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The Lost Kings
Twins Jeanie and Jamie King are inseparable. Stuck in a cabin in rural Washington with their alcoholic father, they cling to one another for safety and companionship. Until one night, when their father comes home covered in blood. The next day, he is gone ... and so is Jamie.
Jeanie's whole world is turned upside down. Not only has she lost her beloved brother, but with no family left in Washington, she is ripped from everything she knows, including Maddox, the boy she could be learning to love.
Twenty years later, Jeanie is in England. She keeps her demons at bay by drinking too much, sleeping with a married man, and speaking to a therapist she doesn't respect. But her old life catches up to her when Maddox reappears, claiming to have tracked down her dad. Stunned, Jeanie must decide whether to continue running from her past or to confront her father and finally find out what really happened that night, where her brother is, and why she was the one left behind.
At once a propulsive, heart-pounding mystery and an affecting exploration of love and the familial ties that bind us, The Lost Kings will transport, move, and shock you.
Jeanie's whole world is turned upside down. Not only has she lost her beloved brother, but with no family left in Washington, she is ripped from everything she knows, including Maddox, the boy she could be learning to love.
Twenty years later, Jeanie is in England. She keeps her demons at bay by drinking too much, sleeping with a married man, and speaking to a therapist she doesn't respect. But her old life catches up to her when Maddox reappears, claiming to have tracked down her dad. Stunned, Jeanie must decide whether to continue running from her past or to confront her father and finally find out what really happened that night, where her brother is, and why she was the one left behind.
At once a propulsive, heart-pounding mystery and an affecting exploration of love and the familial ties that bind us, The Lost Kings will transport, move, and shock you.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published August 2, 2022
137 people are currently reading
18002 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 309 reviews
August 22, 2022
Such an intense , depressing, character driven, dark psychological/ domestic thriller hooked me up truly with her damaged, broken MC Jeannie! Her story truly made me sad. Her genuine broken voice, her self sabotage, her suffer, her guilt feelings, her inner punishment truly made me sad! It was impossible not to fe for her!
Even though 20 years passed after the most tragic night in her lifetime, she still suffers from PTSD, burying her head into hard liquor bottles, having an affair with a married man! She’s a mess and she has no intention to fix things in her life! She left her life in Washington: because there is nothing left there to hold on: an ominous night sealed her future: her father came to her childhood house covered in blood and took her twin brother Jamie with him. She never forgave herself to stop him even though she was only 12!
Now she’s hiding from her past, denying everything about her old self till her childhood boyfriend Maddox appears out of nowhere, telling her father is finally found which means she has to face the evil for learning the truth about her brother’s whereabouts!
She learns to put aside her complex feelings, reluctantly flying to the states to open the can of worms for bringing out for secrets she can absorb!
I liked the dark and riveting tone of the story which intrigued me from the beginning. The final twist is a little foreseeable but I still enjoyed it!
Overall: it’s gripping, complex, well executed thriller I’ve read in one sit! Absolutely recommend it to the psychological thriller lovers!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
Even though 20 years passed after the most tragic night in her lifetime, she still suffers from PTSD, burying her head into hard liquor bottles, having an affair with a married man! She’s a mess and she has no intention to fix things in her life! She left her life in Washington: because there is nothing left there to hold on: an ominous night sealed her future: her father came to her childhood house covered in blood and took her twin brother Jamie with him. She never forgave herself to stop him even though she was only 12!
Now she’s hiding from her past, denying everything about her old self till her childhood boyfriend Maddox appears out of nowhere, telling her father is finally found which means she has to face the evil for learning the truth about her brother’s whereabouts!
She learns to put aside her complex feelings, reluctantly flying to the states to open the can of worms for bringing out for secrets she can absorb!
I liked the dark and riveting tone of the story which intrigued me from the beginning. The final twist is a little foreseeable but I still enjoyed it!
Overall: it’s gripping, complex, well executed thriller I’ve read in one sit! Absolutely recommend it to the psychological thriller lovers!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
April 26, 2022
At the start of the pandemic, while my kids were running around the house like Lord of the Flies, my wife told me she needed a new book to read while we were stuck at home. So I wrote one for her. It's got all the things she likes: a strong female protagonist, a mystery, family drama, a bit of romance, the UK, and the ocean. She really liked it. Hopefully you will too!
Thanks to all who read.
Thanks to all who read.
September 1, 2022
What a terrific propulsive, heart-pounding mystery and psychological thriller!
I absolutely loved the writing and the structure of the storyline.
This was my first book by this author, but I do own a copy of his first book, “The Wolves of Winter”, which I purchased at the time of its release and remains unopened to this date (don’t ask me why).
Anyways, here we have a very strong character that I was totally interested in and I totally sympathized. She does become a very unlikeable person, but because you know all of her dramas and the way she was brought up by a father, who has serious mental illness, you kind of feel sorry for her. But I liked the fact that the author did not make her a “victim” (the character is very strong and never used her upbringing as an excuse for her behavior),
Anyways… this one had a twist that I did not see coming. I had no clues. Probably one of my favorite twists this year, which had been filled with far-fetched conclusions.
I absolutely loved the writing and the structure of the storyline.
This was my first book by this author, but I do own a copy of his first book, “The Wolves of Winter”, which I purchased at the time of its release and remains unopened to this date (don’t ask me why).
