, the way she copes, and the way her captor mistreats her. Rene’s chapters are of her desperation to find her sister and bring her home after new clues lead her to believe to know where’s she’s held captive. Towards the end we get both POVs that are only told from the present and everything finally fully make sense.

The change in POV and timeline flowed smoothly. I liked being able to read all of their POVs and the way each of them handled the situations they were in. The things Lauren went through and the way she preserved all those years showed just how strong she was as a character. She was my favorite character.

The first half of the story is easy to follow. I thought I had everything figured out but once the book reached half way I began to become confused. I couldn’t understand who was actually telling the truth which was super interesting to me. I really liked the way Rene fought so hard to find answers for her sister. I loved that final plot twist. It was something that I hadn’t seen coming and had pulled me by surprise.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had no idea that this was going to be a full on mystery thriller novel! The cover of this book is so pretty! This book is dark, mysterious and tense. It can be confusing at first because this book comes with dual timelines, but it does all come together. This is a fast paced read, containing lovable characters and multiple points of views. It took me a while to get into this book, but once I did, I was fully immersed. This book contains strong character developments, came with an excellent premise and a clear thesis. I found that the plot in this story was well executed and I absolutely loved the twists! The book had haunting elements to it as well. It definitely kept my interest as to what was going to happen next! I really enjoyed the suspense this book came with!

“Lauren is Missing” is a story that dives into complex family dynamics. It involves past family secrets and trauma and a sister bond between Rene and Lauren! Overall, I give this book a 3.5 (rounded up to 4) out of 5 stars!

I think that anyone that is a fan of Gone Girl would enjoy reading this book. Content warnings include emotional distress and disturbing content.

Thank you to NetGalley, author S. J. King and Storm Publishing for this electronic ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This book is expected to be published on July 2, 2025!

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

I was equal parts confused and riveted by this tense and dark psychological thriller. Lauren is Missing throws you straight into a twisty, disorienting narrative that bounces between "before" and "after," and between the voices of Rene and Lauren. It kept me on my toes—and mildly baffled—for most of the ride, but never enough to make me want to DNF. In fact, I couldn’t stop turning the pages.

I did find myself checking chapter titles more than usual and occasionally rereading sections to keep track, but the suspense was more than enough to hold me. SJ King has crafted a gripping, haunting story full of unease and shadowy memories, and the creeping tension never lets up.

That said, the nonlinear structure won’t be for everyone—if you're not a fan of jumping timelines or multiple perspectives, this might test your patience. But if you love a moody, brain-bending thriller in the vein of Gone Girl or Sometimes I Lie, this is absolutely worth a spot on your TBR.

Not a book I can honestly recommend, I’m afraid. I was bored and confused for a lot of it, then annoyed at a rather cliched ending. But thanks anyway to the publisher for giving me access to this ARC in return for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for the Arc for this book I was eager to get started and overall it was a pleasant read. It felt a little disjointed in a few places and I did lose the trail of the storyline at times but overall for a quick read I between some heavy books this was the perfect palette cleanser! It didn’t wow me but again it was ok.

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!