William Woolf works in the dead letter depot in London. He spends his days trying to figure out recipients from misaddressed envelopes, bad handwriting, guessed addresses, damaged packaging, as well as dealing with post sent to fictional and obscure people. Some of the post, well it wouldn't matter if it never reached its destination but there are some that he is proud of being able to deliver, sometimes even personally. He used to be more ambitious, he had plans for a book, a book about lost letters and parcels and the stories they told but has stalled somewhat. Outside of work though, he isn't doing so good as he is rather stagnating is his personal life and indeed his relationship so his interest is really piqued when letters written to "My Great Love" start turning up at the depot. Reading these letters, written by Winter to her "soulmate" a man she has conjured up in the hopes of making him real, he starts to investigate. Who could she be, could he actually find her? Studying the minutiae of the information contained in each letter, he becomes obsessed with Winter; thinking he himself could be her Great Love.
This is a strange book. As I was reading, there didn't seem to be as much substance as I would have really liked. But, then when I finished, I sat back and thought about it and realisation dawned that actually there was so much more to just the sum of the parts of what I had read. At the start, there was quite a lot about the depot. How it worked, what they did and the stories of some of the puzzles they had solved in their endeavours. I found this to be quite interesting in itself as I had only recently had a letter returned to me which was rain damaged so they couldn't read the address and had to open it to find me. Spooky huh! But then we got a bit bogged down in William's failing relationship with Clare and his day-dreaming about Winter. This slowed things down a little bit for me and I started to wonder how the author would be able to swing it round. Then, as we approached the end, when things started to all come together, I found that some of the things that happened were a little too contrived, too neat, and all a bit busy, all coming together in a bit of a rush.
I know that William is supposed to act way older than his years, something that is very much reflected in his choice of clothing but, to me, he did feel a bit too disjointed as a character. As such, I found it a little hard to really connect to him. I guess that actually means that the author did a good job in a way as, after I finished the book and spent some time reflecting on him, I realised that maybe that was exactly what I should have felt about him. He was floundering, stagnating, despondent, depressed even. Feelings that weren't really helped by Clare's ongoing frustration of him and the way his life has gone.
Winter confused me a little too. As more and more came out of the letters she was writing I felt that maybe this wasn't quite the right course of action for what she was trying to achieve. I'd love to write more about my feelings around this but it might contain spoilers which is a shame because I did do quite a bit of thinking round the subject.
As for the actual story, for some reason it was one that I wasn't actually eager to get to the end of. Almost, but not quite, like I didn't care too much. But there was something, something I can't quite explain, that made me read on despite my ambivalence regarding the characters and what happened to them. Maybe it was the way the book was written rather than what the author wrote, if that makes sense.
All in all, as already mentioned, a strange book that actually delivered, in hindsight, much more than on face value. It's a love story at its heart but unlike any love story I have ever read before. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Inside the Dead Letters Depot in East London, William Woolf is one of thirty letter detectives who spend their days solving mysteries: missing postcodes, illegible handwriting, rain-smudged ink, lost address labels, torn packages, forgotten street names are just a few of the puzzles they have to try and solve so that the recipient gets the letters/parcels that were intended for them.

When William discovers letters addressed to "my first love" his work takes on new meaning. William starts believing the letters are really meant for him. Williams marriage is going through a rough patch. We get both William and his wife Claire's point of view of their relationship problems. My criticisms is that I would have liked to learn more about the day to day dealings with and investigations into the lost letters, parcels etc. Also I found the ending a bit rushed and then there were far too many coincidences happening that made it unbelievable.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Penguin UK -Michael Joseph and the author Helen Cullen for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A great idea with sub-par execution.

I honestly thought I was going to love this one. But I don't think I've ever read another contemporary novel so slow. And for such a slow pacing, you'd think there's a full resolve at the end. But no, there's no concrete ending at all.

The writing was okay, but it dragged on so much, I had to skim some parts. Otherwise, I might have quit reading it altogether.

Would not recommend it if you're looking for a quick and relaxing read. The slowness was almost stressing me out.

Disappointing. The blurb would lead you to expect a gentle love story of a man seeking out a woman he has come to know through her letters; in fact it's mostly about his failing marriage and his total inability to choose between rebuilding the marriage that he has - to the actual love of his life - and the fantasy 'great love' of the woman whose letters he reads in his job at the Dead Letters Depot. The book then ends abruptly, leaping forward a year in a 'then they lived happily ever after' style,

For a far better story of love blossoming through reading another person's writings, go straight to Jean-Paul Didierlaurent's wonderful 'The Reader on the 6:27', and skip William Woolf.

