An enthralling book that captivates from the very start, providing an intriguing insight into beach Hut life (who hasn't seen the rows of candy-coloured huts on beaches and wondered about them?). Twist after twist at the very end, but totally believable. Please make this into a film (or BBC trilogy set).

I love Lucy Clarke's books. Her characters seem real to me and I always become caught up in her stories. Last Seen is no exception, I never guessed or imagined how this story would end. Brilliant writing!

Reading ''Last Seen'' is like being trapped in a maze that you can't find your way out of - there are so many twists and turns.

Told through the lives of best friends Isla and Sarah, Last Seen is a story of loss, love and betrayal set against the backdrop of an English seaside beach hut. Sarah's son, 17 year-old Jacob, has gone missing echoing the presumed drowning of Isla's son Marley 7 years ago. Marley's body has never been found though which means that Isla is stuck in the horrid no-man's land of not knowing his true fate.

I admit to being a little too entranced by the romantic idyll of the headland huts, that is until I remembered that there are no indoor bathroom facilities, but the picture perfect scene is only a mirage, because underneath the surface are ripples of secrets that threaten this ideal. The dual narrative means that the whole picture isn't fully revealed until the end, but also that the tension that underlies the relationship between Isla and Sarah is slowly unravelled before us. I'm not entirely sure that I really liked either of them to be fair, but I did certainly feel sympathy for both of them. It's difficult to imagine the torture Isla in particular faces every day, but Lucy Clarke paints a portrait of an anguished mother whose world has been destroyed by losing her son. The secrecy which shrouds Marley's disappearance puts into place the events which shatter the community and shows that no good ever comes from deceit.

It took me a while to get into the stride of this book, but once there I was proverbially hooked. It's the perfect book for a holiday, just to immerse yourself fully into the experience of reading about the sights, sounds and smells of an English summer.

Loved this book! Highly emotional and kept me guessing the whole way through. I really didn't see the ending coming at all and I think I gasped out loud - normally I'm pretty good at guessing the twists. Great writing style, I liked the way that the chapters were split by who was narrating and I wasn't sure whether to believe the voices or not. I'll be reading more from this author!

I must be honest and say that it was the cover picture of the beach huts that made me want to read this book as I find them strangely fascinating. I'm glad they caught my eye as I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and I feel like I just spent some time at the seaside. Secrets and lies abound and I gave up trying to work it out for myself and just allowed it to play out. I didn't plan on reading all afternoon but fortunately there was nothing else demanding my attention as I found I couldn't put this book down. Definitely recommended for those who enjoy twists (and beach huts ;-) )

OMG, First book I have read by Lucy Clarke, but so not the last, Last Seen for me was a five-star experience.
So we have two friends Sarah and Isla, best friends whose lives are so interwoven it's hard to see where one starts and the other ends. Must be lovely to have a friend so close you can experience everything together and share each other's lives,
you would think?
But even the closest friendships can turn toxic when tragedy strikes as it does to these two when only one little boy returns from the sea.
as the cracks begin to show and insecurities rear their little heads, you have to ask yourself, were the splinters always there under the surface just waiting for a reason to fracture and detonate.
What happens when all that has been brushed under the carpet bubbles to the surface.
When Seven years to the day of little Marley's tragic drowning Jacob, now celebrating his seventeenth birthday, vanishes without a trace its now time for Sarah's world to implode and shatter.
This was such a good read, I loved the way the story was laid out, jumping from Sarah to Isla's perspective, I found myself jumping from one camp to the other when it came to my sympathies as we the reader are drip-fed information about each girl.
we get to see the two woman stript bare, all their flaws showing, as a friendship disintegrates before our very eyes, it's so excruciatingly addictive to watch, a train wreck derailing.
I really wasn't expecting to enjoy Last seen so much, but it has to be one of my favourite reads of the year so far.
I was glued to this till the shocking, unexpected end.
A job well done Lucy Clarke you now have a new fan in me, I really didn't see it coming at all.
I Can't recommend this book enough, give it a go, I really don't think you will be disappointed.
Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free advance reader copy of Last Seen by Lucy Clarke. This is my own unbiased opinion of this novel.