Anyways, here we have a very strong character that I was totally interested in and I totally sympathized. She does become a very unlikeable person, but because you know all of her dramas and the way she was brought up by a father, who has serious mental illness, you kind of feel sorry for her. But I liked the fact that the author did not make her a “victim” (the character is very strong and never used her upbringing as an excuse for her behavior),
Anyways… this one had a twist that I did not see coming. I had no clues. Probably one of my favorite twists this year, which had been filled with far-fetched conclusions.
January 7, 2023
“Dear God, What happened to Jamie?”
Jeanie and Jamie King are twins who survive a car accident that killed their mother. They move in with their aunt and uncle until their dad returns from fighting In the war. When their father returns, he takes them to rural Washington, where they live in a small cabin. However, this is not the family reunion they were hoping for. Their father is suffering from PTSD, is an alcoholic, abuses and neglects them. Fortunately, they befriend a boy named Maddox. One day, their dad shows up with blood on his hands and leaves for good, taking Jamie with him.
Twenty years later, Jeanie recalls what happened all those years ago and attempts to move on with her life, while always searching for what happened to Jamie.
This character driven psychological suspense novel explores the effects of traumatizing events on children. It is a sad story about survival, loss, abuse, friendship, and love. It is also a slow burn, coming of age novel that will break your heart. The writing is fantastic, and the twist at the end will surprise even the savvy thriller reader. I should have seen it coming, but I didn’t!
I listened to the audiobook, read by Saskia Maarleveld. She does a fantastic job voicing female and male characters and both American and British accents. I really enjoyed this format and highly recommend listening to this book.
3.5/5 stars rounded up
Jeanie and Jamie King are twins who survive a car accident that killed their mother. They move in with their aunt and uncle until their dad returns from fighting In the war. When their father returns, he takes them to rural Washington, where they live in a small cabin. However, this is not the family reunion they were hoping for. Their father is suffering from PTSD, is an alcoholic, abuses and neglects them. Fortunately, they befriend a boy named Maddox. One day, their dad shows up with blood on his hands and leaves for good, taking Jamie with him.
Twenty years later, Jeanie recalls what happened all those years ago and attempts to move on with her life, while always searching for what happened to Jamie.
This character driven psychological suspense novel explores the effects of traumatizing events on children. It is a sad story about survival, loss, abuse, friendship, and love. It is also a slow burn, coming of age novel that will break your heart. The writing is fantastic, and the twist at the end will surprise even the savvy thriller reader. I should have seen it coming, but I didn’t!
I listened to the audiobook, read by Saskia Maarleveld. She does a fantastic job voicing female and male characters and both American and British accents. I really enjoyed this format and highly recommend listening to this book.
3.5/5 stars rounded up
September 13, 2022
I took a break, for a time, from reviewing every book I read. I am now trying tThe Wolves of Wintero back track, and am working diligently, if not effortlessly, to review those books I really liked. Would I still feel the same after letting several months go by? How much would I remember? With this book, quite a bit, so I take that as a sign that it was an impactful read.
Although there is a mystery element here, Jeannie is still quite young when both her father and brother go missing. The last time she saw her father, he was covered in blood. Did he kill someone?
She will spend years in therapy trying to determine why they both left her. This book though, is so much more. It is a book about survival, memory, and the minds ability to shift, protect, only letting in what one can handle. Very much a shape shifter. Maddox and Jeannie are both terrific and memorable characters. This book also has a zinger of an ending. I was thoroughly surprised.
We all have authors, whose books we positively respond and for me this author is one. I loved his
The Wolves of Winter and this one was also a worthy read.
"They say your olfactory sense has the strongest link to memory, but I disagree. It's auditory. But not just any sound will trigger it. Music. Music grinds at ones memory more than any smell in the world."
"We are our memories."
Although there is a mystery element here, Jeannie is still quite young when both her father and brother go missing. The last time she saw her father, he was covered in blood. Did he kill someone?
She will spend years in therapy trying to determine why they both left her. This book though, is so much more. It is a book about survival, memory, and the minds ability to shift, protect, only letting in what one can handle. Very much a shape shifter. Maddox and Jeannie are both terrific and memorable characters. This book also has a zinger of an ending. I was thoroughly surprised.
We all have authors, whose books we positively respond and for me this author is one. I loved his
The Wolves of Winter and this one was also a worthy read.
"They say your olfactory sense has the strongest link to memory, but I disagree. It's auditory. But not just any sound will trigger it. Music. Music grinds at ones memory more than any smell in the world."
"We are our memories."
April 1, 2022
The Lost Kings is one of those wonderful novels that defies categorization: part psychological thriller, part coming of age tale, part exploration of the demons that dog some of the most damaged among us. It’s smart, haunting, and rich with surprise.
August 7, 2022
I would describe The Lost Kings by Tyrell Johnson as part coming of age, part character study, part domestic drama with some psychological thriller aspects as well.
After the tragic death of their mother, Jeanie and her twin brother Jamie go to live with their aunt and uncle until their dad returns from active duty. Upon his return, he moves them to their cabin in rural Washington where they bond with a boy named Maddox. Their father is an alcoholic who suffers from PTSD which makes life very difficult for the twins. One night, their father comes home covered in blood. Jeanie sees him and is sent to her room. The next morning she wakes up to find both her father and Jamie gone.
