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The Lost Hours
A loving marriage…
Golden couple Annie and David Crayce have it all. A perfect marriage, three beautiful children and a thriving family business. Life couldn’t be better. Until the unthinkable happens…
A long-buried crime…
Suddenly, David is the prime suspect of a murder committed twenty years ago. As the police investigate the cold case, so does Annie. But it all comes down to a few lost hours she can’t solve.
Now Annie must prove the man she loves is innocent.
The clock is ticking…
Golden couple Annie and David Crayce have it all. A perfect marriage, three beautiful children and a thriving family business. Life couldn’t be better. Until the unthinkable happens…
A long-buried crime…
Suddenly, David is the prime suspect of a murder committed twenty years ago. As the police investigate the cold case, so does Annie. But it all comes down to a few lost hours she can’t solve.
Now Annie must prove the man she loves is innocent.
The clock is ticking…
462 pages, ebook
Published April 1, 2021
726 people are currently reading
1806 people want to read
About the author
Susan Lewis
67 books1,203 followersLibrarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Susan Lewis is the bestselling author of over forty books across the genres of family drama, thriller, suspense and crime. She is also the author of Just One More Day and One Day at a Time, the moving memoirs of her childhood in Bristol during the 1960s. Following periods of living in Los Angeles and the South of France, she currently lives in Gloucestershire with her husband James, stepsons Michael and Luke, and mischievous dogs Coco and Lulu.
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Susan Lewis is the bestselling author of over forty books across the genres of family drama, thriller, suspense and crime. She is also the author of Just One More Day and One Day at a Time, the moving memoirs of her childhood in Bristol during the 1960s. Following periods of living in Los Angeles and the South of France, she currently lives in Gloucestershire with her husband James, stepsons Michael and Luke, and mischievous dogs Coco and Lulu.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 361 reviews
February 18, 2021
Absolutely riveting!
Author Susan Lewis, is adept at taking a normal, everyday family, and placing them in EXTRAordinary situations, and in the case of Annie and David Crayce, and their extended family, it’s an absolute nightmare!
The unsolved murder of teenager, Karen Lomax, some twenty years earlier, has been all but forgotten, except for her devastated parents and friends, but when the police turn up at the Crayce’s door claiming to have found David’s DNA, linking him to Karen’s murder, secrets, suspicions and accusations are raised at three members of the extended family.
The new evidence came about, after Annie and David’s daughter, Sienna, had a minor brush with the law - resulting in her DNA being routinely run through police computer systems, linking it to the unsolved murder. And so, the nightmare begins!
OMG, what devastation for the whole family, it certainly keeps the reader hooked, trying to work out whodunnit. This is a well respected ( though not always likeable) family, and because we get to know them all intimately, it’s impossible to decide who the guilty party actually is. I certainly couldn’t decide! Don’t miss this one!
* I was invited to read ‘The Lost Hours’ by the publisher and have given an honest unbiased review in exchange *
Author Susan Lewis, is adept at taking a normal, everyday family, and placing them in EXTRAordinary situations, and in the case of Annie and David Crayce, and their extended family, it’s an absolute nightmare!
The unsolved murder of teenager, Karen Lomax, some twenty years earlier, has been all but forgotten, except for her devastated parents and friends, but when the police turn up at the Crayce’s door claiming to have found David’s DNA, linking him to Karen’s murder, secrets, suspicions and accusations are raised at three members of the extended family.
The new evidence came about, after Annie and David’s daughter, Sienna, had a minor brush with the law - resulting in her DNA being routinely run through police computer systems, linking it to the unsolved murder. And so, the nightmare begins!
OMG, what devastation for the whole family, it certainly keeps the reader hooked, trying to work out whodunnit. This is a well respected ( though not always likeable) family, and because we get to know them all intimately, it’s impossible to decide who the guilty party actually is. I certainly couldn’t decide! Don’t miss this one!
* I was invited to read ‘The Lost Hours’ by the publisher and have given an honest unbiased review in exchange *
dnf
April 19, 2021DNF at 43%.
I used to read a lot of Susan Lewis when I was younger, but maybe I've outgrown her because this plot was seriously lacking.
The premise had so much potential, a close-knit family torn apart when male DNA from the cold case murder of a local teenager is found to be a familial match to either a father or one of his two sons.
But why did the author have to make the three men so unlikeable and unsympathetic? Honestly, I don't care which one was guilty and I'm not reading another 57% to find out. And it didn't fit with the picture perfect lifestyle painted in the first few chapters. Even with the news of the DNA to have all three characters immediately turn hostile and undergo complete personality transformations was too abrupt and unrealistic.
