A Gothic ghost story that will grab you from the start. Well written characters with plenty of twist and turns in the tale to keep you interested and turning the pages. At times it is overly descriptive which can become tedious but overall a very enjoyable read.

I LOVED this very sophisticated Gothic ghost tale that had me hooked from the first page. In my humble opinion, you really can’t beat a clever, evocative ghost story like this.

Set in 1917, Stella Marcham has been doing her bit for the war by assisting nurses in France but returns home in tragic circumstances when her fiancé, Gerald is killed in battle. ‘My grief for Gerald was not indulgent, it was all-consuming.’ Her sister Madeleine looks after her, especially when she seemingly doesn’t stop grieving early enough in the eyes of her mother and doctor.

A few months later, pregnant Madeleine has to go and stay with her mother-in-law in her husband’s grand and imposing family home, Greyswick. Stella, along with her maid, Annie Burrows go there to keep Madeleine company.

It is then that things start to get strange… ‘Either this house is haunted, or I am losing my mind. It’s not much of a choice, is it?’

As in any good ghost story, we meet an intriguing cast of characters, all with one or two secrets… There’s Stella’s maid Annie Burrows who is described as having ‘an otherworldliness to her.’ The mistress of the house, Lady Brightwell and her personal maid Miss Scott who have an unusually close bond and the prerequisite always-ominous housekeeper, Mrs Henge: ‘There are lots of shadows in Greyswick. Mrs Henge seems to occupy most of them.’ Perfectly paced, things reveal themselves at the right moment and the tension builds…

I really enjoyed the strong feminist theme in this book too. Stella is a confident, intelligent woman who finds herself silenced and overlooked simply because she is a woman. Due to Stella’s grief and Madeleine’s pregnancy, the sanity of the women is brought into question more than once, ‘I am sick and tired of men telling me I am unstable.’ But Stella’s feistiness wins out: ‘My vicious tongue with the powerful sting in its tail was the only weapon I had to defend myself’

I adored every page of The Lost Ones; part ghost story, part classic haunted house tale, part murder mystery, all wrapped up in a tone of voice that’s Georgian and modern at the same time – so wonderfully done. I was transported straight back to the era, got chills up my spine reading and could not stop turning those pages until the mystery was revealed! This is a fantastic debut by Anita Frank, I eagerly await her next book! If you love Gothic tales, pick this up immediately.

Couldn't finish this. Didn't find the language accessible which was a shame as it has lots of themes that I tend to find riveting. Maybe one day I'll give it another go!

3.5/5

A highly intriguing gothic paranormal mystery novel. I found myself invested in the murder mystery, particularly towards the end. The mystery was rather predictable from the start, hence why I was a little confused by the revelation of there even being a mystery around the 50% mark. Though the climax was similarly predictable, there were odd elements that I didn't see coming. I was slightly confused at the end though, as it isn't really clarified how Stella could see that one particular ghost...

Set in England and based during WWI you are given an intriguing story.

Full of unsympathetic characters yet they somehow felt suited to the story arc.
The characters are portrayed well, and the story flows.

Quite an impressive debut novel from Anita Frank. It’s like Downtown Abbey with ghost stories thrown into the mix.

It was the right blend of gruesome and frighting for this historical novel, with plenty of spine tingling scenes,

The story starts of quite slow but once it starts flowing you race through it.

Thank you NetGalley

4⭐️

Wonderful story. I love period dramas. Creepy thriller that had me hooked. Half murder mystery and half ghost story. Spine chilling until the end. Definitely recommend to anyone that loves to read books like The Woman in Black. Very well written.

I've developed a thing for dark gothic stories lately, so this appealed to me. I wasn't dissapointed. Although there was nothing particularly dark about it, it was a great little ghost story. Kept me guessing til the end.

Thanks to HQ Stories and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this novel for review.

This isn't the sort of book I would normally read, I prefer thrillers or crime novels.

It's set in 1917 and Stella is at home grieving after the death of her fiancee. Her sister, Madeleine, is pregnant and staying at her husband's family home. She isn't settling there and Stella joins her to cheer her up and also take her mind off her grief.
Stella initially dismisses her sister's concerns about the house and strange noises and sensations she experiences. However, soon Stella is hearing them too.
Is there a rational explanation or is the house haunted?

Madeleine's husband brings in a paranormal investigator and together him and Stella, with the help of her maid, manage to solve the mystery.

I found this book quite slow paced and I didn't really feel very invested in the characters.

Overall, it was OK but just not my type of book.

A really good read, nice and easy that I finished quickly. It's kind of a Downton Abbey with ghosts. It has everything you need in a good haunted house story - a plucky heroine and a villain and a gothic house. I enjoyed it very much.

I could not put this book down! It was brill page turner and I loved it! I found the plot fantastic. I also found the characters really interesting. I will defiantly be recommending this as a book club read. Thank you netgalley for the chance to read this in return for a review.

Stella lost her fiancé during WW1 and is distraught. She goes to stay with her sister and finds secrets and strange goings on which helps to take her mind off her own misery. I would have given this book 4 stars because I really enjoyed the story, despite the overlong descriptions of everything. The amount of modern day terminology spoilt it for me - sometimes I thought the characters were from 2017, not 1917! It could have been reduced by about a third and would have been much better, in my opinion. I did enjoy the ghostly goings on an style of writing.