whilst spending the summer at their parents' beach huts two boys get into difficulties swimming in the sea. only one is found and rescued.

the parents of the boys are best friends, sarah and isla, their friendship spans from teenagers into adulthood and their lives are very entwined. after the tragedy their friendship becomes strained and resentful with isla believing there was more to her son's drowning than meets the eye and actively tries to seek answers in the community whilst dealing with her grief and loss.

on the 7th anniversary of this tragedy jacob, the survivor, disappears after an argument with his mother and old memories and secrets are brought to light which tests isla and sarah's friendship to the hilt.

the story is written from both women's perspectives and flits from the present day to past events easily. the relief sarah felt when her son was rescued to the despair isla felt waiting for news of her son was heartbreaking. i thoroughly enjoyed the story and would read this author again.

many thanks to netgalley and the publishers for the advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An intriguing storyline; well written with great descriptive enabling you to picture the scene as if you are there. Wanted to keep on reading this one to see what happened and where the storyline was going. Surprising turns throughout. Definitely one for the buy list and one that will evoke many questions for a book club! Buy it!

Summers spent in beach huts seem idyllic but the tensions, lies and lives soon unravel in this novel. I loved the twists and the unusual setting and plot. Thoroughly recommended!

Thank you net galley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Sarah and Isla have been best friends for decades. Their sons were born close together and remained best friends until Marley, Isla's son, is swept out to sea. Now years later, Sarah's son is also missing at the same beach. Has history repeated itself?

This was one of my favourite styles of book, slow rumble until you are whizzing through pages as you sit in the train, then over lunch, then forget to complete your housework as you are consumed by the story.

Brilliant.

I loved this novel – it is an extremely clever, emotionally resonant psychological family drama in which Lucy Clarke explores many levels of relationships and what can happen when something goes horribly wrong.

Two best friends. Two sons. One is lost, one is not. That moment in time ripples both outwards and inwards during “Last Seen” as both families come to terms (or not) with a genuinely horrible loss. Too many people are keeping too many secrets but it is still utterly authentic and completely believable from the first moment to the last.

I love it when a novel in this genre gives you divisive and sympathetic characters, Lucy Clarke brings a huge amount of reality both to Sarah and to Isla. I will confess that I actually ended up detesting one of them (no spoilers!) but the road to that was rocky and incredibly addictive and the oceans (yes I did that) of depth in the storytelling, well, simply brilliant.

I genuinely did not see where this one was going, that of course is a big tick for me as so much is so predictable (not necessarily making it bad but just taking something away) – Last Seen really DID keep me guessing as to what really happened the day two little boys ended up in the sea, on the way to that knowledge was a twisted and intelligently drawn plot that kept me immersed throughout.

In the end there was a bit of a tear in my eye. For what was lost and what was gained and for the child that didn’t make it out to grow up, but there was such a wonderful sense of closure to it all eventually that it was a genuinely satisfying read.

Yep. Highly Recommended.

**Review also On Goodreads**

Another excellent offering from Ms Clarke. An instantly engrossing read, superbly narrated in multiple voices to create his suspenceful, multifaceted story of the tragic reprecussions of past secrets and lies on the lives of two closely knit families. Loved it.

Excellent read, very atmospheric, great characters and a twisted tale!

I have loved all Lucy Clarke's books and this one was no exception! A fantastic thriller with fascinating characters and a wonderful setting. I was glued to this book and couldn't put it down until I reached the end, and it kept wrongfooting me. Gripping and engaging. I loved it!

Enjoyable and Spellbinding! You never know what is going to happen next- a real page turner.

