Dot works at the London Transport Lost Property office and she is somehow lost too. Her appearance and personality are almost unnoticeable, but her inner world is rich and full of interesting thoughts. In the past she lived, loved and worked in Paris, so what happened?
Can she change something in her life or will she stagnate in her routine forever?

Wonderfully written with interesting characters and issues about love, loss, grief and illness. Life as it is.

Joy to read.

Thanks to Random House and Netgalley for an early copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Dot Watson has lost her way.

Twelve years ago her life veered off course, and the guilt over what happened still haunts her. Before then she was living in Paris, forging an exciting career; now her time is spent visiting her mother's care home, fielding interfering calls from her sister and working at the London Transport Lost Property office, diligently cataloguing items as misplaced as herself.

But when elderly Mr Appleby arrives in search of his late wife's purse, his grief stirs something in Dot. Determined to help, she sets off on a mission - one that could start to heal Dot's own loss and let her find where she belongs once more...

Ahhh Dot. I loved you. Our main character loves her family and friends fiercely and also anyone she comes across and feels an infinity to the nice ones, especially Mr Appleby.

This book is fantastically written. You fall in love with Dot and realise why she is so well suited for the job with TfL in Lost Property.

A particular highlight of the book was the short but very important part of Zeus - he sounded like a perfect person to be there at that moment, also when Dot went back to see him - that scene touched me.

This book will stay with me for a long time - bravo!

This was a curious book. Part way through I wanted to put it down and yet I also wanted to read to the end as well. The action was mostly set in one location (the Lost Property office) and maybe I got tired of the same setting. Maybe that was the point. Dot explored the world from the confines of the office. Was she going to escape?
I did complete reading it and was glad I did.

Found this a hard book to get into and the main character a little odd - from her description Dot is rather frumpy and middleaged but we are never told her age. The story doesn’t seem to get going until 2/3 of the way through the book and it’s only near the end you discover why she behaves the way she does.

This was an ok story but I can’t say I loved it like many other reviewers have.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me an arc of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing an e-book to review.

I'm afraid I found it difficult to get into this book. The Lost Property office, and the people and things that came through it were interesting and engaging enough. But my problem was I didn't find Dot either believable or likeable. I couldn't really decide on who she was. I think that her old-fashioned name, her clothing and her demeanour made me think she was quite elderly, but then in parts of the story she seemed fairly young. Sorry if I've missed any obvious clues there, but because I couldn't picture her I never really understood her and she seemed a bit snooty and judgemental.

Although I read through to the end I never really got to the point where I 'got' it. Just not for me.

Lost Property is not the book I was expecting.

I gained so much from reading this novel.

This is a story that is poignant and purposeful.

In this tale we follow Dot, this is a woman who cares deeply for her family, for her friends and in fact for anyone who should have the luck to cross paths with her.

She works for TFL in lost property, carefully sorting out and looking after items that have unfortunately been parted from their owners. I instantly felt warmth when reading about Dot, her nature was so gentle and giving.

What started out as quite a slow yet witty story turned into something a lot more necessary (in my opinion) as we get more detail about Dot's own personal life, the moments in time in which she's experienced. From her mum's gradual change with dementia, to the mental health issues that her late dad suffered so silently with.

I got the sense that this novel is disguised as something simpler but wrapped within those more carefree moments are deep, meaningful memories. And what I learnt as I read was that how each of us remember things is entirely different, what one person could deem as a good memory, another could have captured moments that were perhaps not quite as positive.

But however we see our past, it doesn't make any of those feelings less important or significant.

Dot inspired me.

Her attitude towards life was refreshing and it was a joy to see her feelings of guilt and grief being transformed into something more hopeful. The journey she takes herself on is one of self discovery and what she discovers is something that money can't buy. clarity and forgiveness (to herself).

A uniquely, compelling debut read that left me wonderfully satisfied.

When I first started reading Lost Property, I didn’t think I was going to enjoy the book and even questioned whether I was going to stick with it, however, I’m glad I did!
Anyone out there who enjoyed Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine (of which there are many) will equally fall in love with the protagonist, Dot’s character. Unusual and quirky, she wheedles her way into your psyche as you realise more and more why she behaves the way she does.
Heartwarming and overall, a lovely read.

