A lighthouse, lighthouse workers and their family. I wondered what on earth could this story do? Was rewarded by a carefully crafted interesting mystery, which came together very well. There was lots of good descriptors of life in a lighthouse, the story captured beautifully in my imagination what it would be like to live and sail within such heavy sea. I did not see the end coming. This is both a ghost story and well written psychological read.

A fascinating and excellent read with beautiful characterisation. Just absolutely breathtaking. I will recommend to everyone.

I read this book in one sitting. It was unlike anything I have read before. Told in dual time lines , past and present and with multiple points of view, we follow the mystery of the disappearance of three lighthouse keepers. Although I would almost describe this as a cozy mystery it read very fast. The short chapters and multiple unique voices kept the story moving at a brilliantly fast pace, and I finished the book unknowingly in a matter
of hours. It really shone a spotlight on the effects of isolation , mental health , tight knit communities , gender roles , motherhood and relationships.
A quick and quiet mystery with a lot of depth..

This is a debut and a very fine one it is too! The novel has been inspired by the story from Scotland of 3 men who simply vanished from the remote Flannan Isles (Outer Hebrides) lighthouse in the early 20th Century. The location and some of the details are transferred from Scotland to the coast of Cornwall and updated to two more recent time frames, to wit 1972 and 1992.

One of the amazing elements of this novel is the sense of cloying setting. Three men work shifts, lighting the light for the dark hours atop a 100 foot tower. The claustrophobia of living in this narrow tower is really brought to the fore; outside the roiling, cresting waves batter the edifice and the tiny rock on which it is set. Boats bring relief keepers and supplies and have to choose their arrival day carefully according to weather conditions, and then negotiate the precarious landing. The weather is all pervasive in this story, logs are kept of weather conditions and the capricious nature of the water is a 24 hour factor – essentially, it is about survival.

The conditions of living on a lighthouse for shifts of around 40 days will inevitably suit only certain individuals. The bedroom is built so if faces the shore and looks out to the families left behind on the mainland. The dwelling is tight, there is no room for exercise, the food is tinned with very little fresh variety. This job is only for the resilient and even then the intensity of life with two other people will of course take its toll. It would certainly not be a job I could do. Nowadays, lighthouses don’t need lamplighters of an evening, for they are mostly automatic, but at one time the job of lighthouse keeper was a valuable and demanding job.

This is in part the story of the keepers – Vince, who has a violent past and has been to prison, Arthur who is the PK (Principal Keeper) who is much admired and Bill, who has a rather lugubrious nature. Their existence together is described and creates the platform for perhaps the more powerful story of the women left behind on the shore – Michelle, Jenny and Helen – and the vicissitudes of their lives. The details of their lives, their mutual relationships then and now, and their hypotheses surrounding the disappearance of their menfolk are brought together by novelist Dan Sharp, who has come to hear their stories.

Trident is the overarching company that manages various lighthouses around the country, and once the men have disappeared over the Christmas period of 1972, they do the seemingly decent thing of providing an on-going pension for the women; but that comes at a cost. It almost feels like a cover-up. Does the secret of what really happened lie with them, perhaps..?

I listened to this as an audiobook, which, for me, was the perfect vehicle for the story, as the narrators voices are strong and beguiling. It is in part told like a chronicle as the women speak to camera (Dan the novelist) as it were, the stories like monologues almost, which felt like a very personalising device as they share the intimacies of their lives, secrets and thoughts.

I came to this book after I had finished listening to the podcast “Death in Ice Valley” which chronicles the story of the Isdal woman, who was found dead in late 1970 above the city of Bergen in Norway, her body burned. At the time of her death, neither her identity nor cause of death had been determined and so two reporters set about retrospectively logging clues and evidence. Having finished that, I was yearning for another curious ‘mystery’ and I found it in The Lamplighters.

An elegant debut with terrific writing. An author to watch.

Wow, I officially have a new favourite book. This was brilliant!

I knew that it would be my type of story since it combines two of my favourite things lighthouses and books exploring grief. Lighthouses were my first hyperfixation. I grew up on the west coast of Scotland and have such fond memories of staring across the sea at the lighthouses in the distance, imagining that I could see far enough to spot the men that worked there. In fact, it became a running joke with my Papa, every time he saw me he'd ask 'what tie has the man in the lighthouse got on today'. My older brother even has a lighthouse tattoed on him to represent the two of us.

The Lamplighters is a fictional story about the disappearance of a Cornish lighthouse's keepers told in two timelines 20 years apart. In 1972 we get to know our 3 men in the run-up to the day of the accident and then in 1992 the story is told from the point of view of their loved ones that they left behind as they're being interviewed by a writer who wants to cover the disappearances in his new novel in the hopes that he might unearth something previously overlooked.