And the police procedures really got on my nerves. Would they really DNA test a bunch of sixteen year old first time shoplifters, lock them up and only contact one of the children's parent's? And why arrest only 1 out of 3 of the DNA suspects? Too many inconsistencies.
Anyway, I'm bowing out.
I used to read a lot of Susan Lewis when I was younger, but maybe I've outgrown her because this plot was seriously lacking.
The premise had so much potential, a close-knit family torn apart when male DNA from the cold case murder of a local teenager is found to be a familial match to either a father or one of his two sons.
But why did the author have to make the three men so unlikeable and unsympathetic? Honestly, I don't care which one was guilty and I'm not reading another 57% to find out. And it didn't fit with the picture perfect lifestyle painted in the first few chapters. Even with the news of the DNA to have all three characters immediately turn hostile and undergo complete personality transformations was too abrupt and unrealistic.
And the police procedures really got on my nerves. Would they really DNA test a bunch of sixteen year old first time shoplifters, lock them up and only contact one of the children's parent's? And why arrest only 1 out of 3 of the DNA suspects? Too many inconsistencies.
Anyway, I'm bowing out.
November 11, 2023
3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.
The first 2 chapters were confusing with lots of characters in this extended family but don’t let that hang you up, read through them quickly to get into the story and the characters will gel and you’ll get to know all of them naturally.
It’s a good “who dunnit” and I had 3 theories as I read the book—all 3 of them were wrong.
The first 2 chapters were confusing with lots of characters in this extended family but don’t let that hang you up, read through them quickly to get into the story and the characters will gel and you’ll get to know all of them naturally.
It’s a good “who dunnit” and I had 3 theories as I read the book—all 3 of them were wrong.
January 13, 2022
A great beach / summer book. Good story line, a great story teller and very well written book.
This is a story about a "perfect" marriage rocked by a 20 year old secret and unsolved crime. At the center of the allegations is David, his brother and father. It also brings us into the lives of parents to a 17 year old daughter who was found murdered. You can feel the family's anguish, loss and desperation, because, in 20 years, there have been no leads, lots of unanswered questions and the hint of a cover up.
I worked out the "killer" too early on, nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and was still gripped by why, how and where this person killed a 17 year old girl.
This is a story about a "perfect" marriage rocked by a 20 year old secret and unsolved crime. At the center of the allegations is David, his brother and father. It also brings us into the lives of parents to a 17 year old daughter who was found murdered. You can feel the family's anguish, loss and desperation, because, in 20 years, there have been no leads, lots of unanswered questions and the hint of a cover up.
I worked out the "killer" too early on, nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and was still gripped by why, how and where this person killed a 17 year old girl.
August 27, 2021
What a tedious book this was. The first section introduces so many people your head will spin, but as they are all shallow and posh that probably won't matter. Probably half the book is about their posh lifestyle and their posh shooting business and their Christmas. If you're not asleep by then you probably won't care who the murderer was and would happily see them all in jail! The lead detective is equally dull I'm afraid and the way that the pointless character ex detective turned interior designer gets to tittle tattle between the police and the main suspects is just ludicrous. I'm still wondering who some of the thrown in names were and feeling pretty 'meh' about the ending. Do I want to read any more books by this author? NO! If I had a pound for every time I read the phrase 'cocktail me up' I'd be down the pub tonight, which would be the best place to leave this dreadful book.
December 10, 2021
I don't know why this was written.
I don't know any reader would give a rat's ass about a bunch of posh, entitled and oh my god so boring, people.
Way too much about shooting and how rich they are . She's a tall, willowy blonde, he's a handsome craggy prince.
So. Fricking. Dull.
By the time it got to the denoument I didn't care. Tbh I didn't care much to start with.
And no one in the history of the world ever has said the phrase 'cocktail me up'.
Awful.
I don't know any reader would give a rat's ass about a bunch of posh, entitled and oh my god so boring, people.
Way too much about shooting and how rich they are . She's a tall, willowy blonde, he's a handsome craggy prince.
So. Fricking. Dull.
By the time it got to the denoument I didn't care. Tbh I didn't care much to start with.
And no one in the history of the world ever has said the phrase 'cocktail me up'.
Awful.
March 7, 2021
Annie and David appear to have the perfect life, bringing up their three children and running their family business.
Sienna their sixteen year old daughter is arrested after her friends stole a teddy bear. The police take her DNA and she hopes that is as far as it goes as no further charges are made.
Twenty years ago teenager Karen Lomax had gone missing, and her body was discovered in a railway hut. The police have used Sienna’s DNA as it is familiar to the DNA left on Karen’s body, meaning it could have come from any male in her family.
