It’s such a pleasure today to be helping launch the blog tour for the latest book from the wonderful Louise Douglas, The Lost Notebook, and to share my publication day review: published by Boldwood Books, it’s now available as an e-book (free via Kindle Unlimited), in paperback and as an audiobook. My thanks to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for the invitation and support, and to publishers Boldwood for my advance reading e-copy (provided via netgalley).
Over the last couple of weeks, it’s been a joy to feature some of the new-to-me authors I’ve discovered while reading Boldwood’s books – but it’s even more lovely to feature an author whose books have been delighting me for rather a long time. I’ve loved Louise’s books since her very first, The Love of my Life, way back in 2009 – and it entirely deserved its nomination for the RNA Romantic Novel of the Year Award. Her second, the heart-breaking Missing You, won the RNA Readers’ Choice Award: her third, The Secrets Between Us, a highly accomplished thriller and love story strongly reminiscent of Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca, was a 2012 Richard and Judy Summer Read. Then came In Her Shadow, followed by Your Beautiful Lies (you’ll find my review here): and next was The Secret By The Lake, at the time my favourite of them all (you can read my review again here).
A bit of a hiatus then, but I was overjoyed when she reappeared as a Boldwood author. The House by the Sea was published in February 2020 – winner of the RNA Jackie Collins Romantic Thriller award in 2021 (and one of my books of the year too – you’ll find my review here), beautifully written, an enthralling story, haunting in its every detail. And then came The Scarlet Dress, in February 2021 – a dual timeline story both stunning and compelling (review here) – followed in October 2021 by The Room in the Attic, a quite wonderful story with a strong gothic feel that immediately became my new favourite (and another review – you’ll find it here). So, another new book… eagerly anticipated, and I couldn’t wait to dive in…
A notebook full of secrets, two untimely deaths – something sinister is stirring in the perfect seaside town of Morranez…
It’s summer and holidaymakers are flocking to the idyllic Brittany coast. But when first an old traveller woman dies in suspicious circumstances, and then a campaign of hate seemingly drives another victim to take his own life, events take a very dark turn.
Mila Shepherd has come to France to look after her niece, Ani, following the accident in which both Ani’s parents were lost at sea. Mila has moved into their family holiday home, as well as taken her sister Sophie’s place in an agency which specialises in tracking down missing people, until new recruit Carter Jackson starts.
It’s clear that malevolent forces are at work in Morranez, but the local police are choosing to look the other way. Only Mila and Carter can uncover the truth about what’s really going on in this beautiful, but mysterious place before anyone else suffers. But someone is desperate to protect a terrible truth, at any cost…
Mila is ready to return home – to finish her novel, to pick up the relationship that’s proved difficult to sustain at long distance. She’s spent a year at the former family holiday home at Morranez in Brittany, having stepped in to care for her niece Ani after the death of her parents, Mila’s sister Sophie and husband Charlie, in a boating accident – and taken Sophie’s place as an investigator at their aunt’s missing persons agency.
But there are now plans for Ani, sometimes a difficult though very typical young teen, to go to boarding school in Switzerland – and a replacement (Carter – who turns out to be a former member of the “band sauvage” of their childhood) ready to take her place at the agency. But when an elderly traveller is found dead in her caravan, Mila is frustrated by the police’s absence of interest or concern, even when it becomes obvious that some of her treasured possessions are missing – and when a second body is found, at the nearby archaeological dig after a rather vicious hate campaign, she becomes convinced that the deaths are linked, and that there are more secrets to uncover and a far bigger mystery to solve.
That’s the simplified version – but this book really is so much more than that. Firstly, there’s the vividly drawn setting – the isolated beach house where they live, the coastline with its childhood memories and constant reminders of the discovery of her sister’s body, the dolmen among the cornfields and the nearby archaeological dig, the vibrant town with its mix of holiday visitors and tight-knit local community. And as the focus of Mila and Carter’s investigation widens, the story becomes increasingly layered and complex – quite fascinating, perfectly paced, and entirely gripping – with unexpected links to Eastern Europe and the atrocities of the past, and with a distinct edge of danger.
But it also succeeds in being a particularly engaging smaller scale story – the uneasy and difficult relationship between Mila and a grieving Ani, the echoes of her often complicated relationship with her sister Sophie and all the unresolved issues of their younger years, the appearance of Carter and the associated past memories. I very much liked the unusual inclusion of Sophie’s voice, clear and distinctive, offering her thoughts and often unwelcome advice – it works particularly well. And while Mila herself always draws the eye, the wider cast is also exceptionally well drawn – and the book’s ending was, I thought, particularly perfect.
The writing, as always, is quite wonderful – the pace and mounting tension of the murder mystery is beautifully balanced by the author’s particularly deft touch with the emotional content, making it a book you feel rather than simply read. Very highly recommended – I loved it.
About the author
Louise Douglas is the bestselling and brilliantly reviewed author of novels including The Love of my Life and Missing You – a RNA award winner. The Secrets Between Us was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick. She lives in the West Country. Louise’s first book for Boldwood, The House by the Sea was published in March 2020, and was the winner of the RNA Jackie Collins Romantic Thriller award.
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