First time I've read any books by Carol so I did not really know what to expect.
Book was well written - Recommended.

Not at all what I expected, when I picked up this book but, The Lost Girl kept this girl happily lost in the disparate worlds of both Kurtiz and Marguerite – two women from two different eras who both lived full and interesting lives.
Expertly written by Carol Drinkwater, The Lost Girl is an excellent read, which I can highly recommend.
See full review at: http://wtdn.traceyedges.co.uk/#post12

A harrowing read following recent terrorist attacks in Paris.
There is a reported sighting of Kurtiz' daughter in Paris and she hopes to find her- but terrorism rears it's ugly head causing paralysing fear in the Capital . She is offered help by a stranger - Marguerite . She is finally allowed to hope.
We follow events in modern times and Postwar Provence through Marguerties accounts.
I found this very different in style to previous books I've read by Carol Drinkwater.

The Lost Girl by Carol Drinkwater follows the lives of a few people that from their past upto the present day. There are flashbacks from the 2nd world war and back to a horrific bombing and shooting in France which interlinks the characters in the book.
It is a moving and powerful book and one you will not want to put down.

There really is a lot going on in The Lost Girl, flipping as it does between post-war France, and several modern time periods, most notably the night of horrific terrorist attacks in Paris in 2015. Making sense of everything that is going on takes concentration, but it is well worth taking the time.

I did wonder initially whether setting a novel amongst a horrific event that is so fresh in the memory was a wise idea, but the scenes set during that terrible night are sensitively and written and feature just enough to give us a plot hook, without dwelling or sensationalising, for which Carol Drinkwater must be commended.

As a fan of historical novels, I felt more drawn to the post-war sections of the novel, but this is mainly because the relationship between Marguerite and Charlie is really lovely, even from humble, platonic beginnings, they are a sweet couple and the scenes of their married years are heart-warming.

I’ve never visited the Cote D’Azur, but the passages depicting this area of France, and that of the region around Grasse were beautifully descriptive, even down to the smells of the place and the warmth of the sun – there is a passage where Marguerite has been hanging around a movie studio in the hot sun all day and after her long journey home you can almost see her disheveled and with feet swollen inside her sandals. I know that a sweaty woman is probably not the best example of descriptive writing, but this particular section struck a chord with me!

Although I thought the story of this book was good and, on the whole, the characters were relatable, I did have one small niggle with it, and that was the author’s wording in some sections. I have no problem with challenging reads but I felt that sometimes some really complicated words were used when other, more straightforward, language would’ve done the job. For instance, at one point the word ‘gallimaufry’ was used and, while I like to think of myself as having a wide vocabulary, I have never heard it before and had to look it up. This in itself is not a bad thing, but it took me out of what was, otherwise, an excellent book.

This is a moving, sensitively written and emotionally affecting n0vel from Carol Drinkwater set in Paris and post-war Provence. The narrative blends fact and fiction, including storylines from the past and the present, focusing on the theme of The Lost Girl that come to connect together beautifully. Kurtiz Ross, a famous war photographer, lost her daughter, Lizzie, who disappeared four years ago. Her life fell apart, she is estranged from Oliver, her husband, trapped in a cycle of self blame and now a sighting of Lizzie in Paris propels her and Oliver to the French city. It is November 2015, the parents have to confront the horrors of the Bataclan multiple terror attacks in Paris, a city swamped by the repercussions with panic, anxiety, fear overflowing amidst the tragedy of loss and grief that unfolds. Oliver goes off to try and find Lizzie amidst the concert going crowd whilst Kurtiz waits, her fears magnifying in the nightmares of that night.

Kurtiz happens to encounter the kindness and compassion of an elderly former actress, Marguerite, the two women connect as Marguerite's heartrending memories of post war Provence, the love between her and Charlie, and the secrets between them. The people at the concert are taken hostage. What is captured is the spirit of humanity, the sense of community as people show amazing courage in their support of each other, a testimony to all that is the best of Paris, a city facing hearbreaking outrages. In a tale that incorporates unexpected twists, there is suspense and tension as we wait with bated breath to see what happens and Kurtiz is forced to confront her past. This is an atmospheric, well written and compelling book that outlines how global issues affect ordinary peoples' lives and the ordeals faced by parents on the worst of nights. The story is enhanced with the connections to the past revealed by Marguerite. A fantastic read that I recommend highly. Many thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph.

