Losing Sophia: A psychological thriller

Komorebi Serial Killers #7

by Sara Ennis

Sophia Miles sees her invitation to speak at a prestigious New Orleans conference as a turning point. After months of increasingly threatening messages from Caleb’s volatile ex-girlfriend, Jade, she imagines a fresh start—possibly in New Orleans, though she hasn’t shared that with Caleb yet. In the vibrant city, surrounded by the architecture she loves, Sophia begins to dream of a new chapter with the man she loves.

But someone is watching. Always watching.

When Sophia vanishes after an attempted assault in her hotel room, her mother Anna and sister Clara rush to New Orleans, desperate for answers. Caleb follows, determined to find her. But as the investigation unfolds, the police raise troubling questions: Were Sophia’s fears about Jade real, or a figment of her imagination? Was Sophia running from a genuine threat—or from herself?

Adding to the uncertainty is James Thornton, a colleague Sophia recently met, whose eagerness to help hides layers of ambiguity. Is he a friend, or could he be tied to her disappearance in ways no one expects?

As Anna and Clara peel back the layers of Sophia’s life, they uncover secrets that shatter their understanding of her—and of those around her.

The truth about Sophia’s disappearance will shatter them all.

Because sometimes the real danger isn’t what you fear—it’s what you never see coming.

Genres: Thriller

276 pages, Paperback

Published January 16, 2025

About the author

Time for an updated 'bio.'!

Things about me:
• I lived in 19 houses before I was 20 years old, and my family was not in the military.
• I started an animal/human welfare nonprofit that continues to operate and keep families together.
• For 8 years I owned a buy one, give one pet food brand that supported rescues & shelters across the country.
• Unsurprisingly, I have a thing for ‘special’ animals like my dog Chance, who was paralyzed in the back end, and my canine child Charlie, who was born blind. No animals will ever be hurt or killed in my books. (People are totally fair game.)
• Even though I’m not a tech bro, I lived in my warehouse for a year (not as cool as it sounds, btw).
• Before I ran away from home in LA and moved to Iowa, I worked with celebs.
• I used to have severe social phobia; now I’m a big-mouthed, opinionated beast.

Reviews

[Karly · Rating 2 out of 5]

My Rating: 2⭐️⭐️ annnd this one was a bit of a miss…

This is a standalone not part of the dollhouse series from Sara Ennis and the previous book (Breaking Bianca) was a hit, then this was a miss for me.

I liked the different setting and the character of Sophia but… it just didn’t flow as well for me and I really started to feel bored with all the architecture references… we went deep there for no real reason… and then when the “thrills” kicked off it was disjointed and didnt make a lot of sense.

I normally like the changing POV but it wasn’t done particularly well in this book and it was split into different parts and that made the different POV really chopped up.

The twist at the end with where Sophia was… who she was with and how it all unfolded had me a bit over it… I didn’t really understand why it went that way… and when the author did a bit at the end saying that the story was real except for one part that was imagined then that made sense why it felt smashed in to the story.

I just didn’t really think it flowed that well throughout the book and some of the storylines were just quickly wrapped up like loose ends. I dunno for me this wasn’t it… and I didn’t think the link to the dollhouse characters were as well done as the Breaking Bianca book…

Overall, it wasn’t terrible but off the back of Breaking Bianca 2 is as high as I could rate this one.

[ZeeZee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sophia is in NOLA for an architecture conference and falls in love with the city until she gets abducted. And from then on this book is a series of intrigue and second guessing what you know all leading to a plot twist that I did not see coming at all.
Wow! Just wow! I devoured this book in less than a day, I could not put it down. Sara Ennis has this ability to draw you into her world and make you feel as creeped out by the villains as the characters are. Definitely a must read, just like all her books.
Reading her other books first will give you insight into characters brought in but Sara does give a nice summary at the end to go into their backstories.

[Rhiannon Hook · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it, I'm a fan and it didn't disappoint.
Chapter 40 made me smile, who knew reading those names would make me feel warm inside.
I look forward to the next one.

[Candis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this one! I give it 4.5 stars! Recommend to all my thriller loving friends!!

Sophia goes missing during a business trip to a conference. Her family and boyfriend become concerned when they don’t hear from her and travel to search for the truth about what happened to her. Will they find her? Will it be too late?

[Audrey Finchum · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️
This books ending was completely unexpected. I would have never guessed it. I adore Sophia's sister, Clara. I loved how her brain worked. I thought I knew what was going on until an unexpected twist. The twists and turns kept coming all the way to the final sentence.

