This was a really insightful book to read about the lives and loves of three men who worked on a lighthouse. They disappeared and this was about what happened. A writer wants to write about the truth...

The ending was not one that was expected.

I can’t say that I loved this book but I would highly recommend it. It kept me on the edge of my seat.

Three light-keepers mysteriously disappear from a remote lighthouse tower. 20 years later their disappearance remains as puzzling as ever, and all those involved sill struggle to come to terms with the aftermath. Through a series of interviews, recollections and snippets of what life must have been on one this towers, the story comes to life in its full glory. The reader is not only immersed in the potential story of a disappearance(this novel is a imagining of a real life story) but also gets to really know the characters: their thoughts, their feelings, their struggles both with having to spent time away from loved ones and then to forever be separated from them.

I really enjoyed how cleverly this patches were sewn together to create a gripping yet credible story. And despite being a slow burn narration, the result is very satisfying. Throughout reading this I wanted to rate it at 3.5*. My reasoning being that despite it was a nice story, I couldn't say it wowed me. But by the time I reached the end of it, I've decided it's rather a clever book and really deserves the extra half star.

I really did not connect with this, I am not even entirely sure what happened. I liked the premise but I found this too confusing and I did not have anything to engage with.

Thank you to Camilla Elworthy at Picador for sending me a copy of 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗔𝗠𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦 by Emma Stonex.
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𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗹, 𝟭𝟵𝟳𝟮. 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲, 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗲. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗱. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝗹 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗿'𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗼𝗴 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗺, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗻, 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿? 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘃𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗮 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀.
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I was immediately drawn to The Lamplighters from the synopsis, especially given that the story is inspired by real events - the unsolved disappearance of three lighthouse keepers from the Flannan Isles lighthouse in 1990.
Reading up on the true story that inspired Stonex's book gave me the creeps.
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𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀, 𝗜'𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼'𝗹𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻. 𝗜'𝘃𝗲 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲: 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗴𝗼 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺?
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The Lamplighters is one of the most atmospheric novels I've read. Stonex's descriptions and scene setting are fantastic.
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𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀. 𝗡𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵, 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻. 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗯𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗲𝘀 ... 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗜 𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝘂𝗽 𝗮 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 ... 𝗜 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁. 𝗜𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗶𝗿, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀.
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Stonex manages to capture the romantic nature of lighthouses, but also their alienness. I love the personification of The Maiden, and it's looming presence in all the characters' lives, both before and after the keepers disappear.
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𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗵𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘄 𝗳𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁. 𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗜 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗜 𝘀𝗮𝘄 𝗵𝗲𝗿, 𝗜'𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀, 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗽 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗮. 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗿, 𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗶𝗺, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗹𝘁.
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I did find the depiction of life on The Maiden itself very eerie. I have a fear of the sea - thalassophobia - so deep water does freak me out quite a bit!
I know a lot of people have ideas of lighthouses being charming, and when they are depicted on Summer postcards I can completely understand this impression.
However, the reality of life for the keepers working the lighthouses in the past must have been incredibly challenging and quite dangerous. Not to mention what that kind of isolation does to a person - especially to men who were taught to be masculine and not talk about how they felt.
For the lighthouse keepers, loneliness and solitude was a way of life.
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𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀: 𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘁. 𝗜𝗳 𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗹𝘆, 𝗶𝘁 𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘁. 𝗛𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗵 𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝘁, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲.
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I loved that the novel included some real stories, like that of the Smalls lighthouse tragedy.
Living in Wales I was already aware of this story, but I didn't realise how much of an impact it had on the way lighthouses were run - so I've definitely learnt some interesting history alongside this book.
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𝗪𝗲'𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗕𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲, 𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀, 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝘆. 𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝘄𝗼-𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱, 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗱
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I also loved the literary elements that focussed on the characters, their relationships with one another in such a tight-knit community, and the very real nature of their loves and losses.
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𝗠𝘆 𝗵𝘂𝘀𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗱, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗜'𝗺 𝗻𝗼𝘁. 𝗡𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗝𝗲𝗻𝗻𝘆. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗵𝗲𝗿, 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲, 𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄, 𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝘂𝘁. 𝗜'𝗺 𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘀; 𝗜'𝘃𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲.
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A key part of the story is the focus on the women left behind. These women would have been ashore raising children or on their own waiting for their husbands' return from their stint on the lighthouse.
I felt each of the characters throughout the book was distinct and unique, but the female characters in the story seemed especially strong.
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𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀, 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗻'𝘁 𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲. 𝗪𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿; 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 ... 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗲. 𝗜 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻.
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Although there is a revelation of what happened to the keepers within the story, I did like how it wasn't completely clear cut. It felt to me as though the multitude of theories were explored and woven together in such a way that it is ultimately up to the reader to decide for themselves, or alternatively to acknowledge that we can never truly solve the mystery.
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'𝗪𝗲'𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵, 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲,' 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱. '𝗜𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁? 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗺𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻'𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗻 ... 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿𝘀'
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I really enjoyed The Lamplighters and would highly recommend it.