This is a story of Kurtisz whose teenage daughter left home and could not be traced causing her marriage to end. Marguerite an aging French actress who lived in Paris during the terrorist attacks in 2015 . When Kurtisz and Marguerite met one evening in a Bistro in Paris neither realised how the threads of their lives would come together.. Loved this book which made me understand how the people of Paris felt after the night of the Bataclan attacks and killings.

An eye opener of a book, a reminder of the 2015 terror attackin Paris. A disturbing at times book but one I could not put down.

Very moving story that brings together the past and the present in a clever way flowing the Bataclan tragedy. I enjoyed both parts of the story and as usual Carol Drinkwater keeps the reader on the edge of their seat as they wonder where the story is heading. Never conventional - I really liked the ending as it wasn't contrived even though it is poignant. Wonderfully atmospheric from the scents of the Mediterranean to the cafes of modern Paris - an excellent read.

I really enjoyed this book. The story is set in different time frames. Kurtiz's daughter has been missing for 4 years and she and her husband now have some evidence that she may be in Paris. They are hoping that she will attend a concert by her favourite rock band at the Bataclan, so Kurtiz is waiting while her husband attends the concert. In the meantime she strikes up a conversation with an elderly lady, Margeurite. As the events of that terrible night of the Paris atrocities unfolds, Margeurite tells the story of her life as a budding actress just after the war and her relationship with Charlie, her English husband.
I really liked the characters and the style of writing. I thoroughly recommend this book - thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.

Very topical , chilling but an old fashioned love story regardless. Lots of twists that keep you reading. A perfect holiday read.

Kurtiz is in Paris on the night of the Bataclan attacks in November 2015. She is getting increasingly desperate, not knowing if her husband had found their daughter at the concert and whether they were both safe. The subject matter is a little upsetting at times, it’s a recent event and there have been numerous terrorist attacks since that dreadful night. But the flashbacks to Marguerite and Charlie’s life were welcome respite.
It was Marguerite’s story I preferred. I enjoyed reading about her desire to be an actress and the development of her relationship with Charlie. She was a character I wasn’t keen on at first. She seemed a little self- obsessed but by the end of the novel she was my favourite character. I would love to read more about her life in future novels.
The desperation felt by Kurtiz was convincing, not being able to get answers regarding her family’s safety. The things that she witnessed combined with the images I remember from the news at the time were all realistic. As convincing was how hard the emergency services found the situation in which they had been placed. Needing to treat the injured, yet keep worried family members away from the scene.
Some of the novel I felt a little unconvinced by, but this was a novel I enjoyed reading.
With thanks to the publisher for the copy received and the opportunity to take part in the blog tour.

Another tour de force from Carol Drinkwater. I loved her first novel and the same is true of this one. The fact that 2 key events in recent history (WW2 & the Bataclan siege)) are included in different threads of the narrative added to the settings. Marguerite is a wonderfully naive character to start with, whilst Kurtiz is much more on the ball and in charge of her life. The women are definitely the stronger characters. A great read.

The lost girl by carol drinkwater.
Lizzie, the only daughter of celebrated war photographer Kurtiz Ross and her ex-husband Oliver, went missing four years ago. Arriving in Paris following an unconfirmed sighting, Oliver rushes to find her while Kurtiz waits, praying for a reunion. Neither could ever have imagined that by the end of the night the city will have been torn apart by terror - and that their daughter may be among the dead.
As sirens wail and news rolls in, Kurtiz finds comfort in Marguerite Courtenay - a glamorous former actress with her own sad past. As Marguerite distracts Kurtiz with stories of her life in post-war Provence, and begins to reveal secrets of her own, Kurtiz must confront her own ghosts and face up to home truths - truths which lead her back into her own past and Marguerite's.
This was a absolutely fantastic read with brilliant characters. I was hooked. I loved kurtiz. She was my favourite character. She wouldn't give up. 5*. Netgalley and penguin books- Michael Joseph.

Kurtiz Ross is full of guilt. Her daughter has been missing for over four years. She had begged her mother not to go away on a location shoot in her job as a photographer. Next thing was that her estranged husband, once famous TV actor Oliver, was on the phone, drunk and distraught. Their treasured daughter had disappeared. Despite exhaustive searches she had never been found. Then one day a friend reveals that he has photographs of Lizzie in Paris. Oliver and Kurtiz are energised and arrange to travel separately to Paris to try to find Lizzie. They are desperate for a reunion and to try to re-establish relationships with her.

