Reviews with content warning for Child abuse - The Lamplighters

The mystery of it all was what pulled me through to the end, but overall it was just...fine.
The way it was written made me feel so disconnected from the characters, especially the supposed reporter who was investigating it in the 90s. I almost wish one of the wives had begun looking into it again or something to make it more impactful. Plus, there were so many vague thread points that were never tied up (e.g.

the briefcase, the childlike ghost on The Maiden, the Silver Man etc.

). I'm all for open-ended mysteries, but this felt like the author was being purposefully coy and it frustrated me. If more time was spent actually revealing and exploring the characters secrets/pasts (like

Vince's past and why he was afraid certain people were after him. This was only told in a short chapter towards the end and didn't add much to his character.

), instead of only hinting at them, I might have gotten more out of it.

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becca9849's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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katiewhocanread's review

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adventurous dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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maryy19's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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lucylou's review

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dark mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

An interesting story, but doesn't live up to the hype. The first chapter starts off very slow, but it ends with a bang: where did the 3 light keepers go? The first 2/3s of the book, I did my best detective impersonation, trying to put possible pieces together through linking bits of the alternating stories of the past (the light keepers, 3 men) and present (the women they left behind) together, which was fun to do.

As an American, some of the chapters were hards to read, as trying to decipher some of the thick English accents were harder than I anticipated, but those parts don't last long. The style does take some time getting used to, as most of the the "present" portions read like interviews, with little emotion. It made it harder to understand and care for the women. There were moments I felt sad for them, and the things they went through, but I never connected with them. Not that I connected to the men that much more, but at least I understood their motivations, their hates/morals/desires, more. The women seemed flatter in comparison; boiled down, they were just one-dimensional, grief and guilt stricken partners. We get a glimpse into what their worlds are like after 20 years without their partners, but the author barely scratches the surface of "oh, I wish my husband/boyfriend was still alive."

Overall, it was a fine book to read over the course of 2 days. The reveal of what happened was a quick 3 page explanation, which was... fine. I think the author was trying to be subversive, by going with an explanation that no one in the book had guessed. I'm glad

Bill got what he deserved, and I guess the ending made sense- there is no way for the characters to know what actually happened.

I think the author ended the book in the best way she could, but it still left me unsatisfied.

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