Thoroughly enjoyed this intriguing novel about the mysterious disappearance of three men from a remote lighthouse.
Stopped clocks, the only door barricaded from inside, a table set for two and not the merest sign of the three keepers.
What I found especially great was the story being split into separate story lines, giving insights into the psyche of all three keepers as well as their wifes left ashore and their lifes twenty years after the disappearance...

India Knight is quoted as saying this book is 'insanely gripping' and that is exactly right. I'm not sure it is accurate to call it fast-paced, but it is a completely unputdownable page-turner.

In late 1972 three lighthouse keepers on duty on The Maiden, a sea tower lighthouse, disappear without trace. The lighthouse door is locked from the inside, there are no signs of a struggle or foul play, there are no notes or any clues as to what may have happened. Simply, when the relief shift is taken out to take over, nobody is there. The wives and girlfriend of the three men get a memorial service and a bereavement allowance, but no answers. They are left to pick up the pieces and try to move on with their lives, living with their own unanswered questions, guilt and theories about what may have happened.

Twenty years on, a novelist called Dan Sharp gets in touch with the three women - Helen, Jenny and Michelle - with the aim of investigating the unsolved mystery. The novel is structured in short chapters, variously Helen and Jenny's first-person replies to Dan, their third-person musings, and first-person accounts by the three men - Helen's husband Arthur the Principal Keeper, Bill who is married to Jenny, and the youngest, Vince, for whom this job is a fresh start after a childhood and youth in and out of foster homes, borstal and prison. Little by little, voice by voice, one intriguing hint after another, we start to tease out long-held but ill-concealed marital secrets, a legacy of lingering guilt, a criminal past that can't be escaped, all of which may have had a bearing on the events leading up to the men's disappearance.

Amongst the revelations, the lighthouse itself is a mysterious, menacing figure in the landscape. We learn a great deal about the kind of character it takes to survive, and indeed to seek out, a 40-day shift in that isolation, cooped up with only two other men in a narrow space far out at sea, barely within sight of the mainland. Even for men for whom it is their daily reality, and life onshore merely a hiatus in their lives, it takes its toll.

The best mysteries remain unresolved, and this is definitely an excellent mystery. it is not a thriller, however much like one it reads, and there is no neat ending, but along the way we learn a lot about the burden of secrets and guilt, and the ways that humans find to make a life for themselves when ordinary society does not work for them. This is a tour-de-force.

Sorry I won’t be able to review this book. I read in another review that there’s a scene of animal cruelty in it. That’s the one thing I hate in books, I think it’s unnecessary and sensationalist and I know I’d be too upset and would have to skip a chunk of the book.
Apologies for wasting your time.

In 1972, three lighthouse keepers inexplicably vanish from their tower, the doors locked from the inside and the clocks stopped at a precise moment. Twenty years later, the women they left behind reflect on the mystery, each with their own theory of what happened. The Lamplighters is melancholic and eerie, and the disappearance at the heart of the novel creates a fascinating puzzle.

The characters were well developed, and I enjoyed how they intersected; their fears, personalities, and actions all became entangled, driving the plot forward. Isolation seems to be one of the novel’s overarching themes, but the protagonists are also intertwined in quite a claustrophobic way.

The way Stonex writes about Maiden Rock, the tower from which the keepers disappear, makes it feel like another protagonist. It is an omnipresent figure, with varying impacts on each of the characters; Maiden Rock is a haven, a hideout, a reminder. The tower setting is definitely one of the strongest aspects of the story.

The only thing I’d change about the novel is a small thing, but it’s more of a personal preference as a reader. Overall, The Lamplighters is suspenseful and pensive, and the combination of the mysterious disappearance and well-rounded characters makes for a very engaging read. Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the advance copy.

I'm not sure what I was expecting from this book but I loved it. The layers that were delicately peeled back to reveal so many different possibilities into what happened to three men who vanished from a lighthouse in the middle of the sea.
You are kept guessing throughout and even at then end are not entirely sure just what is real or what is hallucination. Such a compelling & visual read.

The Lamplighters is inspired by the true-life events of the disappearance of three lighthouse keepers in the Flannen Isles Lighthouse in 1900. All 3 keepers disappeared with no trace and to add to the locked room mystery, all of the clocks had stopped. It’s a great starting point for the novel, although all other elements are fictional but it really makes you think about what could have happened.

At the end of The Lamplighters Emma Stonex credits anthologies and memoirs that belonged to real keepers. There is an impressive list of background research and this really comes through in the text. The description of the claustrophobic and atmospheric backdrop of The Maiden Lighthouse feels so grounded in reality and the whole book is beautifully written and haunting.

