nazeerah's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture.
I am giving this book 3.5 stars.
This is a great book. It was very interesting. Detective Lucy is quite a quirky character and I found myself laughing at some of her antics.
This book had a good story line. Some of the descriptions were rather gory. That is my favourite kind of book though. I would have awarded it more stars, but just felt that the ending was a bit abrupt. I read a lot of these kind of books, so maybe I am just used to all the drama. Other than this though, it was a good read and I would most definitely recommend this book.
I hope there will be many more books in the series.
I am giving this book 3.5 stars.
This is a great book. It was very interesting. Detective Lucy is quite a quirky character and I found myself laughing at some of her antics.
This book had a good story line. Some of the descriptions were rather gory. That is my favourite kind of book though. I would have awarded it more stars, but just felt that the ending was a bit abrupt. I read a lot of these kind of books, so maybe I am just used to all the drama. Other than this though, it was a good read and I would most definitely recommend this book.
I hope there will be many more books in the series.
thegeekybibliophile's review against another edition
4.0
Back in April, I put my auto-approval with Bookouture to good use, and downloaded this on Netgalley... and it sat for months waiting for me to read it while I read other books instead. I finally opened it up last week, and just like that, I've found a new series and author to love!
In my opinion, some of the best books (regardless of genre and sub-genre) use an old, abandoned asylum as a backdrop for the action. You can't pick a creepier setting that than... your imagination sparks images of sorts of things that might have happened there before you even crack open the book. They give books an ambience that can't be achieved in other settings, and is used to particularly chilling effect in crime thrillers.
Helen Phifer puts all of this to use in The Lost Children, creating a story about a place—the Moore Asylum—whose past is as horrifying as the murder that takes place there decades after its closure. It's the first of several murders connected to the asylum, and it's up to Detective Inspector Lucy Harwin to figure out who the killer is and put an end to the bloodshed.
Lucy Harwin is fabulously flawed. Her relationship with her daughter is rocky, and she's a workaholic with a tendency to drink too much at times in order to forget the horrific things she sees on the job. She struggles with the guilt she feels over victims she was unable to save, holding herself responsible whether she is or not. The woman has issues, but she's tough as nails when it comes to her job, and fiercely protective of the people she loves.
There are occasional flashbacks to the mid-1970s, which are told through one of three point of view: children who were patients in the asylum, a doctor at the asylum, and a nurse who worked on Ward 13—the children's ward. It was fascinating to see the asylum through the eyes of people who worked, or were patients, there. The abandoned asylum of the present day is creepy, but what happened before the asylum closed is the stuff of nightmares.
I was able to figure out a couple of things before they were revealed in the story, but it didn't affect the rating I've chosen to give this book because there were a couple of things I didn't see coming that were fantastic and really added to the story.
I can't wait to read more about Lucy Harwin!
I received an advance review copy of this book courtesy of Bookouture via Netgalley.
In my opinion, some of the best books (regardless of genre and sub-genre) use an old, abandoned asylum as a backdrop for the action. You can't pick a creepier setting that than... your imagination sparks images of sorts of things that might have happened there before you even crack open the book. They give books an ambience that can't be achieved in other settings, and is used to particularly chilling effect in crime thrillers.
Helen Phifer puts all of this to use in The Lost Children, creating a story about a place—the Moore Asylum—whose past is as horrifying as the murder that takes place there decades after its closure. It's the first of several murders connected to the asylum, and it's up to Detective Inspector Lucy Harwin to figure out who the killer is and put an end to the bloodshed.
Lucy Harwin is fabulously flawed. Her relationship with her daughter is rocky, and she's a workaholic with a tendency to drink too much at times in order to forget the horrific things she sees on the job. She struggles with the guilt she feels over victims she was unable to save, holding herself responsible whether she is or not. The woman has issues, but she's tough as nails when it comes to her job, and fiercely protective of the people she loves.
There are occasional flashbacks to the mid-1970s, which are told through one of three point of view: children who were patients in the asylum, a doctor at the asylum, and a nurse who worked on Ward 13—the children's ward. It was fascinating to see the asylum through the eyes of people who worked, or were patients, there. The abandoned asylum of the present day is creepy, but what happened before the asylum closed is the stuff of nightmares.