As a debut novel, this has the 'wow' factor; all-consuming and beguiling, this kept my attention from first to last.

William loves his job in the Dead Letters Depot; he takes pride in reconnecting these missives with their intended recipient and being a part - however briefly - in their lives. Then he gets a series of letters from one person to 'her Great Love' and this mystery begins to invade every corner of his life. William has already found his own great love, but after 15 years their life together seems to have stalled. Will William's quest help his marriage?

This is a refreshing, sophisticated read; oozing warmth and love. I can honestly say this isn't a novel I could compare to any other as it is completely original. The writing drew me in slowly and before I knew it I was desperate to know where it was leading. Flawless writing, several wonderful locations and a smoothly flowing story all added up to a satisfying read. For any reader wanting something different to the formulaic books - of which there are plenty - I would recommend giving this one a whirl.

My thanks to Michael Joseph - Penguin UK for approving my request via NetGalley. This is my honest, original and unbiased review.

This cover is wonderfully colourful and eye-catching; a patchwork of letters, including the important dark blue envelopes relevant to this beguiling story.

This book is about William and his wife Claire's experiences, both past and present, based in East London, Dublin and Devon during the 90's. The nostalgia of the 90's is well placed both because of the style of storytelling and the letter writing premise.

This is an ode to the (dying?) art of letter writing and postcards. I used to love writing letters, both to friends abroad and at school/college, I've saved quite a lot of them from my youth; letters seem to have become very rare these days (though I do still absolutely love to receive a letter, one that's personal and not a bill or trying to get me to take on a credit card though) There is just something more sentimental about letters written by hand on paper, that emails, WhatsApp messages and likes on a social media post just aren't as capable of; yes the frustrating week wait for a reply is no match for the instant delivery of electronic communication, but there's simply not that soul. So, probably stemming from this sentimental attachment to letters, I absolutely loved the idea of the Dead Letters Depot, and would like to know where I can apply for this job?!

This is a story that is as much a detective/mystery as it is a love story. I found it uplifting and despite the many flaws and failures of the characters it has a liberating and cleansing effect. This book made me feel similar to when I read "Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine" & "The Toymakers", it is human folly laid bare, written in a whimsical, quirky style and after it possibly alters or expands your perspectives on life, and the choices we make.

The letters we see are from the vulnerable, lost and neglected of society (a young boy who craves to run away for example), that lead William on many missions to help or reunite the message to the recipient, or at least offer them to someone who can help. Then there is the enigmatic, yet almost melancholic Winter. She writes to her unknown great love; pouring out her soul whilst also revealing her notable style and exploits, each enticing William to follow the breadcrumbs to track down this captivating writer.

I really connected with the addictive hope of the people who sent the letters despite being so poorly addressed that they'd never reach their intended destination without help. A fitting metaphor for life.

A running theme of this book is Reality vs Fantasy. Both in reading mystical words from an untouchable/unknown source, but also the hopes and dreams we have whilst falling in love. What happens after the big romance ending of finding the love-of-a-lifetime? The reality of expectations, ambitions, disappointments and secrets. This is a book about what happens when love is failing, and how the real consequences play out.

Ripe with expectation, you follow each chapter through different perspectives and piece together the truth of what they each feel but can't communicate to each other. There is a slow pace, with no dramatic unveiling or twist, but still a comforting conclusion and this in many ways keeps it true to real-life. The antithesis to the rollercoaster plots and sensation of many books that whilst gripping, bare little truth to most peoples' reality of romance/life. Whereas this leads you gently down the trail to uncover for yourself what the meaning of lost and found truly is.

I was intrigued by the synopsis and, like other reviewers, was interested in the idea of the Department of Lost Letters and all the different parcels that had gone astray and had to be reunited with their owners or addressees. The parts of the book which covered this were great, however I was not expecting the actual main theme of the book, picking over a marriage gone sour, and I found this quite depressing and not something I would look forward to reading about. And then it was very much "tell" and not "show" so not really interesting as such. I ended up skimming it, so I can't review it on my book blog, but got a good general idea of it. What a shame as it could have been so good. There's no mention of the marriage in the synopsis so maybe the publisher was aware it wasn't this aspect that would sell the book. The very ending, the epilogue, was so pat and tidy as to grate, an assumption made that if something is settled upon as an ending, so it will happen.