The book changes narrative perspective quite frequently, and we move between chapters set in the past, from Lighthouse Keepers Arthur, Bill and Vince before their disappearance and 20 years afterwards from their partners Jenny, Helen and Michelle. The women’s chapters are also interspersed with transcripts of interviews with an author and also a few official documents. This had the potential to become quite confusing but I found most of the characters to be well-defined. My only light criticism was that I found Bill and Arthur to be quite similar voices at the beginning of the book which did confuse me a little on occasion.

I liked how each person was keeping a secret which is hinted at before being slowly revealed and some were more prevalent than others as to the relevance of the disappearance. There are a lot of red herrings and I jumped between guessing the conclusion many times. The woman’s chapters in particular were very harrowing – showing how lonely and isolating the men’s jobs were, not only for them but also for the people around them. Although it was a noble profession it made me glad that the job is now automated as it must have been difficult for all family members to endure.

Overall, The Lamplighters is a beautiful and hauntingly written book which brings an old unsolved mystery back out into the open. Thank you to NetGalley & Pan Macmillan – Picador for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't know what to expect from this book, but I thought it would be an interesting read. It was. The book meandered too much for me and swapped between points of view too often for there to be much cohesion. There are six people telling us what they know, three vanished keepers and their wives/girlfriend.

A good read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I read a free advance review copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion

An interesting premise for a story.

Three lighthouse keepers go missing without trace in 1972. In 1992, the mystery of their disappearance still lingers.

For me, the story was told by too many points of view and switched between them too quickly. Even so, the tale meandered for the first three quarters, then galloped towards the finish.

As for the fate of the missing keepers, with the entrance to the building locked from the inside, there’s only one place where they could have gone, and only one way to get there.

The relationships between the three men living at such close quarters in a confined space was interesting and despite my reservations, I was content to read to the end.
3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC edition. This is my unbiased review.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced e-copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I loved this book. I wanted to read it because I find the Flannan Isle mystery massively interesting. Having read the book, I am so pleased that it was inspired by the true story but wasn’t a retelling, it meant that it could go it’s own way without having to stick to the history. I enjoyed being absorbed by the world created within the novel without being jarred by inaccuracies or wild speculation.

Emma Stonex’s writing was amazing. I’m not normally someone who notices if writing is good or mediocre and generally say: ‘If I can understand what’s happening, I don’t care how it’s written’, however, there’s no denying the quality of Stonex’s writing. I found it poetic without getting in the way of the action or story. I loved the images just one simple sentence could evoke. If you write in and mark up your books, get your highlighters and tabs ready for this one!

I adored the way The Maiden (the lighthouse) menaces over the whole story and is personified by all of the characters. (I could go on about this but I’ve found it very quickly became an English Lit essay so I’ve stopped there.)

I enjoyed how all of the different perspectives were written and explored. We read from the keepers perspective in 1972 leading up to their mysterious disappearance. We see the women’s perspective, set in 1992, in two different ways. First, in the third person, and then as a stream of consciousness that seems to be a record of what they said to the author who they are being interviewed by for a book on the events surrounding the lighthouse disappearance. I loved being able to witness the disconnect between all of the characters and the assumptions that were made in the 1970s that are still impacting that women’s lives in the 1990s.

The element of this novel that I loved the most was the foreshadowing and slow unveiling of information. Whereby, something in the character's history is hinted at and expanded over time, gently being teased out. It was so engaging to take that small seed of information and theorise about what it might grow into before it was finally revealed. There are many secrets and smaller mysteries that surround and make up the larger mystery of what happened to the keepers and so many elements that are mentioned that come up later. This meant that while the main lighthouse mystery remained in the centre, the orbiting mysteries kept me interested in the journey of the book rather than just skipping to the end to find out what happens.

The only downside to my reading experience was that I didn’t get to read this book by the sea!

The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex, Pub Date 4/3/2021
A Haunting, sad and reflective story set on the Cornish coast.
This book is inspired by actual events in 1900 on the Outer Hebrides; three men disappeared in mysterious circumstances from the lighthouse they were manning.
The lighthouse doors are locked from inside, and a table is laid but not eaten at. The wives and families are driven to despair, but, is it possible that the men have secrets of their own?
The story jumps between 1972 and 1992. Mainly told from the lamplighters' perspective, intermingled with the wives and girlfriends stories of home life revealed in an interview style.
The mystery slowly unwinds as details are slowly revealed, that had been kept concealed by the bereaved.
By the end of the story, you can't help but be in awe and have empathy for lighthouse keepers, an undertaking demanding bravery, devotion, and selflessness to aid others.
I didn't find this the easiest of reads but persevered, and I am glad I did as its an intriguing story.
I want to thank NetGalley, Pan Macmillan and author Emma Stonex for a pre-publication copy to review.