Despite the bouncing around the story flows seamlessly! I read this via audiobook and need to give huge props to the two voice actors as they handle this magnificently. Each character is given a distinct voice and allowed their personality to shine through. To the point where it didn't feel like acting and almost felt like a true-crime podcast & I mean that in the best way.

This book is hard to categorise, sure it's a mystery but it's so much more than that and what really makes it is the FANTASTIC character writing, especially when it goes hand in hand with the book's exploration of grief. In how we all grieve differently and there's no one right way to do so. It was so interesting how this tragic event of losing their loved ones should have brought the three woman together but instead, it's the thing that drove them apart. Usually, I hate miscommunication in books. It gets on my nerves and makes me want to take the characters and shake them like 'Everything could be solved if you just listened and talked to each other!' but it worked so well in this, mainly because there was no 'right' person. No good guy. They were all so heartbreakingly human and it was so realistic to the point where I had to remind myself that it was fictional at times.

I could go on and on about how much I enjoyed this one. I decided early on to space out the audiobook and only allow myself to listen to an hour a day so I didn't binge it all in one go. It drew me in and I couldn't put it down. Seriously pick this one up, I highly HIGHLY recommend it!

A novel based upon the dissapearance of three lighthouse keepers. It starts off well but it can't decide if it's a crime novel, a murder msytery or a social exploration of the women left behind. It has a lot of great ideas but they somehow don't mesh as well as they could have.

Based on a real event where some lighthouse keepers went missing (but a total work of fiction), this had me gripped. I flew through it and before I knew it, I was at the end. This is thoroughly engaging as you follow characters through a dual timeline of the events. In the past you follow the lighthouse keepers leading up to their disappearance and many yrs later toy follow their wives being interviewed for a new book - and both time periods add to the mystery. Stonex has done a fantastic job of researching the loneliness and isolation for bother keeper and the family he leaves back home, including all the emotions associated with normal family life. The narrators do a great job (although it was a little hard keeping track of which male viewpoint I was listening to). Otherwise a cracking listen and one I want to reread!

Inspired by the real-life tragic mystery of Flannan Isles Lighthouse in the Outer Hebrides in 1900 where the three keepers all disappeared with no trace of their whereabouts. For The Lamplighters, the Maiden lighthouse is situated off the coast of Cornwall and the story flips between 1972, the year of the disappearance of the three keepers and 1992. The tale is told from six perspectives earlier on by the keepers then after the “event” where their three wives take over the storytelling as they try to make sense of the unsolved puzzle whilst also getting on with their lives. Many secrets are divulged and lives unravel as we learn all that led up to the disappearance when nothing is what it seems.
A great locked room mystery with an eerie narrative. This will be a huge hit I’m sure.

Beautifully told from multiple perspectives, the story explores the lives of men who disappeared from a lighthouse tower in the 70s. Inspired by the real mystery of a disappearance that took place in 1900. The book is as much about what ifs and the paths chosen in life, as it is about the lighthouse keepers and what became of them.

The lamplighters is a fictional take on a real life mystery, the disappearance of three keepers from their off shore lighthouse in 1900.

While Stonex draws directly from these events in setting up her novel she soon diverts and makes it her own. The disappearance is moved to 1972 and the mystery unravels as the narrative moves between each of the men and their partners who, thirty years later, are recounting their sides of the story to a writer.

The isolation of the lighthouse really is a perfect setting and the sections set there are incredibly atmospheric and tense. It’s also interesting to read about the psychological effects this lifestyle has on the ones left behind on shore as well as the keepers.

Throughout the book, there are plenty of revelations and red herrings that keeps you guessing as to what really happened on the lighthouse that night. Stonex really could have taken this book in any direction and perhaps that’s why her chosen ending fell a little flat for me. After such a big set up it just felt far too plausible and yet underdeveloped as too much time was spent setting up other possibilities.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book which I would recommend. It worked very well as the story is told from multiple perspectives, several chapters are essentially transcripts of one side of a. conversation which really comes alive in the audio format.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This novel has a quiet, haunting quality even in the ‘modern’ setting in 1992 where we hear the voices of the windows and girlfriend of the missing lighthouse keepers from 1972. The speculation, loss, and betrayals weave back and forth between the years. In equal parts mystery and family drama, Emma Stonex has written a novel which will stay with the reader for some time. I also dipped in and out of the audio book which I can also recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley and Pan MacMillan Picador for a review copy.

What a wonderfully written story. Was brilliantly narrated and a great story to boot. Three men go missing from an offshore lighthouse. The door is locked from inside. What happened to them? A wonderfully woven tale, with plenty of plausible possibilities. I really enjoyed this and didn't guess all of the endings, which made a nice change. Also, there were no big shock twists, but new details introduced at a perfectly timed pace. I will be looking out for this author in future. Thanks to the publisher and netgaller for a copy in exchange for a fair review

I was hooked!

