A review by helenaramsay
The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

It is difficult to write an answer to a mystery that has fascinated people for decades, and though The Lamplighters is beautifully written with interesting shifts in perspective, it doesn't do that convincingly. There are several theories suggested about the vanished lightkeepers that could be as captivating as the mystery deserves with a dignity and consideration that matches some of the portraits of characters that emerge throughout. The answer could be revenge or madness or grief, or petulant jealousy and sheer dumb luck. As with a couple of other elements in the book, the mystery sort of fizzles out and leaves you wanting, but as it is beautifully written and because this is often the nature of great mysteries when they are unravelled, I couldn't be mad at it and still enjoyed many things a lot, most notably Arthur's story.
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