This is the second book in this series, and after reading and thoroughly enjoying Gone, I had very high expectations for this book.
I thought the characters were brilliant, and the return of a character from the first book really helped merge the stories together.
It was a well paced thriller that kept you intrigued. I am certainly looking forward to reading future books within this series.


*Thank you to Black Swan and Netgalley for my copy of this book in return for my honest review.*

I really enjoyed Leona Deakin’s first Dr Bloom book, Gone, so jumped on the chance to read this next book in the series.

It was great to see the main characters all return – Augusta, Jameson and Seraphine – and new faces Karene and Harry were an excellent addition to the personality mix. Questions of psychopathy and sociopathy are still relevant here, as they were in book one, but the focus is more on memory this time. What happens when someone loses years of their life to amnesia? Worse… what if they were the victim of a baffling crime and their memories hold the explanation for what happened and where the danger lies?

Unfortunately, I found Augusta Bloom’s behaviour and motivations a lot harder to understand and sympathise with than in the last book. I couldn’t fathom why she would behave the way she does with Jameson and Seraphine respectively, knowing what she already does of each of them.

I had a similar problem with suspending my disbelief when it came to the main plot this time. The big reveal just seemed too far-fetched – I couldn’t imagine why anyone would think this was a reasonable solution to their initial problem. I could, however, think of a number of other more sensible and practical courses of action that could have been taken instead. I was unable to imagine a single circumstance under which any official body or authority would go along with the events described in the book!

My disbelief at such important aspects of plot and characterisation hampered my enjoyment of what was otherwise a well-written and gripping thriller. I still really enjoyed the mixture of psychological investigation and action thriller, and still want to know how the long-game between Augusta and Seraphine will play out. I just hope that the next book in the series returns to the dark psychological mysteries of book 1.



'‘What’s so important?’ asked Harry. He checked the man’s rank and frowned. The epaulettes decorating his shoulders were upside down. That was a rookie mistake. Or perhaps he’d dressed in a hurry.
‘This will only take a minute, Sir.’
Harry peered through the window and back out to the lawn. He could see Karene on the concourse looking for him in the crowd. A man on stilts stomped past the window. Karene glanced up and her eyes met Harry’s. He raised his hand to wave and she smiled.
And then the room exploded.'

– Leona Deakin, Lost


Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog

Another Bloom and Jameson belter from Leona Deakin. I followed her from the beginning and really enjoyed this one just as much as the first.
Can't wait to read the third book! Thank you Leona!

Talk about tense! This had me on the edge of my seat. An exciting and gripping read, I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a decent thriller.

My thanks to Random House U.K. Transworld Publishers/Black Swan for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Lost’ by Leona Deakin in exchange for an honest review. Its paperback edition was published last October. My apologies for the late feedback.

‘Lost’ is the second in Leona Deakin’s series of crime thrillers featuring Dr. Augusta Bloom, a criminal psychologist, and Marcus Jameson, a former member of MI6. They work together running a small consultancy; though at the opening of the novel they are estranged following the events of the first novel, ‘Gone’.

In the opening of ‘Lost’, a lavish military ball is shattered by an explosion. Among the casualties is Captain Harry Peterson. His girlfriend, Karene Harper, was also at the ball and had witnessed paramedics carrying Peterson to a waiting ambulance. A few days later Karene, an old friend of Augusta’s, reaches out to her for help as Captain Peterson has disappeared. Marcus isn’t keen on working the case with Augusta but finds that he cannot resist such an intriguing mystery.

Three days later Peterson is discovered at a hospital in Exeter, some fifty miles from the naval base. They all hope that he holds the answers to their questions. However, as Harry regains consciousness he has lost not only his memory of the bombing and its aftermath but of the last four years. Even Karene is a complete stranger to him.

I won’t say more about in order to avoid spoilers. I did feel that there were aspects of the plot that entered the kind of territory that I usually associate with USA political thrillers. So some suspension of disbelief proved necessary.

While some background is provided I do think that it would be best to read the books in order to understand the dynamics between Augusta and Marcus and other aspects that carry over from ‘Gone’.

Overall, an intelligent and highly engaging crime thriller. I am looking forward to reading the third novel, ‘Hunt’, due to be published this spring.

Whilst attending a dinner at a Naval gathering a bomb goes off. Karene is waiting outside & dashes in to find her partner Harry. She finds him unconscious & whilst helping one of the other casualties he is taken away by paramedics. She phones her friend DR Augusta Bloom the next day, nearly hysterical as she can't find Harry anywhere. Three days later her reappears in a hospital in Exeter. He has no memory of the last four years, meaning he has no recollection of Karene, he doesn't even know he is divorces & has been for some time. It would also seem he has more scars than he should have. Along with ex MI6 spook Marcus Jamieson- who still hasn't forgiven Augusta for events in the previous book- they investigate what it is that someone so desperately want him to forget.