You never thought that a book about lighthouses or lamplighters would be interesting, but you'd be wrong. Based on a true life case where 3 lighthouse men disappeared unexpectedly, Emma Stonex has updated the mystery to the 1970s. Told from the perspective of the lamplighters stuck in a remote lighthouse, it alternates with the wives and girlfriends, 20 years on when an author wants to write about the unsolved case.

A great read.

Christmas 1972: when a relief lighthouse keeper arrives at the Maiden tower lighthouse, there is no sign of the three man team, and no indication as to what could have happened to them. Twenty years later, a writer of maritime adventure stories contacts their surviving partners with a view to solving the mystery for his proposed new non-fiction book. Switching between the two events, and told from the viewpoints of the lighthouse keepers and the women who loved them, the story unfolds through conversations with the author, records of the original investigation and the inner monologues of the characters.
The novel throws into sharp relief the loneliness, isolation and potential claustrophobia of life on the lighthouse and in the small community on shore where people from different backgrounds are thrown together by their husbands’ professions. The mystery of the keepers’ disappearance is the backdrop to a poignant literary investigation of how grief, loss and guilt affect their relationships and their coping mechanisms.
Elegiac and poetic in tone in some parts, contrasting with harshness of some of the characters’ experiences, I found this novel a gripping and poignant read. Although it is not possible to buy it for my primary school library, I will be recommending it to members of my book group.

This has to be near the top of all the great books I've read so far this year. Inspired by a haunting true story, it explores the mysterious disappearance of three lighthouse keepers from the notorious Maiden.
Arthur, Bill and Vince have spent weeks on duty, but when their relief ship arrives just after Christmas, 1972, it finds the lighthouse door locked and no trace of the men. Twenty years later, a writer decides to explore the mystery, piecing together the tragic story from press reports and interviews with the men’s grieving widows.
As the multi-voiced narrative tracks back and forwards across the years, a story emerges of complex relationships between the different parties, of love and friendship betrayed, of past tragedies and unhappy childhoods returning to haunt all three men, just as surely as the “silver man” reputedly haunts the lighthouse. There’s certainly an evil presence about the lighthouse –but is its source human or supernatural?
This is such an atmospheric read – descriptive passages evoke the power and cruelty of the sea as it crashes around the lighthouse, which takes on a persona of its own, guarding its secrets closely. Lights in the sky, albino birds, phantom keepers and chilling fables about the fate other men in other lighthouses keep up a menacing atmosphere against the sometimes prosaic chatter of the women left behind, who, despite their heartbreak, are determined to keep the light of their memories burning.

I could not get into this book even though it's relatively short. I found the words were too rushed, in that everything seemed to be just gushed onto the page. There were little to none speech marks showing characters talking. This is something I found incredibly annoying and it detracted from the main story. Although the premise sounds intriguing and I was looking forward to getting into this, I just couldn't get involved.
However thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC for an honest review.

I received an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Pan Macmillan/Picador, and the author Emma Stonex.
This was an interesting premise for a book, and I was intrigued by the story of the Eilean Mar lighthouse keepers which inspired it. Quite slow moving at times, but engaging and involving throughout and with a satisfying denouement. The only element that felt out of place was the supernatural thread of the story, which felt a little superfluous. 3.5 stars rounded up!

The Lamplighters is inspired by the real-life creepy disappearance of three lighthouse keepers in the Outer Hebrides in 1900. Emma Stonex has set her story in dual timelines in the 1970s and the 1990s. The writing style does not have much punctuation, which takes some getting used to, but overall adds to the Spartan feeling of the story. This reimagining follows lighthouse keepers Arthur, Bill, and Vincent and their lives at the lighthouse, as well as their female partners, Helen, Jenny, and Michelle, left on land. After Arthur, Bill, and Vincent's mysterious disappearance, Helen, Jenny, and Michelle do their best to pick up the pieces of their now irrevocably altered lives. Twenty years into the future, a writer attempts to re-investigate the disappearances for a book and contacts the three women, bringing them in contact again.
The vibe of this book was very creepy and kept me guessing throughout. There was a feeling of intense loneliness and claustrophobia on the lighthouse and it was well done. On the mainland, Helen, Jenny, and Michelle have had a complicated history, dealing with their own loneliness while their partners are on the lighthouse. In the 1990s timeline, each of the women reflects on their relationships with each other and their partners. There were of course some explanations floated by various characters for the disappearance, but I found none of them convincing.
Though I thought the narrative ran out of steam halfway through, the ending was strong and brought the narrative full-circle.
To find out about the original mystery of men missing from a lighthouse, listen to the episode of the Stuff You Missed in History Class podcast.
The Flannan Isles Disappearance - Stuff You Missed in History Class
The Flannan Islands have been rumored for centuries to be haunted or have some supernatural darkness. In 1900, three…www.iheart.com