20 years later, Jeannie is living in England, struggling with the events of her life and dealing unsuccessfully with her pain by drinking in excess, being promiscuous, and carrying on an extended affair with a married man. One day Maddox shows up at her place of employment after tracking her down, and she is forced to face her past.
This was my second book by this author and just like The Wolves of Winter, I enjoyed the writing and storytelling. Be warned, this story is very sad, dark, and depressing, but just like life, books are not always all rainbows and butterflies. While I did not necessarily like Jeanie, her actions were believable given the trauma she endured, and I cared about her and rooted for her the whole time and really wanted her to make better choices. As for the two major twists, one I saw coming but the other one I did not.
The pacing in the beginning was great, for me it lulled a bit in the middle but not for long, and then picked up pace again, but after the buildup, the ending felt a bit rushed. I keep thinking I missed something because I am still not sure where the title comes from and how it relates to the story. I do wish we would have learned a little bit more about Jeanie's mom and how her parents met especially given she was from England, and also where the inheritance money came from which is never really clarified. Overall, this book kept me engaged in the story throughout and I will gladly read anything else written by this author. 4 stars.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Anchor Books for my eARC.
After the tragic death of their mother, Jeanie and her twin brother Jamie go to live with their aunt and uncle until their dad returns from active duty. Upon his return, he moves them to their cabin in rural Washington where they bond with a boy named Maddox. Their father is an alcoholic who suffers from PTSD which makes life very difficult for the twins. One night, their father comes home covered in blood. Jeanie sees him and is sent to her room. The next morning she wakes up to find both her father and Jamie gone.
20 years later, Jeannie is living in England, struggling with the events of her life and dealing unsuccessfully with her pain by drinking in excess, being promiscuous, and carrying on an extended affair with a married man. One day Maddox shows up at her place of employment after tracking her down, and she is forced to face her past.
This was my second book by this author and just like The Wolves of Winter, I enjoyed the writing and storytelling. Be warned, this story is very sad, dark, and depressing, but just like life, books are not always all rainbows and butterflies. While I did not necessarily like Jeanie, her actions were believable given the trauma she endured, and I cared about her and rooted for her the whole time and really wanted her to make better choices. As for the two major twists, one I saw coming but the other one I did not.
The pacing in the beginning was great, for me it lulled a bit in the middle but not for long, and then picked up pace again, but after the buildup, the ending felt a bit rushed. I keep thinking I missed something because I am still not sure where the title comes from and how it relates to the story. I do wish we would have learned a little bit more about Jeanie's mom and how her parents met especially given she was from England, and also where the inheritance money came from which is never really clarified. Overall, this book kept me engaged in the story throughout and I will gladly read anything else written by this author. 4 stars.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Anchor Books for my eARC.
July 30, 2023
***3.5 Stars**** I was intrigued with the summary of this novel, and I was keen to listen to the audio. It was an interesting plot that revolves around a young woman’s search for her missing father and twin brother Jamie.
Jeanie’s life is upended when the twins lost their mother in a car wreck as young children. Their neglectful father, a veteran with PTSD and likely alcohol abuse disappeared suddenly along with twin Jamie.
What follows is both a coming-of-age story and a search for the whereabouts of her father and Jamie. Jeanie was often unlikeable. Her frequent poor decisions in her personal affairs were exasperating.
It was an intriguing plot with a great buildup to an anticlimactic ending.
Jeanie’s life is upended when the twins lost their mother in a car wreck as young children. Their neglectful father, a veteran with PTSD and likely alcohol abuse disappeared suddenly along with twin Jamie.
What follows is both a coming-of-age story and a search for the whereabouts of her father and Jamie. Jeanie was often unlikeable. Her frequent poor decisions in her personal affairs were exasperating.
It was an intriguing plot with a great buildup to an anticlimactic ending.
November 15, 2022
This was definitely a thought-provoking, psychological suspense, but I felt a lot of it was a coming-of-age story of a woman's deeply moving, turbulent childhood. And my goodness, how moving it was, indeed!!
The central, and incredibly flawed protagonist, is Jeanie King, who for several years now has lived in the UK. About twenty years prior to that, she lived in a cabin in rural Washington with her abusive father, and twin brother Jamie. Jamie is the timid twin, and Jeanie is the outspoken 'wild' twin. The twins are especially close on account of losing their mother earlier in life, due to a horrific car accident in which they witnessed their mother take her last breaths. Add to this the fact that their father, a veteran who was already suffering from PTSD, completely fell apart after his wife's death, turned to booze and neglected his children essentially leaving them to fend for themselves for days at a time. When he was around, he was short-tempered, unpredictable and violent. Then one stormy night their father comes home covered in blood, and then soon after he and Jamie both disappear. The disappearance makes national news, and her father becomes a wanted man. Jeanie, now a celebrity of sorts, is sent across the country to live with her aunt, always clinging to the hope that she will someday find out what became of her brother that night. As soon as Jeanie graduates high school she leaves everything behind to start over and attends college at Oxford.
Now, Jamie's childhood love Maddox - who also happens to be a journalist, tracks her down informing her that he may have finally located her father, pleading she return home to help track him down. She reluctantly agrees, only because she needs answers to what happened to her twin, and why she was left behind. But, the answers she seeks may be more than she bargained for, forcing Jamie to confront deeply hidden and crushing truths about everything she thought she knew!