I was able to figure out a couple of things before they were revealed in the story, but it didn't affect the rating I've chosen to give this book because there were a couple of things I didn't see coming that were fantastic and really added to the story.
I can't wait to read more about Lucy Harwin!
I received an advance review copy of this book courtesy of Bookouture via Netgalley.
nicoleanaisx's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
definitely a gripping serial killer thriller however i would’ve liked if there was more mystery about the killer as i pieced it together very quickly. i did like the plot and i might have to carry in with DI Harwin’s story.
dannih30's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
candles_and_books's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
izey's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
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? It's complicated
3.0
noseinabookagain's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic police procedural! An exciting storyline with plenty of twists and turns. Believable and likeable characters. The asylum flashbacks added a suspenseful atmosphere which intrigued me. Would definitely read more from this series.
noveldeelights's review against another edition
3.0
The Lost Children is the first book in a new police procedural series. We are introduced to Lucy and her colleagues which sets the tone for the next instalments.
The first chapter tells us of some of the children who were patients at the asylum in the seventies. One of the children disappears from the ward and nine year old Lizzy quickly realises what happened to him.
The case the detectives are working on starts out most intriguingly. When a body is found in the abandoned asylum, it doesn't take long for them to find a connection to the past. Can the killer be stopped before they strike again?
I must admit, I'm a little disappointed in this book. The blurb sounded right up my alley but it didn't deliver for me. I found it quite predictable, not helped by some chapters from the killer's point of view, which pretty much gave everything away.
Lucy seems to have some sort of sixth sense. She has all the ideas and solutions, making decisions without involving her boss. The answers sometimes just drop into her lap instead of being the result of hard-hitting investigative work. It's a little hard to explain but it just didn't work for me. There are a few other things that bothered me but I can't go into detail about those because that would involve revealing half the plot.
I also would have preferred to learn a lot more about the circumstances of the children back in the day. As it is, there are a few mentions of what life was like for them but nothing too profound or in-depth. Things happened that could have done with an explanation but that never came. Then along the way, the story started to focus more on Lucy's private life which completely threw me off. While I understand character development is important when setting up a new series, the asylum storyline had so much more potential that I feel was left unfulfilled.
Nevertheless, it's a quick read and there are worse ways to be spending an afternoon.
I would like to thank Bookouture and Netgalley for my advanced copy.
The first chapter tells us of some of the children who were patients at the asylum in the seventies. One of the children disappears from the ward and nine year old Lizzy quickly realises what happened to him.
The case the detectives are working on starts out most intriguingly. When a body is found in the abandoned asylum, it doesn't take long for them to find a connection to the past. Can the killer be stopped before they strike again?
I must admit, I'm a little disappointed in this book. The blurb sounded right up my alley but it didn't deliver for me. I found it quite predictable, not helped by some chapters from the killer's point of view, which pretty much gave everything away.
Lucy seems to have some sort of sixth sense. She has all the ideas and solutions, making decisions without involving her boss. The answers sometimes just drop into her lap instead of being the result of hard-hitting investigative work. It's a little hard to explain but it just didn't work for me. There are a few other things that bothered me but I can't go into detail about those because that would involve revealing half the plot.
I also would have preferred to learn a lot more about the circumstances of the children back in the day. As it is, there are a few mentions of what life was like for them but nothing too profound or in-depth. Things happened that could have done with an explanation but that never came. Then along the way, the story started to focus more on Lucy's private life which completely threw me off. While I understand character development is important when setting up a new series, the asylum storyline had so much more potential that I feel was left unfulfilled.
Nevertheless, it's a quick read and there are worse ways to be spending an afternoon.
I would like to thank Bookouture and Netgalley for my advanced copy.
lynnedf's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.
2.5 to 2.75 star read.
This book read like the script of a police television drama. It's fast paced, a little superficial, and the characters all seem to connect the dots really quickly. There's nothing wrong with that, except that, especially considering this is the first book in a series, I could have used a little more depth. I wish we'd learned more about Detective Inspector Lucy Harwin and her demons.