The family are horrified when David is arrested for the murder of Karen. Does Annie really know her husband? The perfect family starts to crumble as everyone looks at all the males with suspicion. Are they covering up what David did? Why are they so secretive about the night Karen died?
This was such a gripping read. I love how Susan Lewis drops a family into their worst nightmares as we casually sit back and observe what secrets and how far they will go to protect their family.
I was completely hooked as I tried to work out who had murdered Karen.
A must read book!!
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
Sienna their sixteen year old daughter is arrested after her friends stole a teddy bear. The police take her DNA and she hopes that is as far as it goes as no further charges are made.
Twenty years ago teenager Karen Lomax had gone missing, and her body was discovered in a railway hut. The police have used Sienna’s DNA as it is familiar to the DNA left on Karen’s body, meaning it could have come from any male in her family.
The family are horrified when David is arrested for the murder of Karen. Does Annie really know her husband? The perfect family starts to crumble as everyone looks at all the males with suspicion. Are they covering up what David did? Why are they so secretive about the night Karen died?
This was such a gripping read. I love how Susan Lewis drops a family into their worst nightmares as we casually sit back and observe what secrets and how far they will go to protect their family.
I was completely hooked as I tried to work out who had murdered Karen.
A must read book!!
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
March 30, 2021
Annie and David Crayce have it all. A loving marriage, three beautiful children and a thriving family business. Life couldn't be better. Until a piece of damning DNA evidence has arisen, placing one of them as a prime suspect to a murder committed twenty years ago. Karen Lomax wad found dead the day after she went missing. Now due to familial DNA being discovered in a different case, the murder is now bein reinvestigated.
What a suspenseful, tense and gripping page turner. With a complec plotline and so many twists, it kept me on my toes trying to work out where the story was going. One extremely happy family's lives are thrown into chaos. Could one of them be a murderer? Everytime i thought is had it sussed out, something would happen to change my mind. I could not put this book down.
I would like to thank #NetGalley, #HarperCollinsUK #HarperFiction and the author #SusanLewis for my ARC of #TheLostHours in exchange for an honest review.
What a suspenseful, tense and gripping page turner. With a complec plotline and so many twists, it kept me on my toes trying to work out where the story was going. One extremely happy family's lives are thrown into chaos. Could one of them be a murderer? Everytime i thought is had it sussed out, something would happen to change my mind. I could not put this book down.
I would like to thank #NetGalley, #HarperCollinsUK #HarperFiction and the author #SusanLewis for my ARC of #TheLostHours in exchange for an honest review.
September 1, 2021
Did Anna tell David that Sienna had seen Robert talking to Frances about Quentin and Mary when they say Xavier dropped something off with Diana ?
Too many characters mixed into a heavy stew of family relations too early on. The perfect family life read like a synopsis of Country Living and Good Hosuekeeping. All in all too heavy handed. Even when the crime started to emerge, and the detection start, it was too late; I had lost the will to continue with the story.
Too many characters mixed into a heavy stew of family relations too early on. The perfect family life read like a synopsis of Country Living and Good Hosuekeeping. All in all too heavy handed. Even when the crime started to emerge, and the detection start, it was too late; I had lost the will to continue with the story.
May 13, 2021
Susan Lewis continues to impress with her art of taking an ordinary family, and placing them in extraordinary situations whilst making a good story from it. The Lost Hours is a well written, emotionally charged story chock full of suspicion and accusations.
David and Annie Crayce have everything they could ever have wished for...then something happens that turns their lives upside down. David is accused of murder and it seems there is DNA evidence to prove his guilt. The reader follows Annie and the Crayce family on a collision course in a search for answers.
The Lost Hours was gritty, emotionally gripping and the story built very nicely. The characters were well-drawn and an interesting combination as Susan Lewis revealed their struggles, gradually drip-feeding information in a way that made me desperate to continue reading. For certain, it was a provocative drama-style tale that explored the emotional impact of the situation on the close-knit family with divided loyalties as the main theme, as well as doubt, love, anger, guilt, disbelief and much more besides. I enjoyed reading The Lost Hours as much as my last novel, Forgive Me, by Susan Lewis who continues to thrill me with her wonderful, top-notch writing. The Lost Hours is an extremely worthwhile read that I have no hesitation in recommending.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from HarperCollins UK via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
David and Annie Crayce have everything they could ever have wished for...then something happens that turns their lives upside down. David is accused of murder and it seems there is DNA evidence to prove his guilt. The reader follows Annie and the Crayce family on a collision course in a search for answers.
