Unfortunately I couldn't connect with this book. I was overwhelmed by the number of characters and found it almost impossible to remember all the names and the part they played. This took away any pleasure from reading the story as it all felt too much like hard work.

This book absolutely captivates you!
Annie has to rethink her whole world as she considers her husband could be guilty of an unthinkable crime. Annie is determined to prove his innocence and believe in him...but what about the lost hours that she cannot resolve...and then if he isn’t guilty,what does it mean when the evidence suggests his innocence means that someone else in his immediate family must be guilty?A compelling read, thoroughly recommended!5 stars!

Such a shame but I struggled with this book. Way too many characters for me to try and remember. Really tried but I just couldn't connect with them very easily. The storyline is good but I just spent too much time trying to work out who was who. There are some excellent reviews for this so its definitely worth a read just wasn't for me.

Thank you Netgalley.

I'm normally a fan of Susan Lewis but, unfortunately, this book didn't grip me. There were a lot of characters from the very start (husbands, wives, in-laws, children, pub friends, childhood friends and more) which made it difficult to get into the book and difficult to connect with the storyline as I was constantly trying to remember who was who.

I have found my new favourite author!!! Annie has been married to David Crayse for over 20 years. They had a rocky start after David left the army scarred from his experiences, but together they have built a home, family and business to be proud of. Then their eldest daughter gets involved in a silly prank which ends up with her being arrested. She’s freed but the routine DNA swab turns up with a link to a 20 year old unsolved murder!

We then follow Annie and her family through the twists and turns of trying to get to the bottom of the mystery. A young woman, full of life died and her body carelessly left in a hut on the moors. We follow the investigation and the family as they try and understand what has happened and wonder which one of them could be a killer. And that’s before the DNA results come in.

Unlike many thriller titles Susan Lewis really keeps us wondering as people being people have secrets and lead the investigators astray. You find yourself liking both sides of the legal system, as they are human and just trying to get to the truth. There are the parallels with real life where for the outside world of the press the story stops being about the young woman who was killed and about the killer or the story.

When we finally find the ‘truth’ we know the actual fact but we are cleverly left wondering, like the investigators whether the murderer is purely what they portray of a deeper more sinister character.

I’ve read the teaser chapter of Susan’s next book and can’t wait to lose myself in the next set of character’s worlds!

I did really enjoy this, but it still felt like there were a lot of unanswered questions at the end that weren’t tied up properly. The premise was brilliant though - a twist on a cold case and the ensuing impact on a family, and it was extremely compelling.

This is a book you won't want to put down. I love how at the end of the chapter it leaves you wanting more so you just have to keep going.. The storyline is a good one where you never really know what is going to happen. David is a suspect of a murder that happened some years ago, DNA evidence shows its him but his wife wont believe her husband did it? Is David guilty or is someone else from his family guilty? This book takes you on a heck of a journey to find out who the murderer is. Will it be David? Loved this book from page one.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for the read.

I loved this book. It was beautifully constructed and written. A real page turner and I loved all the twists and turns. I must read book.

Usually love Susan Lewis books, but very underwhelmed by this one.
Too much endless detail about this privileged perfect family, Annie and David Crayce and their shooting estate and school.
I completely lost interest in the family, their lives, the story and the hope of there ever being anyexcitement or a plot to follow, and gave up about a third of the way through.

I did find this book slower then her usual books, however I stuck with it and after 30% it got a lot more interesting! Telling the story of a present day family and then a murder from years ago where dna had recently been found....amazing characters and gorgeous setting I could visualise.

I love Susan Lewis, the way she describes the characters and brings them to life. You really do feel you are in the middle of it all. Family deception and a twist to boot. Really enjoyed trying to figure it out.

I was so happy to recieve the latest Susan Lewis novel, I've always been an avid reader of this fabulous author and they are my go to books when I feel in need of some reflection, I dont know why by Susan Lewis's books always seem to re centre me in a way no other author can.

This is definitely one of those novels that have you rooting for a certain character, even though our lives are completely opposite i had a real empathy towards Annie.

The Lost Hours is a total mix of mystery, psychological thriller and family drama all rolled up into a story jam packed with unexpected twists and turns.

A complex story of twisted family secrets and lies. A great original plot that had me hooked from the very beginning.

5*

Huge thanks to netgalley and Harper Collins UK for the ARC.