This book introduces us to Lucy Harwin and her partner Mattie (Matthew) Jackson as they try and solve a murder that happens in The Moore Asylum, a building that has been abandoned for decades. Told mostly from Lucy's perspective, but also tossing in alternating points of view, the team of detectives race to solve the case as the bodies start to pile up.
My issues with this book revolve around the fact that Lucy's gut seemed to connect the dots a little too quickly. Sometimes mysteries and thrillers need to be pruned/ be better edited because they have far too much detail or take too long to get to the point. In this case, I feel that everything was so rushed. Early on in the book we get flashes of the backstory (what happened in the Moore Asylum in the 1970s), and I wish that we would have gotten more of the backstory. Finally, by having the murderer provide a few chapters through their point of view, I was able to figure out who did it prior to the big reveal.
That said, I would give Lucy and her team another shot. I never felt like I was wasting my time reading this book, (it's a nice fast read) and it would be interesting to see how things develop between some of the characters (especially Lucy and Mattie, but also Lucy and Ellie, and Lucy and Steve).
2.5 to 2.75 star read.
This book read like the script of a police television drama. It's fast paced, a little superficial, and the characters all seem to connect the dots really quickly. There's nothing wrong with that, except that, especially considering this is the first book in a series, I could have used a little more depth. I wish we'd learned more about Detective Inspector Lucy Harwin and her demons.
This book introduces us to Lucy Harwin and her partner Mattie (Matthew) Jackson as they try and solve a murder that happens in The Moore Asylum, a building that has been abandoned for decades. Told mostly from Lucy's perspective, but also tossing in alternating points of view, the team of detectives race to solve the case as the bodies start to pile up.
My issues with this book revolve around the fact that Lucy's gut seemed to connect the dots a little too quickly. Sometimes mysteries and thrillers need to be pruned/ be better edited because they have far too much detail or take too long to get to the point. In this case, I feel that everything was so rushed. Early on in the book we get flashes of the backstory (what happened in the Moore Asylum in the 1970s), and I wish that we would have gotten more of the backstory. Finally, by having the murderer provide a few chapters through their point of view, I was able to figure out who did it prior to the big reveal.
That said, I would give Lucy and her team another shot. I never felt like I was wasting my time reading this book, (it's a nice fast read) and it would be interesting to see how things develop between some of the characters (especially Lucy and Mattie, but also Lucy and Ellie, and Lucy and Steve).
thebooktrail88's review against another edition
4.0
I don’t think I’ve ever been disappointed with a bookouture book yet - this is a strong thriller which although disturbing is another good one to put on your list.
There is something chilling about asylums and mental hospitals - thank goodness we don’t treat fellow human beings in this way anymore but the asylum here operated in the 1970s and introduces you to a world of horror and despair.
There’s always something worse about the ill treatment of children and this did make me screw my face up in disgust on more than one occasion - I admit to skipping a few paragraphs - but the writing was so vivid and strong that I had to keep going. The man found on the gurney, the intricate police work - this is a novel with layers.
The pacing really shone here as present day mixed with flashbacks - perfect for seeing the horrors of the past - you were often ahead of the police but then were you? The writing pulled and pushed me as a reader and seems very different to the police procedure style of reveals.
This is book one. When I’ve managed to settle my stomach, I will definitely be getting book two.
There is something chilling about asylums and mental hospitals - thank goodness we don’t treat fellow human beings in this way anymore but the asylum here operated in the 1970s and introduces you to a world of horror and despair.
There’s always something worse about the ill treatment of children and this did make me screw my face up in disgust on more than one occasion - I admit to skipping a few paragraphs - but the writing was so vivid and strong that I had to keep going. The man found on the gurney, the intricate police work - this is a novel with layers.
The pacing really shone here as present day mixed with flashbacks - perfect for seeing the horrors of the past - you were often ahead of the police but then were you? The writing pulled and pushed me as a reader and seems very different to the police procedure style of reveals.
This is book one. When I’ve managed to settle my stomach, I will definitely be getting book two.