Lost Property is truly beautiful. Dot works at the Lost Property office for London Transport. She is passionate about trying to reunite lost items with their owners - she herself knows what it is to be lost. Having given up on her dreams of travelling and using her languages degree, she leads a safe and small life. When Mr Appleby comes into the office one day searching for a lost item, there is something about his story that captivates her and little does she know, but in her quest to reunite him with his late wife's purse, she will embark on her own journey to salvation.

We learn about the tragic event that led to her quashing her dreams and she comes to know her Mum, in the throes of dementia, in a deeper and beautifully emotional way.

Dot is a wonderful heroine, raw and real. She's captivating and we, the reader feel her pain. And admire her courage when out of her deepest despair she finds her way back to the light and she chooses life.

Life-affirming and exquisitely crafted. Lost Property is a special story that I enjoyed every second of.

The notion of a novel set in a lost property office certainly piqued my interest although I was, at first, uncertain whether that was because I would find it boring or intriguing.
Paris successfully has us warming to her main character at the same time as accepting the inevitability of her somewhat dull personal life and outlook. As the pages turn and lost items are returned to their owners the reader becomes increasingly involved, although admittedly consistently wondering if anything really eventful will ever actually happen. Unfortunately when it did, it somehow seemed too abrupt and almost too rushed so verged on the slightly unrealistic for me.
However, this does provide a satisfying feel-good ending that made this very worthwhile reading.
Thank you to NetGalley and Transworld Publishers (Penguin Random House) for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is the story of Dot who works in the lost property office. She lives alone, in a maisonette eating tinned soup. Dot’s Mother has dementia and has been moved into a care home, Dot’s sister Phillippa is married with kids. Phillippa wants to find Dot a husband, to sell the maisonette which was their mother’s and find Dot a more reputable job. Lost Property has become Dot’s life - uniting various objects, clothing, baggage with their owners her mission. Dot’s life is unravelling. Changes are afoot at work and her home may be sold, some nights she doesn’t leave the office and increasingly she is haunted by events from the past and her father’s death.
There is so much of this story that I loved. I loved the descriptions of the objects, the sense of their belonging beyond simple ownership, the way they defined their owner. I loved the relationship between Phillippa and her sister. Dot feels that Phillippa has always owned the older sister role, humiliated her as a child. Phillippa and Dot disagree about how to support their Mother. Dot feels that she was the ‘mistake’. I loved the strong sense of the family - the two little girls, the Mum who used to sing on stage and now sings over the washing, the Father who retreats into his imagination, who loves to create adventures, who loves their uncle, who finds this world too hard. The feeling of grief and loss is tangible and the scenes of Dot and her Mother in the care home are beautifully evoked as Dot tries to help her Mother re-connect.

I did feel that the middle section of the book lost its grip on me and I am not entirely sure why but I struggled with the latter half of the book. With thanks to Netgalley and Random House for a digital copy of this book

“Lost Property itself has something of the past about it, like a museum, a depository of memories, a library of loss. I think that is why I have always felt at home here.”

Dot Watson has worked at the London Transport Lost Property office for twelve years where she finds satisfaction in taking care of lost items and reuniting them with their owners. Though once she planned to have a busy globe-trotting career, now she only travels vicariously via guidebooks saved from the Pit.

“You see, I know about loss. I know its shape, its weak spots, its corners and sharp edges. I have felt its coordinates. I have sewn its name into the back of its collar.”

A story of love, grief and guilt, we slowly learn how it is that Dot lost the future she dreamed of, instead finding herself living alone, never venturing further than the few miles it takes her to commute to work, or visit her bossy sister when summoned, or her mother’s care home. Dot is a sympathetic character, it’s clear she suffers from some anxiety and carries a heavy burden. She sees herself as abandoned and unwanted like many of the items in the lost property that remain unclaimed.

‘They . . . objects are time machines, in a way; they can recall . . . the people we have lost.’

Something is triggered in Dot when a Mr. John Appelby comes searching for his late wife’s holdall, accidentally left behind on the number 73 bus. In combination with her sister’s insistence that they sell their mother’s maisonette where Dot is living, her mother’s worsening dementia, and changes at work, Dot begins to lose her grip on herself. Paris handles Dot’s increasing emotional distress with sensitivity, and the major events she confronts with genuine compassion.

"There's a difference though, between being lost and being left".

Paris makes astute observations about memory, family dynamics, and of course the emotional value of objects. There is more tragedy in Lost Property than I expected, though ultimately there is also forgiveness, acceptance, and hope. There’s some humour, and even a little romance.

“Found: Holdall Details: Leather (golden syrup) Woman’s purse (bluey-lilac) Bulbs (tulip) Trowel Place: 73 bus”

Told with warmth and tenderness, each chapter is headed with a tag, like those Dot attaches to the lost objects in her care, bearing the details of something lost, or found, not just objects like Appleby’s holdall, but also people, and intangibles. I found it a little slow and seemingly directionless to start with, but was soon drawn in by Dot.

“...ordinary objects, extraordinary objects, objects that contain in their bodies a memory, a moment, a trace of a life lived, a person loved.”

An accomplished debut from Helen Paris, Lost Property is a touching and poignant novel.

A beautifully written book, the author uses words well to paint pictures. I loved some of the descriptive phrases and was surprised that it was a debut novel such was the quality of the writing.
A quirky, interesting story of Dot who not only works in the lost property office but is a bit of a lost soul herself.
Very readable but this book covers some tough and sensitive issues so maybe not best read when you are feeling vulnerable as you can't help but feel empathy for Dot.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance copy for an honest review.

I really loved this book with all its iOS and downs. Some of it was funny and quaint but other parts of the story was very sad. But, luckily this book had a happy ending which left me feeling happy and satisfied. It’s the kind of book that stays in your mind for quite awhile just like Eleanor Olliphant did. A book worth reading. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Nicely quirky, our understated heroine Dot Watson gets our interest piqued right from the start. Then it begins to get darker....

I cried lots of tears all through this book, sometimes sad, sometimes happier.
An extraordinary story.

“Loss is the price we pay for love”

Dot Watson had worked at the London Transport Lost Property office for a long time. She enjoyed the intrigue, the reuniting of special items with their owners, the cataloguing and marking everything off. But when the manager, Brian, left and another person none of them liked, stepped into his place, things changed, and nothing was the same. Unhappy customers, and unhappy staff.

Dot’s mother, Gail, was in the nearby nursing home with dementia. Her sister Philippa was married with two small children and settled in her ways – still bossy and telling Dot what to do. When one of those things was that their mother’s house had to be sold – also Dot’s home – Dot found herself lost. And with Mr Appleby, the kind and lost soul who had misplaced his satchel, Dot was determined to return it to him. It became her goal. Would Dot manage to find her way in life again?

Lost Property is the debut novel by Helen Paris and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Delightful characters with heartbreaking moments, heartwarming ones as well – Dot was an excellent narrator. As the details of what happened twelve years prior gradually came to light, I felt such empathy for Dot. Lost Property kept me captivated as I followed along with the different characters. Highly recommended.

With thanks to Julia Teece, Penguin Random House UK via NetGalley for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

A very enjoyable book. I did find the quirky style difficult to get used to initially. A pleasant change to have a book that doesn't fit into an obvious category. Hopefully this won't be a one off by Paris.
This is an honest review of a complementary ARC.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Let me start by saying I didn't hate this book but I wasn't overly impressed with it either. This had an extremely slow start and I struggled to push through because Dot seemed like the most boring person in the world. Many unnecessary descriptions were filler and could have significantly cut down the start of this book.

Unfortunately, this wasn't the book for me.

Twelve years ago, Dot Watson’s 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 . . .

This was slightly different to what I was expecting. It starts of quite slow, and it did take me some time to actually get into it.

What I enjoyed the most in this book, was learning how the Lost Property office actually functions. I too have lost quite a few things in public transport, but I never really considered that there might actually be a dedicated office which takes the effort to collect and tag the lost items.