The Lost Hours was gritty, emotionally gripping and the story built very nicely. The characters were well-drawn and an interesting combination as Susan Lewis revealed their struggles, gradually drip-feeding information in a way that made me desperate to continue reading. For certain, it was a provocative drama-style tale that explored the emotional impact of the situation on the close-knit family with divided loyalties as the main theme, as well as doubt, love, anger, guilt, disbelief and much more besides. I enjoyed reading The Lost Hours as much as my last novel, Forgive Me, by Susan Lewis who continues to thrill me with her wonderful, top-notch writing. The Lost Hours is an extremely worthwhile read that I have no hesitation in recommending.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from HarperCollins UK via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
March 28, 2021
I loved this book very much it kept me guessing and I just wanted to keep reading it until the end. I haven’t read many of Susan Lewis’s books but, I will certainly read more of hers if they are like this one. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.
February 17, 2022
This book is aptly named - because I'm NEVER getting those hours I spent reading this rubbish back.
Seriously people? How is this rated so highly? A decent premise is ruined by shallow, entitled and completely unbelievable characters, ridiculous plotting, poor pacing and a ham-fisted attempt at relevance. (Not going to go into detail on the last point - but trust me - if you have the great misfortune to read this book - you won't miss it).
I knew it was going to be pretty dreadful when the first 85 pages (85 WHOLE PAGES with nothing happening but conversation) introduced us to what seemed like 50 million equally bland characters, all ridiculously attractive and wealthy - with stupid, stupid dialogue. So why did I keep reading? Because I not only hoped it would get better, but I don't believe anyone should review a book unless they've read the whole thing.
Anyway - I guessed 'who did it' half-way through, but had no idea why - and believe me - the denouement is so ridiculous that I feel I need to put in a 'choking warning' in this review. What's a choking warning? If you're snacking whilst reading the ending -you may inadvertently inhale food-stuff in disbelief and choke. And if you're going to cross to the other side while reading a book - it should ALWAYS be a good book.
I rarely give one star reviews - but I REALLY thought this book just wasted my time, and I don't even blame the author. She must have been chuffed to get this book published. I blame the reviewers on Good Reads. Stop rating rubbish higher than it deserves!
Seriously people? How is this rated so highly? A decent premise is ruined by shallow, entitled and completely unbelievable characters, ridiculous plotting, poor pacing and a ham-fisted attempt at relevance. (Not going to go into detail on the last point - but trust me - if you have the great misfortune to read this book - you won't miss it).
I knew it was going to be pretty dreadful when the first 85 pages (85 WHOLE PAGES with nothing happening but conversation) introduced us to what seemed like 50 million equally bland characters, all ridiculously attractive and wealthy - with stupid, stupid dialogue. So why did I keep reading? Because I not only hoped it would get better, but I don't believe anyone should review a book unless they've read the whole thing.
Anyway - I guessed 'who did it' half-way through, but had no idea why - and believe me - the denouement is so ridiculous that I feel I need to put in a 'choking warning' in this review. What's a choking warning? If you're snacking whilst reading the ending -you may inadvertently inhale food-stuff in disbelief and choke. And if you're going to cross to the other side while reading a book - it should ALWAYS be a good book.
I rarely give one star reviews - but I REALLY thought this book just wasted my time, and I don't even blame the author. She must have been chuffed to get this book published. I blame the reviewers on Good Reads. Stop rating rubbish higher than it deserves!
February 2, 2024
Found it to be a slow burner but persevered and couldn’t put it down.
The first few chapters I found confusing with lots of different characters but once they started to gel, I really got into the plot.
The first few chapters I found confusing with lots of different characters but once they started to gel, I really got into the plot.
August 5, 2024
1⭐️ = Not for me.
Audio.
So very slow…..yawn.
I’ve found that Susan Lewis is often a miss for me.
Audio.
So very slow…..yawn.
I’ve found that Susan Lewis is often a miss for me.
March 10, 2022
2 stars
Read the first 2 and the last 2 chapters and you're good. Absolutely nothing happens in this book. What you read in the synopsis you find out in the first 2 chapters and then for the rest of the book everyone is asking themselves and all around who could be the guilty party.
And in the end you find out, by no big revelation or whatever.
Long, boring, repetitive.
Read the first 2 and the last 2 chapters and you're good. Absolutely nothing happens in this book. What you read in the synopsis you find out in the first 2 chapters and then for the rest of the book everyone is asking themselves and all around who could be the guilty party.
And in the end you find out, by no big revelation or whatever.
Long, boring, repetitive.
June 21, 2022
It took a very long time for the story to go anywhere and there was a complete lack of suspense. There were too many characters and the main ones lacked any depth or warmth.
