This is a lovely novel and a must for anyone who has previously enjoyed books set around light houses. Very atmospheric, the descriptions and characters very vivid. I even looked up this lighthouse on google which is always a sign a book has really got to me. Trying to decide if I’m satisfied or disappointed with the ending…

I was really intrigued by this locked door mystery and the book did not disappoint. Set in two time periods the story is about 3 men who disappear from inside a locked lighthouse.

I enjoyed that it was told as interviews, letters and then from the points of view of the characters as well.

Lighthouse keepers are not something I've previously heard or read much about so this insight into their work and family lives was interesting to read about.

I also loved that the ending wasn't too ambiguous.

A slow burner.

When I read the blurb on ‘The Lamplighters’ it really caught my imagination, as it is based on a true story from 1900 when three lighthouse keepers mysteriously vanished. It started well which whet my appetite, but it soon became a slow burner.

The story starts in 1972 in Cornwall, featuring three lighthouse keepers. . . Arthur, Bill and Vince work on the lighthouse Maiden Rock, situated on an isolated rock surrounded totally by the sea. Their job can best be described as lonely, bleak, and isolated.

How had they disappeared? The doors locked, and the clocks all stood still. The weather conditions were appalling, even though this wasn’t the case on land.

After this point, the book lost momentum, as I didn’t particularly like the men’s characters. Also, we learn about the wives’ situations twenty years later in 1992. At this point, I started to lose interest, but persevered, even though everyone’s lives were bleak and certainly not conducive to family life.

Expecting more of a twisty thriller with more action and more answers. I’m sure that ‘The Lamplighters’ will appeal to some people, but sadly it didn’t quite hit the spot for me.

Galadriel.

Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of this book to review.

I know this book has been critically acclaimed and the quality of the writing is very high ,but I really didn’t enjoy it at all.It may have been the way I was feeling, but it was just so unremittingly grim.I also didn’t like the way it kept jumping around from one time frame to another ,and from one narrator to another. By the time I reached the end I didn’t care what had happened to the lighthouse keepers as I was just glad to finish the book.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review which reflects my own opinion.

The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex is a poetically-written novel about the unsolved mystery of three lighthouse keepers that went missing in 1972.
we hear from the perspectives of the three lighthouse keepers right before they go missing, and twenty years later as their wives are interviewed by an author who wants to solve the mystery of their disappearance. I really enjoyed the short chapters which jumped between time periods and perspectives. I found each character fascinating even when I sometimes didn't like them. I learned a lot about the day-to-day lives of lighthouse keepers and their wives, who were away from their husbands for extended periods of time. What were the circumstances of their disappearance, was it supernatural, an accident, or nefarious? The story unravels slowly, with the divulging of different secrets and possible explanations. I had no idea what would happen, but pieces started fitting together towards the end. I listened to the audiobook, which was captivating, read by Tom Burke and Indira Varma.

Thank you Pan Macmillan/Picador and NetGalley for providing this ARC.

Absolutely intriguing. This book is loosely based on a real event but even reading about the lives of the lamplighters and their partners, their reliance on the tides and on each other. Well written too. Recommended.

A thought-provoking and high intriguing read, a mysterious - inspired by real life Maiden Lighthouse mystery - that holds onto its card and gives nothing away until the very end.

The contrast between the three Lighthouse keeper's personalities and their similarity is what really drives the plot.

I absolutely loved it and would highly recommend.

Emma Stonex has taken the bones of an actual event - the disappearance of an entire lighthouse team off the coast of Scotland - and reimagined it off the coast of Cornwall. Three men have vanished leaving the table set with just two places, each of the clocks stopped at the same time and the door locked from the inside. The book is written from six point of view: each of the three lighthouse men in 1972 immediately before they vanished and each of the three woman they leave behind who, twenty years later, have been contacted by a well-known author wishing to interview them for a book he plans to write on the disappearances.
This is an intriguing mystery. Small pieces of the puzzle are revealed very slowly and I was kept guessing almost to the end about what had happened. There is some beautiful writing, especially the descriptions of the sea, and some real insight into the minds of the characters. I was fascinated by what it takes to be a lighthouse man - and to be a lighthouse man’s wife.
I wasn’t sure about the one-sided conversations used to tell the women’s stories. We never hear the voice of the writer interviewing them and that grated initially but I quickly got used to it and it was an appropriate technique, used effectively.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was engrossed from start to finish. I look forward to reading more from Emma Stonex.

I was immediately pulled into this atmospheric novel. The author spins out the mystery of the lighthousemen expertly, touching on themes of love, loss and deceit. The remote nature of the lighthouse and the relationships between the men who worked there.are deftly handled, leaving a taut and unforgettable novel.

The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex was good mystery and based on a true story, where all three keepers vanish from a remote lighthouse 15 miles from the shore. The door is locked from the inside,...........the clocks have both stop at the same time,...........the log records show there was a mighty storm even though the skies have been clear all week. So, what happened?

I was so glad I read it. However, it took me awhile to get into this book.

Big Thank You NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for this ARC!

Started reading this book whilst on holiday in Cornwall. It's gripping, mysterious and very atmospheric, evoking vivid pictures of the lonely difficult lives of the lamplighter. These were tough men who withstood months of loneliness and the company of their 2 assistants whilst falling victim to the vagaries of tides and storms. They dedicated their lives to saving others. This book tells the story of 3 of those brave men and the families they left behind for long periods. Highly recommended.

i found this book quite dull and difficult to get through, maybe I was the wrong person for it. from reading the description I thought it was going to be about the true life story that happened to the men on the island with the lighthouse but this was a work of fiction

Great book. Creepy backdrop and whodunnit mystery with some excellent insight into an unusual way of life

The Lamplighters was a creepy, quick read that I couldn't put down the whole way through. If you've been flicking through mystery/thrillers, enjoying them but haven't been impressed in a while, this book is a definite change of pace from most.

