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Biography
Sophie McKenzie is a fiction writer of both adults and children’s books.
Her first book, the teen thriller GIRL, MISSING was published in 2006 and chosen as one of the first Richard and Judy children’s book club winners. Since then, she has published over thirty children’s novels, four of which have won the annual, national Children’s Book Award. She is currently writing a new teen murder mystery series for Simon & Schuster called MURDER ACADEMY.
Sophie’s first psychological thriller for adult readers, CLOSE MY EYES, came out in 2013 and was selected as a Richard & Judy summer read. It was followed by Sunday Times top ten page-turner TRUST IN MEand four other standalone adult suspense novels. Her next novel, Burn This, publishes in July 2025 through Canelo.
Her books have sold more than one million copies in the UK alone and are translated and sold all over the world. Sophie lives in north London and has worked as a journalist, editor and creative writing tutor.
Praise for GIRL, MISSING:
‘Page-turning’ The Independent
‘Will have you gripped for hours’ Sunday Express
‘Please read this book: it is brilliant!; The Guardian
‘Whenever I hear the phrase YA thriller I only ever think of one name – and that’s Sophie Mckenzie. Why? Because noboody does it better’ Phil Earle, award-winning author
‘Sophie’s thrillers are brilliant… you can’t stop reading’ Robert Muchamore, bestselling author
‘Brilliantly described, scary and touching’ The Daily Mirror
10 years of Awards for GIRL, MISSING:
Manchester Children’s Book Awards
Bolton Children’s Book Award
Soilhill Book Award
Winner of the Sakura Medal
Red House Children’s Book Award
Richard and Judy Best Kids’ Book
Lewisham Children’s Book Award
The Impostor
Keep it in the family. Whatever it takes.
Nathaniel Carson is dead. His family host a dinner to celebrate what would have been his 79th birthday only to have an unexpected guest arrive.
Mia says she’s Nathaniel’s daughter. The product of an affair. But not everyone is convinced her claims are genuine. After all, Nathaniel left behind a vast fortune. The kind of money people would do anything for.
The more the Carsons’ get to know Mia, the more concerned they become. Can they trust her?
Because every family has its secrets. But this truth might hurt the Carson’s more than they expect
A tense psychological thriller full of twists and turns. Perfect for fans of Gillian McAllister and Lisa Jewell.
Publications
Selected Publications
They were meant to be best friends forever. But forever doesn’t last long if one of you is dead.
Bella Wilkins is clearing out her mother Barbara’s house when she finds a hidden diary. On the cover, two words are written:
BURN THIS.
According to the diary, thirty years earlier, Barbara witnessed the murder of Bella’s childhood friend, Vicky.
The diary is quickly dismissed by the police as fiction Barbara’s attempt at creative writing but Bella is convinced they are wrong. As she uncovers a series of dark connections, it is clear Vicky’s killer is still at large. And they weren’t just someone familiar to Barbara, but a person Bella herself knows well
A compulsive, twisty psychological thriller perfect for fans of Gillian McAllister, Lisa Jewell and Alice Feeney.
What if everything you thought you knew about your life was a lie? Girl, Missing is the blockbuster title from Sophie McKenzie.
Lauren is adopted and eager to know more about her mysterious past. But when she discovers she may have been snatched from her family as a baby, her whole life suddenly feels like a sham. Could her adoptive parents really have been responsible for kidnapping her?
Running away from her family to seek out the truth, Lauren’s journey takes her deeper and deeper into danger as she realises that someone wants to stop her uncovering what really happened when she was a baby.
Girl, Missing is the book that launched the queen of teen thrillers, Sophie McKenzie, and is a must-have for readers that are yet to discover this modern classic.
A lonely girl, a missing father and a trail of lies . . . From the million-copy bestselling author of Girl, Missing, comes a blockbuster teen thriller that will have you looking for answers round every corner.
Fourteen-year-old Cat is lonely – reeling from the loss of her father, she’s disconnected from friends and fighting with her mum. But when a new boy, Tyler, arrives for the summer, Cat finds herself opening up to the handsome stranger. A shocking revelation about her dad turns Cat’s world on its head. She and Tyler uncover a series of secrets that take them on a perilous journey. With fresh lies exposed and threats from a dangerous gang revealed, will Cat risk everything to keep herself and her family safe?
An explosive, edge-of-your-seat new drama from the original queen of teen thrillers, Sophie McKenzie, for fans of Karen McManus and Holly Jackson.
