Just Magnificient.............
The Lost Notebook by Louise Douglas brings to you a lovely mystery fiction spanning a murder which took ages earlier. Each character has been crafted carefully. The plot sparks off right from the start. As a reader you can expect storyline which keeps you on your toes. Each and every character has a separate part to play. The only thing which disappoints is that you are going to feel Mila's character left hanging in the end. My favorite part would be the scene where Gosia's life is narrated. All the trauma and findings were very interesting.

Definitely a 5 star book. Thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and Boldwood Books for providing me an opportunity to read and review the book.

It is tough to surprise me but this book did that. It kept me guessing until the very end. I loved it. Louise Douglas hits another on our of the park with The Lost Notebook. I enjoyed it and I hope you will too.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is set in Brittany, where an old traveller lady dies in suspicious circumstances and her notebook goes missing.
I found this book quite slow and disjointed at first, but before the halfway point it started to make sense and became a compelling mystery with multiple backstories. Once the story had drawn me in I found it hard to put down and I found the conclusion interesting.
I would recommend reading this book.
Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood for this advance read.

The Lost Notebook is set in Brittany in France where an elderly female traveller is found dead. The elderly lady has kept a notebook, containing lots of secrets, for many years and it goes missing after her death. Mila Shepherd is currently living in the area taking care of her niece Ani following the death of her parents and she takes on the task of trying to track down the missing notebook.

From the opening lines, I was drawn in to this gripping story, beautifully written and so cleverly orchestrated. The location will stay with me for a long time. The setting is fantastic as Louise Douglas has you drooling at the Patisserie and in the restaurants, she incorporates the areas traditions but also some history as part of the storytelling is set around an archaeological dig. This is especially fascinating and makes a superb backdrop to the drama.

There are several cleverly intertwined mysteries that become more and more intriguing the further into the book you get as it takes you in several unexpected directions.

The mystery builds well, suspicions grow and there is tension and lack of trust in some areas. It becomes very unsettling as you almost find yourself looking over your own shoulder! I like the ending, it’s so plausible and comes together well and I’m really hoping there’s a follow on novel.

Overall, this has a well developed, immersive and multilayered plot. Mystery and secrets lie within this book which makes it a fantastic read. Lots of wonderful characters, a beautiful setting and a mystery to totally get lost in. I love the cover as well as it draws you to the book.

Louise Douglas can tell a great story that's for sure. Highly recommended!

Mila has given up her life to care for her niece after her parents deaths.She is struggling to maintain a long distance relationship with the boyfriend she had to leave behind and care for her niece.

Ani is the teenage niece trying to deal with her grief and a new "parent".

One day Ani is late coming home and Mila finds her with an elderly woman who helped Ani when she fell off her bike. The woman has a large notebook that has her "work" inside. The notebook is extremely important to Gosia. The next day Mila finds Gosia deceased with the notebook missing. The local authorities think it is a natural death due to her age but Mila does not.

Mila longs to return to her former life, but is now working, raising Ani and investigating what happened to Gosia and her notebook.

A slow start to the book but picks up rather quickly after the characters are introduced. I was intrigued about Gosia's life and what was in the notebook. As the story unfolded it just got more interesting. I am hoping their is a sequel since some things were left up in the air at the end.

Thanks to netgalley and Boldwood Books for the ac.

Wow wow! What a thrilling read! This has me on the edge of my seat all the way through and get me guessing

This story is set in France, where Mila Shepherd is caring for her orphaned niece, Ani. Mila’s home was in Bristol but had been in France for nearly a year. Mila was essentially a quiet person but in this small town of Morranez, there occurred two deaths that were not properly investigated. This story focuses on Mila trying to discover the truth, as well as the problems of looking after a young teenager. I did like the character of Mila, she didn’t give up, even though that would be the easiest and safest thing to do. There were a few things that weren’t fully explained and I do like things to be all tied up at the end. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