[Jade Mcilwraith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly what plot twist!!

[Angie Kellett · Rating 5 out of 5]

My last read of 2024 and it did not disappoint! Not all books create a “movie” in my mind-but this one even brought the aromas (good and bad) of NOLA. With the introduction of each character and then the peeling of their layers-it kept me guessing “who did it?” the entire ride. (I was never right btw) Sara has a way tying characters in from past books and never forgetting that this genre has trauma victims- and those victims deserve to heal and be happy. Can’t wait for the next book and to watch the twisty stabby plot unfold!

[Kelly Carderara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this book was poorly written. The setting took place in New Orleans because the main character loved the architecture. I think the author could have done a better job describing what Sophia saw. It was very basic for something so incredible. The book was also mostly predictable. Except for a twist at the very end I was able to predict what happened to Sophia. I thought the ending was not interesting and dull.

[Larae Perry · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5-Star Review: Losing Sophia by Sara Ennis

Losing Sophia hooked me from the start. Sophia’s life is turned upside down when she’s invited to speak at a conference in New Orleans, hoping for a fresh start after months of threats from her boyfriend’s ex. But when she vanishes after an assault, her family’s desperate search for answers uncovers shocking truths.

The suspense in this book is top-notch, and the emotional depth is what really struck me. The relationships between Sophia, her family, and Caleb are so real, and I found myself rooting for them through every twist and turn. The mystery kept me guessing, and I loved how the story unraveled slowly, revealing secrets I didn’t expect.

[Annemarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one book I did not want to put down.

So many possible suspects and potential outcomes. Please continue reading past the end of the book to the author's notes where Sara explains the true stories behind the concept of Losing Sophia. As much as we don't want to believe it, these types of people actually do exist. Most try to stay under the radar but to avoid too much inbreeding they need new people, and their methods aren't always lawful.

I received a free Advance Reader Copy of Losing Sophia through BookFunnel and have chosen to leave a review.

[Heather (Heathjeanreads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC and I am so happy I did! Anything from Sara is an instant read for me and this one was no different! I found myself trying to guess who was guilty and constantly 2nd guessing myself & changing my mind along the way 🤣 There were parts I didn't even see coming and they did not disappoint!

Well done!!

[P.S. Winn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meet Sophia Miles. A woman who already has some strange things happening, and then she disappears. Of course, Sophia's mother and her sister Clara rush to find out what is happening. This is a dark look at life and hard truths. The author does a great job filling the novel with mystery and suspense.

[Holly Roberts · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is my first Sara Ennis read, and I enjoyed it, but it seemed to take me a while. It was definitely a slow burner but almost too slow in parts, and I did nearly DFD at one point as nothing seemed to be happening, and there were parts that probably could have been cut out but still have the same story play out. It certainly hasn't put me off reading more of her books though.

[Mallory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, not too shabby of a story. It really had me questioning a lot of people and made me feel like everyone was suspish. I think there could have been a little better ending, it almost felt slightly rushed. But,aside from that, I did enjoy this book.

[Ally]

They're getting worse

I mean no offense, but the author needs an editor. The books have gradually gotten worse. There's a part/chapter completely missing in this one. Grammar is getting very distracting also.

[Leigh.empresselly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story has all the twists and turns! When Sophia becomes a missing person, events quickly escalate into darker truths! A page turner that delivered an unpredictable plot twist!

[Ashli Ferguson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad but not my favorite. Called it pretty fast on most things. Good but predictable

[Barbara Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read!

[Dawn Babcock]

Great read

Was very fast pace with unexpected twist. Definitely was not what I thought for the ending. Sneaky twist to it

[Dana Roselle-Witlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 ⭐️ it’s up & down throughout

[Madison Humphreys · Rating 4 out of 5]

Similar to all of the previous, quick thriller read

[Ella Graff · Rating 5 out of 5]

As usual Sara Ennis takes you on a wild ride. Sophia goes to a conference in Louisiana and turns up missing. Her family and boyfriend try to find her with no luck. It kept me guessing who was behind her disappearance. I’m not a trusting soul so a part of it was in my head, then there was another twist. Sara is one of my favorite authors. I will read anything she writes.

[Gayle Welter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing! Sara writes in a mesmerizing way that captures your attention from beginning to end. The plot twists are well thought out. The characters are fascinating and their background makes learning about them a bonus. I highly recommend this book. It’s a quick-paced read - but probably because there was never a slow moment.

[Julie Lanaux · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this, and loved all the descriptions of New Orleans. But something bothered me about how it read almost like an ad for Komorebi.