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The Lost Brother
A brother sent away.
A sister in a loveless home.
A father ruthlessly murdered.
Ricky and Leonora Bates are brother and sister, best friends, allies in a loveless family.
They are a constant disappointment to their domineering father.
He views Ricky’s quiet bookishness as weakness and Leonora’s feisty intelligence as unbecoming.
Then Ricky is sent away to a boarding school in South Africa to “toughen him up”. And Leonora is stuck dealing with her dysfunctional parents on her own.
The unthinkable happens.
Five years later, Leonora’s father flies down to South Africa to bring Ricky home. Something terrible happens. Her dad’s body is found with a fatal gunshot wound. And her brother is nowhere to be found.
Now Leonora must find out the truth.
Utterly absorbing and beautifully written, this taut psychological thriller will keep you guessing until its chilling conclusion.
A sister in a loveless home.
A father ruthlessly murdered.
Ricky and Leonora Bates are brother and sister, best friends, allies in a loveless family.
They are a constant disappointment to their domineering father.
He views Ricky’s quiet bookishness as weakness and Leonora’s feisty intelligence as unbecoming.
Then Ricky is sent away to a boarding school in South Africa to “toughen him up”. And Leonora is stuck dealing with her dysfunctional parents on her own.
The unthinkable happens.
Five years later, Leonora’s father flies down to South Africa to bring Ricky home. Something terrible happens. Her dad’s body is found with a fatal gunshot wound. And her brother is nowhere to be found.
Now Leonora must find out the truth.
Utterly absorbing and beautifully written, this taut psychological thriller will keep you guessing until its chilling conclusion.
284 pages, Paperback
First published February 11, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
February 7, 2021
Ricky and Leonora Bates are brother and sister, best friends and allies in a loveless family. They are a constant disappointment to their domineering father. He views Ricky's bookishness as weakness and Leonora's fiesty intelligence as unbecoming. Ricky is sent away to boarding school in South Africa to ''toughen him up''. Leonora is stuck dealing with her dysfunctional parents on her own. But something unthinkable happens.
I think this must be the worst dysfunctional family that i've read about. I didn't like the father. He was just a bully. The story is told from Ricky and Leonora's perspectives. When Ricky's father goes to South Africa to bring him home after his graduation, they decide to go on a camping trip to a local reserve. But the father gets shot and Ricky disappears. Leonora searches for her brother, she@s convinced he's stil alive. Filled with twists, but i found this book hard to read in places.
I would like to thank #NetGalley, #Joffeooks and the author #SusannaBeard for my ARC #TheLostBrother in exchange for an honest review.
I think this must be the worst dysfunctional family that i've read about. I didn't like the father. He was just a bully. The story is told from Ricky and Leonora's perspectives. When Ricky's father goes to South Africa to bring him home after his graduation, they decide to go on a camping trip to a local reserve. But the father gets shot and Ricky disappears. Leonora searches for her brother, she@s convinced he's stil alive. Filled with twists, but i found this book hard to read in places.
I would like to thank #NetGalley, #Joffeooks and the author #SusannaBeard for my ARC #TheLostBrother in exchange for an honest review.
February 11, 2021
Ricky and Leonora (Leo) are siblings and thank goodness they had each other, best friends forever. Their father was abusive, domineering, manipulative to both his wife and children.
Father send Ricky to a foreign country to attend a boarding school .. in order to make a man out of him. Ricky was 14 years old.
Leo was kept at home .. but wasn't expected to speak or make her wants / needs known. She has an incredibly sharp mind and her teachers expect her to go on to university. Father has other plans.
His wife is an alcoholic, and can't do anything to help her children. He beats her, he mentally abuses her, to the point she cannot function. Leo is expected to take over the cooking, the cleaning, the ironing, the laundry .. in addition to attending school.
Ricky and Leo are terribly unhappy being apart. They do manage to get some letters to and from each other, but if they is discovered, who knows what will happen.
Five years pass and Ricky is set to graduate from school. He's decided that he will stay where he is because he's grown to love the country and wildlife. His father will be attending and they have planned a weekend camping trip. Of course, Ricky is expected to do all the work...and when he tells his father he is not returning home ... his father erupted.
