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The Lost Girls
Rose MacLeod must solve the puzzle of her impossible life… Or lose it forever.
Edinburgh student, Rose MacLeod, has been missing time for as long as she can remember. Days and weeks disappear, leaving terrifying gaps in her memory.
Now she is seeing horrifying visions; waking nightmares of violence and death. Around the world young women like her are being killed, and Rose has a ringside seat.
Mal Fergusson was raised to hunt demons in the cities and mountains of Scotland. With his father dead and his brother in a coma, he no longer believes in the grand battle between good and evil. Instead, he scrapes a living as an investigator and occasional hitman for the supernatural Mafia of Edinburgh and tells himself that as long as he doesn’t kill humans, he isn't truly lost.
Tensions are rising in Scotland’s capital and Mal must capture Rose to keep his demonic boss sweet – but is he really willing to harm an innocent to do so?
However, there is much more to Rose than meets the eye…
The Lost Girls is a dark and twisty supernatural thriller, perfect for fans of Stephen King and Neil Gaiman.
Edinburgh student, Rose MacLeod, has been missing time for as long as she can remember. Days and weeks disappear, leaving terrifying gaps in her memory.
Now she is seeing horrifying visions; waking nightmares of violence and death. Around the world young women like her are being killed, and Rose has a ringside seat.
Mal Fergusson was raised to hunt demons in the cities and mountains of Scotland. With his father dead and his brother in a coma, he no longer believes in the grand battle between good and evil. Instead, he scrapes a living as an investigator and occasional hitman for the supernatural Mafia of Edinburgh and tells himself that as long as he doesn’t kill humans, he isn't truly lost.
Tensions are rising in Scotland’s capital and Mal must capture Rose to keep his demonic boss sweet – but is he really willing to harm an innocent to do so?
However, there is much more to Rose than meets the eye…
The Lost Girls is a dark and twisty supernatural thriller, perfect for fans of Stephen King and Neil Gaiman.
Audiobook
First published January 20, 2019
270 people are currently reading
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About the author
Sarah Painter
58 books907 followersSarah Painter is the author of the bestselling magical novel, The Language of Spells, and its follow-up, The Secrets of Ghosts.
She has written 'book club' fiction with atmospheric settings and historical elements (In The Light of What We See and Beneath The Water), and a 'wonderfully dark and twisty' supernatural thriller, The Lost Girls.
Sarah's latest venture is an exciting new urban fantasy series, Crow Investigations. Yes, she finds it hard to stick to one genre!
Before writing books, Sarah Painter worked as a freelance magazine journalist, blogger and editor, combining this 'career' with amateur child-wrangling (AKA motherhood).
Sarah lives in rural Scotland with her husband and children. She drinks too much tea, loves the work of Joss Whedon, and is the proud owner of a writing shed.
She has written 'book club' fiction with atmospheric settings and historical elements (In The Light of What We See and Beneath The Water), and a 'wonderfully dark and twisty' supernatural thriller, The Lost Girls.
Sarah's latest venture is an exciting new urban fantasy series, Crow Investigations. Yes, she finds it hard to stick to one genre!
Before writing books, Sarah Painter worked as a freelance magazine journalist, blogger and editor, combining this 'career' with amateur child-wrangling (AKA motherhood).
Sarah lives in rural Scotland with her husband and children. She drinks too much tea, loves the work of Joss Whedon, and is the proud owner of a writing shed.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
March 5, 2020
This started out entertaining enough, but the longer it went on, the more I found my attention wandering. The idea for the story is solid, but for a supernatural thriller, there’s almost no world building whatsoever. The one character who is even remotely interesting also happens to be the only one with any real backstory. (Sure, that backstory involves a pair of brothers who hunt demons and were trained to do so by their deceased father. So... like a Scottish Sam and Dean Winchester. But that’s cool, I guess.)
Where I really got annoyed though, was where our hero fights creatures that aren’t even described to the reader other than, “He was facing the couple, who now appeared less like people and more like something else.” and, “the female thing swung an arm that no longer looked like an arm.”
It felt as though the author didn’t feel like putting much effort into the details, was too rushed, or lost her enthusiasm for the story as it went on. As a result, I lost mine, too.