The answer to the mystery element is what kept me reading, despite the fact that I didn't care for Jamie as a person, and even found myself annoyed with how deeply 'effed up' she was as an adult. I immediately had an inkling about what may be happening, but I was far from certain. Let me tell you, the 'reveal' did not disappoint! It definitely made it all worth it and although I probably should have seen it coming, but perhaps I was willingly blind to it, because it rocked me! The only thing that kept this from being a true 5-Star read for me, was actually that I really didn't care for the majority of the characters, so the middle portion of this one read a tad bit long for me at times. Had it all come together just a smidge sooner, this really would have undeniably been EXCELLENT. With that being said, it was only GREAT!!
Now that I know what I know, I will probably give this one a re-read in a year or so to see if I can pick up on some of the clues I missed the first time around. I unabashedly recommend this to pretty much anyone, as in my opinion it really does defy one specific genre - it has a bit of everything! One thing's for certain; Johnson is a force to be reckoned with!!
The central, and incredibly flawed protagonist, is Jeanie King, who for several years now has lived in the UK. About twenty years prior to that, she lived in a cabin in rural Washington with her abusive father, and twin brother Jamie. Jamie is the timid twin, and Jeanie is the outspoken 'wild' twin. The twins are especially close on account of losing their mother earlier in life, due to a horrific car accident in which they witnessed their mother take her last breaths. Add to this the fact that their father, a veteran who was already suffering from PTSD, completely fell apart after his wife's death, turned to booze and neglected his children essentially leaving them to fend for themselves for days at a time. When he was around, he was short-tempered, unpredictable and violent. Then one stormy night their father comes home covered in blood, and then soon after he and Jamie both disappear. The disappearance makes national news, and her father becomes a wanted man. Jeanie, now a celebrity of sorts, is sent across the country to live with her aunt, always clinging to the hope that she will someday find out what became of her brother that night. As soon as Jeanie graduates high school she leaves everything behind to start over and attends college at Oxford.
Now, Jamie's childhood love Maddox - who also happens to be a journalist, tracks her down informing her that he may have finally located her father, pleading she return home to help track him down. She reluctantly agrees, only because she needs answers to what happened to her twin, and why she was left behind. But, the answers she seeks may be more than she bargained for, forcing Jamie to confront deeply hidden and crushing truths about everything she thought she knew!
The answer to the mystery element is what kept me reading, despite the fact that I didn't care for Jamie as a person, and even found myself annoyed with how deeply 'effed up' she was as an adult. I immediately had an inkling about what may be happening, but I was far from certain. Let me tell you, the 'reveal' did not disappoint! It definitely made it all worth it and although I probably should have seen it coming, but perhaps I was willingly blind to it, because it rocked me! The only thing that kept this from being a true 5-Star read for me, was actually that I really didn't care for the majority of the characters, so the middle portion of this one read a tad bit long for me at times. Had it all come together just a smidge sooner, this really would have undeniably been EXCELLENT. With that being said, it was only GREAT!!
Now that I know what I know, I will probably give this one a re-read in a year or so to see if I can pick up on some of the clues I missed the first time around. I unabashedly recommend this to pretty much anyone, as in my opinion it really does defy one specific genre - it has a bit of everything! One thing's for certain; Johnson is a force to be reckoned with!!
April 3, 2022
Tyrell Johnson takes his readers along on an insightful journey into one woman’s life and psyche, as she works to overcome her demons and take back the control she thought she’d lost forever.
Jeanie King lost her mother very young, when a car accident claimed her life while Jeanie watched on helplessly from the back seat. She’s only twelve when tragedy strikes again, and her father disappears – and takes her beloved twin brother Jamie with him. Suddenly abandoned, she finds herself falling into a spiral of impulse decisions and self-isolation, until a visitor from her past appears and offers her the chance to confront and conquer her darkest fears.
I had a slightly rocky start with this book – it took me a while to warm up to Jeanie, as she’s an intentionally confronting character. But when I settled into the story and got to know her better, I was pleasantly surprised; Tyrell Johnson has written a wonderfully complex character and takes a thoughtful approach to telling the story of the trauma and experiences that shaped her. Side characters were equally three dimensional and realistic, and The Lost Kings grew on me quickly.
Despite the title, this is really Jeanie’s story, told in alternating timelines between her present self and the child who went through so much. The author takes his time, and before long the journey overtook the destination as the important part in my eyes. I did want to see Jeanie have the chance to find the brother and father whose absence so shaped her life – but I was also happy just to enjoy the process of getting there, as Tyrell Johnson worked his magic and created a story that completely captivated me.
I came away from this book uplifted, and more than a little bit emotional. The Lost Kings is an excellent thriller, but it’s those memorable characters who will really stay with me.
This review originally appeared at mysteryandsuspense.com
Jeanie King lost her mother very young, when a car accident claimed her life while Jeanie watched on helplessly from the back seat. She’s only twelve when tragedy strikes again, and her father disappears – and takes her beloved twin brother Jamie with him. Suddenly abandoned, she finds herself falling into a spiral of impulse decisions and self-isolation, until a visitor from her past appears and offers her the chance to confront and conquer her darkest fears.