November 23, 2025
this was one of Lewis' better books but still, it was far longer than it needed to be. if it was really edited down, the unnecessary inner monologue halved, it would have been a much better book.
some thing(s) I liked:
✅the premise
✅the twist
some thing(s), not so much:
⭕too long and slow
⭕yucky horrible cheating husbands... again
some thing(s) I liked:
✅the premise
✅the twist
some thing(s), not so much:
⭕too long and slow
⭕yucky horrible cheating husbands... again
August 21, 2021
Really did not enjoy this book, boring in the extreme. Far too many characters, odd names popping up all over the place with no idea who they were. Rich “perfect” family. All too perfect and wonderful to be true, all living on top of each other in perfect harmony. It made my teeth itch ! Got to 32% on my kindle and couldn’t go on, all so dragged out, so skipped to, the end to find out who done it, although I had already worked this out for myself and didn’t really care anyway. I’ve read many Susan Lewis books and enjoyed them, but not this one. Sorry folks.
September 2, 2022
Just really dull. I nearly stopped reading a couple of times but it was for a book club so felt compelled to get to the end. I also liked the police side of the book so kept hoping there would be more of that and it would get better. It didn’t. The plot was really thin, the characters were not engaging at all, most were annoying and I couldn’t care less what happened to them. The ‘twist’ wasn’t interesting either.
June 2, 2024
3.5 rounded up
The first few chapters were confusing with so many characters introduced in a short period of time.
I feel like the book is quite long for the amount that happens in it. Saying that, I don't feel like it dragged.
Another classic whodunnit. Think I need to move to a different genre soon as they're getting a little samey from the last few books I've read. Good to mix it up
The first few chapters were confusing with so many characters introduced in a short period of time.
I feel like the book is quite long for the amount that happens in it. Saying that, I don't feel like it dragged.
Another classic whodunnit. Think I need to move to a different genre soon as they're getting a little samey from the last few books I've read. Good to mix it up
October 19, 2024
Excellent one of the best books I’ve read.
July 1, 2025
Really enjoyed this book and will be finding more from Susan Lewis
March 25, 2021
The Lost Hours is Susan Lewis at the top of her game, a seductive, slow-burn of a mystery that teases tantalizingly, like a lover’s touch, before exploding into a riveting, exhilarating thriller. I couldn’t put it down.
Annie and David Crayce have it all. A happy marriage, three great kids, a beautiful Dartmoor home and a thriving family business. Then out of the blue, a wrecking ball comes crashing through their lives. Familial DNA is matched to the unsolved, 20 year-old murder of a teenage girl. And it belongs to either David, his brother Henry, or father Dickie.
What a bombshell! And one made all the more devastating for landing on this picture-perfect, close-knit, extended family.
The narrative that follows is exquisitely plotted. Intense and feverish, it splits into two points of view: that of the police investigation and that of the family, as both sides endure the agonizing two-week wait for a definitive DNA result.
Among the Crayces, initial disbelief quickly morphs into suspicion, anger and barely contained hostility. Distant memories are dragged up, picked over and questioned. Secrets, lies, obfuscation—they’re all there in the mix. And it all distills down to a handful of hours on one fateful night, two decades ago.
When we finally get to the truth, it’s a beautifully disguised, sucker punch of a twist. A wholly convincing and satisfactory ending to an absorbing, dramatic tale.
BUT, sit tight! This is not a book that ends with the last page. This is a book that leaves some big, scary questions tossing about in the brisk Dartmoor wind. Questions about mental health, about love and trust, about obsession and jealousy. And the real biggie: about how completely we can ever truly know our nearest and dearest. For don’t we all have parts of ourselves that we keep private and hidden?
My thanks to HarperCollins via NetGalley for the digital ARC of this title.
Annie and David Crayce have it all. A happy marriage, three great kids, a beautiful Dartmoor home and a thriving family business. Then out of the blue, a wrecking ball comes crashing through their lives. Familial DNA is matched to the unsolved, 20 year-old murder of a teenage girl. And it belongs to either David, his brother Henry, or father Dickie.
What a bombshell! And one made all the more devastating for landing on this picture-perfect, close-knit, extended family.
The narrative that follows is exquisitely plotted. Intense and feverish, it splits into two points of view: that of the police investigation and that of the family, as both sides endure the agonizing two-week wait for a definitive DNA result.
Among the Crayces, initial disbelief quickly morphs into suspicion, anger and barely contained hostility. Distant memories are dragged up, picked over and questioned. Secrets, lies, obfuscation—they’re all there in the mix. And it all distills down to a handful of hours on one fateful night, two decades ago.
When we finally get to the truth, it’s a beautifully disguised, sucker punch of a twist. A wholly convincing and satisfactory ending to an absorbing, dramatic tale.
