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A review by littlebirdbooks
The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex
4.0
Firstly, huge thanks to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for providing me a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.
The Lamplighters begins in Cornwall, 1972 on the night where three lighthouse keepers go missing. Twenty years later none of the mysteries have been solved, why did the Principal Keepers log show a storm yet the skies were clear that night? Why was the door locked from the inside? Where did the men go? In 1992 the women they left behind are beginning to reconnect when a writer approaches them wanting to hear their stories. For the first time in twenty years, will the truth of that fateful night finally come to light…?
In this novel we get to know Helen, Jenny and Michelle as well as their men, Arthur, Bill and Vince who disappeared twenty years ago. I loved the way that this novel would alternate between the men of the past and the women of the present. Each character is incredibly complex with a lot to uncover as the novel continues. By having the alternating narratives the reader is simultaneously in a positron where they know more than some of the characters, but also filled with even more questions from gaining that information. I also really tried how different the characters were to each over even though they all have similar experiences.
In particular I really liked Helen and Vince, two very different characters. Helen. is Arthur’s wife who is very headstrong and independent. I liked how much of a realist she was, yet she had a really interesting view of the lighthouse tower. Vince was very different from the other men in the lighthouse. He is very new to the job therefore he had a very different perspective compared to the other two who were much more subdued. Although, I did still enjoy Bill’s cynicism and how Arthur felt relief when he was there.
The alternating perspectives that tell this story do an excellent job of building tension and suspense which kept the hooked and unable to put the book down. Not only does Stonex alternate perspectives but she also changes the style of narrative too, as well as the letters and articles I especially loved how the interview scenes were written. I thought by addressing the readers as if they are the author writing about this mysterious and tragic event, was a very clever and engaging way of avoiding what could be just endless dialogue.
Overall, I really enjoyed this novel and can totally understand all the hype surrounding this novel, it is a great mystery that will keep you guessing. If you haven’t proved this novel up yet, what are you waiting for? This should definitely be your next read.
The Lamplighters begins in Cornwall, 1972 on the night where three lighthouse keepers go missing. Twenty years later none of the mysteries have been solved, why did the Principal Keepers log show a storm yet the skies were clear that night? Why was the door locked from the inside? Where did the men go? In 1992 the women they left behind are beginning to reconnect when a writer approaches them wanting to hear their stories. For the first time in twenty years, will the truth of that fateful night finally come to light…?
In this novel we get to know Helen, Jenny and Michelle as well as their men, Arthur, Bill and Vince who disappeared twenty years ago. I loved the way that this novel would alternate between the men of the past and the women of the present. Each character is incredibly complex with a lot to uncover as the novel continues. By having the alternating narratives the reader is simultaneously in a positron where they know more than some of the characters, but also filled with even more questions from gaining that information. I also really tried how different the characters were to each over even though they all have similar experiences.
In particular I really liked Helen and Vince, two very different characters. Helen. is Arthur’s wife who is very headstrong and independent. I liked how much of a realist she was, yet she had a really interesting view of the lighthouse tower. Vince was very different from the other men in the lighthouse. He is very new to the job therefore he had a very different perspective compared to the other two who were much more subdued. Although, I did still enjoy Bill’s cynicism and how Arthur felt relief when he was there.
The alternating perspectives that tell this story do an excellent job of building tension and suspense which kept the hooked and unable to put the book down. Not only does Stonex alternate perspectives but she also changes the style of narrative too, as well as the letters and articles I especially loved how the interview scenes were written. I thought by addressing the readers as if they are the author writing about this mysterious and tragic event, was a very clever and engaging way of avoiding what could be just endless dialogue.
Overall, I really enjoyed this novel and can totally understand all the hype surrounding this novel, it is a great mystery that will keep you guessing. If you haven’t proved this novel up yet, what are you waiting for? This should definitely be your next read.