Working in the lost property office was not Dot's choice of life - it just worked out that way. She makes the best of it and finds satisfaction in returning things to their owners. Then the past begins to catch up with her and she has a bit of a breakdown. She finds out gradually that her view on her parent's lives may not be accurate but manages to turn her life around in the end. I enjoyed reading this - it was quirky and original and the characters were well-rounded.

I began this book unsure if I would enjoy it. It has a rather amusing beginning, describing and showing us Dot’s rather mundane life.
It then becomes much deeper.
Full of feelings, memories, emotions, sadness and love.
A beautiful read.
Thank you Netgalley

Tho was absolutely fantastic, heartbreaking and lovely. Dot is a broken character striving for fulfilment always. “Woven through it all is loss. If you try to pull out that thread, the whole thing unravels.”
This spoke to me on so many levels. It has left me full of hope for reunification, love and family.

A tale of mislaid belongings and memories.
Dot works in the Lost Property office of TFL and tags all the items that get brought in. She is fascinated with what the story behind each item could be and longs for possessions to be reunited with their owners. The rest of her life is tinged with sadness, depression and grief. She desperately misses her dad who committed suicide a few years previous and has a troubled relationship with her mum who has dementia and is in a care home and her sister who has her own busy life. Dot desperately wants her mum to remember her and this brings its own heartbreak.
The story explores the different relationships and emotions caused by them and the dark place they send Dot to.
I found the book hard going at first and quite dark in places but overall I enjoyed it as the setting was unusual and the characters believable.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

This story surprised me, I wasn't expecting what eventuated, having read the synopsis and looking at the cover. The book read a bit darker than I was anticipating, but I still enjoyed it!

The book is beautifully written, with thought provoking themes of loss and discovery.

The story did start a bit slow, and I didn't initially like the main character Dot, but I'm glad I persevered because it was a lovely story.

I found this book wasn’t what I expected. I had expected a light hearted story which explored people through their lost property. This story is much deeper than that and just focuses on the main character, Dot. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it, I did, but I did find myself questioning what the actual ‘story’ was. I found Dot difficult to relate to as well which didn’t help. Overall, I like the premise but the story was too unrelatable to me personally.

Dot Watson has lost her way.

Twelve years ago her life veered off course, and the guilt over what happened still haunts her. Before then she was living in Paris, forging an exciting career; now her time is spent visiting her mother's care home, fielding interfering calls from her sister and working at the London Transport Lost Property office, diligently cataloguing items as misplaced as herself.

This was a difficult book for me to get in to. I didn't "like" Dot and although her story is absolutely one that should be told, I don't feel that I needed to know it - if that makes sense.

Loved, loved loved this book. Dot is a woman in the early 30s (I’m guessing) who lives a very lonely and regimented life and is a little bit ‘weird’. She works in the London Underground lost property dept and becomes a bit obsessed with her lost items, trying her best to reunite the items with their owner. How ever, it’s Dot herself who has become lost and this is explained as the story progresses. A tale of families, secrets, grief, and loving. I loved it and would highly recommend it.

A beautifully written story with lovely Dot and her kindle, gentle soul trying to do the best for everybody. I really enjoyed the Sherlock Holmes interludes. Wonderful and enchanting throughout.

My thanks to NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to review this early copy.

What an enchanting novel. I wasn’t sure whether I would like it, but as the novel unfolds I just wanted to read on. Truth be told it is about lost property, be that as it may, but it is more about relationships, their connection, understanding, loss and love. The characters are well portrayed and full of life within this family of two sisters and their parents. There are any number of surprises which cannot be foreseen, which make reading even more enjoyable. As the novel draws to a close, the sadness is overcome by a sense of freedom and pleasure which can be attained if we follow our heart’s desire.

Dot Watson is working for TFL Lost Property, coming to terms with the loss of her father, and dealing with a mother with dementia and a bossy overbearing sister. It appears that Dot has compromised her dreams for her family, and we go on a journey from being lost amongst the emotions of family life to finding her own path.

On first reading, it felt a little downbeat, until we get to know Dot, when we see glimpses of humour and a spark for life that she appears to have lost. Her life takes various turns for the worst including a failed sexual attack from her boss, and sleeping in the Lost Property cellar at work.

The book was on the whole an easy read, and I did gallop through in 24 hours desperate to know how Dot emerged from this. There were a few situations that i did feel were stretched and manipulated to move the story on but I wont mention them as I don't want to colour your judgement. These events were essential to Dots development enabling her to move on and accept her life.

On the whole I was totally absorbed in Dots life, loving the back story, and the underlying theme of lost property with appearances by various members of the public with their stories of lost items. I would read another book by Helen Paris, i think we all need an uplifting tale in these current times and this is it.

Rating 4/5

Thanks to #NetGalley #LostProperty #HelenParis.

