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The Lost
Roberta Kray's first novel, "The Debt," was published to universal acclaim: '"You might expect a crime novel written by the widow of Reggie Kray would be tough ... it is. Recommend this to fans of Ian Rankin and Ken Bruen"' ("Booklist").
In this third novel, there's more from the dangerous and unpredictable underworld she knows so well.
Private eye Harry Lind doesn't believe in ghosts. Little Grace Harper went missing over twenty years ago, and missing girls can't just reappear -- or can they? It takes a brutal murder to make him think again.
Reporter Jess Vaughan is convinced that Grace is still alive but she's going to need some help to prove it. As she and Harry begin to unravel an age-old web of deceit and betrayal their discoveries soon put them on a collision course with one of London's most notorious gangsters. The search for the truth is about to lead them into a world where people will kill to preserve their secrets.
In this third novel, there's more from the dangerous and unpredictable underworld she knows so well.
Private eye Harry Lind doesn't believe in ghosts. Little Grace Harper went missing over twenty years ago, and missing girls can't just reappear -- or can they? It takes a brutal murder to make him think again.
Reporter Jess Vaughan is convinced that Grace is still alive but she's going to need some help to prove it. As she and Harry begin to unravel an age-old web of deceit and betrayal their discoveries soon put them on a collision course with one of London's most notorious gangsters. The search for the truth is about to lead them into a world where people will kill to preserve their secrets.
244 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2008
59 people are currently reading
202 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
May 27, 2010
Not a bad whodunnit. I thought Ellen Shaw had more to hide then she was letting on. One litle niggle though it was a little bit too involved at times.
December 1, 2008
This is the first of Roberta Kray's books that I have read. I will look for the other two and for new ones as they are published. The story is solid, characters realistic, the main people intriguing, and side plots hold interest. I did not race through it, but was easily led back into the plot wherever I opened the book ( never used book marks ) and Harry Lind always rings true. Lind is the former police officer now private detective. He leads the unraveling of the story of a long dead child suddenly reappearing as a grown woman. The author leaves quite a bit of mystery about Harry's private life. His live-in relationship is crumbling, apparently because he has lost interest, and yet he thinks about almost nothing else through most of the book. Recommended detective fiction.
May 20, 2020
First read of this author. Extremely good plot, well written; succinctly brings home the darker side of London's gangs and their nefarious ways; definitely not for the faint-hearted / those of a nervous disposition! Will happily read more by this author in the future; in fact, I may go back to some of her earliest works
July 9, 2018
Great read
Brilliant story. Lots of twists. can't wait to read the next book already downloaded.. Totally hooked on this author. Highly recommended
Brilliant story. Lots of twists. can't wait to read the next book already downloaded.. Totally hooked on this author. Highly recommended
August 11, 2019
Another cracking read. Wasn't expecting that ending! Will re read the second book starring Jess and Harry!
March 5, 2020
I enjoyed. Perhaps the story had too much unnecessary detail in places. I found myself getting lost
April 11, 2021
If you like Martina Cole you will enjoy this, good story line,gangsters and seedy nightclubs, what’s not to like.
April 5, 2022
Very good lots of twists, enjoying read
January 16, 2025
Really good book 📖
May 24, 2010
RATING: 4.25
Len Curzon is a veteran reporter whose life is on a downward spiral. During the times that he's sober, he's still got what it takes to follow a good story. But those times are far and few between. At the moment, he's interviewing a low level gangster in a prison. It's going nowhere until he spies Paul Deacon and his beautiful female visitor across the room. Now there's a story! Paul was brought down many years earlier after killing his paramour, the son of a local crime leader named Jimmy Keppell, a real nasty piece of work if ever there was one. Len decides that maybe there's something happening here and follows the young woman as she leaves the prison. All at once, he is struck by an idea, a crazy one indeed, that this woman looks exactly like an 8-year-old girl who went missing twenty years earlier would if she were grown up. Seized by the thought, he begins to follow Ellen Shaw, never entirely sure that she is Grace Harper, but determined to find out one way or another. He calls on his only friend at the paper, Jess Vaughan, who chases down some facts for him but never reveals what he is thinking.
During one of his bar crawls, Len bumps into a copper named Harry Lind and floats his idea about a ghost coming back twenty years later. Harry thinks that Curzon is hallucinating. As it turns out, Harry is no longer with the police force as a result of a leg injury. He has become a private investigator working for David Mackenzie ("Mac"), but he's a reluctant PI at best. He doesn't find investigating insurance claims, serving writs and sneaking around after cheating spouses to be particularly meaningful. Little does he know that he's about to be involved in a serious investigation that will call on all the skills that he developed while a cop and more. Unhappy professionally, he is also facing the disintegration of his long-term relationship with his live-in lover, Valerie. More often than not, he makes his work a priority over his personal commitments; and Val has had more than enough.
When Len is murdered while conducting surveillance on Ellen, Jess reaches out to Harry to help figure out what Len was involved in that would threaten someone enough to kill him. At the moment, Harry is involved in another case with another low life whose brother-in-law has gone missing. He and Jess work out a deal to help each other with the things that they are working on.