I had a slightly rocky start with this book – it took me a while to warm up to Jeanie, as she’s an intentionally confronting character. But when I settled into the story and got to know her better, I was pleasantly surprised; Tyrell Johnson has written a wonderfully complex character and takes a thoughtful approach to telling the story of the trauma and experiences that shaped her. Side characters were equally three dimensional and realistic, and The Lost Kings grew on me quickly.
Despite the title, this is really Jeanie’s story, told in alternating timelines between her present self and the child who went through so much. The author takes his time, and before long the journey overtook the destination as the important part in my eyes. I did want to see Jeanie have the chance to find the brother and father whose absence so shaped her life – but I was also happy just to enjoy the process of getting there, as Tyrell Johnson worked his magic and created a story that completely captivated me.
I came away from this book uplifted, and more than a little bit emotional. The Lost Kings is an excellent thriller, but it’s those memorable characters who will really stay with me.
This review originally appeared at mysteryandsuspense.com
August 24, 2022
Listen, the trope is dead. Let it die. This was correctly guessed immediately. Jeanie as well was a complete 1 dimensional, caricature of what a "traumatized woman" should be. When will male writer ever just stop? Will it be in this century? 🤔
May 31, 2022
This is a deep psychological story of growing with abuse and loss and growing beyond it. Very well written. It was told in multiple timelines, at least three and sometimes they seem to overlap which worked well for the story. On one hand, she was looking for her father who left her alone after murdering someone, looking for her twin brother who may or may not still be alive. On the other hand, she was looking for a way to find herself back to love. She was damaged but strong and resilent. A well written, beautifully written at times, story that ultimately was about hope and dicotomies we live with.
August 4, 2022
Shockingly good and very poorly marketed. I came in blind being told it was a thriller about a girl searching for her missing family. What this actually covers is a heart breaking character study of a girl raised in abuse, neglect and tragedy. This reminded me SO much of The First Day of Spring by Nancy Tucker in that we realistically see the unfolding of life when it is heavily influenced by poor parenting and tragedy.
Jeannie King lost her mother in a car accident and went to live with her well meaning and religious Aunt and Uncle. However she is brutally uprooted when her dad returns from war and takes her and twin brother to a remote cabin in Washington. Here she faces abuse and neglect at her veteran father hand who struggles with PTSD. One day she wakes up to him covered in blood and he says goodbye and disappears along with her brother. Now an adult, her childhood friend Maddox has found her and believes he knows where her father is. She must make a decision whether to face her monsters and find answers or to turn the other way.
I was absolutely riveted the whole time. Tyrell Johnson has weaved a story that makes you want to look away to stop the heartbreak but forces your attention because the pictures are too vivid and the need to know is so strong. The ending just leveled me completely because I didn’t see it coming and yet it made complete sense - a very rare combination. Beautiful book.
Jeannie King lost her mother in a car accident and went to live with her well meaning and religious Aunt and Uncle. However she is brutally uprooted when her dad returns from war and takes her and twin brother to a remote cabin in Washington. Here she faces abuse and neglect at her veteran father hand who struggles with PTSD. One day she wakes up to him covered in blood and he says goodbye and disappears along with her brother. Now an adult, her childhood friend Maddox has found her and believes he knows where her father is. She must make a decision whether to face her monsters and find answers or to turn the other way.
I was absolutely riveted the whole time. Tyrell Johnson has weaved a story that makes you want to look away to stop the heartbreak but forces your attention because the pictures are too vivid and the need to know is so strong. The ending just leveled me completely because I didn’t see it coming and yet it made complete sense - a very rare combination. Beautiful book.
July 10, 2022
All I can say is “Wow”! I did not see that coming and it sure did give me a lot to think about. I judge it as being a great book when periodically throughout the day it pops in my head and I’m still trying to analyze it!
July 19, 2022
*Requested on Netgalley in return for an honest review*
My oh my, what a delightful surprise!!
I never heard of the author before, which isn't strange since this is his 2nd book. BUT, I will keep him in mind from now on.
The Lost Kings is, in my opinion, a realistic view on the struggles of a young woman who's childhood was messed up in many many ways.
In present and past we are following Jeanie King, a young woman who lost her mother at a very young age in a traumatic way. Her father, ex-military, had to deal with raising her and her brother Jamie alone. Drunk most of the time this wasn't always going as it should. To get way from home, they meet up with Maddox, a boy they met on the beach. A special friendship between Jeanie and him as a result.
It really all starts when her father leaves her alone in the cabin and doesn't come back. Same for Jamie, gone without a trace. In the present, there is still no sign of both of them. She doesn't know if they are alive or dead.
She deals with her mothers death and the disappearance of her father and brother by drinking and screwing around. We follow some conversations with her therapist, her sexual encounters with a teacher and..... I'll say no more!
It is definitely a must-read. Jeanie is such a strong character and you just feel for her.
The writing is really good. It's not too descriptive, but enough to set the scene and the mood. It's easy to read and the switch between past and present is perfect.
My oh my, what a delightful surprise!!
I never heard of the author before, which isn't strange since this is his 2nd book. BUT, I will keep him in mind from now on.
The Lost Kings is, in my opinion, a realistic view on the struggles of a young woman who's childhood was messed up in many many ways.