I adored this book, the writing was beautiful and had be completely captivated from the start.
There are some very poignant moment that were so tenderly written about. Dot was a character I will always remember and I enjoyed reding about her grief and her journey of rediscovery!
It really brought out a range of emotions in me and it will be a book that is going to be kept in my heart for a long time.

This story wasn't quite what I was expecting, from the cover or the description. I had a vague image in my mind of lost property worker Dot travelling around reuniting missing items with their owners and - maybe - finding herself along the way (rather along the lines of Mark Wallington's The Missing Postman). There is a bit of that, but it's not the main focus and Lost Property is a darker read than might be supposed from the jaunty cover.

Dot has lost her beloved father, her mother is slipping away into dementia in a care home, and her own life has stalled for some years in the Baker Street Lost Property office, cataloguing the diverse, sometimes bizarre items which come in and reuniting people with their misplaced brollies and jackets. It's a far cry from the life she once expected, but it seems Dot's horizons have shrunk considerably.

Although it did feel slow and took a while for me to get into, it's worth sticking with it as Dot's story gradually emerges.

The book had an old-fashioned feel to it - at the beginning I wasn't sure when it was taking place, but it does seem to be more or less the present day - and I couldn't quite work out how old Dot was meant to be. Her name and demeanour gave the impression of someone older than she really was - I think she's probably in her late thirties, though I'm not sure if it's actually said.

The writing is beautifully evocative, particularly around the lost items and Dot's inner life.

A poignant, insightful exploration of loss and rediscovery.

Each year I wait for that one book that grabs me by the heart and won’t let go. It’s only just February and I have already found it. That book is Lost Property. Every phrase, every sentence, in this wonderful story needs to be savoured. You can’t read this beautiful book too quickly or you will miss something worthwhile.

There is a very poignant moment where Dot remembers her father’s death and how her mother was washing and ironing his clothes to give them away to the charity shop. Dot is furious and can’t understand her mum’s behaviour. I remember a friend whose mum had taken her own life and how cross she was that her sister had started to clear her their mum’s house a few days later. She thought it was disrespectful. We have to remember that everyone handles grief in their own way. For some that clearance is cathartic, while for others it’s too painful. My mum died in hospital in 1992 but had been living in a nursing home and my brother and I had four days to clear her belongings from her room. They already had a new patient, but at the time it was terrible. In hindsight I can understand.

I was at times reminded of The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan (one of my favourite books of all time) just because each lost item has its own ‘identity’. Like in Keeper, Dot gives some items their own back story. Dot also collects lost travel guides which have not been collected, taking them home and arranging them by country or other criteria. Occasionally she finds a duplicate which she then pops into the pocket of a lost coat or bag, very carefully matching the guide to the owner.

I cannot even begin to describe how much I loved this book. How much I laughed and how much I cried. The saddest parts of the story are when Dot visits her mum in The Pines care home, where she is suffering from dementia. I cried while reading – it was so beautifully written – Dot so desperate for her mum to remember something, anything. Just for a glimpse of the woman who sang like an angel.

I know one criticism is that Dot seems much older than she is, but that’s the whole point isn’t it? She is old before her time. I think she is only about late thirties – maybe 40 – but she dresses and behaves like someone’s maiden aunt. Until she finds herself again.

Her journey of rediscovery begins when Dot goes looking for an elderly gentleman named Mr Appleby, to reunite him with his leather holdall and his late wife’s purse. The only clues that Dot has to go on are a receipt from a coffee shop called Judges, that the town has a funicular railway and fisherman’s huts and that it overlooks the channel. I guessed immediately!!

But her greatest grief is over the death of her father and the guilt she feels. ‘Loss is the price we pay for love,’ says Mr Appleby. How true.

Many thanks to #NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

There’s so much of me in Dottie, she’s a wonderful multi layered character that I really resonated with. This is a beautiful book dealing with many huge life issues.

What exactly does being lost mean? Is it simply an item that has got lost on the London underground or London's buses ready to be reunited with its owner once it reaches the Lost Property office that Dot works in, if of course it even makes it there? Or does it mean being lost in grief? Being lost in the past? Losing a sense of your own Identity? Being lost in your own mind? And what does it take to rediscover these things?
Well Helen Paris explores these issues sensitively but in a way that makes you aware of them even if you weren't before.
I stayed up later than I care to admit to finish this poignant, thought provoking book and I'm so glad I did because it was a special book.. A hard read at times but one that I think is necessary.
Brilliant is all I can say
I will be looking out for more books by this author.

Dottie is stuck in her job at the Lost Property department for TFL, but it’s a job she takes pride in. Everything is done properly and she doesn’t like the changes. With her older sister trying to run her life and their mum in a nursing home because of dementia, Dottie herself feels lost.
Dottie spends her time trying to find one particular list item so she can reunite it with its owner that she needs to lose more of herself to find the right way home.
At the start I just didn’t like Dottie but as the book went on I loved her character, she was old before her time and I really enjoyed this book.
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

This isn't my normal everyday read being a crime thriller fan. But every now and then I like to mix it up. Having never read anything by this author before, I have to say that I was really impressed with this engaging, beautiful written story. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The story does start off slower than what I am used to. But once we get to know Dot more, I found this a rather absorbing read.