I'm sure lots of people will like this, but not for me, sorry. I would give it 2.5 stars if I could.

The synopsis of this book intrigued me and I just knew that I had to read it. This is Helen Cullen’s debut novel and what a debut novel it is. I really enjoyed it but more about that in a bit.
I must admit that I was slightly envious of William in that he had the sort of job that I would love to have. He works in the Dead Letters Depot which receives the post that may have details missing or the address is incomplete or the writing has blurred. William has to use his detective skills to track down the intended recipient of the letter that has been received by his department. William seems to be a pretty nice guy, whose marriage to Clare has gone a bit stale. He did aspire to be a writer but he took the job in the dead letters depot instead, much to his wife’s displeasure. Clare is an ambitious lawyer ,who is refusing to have the baby that William craves. Neither side appears to want to reach a compromise. William throws himself into his work and one day he comes across a letter written by a woman called Winter to the love of her life that she has yet to me. William becomes obsessed with Winter and it’s fair to say that he begins to think that he could be the man that Winter is looking for. What follows is an interesting tale about a man, who feels torn between the wife he isn’t getting on with and a woman he hasn’t met yet. Which woman will he choose? Well for the answer to that question you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out because I am not going to tell you.
I was hooked on this book from the moment I picked up the book and read the synopsis. I guess I am an old softie at heart and I love the idea that people are reunited with mail from their loved ones. I also envied those who worked in the Dead Letters Depot because they had the sort of detective role that I would love to have. Just imagine the job satisfaction of reuniting people with their mail. From the moment I started to read this book, I was completely entranced by the story. It was as if the book had cast a spell over me and I was reluctant to put the book down. I just had to read on to see how the story developed, to see what fate had in store for William and to see if William was the man that Winter seemed to want to meet. The pages were flying past in a blur and they were turning that quickly that it was almost as if they were turning themselves and before I knew what was happening I had finished the book. This book is really well written. I found it hard to believe that this book is the author’s debut novel, as the writing style speaks of a much more established and experienced author.
I have to say that I really enjoyed ‘The Lost Letters Of William Woolf’ and I would certainly recommend it to other readers. I can’t wait to see what comes next from Helen Cullen, who is certainly an author to watch. Here’s hoping that we don’t have to wait too long for her next book. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a well deserved 4* out of 5*.

The idea behind this book has great charm and is slightly whimsical in the style of A Man Called Ove. However, I found the descriptions of the difficult marriage discordant with the idea of the book and as a result didn't enjoy the book as much as I had hoped I would.

I really had high hopes for this book, and thankfully it didn’t disappoint. The idea behind this story is simply genius. The lost letters of William Woolf is a beautiful story about lost letters, fictional love and a troubled marriage. This was such an interesting read, I was totally absorbed in the story and the characters.
A heartwarming 5 star read.

The cover and synopsis of this book intrigued me enough to request it. It was an interesting idea- lost letters- and it promised much. However, the book was slow in parts and element of William and Clare's marriage became more central than the lost letters. William,was unfortunately, rather a boring man,set in his ways and I couldn't warm to him. It made it easier to understand Clare's point of view. Didn't measure up to expectations.

A lovely, heartwarming tale of romance and destiny. I really enjoyed this book but did feel the ending was a bit disappointing. The characters were believable and well developed. I enjoyed the nostalgia of the story.

I loved the idea of this book, especially since I used to work for the post office and often did dead letters myself. I gave it three and a half stars as I did find some bits of it dragged. It was nice to look into the relationships between the characters as they worked out their problems.

I was not prepared for this book.

I was expecting a light mystery-slash-romance novel, but instead found a searing and ruthless examination of a relationship gone wrong. Two people in love who have lost their way from each other, on different paths, and are floundering alone in the space between, both reaching out to desperately try to get back.

Whilst I was interested in the mystery of the lost letters and the ‘Great Love’, I was far more captivated by William and Clare and the intimate insights into their thoughts and feelings.

The writing is raw and emotional; the story rings of truth and unutterable sadness. Yet amidst the turmoil there is still light and hope. There is still silliness and kindness, friendship, care and the memories of better times.

Whilst I really liked the main characters, and was rooting for their happiness all the way, they were definitely human and flawed: at times I got exasperated with William’s wishy-washiness and I could have screamed at Clare for her critical judgements on others’ choices! Still I loved the development of both characters as the story progressed and the very honest motivations for their actions throughout.