In present and past we are following Jeanie King, a young woman who lost her mother at a very young age in a traumatic way. Her father, ex-military, had to deal with raising her and her brother Jamie alone. Drunk most of the time this wasn't always going as it should. To get way from home, they meet up with Maddox, a boy they met on the beach. A special friendship between Jeanie and him as a result.
It really all starts when her father leaves her alone in the cabin and doesn't come back. Same for Jamie, gone without a trace. In the present, there is still no sign of both of them. She doesn't know if they are alive or dead.
She deals with her mothers death and the disappearance of her father and brother by drinking and screwing around. We follow some conversations with her therapist, her sexual encounters with a teacher and..... I'll say no more!
It is definitely a must-read. Jeanie is such a strong character and you just feel for her.
The writing is really good. It's not too descriptive, but enough to set the scene and the mood. It's easy to read and the switch between past and present is perfect.
September 2, 2022
The storyline was drug out, and the ending was lackluster.
July 5, 2022
The Lost Kings by Tyrell Johnson. Thanks to @anchorbooks and @netgalley for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Jeanie and Jamie are twins as close as can be. They live in a cabin with their alcoholic father and find comfort in each other. Until her father goes missing after an incident, as well as Jamie. Twenty years later Jeanie is trying to live her life but wonders daily where her brother went.
This whole book is made for the ending. I won’t spoil anything, but damn I wasn’t expecting that twist and it changes your whole perspective of the story. This is a character driven mystery where we sit with the main character as she comes of age after tragedy. It’s real, genuine, and hard to watch but definitely worth a read.
“People go missing all the time, their names written forever in the great book of the lost souls. You never get to know where they’ve gone. You can only imagine.”
The Lost Kings comes out 8/2.
Jeanie and Jamie are twins as close as can be. They live in a cabin with their alcoholic father and find comfort in each other. Until her father goes missing after an incident, as well as Jamie. Twenty years later Jeanie is trying to live her life but wonders daily where her brother went.
This whole book is made for the ending. I won’t spoil anything, but damn I wasn’t expecting that twist and it changes your whole perspective of the story. This is a character driven mystery where we sit with the main character as she comes of age after tragedy. It’s real, genuine, and hard to watch but definitely worth a read.
“People go missing all the time, their names written forever in the great book of the lost souls. You never get to know where they’ve gone. You can only imagine.”
The Lost Kings comes out 8/2.
September 29, 2022
The Lost Kings by Tyrell Johnson was a mystery unraveling a lot of childhood trauma, a murder, a missing twin, and finding that missing part of oneself.
I didn't particularly like the plot at first, but I gotta be honest, the writing was so accessible that I couldn't stop turning the pages. The pace significantly got better too in part II, by which I was already so enamored by the mystery.
Something that I relate with in this novel is how Jeanie couldn't really form honest relationships or commit to a lifetime with another person. I think this is because she still had a long way to go on understanding herself as a person.
The conclusion kind of was lacking for me. I do hope we get to have that reveal at 70% then spend the last pages seeing her get in terms with her mental condition.
I don't have a wide knowledge about DID or dissociative identity disorder, so I couldn't really judge whether this is a good representation and exploration of how trauma can cause it, so taking that out of consideration, I'm giving this book a 3 out of 5 stars.
I didn't particularly like the plot at first, but I gotta be honest, the writing was so accessible that I couldn't stop turning the pages. The pace significantly got better too in part II, by which I was already so enamored by the mystery.
Something that I relate with in this novel is how Jeanie couldn't really form honest relationships or commit to a lifetime with another person. I think this is because she still had a long way to go on understanding herself as a person.
The conclusion kind of was lacking for me. I do hope we get to have that reveal at 70% then spend the last pages seeing her get in terms with her mental condition.
I don't have a wide knowledge about DID or dissociative identity disorder, so I couldn't really judge whether this is a good representation and exploration of how trauma can cause it, so taking that out of consideration, I'm giving this book a 3 out of 5 stars.
September 26, 2022
I am very, very tired of reading this book. I have read it so many times. A different title and author every time, but it's the same story again and again. She drinks too much, she has too much sex, she's seeing things, she's damaged. Did she witness a murder? Oh wait, no--she's crazy! The plot "twist" that can be guessed almost immediately. Enough already.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 17, 2023
This was a dark, psychological thriller with an interesting twist at the end. Some readers claim they knew it all along. Well, I didn't.
The protagonist is named Jeanie King and she is one messed-up individual. She has a "twin" named Jamie. When she was still a child, she lost her mother in a car accident, after which she was cared for by her aunt and uncle while her father was away in military service. When her father is mustered out of the military, he moves the family to a remote cabin in rural Washington.
The father has plenty of psychological problems of his own. He is an alcoholic who suffers from PTSD and is a seriously neglectful parent. One night he comes home covered in blood. The next morning he and Jamie are gone and Jeanie is left on her own.
Perhaps the only good thing Jeanie has going for her during this period is her friendship with a boy named Maddox. It is a friendship that endures and twenty years later when she is living in England, Maddox will again become a part of her life when he looks her up at her place of employment.
Jeanie's life at this point is a complete disaster. She is a promiscuous alcoholic who has been carrying on an extended affair with a married man. She struggles to come to terms with the events of her life and with not knowing what happened to her father. When Maddox reenters her life, he tells her that he knows where her father is and can take her there.