A few days later, police notify Leo that her father has been found with a fatal gunshot wound ... and her brother is nowhere to be found. Is he another victim, or is he a murderer?
This is quite an emotional read told in part by letters to and from Ricky and Leo. Angst and fear ooze from the pages. It's character driven and they certainly stand out. There are a few twists and turns here and there that lead to a totally unexpected conclusion. One of the most compelling books I've read this year.
Many thanks to the author / Joffe Books / Books n All Book Promotions / Netgalley for the digital copy of this psychological drama. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
February 6, 2021
I absolutely loved this book from start to finish. It is so well written it makes you believe that this a real life story. Very descriptive, harrowing at times but with a fantastic ending. I love this authors writing, I need to read more from her. Thanks to Joffe books and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book.
February 6, 2021
A totally boring book, and not really a thriller. There is a story, but a very simple plot, and the main character does not behave consistently. And then there's this strange change of POV from first to third person.
February 3, 2021
Overall 3.5*
I will begin by saying that I would not have said that this book is a psychological thriller. It is the story of Ricky and Leonara Bates and told by them throughout the book. It tells of the devastating affect, which their domineering and altogether nasty father, has on their lives and their mother's. It begins out in South Africa where a young Ricky has been sent to be educated unlike his sister. This reminded me of my ex husband who along with his brother were sent to private schooling in S.A. whilst their sister stayed at home and many people may not be aware that this was and still is a common thing within certain families. Susanna's description of the life out there is very good and as the reader you have a clear image as to the surroundings. The same goes for London and the bleakness there if you scratch the surface. Both siblings are separated for years although actually not that far apart and it could happen to any family at any point given the right circumstances.
I did enjoy reading it and the story is good....just not what I was expecting!
Thanks to Joffe Books for the ARC to review.
I will begin by saying that I would not have said that this book is a psychological thriller. It is the story of Ricky and Leonara Bates and told by them throughout the book. It tells of the devastating affect, which their domineering and altogether nasty father, has on their lives and their mother's. It begins out in South Africa where a young Ricky has been sent to be educated unlike his sister. This reminded me of my ex husband who along with his brother were sent to private schooling in S.A. whilst their sister stayed at home and many people may not be aware that this was and still is a common thing within certain families. Susanna's description of the life out there is very good and as the reader you have a clear image as to the surroundings. The same goes for London and the bleakness there if you scratch the surface. Both siblings are separated for years although actually not that far apart and it could happen to any family at any point given the right circumstances.
I did enjoy reading it and the story is good....just not what I was expecting!
Thanks to Joffe Books for the ARC to review.
April 12, 2024
Crees que todos los padres aman a sus hijos?
Un hermano enviado lejos.
Una hermana en un hogar sin amor.
Un padre asesinado sin piedad.
Ricky y Leonora Bates son hermano y hermana, mejores amigos, aliados en una familia sin amor.
En esta historia, los personajes masculinos son terribles. Uno es a propósito, por supuesto, pero el otro, aunque no dejas de empatizar por él, deja mucho qué desear en cuestión de carácter.
Los personajes femeninos, por su parte, no son mucho mejores, especialmente Leonora, quien actúa de una manera ilógica si nos basamos en lo que ha vivido.
Es un libro muy entretenido, y hasta emotivo, sin embargo, el giro argumental no cuenta con el peso o impacto que la autora cree que tiene. Era obvio.
Un hermano enviado lejos.
Una hermana en un hogar sin amor.
Un padre asesinado sin piedad.
Ricky y Leonora Bates son hermano y hermana, mejores amigos, aliados en una familia sin amor.
En esta historia, los personajes masculinos son terribles. Uno es a propósito, por supuesto, pero el otro, aunque no dejas de empatizar por él, deja mucho qué desear en cuestión de carácter.
Los personajes femeninos, por su parte, no son mucho mejores, especialmente Leonora, quien actúa de una manera ilógica si nos basamos en lo que ha vivido.
Es un libro muy entretenido, y hasta emotivo, sin embargo, el giro argumental no cuenta con el peso o impacto que la autora cree que tiene. Era obvio.