The plot is very complicated and has many twists and turns; however, everything that happens in the book is part of an overall scheme and ultimately makes sense. The truth of the situations took me totally by surprise. I enjoyed the fact that everything wasn't crystal clear and predictable—the book was all the more believable because of that.
Kray does a superb job of depicting the dangerous London underworld, and the secondary characters are very well drawn. I really liked Harry Lind and will be searching out the two previous books in this series to learn more about him. He's a character that has a lot of flaws, and sometimes you just want to shout at him when he behaves stupidly, but he also has many admirable characteristics as well. By the end of the book, Harry's personal life is still a mess; I for one can only guess how that is going to turn out. The combination of excellent plotting, characterization and pacing means that I am eagerly awaiting future installments.
Len Curzon is a veteran reporter whose life is on a downward spiral. During the times that he's sober, he's still got what it takes to follow a good story. But those times are far and few between. At the moment, he's interviewing a low level gangster in a prison. It's going nowhere until he spies Paul Deacon and his beautiful female visitor across the room. Now there's a story! Paul was brought down many years earlier after killing his paramour, the son of a local crime leader named Jimmy Keppell, a real nasty piece of work if ever there was one. Len decides that maybe there's something happening here and follows the young woman as she leaves the prison. All at once, he is struck by an idea, a crazy one indeed, that this woman looks exactly like an 8-year-old girl who went missing twenty years earlier would if she were grown up. Seized by the thought, he begins to follow Ellen Shaw, never entirely sure that she is Grace Harper, but determined to find out one way or another. He calls on his only friend at the paper, Jess Vaughan, who chases down some facts for him but never reveals what he is thinking.
During one of his bar crawls, Len bumps into a copper named Harry Lind and floats his idea about a ghost coming back twenty years later. Harry thinks that Curzon is hallucinating. As it turns out, Harry is no longer with the police force as a result of a leg injury. He has become a private investigator working for David Mackenzie ("Mac"), but he's a reluctant PI at best. He doesn't find investigating insurance claims, serving writs and sneaking around after cheating spouses to be particularly meaningful. Little does he know that he's about to be involved in a serious investigation that will call on all the skills that he developed while a cop and more. Unhappy professionally, he is also facing the disintegration of his long-term relationship with his live-in lover, Valerie. More often than not, he makes his work a priority over his personal commitments; and Val has had more than enough.
When Len is murdered while conducting surveillance on Ellen, Jess reaches out to Harry to help figure out what Len was involved in that would threaten someone enough to kill him. At the moment, Harry is involved in another case with another low life whose brother-in-law has gone missing. He and Jess work out a deal to help each other with the things that they are working on.
The plot is very complicated and has many twists and turns; however, everything that happens in the book is part of an overall scheme and ultimately makes sense. The truth of the situations took me totally by surprise. I enjoyed the fact that everything wasn't crystal clear and predictable—the book was all the more believable because of that.
Kray does a superb job of depicting the dangerous London underworld, and the secondary characters are very well drawn. I really liked Harry Lind and will be searching out the two previous books in this series to learn more about him. He's a character that has a lot of flaws, and sometimes you just want to shout at him when he behaves stupidly, but he also has many admirable characteristics as well. By the end of the book, Harry's personal life is still a mess; I for one can only guess how that is going to turn out. The combination of excellent plotting, characterization and pacing means that I am eagerly awaiting future installments.
May 6, 2009
although i didn't enjoy the first book of hers i read, i enjoyed this one
December 3, 2010
I enjoy martina cole, and other similar authors but found this hard to 'get into'. Gave up about a third of the way through.
December 5, 2011
Couldn't finish it....
May 1, 2012
I didn't enjoy this book as much as her others perhaps too far fetched with too many unlikely twists and turns but maybe that's just me
October 6, 2013
kept me gripped!
March 20, 2014
first book this author has written & i was impressed kept me coming back for more :) easy to read & follow id recommend this book look forward to future books.
July 21, 2014
A trip into the violent and unpredictable underworld and search for the truth. Did not get into this.
September 23, 2014
Convoluted, but manages to hold your attention. This is the first of her books that I have read. I was sufficiently absorbed to cause me to look out for another Roberta Kray Novel.
May 15, 2015
Very similar to Martina Cole but not quite as gritty.
October 19, 2015
first book that i have read by roberta kray looking forward to reading some more of her books
March 6, 2016
loved it
April 21, 2016
if you like Martina Cole and mandasue heller you will love this. real thriller with lots of twists and turns. first read by this author but loved it
July 17, 2016
Excellent read. Full of human emotions along with their faults and brilliances.
Many twists and turns but they do tie up, eventually!
Many twists and turns but they do tie up, eventually!
August 12, 2021
Theres to many characters and after a while you forget who's who and nothing even happens in the first 100 pages it just drags on.This book could of easily been shorter.
August 4, 2015
good book enjoy roberta kray,s style of writing
April 28, 2016
Found this a long winding story to get to plot at the end when you have already worked it out
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews