‘... I slip the stem of the pipe between my lips (...). My teeth settle into the ridge made by his and, anchored, I inhale. I try to breathe him back.’

A story of guilt and family secrets and how both shape the people we become. A story of loss - of loved ones, of job, of hope and happiness, and, fundamentally, of loss of self.

Dot, our main protagonist, is a quirky, likeable, old-before-her-time woman of indeterminate age doing a job neither she nor her family ever imagined she’d find herself in. Abandoned are her hopes of travel, of embarking on an MA in Paris, working as an interpreter. Instead, her purpose is to reunite items lost on the London transport network with their owners. She is the office lynch pin but what happened to her lynch pin, her adored father? The details of that day, the event that would change lives forever is revealed in all its heart-piercing, searing emotion in Chapter 9.

The story was moving in one direction, towards a conclusion, towards what I thought would be a ‘happy ending’ before veering abruptly, violently into unexpected territory. After such a ‘climax’, I felt that the story became weaker, more tangential with elements and viewpoints that hadn’t even been hinted at becoming centre stage. And I’m not convinced I like the ending given to Dot. I wanted her to be adventurous, to be independent, to find that self she lost in her 20s. Instead, she was afforded a cliche of happiness and I think that’s a disservice to her.

The prose is lyrical and the imagery superb. The author conveys emotion expertly and delicately. We feel Dot’s heartache, her despair, her loss as if it is our own. Despite what I see as flaws, I would have no hesitation in recommending this novel.

I would like to extend my gratitude to NetGalley for giving me this advanced readers’ copy in exchange for an honest and frank review.

I first enjoy the title of the book; Dot herself is lost but ironically her job is in Lost Property. The book has some hard topics in it; depression, suicide, dementia, and others so I found it a very emotional read in places. The book follows Dot as she faces all of these issues and is a story of how she struggles through life. I enjoyed how invested she is when it comes to her job and locating other people’s goods and returning them, as if she inserts herself into other people’s lives as hers is too difficult. It was not all sad there are heartwarming moments throughout. I felt that Dot was similar to Eleanor Oliphant. I loved this book and enjoyed meeting Dot.

Set in the Lost Property offices of London Transport. Dot Watson is living but not really living. After the death of her father she has felt a huge loss and sense of guilt, over his death and also her the decision to place her mother in a care home.

Follow Dot as she learns how to love life again.

Thoroughly recommend this read.

Sorry, but this book completely overwhelmed me in emotions and I found it a real hard battle to get through, although I really wanted to finish it and kept dipping in until I had.

My family were rocked at the start of first lockdown by a dementia diagnosis and by the time I could travel it was too late, there was no recognition left.

Utterly heartbreaking on all fronts, it cut too close for me on many levels and I'm having trouble getting over it.

This was such a poignant story. This was achingly beautiful and the characters nestled into your hearts.

A beautiful inspirational read that tugs at the Heart Strings. One of my favourite books this year. A book to be savoured and enjoyed by everyone!

This is an odd book about a lost soul who is struggling with a lot of grief and feelings of insufficiency. She works in the lost and found and puts a lot more thought into her job than anyone else in the same office. She imagines the owners, the lives that they must lead thanks to the clues left behind and what they hold important. I feel like many fiction readers (like myself) count ourselves as people watchers (isn't that what we essentially do when we read about all these people?), but Dot Watson is taking it to a whole new level.
There is much information being held back in the tale, just behind a curtain that waves about intermittently to give us a peek. Usually, I do not have patience for such games, but the unexpected (and some expected) events and conversations that take place in the latter half of the book made me enjoy my reading experience. I did weep with Dot on a few occasions as well.
This is a story of loss and identity, and I think that pretty much sums it up. I will admit I did not enjoy all the scenes and some of the repetitive nights as Dot hunkers down I skim read but got back into the narrative soon after.
It is, in essence, a sad book, with so many missed chances and even sadder events, but the last few chapters make it more uplit than I thought it would end up being. I would definitely recommend it to readers of this genre.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

Dot works in Lost Property for Transport for London, she had once planned to travel the world but has ended up cataloguing items found on buses and trains and sometimes returning them to the rightful owners.
But what happened to change her plans?
A beautifully told story of love and loss.

Dot hasn’t had the easiest of lives, her father committed suicide and her mother has dementia.
Her life has shrunk to the size of the lost property office that she has given her life to, reuniting travellers with their belongings that have been lost in the London transport system.
This book follows the up and downs of her job until one day it all comes to an abrupt stop and she’s forced to realise that there’s life outside of the office.

I’m really not sure how I feel about this book, as it had a lot of serious themes in it, suicide, sexual assault, an elderly parent with dementia, homelessness, sibling rivalry, and depression. I enjoyed the stories of the lost property items and customers that Dot tried to help, but I found some of the story quite hard going at times. It’s supposed to be an uplifting book, and although I found a few parts laugh out loud funny, it was mostly a sad book for me. I loved the narration by Joanna Scanlan, she really brought Dot and all the cast of characters to life perfectly, and I’d definitely listen to other audiobooks narrated by her.

Despite the cheery tones of the book’s cover, this is a dark, sometimes distressing, read. I don’t often do trigger warnings, but will mention up front here that it covers issues including suicide, substance abuse and a sexual/physical assault that left me feeling as shaken as the character involved. None of these serious topics are used gratuitously – they are treated with sensitivity and understanding, and Dot’s journey may even help some people dealing with similar issues, but don’t go into this story expecting a jolly romp of skipping around matching people to their treasures.