March 11, 2021
Marketed as a psychological thriller – my favourite kind, I was realley eager to read this novel. It concerns Ricky and Leo(nora), siblings who look after each other in the face of the unbridled rage and downright nastiness of their father. In his attempt to get his young son to “be a man” he sends Ricky away to boarding school, not just a few miles away in England, but to his old school in South Africa! Leo, alone and bereft, has to come to terms with her mother's increasing dependence on alcohol.
After some time their father decides it's time for a bit of male bonding and so off he goes to South Africa where things don't exactly work out as planned. Their father's body is found murdered and Ricky ha disappeared. Leo determines to find him.
My first observation is that this doesn't really fall into the category of Psychological thriller, but that aside it's really well written with excellent descriptions of all the places mentioned. The author perfectly captures the grief and bewilderment experienced by Leo, however, I fail to understand the relevance of her synaesthesia, a condition which, I too, have. There is a vague suggestion that Leo's odd behaviour is as a result of this, but synaesthesia is a condition whereby certain senses “overlap” ( in my case number, letters, words etc have colours), and is not responsible for odd or irrational behaviour.
There are no clues along the way, so when the twist is revealed it almost feels like a What? Where did that come from? Did the author plan that all along or did she just pluck it out of nowhere?
I did struggle at times as I felt claustrophobic whilst reading it – maybe it's because the only voices are those of Leo and Ricky. I actually found it a little boring at times. Because it's well written, I will try some of Ms Beard's other books.
My thanks to Netgalley for an ARC
After some time their father decides it's time for a bit of male bonding and so off he goes to South Africa where things don't exactly work out as planned. Their father's body is found murdered and Ricky ha disappeared. Leo determines to find him.
My first observation is that this doesn't really fall into the category of Psychological thriller, but that aside it's really well written with excellent descriptions of all the places mentioned. The author perfectly captures the grief and bewilderment experienced by Leo, however, I fail to understand the relevance of her synaesthesia, a condition which, I too, have. There is a vague suggestion that Leo's odd behaviour is as a result of this, but synaesthesia is a condition whereby certain senses “overlap” ( in my case number, letters, words etc have colours), and is not responsible for odd or irrational behaviour.
There are no clues along the way, so when the twist is revealed it almost feels like a What? Where did that come from? Did the author plan that all along or did she just pluck it out of nowhere?
I did struggle at times as I felt claustrophobic whilst reading it – maybe it's because the only voices are those of Leo and Ricky. I actually found it a little boring at times. Because it's well written, I will try some of Ms Beard's other books.
My thanks to Netgalley for an ARC
June 27, 2024
Just wow
from the very first sentence this book drew me into its charm, it's passion, it's characters, but above all it's sheer emotion. Then, for the entire book, I couldn't stop inhaling it's words as if my wellbeing depended on it. Then, that beautiful little twist just before the ending. So wonderfully written, the words fit together perfectly, almost poetically, to create the final whole like a jigsaw completion. My first book by this author will certainly not be my last.
from the very first sentence this book drew me into its charm, it's passion, it's characters, but above all it's sheer emotion. Then, for the entire book, I couldn't stop inhaling it's words as if my wellbeing depended on it. Then, that beautiful little twist just before the ending. So wonderfully written, the words fit together perfectly, almost poetically, to create the final whole like a jigsaw completion. My first book by this author will certainly not be my last.
June 30, 2021
Read Full & Detailed review: https://cynthology.blogspot.com/2021/...
Siblings Ricky and Leonora Bates, 12 and 10 years old respectively, are best friends. They are all they can count on in this world, given that their father is a ruthless, abusive man, and their mother is hiding her fear and desperation behind alcohol.
The bond between the siblings is threatened when their father decides to send Ricky to boarding school in South Africa, the same school where he himself studied. The father disapproves of his son who loves books, and intends to make a man out of him. He also dislikes the fact that his daughter is intelligent and forward, believing that women don’t need to do much other than keep house and obey their husbands.
Stranded at home with her parents, Leonora, feeling painfully alone, focuses all her attention on her studies, acing her exams. Her father declares that she’s had enough education and she needs to learn to take care of the house. Her only saving grace is the time she spends at school and with Pete and Maria, older friends who live on a barge, and the furtive correspondence she has with Ricky.