Bonus fun fact: this book includes the word “craptitudious.” Yeah, it confused me too.
Where I really got annoyed though, was where our hero fights creatures that aren’t even described to the reader other than, “He was facing the couple, who now appeared less like people and more like something else.” and, “the female thing swung an arm that no longer looked like an arm.”
It felt as though the author didn’t feel like putting much effort into the details, was too rushed, or lost her enthusiasm for the story as it went on. As a result, I lost mine, too.
Bonus fun fact: this book includes the word “craptitudious.” Yeah, it confused me too.
February 6, 2022
This Scottish urban fantasy takes place in Edinburgh and revolves around the storylines of Rose and Mal.
Student Rose MacLeod has been losing time and memories for as long as she can remember. Now these black-outs alternate with horrifying visions of violent murder scenes.
Mal Fergusson and his brother were trained by their now deceased father to hunt demons. As his brother is in coma, he's on his own now and he scrapes a living as an investigator and occasional hitman for the supernatural Mafia of Edinburgh.
When around the world young women like Rose are being killed, the paths of these main characters cross.
The atmospheric beginning and the questions that were evoked immediately grabbed me.
Till around 30% of the book I thought this was going to be a 4*.
Unfortunately, after a while the story begins to drag and the main characters take decisions that don't always seem in line with how they were depicted earlier.
Nevertheless, this book certainly was an enjoyable read.
Student Rose MacLeod has been losing time and memories for as long as she can remember. Now these black-outs alternate with horrifying visions of violent murder scenes.
Mal Fergusson and his brother were trained by their now deceased father to hunt demons. As his brother is in coma, he's on his own now and he scrapes a living as an investigator and occasional hitman for the supernatural Mafia of Edinburgh.
When around the world young women like Rose are being killed, the paths of these main characters cross.
The atmospheric beginning and the questions that were evoked immediately grabbed me.
Till around 30% of the book I thought this was going to be a 4*.
Unfortunately, after a while the story begins to drag and the main characters take decisions that don't always seem in line with how they were depicted earlier.
Nevertheless, this book certainly was an enjoyable read.
September 21, 2019
This is a book that kept me curious but confused throughout, awaiting the next twist and trying to figure out what was what and who was what and who was who. To me, it felt like we were discovering the truth alongside Rose and navigating the strange new world she was waking up in.
I found that all the characters were brilliantly rendered and in depth, though the romance element was a bit puzzling in its suddenness. Edinburgh was a perfect setting for the story and that leant another layer of wonder.
It was written wonderfully and was consistently engaging. I look forward to any future books by the author.
I found that all the characters were brilliantly rendered and in depth, though the romance element was a bit puzzling in its suddenness. Edinburgh was a perfect setting for the story and that leant another layer of wonder.
It was written wonderfully and was consistently engaging. I look forward to any future books by the author.
May 17, 2024
Listened on audiable.
2.5🌟
This had so much potential and started off really well had good plot I was enjoying this for the first few chapters then it just seemed to get a bit lost. It's like the story didn't seem to gather the full momentum it could have unfortunately its like the conclusion was pretty much given at the beginning leaving little space or scope for more of a story to evolve. Sadly leaving me disappointed with this one and therefore not quite making the 3stars for me.
2.5🌟
This had so much potential and started off really well had good plot I was enjoying this for the first few chapters then it just seemed to get a bit lost. It's like the story didn't seem to gather the full momentum it could have unfortunately its like the conclusion was pretty much given at the beginning leaving little space or scope for more of a story to evolve. Sadly leaving me disappointed with this one and therefore not quite making the 3stars for me.
May 5, 2019
THE LOST GIRLS is a dark supernatural thriller about a university student in historic Edinburgh who inadvertently commences experiencing realistic visions of the deaths of young women much like herself, and of a young man trained by his father since the age of seven to be a demon hunter. A sensorily engaging novel, readers easily empathize with Rose and desire to solve the puzzling mystery.
February 14, 2025
+1 star for Edinburgh being the setting. Otherwise, the story for me was quite mid and it took me quite some while to understand what is actually happening.