Firstly, the setting and original concept was a great draw. I love a locked room mystery, and the added intrigue of an isolated lighthouse made that all the more attractive. I also liked the atmosphere it lent to the book because the whole time it felt creepy and otherworldly while we remained in the lighthouse. If the whole book had focused on the men in the lighthouse I think I would have enjoyed it even more.

Unfortunately, the author looks at the mystery through the lens of an author writing a book about the tragedy, and the author gets in contact with the spouses of the men. This angle made the mystery all the more down to earth, removed a lot of the atmosphere I was enjoying so much and really began to focus the mystery through the eyes of the spouses.

This isn’t my normal preferred genre but I really enjoyed this intriguing and lovely story. The element of true life makes this other worldly tale seem very real. I liked the different time frames and the relationships between the characters. I would recommend giving it a go!

There is a light that never goes out.

Loosely hung on the real-life disappearance of the Flannan Isles keepers in1900, this is a novel that hinges on distance and secrecy. Rather than being simply a yarn reeking of tobacco, wet wool and storms, it focusses as much on those left behind (Whether by distance or time) as on the unfolding events. Ultimately, though, the light that never goes out is that of a father's love for his lost son.
***** Thanks to Pan-MacMillan and NetGalley for this ARC.

Good writing but the story just didn’t grip me at all.
I’m not sure if all the hype about this book has overshadowed my expectations
Dnf’d for now unfortunately

I was instantly attracted to the premise of this book; it sounded brilliantly British and riddled with suspense and intrigue.

In 1972, three isolated lighthouse keepers disappear, quite literally off the face of the earth. The lighthouse appears undisturbed, there is no evidence of foul play, and the door is locked from the inside. Twenty years later, an author starts looking into the disappearance and turns to the women left behind to see if he can unravel the curious mystery of the Maiden Rock men.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Lamplighters and would highly recommend the audio version which I interspersed with the ebook. Both narrators do an incredible job of bringing the characters to life and kept my attention throughout. I really liked how the book was segmented into parts and then switched between the different timelines and perspectives. Usually, too many POVs can be confusing but I felt that each character was distinct enough that their voice and personality shone through. I thought the story unravelled perfectly and was brilliantly constructed. The descriptions were raw and vivid, especially those surrounding the ominous Maiden Rock. It was interesting to learn about the role of the lighthouse keepers and definitely gave food for thought on how they managed to cope cooped up in those tiny rooms with only two others for company for weeks, even months on end. I thought the author explored this really well and crafted an engaging and realistic outcome based on the characters, their secrets, and their sanity.

Overall, a great reimagining of a story based on true events. I will definitely be recommending this one and can't wait to see what the author releases next.

There were two things that ultimately drew me to read the Lamplighters by Emma Stonex. Firstly, it was the part about the lighthouse. There is something about lighthouses that always draws me in and intrigues me. And secondly, the fact that this story is based on an actual true story, where men did go missing and we still don’t know how.

Synopsis:

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. The tide shifts beneath the swell, drowning ghosts. Can their secrets ever be recovered from the waves?

Twenty years later, the women they left behind are still struggling to move on. Helen, Jenny and Michelle should have been united by the tragedy, but instead it drove them apart. And then a writer approaches them. He wants to give them a chance to tell their side of the story. But only in confronting their darkest fears can the truth begin to surface…

My Thoughts:

The Lamplighters is a mix between a mystery thriller and historical fiction. We follow a story about three men that guard a lighthouse, who go missing. At the same time, we follow the lives of three women, twenty years later.

Emma Stonex has the ability to make a mundane daily routine seem interesting. Her writing in this book is truly spectacular, and I really enjoyed it. I especially loved that she chose to give these three women a voice that they wouldn’t have before, and let them tell their stories. There was slight flaws with the characters themselves, as they were all written in a similar tone, so it was hard to tell to them apart. But aside from that, the idea was very well executed.

I enjoyed the men’s story as well – although, sometimes, it would get too repetitive for my taste. What I did enjoy though, was the slow psychological games between them. It was very cleverly written, and even I at times was confused on what some people’s intentions were.

In regards to the mystery itself, I found it quite interesting, although somewhat predictable. There wasn’t a big twist, more like a slow wave coming toward you. You wait for it to come, and when it does, you still end up surprised a little, even though you were expecting it.

In summary, the Lamplighters was a delightful read. Never dull and always intriguing. If you love the sea, lighthouses, mysteries and lovely storytelling – definitely check this one out!

Favourite Quotes:

“People will believe anything, and given the choice they prefer lies to the truth because lies are usually more interesting.”

“Neither of us came from a happy background and that’s what bonded us in the first place.”

“If we all had a tower to be on and a couple of people to be with, just to be, without expectation or interference, to put in the light at night and extinguish it at dawn, to sleep and be awake, talk and be silent, live and die, all on our islands, couldn’t we avoid the rest?”

The prose of The Lamplighters was more intricate and descriptive than I usually enjoy, but in this book it was fitting and gave the story a tremendous depth that it would probably have lacked had it been faster-paced. The characters were interesting and very well-developed and the ending brought me to tears. Overall, it was a beautiful book and I'm glad to have read it.