Going to South Africa turns out to be a good decision for Ricky. He discovers his love for animals, and decides to settle down there and become a forest ranger. But Dad wants him to go to University in the UK and get a job there too.
Dad flies down to South Africa for the graduation, and father and son go for a camping trip. Ricky will tell him he wants to stay on. That’s the plan, but something goes horribly wrong. Dad dies and Ricky disappears. Now it is up to Leonora to find out what really happened and where Ricky is. But she’s only a child herself. Will she ever learn the truth? Will Ricky ever be found or will he be lost to her forever?
The story is written in the third person PoV of Leonora and in the first person PoV of Ricky. The tense in both accounts is a mix of past and present. The entire novel was more expository and character driven rather than plot driven.
From the first sentence of the Prologue, the words create an imagery of the African jungle that sinks deep into our imagination and doesn’t let go.
The language was good. The writing in the Prologue is rich and vibrant, while that in Leonora’s PoV in her home is bleak. The descriptions were detailed and graphic, painting word pictures.
The condition known as Synesthesia is described very well. However, the parts about Synesthesia, while they made for beautiful reading, suddenly dropped in on us in the latter half of the second chapter. There is no hint of them in Chapter 1 when Ricky gives Leonora the devastating news that he is to be sent from Great Britain to South Africa to an all-boys school. Surely this would have been a good time to introduce us to Leonora’s condition. In Chapter 2, it seems to be an afterthought. Also, it would have been better if it had helped lead her to Ricky, rather than just being a cool element of her personality.
The period is evoked first vaguely through the music of the 80s that Leonora listens to and the fact that letter writing is the most cost-effective means of correspondence. Later, we get a tighter grip on the period when Ricky tells us that his time in South Africa is a time of tumultuous change. Nelson Mandela’s release and the beginning of the end of apartheid.
In South Africa, Luke and Sally are wonderfully drawn. They are to Ricky what Pete and Maria are to Leonora, a surrogate family when their own won’t give them what they need.
The deterioration in Ricky’s condition is described so well, it makes for difficult reading. The rigours and horrors of living on the street come alive in a manner that is almost Dickensian.
The book reminds us of the impact of domestic violence on families and is an ode to the bond between siblings.
What I didn’t like was learning that Leonora cut herself to find release. Her father was mean towards her, but the cutting didn’t fit with the other positive aspects of her.
The twist, which came out at the end, was all forced. It would have been better if there had been clues that we could have seen for ourselves. This wasn’t convincing at all.
Siblings Ricky and Leonora Bates, 12 and 10 years old respectively, are best friends. They are all they can count on in this world, given that their father is a ruthless, abusive man, and their mother is hiding her fear and desperation behind alcohol.
The bond between the siblings is threatened when their father decides to send Ricky to boarding school in South Africa, the same school where he himself studied. The father disapproves of his son who loves books, and intends to make a man out of him. He also dislikes the fact that his daughter is intelligent and forward, believing that women don’t need to do much other than keep house and obey their husbands.
Stranded at home with her parents, Leonora, feeling painfully alone, focuses all her attention on her studies, acing her exams. Her father declares that she’s had enough education and she needs to learn to take care of the house. Her only saving grace is the time she spends at school and with Pete and Maria, older friends who live on a barge, and the furtive correspondence she has with Ricky.
Going to South Africa turns out to be a good decision for Ricky. He discovers his love for animals, and decides to settle down there and become a forest ranger. But Dad wants him to go to University in the UK and get a job there too.
Dad flies down to South Africa for the graduation, and father and son go for a camping trip. Ricky will tell him he wants to stay on. That’s the plan, but something goes horribly wrong. Dad dies and Ricky disappears. Now it is up to Leonora to find out what really happened and where Ricky is. But she’s only a child herself. Will she ever learn the truth? Will Ricky ever be found or will he be lost to her forever?
The story is written in the third person PoV of Leonora and in the first person PoV of Ricky. The tense in both accounts is a mix of past and present. The entire novel was more expository and character driven rather than plot driven.