Oh my what a wonderful book, the way the words were used to describe the way that Dot was feeling and making you feel completely contained within the story was glorious. I was lucky to get a copy of this book from Netgalley and was completely absorbed in the story from the outset, sometimes you can tell the way a book will go, but Helen Paris keeps you guessing and making you take different turns all the time, she can write in such a beautiful way it was a joy to read and I was sad when I finished it ( even though I wanted to know how Dot's life would pan out!). Dot deals with a lot on her journey through the book, she has to look deep into her past and face things she has buried for a long time, but her focus is reuniting a lost precious bag with its owner and this leads her on her journey to happiness. I thoroughly recommend this book.

As other reviewers have mentioned, I found the book rather slow for the first few chapters. I hate to give up on a book though and kept going, I’m so glad I did. Dot works in the lost property department at TFL in Baker Street and seems to love her job. Dot moved in with her mum to look after her but had to place her in a care home as her dementia was too advanced for Dot to look after her at home.
Dot has a difficult relationship with her older sister and over the course of the book we find out the families secrets that have led to this. We also discover that Dot collects travel books that have been uncollected in her office. When she was younger she lived and studied in Paris but had to come home when her Dad died.

It is quite a dark book that covers suicides as well as family relationships but has a satisfactory conclusion for its readers






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Wonderful, just wonderful. This super life story, takes you on a journey to another time ans place. I love the main characters and loved the way the story unfolds. Life can be so cruel, it’s so nice when you can find someone to make each day a little bit better. This book captures real life so well.

What a story!! Very unique!! I thoroughly enjoyed it!! Dot may have worked in 'Lost Property' but everything about Dot, is 'Lost'!! Very cleverly written!! If you want something different, this is it, I totally recommend it!!

Thank you Helen Paris. I am so pleased to have found Dot and her Lost Property world. I often read that a novel shouldn't have a prologue and the first sentence should grab the reader's attention, So a statement about the seasonality of loss seemed underwhelming and demure but ultimately also a perfect way to begin the tremulous layering of Dot's world. I felt like I had been given a privileged private invitation, one that I earned by trust, by being her understanding friend, staying with her, so that she dared to reveal a bit more each chapter building an exquisite subdued tension as she slowly found herself and her family and love.

This is such a great and very clever book, an interesting premise and beautifully well written,. Highly recommended

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. Really enjoyed this book, liked the storyline, liked the characters, basically liked everything. Worth a read.

It took me a while to get into this, and I didn’t think I was going to enjoy it but about a third of the way in I started to really enjoy it.

At first the main character Dot was annoying but as the story unfolded I came to like her and want to know more about her.

Secondary characters were also interesting, and I really loved the setting of the lost and found shop. Quite moving by the end! Very enjoyable

I loved this story based around the central character,Dot. She comes across quite eccentric but as her story starts to unfold, I found myself really warming to her and her quirks.
It's a well written book which shows us how what has happened in our lives can affect how we live but also that it's never too late to make changes.
A real heartwarming read which was thoroughly engaging. I loved the book.

Thanks NetGalley for my copy of Lost Property. Overall I enjoyed the book - the story told through the main character Dot. The beginning seemed slow and then there was an explosion of activity. Life has its twists and turn and our journey sometimes is influenced by family and circumstances and isn’t always as it seems. But giving up on life may not always be the answer and holding on to our dreams can truly bring happiness when you least expect it

A lovely gentle read. I felt for Dot, Her life should have been so different. When she should have been living a more exciting life in Paris, travelling the world, she was only able to do so by living vicariously through well thumbed travel books, while diligently carrying out her job in a London transport lost property office. A particular customer’s request for help has her going out of her way to try to locate his missing property in the midst of new management rules which make her job harder.
Still coming to terms with the loss of her Dad, visiting her mother who no longer recognises her in a care home and dealing with the impending sale of her home arranged by an overbearing sister, her job helping others is what keeps her from unravelling - until she is travelling home after a night out with a colleague and a memory causes her to get off the Tube early and she finds herself in part of the lost property office late at night. Dot’s story then takes a strange turn, one which will eventually change her life forever.
Not my usual reading, but I really enjoyed the read.

What an interesting, gentle book about a love.y woman called Dot who works in a lost property office in London. Suddenly we find that life dramatically changes for her as she becomes part of a fascinating adventure.

I enjoyed this book, but it wasn’t what I expected from the description. I expected fluffy fun, and there was rather more to the story than that.

Dot has somehow lost her way. We find out in flashback why this is, and how she has ended up working in a lost property office. Right from the start it was clear that there was something going on, but I was still surprised at the way the story unfolded.

The book touches on quite serious subjects – depression and dementia – and for me this is the problem. The book seemed to jump from being a fun read to something much darker, although there were clues along the way.

I would recommend the book, but not as a light, fun read. And certainly not to anyone who needed cheering up!