During the first world war VAD Stella has returned from the front after the death of her fiance. Devastated she tries to find reasons to continue. Visiting her sister at her husband's family home should be a happy reunion. However it is marred by strange cries in the night and you soldiers left in her bed. Stella and her maid Annie are united in their belief that a ghostly child haunts the house but with everyone against them are they to be believed?

I thoroughly enjoyed this, Stella is a likeable enough character and a classic example of a grieving woman who gets written off as hysterical. There a re lots of elements in this - the class differences, grief, the shadow of war and of course hauntings. The author creates a claustrophobic house of women who all have secrets and set themselves against each other in hiding or revealing the truth

I enjoyed reading this book, the characters aren’t likeable and it’s an easy read. It very much follows the typical haunted house story but was a gripping read nonetheless.

Thank you to @netgalley and Anita Frank for sending me the ARC of The Lost Ones. I loved this. Truly. The writing style, the characters, the storyline... everything about this worked beautifully. This is in its basic form a story of a haunted house, but it is far from basic. Set in the early 1900's we follow a young woman recently bereaved. Her sister lives with her husband and his family and our main character moves in to support her through her first pregnancy. However when she arrives she finds her sister nervous and strange things occur during the night. It's not until about a third of the way through the book that we are exposed to the idea of the haunted house, however at no point before this was I bored. The imagery used, the way the author describes the scenes and explores the characters experiences and feelings is beautiful. You instantly become attached and can immerse yourself fully in the house and it's grounds because of the wonderful description, you can place yourself right there. It's like you can feel the fabrics and hear the noises. As the storyline unfolds, more depth and complexity is added a bit at a time so that it's not overwhelming all at once. You love the characters you're supposed to and dislike other characters for all the right reasons. As family secrets become exposed, I was fully invested in the outcome for these characters due to the wonderful level of intrigue and mystery threaded throughout. This is absolutely a 5star read for me and the climax of the story truly did not let me down. I highly recommend this book which is out on Halloween, perfect timing. I will definitely read this again.

A gripping Gothic country house mystery...

England, 1917
Still recovering from the wartime death of her fiancé, Stella Marcham welcomes the opportunity to stay with her pregnant sister, Madeleine, at her imposing country mansion, Greyswick – but she arrives to discover a house of unease and her sister jumpy and nervous. Before long, 'things start to bump in the night' – a sobbing child is heard when there are no children present int house, footsteps on the stairs, slamming doors of their own accord – and as events escalate, Stella finds herself drawn to the tragic history of the house. determined to understand what is happening and to protect her sister.

Aided by a wounded war veteran (who happens to specialise in proving that ghosts don't exist), and Annie her housemaid (won't provide any spoilers about her abilities) Stella sets about uncovering Greyswick’s dark and terrible secrets – secrets the dead whisper from the other side…

I enjoyed The Lost Ones very much. It is in the vein of The Woman in Black, The Silent Companions, The Turn of the Screw, etc. So if you like spooky, especially spooky connected to children, then this is novel for you!

Oh, and it has a gorgeous cover!

I so enjoyed this novel. A true gothic ghost story u tilthe last few chapters when it turned in to an Agatha Christie who doe it drama.

The tension was palatable and the story had everything one could wish for but sadly it was lost in the ending.

Firstly, this is not my usual genre of reading and to begin with I did wonder if I had done the right thing with wanting to give it a go. The first half of the book I thought waffled too much, concentrating on describing the setting and characters such as Stella and her maid Annie and the residents of Greyswick where Stella has travelled to keep an eye on her sister Madeleine. However, the story does pick up pace from this point and I found myself wanting to read it rather than feeling I was doing so out of obligation to NetGalley and the publishers. It turned out to be an interesting ghost story with a ‘who-dunnit’ thrown in for good measure.

This atmospheric Gothic tale tells the story of Stella Marcham who lost her fiancé-to-be and childhood friend, Gerald to the First World War. She is in mourning, having seen horrors at the Front where she was a nurse. She returns home to deal with the loss and trauma, only to find that family friend Dr Mayhew is trying to get her to a ‘more suitable environment’ in which to recover. Her saviour is her sister, Madeleine who knows she needs time simply to grieve, in her own home, surrounded by her family.

