The Day I Lost You

By: Ruth Mancini

Narrated by: George Blagden, Olivia Poulet, Louise Brealey, Ruth Mancini, Roy McMillan

Brought to you by Penguin.

All Lauren wants is a new life in Spain. She’s suffered an unimaginable loss, but at last she has found a home in the pretty seaside town of Mantilla de Mar. Everyone deserves a new start, and Lauren needs to put her past firmly behind her.

Hope has everything: an interesting career as a therapist, an attractive husband, a dream home in the countryside - and, finally, the baby she always longed for. Sam. Her beautiful boy.

But Sam has gone missing.

So when the police tell her that a woman has been found in Spain with a child matching Sam’s description, Hope thinks that her nightmare might be coming to an end.

But Lauren is insisting Sam is her baby. She even has his passport and birth certificate to prove it.

So what really happened to Baby Sam? And who still has secrets to hide?

One child. Two mothers. And a past that won’t let them go.

© Ruth Mancini 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

Critic reviews

A thriller you won’t be able to put down

Your heart and your head will doubtless be conflicted as the labyrinthian plot unravels. Brilliant!

A propulsive, emotional thriller ... I flew through it changing my mind every few pages about whose side I was on. A hugely satisfying read!

This one really packs an emotional punch. Thought-provoking, compelling and, at times, heart-breaking. Really kept me guessing, right up until the end.

Fresh, original, utterly intriguing and so, so clever

A clever, compelling rollercoaster ride of a book, never letting up until its final resolution

This twisty chiller will keep you hooked until the very end

A gripping, twist-driven custody thriller