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gorgonine's review against another edition
5.0
1. This book features a young schrodinger's widow (her husband has been missing in action for three years), a family with unpleasant and murderous secrets, creepy ghostly goings-on, injured soldiers dealing with ptsd-ish, and people coming back from the dead with a hellhound(ish) in tow. Suffice to say, it was something of a wild ride.
2. Simone St.James, from what I've read of her so far, writes ghost-based mystery stories with a strong romantic element. I've noticed that every successive book she writes integrates the two elements better than the one before it, and Lost Among the Living has been the best so far.
3. The horror mystery's been somewhat toned down in favour of the romance. There are still plenty of creepy ghost scenes, but Jo's romance with Alex takes up much more of the plot. St. James is till clinging on to the true love at first sight trope, and it actually works here because
4. The murder mystery was pretty predictable, but it was creepy and ended with a lot of drama so eh. I'll take it. It's not like I read books for their unpredictability, anyway.
5. I would also like to express my absolute appreciation for Dottie as a character. I have not yet tired of difficult middle-aged women who like to arrange everyone's life. Dottie's secret tests of character and her absolute fury at makes me happy.
6. I am very very glad that
7. Jo
8. So. Overall, a very fast-paced read that kept me hooked from start to end. I doubt I'll revisit it int he future, but I was very fond of all the characters and the story when I was actually in it. St.James is definitely leveling up on her writing.
2. Simone St.James, from what I've read of her so far, writes ghost-based mystery stories with a strong romantic element. I've noticed that every successive book she writes integrates the two elements better than the one before it, and Lost Among the Living has been the best so far.
3. The horror mystery's been somewhat toned down in favour of the romance. There are still plenty of creepy ghost scenes, but Jo's romance with Alex takes up much more of the plot. St. James is till clinging on to the true love at first sight trope, and it actually works here because
Spoiler
the story is more about estranged lovers coming together again, and there's enough emotional baggage in there to fuel an actual romance arc. I think it's possible this book might have benefited from being longer, because while it was a solid arc, I'm not sure how convincing the Alex-Jo story was. But I presume I'd have complained about it being too long if that had been the case. I'm hard to please.4. The murder mystery was pretty predictable, but it was creepy and ended with a lot of drama so eh. I'll take it. It's not like I read books for their unpredictability, anyway.
5. I would also like to express my absolute appreciation for Dottie as a character. I have not yet tired of difficult middle-aged women who like to arrange everyone's life. Dottie's secret tests of character and her absolute fury at
Spoiler
bad things happening to her kids6. I am very very glad that
Spoiler
Martin had a happy ending I was honestly more worried for him than the entire rest of the cast.7. Jo
Spoiler
and Alex were an interesting couple. Alex suffers a little from being an incredibly hyper-competent good at everything kinda person, but the fact that he absolutely loses his head after meeting Jo kinda helps to muffle that a little. Romance turning anyone's life upside down is not usually my favorite trope, but it's fairly entertaining in this book so I have to give it that. Also, all of Alex's efforts to get out of his fully deserved doghouse were hilarious, and I am disappointed that Jo didn't try to physically strangle him but boy did she go all-out with the verbal brushoffs.8. So. Overall, a very fast-paced read that kept me hooked from start to end. I doubt I'll revisit it int he future, but I was very fond of all the characters and the story when I was actually in it. St.James is definitely leveling up on her writing.
allison_ck's review against another edition
4.0
Part ghost story, part historical mystery, a great look at England after WW1, and very creepy! I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to checking out more by this author.
turtlewexler's review against another edition
2.0
This was fine, but not my favorite of St. James's gothics. The character development, such as it was, was disappointing to me, and one character that was supposedly heroic left me very cold.
kellyj2025's review against another edition
5.0
The only thing bad about this book is that I’ve finally finished the last book in my Simone St. James catalog.
Spooky, dramatic, and a lil bit sexy. Ghosts, tall men, and great build up. What more could you ask for!?!?
Spooky, dramatic, and a lil bit sexy. Ghosts, tall men, and great build up. What more could you ask for!?!?
checkedoutbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Set in post-WWI England in a manor house with a ghost of a girl who died under mysterious circumstances. I enjoyed the story/mystery itself but the paranormal was a bit more background than I wanted and less creepy. Still will read anything Simone St. James writes though.
u2fan1977's review against another edition
3.0
This book was pretty predictable, and St. James' other books are so much better than this one.
whimsically_roberta's review against another edition
5.0
Simone St.James can do no wrong, as far as I'm concerned. I've now read everything currently published, and I can't wait for more. I listened to this on audio, and the narrator was fantastic.
lesleyb's review against another edition
4.0
LOST AMONG THE LIVING is another one of those well done books about the aftermath of WWI. It is hard to classify this book as it has elements of the supernatural, romance, mystery and intrigue. Joanna "Jo" is just one of a host of characters who is truly lost among the living. her husband Alex is MIA and as such she cannot receive a window's pension or remarry. She is forced to take a job as paid companion to Alex's aunt Dottie, who has lost a mad daughter to suicide and her son to morphine and pain due to his war injuries. When staying at the family's country estate, Jo realizes that all is not as it seems in this idyllic spot. When things can't seem to get much worse, a character reappears who had been presumed dead. Then other assumptions of events and motives get called into question and the monstrosities of human emotion play out in rapid succession. This story does well with some elements and others one must suspend skepticism to believe. All in all a well-paced read and one that drew this reader in and kept her turning the pages.
Reviewed as part of Penguin's First-to-Read program.
Reviewed as part of Penguin's First-to-Read program.