Don’t pick up this book expecting a light-hearted jaunt through the lost letter depot: pick it up and sink into a deeply emotional personal journey of two people once meant for each other as they slowly recognise that true love can change.




In a vault of football-field proportions hidden below Shoreditch High Street, row upon row of the peculiar flotsam and jetsam of life awaited salvation: pre-war toy soldiers, vinyl records, military memorabilia, astrology charts, paintings, pounds and pennies, wigs, musical instruments, fireworks, soap, cough mixture, uniforms, fur coats, boxes of buttons, chocolates, photo albums, porcelain tea-cups and saucers, teddy bears, medical samples, seedlings, weapons, lingerie, fossils, dentures, feathers, gardening tools, books, books, books. Copious myths and legends passed from one colleague to another; stories of the once lost but now found.

– Helen Cullen, The Lost Letters of William Woolf

Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog

William Woolf works in the dead letters depot in East London. Here, all the letters and parcels which can't be delivered are checked over by the staff who try their best to identify the recipients or senders. William works in the 'supernatural' department where letters to recipients who may prove trickier to track down end up - letters to God, to Santa, to film superheroes and so on. With his own marriage to Clare less than happy, he is intrigued by letters from a mystery writer called Winter simply addressed to 'My Great Love'. 

Although William is a character I really took to heart, my favourite parts of the story were those where we learned about the contents of the lost letters. I loved all the little stories and dramas associated with them, sometimes stories that could only be guessed at from the one side we learn from the letters. And I loved William's determination to reunite the letters with the intended recipients, sometimes personally delivering them and thereby uncovering a more complete story.

But my favourites, naturally, were Winter's letters to 'my great love'. They were so full of yearning and as romantic as any letter sent to a known recipient. Through a recent Twitter conversation I learned that the author herself narrated those parts of the audiobook and having heard her on Steve Wright's Radio 2 show, I could then imagine those letters in her lovely Irish accent. (You can listen to that interview here but I'm not sure how long it is available for). I couldn't decide whether I wanted William to find Winter and actually be her longed for love, or whether I wanted him and Clare to rediscover the great love they had once known, or whether indeed I hoped that Clare night be writing the letters to him. Well of course, I'm not going to tell you which if any of those scenarios was correct, you will need to read for yourself to find out. What I will say is that by the end, there was a resolution for all the characters.

The Lost Letters of William Woolf is a beautifully written book, full of memorable characters,  love, hopes and dreams. It is very moving and I found it to be a really compelling read. I am looking forward to reading whatever Helen Cullen writes next.

William Woolf works at the Dead Letters Depot where his job is to reunite mail that had been undelivered with its intended recipient. His own marriage to Clare has gone stale but the discovery of letters from the mysterious Winter to ‘My Great Love’ takes William on a journey of self discovery. Will his journey take him back to Clare the love of his life?

I liked this book but I didn’t love it. It was a bit slow at times and then felt rushed at the end. A cosy read though

I was sent a copy of The Lost Letters of William Woolf by Helen Cullen to read and review by NetGalley.
This is a really nice romantic foray into the world of undeliverable post that has found it’s way to the ‘Dead Letters Depot’ to be scrutinized and hopefully sent on to the intended recipients or returned to sender – if all else fails they are destined for the incinerator! Of course, there is much more to the story than the lost letters, as the main thread concerns the titular character, William Woolf and his failing relationship with his wife Clare. The novel is set before the onslaught of the internet and mobile phones and it is nice to reflect on a time where letters and parcels, postcards and the like had an important place in our society – very nostalgic for me at least! The novel is nicely written and there are many insightful passages within the book which highlight the intricacies of human relationships. Some of the prose is a little corny and clichéd but I for one enjoyed it and rather wish I could work at the Dead Letters Depot myself!

I loved this. I loved reading about the dead letters and how it cleverly linked to William's own story.
The characters are interesting and it is beautifully written
What I want now is to read William's book of the dead letters and their stories!
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

Sadly this one wasn’t for me. I found it too meandering and sentimental. There wasn’t anything wrong with the book itself, just one that didn’t suit me.

The idea of this book is great- I hadn't ever thought about what happened to all the lost letters but I found some of aspects of this book far too slow for me - I struggled to relate to the main characters and the relationship between them and got a bit bored. Having said that, I think I would recommend this book to quite a few members of my book club who I know would just love it!