No wonder Louise Douglas has numerous fans who appreciate her realistic stories and beautiful writing style!
I must admit I was attracted to the book by its gorgeous cover which promises you an atmospheric read set on the beautiful Brittany coast and it totally lived up to my expectations. Once you start reading this compelling story, you're going to be drawn in by the mystery and family drama.
I loved the way the author sets the tone straightaway- we get a glimpse into what kind of character Mila Shephard and how much her life has changed after an accident claimed the life of her stepsister Sophie and her husband Charlie. Now Mila is working in their family agency and taking care of her fourteen year old niece Ani, which comes with its own share of worries.
Lousie Douglas builds up Mila and Ani's world and the core mystery slowly and steadily making us feel involved and invested in the events. When Ani falls off her bike, she is helped by an elderly traveller woman Gosia. The following day Gosia's body is discovered, but the local police attribute the death to natural reasons. Several objects belonging to Gosia appear to be missing, among which an old notebook. Then another body is discovered and Mila suspects there is something sinister going on in this idyllic, touristy community. Mila and Carter, her replacement in the agency, set out to investigate the mysterious events.
Interesting, memorable characters (including that of Sophie, whose voice accompanies Mila throughout the book), an intriguing mystery, and beautiful, compelling writing, The Lost Notebook is a complex, multi-layered read that will definitely be appreciated by Louise Douglas's old and new fans

Such an excellent read!

Following the death of her sister and brother-in-law, Mila Shepherd has relocated to their Brittany holiday home to care for her teenage niece, Ani. She has also replaced her sisters – at least, temporarily – in the family agency which specialises in tracking down missing person. With holidaymakers flocking to the area during the summer months and an archaeological dig nearby, the area is busy enough but then and old woman dies in suspicious circumstances and a man goes missing. These things don’t sit well with Mila and she decides to do a bit of investigating – but is she putting her, and Ani’s, life in danger?

This is a book where you need to keep your wits about you as you act like a detective – don’t discount a single thing! I was completely engrossed in what was happening although, for quite some time I had no idea where it was leading. This is an enticing read on so many levels; personal, family and a gripping mystery thrown in. I relished each and every word. Louise Douglas is an author who never disappoints, and this latest novel is worthy of carrying her name. A terrific read, highly recommended. 5*!

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is – as always – my honest, original and unbiased review.

The story starts with a slow pace and quite some time to introduce the characters. As the plot progresses it becomes more interesting and the suspense unfolds beautifully. The conclusion leaves some loose ends probably with a follow up in mind.

I really enjoyed this book and loved how the story unfolded. The characters were all very interesting and I enjoyed reading about them and their relationships. It got more compelling as the story unfolded. A little scary at times especially when Ani went missing and Mila went to look for her. A real page turner.

Mila is ready to return home – to finish her novel, to pick up the relationship that’s proved difficult to sustain at long distance. She’s spent a year at the former family holiday home at Morranez in Brittany, having stepped in to care for her niece Ani after the death of her parents, Mila’s sister Sophie and husband Charlie, in a boating accident – and taken Sophie’s place as an investigator at their aunt’s missing persons agency.

But there are now plans for Ani, sometimes a difficult though very typical young teen, to go to boarding school in Switzerland – and a replacement (Carter – who turns out to be a former member of the “band sauvage” of their childhood) ready to take her place at the agency. But when an elderly traveller is found dead in her caravan, Mila is frustrated by the police’s absence of interest or concern, even when it becomes obvious that some of her treasured possessions are missing – and when a second body is found, at the nearby archaeological dig after a rather vicious hate campaign, she becomes convinced that the deaths are linked, and that there are more secrets to uncover and a far bigger mystery to solve.

That’s the simplified version – but this book really is so much more than that. Firstly, there’s the vividly drawn setting – the isolated beach house where they live, the coastline with its childhood memories and constant reminders of the discovery of her sister’s body, the dolmen among the cornfields and the nearby archaeological dig, the vibrant town with its mix of holiday visitors and tight-knit local community. And as the focus of Mila and Carter’s investigation widens, the story becomes increasingly layered and complex – quite fascinating, perfectly paced, and entirely gripping – with unexpected links to Eastern Europe and the atrocities of the past, and with a distinct edge of danger.