This is the second book in the series & it would be helpful to read them in order. However I think it works as a stand alone. It was a fast paced mystery with lots to hold the interest. I'm already looking forward to the next one. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

An explosion at a military ball causes mayhem and destruction but when eight ambulances arrive at the scene and only seven arrive at the hospital, something else appears to be afoot. Dr Augusta Bloom is contacted by an old friend, Karene, who tells her that her partner, Captain Harry Peterson is missing, seemingly the occupant of the suspicious ambulance. When he is found three days later, the mystery deepens: why has he got no memory of anything that has happened in the past four years? How can Bloom get to the bottom of the mystery when the only person with the answers has no recollection of what has actually happened?

Lost is the sequel to Gone, and again features the talents of psychologist Dr Augusta Bloom and former MI6 operative, Marcus Jameson. I would recommend that, if you haven’t read the first in the series, you do so before reading this, as events in the first book definitely impact on the plot of this one. While it could be read as a standalone, I feel that an understanding of the characters will definitely be beneficial. There are also several huge spoilers in Lost, that would give away huge chunks of the plot from the previous book.

I think it is fair to say that this is a book that kept me on my toes throughout as there is so much going on and so many different elements to the plot. I did wonder several times how on earth the author was going to join all the threads together but she manages to do this successfully by the end of the book. With an explosive start, we are quickly thrown into the world of Captain Harry Peterson, a character who I found myself liking despite not knowing anything about his recent life due to his memory loss. We soon learn that he knows something that others are trying to discover, but what? This is gradually revealed as the book reaches its fast-paced conclusion but not before we find ourselves reacquainted a character from the previous installment, realising the role that they have played in the case.

I found Lost a very entertaining book that had me totally gripped in the final third. You do have to suspend belief a bit, but I have no problem with that as fiction gives you the license to do this! I’m looking forward to seeing where Leona Deakin takes Bloom and Jameson next.

This book had all the makings of an excellent story line but I found it a bit confusing and it was only after I was part way through that I realised I should really have started with the first book cantering around Dr Bloom. Nevertheless it could be a stand alone novel apart from the appearance of a character from the first book, Gone. This has the makings of a good series of books with Augusta if only this one was a bit more down to earth and realistic but it was still an enjoyable read with lots of surprises along the way.

Loved ‘Gone’ and loved this latest instalment in the Dr Bloom series. This is one series you really should read !!

Dr Augusta Bloom and former MI6 spook, Marcus Jameson, return to solve the mystery of Captain Harry Peterson.

There is an explosion at a military ball on a Naval base and Harry is injured. His girlfriend, Karene, checks him over and apart from a small head injury he looks fine, although unconscious. Whilst Karene is tending to another casualty Harry is taken away by two paramedics but he doesn’t arrive at the local hospital. Harry turns up days later at another hospital with a significant head injury and lots of cuts and bruises. Where has he been ? Why is he more injured now than he was after the blast ?

Karene enlists the help of Augusta and Marcus. Together they try to uncover where Harry has been and why he was taken. Can they find the truth before it’s too late ?

This is a great second book in the Dr Bloom series. Although it could be read as a standalone you would be missing out on a lot of the background and a great first book.

Thank you to Random House UK and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

A clever and gripping follow-up to 'Gone' featuring investigate psychologist Dr Augusta Bloom and sidekick, ex-MI6 agent Marcus Jameson.
Captain Harry Peterson goes missing after an explosion at a military ball. He is found 3-days later with no memory of the blast or his girlfriend Karene. She calls upon her good friend Augusta to help unravel the mystery. And how is her nemesis Seraphine involved?
A thrilling, fast-paced riveting read with plenty of twists and turns.

I was grateful to receive an advanced copy of Deakin’s Gone in 2019 and I gave that book 3.5 stars on Goodreads. Since Deakin’s writing was enjoyable, I figured I should continue with the series. Unfortunately, I was left severely underwhelmed by Lost.

I’m not sure that it was one singular thing that made this a less than pleasant reading experience for me. Most of the time I found that I was bored and uninterested. I did appreciate the dynamic between Augusta and Jameson, although that’s definitely a situation which requires you to have read Gone. I don’t think the books in this series can be read as standalone books.

Overall, the story felt really far-fetched. There were so many different elements to it: kidnap, memory loss, terrorism. There were a lot of different people in a lot of different places which often made it hard to keep up. There were times where characters just fell off the radar only to come back later in convenient places with new knowledge that they simply could not have acquired. I was lost - no pun intended - when it came to the whole storyline with Alina Maree.

A character from the first book re-appears in this book and it simply makes no sense as to why she’s there. There’s no way to understand how she gained information; Deakin simply says that she’s a psychopath so she’s capable of gaining the knowledge. Generally, this book was weak for me and I don’t know if I can be convinced to read any more books about Augusta Bloom.