There were a lot of unique characters especially the main character, Dot. As we read along we get to know that she has had her fair share of struggles and losses in life. Though I didn’t favor the way she leads her life, I appreciate her dedication and seriousness towards her job. Her happiness at reuniting a lost item with its owner is something very beautiful and heartfelt.

Oh! And I also loved how each chapter began with a lost property label, I felt that was an excellent idea!

Overall, an enjoyable read.

Thank You to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for this ARC!

A moving and thought provoking read centred around loss in many forms and finding yourself. I found this an immersive read, I needed to read on and was captivated by the story, watching it unfold and play out. Despite the sad subject matter the reading is brimful of warmth. This is an enjoyable read and well worth picking up.

Thank you Netgalley.

From the blurb this book sounded just like the sort if thing I would enjoy reading. Unfortunately this lol was not for me. I ended up giving up on it at 39%. I felt that there was a lot of unnecessary descriptions and waffle and I didn't warm to the main character Dot either.
Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for the chance if an early read.

I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

This is a debut novel and a great one.

I read this on a rainy dull day snuggled under a blanket with a cup of tea - a wonderful day spent as far as I'm concerned

Loved it

Recommend it

An excellent debut novel by Helen Paris. Dot has had some sad events in her earlier life but puts her heart into her job working in a lost property office. Looking forward to more books by Helen.

This book is filled with heartbreak, guilt, loss and secrets. I found this to be a journey of self discovery, forgiveness and new beginnings.

I really liked the lost property office and the unique characters that work there. I also loved reading the descriptions about the lost items and thought that the picture of the tag was a cute addition. The thing that confused me the most was definitely how old Dot was supposed to be. At times she came across like an old woman but then other times I thought she was younger.

It absolutely broke my heart to learn the truth about her dad and everything he went through.

I recieved an advanced copy for free, and this is my honest opinion.

Dot Watson takes her job very serious and likes nothing better than reuniting a lost item found on the London Transport network, back with its rightful owner. Dot has worked diligently over the last 12 years, ever since something happened, that she felt responsible for. She is living a life in limbo, a little like the unclaimed items that she catalogues every day. There is nothing that she likes better than to reunite a lost item with its owner.

Although Dot is living in limbo, life around her continues. It is strange how easy it is to accept things as a normal life when we knew no better as children. Whatever our childhood is, it is how we see it for everyone. When everyday life is rocked for Dot, it seems that a chain of events is to follow.

Everything that Dot sees as solid foundations collapses in the story. It is sad at times, but sometimes we have to move back to move forward. I liked Dot’s mum and dad, that had so much in common and loved each other despite the times.

It is such a deep and tragic story in so many respects, at a time when what people thought, was life-changing. It is a hard-hitting story that took a lot of working out for me, but that was the point.


An era from the past captured with perfection.

I wish to thank Net Galley and the publisher for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.

I'm sure that this is a lovely book, but I'm afraid that I couldn't get into it. I did try but unfortunately didn't finish it. As I have the ARC, I may try again in the future.

Dot works at TFL lost property office and has done so for more years than she can care to remember. They keep things for 3 months and get more than most would imagine through their doors. Who loses an artificial leg, a grandfather clock and various bits of ephemera? The other part of her life was caring for her mother who is now in a home and Dot lives in her apartment having moved in when her mother needed help. Mr Appleby has been to the lost property office a few times looking for his wifes bag which has not yet appeared. Dot feels for him and tells him that it's still early days and could still be handed in, when in reality she knows that there is little hope of it arriving after all this time. When the bag arrives, Dot makes it her mission to return it and meanwhile her own life changes.
I loved reading this- it came with a smile and a little side of poignant at times. Dot is although quiet, in her own way a larger than life character but hasn’t quite found her way of showing it- perhaps there’s that something in all of us? One to reflect on one's own childhood and parentage. Of hope and loss, of joy and tears. A different read in a very good way. One life- live it.
(amazon done- misfits farm)

Just the read to escape a global pandemic - whitty, packed full of delightfully quirky characters and touchingly feel good. Thoroughly enjoyed it!