I loved the fact this book is set around lost property making it unique. I can't say I have read anything like this before. The story takes you on an emotional rollercoaster. But also filled with warmth and humour. Has Dot overcomes her struggles.

This story is simply beautiful, I am sure readers will love Dot.

Thank you to Transworld publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this.

I would like to thank Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for providing me with an advance reader copy via access to the galley for free through the NetGalley program. I’d recommend this one to anyone who enjoys romance. It’s fresh, has a unique storyline, and deeper themes that will tug at you heart.

Loved the backstory, side stories, the insight into what really happens to all this lost luggage, research clearly done. Not that I would even know what happens on the back end, but I travel a lot and definitely found some incredible relatability here! The support for this premise was super unique.

One of my favorite aspects of the book were the tidbits of lost items and their owner. Really characterized items from the type of person who wears such clothing items or such luggage pieces, or whatever the item may be. Clever.

The Story
I don’t think I’ve ever read a book quite like this one with its plot, main setting, or occupation. They added so much interest and dimension to the overall story.

Themes of regret, loss, grief, self doubt, frustration, resentment, and hints of jealousy, were all integrated into the plot which made for a stronger, grounded narrative much deeper than I was expecting and I really enjoyed these aspects of the book.

I will say it was a little rather rocky in beginning. I guess bits were less memorable and I didn’t know their purpose nor their context. I didn’t quite identify the bigger picture dilemma or tension early on, aside from typical day to day work complaints. There was some clutter with detail that was somewhat interesting but I kept thinking less would be more. Too many tangents, made me lose focus of what was really happening. But it did come together nearer to the end though, definitely worth reading through.

The writing.
Even though my least favorite, first person present tense narration was used, it worked rather well with carefully curated perspective into her day to day tasks.

Loved the conversation-like writing style. Some casual pop culture references some I got, super clever, others I had to dismiss because I just wasn’t sure I understood, some verbiage I had to look up. Which was ok, I just had to leave the book quite a few times, taking me out of the book when I wanted to keep reading further one. It’s more because when I do that I get distracted and will end up definition, root words, other languages, looking up many other things, then check my email, then… I do love looking things up, particularly fact-checking and such when reading historical fiction/nonfiction, but any other genres not so much.

Descriptions
I enjoyed majority of the descriptions, especially more toward the end, but some became quite sore. Not every noun needs an adjective, especially a color at that. Just my own personal preference, others may love it, I don’t.

Some other examples, perhaps more to do with the writing, is why did I need to know about this character who wore hair gel, slicked back, mentioned, reemphasized as many times. Like one mention was enough, then maybe later a thought about not a hair was out of place or perhaps a mention of some other characteristic that made a more clear picture of the character as rather polished, classic, cool, or rockstar person of the sort. And I still wasn’t sure at second mention whether his slicked back hair made him more rebel rocker-esque John Travolta in Grease or Leonardo DiCaprio, waiting at the top of the staircase. Maybe it was just a simple tease or inside joke unbenounced to me that was I was waiting for to play a bigger role or deeper insight into a character.

It’s just the way my brain thinks I suppose. When I see a recurring description I interpret it as a hint, then tend to wait for some further reveal or deeper insight that will add deeper connection or insight into some bigger reveal in the end. Like I want everything in a book to count. It’s just I found some descriptions didn’t add much meaning, context, drive, or embellishments to the characters or story in their repetition when told the exact same way every time, especially at the beginning when I was loosely connected to the characters and plot.

The Characters
The hardest time I had with the book overall was with the main character. I didn’t get the main character. She commented on stuff happening around her but lacked emotional response. The emotion didn’t come through until about page 120. That was when the writing became the strongest and the plot more captivating. When the emotion was there is when the writing began to shine. Again, it wasn’t until later in the book where more vulnerable, intimate scenes and character expression, reaction, and reflection guided me into what I was wanting to embrace and understand to a certain extent early on.

The main character had great insight, seemed to read people well, but she was sort of lifeless early on I guess. I Iiked her character role, but elements to define her as a person were quite lacking. I needed some reflection earlier on to understand who she was to make a more complete characterization to connect with for stronger understanding later on.

Dialogue
Everyone read the same to me and too much of it. Most of the dialogue didn’t add anything or help me identify characters as unique individuals.

The setting
Absolutely loved the work environment and beach scenes, took me straight there. Mundane work to a lovely day at the beach.

The little visual details of chapter tags were such pleasant bonuses! Unique for sure!

I am definitely looking forward to reading more from this author.

Loved this book. Have walked past the Lost Property office many times when near Baker St station. The book has given new meaning to the building and its staff.