It’s summer and holidaymakers are flocking to the idyllic Brittany coast. But when first an old traveller woman dies in suspicious circumstances, and then a campaign of hate seemingly drives another victim to take his own life, events take a very dark turn.
Mila Shepherd has come to France to look after her niece, Ani, following the accident in which both Ani’s parents were lost at sea. Mila has moved into their family holiday home, as well as taken her sister Sophie’s place in an agency which specialises in tracking down missing people, until new recruit Carter Jackson starts.
It’s clear that malevolent forces are at work in Morranez, but the local police are choosing to look the other way. Only Mila and Carter can uncover the truth about what’s really going on in this beautiful, but mysterious place before anyone else suffers. But someone is desperate to protect a terrible truth, at any cost…
Review
I’ve been reading a lot of heavy stuff at the moment (biography of Fred and Rose West), so it was such a relief to get sucked into the latest offering from Louise Douglas. That’s not to say that The Lost Notebook is completely lighthearted. This is a drama with its own share of heavy topics. However, it is a nice slow burn which also has pockets of family, friends and community to make it a more enjoyable read.
The Lost Notebook has some wonderful characters. I especially enjoyed reading Mila and her struggle between life in France and her old life in England. However, while I did like all the characters in some way, I didn’t feel like I knew them completely. There were times where this book felt like a sequel, referring to things that happened in the past without going into too much detail.
Likewise, I enjoyed the plot line of The Lost Notebook. For the most part, it kept me guessing and there were some surprises at the end. It was just that the end didn’t feel fulfilling to me. There were a number of loose threads that could have been tidied up, and would have bumped up my enjoyment overall.
Sounds like your kind of thing? Pick up your copy of The Lost Notebook here.
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Joyful Antidotes 