Dot works in a Lost Property office in a London train station, cataloguing and returning lost things to their owners.
Dot is also a little lost as we find out as her story is told.
A lovely story of love, of living and of losing.
Well worth a read

A gentle story about life and all it's trials and tribulations. It deals with how Dot continues with her life after the death of her father and how she interacts with her mother and elder sister.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for the advance copy of this book.

I struggled with this book in the beginning because it seemed to be a very twee story of Dot immersing herself with working in the lost property department of TFL and her determination to reunite people with their belongings. I persevered and soon discovered the hidden grief and family strife that had shaped Dot's life and the inner turmoil she was suffering. I found myself cheering Dot on as she started to deal with her past, putting the pieces of her life back together and challenging her deceitful boss. In the end I loved it!

For me this was a book of 2 halves. The first part I struggled with as Dot who works for Lost Property of TFL deals with customers and work colleagues encounters various situations. It was a little bit split in the dealings with the lost or found items and so for me could have been shorter. However the second part was more cohesive and its here we got to know and understand Dot more. It was very poignant in her encounters with the care home her Mum was in who was suffering from dementia and also her other family relationships both past and present. Thanks Helen Paris, her publisher and NetGalley.

As a daily TFL user and having lost items on the tube, this blurb of this book appealed to me immediately.
This is a beautiful uplifting story, with great characters and a captivating story line. It touches on loss, grief and memories as it carefully portrays the great sadness that dementia brings to the sufferer and to those around them. Definitely worth a read.

This was a book of two halves for me. The first half I didn't gel with at all, and I feel could have benefited from a cut of about a 100 pages or so to eliminate a LOT of waffle and unnecessary lengthy descriptions. I also felt like this was supposed to be the more funny / quirky part, but it fell flat with me and just left me wondering where this was suppose to be heading.

The second half settled down and finally felt we were getting to the bones of the story. There were some touching and poignant moments, dealing with tough subjects such as grief, depression, suicide, strained family relationships and dementia, which were handled by the author with sensitivity and thoughtfulness. Vivid imagery was also conjured for all the settings in the story.

With those kind of topics I would have expected an emotional read but something was missing. The main character Dot was an enigma to me, and for such a personal story I really needed more connection. On top of that, we had too many side characters with too little time to get to know them.

I did appreciate the author's intentions but wish it had been streamlined to achieve more impact on the crux of the story.

What a lovely feel good story. The book was tinged with sadness and regrets as well as tragedy - but the overall plot was sweet and the ending warming. The idea of the majority of the book being set in the TfL lost property office was quite ingenious and the descriptions were excellent, I felt as if I could imagine exactly what the warehouse and the stacks would look like.

I would be very keen to read other novels by Helen Paris and will be recommending this to friends and family members.

What a lovely read, loved every minute of it, the charecters the story, the whole thing, brilliant just brilliant

An enthralling read, full of characters you can't help but love really enjoyed this book thanks for the advance copy

Such a wholesome great novel! It wasn't what I was expecting at all but had a wholesome surprise! Paris has done a great job

“Loss is the price we pay for love.”

TANNOY ANNOUNCEMENT from TfL
Calling all lost souls, those of you have felt like they never fit in, those who believe they are never good enough, perhaps even a mistake, those who live in the shadow of a favoured sibling, those who have experienced loss and tragedy, those who have lost a loved one to the devastating effects of dementia THIS IS A STORY WRITTEN FOR YOU! Please make your way to the TfL Lost Property Office where you will be greeted by our most valued long term employee Dot Watson, trusted guardian for all manner of objects mislaid by their owners. As someone for whom loss has been a constant companion throughout life, she symbolises everything that is broken, abandoned, unwanted and unloved, painstakingly cataloguing every item that finds its way into her hands with her favoured Dijon labels. Dot’s mission is to reunite missing belongings with their rightful owners before they are relegated to the local auction house, a task she undertakes with the utmost seriousness, because she after all is a woman as lost as these objects, perhaps more so. Unable to fix broken aspects of her personal life, Dot pours her heart and soul into her role, cherishing every object because she recognises their sentimental value. To Dot these objects are individual time machines acting as portals into a world full of treasured memories, a way of recalling loved ones who may no longer be with us, bringing them closer, offering comfort and a motive for clinging on to the wreckage of the past. Spoken from the heart, she will regale you with her own tragic story of love loss and guilt and the reasons why she is jolted out of her reverie and spurned into action in the search for one elderly gentleman’s lost belongings. The author’s words will caress you with their beauty, poignancy, profoundness and yes even humour as this memory inducing storyline, awash with emotion is destined to make you laugh and cry. Lost Property is a captivating read, lavish in terms of characterisation and a simply divine tipperty top novel that will leave an imprint on your heart and mind.