I have been an avid fan of Susan Lewis for years and I thought that this book was one of her best and couldn’t put it down. The book opens with the discovery of a young girl’s body in a derelict railway hut in 1999. She was a 17 year old local girl who had been missing for a month. We then fast forward to December 2019 and meet the Crayce family. David and Annie have a thriving business, a solid marriage, three children and a large group of family and friends. They are horrified when Sienna, their teenage daughter, is caught and arrested for shoplifting with friends. She is released and we learn that whilst she was in custody they took a sample of her DNA. The family’s world comes crashing down on them when the police find a familial DNA link from Sienna’s DNA to DNA left on Karen’s body. The police arrest David but until his DNA is processed they realise it could be a match to his brother or father. The book is told mainly from Annie’s point of view and she starts to question how well she really does know her husband. Why are the family so secretive about events that happened on the night Karen disappeare?. Amid all the questions and recriminations within the family, Annie is determined to find proof of David’s innocence but the police are determined to prove he is guilty. But if he is innocent who is the guilty person? I was completely gripped by the story and never once guessed what had happened. The book is full of suspense, suspicions, red herrings and twists and turns. A brilliant, captivating read.
Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

any book by susan lewis is to be recommended and this one will keep you up at night, her characters always come to life

Great book, well written story with twists and turns. Interesting characters. Would definitely recommend

After a stupid mishap a daughter is arrested and her DNA taken. This leads to the finger of suspicion being pointed at a father, uncle and grandfather. Who is the guilty person in an unsolved cold case murder.
Susan Lewis once again gets to the heart of family drama.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC

A fantastic read. I really enjoyed this book. An amazing plot, I could not turn the pages fast enough. Lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing with a shocking ending!! A must read!!

Twenty years ago teenager Karen Lomax went missing and her body was discovered in a hut on a building site. However, the unsolved murder has been pretty much forgotten by all except her devastated parents.
David and Annie Crayce have a good life with a thriving business on the family’s Exmoor farm, a good marriage, three children (+ Cassie the dog) and a supportive group of family and friends. They are a perfectly normal, if slightly privileged, family with the usual stresses – will Quin get his dream toy for Christmas (you can buy it at John Lewis)? does Max, who recently told his parents that he is gay, have a crush on the friend who is staying for Christmas? Was Sienna really the innocent bystander when her friends got caught shoplifting the other day & if so why did she end up at the police station?
When David is arrested for the murder of Karen Lomax, with the police claiming they have DNA evidence linking him to the murder, everyone’s lives are turned upside down. It appears that Sienna’s DNA was taken after the shoplifting incident, and a familial link is made to DNA left on Karen’s body, however it could have come from any male in her family so was it her father, her uncle or her grandfather – or none of them?
The story is told from Annie's view – but how well does she really know her husband? Why are they so secretive about the night Karen died? Do they genuinely not remember or are they covering up what David did? Is Henry acting suspiciously or are they imagining it? Was is coincidence that their father became ill when being questioned? As the story progresses, Annie doesn’t doubt her husband’s innocence but she must address the question of “if he didn’t, who did?” … can she uncover what really happened that night?
Overall this was a book that had some truly great elements but some real weaknesses too.
On a positive, the writing was gritty, gripping and unfolded nicely. The author has dropped an everyday family into an extraordinary situation that somehow feels realistic
I did want to find out “whodunnit” and whilst the ending did not come as a surprise, it wasn’t obvious from the beginning – there were enough red herrings, twists, revelations & secrets to satisfy the armchair sleuth!
From a negative perspective, I really disliked DS Natalie Rundle & have no idea who Andee was or why she was in the story – there is no way that somebody so close to the police officer could be allowed to work for the suspect! I appreciated why DS Rundle focussed in so much on the possible PTSD but felt that she should have been disciplined for essentially bringing her own personal life into an investigation & for determining that David was guilty based on this not on any actual proof. I also felt that the initial link would have been much more believable if Sienna had been a 21 yr old student rather than a 16yr old schoolgirl, who’s DNA is highly unlikely to have been taken for a petty shoplifting crime (we won’t discuss whether they would really have held a 16 yr old for so long without the parent’s knowledge)
I could see this making a great TV miniseries, maybe one of those 2-3 night Christmas specials!

Disclosure: I received an advance reader copy of this book free via NetGalley. Whilst thanks go to the author & publisher for the opportunity to read it, all opinions are my own.

This is my third Susan Lewis book and like the others I’ve read it did not disappoint.
The book starts with the discovery of a body and then introduces us to the Crayce family. A bombshell is then dropped into their lives when David’s DNA is matched to her body.
The story then follows the investigation as it evolves and the way the Crayce family tries and deal with the blow.
There are plenty of twists and turns and a surprise ending that will keep you hooked.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for letting me review this book.

Golden couple Annie and David have it all. A loving marriage and three beautiful children. Life couldn’t be better. Until David is accused of a murder that happened 20 years ago. As the police investigate, so does Annie. She begins desperately looking for answers, but it all comes down to a few lost hours she can’t solve.

The plot is deliciously complex, full of twists and turns you can sink your teeth into. I was gripped from the first page to the very last and I was left feeling very satisfied after this read.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.