BUT, sit tight! This is not a book that ends with the last page. This is a book that leaves some big, scary questions tossing about in the brisk Dartmoor wind. Questions about mental health, about love and trust, about obsession and jealousy. And the real biggie: about how completely we can ever truly know our nearest and dearest. For don’t we all have parts of ourselves that we keep private and hidden?
My thanks to HarperCollins via NetGalley for the digital ARC of this title.
April 18, 2021
Privilege Regained.
A blend of two genres. Both are fairly overt. One is the cold case. It’s handled reasonably enough. Other reviewers have complained about the bewildering variety of family members at the beginning, we’re just not equipped to follow them. I agree; in defence, it might be argued that this analogically enacts the problems of the coppers in sorting out the sheep from the goats. What it does not enact is the irruption into public life (British and American, say) of the crimes of the past that underpinned people’s very comfortable lifestyles. Interesting that we’re in the vicinity of Bristol here, site of some of the most uncompromising anti-racist anti-imperialist demonstrations of recent times. Mind you, the victim has the same impeccable little England origins as Margaret Thatcher, so that’s not on the author’s mind. The other strand is of course announced largely in the blurb/cover… “they had it all”. Someone’s going to be shown up, have their lovely lifestyle stripped from them. Don’t we gloat, Hello style. And this lifestyle is described in a sickeningly fawning. manner. Public school, Sandhurst, fox-hunting, new year’s ball, hunting-shooting-fishing; this privileged lifestyle is reflected in and backed up by personal merit; they’re all hot – from mummy with her sexy no-knickers dress (or maybe not), daddy, handsome as ever; the children, “uspeakably beautiful” (with gay tokenism). But don’t worry. The plot interest resides in showing how the accused man of property is not guilty. Reminds me of that TV series with Hugh Grant, in which, yes, actually, he is, and the outcry attending his non-vindication. We want our yummy mummies and dreamy daddies to keep on having it all.
A blend of two genres. Both are fairly overt. One is the cold case. It’s handled reasonably enough. Other reviewers have complained about the bewildering variety of family members at the beginning, we’re just not equipped to follow them. I agree; in defence, it might be argued that this analogically enacts the problems of the coppers in sorting out the sheep from the goats. What it does not enact is the irruption into public life (British and American, say) of the crimes of the past that underpinned people’s very comfortable lifestyles. Interesting that we’re in the vicinity of Bristol here, site of some of the most uncompromising anti-racist anti-imperialist demonstrations of recent times. Mind you, the victim has the same impeccable little England origins as Margaret Thatcher, so that’s not on the author’s mind. The other strand is of course announced largely in the blurb/cover… “they had it all”. Someone’s going to be shown up, have their lovely lifestyle stripped from them. Don’t we gloat, Hello style. And this lifestyle is described in a sickeningly fawning. manner. Public school, Sandhurst, fox-hunting, new year’s ball, hunting-shooting-fishing; this privileged lifestyle is reflected in and backed up by personal merit; they’re all hot – from mummy with her sexy no-knickers dress (or maybe not), daddy, handsome as ever; the children, “uspeakably beautiful” (with gay tokenism). But don’t worry. The plot interest resides in showing how the accused man of property is not guilty. Reminds me of that TV series with Hugh Grant, in which, yes, actually, he is, and the outcry attending his non-vindication. We want our yummy mummies and dreamy daddies to keep on having it all.
October 14, 2021
My first read of this author.....and I loved this cover, I must say. The story I found got a lot better as we progressed. The beginning I thought dragged a little too much and it took a good while to get to the actual story itself. I personally could've done without the excess of firearms' knowledge. We only needed to know the bare bones, really.
There are a lot of characters but I liked that we got to know each and every one quite well. This is mainly why I prefer longer novels, you get more information about the people featured. It was nice the whole family mucked in with the business, all generations. The dog was never left out of anything, either, and was properly treated as one of the family, and that'll always been a winner for me. I would've liked to know more about Natalie and her back-story but perhaps she'll get her own tale one of these days. I did make a note that Julia seemed a bit of a flake to me as well.....and I wasn't a fan of Chrissie.
I found it odd she capitalises Travellers, the same way authors have all of a sudden started to do when writing Black as well. Not sure if it's a new PC thing but it always distracts me. I also didn't like her use of American spelling the whole way through. There were a few apostrophe mistakes, though she got it right many times, so a proofreader ought to have corrected this. She wrote affect not effect and I've no idea what "to the refs" means (and Google was no help there), there were words dropped from sentences, another e-book staple, like over/the/a, quite a lot of missed commas and I found this an odd expression, "She sat into a chair."