I loved Dot with every fibre of my being from the moment she waltzes onto these pages, dressed in her bizarre attire of felt uniform. I possess a natural affinity towards the underdog, those who don’t quite fit the mould and I felt there was more than a trace of me in this woman who is smart, funny, awkward, lost and an unforgettable character. After reading everything pertaining to Dot’s past you desperately want her to rediscover the joys of life after hibernating for so long with only the lost brollies and travellers guides to destinations worldwide to keep her company. Her relationship with her father will be recognisable to anyone who’s ever viewed themselves as a daddy’s girl and for me one of the most heartbreaking, poignant aspects of this novel, although by no means the only one. Their shared make believe world, full of adventures in which they play their allotted roles of Holmes and Watson with relish tell of a special, sacred bond that will never be entirely diminished. It’s a theme that is intricately woven throughout the storyline given the location of the lost property office in Baker Street and one that enables Dot to fulfil her final mission as Holmes sidekick, albeit alone, following clues as to the whereabouts of Mr Appleby’s lost holdall.

I finished reading Lost Property on the morning I was due to visit my elderly parents, one of whom is suffering from dementia, after a prolonged separation due to lockdown restrictions. Perhaps that’s why Helen Paris’s words moved me to tears on more than one occasion, words that will strike a chord with so many readers. Until now I hadn’t considered how much an integral part of life loss is until I became transfixed by Dot’s own experience. How you deal with it is key to moving forward, whether you choose life and grasp every opportunity as opposed to remaining in the shadows, defined by your grief, sadness, hopelessness and loss. Of course the gradual loss of Dot and Philippa’s mother as dementia steals her true self is an element to the narrative that will sadden even the happiest, most positive of souls yet the way this illness proves revealing,enlightening Dot and opening her eyes to a new perspective of her childhood years is uplifting as well as deeply moving.

Much as this storyline is imbued by an overwhelming sense of loss there is so much hope for the future and the chance for brighter days ahead entangled in all these events that you can’t help being buoyed up by the storyline. With musical memories that form a soundtrack to Dot’s childhood years, pearls of wisdom uttered and the hand of friendship offered by the supporting gloriously eclectic cast of characters plus a lingering linguistic talent peppering the narrative, I found Dot enchanting and her awakening from the slumbers of loss and guilt mesmerising. Surrender yourself to this gem of a novel, cherish,savour and appreciate every heartfelt word as it will prove almost impossible to relinquish yourself from the hold these characters, particularly Dot, have over you. Automatically earning a place amongst my favourite novels, Lost Property deserves to feature on any book lovers list of must reads. To a character giving a five star service from her office in Baker Street I bestow five stars for entertaining me from beginning to end, permitting me to laugh, cry and encouraging me to try and live in the moment. My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read.

Lost Property made you think about things that people leave on public transport. It was interesting how so much detail was has given regarding the items that are lost and how some people never come to collect them and some keep coming back hoping their item has been handed in. It was challenging to think how much effort it takes on other people when you lose things, I had never thought about it like that before.

This is an easy read, although at times it can be slow going. The central character Dot, works in the Lost Property office at Baker Street station. She is quite a loner, who although very intelligent with good prospects in front of her she has struggles with her Dad's death and memories of the past. She has been looking after her mother who has dementia, and is bossed around by her sister. As the story develops her memories unfold and the reason for her depression becomes clearer. It is not until the end that many things are resolved to allow her to begin to enjoy life again.

Well, who would guess what happens on the other side of the lost property desk at a major rail station? Loved this tale of Dot & her life behind the counter & also of her family. All in all, a nice little read

To begin with I thought this book was going to be quite light and fluffy but in a good way as I really liked the central character, Dot. Then there was a whole section where it was actually quite dark and made me think twice about recommending it to some people I know who have suffered with mental health problems. By the end, I though there was a good balance of lightness for an easy read with something much more gritty and consuming.

Loved this! Loved the characters, the story, the way that Dot cares and comes undone.......utterly relatable characters with a great story - what more can you ask for??

Cleverly written book about grief, families, growing up ,old age, siblings, love. A lovely, descriptive book that spoke to me having lost relatives and feeling all the emotions that come from these experiences. A fast read about a likeable, hardworking, intelligent, hugely observant girl. It emphasised how easy it is to have a different opinion & understanding of one's childhood compared to other family members. A book to remember.

A story of love, loss and family. I wasn't sure what to expect but I enjoyed it a lot and read it in two days as it's not a difficult read. Have tissues ready for the last few chapters.

I really enjoyed this book with its themes of loss and family. Ultimately uplifting, this is beautifully written and really pulls you in.

This was a wonderful read. I find this book funny but Helen also sent so much more in this book. The lost property could not been more perfect for Dot. It was wonderful to see her story played out from what she wanted from a young age to where she is know.
This was a funny light hearted book also upsetting to. I give this book 4/5 stars