This is a beautifully written, heart-tugging story about love, family secrets, losing and being lost, which takes the reader to some dark places, but brings them out again with the hope for a lighter future.

This is a real heartwarming read.
It shows us a lot of aspects of life such as attempted suicide ,suicide,dementia, sexual assault but it also has some lovely moments.
Loved this book.
Thanks NetGalley

A fun, sweet book. Warm and enchanting, all about family and people, characters we encounter, journeys we take. Dot - the main character - is perfectly formed, we are all rooting for her. Very enjoyable read. This would be great for book clubs or for buying someone as a gift.

The premise of this book sounded interesting. I think I was expecting the more of the stories behind the lost items. Instead the main focus was Dot- someone who seemed to be in the perfect place as she seemed to be so lost. A job that was intended to be a short-term stopgap has been going on for many years. With her mother suffering dementia & having to go into a care home, her sister trying to organise her & the way the Lost Property dept. is undergoing change makes her change her ordered life & become obsessed with reuniting an old man with his holdall.

I'm not sure why this book didn't hit the spot. Was it the style of writing? Was it difficulty in really believing in Dot, never mind liking her? Or was it just that it wasn't for me. I enjoyed it enough to read it all but was quite glad to finish it! Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

'Life gives us so much,' Mr Appleby says, 'chance, excitement and hope. But woven through it all is loss. If you try to pull out that thread, the whole thing unravels. Loss is the price we pay for love.'

Dot Watson works in a Lost Property office but has mislaid herself. Wrapped up in guilt and unfulfilled ambition, she blames herself for the events that led her to abandon her language studies and return to the UK.

Dot's mum has dementia and ends up in a care home, whilst her pushy sister Philippa wants to sell the family home. There are also issues at work, including a lecherous new boss.

An encounter with Mr Appleby, a charming elderly man who has lost a holdall containing, among other items, his late wife's clasp purse, is the catalyst for Dot to re-examine her life and find herself again.

I loved this book, with its way of tying the various lost items (and sometimes people) with journeys, memories, and relationships. It took a while for Dot to realise that she was just as lost as many of the items she catalogued, stop blaming herself for the past, and find happiness in the present.

What particularly struck me was how Helen Paris found just the right way to express how Dot was feeling, whether about the relationship with her father, the difficulties with her sister, the frustration with work colleagues, or the final realisation that she could move forward without feeling guilty. I felt invested in Dot and cared about her journey.

For anyone who has had, or is suffering from, mental health issues, this area is sensitively handled, but be aware that there are references to suicide that some may find upsetting. There is also a sexual assault.

The book, however, is ultimately uplifting and life-affirming, and the ending felt entirely right.

I was sent an advance review copy of this book by Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, in return for an honest appraisal.

There's a lot to love about this book - especially if you have a soft spot for a socially incompetent heroines who doubt themselves deeply. I'm reminded of Eleanor Oliphant - without quite so much alcoholism.

Dot Watson works in the Lost Property office at Baker Street station, tirelessly seeking to reconnect people with their lost items. Her life is structured around order - taking and recording details, putting items in the right categories, wearing the same ugly suit every day then heading home to her elderly mother's maisonette. Only mother's dementia now has her in a care home and Dot's sister wants to sell her mother's home.

It's sweet. It's funny. It's deeply moving without being overly soppy. And it addresses important social issues around homosexuality, doing the 'right' thing, and suicide.

The only part I didn't particularly find entertaining was the absinth-fuelled interactions with Sherlock Holmes which struck me as a bit silly and the book would have been better without them. Just because you call your character Watson and put her in Baker Street, you don't HAVE to bring in the old fella to help her out.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my copy.

Paris was the home of Dot Watson until twelve years ago when her life took her off course. Now Dot works at the lost property office in Baker Street, London, painstakingly cataloguing items that have been left behind, from brollies to prosthetic legs. She also visits her mother, a dementia sufferer, in the care home nearby.

Helen Paris astutely tells this story with observations about memory, family dynamics and the emotional value of objects. There’s a fair amount of humour and a little romance. There were a lot of unique characters especially in the case of the main character, Dot. The reader learns she has had her share of struggles and losses in life and I appreciated her dedication to her job. Her happiness at reuniting a lost item with its owner is very heartfelt. I recommend Lost Property very highly and I believe it to be an excellent début that is heavily focussed on forgiveness, acceptance, and hope. I eagerly await my next read from this promising author.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Doubleday via NetGalley at my request and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

Thank you Netgalley & publisher for this advanced copy of this book.

Unfortunately I was hoping for an audio version as I am visually impaired and the version of this pdf means I am struggling to increase font to read

I look forward to an audio version as i was very excited as it looks great!

Sorry and thank you once again for the opportunity.

A beautifully written book. Centered on Dot who works in lost property. Wonderfully characters and a lovely story.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I'm not usually a massive fan of books that focus mostly on character development as opposed to having a gripping plot line, but I really enjoyed this one. Dot was relatable (enough) and described in such a way that you could really connect with her and understand her loss and grief. I loved the world building and the book had the perfect amount of detail about the characters and the world around them. I would definitely recommend this book!