This review is written with thanks to Harper Collins and Netgalley for my copy of Last Seen.
Sarah and Isla are best friends. Their sons, Jacob and Marley were born only weeks apart. They both own a beach hut on Longstone Sands. One summer, Jacob and Marley go swimming in the sea, and when they get into trouble, the rescue team are only able to bring Jacob back to shore safely. On the seventh anniversary of Marley's death, Jacob, now seventeen, goes missing. Sarah is desperate to find out what happened to Jacob on the night he disappeared and is sure that someone in the beach huts knows more than they are prepared to admit. What truths will come to the surface?
Last Seen is set in the fictional seaside resort of Longstone Sands, and the first thing to stand out to me as I started reading were Clarke's poetic descriptions of the setting. Her writing is beautiful, and her ability to set the scene so well meant that I was able to immerse myself in the seaside environment and imagine myself being there.
The narration of Last Seen is shared between Sarah and Isla. It is clear that Clarke has used this technique to allow the reader to uncover the characters' secrets as the novel develops, often ahead of the other characters. This helped to build the tension and kept me intrigued as it became obvious that some of the characters were hiding something. Clarke frequently refers to these secrets and lies throughout the novel; however, at times, I felt that the technique of hinting at what had happened left Clarke with too many ends to tie up, which caused the main body of the plot to lack clarity, and made the ending feel a little far fetched. The narrative style also gives the reader insight into the characters of Sarah and Isla, and whilst in the beginning, this allowed me to sympathise with them, I found them less likeable and this made me feel more ambivalent towards their stories.
There are several twists in Last Seen, and I remained intrigued enough to keep reading to discover the truth behind Jacob's disappearance. However, I found some of the twists a little disappointing in that I felt they were either too predictable or too far fetched.
I finish Last Seen feeling slightly underwhelmed. Although I enjoyed the increasing tension as the novel progressed and was impressed by the quality of Clarke's writing, I feel that the plot is not original and has been executed better elsewhere.

Seven years ago, two ten-year-old boys got into trouble at sea. When only one returns to shore, a shadow is cast upon the village-style Sandbank.

On the anniversary of the accident the surviving boy, now seventeen, disappears without trace. As the police are involved, tensions run high along The Sandbank. No one is above suspicion, neighbours and lifelong friends alike.

As secrets surface and desperation heightens the link between the two incidents becomes undeniable, but how exactly are the two connected and who has been less than truthful?

When I saw Clarke’s new offering available for request on NetGalley I downloaded it to my Kindle at once. Having thoroughly enjoyed all her other works I couldn’t wait to get started.

The story started equally as mysteriously as its predecessors, opening with the main event and twisting its way back through a plotline that had me second guessing until the last page. This book was full of the delicious descriptions that Clarke has become renowned for - the smells, sounds and sights of this coastal destination are all as tangible as though you were staying on The Sandbank yourself.

However, I found myself easily distracted and unable to fully get lost within the pages like usual. The characters became irritating rather than intriguing and I didn’t feel I had any empathy for either Isla or Sarah’s situations. The story itself was still first-rate but perhaps not as strong as some of the others by this author.

Gripping from the beginning - full of plot twists, particularly towards the end. Not particularly likeable female characters but this didn't stop me enjoying the book. Good summer holiday read.

I am always a bit nervous reading about missing children although the stories are actually so much more about the parents and the aftermath. this was a gripping novel as a beach with sandhuts is a happy place right? The beach with memories and childhood games changes in a second and it's a scary thought. The two mothers and how they react to the incident are heartbreaking and it's all too real. Imagine how you would feel if that were you? I admit I found the alternating chapters a bit tricky to read on a kindle as it wasn't always clear who was talking - I did start writing it down but at least you could flick back in a real book. Lucy always captures the settings she writes about so well and the sea is a theme here as in her other books - the way it can represent something so tragic here and the significance of the pull of the water and that never ending horizon is very well evoked. Lots of meaning in this novel and a good summer read.

This book was captivating from start to finish. The setting of the beach huts on the sandbank was a big part of my enjoyment of this book. I was immediately transported there by the descriptions of the surroundings.

The friendship between Isla and Sarah had some very poignant moments, but throughout the story their relationship was tested when circumstances changed. Their two sons had spent summers together at the beach huts and had a great bond. The day the two boys got into trouble in the sea and only one returned added a whole new dimension to the story. The emotions and the uncertainty of what happened that day changed lives forever. The whole community of beach hut owners were all affected.

I recommend this book for the way the story develops and you become engrossed in finding out the truth. A really gripping read.