Madeleine later falls pregnant and her husband Hector asks Stella if she would keep her company in his mother’s house, Greyswick where she is feeling increasingly uncomfortable. Stella travels there with her maid, Annie Burrows – a strange, moody young girl, but the only available servant to be spared.

Hector’s mother, Lady Brightwell is a dour, self-important woman. She lives with her paid companion Ruth Scott, Mrs Henge -a bolshy housekeeper, a kindly cook and a maid, Maisie. Inexplicable things begin to happen – a voice is trying to be heard, and a story told. Others are determined that the story is never revealed, and ridicule the experiences of the witnesses. Stella begins to piece the puzzle together and reveal the secrets hidden within the house. This is a great ‘snuggle-up and enjoy’ read; well written and full of exciting surprises and revelations – try not to read it before bed though…

An accomplished debut (I had to double check this was the author’s first book). An old fashioned, mannered style of writing with some overly descriptive passages that added little, plus some very unrealistic flowery dialogue from the characters at times. Nonetheless, the twists and turns are intriguing.
In 1917 Stella Marcham is still quietly reeling from the War taking away from her all she loved and had planned for the future. Her beloved sister Madeleine Brightwell needs her help, however, so off she goes to the mansion house where austere Housekeepers and wicked Mother In Laws dwell (complete with obligatory lady ‘companion’). From here, the book slips neatly into Ghost Story Mode and improves considerably. The atmosphere of the house is well drawn and there are some genuinely creepy moments. I did correctly guess a couple of major plot twists but that was possibly more luck than the book being predictable.
It’s a pleasant way to spend rainy afternoons if you like traditional ghost stories.

The one thing that eased the loss of finishing this book was the thought of being able to write this review! I am a sucker for ghost stories and I have to say this is one of the best I have read! I absolutely loved it and drove my family mad by my constant oohing and aahing and giving away little snippets! I loved Stella, despite her grief she managed to maintain her strength of character throughout. Mrs Henge had a definite air of a Mrs Danvers! I could picture the house, the nursery stairs, the smoking room, Mrs Brightwell, Annie, Tristram, in fact I had images of all the characters, so well was each character drawn! I am keeping fingers crossed that the author is already in the throws of writing another such book, perhaps something involving the intrepid trio of Stella, Tristram and Annie! Oh yes please!

It’s 1917 Stella Marcham has lost her fiancé in the war and is struggling to come to terms with her grief. Her pregnant sister Madeline is struggling with her pregnancy so her brother in law Hector asks her to stay at his family home at Greyswick. Accompanying Stella is the family’s maid Annie.

Soon after arriving at Greyswick strange events occur, toy soldiers appearing in their bedrooms and sounds of crying in the night!!

This is a great supernatural book. What secrets is this house keeping?
Everybody from Lady Brightwell (Hector’s mother) to the housekeeper Mrs Henge, have secrets that they are desperate not be revealed.

A very gripping story, I was swept along with this and the larger than life characters and I really did not want it to end.

I would definitely recommend this and will be looking forward to Anita Franks next book. Can not believe this her debut!!

Make yourself comfortable and let this haunting novel transport you to Greyswick, where things go bump in the night!!