Thank you to Netgalley, Leona Deakin and Transworld for providing me with an e-copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I feel that I may have enjoyed this book more if I had read the first book in the series ‘Gone’. I don’t like to come into a series without knowing the prequel, as it is difficult to place some of the characters in context without knowing their back story. It starts off well, with the explosion at a military ball, and the mysterious disappearance of Captain Harry Petersen.
It then all becomes a bit far- fetched for me, when Dr Augusta Bloom, psychologist and ex-MI6 Marcus begin an investigation to help the Captain’s frantically worried girlfriend Karene. . These two individuals seem to very easily gain access to all manner of police systems and information, which I don’t think would realistically happen. It is all very convoluted, with many twists and turns along the way.
Try to read the first in the series if you can, you will enjoy this title so much more if you do.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this book.

This is the second of Leona Deakin's Augusta Bloom novels I have read and it was a fairly enjoyable easy read. After an explosion at a military ball Captain Harry Peterson goes missing and Dr Bloom and her colleague are asked to investigate. I really like the character of Augusta Bloom and I am always drawn to novels where the main protagonist is a psychologist. Deakin writes a gripping, twisty thriller although I do feel that like the first in the series Lost does lose focus towards the end of the novel.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC.

Twisty, turny, you're never going to guess where this is going and isn't that just what you want from a thriller.

Marcus Jameson can’t resist a mystery and agrees to help his ex partner Augusta Bloom investigate the disappearance of a naval officer. Karene is Augusta’s best friend and the missing officer is her partner Harry. When Harry is found alive they discover someone has messed with his memories and more than one party may be involved.
A little bit different to the average crime/mystery thriller this has a super story line and strong characters. Also the image of the dog who walked over to his owner and sat in the blood that had pooled at his feet has stayed with me.
I give full marks to the author! I woke at 0400, started reading and forced myself to put it down three hours later. This is the first book I have read by this author and will be very keen to see another one on the horizon. It will be very interesting to see if the same high standard can be maintained. Gripping absorbing and I don’t want to say any more apart from make sure you read this!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free digital copy of the book in return for an honest review.

This is the second book in the Dr Bloom series about brilliant psychologist Dr. Augusta Bloom, her investigative partner Marcus Jameson, and their antagonist, the psychopathic mastermind Seraphine. Seraphine doesn’t make an appearance until quite late here, though it eventually becomes apparent that she’s been pulling the strings all along. Instead the story focussed on Navy Captain Harry Peterson, who bizarrely goes missing after being injured in a bomb attack on a naval base. Harry’s partner Karene is a friend of Augusta’s and asks her for help first in finding Harry, and then when he turns up seriously injured with memory loss, figuring out what happened to him.

I really enjoyed Gone, the first book in this series. The author focussed on the nature of psychopathy and did an absolutely stellar job in educating the layperson about it without complex jargon. That got a little bit lost here - there was a certain amount of interesting medical detail about induced amnesia, but it didn’t fascinate me the way the first book did.

The other problem I had was Augusta’s apparent willingness to continue dealing with Seraphine. After her actions in the first book, Seraphine was beyond the pale as far as I was concerned, and Augusta’s decisions absolutely horrified me. Her manipulation of Marcus genuinely made me dislike her; she seemed completely unconcerned about his feelings. This is not my idea of a protagonist to root for and I’m seriously wondering where the heck this series is going. The idea was intriguing and well-written but I just don’t get the rationale behind this progression with Augusta’s character and I’m not even sure I still buy into her as a heroine.

Four stars, but to be honest? I probably won’t be looking for the next in this series.

This was a great book to read, very twisty and it made me want to keep reading when I should have been doing other things. I really wanted to finish it to find out what was going to happen. Although this was a second in the series it did read as a “stand alone” book which was great as I hadn’t read the first one. From the first page it had me hooked and I will be happy to read more by this author. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

A good start to the second book in this series, it can still be read as a standalone and easy to follow characters. At times it was a little far fetched for me however still a good crime novel. Captain Harry is at the military ball when a boom goes off, he is found and on the way to hospital he goes missing. When found he has lost all memory of the last four years and bit by bit the characters in this book put his memory back together. I like the fact there were twist and turns and what you thought you knew for sure was then disproved.

This is the 2nd book in the Augusta Bloom and Marcus Jameson series.

Bloom & Jameson have not spoken since their last case, however, Bloom needs his help after being asked by her friend, Karene to locate her boyfriend, Captain Harry Peterson who has been missing for 3 days after being taken by ambulance to hospital following a bomb explosion at a military ball. When Peterson is found eventually in a hospital miles away, he has no memory of the previous four years of his life! What happened to Peterson?

This was an intriguing mystery thriller filled with suspense from beginning to end, a complex plot line kept me reading well into the night.

I couldn’t wait to get stuck into another book with Bloom and Jameson, it was a good story with interesting characters, although some of it seemed a little far fetched and unbelievable, I did enjoy it.
I hope the series continues.