A Compulsive Read

The Lost Notebook by Louise Douglas is a fabulous contemporary psychological thriller that drew me in from the start.

The opening is very intriguing as we ‘hear’ a voice confessing but we do not know who it is or why a course of action has been taken. The opening is the hook that beckoned me in.

The novel is part a study in grief and part crime suspense. A terrible tragedy happened before the novel opened. Grief is raw. Motherhood has been thrust on a character as two characters wade through loss. “She wished she knew how to get through this sadness… some routemap back to happiness.” Life feels as if it will never get better.

Following a sudden death, there is a search for the truth. Was it a natural happening? Or is there something more sinister at play?

We witness the lengths some will go to in order to wreck the lives of others.

A character ‘hears’ the voice of her departed sister in her head. The reader has to decide if this is real or imagined.

There is a search for the truth in order to right the wrongs of the past.

All the characters were well drawn, realistic and likable. Those wading through grief were easy to empathise with.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Lost Notebook. It was a compulsive read that I read mostly in one sitting.

I received a free copy via Net Galley. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

JULIA WILSON