The Lost Ones by Anita Frank is historical fiction,
with an eerie, haunted feeling which leaves the reader hanging until the final
pages of the book. It delves into the lives of two sisters who are brought back
together by catastrophic events of World War I and their supernatural
experiences in an old manor. It is suspenseful, keeps the reader guessing
throughout the plot and uncovers many notorious secrets which some characters
thought they had concealed forever.
The synopsis is as follows:
Some houses are never at peace… England 1917
Reeling from the death of her fiancé, Stella Marcham welcomes
the opportunity to stay with her pregnant sister, Madeline, at her imposing
country mansion, but she arrives to find a house of unease and her sister gripped
by fear and suspicion. Before long, Stella is troubled by the same strange
incidents that plague Madeleine- sobbing in the night, little footsteps on the
stairs- and as events escalate, she finds herself drawn to the tragic past of
the house. Aided by a wounded war veteran, Stella sets about uncovering
Greywick’s dark past- secrets the dead whisper from the other side…
From the outset of this novel, I was entranced by the
vivid, descriptive writing. The prose was written beautifully and the sentences
flowed on so effortlessly. It was pleasurable to read and made me as a reader
feel as though I was bearing witness to the events which were unfolding. The
descriptions of the various areas of the manor also made it easy to imagine
myself there, back in 1917. Unlike many authors, Frank was able to successfully
write characters as though they were from that time period. The language, their
actions and everything in between was notable for that time.
One of the highlights of this book were the
characters. Each of the characters had defining characteristics which were able
to be developed throughout the course of the plot. Stella was a well-rounded
character who was grew so much and was able to come to terms and identify her
own personal issues which were plaguing her over time. I thoroughly enjoyed
seeing her friendship with Annie develop, despite their differences in social
standing. Another character stand out for me was Cook: while she was a minor
character, I liked her inclusion and features throughout the text and her
influence overall in the text. The interactions between the characters was also
great and their dynamics with each other, which changed over time.
From the beginning, the mystery is what draws the
reader into the text. There is mystery regarding so many elements of the book,
including but not limited to the characters back stories and the strange events
unfolding in the house. It captures the attention of the reader, as we want to
continue to find out why things are occurring and what is influencing them. The
haunted incidents are creepy yet by the epic conclusion of the book, the reader
is able to understand why they are ultimately occurring. Stella and Annie are
key detectives in the mystery and over time, have the ability to uncover the
grisly truth. Another strength of the book is that the mystery continues to
puzzle the reader until near the end. This allows the author to maintain the
attention of the reader until the conclusion, when the mystery is resolved and
old issues are confronted.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed being immersed into the
mysterious world of The Lost Ones. The plot, the characters and the haunting
mystery all tied together to create a cohesive and engaging text which
accurately drew upon historical events in a meaningful way. I would highly
recommend this text to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, mystery or
literary fiction.
I rated this book: 4 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you to Harlequin Publishers for providing me
with a copy for review
The Lost Ones is available for purchase in Australia now!