What a brilliant book. The narrative alternates between two different years, two decades apart following the disappearance of three lighthouse keepers.
Spanning back and forth between life in 1972 where you hear the accounts of Arthur, Bill and Vince who were currently manning the lighthouse to 1992 where Helen, Jenny and Michelle the partners of the missing men put across there feelings when an author comes along wanting to document the events around the time of the disappearance.

From the very start I was hooked with this mysterious story, short punchy chapter from multiple perspectives really made this audiobook hard to switch off.

The characters were so much more complex than I originally thought they would be, at the start your hooked by the need to know the events surrounding the disappearance, by half way through your hooked by the deceit and lies.. I actually don't think there was a person in the story I didn't like, each of them and their faults which really helped push the mystery element behind the story and the complexity of relationships keeps you guessing till the end.

The narrators perfectly capture each person with ease bringing them and the story to life through their expression. You really get a sense of personality and tone for each character.

Emma Stonex really captures the imagination with her writing. You really get to feel the intensity of emotions. Towards the end of the book the way she writes how heightened the atmosphere is within the lighthouse and how the mind starts to play games with their mental state is quite harrowing.

Thank you Macmillan UK audio, picador and NetGalley for my copy for honest review.

Wow. It's difficult to put into words this stunning debut novel from Emma Stonex.

Atmospheric, mysterious and haunting, The Lamplighters is the story of three lighthouse workers who simply vanished without a trace in the 70s. We're treated to a dual timeline. The first tells us the events as they happened. The second, 20 years on, is the voice of the women those men left behind as they speak to an author who wants to try and solve the mystery whilst writing a book.

I found this quite slow to start and it took me a good 30% of the book to get my head around the different characters and who was married to who. But once I overcame that, it sucked be in. The narrator's in this book were brilliant too - I typically listen at 1.75 - 2, but I felt like I was doing a disservice to them at that speed as I wanted to really enjoy every minute of this book.

It's not your typical historical fiction. It's a story full of secrets that culminates in an ending that nobody could have predicted. In fact, I was so absorbed in the narration and I was enjoying every step of the way, that I didn't find myself trying to solve the mystery.

It's quite heart-wrenching by the end as you realise you're so much more invested in the characters than you could have imagined. I loved The Lamplighters. Original and a stunning debut.

When three men mysteriously disappear from the remote Maiden Rock lighthouse in Cornwall in 1972, the community is left reeling from this tragedy. For the families of the missing men lives change forever and not knowing their fate leaves a mark on their lives. Twenty years later a writer approaches the wives of the missing men, but will they speak to him about their memories of the past events? Will their stories be told or forgotten? And who knows the truth?
“The Lamplighters” by Emma Stonex is loosely based on the true story of three lighthouse keepers who mysteriously disappeared at the beginning of XX century from a Hebridean lighthouse. The author moved the book to a different time and location, but the subject remains equally fascinating. We hear from the perspectives of lighthouse keepers during their last fatal stay on the isolated rocky light, and at the same time the reader hears the voices of women left behind, as they share their stories with the writer.
This gripping novel blends mystery and superstition– who or what was responsible for the disappearance of the men? Was one of them responsible for the tragedy or did something sinister happen behind the locked door? The book is full of tension and secrets, the atmosphere tense and claustrophobic in places. The characters are so well fleshed out and full of life – the author lets us look into their heads and hear their thoughts, so the book is not so much full of action but full of feelings and complex emotions. Beautifully written, “The Lamplighters” is a gem of a novel, a beautiful story of sea, loneliness, memories and sorrow.
I have part listen part read this book and I must admit, tthe narration by Indira Varma and Tom Burke was spectacular. Both voices brought the book to life for me, and made it even more special.

The Lamplighters is an original and unusual novel loosely based on real-life events on a lighthouse.

The characters are well-drawn, distinctive and compelling but of course in some ways, the star of the show is the lighthouse itself: the Maiden. Much of the action takes place there but even when it doesn't and events unfurl at the cottages where the characters live on land, she is always a presence, looking on at them from afar. This creeping atmosphere is also infused in the stunning prose. Given how much has been written over the centuries about the sea, the author's descriptions feel fresh and distinctive, totally immersing the reader into setting.

I've spoken to other readers who loved this book as much as I did. Some are also keen to go and stay in a lighthouse now. I can't say that the moving but sometimes chilling events that occur in this novel make an overnight stay feel appealing to me personally, but that's mainly because Stonex has done such an extraordinary job at bringing life on a lighthouse to life that I felt I'd stayed on one already!

This book is wonderful and I can't wait to read more of the author's work.

They say we’ll never know what happened to those men.
They say the sea keeps its secrets…
***
A dazzling mystery set against the backdrop of wild and unpredictable seas. ‘The Lamplighters’ perfectly details the double-sided nature of the ocean, with it’s beauty and it’s mercilessness captured in equal measure.

Emma Stonex has created an immersive and engaging mystery that keeps you guessing right up until the final few pages. Her description of setting had me feeling, at times, like I was there in the cramped space of the Maiden, listening to the sound of the waves lapping against the sides as the wind whistled around me.

It is clear that a lot of research and care has gone into this novel. Stonex details the day-to-day life of a lighthouse keeper, dispelling the romanticised view and replacing it with something more realistic but no less exciting, and exposes the grittier side of this lost profession. The most intriguing part, in my opinion, was the emphasis on the women and how they were affected not only by their husband’s disappearances but by their overall lives. Each character was distinctive and held their own point-of-view which, when pieced together, reveals the truth behind the loss.

The narrators, Indira Varma and Tom Burke, did a masterful job bringing the characters to life and they had me gripped from beginning to end. I would definitely recommend this audiobook. I look forward to seeing what Emma Stonex does next!

My thanks to Macmillan U.K. Audio for a review copy via NetGalley of the unabridged audiobook edition of ‘The Lamplighters’ by Emma Stonex. It was narrated by Indira Varma and Tom Burke and has a running time is 8 hours, 35 minutes at 1x speed.

This work of period fiction was inspired by a real mystery: the disappearance in December 1900 of three lighthouse keepers from a remote rock light on the island of Eilean Mòr in the the Outer Hebrides. The author clearly states at the outset that her characters are fictional, rather than speculating on the fates of the real men who had vanished.

In December 1972 Cornwall both supplies and a relief keeper are ferried out to the remote Maiden Rock lighthouse. Yet they are surprised to find no sign of its three keepers. The entrance door is locked from the inside, two clocks have stopped at the same time, and a partially eaten meal is on the table. No trace is ever found despite a long investigation. All kinds of speculation surrounds the disappearances including alien abduction!

Twenty years later, the women left behind: Helen, Jenny, and Michelle have struggled to move on. Then they are approached by a writer who wants to give them the chance to tell their side of the story.

The narrative moves between events in 1972 and 1992 and it was helpful to have the audiobook with two narrators that clearly delineated these time shifts.

Both Indira Varma and Tom Burke are actors whose work in various tv series I have admired and their readings of this novel were excellent. Varma narrated those chapters told from the women’s perspectives and Burke the men’s. Both have very rich, clear voices that were a pleasure to listen to.

I felt that Emma Stonex’s descriptions of the sea with its ever-changing moods was very evocative, as well as her chronicling of the lives of those men who took on the lonely, monotonous role of lighthouse keepers.

Overall, a tribute to a vanished way of life as well as an engaging mystery. I expect that it will be a popular choice for reading groups given its strong characterisations, atmospheric setting, and intriguing mystery.

This book wasn't quite was I was expecting when I requested it but I was held enthralled by the characters who are so well written. I began by wanting to know the answer to the mystery of the vanished keepers and, while the outcome was satisfying, I loved hearing the unravelling of the characters' lives even more than the final reveal - they were so convincingly drawn that I felt like I knew them intimately. This really is an astonishing debut, I've never read anything quite like it. The narration on this was absolutely wonderful - each voice was made so distinct - and I felt the slow burning story was really suited to this format.

The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex 🎧

Read if you are in the mood for a suspenseful mystery that is beautifully written, atmospheric and based on true events.

My thoughts 💭

Lamplighters was such a slow burning mystery, but one that was so beautifully written you didn’t mind if it teased you and pulled you along slowly until it was ready to reveal more.

It is the story which is based on true events. Three lighthouse keepers disappear into thin air living their families behind and a mystery which years later is still unsolved.

It is told from multiple point of views, and spans multiple timeframes. We alternate between the lighthouse keepers perspectives and the wives’s perspectives, between the 1970s and the 1990s.

I have to say what really fascinated me were the voices of the lighthouse keepers themselves and their narrative. I loved how we got to see their thoughts and feelings and how the story slowly revealed itself from different angles.

The description of the Maiden Lighthouse was also excellent and so eerie and i felt the loneliness and sense of being trapped, not being able to go anywhere.

The 1990s narrative, as the women looked back at what could have happened was also really interesting, but I did feel myself wanting to go back to the men and the lighthouse!

I would say for me, I wish I had not just listened, but also read the book alongside it because the writing was wonderful and I felt a little lost just listening with all the different point of views so I think reading it would have added to my enjoyment of the novel, having said that I thought the audio was great and the actors excellent.

Overall a great audiobook, but one best enjoying with the accompanying book!

Have you read The Lamplighters? What did you think?

💫The book and audio came came out yesterday and I believe the hardback is gorgeous so do check it out!

💫Thank you for this #gifted audiobook @netgalley and @macmillan.audio