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

The Lost Ones is part ghost story and part detective thriller set during the dark days of World War I. The heroine is Stella Marcham and she tells the story in the first person. She has served as a nurse in the battlefields of France before returning home suffering from depression after seeing her fiancé die in front of her having been struck by a German bullet. Her condition is serious and, before the events of the novel begin, she has tried to commit suicide by drowning herself in a lake on her family’s estate. She is saved by a young servant named Annie Burrows.
The Marcham family are deeply indebted to the Burrows as Annie’s father sacrificed himself years before to get Lydia Marcham, Stella’s sister to safety during a house fire. Lydia died shortly afterwards but the debt felt by her mother to the family has led to Annie being taken on despite being thought somewhat odd by her peers.
As the story begins Stella is trying to convince her parents and her doctor that she does not need to be committed to an asylum and that she is slowly recovering from her grief. Although not wholly taken in by her protestations they allow her to go and stay with her other sister Madeleine who is pregnant and is staying with her mother in law on the family estate. Madeleine’s husband Hector, a soldier with a desk job in London has asked Stella to go and support his wife, confiding that they have already suffered one miscarriage and that Madeleine is terrified of another.
Stella takes Annie with her and heads to the country house which was built by Hector’s late father and which is an ill conceived monstrosity intended to display its owners wealth. Once they arrive it becomes clear very quickly that all is not as it should be and the house is not at peace. The other characters in the household are the fearsome Lady Brightwell, Hector’s mother and Lady of the House, her devoted companion Miss Scott, the distinctly unfriendly house keeper Mrs Henge, Maisie an over talkative servant and the cook. Later in the story Hector brings a disabled former soldier, Mr Sheers to try and rationalise events in the house and who, initally takes Stella to be an over credulous and impressionable girl but later becomes her ally in her quest for the truth.
Although Madeleine is clearly uneasy it does not take Stella long to work out for herself that the house is truly haunted and the tale begins in earnest as she becomes increasingly convinced that the only way to ensure her sister’s wellbeing is to solve the mystery and lay the ghosts to rest.
As she struggles to unlock the secrets that pervade the countryside Stella finds many mysteries, who is the soldier that Annie befriends, why is there a drawer of toy soldiers in Madeleine’s room and perhaps most importantly, what has Annie to do with it all?
The house itself is almost a character in the novel with the tasteless extravagance and opulence of it's late owner flagrantly displayed despite the ravages and deprivations of war contrasting with dank and mouldy cellars and servants' corridors. It has mysteries of its own which Stella must solve if she is to understand the true horror that has befallen those who dwell in it. Why, for example, is there only one portrait of Sir Arthur and why is his tomb so neglected given his wife's insistence that standards must be held war or no war? All of these have a bearing on the greater mystery and the writing beautifully draws us into the world it portrays so we stand with Stella and slowly come to learn how the wounds of the past still affect the household.
All of the characters are beautifully drawn in the story and the tension in the atmosphere is palpable as events move towards their conclusion. Although there are a couple of big ‘reveal’ moments in the story it is not hard to see most of them coming but that does nothing to detract from the page turning nature of the book.
Although it features ghosts this is not a horror story but a much more traditional supernatural tale with a fully fledged mystery that needs to be solved. There are no shambling monsters or gateways to hellish dimensions, but spirits can only communicate in certain ways and some of those are not easy for the living to comprehend.
There is little more to say about the plot without giving away too much of the story but I would unhesitatingly recommend this book to anyone who likes a good ghost story, a good mystery or both.
The book also touches on themes of mental illness, abuses which, it is to be hoped, would never be kept hidden in today's world and the stigma of homosexuality prevalent during the period in which the story is set. However none of these important issues are preached to the reader but will resonate in the mind long after the story is finished and the mystery is solved.
I found the book utterly absorbing and compelling and I sincerely hope that we will hear more about the adventures of Stella and Annie in the future.

Atmospheric and beautifully paced this is a ghost story with echoes of The Little Stranger and Rebecca.
Set in the middle of World War 1 , Stella is grieving the loss of her fiancé and trying to come to terms with the horrors of war after nursing in France.
Asked by her brother in law Hector to raise the spirits of her pregnant sister Madeleine by staying with her in his ancestral home, Greyswick. Madeleine is determined that the house is filled with unrest, a view which Stella comes to share, along with her rather strange maid Annie Burrows.
Can the two sisters persuade others of the house’s secrets and help lay the ghosts and their mysteries to rest.
A true ghost story, Plotted perfectly and authentically evocative of the time period. A strong female narrator and protagonist, and indeed strong female characters throughout make this a refreshing and sometime terrifying read.