November 29, 2021
I made it to within fifty or sixty pages of the end of this, and finally put myself out of my misery by abandoning it. It had been dragging on for a long time, and I finally realized I had to force myself to go back and read a few more pages, and a few more a while later, and a few more the day after that. At that rate I'd be finishing sometime next year. The mystery was interesting - the girl who keeps missing time, and the friend who raised suspicions in me, ghosts and demons and a hunter I suspected of being schizophrenic ... but when the mystery began to be unraveled I got bored. And annoyed. I may have reached the end of the line with this author. I enjoyed the Lydia Crow novels well enough, though less as the series went on; Painter is a good writer, in terms of character and language. I'm just not in love with her stories.
January 28, 2024
An entertaining read, and more a 3 1/2. I really liked the characters, and found it really refreshing that the ending wasn't what I was expecting. And that's a GOOD thing.
August 11, 2022
I was really drawn to this concept. It felt like a new spin on an old formula, so I was eager to read.
Painter's prose is wonderful and poetic. The way she describes elements of disassociation and intrusive thoughts was very true to lived-in experiences of people who have had similar conditions.
The characters were well plotted and had interesting unique view points.
But the actual fantasy elements of the story were severely lacking. There was clearly a world set in Painter's vision - with a magical system too - but very little of it was put onto the page in a way that felt clear and comprehensive. And in terms of writing about the nature of 'monster hunting' and combat, the story felt uneven and poorly done. You never quite understood the scope of Mal's physical abilities or felt any genuine jeopardy during any conflict.
The ending was also ... a little odd and felt like it was pulled out of nowhere. Deus Ex-machina. Quite literally.
So while I enjoyed some parts of the book - and Painter's prose - I will not be giving it a second read.
Painter's prose is wonderful and poetic. The way she describes elements of disassociation and intrusive thoughts was very true to lived-in experiences of people who have had similar conditions.
The characters were well plotted and had interesting unique view points.
But the actual fantasy elements of the story were severely lacking. There was clearly a world set in Painter's vision - with a magical system too - but very little of it was put onto the page in a way that felt clear and comprehensive. And in terms of writing about the nature of 'monster hunting' and combat, the story felt uneven and poorly done. You never quite understood the scope of Mal's physical abilities or felt any genuine jeopardy during any conflict.
The ending was also ... a little odd and felt like it was pulled out of nowhere. Deus Ex-machina. Quite literally.
So while I enjoyed some parts of the book - and Painter's prose - I will not be giving it a second read.
February 7, 2019
This is a modern, pacey, supernatural thriller set in Edinburgh. I’m not usually a fan of supernatural thrillers but this book won me over due to its interesting plot, strong characters and fast moving action. Rose McLeod is a first year student at Edinburgh Uni with no friends except the charismatic Astrid. But Rose keeps having blackouts, finding when she wakes that time has passed that she can’t account for. In the meantime demons inhabit the streets of Edinburgh, unrecognised to most humans going about their everyday lives. Mal Fergusson has been trained to spot and destroy them but is struggling to make sense of his purpose while his brother lies in a hospital bed on life support. In the meantime girls in different parts of the world are being killed for no apparent reason. Well written with believable characters and naturalistic dialogue, this dark modern tale of good and evil would make a great TV series or movie. Thoroughly enjoyed it, even though I’m not usually a fan of this genre of writing.
July 31, 2019
SPOILERY OPINION :
I'm thinking 2.75 stars rounded up. I found this book entertaining but confusing. The jumps between MCs is one thing, although sometimes confusing, but I disliked the parts where the POV was the victim's. Even Mary King's POV was meh to me.
I loved Mal. The others, not so much. When you start to figure out what's going on, the story becomes... I don't know. Cold? Like now that she figured out who/what she is, everything is so small and meaningless to Rose in hindsight. Like all that happened didn't matter. Oh and Mal's life is magically fixed and he never knew his brother was in a coma... la-di-da all is well.
So yeah. The writing itself is good. I liked the first half better. Disliked the ending. POV changes are frustrating/annoying.
I'm thinking 2.75 stars rounded up. I found this book entertaining but confusing. The jumps between MCs is one thing, although sometimes confusing, but I disliked the parts where the POV was the victim's. Even Mary King's POV was meh to me.
I loved Mal. The others, not so much. When you start to figure out what's going on, the story becomes... I don't know. Cold? Like now that she figured out who/what she is, everything is so small and meaningless to Rose in hindsight. Like all that happened didn't matter. Oh and Mal's life is magically fixed and he never knew his brother was in a coma... la-di-da all is well.
So yeah. The writing itself is good. I liked the first half better. Disliked the ending. POV changes are frustrating/annoying.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 7, 2019
This is a bit of an odd read. The events that start the story, leave you in a sort of limbo, trying to work out where they fit in with the rest of what is happening. It will make sense once you reach the end and can fit all the different parts together. The main characters are Rose, a student, who seems to always be losing time and unable to remember her past; Mal a hunter of evil supernatural beings, but now working for these evil supernatural beings to earn a living, going against everything his father taught him and his brother; and Astrid, a friend to Rose who is always around when she comes to, from her missed time and works as a ghost tour guide in Edinburgh.
Mal is sent by Pringle, a demon leader, to bring a special girl to him, no questions asked, but soon finds himself wondering who or more specifically, ‘what’ the girl is. He can see no signs of her being a demon, from his training, but neither is she human. The other demon leader is called Mary King and she and Pringle have had a peace treaty working for decades, with a share of the city and its residents and supernatural beings under their control and using them for their own purposes. Rose starts to get more graphic memories from her ‘time-out’ periods, of violent deaths, with her own hands seen covered in blood.
Mal finds Rose and tries to take her, but soon finds out she is not quite what he expected, nor like anything he has ever seen before. She has no memory of what powers she may have nor how to use them. A bit of a dangerous mix for Mal and makes it so much more difficult for him to fulfil his job for Pringle. He wants to rescue his brother, who is in a coma and being used as a threat for him to complete this task, or else! He really wanted a ‘normal’ life, but his childhood and family life have made him a hunter and investigator of evil and danger. So long as he doesn’t harm an innocent, he can still live with himself.
A story of supernatural beings and those who wish to gain more power for themselves, set in the wonderful city of Edinburgh and its surrounds. A lot of the locations being described are true to the real city itself and there are a few wee snippets of language used, to add to the local feel. A bit of the brothers from Supernatural, the TV show, fighting against demons and evil, but having to work with an angel and other beings with different agendas. The separate tales of girls being killed, will actually make sense as you reach the end of the book and there is a bit of a twist in time, to the ending.
You are left for most of the book, trying to work out the relationship between Astrid and Rose and how they are meant to interact. Who is the ‘alpha’ and what exactly are they? An interesting look at hunters, supernatural beings and the power struggle between the demonic leaders. Some of the ‘dream’ sequences or blackouts are a little hard to decipher and make little sense, but this is the wat the author has left the story to unfold. Certainly different! I received an ARC copy of this book from Hidden Gems and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
Mal is sent by Pringle, a demon leader, to bring a special girl to him, no questions asked, but soon finds himself wondering who or more specifically, ‘what’ the girl is. He can see no signs of her being a demon, from his training, but neither is she human. The other demon leader is called Mary King and she and Pringle have had a peace treaty working for decades, with a share of the city and its residents and supernatural beings under their control and using them for their own purposes. Rose starts to get more graphic memories from her ‘time-out’ periods, of violent deaths, with her own hands seen covered in blood.
Mal finds Rose and tries to take her, but soon finds out she is not quite what he expected, nor like anything he has ever seen before. She has no memory of what powers she may have nor how to use them. A bit of a dangerous mix for Mal and makes it so much more difficult for him to fulfil his job for Pringle. He wants to rescue his brother, who is in a coma and being used as a threat for him to complete this task, or else! He really wanted a ‘normal’ life, but his childhood and family life have made him a hunter and investigator of evil and danger. So long as he doesn’t harm an innocent, he can still live with himself.
A story of supernatural beings and those who wish to gain more power for themselves, set in the wonderful city of Edinburgh and its surrounds. A lot of the locations being described are true to the real city itself and there are a few wee snippets of language used, to add to the local feel. A bit of the brothers from Supernatural, the TV show, fighting against demons and evil, but having to work with an angel and other beings with different agendas. The separate tales of girls being killed, will actually make sense as you reach the end of the book and there is a bit of a twist in time, to the ending.
You are left for most of the book, trying to work out the relationship between Astrid and Rose and how they are meant to interact. Who is the ‘alpha’ and what exactly are they? An interesting look at hunters, supernatural beings and the power struggle between the demonic leaders. Some of the ‘dream’ sequences or blackouts are a little hard to decipher and make little sense, but this is the wat the author has left the story to unfold. Certainly different! I received an ARC copy of this book from Hidden Gems and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
March 27, 2019
Edinburgh student, Rose MacLeod, has been losing time for as long as she can remember. Days and weeks just disappear, leaving her with terrifying gaps in her memory. Now she is seeing disturbing visions; waking nightmares of violence and death. Around the world young women like her are being killed and Rose appears to have a ringside seat.
Mal Fergusson was raised to hunt demons in the cities and mountains of Scotland. With his father dead and his brother in a coma, he no longer believes in the grand battle between good and evil. Instead, he scrapes a living as an investigator and occasional hitman for the supernatural Mafia of Edinburgh and tells himself that as long as he doesn’t kill humans, he isn’t truly lost. His increasing alcohol dependence tells another tale.
Tensions are rising in Scotland’s capital and Mal must capture Rose to keep his demonic boss sweet – but is he really willing to harm an innocent to do so? I’m a big fan of Sarah Painter and her supernatural themes but this one was just a step too far for me. The Lost Girls twists and turns and often leaves you wondering what exactly is going on. The confusing tale of Rose and her memory lapses does require you to pay quite a lot of attention – not exactly relaxing holiday reading. That said it is an interesting start to a new series and I look forward to seeing where this one goes.
Supplied by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Mal Fergusson was raised to hunt demons in the cities and mountains of Scotland. With his father dead and his brother in a coma, he no longer believes in the grand battle between good and evil. Instead, he scrapes a living as an investigator and occasional hitman for the supernatural Mafia of Edinburgh and tells himself that as long as he doesn’t kill humans, he isn’t truly lost. His increasing alcohol dependence tells another tale.
Tensions are rising in Scotland’s capital and Mal must capture Rose to keep his demonic boss sweet – but is he really willing to harm an innocent to do so? I’m a big fan of Sarah Painter and her supernatural themes but this one was just a step too far for me. The Lost Girls twists and turns and often leaves you wondering what exactly is going on. The confusing tale of Rose and her memory lapses does require you to pay quite a lot of attention – not exactly relaxing holiday reading. That said it is an interesting start to a new series and I look forward to seeing where this one goes.
Supplied by the author in exchange for an honest review.
June 9, 2024
I enjoyed the setup and worldbuilding (what little there was) in this novel. The prose wasn't bad either. However there are many plot holes, which ruin the experience somewhat. The magic system is not set up propperly and the final answer to the mystery felt somewhat abrupt, pulled out of nowhere.
January 26, 2019
The Lost Girls is a page turning supernatural thriller. Rose a student at Edinburgh University keeps losing chunks of time, blacking out only to resurface hours or even days later and if that wasn't bad enough she is experiencing strange visions of terrible violence. Meanwhile Mal Ferguson who used to hunt demons finds himself working for one. He is tasked with finding out about the strange disappearances of young girls and he's been told to track down one very special girl, who has abilities that even demons covet. With a supernatural gang war about to erupt and creatures hunting them both Mal and Rose's paths cross with explosive consequences. A thrilling tale that compelled me throughout. A perfect read for all of Sarah's fans old and new but also for fans of Helen Slavin, Anna McKerrow, Neil Gaiman, Ben Aaronovitch and Laura Laakso.
February 22, 2020
This pleasantly surprised me. I'm not really sure what I was expecting when I went into this book, but it was an interesting, quick read that left me wanting more.
- a creepy, thriller style paranormal
- mal - a complete cutie and badass demon hunter. the best thing about mal is that he doesn't take everything at face value.
- rose was a well fleshed-out character, I really saw her journey as she learned things and I liked that
I was really confused at a lot of points and not going to lie, I'm still a bit confused even after finishing the book. I still don't really understand what Rose is??
I also think it ended really abruptly and I guess these two parts combined are big enough to knock off a star for me.
however, this was an enjoyable read and I do really like Sarah's writing and look forward to reading more from her.
4 stars!
- a creepy, thriller style paranormal
- mal - a complete cutie and badass demon hunter. the best thing about mal is that he doesn't take everything at face value.
- rose was a well fleshed-out character, I really saw her journey as she learned things and I liked that
I was really confused at a lot of points and not going to lie, I'm still a bit confused even after finishing the book. I still don't really understand what Rose is??
I also think it ended really abruptly and I guess these two parts combined are big enough to knock off a star for me.
however, this was an enjoyable read and I do really like Sarah's writing and look forward to reading more from her.
4 stars!
February 23, 2020
I did enjoy this book, the author’s writing style was engaging and the fact that the story was set in Edinburgh really added to the atmosphere. The idea was fantastic and captivating, and the world was really intriguing but my main issue was that it was never all that well explained for me. Aspects of the world were blithely mentioned with no real explanation and I found it detracted from my enjoyment of the book because I was confused as to the intricacies of the plot and thus did not feel like I was drawn into the story enough to really connect with the characters. I would definitely read more from the writer but I’m hoping her other books have more world development to add depth to the story.
February 28, 2024
I love Sarah Painter's The Crow Investigations series, and I thought I'd give this book a go.
The premise is great. University student Rose is blacking out and losing time. Demon hunter Mal has been asked to bring Rose to a high level demon, but he has doubts about whether or not he should.
I love the premise of this book, and also the actual story and characters were gripping. While I rated this book so low is because the story is told through different view points and is often hard to follow (but perhaps that was because I listened to it rather than reading it), but the story was perhaps a little disjointed.
Still, it's worth a listen/read if you enjoy contemporary paranormal books.
The premise is great. University student Rose is blacking out and losing time. Demon hunter Mal has been asked to bring Rose to a high level demon, but he has doubts about whether or not he should.
I love the premise of this book, and also the actual story and characters were gripping. While I rated this book so low is because the story is told through different view points and is often hard to follow (but perhaps that was because I listened to it rather than reading it), but the story was perhaps a little disjointed.
Still, it's worth a listen/read if you enjoy contemporary paranormal books.
November 22, 2024
First of all I did really enjoy this book and generally like Sarah Painter’s writing and have read all her books. I love the urban fantasy aspect and there was enough mystery and twists and turns to keep me hooked. However there are definitely some flaws (which are actually recurring in a lot of her books) in that the world building is pretty lacking. There was no explanation of where rose and Astrid came from, what they were even or even their motives. Likewise for Pringle and Mary King. I just wanted to know more. If this had been the start of a series then I would expect to find out more in the other books but it’s a stand alone novel so there will be no answers! And this is ultimately frustrating. I’ll always pick up a Sarah painter book but I would like to ask her to please do more to set the scene and explain these magical creatures!
December 16, 2019
Fascinating, frightening, mind-expanding
I really liked Sarah Painter 's first couple of books, and was disappointed by the Raven series, but this was so different - unique, unpredictable, and definitely dark and twisty.
I'm a huge Buffy fan and see some of that in this (though, unfortunately, not as much humor), but that's the only touchstone I have to compare it to. I read voraciously, but put down books to get other things done. Not this one. I had to keep going back to see what was going to happen next. Read it in less than 24 hours despite work and a full night's sleep.
Great job, Sarah Painter!
I really liked Sarah Painter 's first couple of books, and was disappointed by the Raven series, but this was so different - unique, unpredictable, and definitely dark and twisty.
I'm a huge Buffy fan and see some of that in this (though, unfortunately, not as much humor), but that's the only touchstone I have to compare it to. I read voraciously, but put down books to get other things done. Not this one. I had to keep going back to see what was going to happen next. Read it in less than 24 hours despite work and a full night's sleep.
Great job, Sarah Painter!
July 7, 2022
I really enjoyed this book for numerous subjective reasons. I adore the city of Edinburgh and I liked how it's mystery as well as modern life were portrayed in this book. Also I love this level of Urban Fantasy, where supernatural elements are treated as something inevitable, more annoying and troublesome than plain exciting. Hunting monsters is an occupation that I found interesting ever since the first season of Supernatural aired and the gritty yet heartfelt tone of this story really spoke to me.
Last but not least, there should be more novels that tell the love story of a devine woman and a mortal man, I wish there would be a sequel to this to explore their relationship more!
Last but not least, there should be more novels that tell the love story of a devine woman and a mortal man, I wish there would be a sequel to this to explore their relationship more!
May 4, 2019
I loved this book! It started a bit confusing with many plots of different people. But it picked my interest and I was hooked. The story slowly unfolds but there is always some mystery keeping you on edge. And to figure out what is going on isn't at all easy, if you think you are on the right way it just turns out to be something different.
I also liked the different kind of magic involved.
5 stars for keeping me up reading until the wee hours.
Only one minor glitch/discrepancy:
I also liked the different kind of magic involved.
5 stars for keeping me up reading until the wee hours.
Only one minor glitch/discrepancy:
October 23, 2020
I'm only giving this three stars because it was really disjointed in the beginning. There were a lot of jarring jumps between scenes throughout, but they started making more sense later in the book so weren't quite as bad, but it was hard to track what was happening. I had to work a little harder than I usually like to keep going. That said, I really enjoyed the characters and the premise and the undercurrent of magic in modern places.
January 23, 2022
Well, that was surprisingly dark. I have come to Sarah Painter though her Crow Investigations series, which has quite a light tone. this does not. This is dark and serious and mysterious and very good. It is compelling reading, with an completely unexpected plot. Every time I thought I knew what was going on I found out I did not. The ending is bitter-sweet, and just a little bit abrupt for my tastes.
February 22, 2019
Demon hunters, ghosts, and restless spirits abound in this fast-paced thriller. Rose and Agnes share a bond closer than friendship or family. Agnes is obsessed with late nights out, men, and hot chocolate, while Rose depends on the steadying influences of school and home. They're two normal freshmen girls. What could the underworld possibly want with them?
April 28, 2019
Good read
I enjoyed this book and discovering what was actually happening made it hard to put down. I was quite surprised by the ending and maybe a little disappointed too, but I guess it was the only way that it could without being a bit daft. I can't actually make my mind up, but I definitely love this author.
I enjoyed this book and discovering what was actually happening made it hard to put down. I was quite surprised by the ending and maybe a little disappointed too, but I guess it was the only way that it could without being a bit daft. I can't actually make my mind up, but I definitely love this author.
January 13, 2020
3.5*
‘Books were often powerful. People assumed this was because of the words inside, but that wasn’t quite correct. People held books for a long time, they concentrated on them, they communed. They worshipped. That was what books gave - some books - power. The hush in a library was reverential for good reason.’ (Chapter 15, The Lost Girls)
‘Books were often powerful. People assumed this was because of the words inside, but that wasn’t quite correct. People held books for a long time, they concentrated on them, they communed. They worshipped. That was what books gave - some books - power. The hush in a library was reverential for good reason.’ (Chapter 15, The Lost Girls)
September 9, 2020
I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this book. The story line was great and had me confused (in a good way) and wanting to read more. However the beginning is slow and hard to get into and I felt the ending was a bit rushed.
For creativity and suspense this book deserves 4.5 stars but the beginning and the rushed ending let's it down for me.
For creativity and suspense this book deserves 4.5 stars but the beginning and the rushed ending let's it down for me.
didn-t-finish
June 10, 2025I bought this in 2019 and it’s been on my kindle since- waiting to be read.
I can already tell the writing isn’t going to work for me. There is very little character development, and new characters are popping up each chapter.
I also feel like there is very little descriptive writing. It’s very bland/generic for being a fantasy/paranormal novel.
I can already tell the writing isn’t going to work for me. There is very little character development, and new characters are popping up each chapter.
I also feel like there is very little descriptive writing. It’s very bland/generic for being a fantasy/paranormal novel.
June 23, 2019
Excellent
A really good read! The author pulls from a few different myths and legends for the basic character inspiration, but then I feel as if cities like Edinburough would be populated by many overlapping genres anyway.
A really good read! The author pulls from a few different myths and legends for the basic character inspiration, but then I feel as if cities like Edinburough would be populated by many overlapping genres anyway.
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