Northern Gothic, this is a terse and clenched dual narrative centred around three sisters and their dark inheritance. The irrevocable plot revelations driving the final truths, are horrifying and unconscionable. Young’s interrogation of damaged family dynamics and embedded loyalties is astute and heartbreaking. Masterful writing.

Spanning 60 years The Lost Girls is a suspenseful mystery that keeps you hanging on to the end, but lacks the characters to make it an enjoyable ride.
The mystery side of the book was great and the ending isn't the type you guess halfway through, well I didn't anyway. However, the suspense is just too much as in too drawn out. It felt a little like wading through mud. Maybe it was the characters, I just didn't connect with them and therefore didn't really care about them or their plights. But I had to know how it ended, I needed to see 'who done it'.
Heather Young spins a tale that keeps you guessing, holds you to the end and then slaps you in the face with the truth.
Grab this book for a wet weekend and stick with it to the end.

An absolutely atmospheric book. Heather Youngs writing style is extremely good at setting the scene and the characters were all really interesting. Told from 2 different perspectives, one of a great aunt Lucy who told the story of the disappearance of her younger sister and the other perspective was Justine who inherited the lake house leaves her overbearing boyfriend to love there with her 2 children and receives a story in a notebook from Lucy. It’s such a cozy mystery and I read this in one sitting as I wanted to carry on and not put it down.

This was a gripping read which I couldn’t put down!
The stories tie in beautifully together and I really enjoyed the two different time frames of this novel.
I will be recommending this to anybody who listens to me. A first of this author but not my last

The Lost Girls, written by Heather Young is a quiet and suspenseful novel, rich in descriptive language. A deeper story is hidden behind the story pages, exposing nothing that could be simple, easy, and straightforward. When Lucy Evans passed, Justine inherited the lake house. Lucy wrote a lot in her life. There will be interesting fairy tales and notebooks - pages sink with the truth of Evans sisters' lives, which probably should be buried with her - with a real story about the memorable summer that changed everything.
A novel presented the world from two perspectives - Lucy Evans and Justine. Even if the described lives are divided by decades, the beautiful picture hidden by the small details is easy to imagine. Very realistic characters, some of them you would like, feel pity or dislike from the beginning.
I am impressed by the multi-layered structure, refined down to the smallest detail. Haunting intrigue, complicated relationships, breathtaking conclusions, lots of unspoken pain, silent loneliness. I was surprised by the twist almost at the end of the book. As much as I was sure how the final would end, I was shocked to discover the truth. It took me by surprise and squeezed my heart.

Definitely not an easily forgotten novel, highly recommended!

Thank you, NetGalley and Verve Book, for giving me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is the kind of book that will stay with me for a while. The author did a great job building suspense and it kept me turning pages late at night to find out what actually happened that summer.

I loved reading about Lucy's childhood games and her making an unexpected friend when Lillith ditches her for the older girls. It reminded me a lot of the kind of characters featured in my favourite Jacqueline Wilson books as a child.

The ending was unexpected but also, it was kind of a disappointment. It completely changed the way I felt about Lucy and the author did not do enough to justify her actions.

I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book but I choose to give it 4 stars because of the compelling descriptions.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me this ebook to read! I really enjoyed the concept of this book but struggled to stay focused as it was extremely slow paced although it was written beautifully. I’m a sucker for history, isolated cabins and unsolved disappearances so this book definitely intrigued me! If you enjoy historical fiction, mystery and aren’t too bothered about a plot-focused book then I’d recommend you pick this up.

This book goes between the dual perspective of Lucy and her great-niece who inherits Lucy’s house once she passes away. Lucy wants to tell her story and reveal the truth of what happened to her six year old sister who went missing in 1935. She believes the best person to know the truth is her great-niece Justine who she met once when Justine and her mother visited the house when she was nine.

Lucy writes a journal that flicks between their experiences in the summer of 1935 and what happened in the lead up to Emily’s disappearance to 1999 just before her passing the house to Justine. The book is extremely atmospheric and is written so well that you can feel yourself being taken back in time.

A family mystery that spans generations, with effects far beyond anyone could have foreseen. When Justine inherits her great-aunt's house she thinks it's the perfect opportunity for a fresh start, but her family history has other ideas...

I'm calling this 3.5 stars out of 5, really. Overall I did enjoy the story, or stories-past and present, but I ultimately struggled to get invested in the majority of the characters' personal stakes. This was mainly down to the fact that I didn't find them particularly sympathetic or likeable-which is common in thrillers such as this, but these character's seemed entirely unaware of their own failings while being quick to point them out in those around them.
That aside, I enjoyed the back and forth between past and present, and the parallels drawn between the events and characters' situations-an interesting persepective on repeating our ancestors mistakes. The setting was immersive and very fitting for the story it held.
The ending was apt in ways, although it did not leave me entirely satisfied. I felt as though there were questions raised in the narrative that were not addressed by the end, and were not vital to the plot if they were not going to be explored fully.

However, overall this was an enjoyable read and a haunting exploration of the ideas of family loyalty, isolation and generational trauma.

A gripping tale that keeps you hooked even as you move through the generations. The suspense of the story will keep you up till you've turned every last page! You think you know what happened but trust me, it'll leave you a little shook. I loved the story because it gave me the perfect closure.

The characters with their personalities and stories are interesting and relatable to some level. All in all, it's well written and it won't leave you guessing.

Definitely recommend it!

Netgalley copy for an honest review.

What a page turner this book is, it has everything.... family secrets, mystery and lots more. An unforgettable dual story line, my favourite part was set from 1935 onwards. One of the best debut books I've read for quite a while, loved it and I'm sure you will too.

Fully recommend, a great read.

Enjoyed this book a bit like Virginia Andrews and Catherine Cookson rolled into one. Would read some more by this author

Emily is missing, her sisters never leave the lake house. But why?

I really enjoyed this story. It was full of suspense, a story within a story. I liked how the tale was told between the two generations, switching from the different characters, past to present. Although I think I had guessed what had happened to Emily, it still took me by surprise and did make me feel a little sad. But it tied the story to an end perfectly.

I liked the different types of characters. Each with different personalities. Although I found myself getting frustrated Justine, I wanted her to be stronger with her ex.

It was a very cleverly written storyline and it all fell into place really nicely.

An enjoyable thriller!

Thank you NetGalley and Oldcastle books for the opportunity to read this book.

While at their summer house with their three daughters a family are devastated when their youngest child Emily goes missing.
Many years later Lucy the middle daughter who is now an old woman, still lives at the summer house and tells the story of that summer of 1935 when she lost her sister.
When Lucy dies she leaves the house to her grand niece Justine who moves into the house with her two young daughters.
A slow moving story that jumps between two different narrators and timelines.
Thank you to NetGalley and Oldcastle Books for my e-copy in exchange for a honest review.

I really liked this. Reminded me a bit of Virginia Andrews. A great story and kept me guessing until the end.

3.5 stars but will round up to 4 when posted on Goodreads closer to publication date (link to review will be added when date nears). This was a solid mystery thriller, it had an amazingly atmospheric environment and I really felt pulled in to the story. The use of two POV’s and time periods added to the intrigue and helped move the story along.

Thank you to NetGalley and Verve Books for giving me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A stunning novel Absolutely gripping. I couldn’t put this down. It’s packed full of secrets, revelations, twists and turns is a compelling read. If you like a good page turner then this ones for you!

Family, love and loyalty run deeps throughout this book. How much are we affected by our upbringing and our parents? How do our childhood experiences affect the path our adult lives follow? These are questions you will ask yourself once you have read this book. The Lost Girls is a heart-warming story that will bring a tear to your eye. By the end of the book, I was reminded how much I can be thankful for.
The depicts the story from two points of view; Justine in the present day who inherits a lake house from her aunt, and Lucy, an old lady reaching the end of her days and writing her family story in the form of a very long letter to Justine. Lucy last saw Justine when Justine was only nine years old.
Young uses these two women, related yet rather unknown to each other, to tell an extremely sad story that’s filled with love, loyalty and commitment between two very different sisters.
This book’s blurb appealed to me even if it is a little different to my normal genre of choice. Having grown up with brothers myself, I was quickly intrigued by these sisters and the relationship they shared. Each page left me amazed and I found myself dragged deep into the world of the Evans family, never a hundred percent certain where the story was headed.
There are a lot of amazing characters in this book – I find it very hard to pick a favourite.
Little Emily and her need for a relationship with her older sisters simply stole my heart, this little girl managed to stay with me even after finishing the book. She reminded me just a little bit of one of my daughters. Then there was Melanie, this troubled young girl had a lot going on. It’s not revealed immediately, but you just know there is more there. The author did a marvellous job with this young girl.
The Lost Girls is one of my few five-star reads so far this year and it easily sailed onto my Loved List for 2021. This story is deeply moving. Yep, no doubt about it – I Loved this book!

Women’s Fiction and Mystery fans will find this book very hard to put down. This is one of those stories that stays with you long after you have read the last page, regularly drifting back into your mind even after you have reached for your next read.
The Lost Girls is a brilliant story, told in a way that slowly reveals a family history filled with secrets you would never have foreseen. Heather Young created an amazingly moving story that you will find impossible to walk away from. This is a book you will want to share with your friends. Loved it!

In this dual timeline story we meet Justine and her two daughters, Melanie and Angela. In the past we have Lucy and her sisters, Lilith and Emily. In the present day, Justine escapes an uncomfortable relationship when she suddenly inherits her great Aunt’s house on the other side of the country. In the past, we learn why Lucy has remained there all these years and finally solve the mystery of what happened to Emily all those years ago...

I really enjoyed this book. I like dual narrative/timeline stories and I like family mysteries so this hit the mark completely. The characters were well written and realistic and I enjoyed both past and present storylines immensely. I could see where the past storyline was going, but it didn’t detract from my enjoyment. It’s a well written and paced book and I’m sure it will do well! Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.

Beautifully written dual narrative that switches between the life of single mother Justine and her two daughters, and her great aunt, Lucy, reflecting on a hot, tumultuous summer in the 1930s in which her life and the lives of her family would change forever. I found this book utterly readable and compelling, with enough intrigue to keep me reading until the final page. Beautiful, evocative, poignant and moving, this story of mothers and sisters and the loss of innocence is well worth a read.

a wonderfully written family story told from different generations with a disappearance at the core. Women voices dominate the story from young girls at odd with their surroundings, to a mother finding freedom in daring being single, to sisters bound by secrets. The author keeps you hooked, makes you care about those women and in passing drop a revelation which spins your understanding of one of the story on its head. I really enjoyed this book.