The debut novel from Anita Frank is full of atmosphere, with creepy moments and great set pieces.
This is a classic ghost story , with the main character Stella distraught from the death of her fiance, during WWI
Suffering from depression she goes to stay with her sister, Madeleine, at Greyswick Manor, a rambling house that holds a secret and a haunting. Who is behind the haunting and why, is the puzzle that the two sisters feel compelled to solve.
For those that enjoy a simple ghost story then this is a great book that will keep you entertained. A mixture of whodunit and a classic haunting, this is a great book to curl up with, by an open fire (or in my case a warm radiator) and immerse yourself in it's pages.

A page-turner (or even tapper?) of a story, this one will have you reading into the midnight hours.
The Lost Ones is a complex tale, but one that is carefully broken down as the book progresses, with the author providing all the reader needs to figure out the mystery, but not too soon. The setting, during WW1, and the cast - a mix of the damaged and damaging, alongside innocent witnesses - is beautifully drawn and backstories carefully laid-out, one piece at a time.
It's a ghost story, but not one designed to give you the shivers and sleepless nights, but one that will have you wondering and waiting and willing for all to come good.

Absolute creep fest....! Loved it...!

Brilliantly written; a great little goth horror kinda book with well written characters and storyline! Good pace to it and had me actually scared in places for the main character! Seriously creepy and eerie book, it was fantastic!!!

A historical ghost story with such feeling! The characters were superbly drawn, the world building rich and imaginative and the story absolutely compelling. I would highly recommend to fans of Susan Hill.

A gothic ghost story set during the First World War.
In the traditional style there is the spooky old stately home with its quirky design and creaks; the surly, large and masculine housekeeper who appears from the dark corners silently gliding in at the most inappropriate times; the dastardly lord of the manor; the staid Victorian doctor; the romance that ended in tragedy; secrets, mystery and fear; the damsel in distress.

However, the damsel, despite having been treated for an emotional breakdown (depression) is strong, determined and forthright. She sarcastically says why women cannot vote and likes to have a sneaky cigarette now and again. Plus she is set on discovering who or what is causing the ghostly goings on.

In a similar way, the story is balanced by demonstrating other explanations for the apparent supernatural aspects, which makes the ending less predictable. Although, in a tale such as this, there can only be one of two endings: the ghosts are real or they are not. Still, it is an interesting journey.

There are a couple of stereotyped characters (the housekeeper being the most obvious) but there are others sympathetically drawn. The protagonist's maid is a favourite. She also serves as a contrast to the attitudes and treatment of the different social classes during the early part of twentieth century Britain.

The diction is sometimes elevated in keeping with the gothic literature style but sometimes the phrasing is very modern. Overall it is a well written book and doesn't ramble too much, the descriptive scenes are adequate, the spooky tension is good. The climax is gripping if a little predictable with a nice little feature at the end.

​A good read, highly recommended.

I loved this book, it was so creepy and scary at times. I’m not usually a fan of scary books and I’ve never read Susan Hill but, I thought I’d give this a try. I’m glad I did as I really enjoyed it. Although I times I found my mind wandering as I was reading, most of the time I just kept on reading.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Atmospheric and spooky ghost story, let down by an ending that fizzled out.

Stella is grieving the loss of her almost fiancee during the first world war. She returns home after serving as a nurse in France and has to find a way to live with her loss. Her sister Madeline helps her through the worst of her grief so when Madeline asks for her help Stella doesn't hesitate and goes to stay with her in Greyswick, an imposing and unwelcoming country manor. But Madeline claims she is being haunted, she is hearing noises of children crying in the night time and strange objects are been left in her bed. Is Madeline right or is someone in the household tormenting her?

I found this so easy to get into. It has a dark and claustrophobic atmosphere right from the start and Stella and is an interesting character to read. The backdrop of the first world war and the loss of Stella's fiancee gives the book a big emotional impact and adds weight to Stella's belief in the ghost and her desperation to uncover the truth.

I felt though that once Stella started investigation the ghostly happenings it started to feel a bit flat. I liked the Agatha Christie influence but the spookiness was lost and the big revelations at the end didn't have much impact. It ended with a load of people standing in a room talking about things and I wanted more from it.

But that's a minor point in what I found to be a very enjoyable read. This is a rich and rewarding read and I'm very surprised that it seems to be the author's first book. I will be looking out for more.

Just couldn’t get in with this book. Felt very unoriginal & like it borrowed from lots of other stories/books. Is a pity as I do usually like these types of stories but just lacked. Sorry.

I love ghost stories but prefer subtle ones that revolve around hauntings and unseen things making strange noises in the night. I dislike gory, in-your-face horror. The Lost Ones is exactly the kind of ghost story that I love. This is a gripping book and I was caught up in the strange atmosphere of the house and the secrets all of the characters are hiding. This is an impressive debut. I look forward to what Franks has in store next. I found all of the characters, even Stella quite unsympathetic and nasty. However, this didn’t detract from the enjoyment of the book.