Reviews with content warning for Rape - The Lamplighters

I picked up the book as I have an interest in the Flannan Isle Lighthouse mystery. I felt satisfied with the way in which the book dealt with the mystery of three missing lighthouse keepers and I thoroughly enjoyed the resolution of the mystery.

With the nature of the book being a mystery, I found that it was occassionally difficult to keep up with the events to which the characters were alluding that were only revealed later on in the story. Now having read the book, I feel I could go back and better understand a lot of it if I were to reread it, however I don't believe I would gain much more enjoyment from it.

On a personal note, I did not enjoy reading many of Jenny and Michelle's passages, however I do not see this as a fault of the book itself and instead as a result of my own personal tastes. I thought they were interesting characters, but I found their passages dragged on.

I think having numerous narrators made it difficult to really engage with some of the storylines, as some of the passages lacked some detail that would have fleshed out the story more.

After finishing the book, I was a bit confused by one element.

The incorporation of the ghosts slightly confused me, as I felt they were a bit out of place. I understood the inclusion of Arthur's son's ghost towards the end, but I remain confused as to who the ghost that Bill saw when he was younger was supposed to be? I know he was the ghost that later appeared in the lighthouse, but that still lacks meaning to me. I would have understood it more if the ghost was meant to be Bill's father or someone else with a connection to the trio, but otherwise I felt it was out of place. I absolutely recognise that this is my own lack of understanding, but I would have appreciated more clarification. Perhaps there is something I am missing, which I am open to hearing about.

Nonetheless, I think it is an interesting story and I would definitely recommend this book for those who enjoy a good mystery with supernatural elements.

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leahhateshardbacks's review

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dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

4.5

Oof I feel very tight knocking a 0.5 off from this but I promise I have my reasons...
•••
This was a brilliant book. Considering I was desperate for something to listen to one day and this was the first reasonably interesting thing I found available to check out on BorrowBox, this was much better than I expected. Firstly, it's a good story. One day in the 1970s on a lighthouse rock off the coast of Cornwall, 3 lighthouse keepers miraculously disappeared. 20 years later we are following the men's wives, demonstrating the ripple effect of displaced grief and unknowing. Splitting the narrative between a present 1990s and a scene-of-the-crime 1970s, this story unwound perfectly. It's really about the characters. The way they deal with every day life, the way they interact with one another, what they want versus what they have, and what grudges they hold - against others but also themselves. I thought the character voices were so distinct and recognisable (and the audiobook narrating was superb... damn) and everyone had such dynamic and realist personalities... you were scared of or sceptical about or disappointed in them, but you also felt so deeply about them and could understand their decisions. Up until the last I'd say 30 pages of the book this was a 5* - so what's up with knocking off that sliver?
•••

Well, the history of Tommy isn't introduced to us until right at the end of the story. It's no surprise, really, as it is Arthur's grief for Tommy that is the catalyst for what happened that fateful day on the Maiden Rock, so perhaps the author thought that if the Tommy storyline was introduced earlier the readers wouldn't have stuck around to figure out the mystery? It totally made sense for Helen and Arthur to have this big unspeakable thing between them but because the actual reason for this was introduced so late in the book it felt a bit like a cheap aha! moment. I also didn't like the fact that it was supernatural as opposed to something that was just affecting Arthur psychologically, which would've made much more sense for the book's themes - a mental, private, internal haunting... not a physical haunting.

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rach22's review against another edition

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mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.75

Enjoyable read.
I enjoyed getting to see the story and the lives from every characters’ point of view. Well written.
I did not expect that ending.
I felt that it started to drag a wee bit near the end and then unravelled very quickly. Good setting, interesting take but I also did not completely understand the end. Sort of random but enjoyable read. Quite dark at times. Lighthouse was interesting. Bit depressing at times.

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frietje9's review

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emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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questingnotcoasting's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad medium-paced

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

3.5

I was mainly drawn to this book because of the cover but luckily the plot also sounded intriguing. I often enjoy a dual timeline and I thought it worked well here as a way of gradually revealing details from the past. I enjoyed the atmospheric setting and there's some beautifully descriptive writing. So there were definitely some elements I really loved but there was also something holding me back from being fully invested which I can't put my finger on. Also a problem I often have with mystery books is finding the ending a little disappointing compared to what I've built up in my head. I did like the ending but I think I was just expecting a little more.

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theunfinishedbookshelf's review

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

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alyx_d's review against another edition

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dark hopeful mysterious sad medium-paced

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

3.75

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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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