Loved it!!! From the moment I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. Why was Gosia in Morannaz and what was her story? I was convinced it had something to do with the dig and that there was something illegal going on. When everything was finally revealed, I never expected it. I love a good mystery and this one fit right in, I even liked Ani who was surly most of the time and missed her parents tremendously. If you like a good story this is one I would recommend.

The Lost Notebook will draw you slowly but surely into the story of Mila and her resolve to find out who killed the Traveller Woman Gosia. I suspect we’ll hear that there’s a sequel in the works. Regardless, you’ll love this mystery set in the south of France and the unique cast of characters. I really struggled to get into this French mystery by Douglas. This is my second read by this author but I certainly did not connect with the narrative like I did previously. I also thought that the cover was quite misleading: it portrays a stormy, brooding narrative, despite the fact this takes place in the height of summer and there are lots of positive references to the warm weather. Definitely a 5 star book. Thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and Boldwood Books for providing me an opportunity to read and review the book.I wanted to love this one - sounded like it would be a mystery with a side plot of suspense and romance set in Brittany, France....yes please! In this mystery thriller, the unexpected death of a elderly traveller woman in the seaside town of Morranez sparks Mila Shepherd, a reluctant private detective, to begin an investigation. At almost no point did I as a reader feel like the plot was building towards something or get any sense of increasing tension or the stakes being raised. The plot seemed to just meander slowly ith no real point. Various seemingly disconnected plot points were raised but again, without ratcheting up the suspense, there was no build-up to the climax. I usually give a few sentences for the synopsis, just as a refresher for myself but in this instance there are so many layers to this book, that I couldn’t do it justice.

How was he captured later in Amsterdam? Doing this almost as an aside after he escaped on the boat felt a bit like cheating the reader. The next book, The Room in the Attic is due to be published in October 2021 and is a ghost story set in a Victorian asylum-turned-boarding school on Dartmoor. The characters are well rounded and believable, I liked the ‘voice’ of Sophie, who was Mila’s much treasured stepsister who had died in an accident and was in Mila’s head, she was the voice of reason on Mila’s shoulder. Although this starts a bit slowly and feels slightly disjointed this soon settles into a really compelling slow burner mystery that I thoroughly enjoy. There are several cleverly intertwined mysteries that become more and more intriguing the further into the book you get as it takes you in several unexpected directions. I would like to thank #LouiseDouglas, #Netgalley, #BoldwoodBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #TheLostNotebook in exchange for an honest review.Gosia’s ‘notebook’ goes missing when she is found dead. Her ‘work’ was in this book, work that she had been compiling since her son, Tomas, died. As with all Louise Douglas books this one draws you into the story. I found this a slower burn than her previous books but by the middle of the book I couldn't put it down. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of The Lost Notebook by Louise Douglas in return for my honest review. The story takes place in France on the idyllic Brittany coast. Mila has put her life in Bristol on hold after the sudden and tragic death of her sister Sophie and travels to France to take care of her fourteen year old niece Ani. It is only for the interim, until Ani is sent to boarding school the following year and then Mila can return to her life and to police boyfriend Luke. An intriguing story set in France where the main character is taking care of her orphaned niece with the help of her step mum. They befriend the elderly traveller lady who lives in her wagon in the woods not far from their property when one night there is a fire at her camp. The elderly lady is found dead in her wagon and her notebook with her life’s work is missing and hereby sets off a chain of events.

I don’t know how she does it but Douglas ties together things that one wouldn’t expect and readers just accept it and keep reading; an archaeological dig, teenage angst, French traditions, an orphaned child, a gypsy woman with a secret, a professor with questionable actions, a private investigator and a well-dressed woman with a mistaken identity. This was a very slow-burner of a mystery that I found I cared less and less about. I persevered because I wanted to see how Mila’s character would change and, when some action started to happen, was keen to understand the motives driving this. However, it was largely a struggle to read this book and I found it quite disappointing overall. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you NetGalley, Louise Douglas and Boldwood Books for hearing my honest review. Looking forward to reading more with you A notebook full of secrets, two untimely deaths – something sinister is stirring in the perfect seaside town of Morranez… However, I think it ended up being none of those things. For me, I think it boils down to the plot and pacing.My only question is of Charlie (Sophie’s husband who also died in the accident), there was not much said of him at all, considering he was part of the ‘group’. That said the story is not about him at all, so for entertainment I highly recommend this for a great escapism read. I found it interesting how Mila is haunted by her sister. Throughout the story, Mila “hears” Sophie’s responses in her head. Not only does this represent Mila’s raw grief, but also the isolation she feels. Reinforced by looking after Sophie’s daughter, I think it demonstrated how detached Mila had become to everyone around her – symbolised by how few friends she has and the suspicions she has of so many. Furthermore, I was saddened about how Mila treated her niece, particularly with regards to her future plans, and I think this added to my dislike of the protagonist. The Lost Notebook by Louise Douglas brings to you a lovely mystery fiction spanning a murder which took ages earlier. Each character has been crafted carefully. The plot sparks off right from the start. As a reader you can expect storyline which keeps you on your toes. Each and every character has a separate part to play. The only thing which disappoints is that you are going to feel Mila's character left hanging in the end. My favorite part would be the scene where Gosia's life is narrated. All the trauma and findings were very interesting. The Lost Notebook by Louise Douglas was a thriller that kept the reader in suspense until the end. Mila, the British aunt to Ani, takes responsibly to take care of her sister's daughter because both the parents were deceased due to a boating accident. Mila moves to French Morranez to assist in Sophie's business and to parent Ani temporarily. This book starts off as more of a slow-burn but the sense of intrigue and mystery helped me to stay interested. Once the clues had started coming together, I was gripped and couldn't put it down. The plot was interesting and well researched, and I liked the characters that took the story forward.