The ending was bittersweet but I still liked it and I will read another by her for sure.
There are a lot of characters but I liked that we got to know each and every one quite well. This is mainly why I prefer longer novels, you get more information about the people featured. It was nice the whole family mucked in with the business, all generations. The dog was never left out of anything, either, and was properly treated as one of the family, and that'll always been a winner for me. I would've liked to know more about Natalie and her back-story but perhaps she'll get her own tale one of these days. I did make a note that Julia seemed a bit of a flake to me as well.....and I wasn't a fan of Chrissie.
I found it odd she capitalises Travellers, the same way authors have all of a sudden started to do when writing Black as well. Not sure if it's a new PC thing but it always distracts me. I also didn't like her use of American spelling the whole way through. There were a few apostrophe mistakes, though she got it right many times, so a proofreader ought to have corrected this. She wrote affect not effect and I've no idea what "to the refs" means (and Google was no help there), there were words dropped from sentences, another e-book staple, like over/the/a, quite a lot of missed commas and I found this an odd expression, "She sat into a chair."
The ending was bittersweet but I still liked it and I will read another by her for sure.
April 10, 2021
Susan Lewis has done a great job with the writing and I thought the plot was very cleverly done with plot twists that kept you guessing to the very end. Yes, the start was a little slow with the pace only really picking up after the 20% mark. But, after this point the storyline really gets interesting and gripping, and my predictions of the ‘whodunnit’ was so wrong.
One of my major struggles was with keeping up with the characters. I didn’t have a problem with the characters themselves but the amount of them. There were so many characters that I struggled to keep up with the names of them all and it started to get really confusing as to who was who and who was in a relationship with each other, especially when the storyline jumped between past and present times. At times I ended up rereading sections, which slowed me down in getting to the end to find who the perpetrator actually was. Saying that overall I thought characters were really well done. They were all very individual in their own way and full of depth. Most of them are believable and likeable, although at times they were a little annoying.
After the initial slow start this turned out to be a really good read and is worth sticking with. I think that this book would make a great TV series. One that I would be happy to watch. This is a great book for anyone looking for a family based psychological thriller.
I would like to thank Rachel Quin at HarperFiction for getting in touch and inviting me to read this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
One of my major struggles was with keeping up with the characters. I didn’t have a problem with the characters themselves but the amount of them. There were so many characters that I struggled to keep up with the names of them all and it started to get really confusing as to who was who and who was in a relationship with each other, especially when the storyline jumped between past and present times. At times I ended up rereading sections, which slowed me down in getting to the end to find who the perpetrator actually was. Saying that overall I thought characters were really well done. They were all very individual in their own way and full of depth. Most of them are believable and likeable, although at times they were a little annoying.
After the initial slow start this turned out to be a really good read and is worth sticking with. I think that this book would make a great TV series. One that I would be happy to watch. This is a great book for anyone looking for a family based psychological thriller.
I would like to thank Rachel Quin at HarperFiction for getting in touch and inviting me to read this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
March 14, 2021
The book begins with a murder.
The drama, palpable from the get go.
Karen Lomax, who is teenage girl, went missing and has now been found murdered. The police have their suspicions but struggle to find the evidence needed to convict anyone for the crime.
Fast forward a twenty years and we are introduced to the Crayce's and their extended family. All seem normal, like the perfect family really. That is until Annie and David's daughter Sienna makes an unfortunate mistake of bowing to peer pressure and getting herself in trouble with the law.
The police take her DNA and she hopes that is as far as it goes as no further charges are made. But sadly for her, the DNA is the start of the re-opening of Karen Lomax's case when a familiar DNA matches the one that was found in her underwear when her body was discovered.
That means that the murderer could be Sienna's dad (David), her Uncle Henry or her Grandad Dickie (Henry and David's dad).
As things start to crumble around this once tight knit family, more than one secret is revealed.
I was invested from start to finish. And just when I thought I had it all worked it, everything changed. All I can say is that it is surprising/shocking just how far people will go to get the lives they've always dreamed of.
The Lost Hours is a brilliantly in-depth crime novel that is devastatingly dark and gritty. Showing that one small mistake can have disastrous knock on effects.
Once you start this book, you will not want to put it down.
The drama, palpable from the get go.
Karen Lomax, who is teenage girl, went missing and has now been found murdered. The police have their suspicions but struggle to find the evidence needed to convict anyone for the crime.
Fast forward a twenty years and we are introduced to the Crayce's and their extended family. All seem normal, like the perfect family really. That is until Annie and David's daughter Sienna makes an unfortunate mistake of bowing to peer pressure and getting herself in trouble with the law.