Stella Marcham is in danger of being carted off to the Assylum after returning from the war that is raging in Europe. It is 1917 and Miss Marcham had been serving her country as a nurse there until a terrible personal tragedy struck her. Suffering from severe depression and refusing medication her family and doctor can see no other solution if she doesn't improve.
When her brother-in-law arrives to ask if she will go to stay with his wife, Stella's younger pregnant sister as she is suffering hysteria, she jumps at the chance to escape her uncertain future at home. Stella takes with her a young maid, Annie, a strange girl that doesn't seem to fit in but as staff is in short supply because of the war neither of them has many options.
I adored this book and was absolutely taken aback when I found out it was the author's debut novel!!!! The period is captured perfectly in these pages, with families back home not having a clue about the horrific war conditions that their loved ones were fighting in and the lack of understanding of how it affected them.
Greyswick is quite a mansion whose mistress, Madeleine's mother-in-law Lady Brightwell, rules with a strict upstairs-downstairs iron hand. The story builds beautifully and increases with mystery and intrigue. Stella is a superb character born way before her time, strong-willed and independent. I loved how she stood her ground on so many issues. There aren't many characters in the story but each of them is so very memorable, as it increases the intensity of the story.
I must admit that I did work out what had happened to an extent but it certainly didn't spoil the journey I had through this story. The last few chapters were truly gripping, shocking and impossible to prevent reading at any cost. A very touching story with unlikely relationships that I just loved. A beautifully written haunting story.
Highly recommended.
I wish to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.

3 - 4 stars.

I thought this was an impressive debut novel but I did have some reservations. The year is 1917, the central character is Stella Marcham who is grief stricken following the death of her fiancé in the war. Her brother in law Hector asked her to go to his family home Greyswick because her pregnant sister Madeline is struggling. Stella takes the family maid Annie Burrows with her and so begins a series of unsettling events.

The characters in the story are well portrayed and easy to picture though some are not likeable such as Hectors mother although she thaws a bit at the end of the book. Dr Mayhew is easy to dislike especially as he characterises Stella’s behaviour as that of an hysterical woman. The housekeeper Mrs Henge seems to be everywhere at once and is austere and humourless. She seems to me to be a version of Mrs Danvers in Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier but not as menacing in my opinion. Stella, her sister and Annie are likeable characters and I like the spirit that all these women show as they face opposition to their claims that the house is haunted. There are some very good descriptions such as that of Greyswick, of society and it’s values especially attitudes to women and it is written in a style that is appropriate to the times which I like very much. The contrast between the pre war days (‘halcyon days’) and the horror of the war is well done too.

Although there is much to praise I feel that there is too much description at times, it’s overlong and it detracts from the story telling which led to some feelings of impatience! Although some events in the story are good such as the exorcism I can’t say that I felt great menace or suspense. However, it’s very clear that Anita Frank has a lot of talent and so I would definitely be interested to see what she produces next.

This is a great debut novel by Anita Franks. I was intrigued by synopsis and loved the cover so thought I'd dive in.

Period books aren't my usual thing but I do love a good mystery/ghost story and this had both wrapped up within it.

I did guess the storyline quite early into the book but it didn't upset my enjoyment at all. There was still the odd surprise thrown in along the way.

It's not too dark and grisly so I think this will hold appeal to the masses.

I adored this book, it was beautifully written and I read it in one sitting. There was an eerie feeling throughout the story and you really got involved with the main characters. I liked the ending, I sometimes love a book but then the end ruins it...not so with this story, it was a most satisfying end! I will definitely be reading Anita Frank’s next book.

The lost ones by Anita Frank is part thriller, part mystery with a bit of a love story thrown in as well.

The book capatived me from the start and didn't let me go until the last page.
It is genuinely scary in parts!
It is in the same vein as Woman in Black and is not if more spooky!

The lost ones is perfect for curling up on the sofa with a blanket and a cup of tea (cat curled up on lap is optional) on a cold winter's night. Just remember to keep the lights on bright!

I'm a great lover of mystery/thriller reads that centre around an old house; this one had the bonus of a ghost or two. A story of a woman grieving after suffering from the brutality of war and horrifying circumstances. A woman who gets caught up in the happenings of a strange house, but within that finds her own pathway to recovery.
I had a great time reading this and it took me to moments of strong tension to sorrowful tears with its emotional depth. It's a story of righting wrongs and atonement but also grief and healing. The writing is strong, so it's a lovely fluid and immersive read. I did find the middle section could have some sharper editing, as it dragged for a while, for me, and we didn't seem to be developing either plot or character. But this is a minor quibble. For a debut, I'm impressed!
I loved the central mystery and the supernatural drive, despite it not being overly taxing to work out where the book was heading, it was a thrilling and enjoyable ride getting there.

A shadowy ghostly mystery of revenge, grief and healing.