Oliver believes that his best chance of seeing Lizzie is attending a rock concert of their favourite group at the Bataclan. Kurtiz reluctantly agrees to wait until Oliver has established contact – they do not want to overwhelm Lizzie and for her to take flight. While she is awaiting news from Oliver she strikes up a conversation with an octogenarian ex-actress called Marguerite Courtenay at a roadside café. The friendship struck up that fateful night will become close, enduring and full of surprises. It is the night Paris was attacked on many fronts by raging terrorists. The City of Light is brought to a baleful darkness; sadness, death and horrific acts of violence causing the city to grind to a halt with anxious relatives searching for their missing loved ones and the roads gridlocked.

‘The Lost Girl’ is part the story of the heartrending search for Lizzie and running alongside this story is the story of a missing British soldier; a deserter from the war, hiding himself with a new identity, desperate to avoid detection and also desperate to build a family of his own whilst living a respectable and worthwhile life in the south of France. This is the story retold by the new friend made by Kurtiz on the night of the terrorist attack in Paris. Both are stories of love; parental love and marital love, and when these two stories merge towards the end of the story, so the ending becomes apparent, inevitable and really satisfying. Each story is absorbing, full blooded and full of mystery. The characters are well crafted and believable and the storytelling vivid and very readable. I found the first part of the novel quite slow moving but it soon became tense, exciting and hard to resist. I was irritated by there being loads of spelling errors but hopefully this will be corrected by the time of going to print.

I would like to thank NetGalley and publisher Penguin for my copy of this novel, sent to me in return for an honest review. I enjoyed reading this novel and was charmed by the two stories and how they were cleverly interwoven. It’s a 3.5* review from me.

I loved this book,it's about 1930s and 2015 that works very very well together very good read but sad as well,I enjoyed it,it left me thinking.

A touching novel about parents searching for their daughter and all the fear and hope they go through.

I had to shout my partner through for a cuddle once I finished reading 'The Lost Girl' by Carol Drinkwater because it turned me into an emotional wreck.

'The Lost girl' is set in 2 different Eras with the most recent taking place during the Paris terrorist attacks. Kurtiz is waiting in a near by bar for her daughter Lizzie and estranged husband Oliver to leave the rock concert at the Bataclan. As we all know now, unfortunately, everybody did not leave that concert alive and many who did were severely injured. Drinkwater paints as realistic an image as somebody can who wasn't there experiencing the horrifying events in person, but what she does even better is tells a beautiful story about the coming together of people and humanity after such an abominable situation.

The main thing I took away from this novel is that a victim of a terrorist attack isn't just a victim. They have people who love them and a lifetime of memories and stories to tell. The characters lives were not based on real life victims but the way the story is written I really felt like they were and grieved for the loss of their lives and for their family and friends left behind.

Yes this book is a hard read at time as it is based on so many real life subjects such as war and terror but I can't emphasise enough how beautiful a story it is also. Charlie and Marguerite's love for one another is one of the most beautiful but authentic things I have ever read. As well as being a heart wrenching and heartwarming story there are also so many twists and turns and questions that don't get answered until the very end. This story had everything for me and it was so refreshing to see an author not shying away from a topic like terror.

This would be a 5 star book for me if it wasn't for the misspelling and incorrect use of a lot of words which to begin with I found very distracting.

Finally I want to say RIP to all the victims of terror in all countries throughout the world. What a shame it is to have such a beautiful world spoiled by hate and war. Thank you to netgalley for a free E-copy of 'The Lost Girl' in return for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book which is set in different time periods with interlinked stories. It is a book about love, hope and determination. I didn't find the book amazing but it was quite heartwarming and worth a read

By the time I was  about half way or even more through this story, I was thinking it wasn't for me, despite holding Paris close to my heart and despite being in the Bastille area a few months before those terrible atrocities took place. In parts this novel is  grittier than I like, but the need to know if Kurtiz finds Lizzie propelled me forward,  and though I became irritated at the rather frequent interjections of the past, with their various timelines, I still wanted to know.

The author writes with passion and the terrible acts which are the backdrop to this story are depicted with sensitivity without detracting from the horror. 

I wasn't going to finish it, but I found I had to, and I enjoyed the wrapping up, the conclusion fitting and right, lifting the story and ensuring the message was one of hope for the future, rather than despair for the past.