The police take her DNA and she hopes that is as far as it goes as no further charges are made. But sadly for her, the DNA is the start of the re-opening of Karen Lomax's case when a familiar DNA matches the one that was found in her underwear when her body was discovered.
That means that the murderer could be Sienna's dad (David), her Uncle Henry or her Grandad Dickie (Henry and David's dad).
As things start to crumble around this once tight knit family, more than one secret is revealed.
I was invested from start to finish. And just when I thought I had it all worked it, everything changed. All I can say is that it is surprising/shocking just how far people will go to get the lives they've always dreamed of.
The Lost Hours is a brilliantly in-depth crime novel that is devastatingly dark and gritty. Showing that one small mistake can have disastrous knock on effects.
Once you start this book, you will not want to put it down.
February 15, 2021
Now, that was a psychological thriller and a half!
The disappearance and subsequent uncovering of the body of seventeen-year-old Karen Lomax, over twenty years ago has been forgotten by most. Unable to trace the murderer, or the events that led to her death, the case is closed.
Fast forward to the present day.
Annie and David Crayce seem to have it all. A wonderful marriage, three beautiful children, a hugely successful business, and a supportive family behind them.
Who knew that the chance arrest of their daughter, as someone just around when a crime was committed, could lead them to the turmoil of being in the middle of a reopened murder case?
Wow. Just Wow.
Susan Lewis, you have done it again, haven''t you? You reeled me in, and kept me hanging right til the very end! There were so many moments where I questioned my self as to who might have actually been responsible for the death of a poor teen, but the way the PTSD of war years was woven into it, as well as the thoughts and actions of the police involved, I was kept on tenterhooks.
And, yes, had it not been past 1 am last night I would have carried on reading to get to the end, but I had to put the book down.
Fantastic.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The disappearance and subsequent uncovering of the body of seventeen-year-old Karen Lomax, over twenty years ago has been forgotten by most. Unable to trace the murderer, or the events that led to her death, the case is closed.
Fast forward to the present day.
Annie and David Crayce seem to have it all. A wonderful marriage, three beautiful children, a hugely successful business, and a supportive family behind them.
Who knew that the chance arrest of their daughter, as someone just around when a crime was committed, could lead them to the turmoil of being in the middle of a reopened murder case?
Wow. Just Wow.
Susan Lewis, you have done it again, haven''t you? You reeled me in, and kept me hanging right til the very end! There were so many moments where I questioned my self as to who might have actually been responsible for the death of a poor teen, but the way the PTSD of war years was woven into it, as well as the thoughts and actions of the police involved, I was kept on tenterhooks.
And, yes, had it not been past 1 am last night I would have carried on reading to get to the end, but I had to put the book down.
Fantastic.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 13, 2021
The Lost Hours is a family drama with elements of psychological suspense and police procedural. The close-knit Crayce family live on Exmoor and run a successful business. Sienna, Annie and David's daughter's arrest for stealing means a routine DNA sample taken. It reveals a familial connection with DNA found on the body of a dead girl killed twenty years previously.
Increasingly strained family relationships follow David's subsequent arrest, but he is not the only suspect. The story progresses with a police investigation into the cold case and Annie's personal investigation to prove David's innocence.
Gradually revealed secrets in both investigations build the suspense and intensify the tensions within the family. This is twisty psychological suspense and a poignant revealing family drama that draws the reader into the characters' world, making it a compelling read.
I received a copy of this book from Harper Fiction via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
April 8, 2021
Twisted, intriguing and a page turner story, that’s how I would sum up this book.
There’s no such thing as a perfect marriage because you can never know what happens behind closed doors or in one’s past. What might sound or look perfect for one person, it could totally trigger something else in another.
This book was really interesting and great. I loved how the author combines the happy family facade with a not so great past and how the perception of what’s to show and act in front of others is so damaging inside.
Facing a murder trial from a reopening of a cold case , twenty years later, this story kept me on the edge throughout the pages and I really wanted to know if he was the culprit or not. I had my doubts of what actually happened then but I haven’t seen that ending coming my way at all!
A great twist to end a great story.
There’s no such thing as a perfect marriage because you can never know what happens behind closed doors or in one’s past. What might sound or look perfect for one person, it could totally trigger something else in another.
This book was really interesting and great. I loved how the author combines the happy family facade with a not so great past and how the perception of what’s to show and act in front of others is so damaging inside.
Facing a murder trial from a reopening of a cold case , twenty years later, this story kept me on the edge throughout the pages and I really wanted to know if he was the culprit or not. I had my doubts of what actually happened then but I haven’t seen that ending coming my way at all!
A great twist to end a great story.
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