But it also succeeds in being a particularly engaging smaller scale story – the uneasy and difficult relationship between Mila and a grieving Ani, the echoes of her often complicated relationship with her sister Sophie and all the unresolved issues of their younger years, the appearance of Carter and the associated past memories. I very much liked the unusual inclusion of Sophie’s voice, clear and distinctive, offering her thoughts and often unwelcome advice – it works particularly well. And while Mila herself always draws the eye, the wider cast is also exceptionally well drawn – and the book’s ending was, I thought, particularly perfect.

The writing, as always, is quite wonderful – the pace and mounting tension of the murder mystery is beautifully balanced by the author’s particularly deft touch with the emotional content, making it a book you feel rather than simply read. Very highly recommended – I loved it.

I enjoyed this evocative family drama with several mysteries and a growing sense of menace as the story unfolds. Mila is in Morranez helping to look after her niece after the tragic death of her stepsister Sophie, Ani's mother. She also is temporarily working in the missing person agency Sophie ran with her mother. The suspicious death of an old travelling woman and her lost notebook leads Sophie and her childhood friend Carter on a dangerous and emotional journey to uncover the intrigue.

I like this slow-burn literary mystery and its vibrant settings. There are echoes of the past and local superstition. A sense of evil that is never far away builds to an impactful conclusion.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Thanks NetGalley, BoldWood Books and Louise Douglas for an ARC to review.
Loved the enchanting writing style and the book's setting..felt like I could smell, touch and hear throughout the pages
Absolutely loved it

The Lost Notebook by Louise Douglas.
A notebook full of secrets, two untimely deaths – something sinister is stirring in the perfect seaside town of Morranez.
I really enjoyed this book. Well written. I loved the cover. 5*.

Mila has dropped everything to go to France to care for her orphaned niece Ani after her parents died in a tragic boating accident. It's been almost a year of working through their grief and Mila is close to getting her life back. Ani is headed to boarding school in Switzerland and they've found her replacement at her sister's agency, specializing in tracking down missing people. Carter Jackson was part of the group that hung out with Mila and Sophie growing up, even dating Sophie for awhile. When a nearby traveling woman dies, Mila is suspicious when her journal and other personal items are missing, but the police refuse to listen, ruling the death from natural causes. Then a professor goes missing. Mila and Carter work together to try and solve the mystery.
This book started out slow, but the description of the area and the writing style drew me in. Then as the mystery evolved, I was riveted by the unfolding drama. Ani's suffering and Mila still hearing her sister's advice in her head was just heartbreaking. Douglas'writing is beautifully descriptive, heartfelt and emotional, and the mystery is revealed in perfect doses throughout the family drama.
I received an advance reader copy of this book. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

This is the second book I have read by Louise Douglas, the first being The Room in the Attic, which was a 5-star read, just like this book!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Lost Notebook, and I really enjoyed the fact I hadn't guessed the ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this copy in return for an honest review.

My first book by Louise Douglas was The room in the Attic, a fabulous 5* read that led me to reading The House by the Sea and The Scarlett Dress.

I find Douglas's writing style very beautiful, straightforward and effective. Her stories are twisted and mysterious and keep you interested and engaged, but also touch your heart and move you.

The Lost Notebook was no exception, a compulsive read that I thoroughly enjoyed. Also the ending gave me the feeling that we might be blessed with a follow up? Hopefully...

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book - I didn't see the ending coming which is always a good sign with a thriller.

Sophie and Charlie had died in a boat accident, leaving behind their teenage daughter Ani who is being looked after by Mila, Sophie's stepsister.

One day Ani meets Gosia, a vagrant woman who then dies starting a whole line of intrigue and investigation.

It was a real page turner, and one I fully recommend. .

This book starts off as more of a slow-burn but the sense of intrigue and mystery helped me to stay interested. Once the clues had started coming together, I was gripped and couldn't put it down. The plot was interesting and well researched, and I liked the characters that took the story forward.
It's only for the slower beginning (which isn't good for my poor attention span!) that I felt the need to deduct a star from my rating.