The Lost Ones

This book is brilliant - I was drawn right in from the very first page and found it difficult to put down, despite it being relatively long.

The story starts in a church - we meet Stella Marcham hearing her musings about church and religion and understand straight away her life has been touched by tragedy. The story is set in 1917, the First World War is underway and although this is not a story about the war as such, we get an insight into the wasted lives of those young and inexperienced sent to war and the impact on their families. As time progresses, Stella's story is revealed, both as a narrative from her but also through her reliving past events that give the reader a taste for the life she had and that was so cruelly taken away from her. In her grief, she is threatened with being sent to an asylum until her sisters husband asks her to go to his house to support the pregnant Madeline who is having problems of her own.

Madeline is convinced that her home, Grayswick is haunted. Madeleine's husband, Hector believes she is suffering hysteria due her pregnancy. Stella agrees to go to Greyswick and soon after also becomes convinced that something supernatural is occurring. Stella's maid, Annie accompanied her and Stella suspects she knows more than she is disclosing. Madeleine's mother in law, Lady Brightwell, is not prepared to humour the allegations that a child is haunting Greyswick and has a plan of her own to dispel this nonsense.

So, do the last inhabitants of Greyswick have a story that needs to be told - or is the power of suggestion combined with female hysteria enough to explain the unusual goings on?

This book is amazing - Stella's character is just brilliant. She's so devastated and yet we always get a glimpse of her inner strength. She's perceptive and speaks her mind and does not suffer fools gladly. In 1917 I'm sure any man would have found her quite a handful! She has so much self respect I just couldn't help but like her. Mr Shears too is brilliant - I expected not to like him but he has a story of his own that mean that means that by the end of this tale the reader really understands and appreciates him. My only disappointment about this book is that we don't really get to see what happens to him - I had an ending in mind for him and although we get a little hint this was likely to be the outcome, as a very unimaginative reader, I think I'd have liked some reassurance. Mrs Henge, the housekeeper, is a real intriguing character that put me in mind if Mrs Danvers (from Rebecca) almost straight away. I enjoyed the way my suspicion was provoked almost straight away and I felt the need to pay attention to her throughout. I disliked her almost immediately and thoroughly enjoyed disliking her - even though the reader isn't aware whether this impression is correct or not until almost the end of the book.

There is some description of war, very significant injury, death, child death, supernatural suggestion, mention of rape and domestic abuse which some readers may find distressing. However, I can be quite a sensitive reader but found that there was enough information for me to truly empathise with the characters but not so much as to consider it unnecessarily distressing.

This is not a story with a conventional happy ever after - it's about secrets, lies and self preservation. It's a hauntingly compelling read and I devoured every single page. Although this a very dark tale with so much sadness - in itself, it's not sad. It has a very gothic feel - similar to Jane Eyre or Rebecca. Despite this, it is definitely a tale all of its own that is simply brilliant, especially as this is a first by this author.

For her debut novel Anita Frank has managed to produce the quintessential English ghost story, a tradition and style that includes 19th century luminaries such as Dickens and Collins and incorporates present day writers such as Sarah Waters and Susan Hill. I started reading this on a most unseasonably windswept summer Sunday afternoon and was still reading well into the night. The author has managed to create that atmosphere of dread and foreboding that is a requisite for such tales. The supernatural terrors that lie in the background are merged with the real life horror and carnage that is occurring at the same time across the battlefields of the First World War.

Set in 1917 we find Stella Marcham haunted and trumatised by the death of her fiancé and who herself has recently returned from nursing the dying and wounded in France. She is now asked by her brother in law to stay with her pregnant sister, Madeleine, at Greyswick their country mansion. On arriving she finds Madeleine in a state of unease and it is not long before strange noises are heard that point to something that is far from right in the house.

The writing was wonderfully descriptive and one could easily picture the house and gardens devoid due to the war of the usual number of servants becoming increasingly decayed and shabby. Layer by layer the tension is built up as the full horror of the past is revealed. Fear, suspicion and trepidation seep through the very foundations of Greyswick as an unearthly presence seemingly demands justice for past wrongs. For a lover of the traditional ghost story this was an exquisite read and if you like this genre then I do not think you will be disappointed.