Okay, this is all very sad and depressing and since I found Jeanie to be quite an unlikeable character, it was really hard for me to get into the story. While it was an interesting plot, because I found it difficult to care about the main character I didn't like the book as much as I had expected I would.
Moreover, I was tempted to make this my first two-star review of the year, but in the end, decided to be generous and bumped it up to three. It was, after all is said and done, a well-written tale. It just wasn't one that I could especially enjoy.
The protagonist is named Jeanie King and she is one messed-up individual. She has a "twin" named Jamie. When she was still a child, she lost her mother in a car accident, after which she was cared for by her aunt and uncle while her father was away in military service. When her father is mustered out of the military, he moves the family to a remote cabin in rural Washington.
The father has plenty of psychological problems of his own. He is an alcoholic who suffers from PTSD and is a seriously neglectful parent. One night he comes home covered in blood. The next morning he and Jamie are gone and Jeanie is left on her own.
Perhaps the only good thing Jeanie has going for her during this period is her friendship with a boy named Maddox. It is a friendship that endures and twenty years later when she is living in England, Maddox will again become a part of her life when he looks her up at her place of employment.
Jeanie's life at this point is a complete disaster. She is a promiscuous alcoholic who has been carrying on an extended affair with a married man. She struggles to come to terms with the events of her life and with not knowing what happened to her father. When Maddox reenters her life, he tells her that he knows where her father is and can take her there.
Okay, this is all very sad and depressing and since I found Jeanie to be quite an unlikeable character, it was really hard for me to get into the story. While it was an interesting plot, because I found it difficult to care about the main character I didn't like the book as much as I had expected I would.
Moreover, I was tempted to make this my first two-star review of the year, but in the end, decided to be generous and bumped it up to three. It was, after all is said and done, a well-written tale. It just wasn't one that I could especially enjoy.
October 25, 2022
2.5 stars (rounded down) Welp I didn’t see that ending coming!
I’ve read a few books in the past when one of the main characters end up not being real AT ALL. Just a figment of the main characters imagination due to some traumatic event. I for sure thought Jeanie had a twin brother who was possibly killed by her father. But it seems he was just alternate version of her (I guess) one more vulnerable and fragile then who she wanted to be and who her father favored.
This book was a very slow burn. The only twist was at the very end when the reader learned that Jamie was only part of Jeanie’s imagination.
I need to say that I dislike that female character who has had some sort of severe trauma in her life has to then go and spread her legs everyone that will have her. That’s what it feels like happens to many women in some of the books I read. Ok I I understand the woman is hurting but she drowns it in some sort of addiction-drugs, sex, alcohol or a mixture of all three. That’s my vent for the day. Not a bad book but nothing really happens until the end.
I’ve read a few books in the past when one of the main characters end up not being real AT ALL. Just a figment of the main characters imagination due to some traumatic event. I for sure thought Jeanie had a twin brother who was possibly killed by her father. But it seems he was just alternate version of her (I guess) one more vulnerable and fragile then who she wanted to be and who her father favored.
This book was a very slow burn. The only twist was at the very end when the reader learned that Jamie was only part of Jeanie’s imagination.
I need to say that I dislike that female character who has had some sort of severe trauma in her life has to then go and spread her legs everyone that will have her. That’s what it feels like happens to many women in some of the books I read. Ok I I understand the woman is hurting but she drowns it in some sort of addiction-drugs, sex, alcohol or a mixture of all three. That’s my vent for the day. Not a bad book but nothing really happens until the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 20, 2022
Jeanie and her twin brother, Jamie, had an incredibly rough start to life. After losing their mother at a very young age, Jeanie wakes up one night to see her father in the door way covered in blood. That next morning both her father & her beloved twin brother are gone. This story alternates between Jeanie's childhood and current day, where a PTSD-addled Jeanie is trying to move on with her anonymous life while still pining for her long lost brother.
This story was bleak and depressing, my heart still breaks for Jeanie. Watching her continuously self-sabotage was so frustrating, but it was so on par with her character. While I wouldn't call Jeanie "likeable," she was a perfectly complex character.
This was a tense and fast paced novel, I read it in just two sittings because I was dying to know how it ended. And, in retrospect I'm not sure how, but I did not see the end twist coming and I LOVED it.
Many thanks to the publisher for my gifted copy!
This story was bleak and depressing, my heart still breaks for Jeanie. Watching her continuously self-sabotage was so frustrating, but it was so on par with her character. While I wouldn't call Jeanie "likeable," she was a perfectly complex character.
This was a tense and fast paced novel, I read it in just two sittings because I was dying to know how it ended. And, in retrospect I'm not sure how, but I did not see the end twist coming and I LOVED it.
Many thanks to the publisher for my gifted copy!
July 24, 2022
Well, I'm crying now.
A riveting story about trauma, pain, and confronting one's personal demons. I didn't really know where the story was taking me most of the time, and the well-crafted prose pulled me along to the unexpected conclusion in record time.
The ending relied on a trope that isn't my favorite. but I'll give it a pass because of the story's strong emotional pull and the fact that I could barely set the book down while reading.
*Thank you to Knopf Doubleday and Netgalley for the arc of this book*
A riveting story about trauma, pain, and confronting one's personal demons. I didn't really know where the story was taking me most of the time, and the well-crafted prose pulled me along to the unexpected conclusion in record time.
The ending relied on a trope that isn't my favorite. but I'll give it a pass because of the story's strong emotional pull and the fact that I could barely set the book down while reading.
*Thank you to Knopf Doubleday and Netgalley for the arc of this book*
August 23, 2022
This has nothing to do with royalty but with a broken family named King. I thought it was Okay, but perhaps with a too-liberal use of cliched scenarios. Jeanie King is a dysfunctional adult, unable to form intimate relationships, drinking far too much, engaging in frequent casual sex, obsessively reminiscing about her childhood, particularly the traumatic events of one night when she was 12, when her PTSD-afflicted father murdered his girlfriend and disappeared, and her twin brother, Jamie, also disappeared without a trace. Jeanie loved her father (her mother had earlier been killed in a car crash) but was sometimes frightened of his drunk and violent rages, but she was as close as it was possible to be with her twin, and she’s left with agonizing questions following his disappearance: How could he leave without her? Did their father take him? Harm him? Why did he/they leave her behind? Is Jamie alive or dead? Jeanie is transplanted to live with an aunt and uncle in California and spends her high school years, unhappy and rebellious, waiting for word about her missing father and brother—waiting for Jamie to come back to her. Skip forward a couple of decades and Jeanie’s living in England when a childhood friend, now an investigative journalist, shows up on her doorstep with a lead on her still-missing father. They go together to check it out, there’s a violent denouement and a very surprise twist that I really did not see coming. Let the healing begin.
September 1, 2022
2.5 stars
It was very difficult to finish this book. It was really depressing and dark. I didn’t like the character Jeannie from the get-go, but the story/mystery was interesting enough to hold my attention through the first half. Unfortunately Jeannie never got better for me, and I guessed the twists shortly before they were revealed, which made continuing an annoyance. It’s an okay read, well-written, but just too sad for my tastes.
It was very difficult to finish this book. It was really depressing and dark. I didn’t like the character Jeannie from the get-go, but the story/mystery was interesting enough to hold my attention through the first half. Unfortunately Jeannie never got better for me, and I guessed the twists shortly before they were revealed, which made continuing an annoyance. It’s an okay read, well-written, but just too sad for my tastes.
September 1, 2022
Leave some time to get yourself back together after the shocking finale of this remarkable book! I am gutted….
Hats off to Tyrell Johnson for the respect and research he lent to the mental health components of this domestic drama. So well done, I highly recommend!
Hats off to Tyrell Johnson for the respect and research he lent to the mental health components of this domestic drama. So well done, I highly recommend!
July 26, 2022
Started a little slow but once it got going, I couldn't put it down. The characters are beautifully developed, the story is engaging and I love the unexpected ending. The main character is heartbreaking and resilient - I loved her and all of her "flaws." Great psychological, character- driven mystery read.
August 21, 2023
Is it possible to both like and dislike a book at the same time? Because that’s how I feel about this one. There were times I found myself swept up in the story, dying to know the conclusion. And there were times it was so slow going I just wanted to finally get to the end and be done.
July 14, 2022
This novel was equal parts uplifting and devastating. The characters are well developed and the plot is intriguing and handled well. The twist is as unexpected and heart wrenching as the one in the novel, Girl A. I will be thinking about this book long after finishing it. Amazing.
August 1, 2022
The tragedy of growing up is realizing your parents were just as vulnerable as you've always felt. That you were never as safe as you thought. That the rotten, festering thing inside you is something they put there, and you have to deal with it alone.
Twins Jeanie and Jamie King are just children when they lose their mother in a tragic accident, and their troubled, alcoholic father moves them to a remote cabin in Washington State. He isn't the same father he was before he left for war, and Jeanie and Jamie spend their childhood walking on eggshells around him and escaping to the woods whenever possible with their friend Maddox. One night, Jeanie's world is shattered when her father comes home covered in blood, and the next morning, both her father and Jamie have disappeared.
Twenty years later, Jeanie is living in Oxford, a lonely, broken woman who sleeps with a married man, drinks too much, and writes letters to her lost brother that she can never send. When Maddox suddenly reappears in her life, claiming that he's managed to tracked down her father, Jeanie must decide if she's finally ready to face the trauma of her childhood.
Alternating between the past and the present, The Lost Kings kept me riveted from start to finish. This novel is at once a psychological thriller, a coming of age story, and a deeply moving character study, and it's one of the most affecting novels I've read recently. When we meet Jeanie, she is an acerbic, self-destructive, and confrontational adult. But as the novel progresses and we learn more about the traumas and experiences that shaped her, we begin to understand her deeply and profoundly, to see the scared child residing at her core. Tyrell Johnson takes his time peeling back her layers, but it's worth it; Jeanie is a complex and richly-realized character that got under my skin in the ways all the best characters do.
This is an impressive, beautiful book that is deeply psychological and insightful, while also reading like a propulsive thriller. Exploring themes of generational trauma, PTSD, alcoholism, and abuse, The Lost Kings is a difficult, brutal, and unflinching read. It's startling and haunting, nuanced and captivating, and, ultimately, hopeful and uplifting. I'll be thinking about it for a long time.
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