From the first sentence of the Prologue, the words create an imagery of the African jungle that sinks deep into our imagination and doesn’t let go.
The language was good. The writing in the Prologue is rich and vibrant, while that in Leonora’s PoV in her home is bleak. The descriptions were detailed and graphic, painting word pictures.
The condition known as Synesthesia is described very well. However, the parts about Synesthesia, while they made for beautiful reading, suddenly dropped in on us in the latter half of the second chapter. There is no hint of them in Chapter 1 when Ricky gives Leonora the devastating news that he is to be sent from Great Britain to South Africa to an all-boys school. Surely this would have been a good time to introduce us to Leonora’s condition. In Chapter 2, it seems to be an afterthought. Also, it would have been better if it had helped lead her to Ricky, rather than just being a cool element of her personality.
The period is evoked first vaguely through the music of the 80s that Leonora listens to and the fact that letter writing is the most cost-effective means of correspondence. Later, we get a tighter grip on the period when Ricky tells us that his time in South Africa is a time of tumultuous change. Nelson Mandela’s release and the beginning of the end of apartheid.
In South Africa, Luke and Sally are wonderfully drawn. They are to Ricky what Pete and Maria are to Leonora, a surrogate family when their own won’t give them what they need.
The deterioration in Ricky’s condition is described so well, it makes for difficult reading. The rigours and horrors of living on the street come alive in a manner that is almost Dickensian.
The book reminds us of the impact of domestic violence on families and is an ode to the bond between siblings.
What I didn’t like was learning that Leonora cut herself to find release. Her father was mean towards her, but the cutting didn’t fit with the other positive aspects of her.
The twist, which came out at the end, was all forced. It would have been better if there had been clues that we could have seen for ourselves. This wasn’t convincing at all.
March 2, 2021
Susanna Beard’s The Lost Brother is a compulsively readable thriller about family secrets, devastating betrayals and dangerous lies that is dark, twisted and impossible to put down.
Ricky and Leonora Bates are not just siblings. They are best friends and allies in a family that is completely dominated by their autocratic father. The siblings have grown up in a toxic environment where they always felt that they weren’t good enough. Their father never lost an opportunity to tell them that they were worthless and useless and an embarrassment to the family name. Their father felt that Leonora was too intelligent for a girl and that her cleverness was unbecoming for a lady. As for Ricky, his father regarded his love of books as a weakness. Desperate to toughen up his son and to mould him in his own image, the Bates patriarch decided to send Ricky to a boarding school in South Africa leaving Leonora all alone with her dysfunctional parents. But little do they realize the earth-shattering repercussions which this decision will have on all of their lives.
When their father travels to South Africa to bring Ricky home, Leonora cannot help but be apprehensive. Their relationship has always been fraught and Leonora is well aware of the fact that her brother is not exactly going to be overjoyed to see their father. But not even Leonora could have predicted the shocking events that unfold when disaster strikes and their father is shot dead and Ricky is nowhere to be found. What happened between the two of them? Did Ricky shoot their father? Did his hatred for him push him to the limit and force him to commit murder? Or did something far more terrifying happen in South Africa between the two of them?
Leonora is the only one who can find out the truth about what really happened that night. But is she ready for what she is about to discover? Or will this twisted family secret end up tearing the Bates clan asunder forever?
Psychological thriller fans will devour Susanna Beard’s The Lost Brother in one sitting. A spine-chilling tale of obsession, vengeance and murder, The Lost Brother amps up the tension and suspense with a heart-stopping blend of shocking twists and turns and jaw-dropping revelations that will completely floor readers.
Susanna Beard is adept at deftly exploring the darker side of human relationships and in The Lost Brother she has once again penned a nail-biting and captivating thriller guaranteed to keep readers up all night.
Ricky and Leonora Bates are not just siblings. They are best friends and allies in a family that is completely dominated by their autocratic father. The siblings have grown up in a toxic environment where they always felt that they weren’t good enough. Their father never lost an opportunity to tell them that they were worthless and useless and an embarrassment to the family name. Their father felt that Leonora was too intelligent for a girl and that her cleverness was unbecoming for a lady. As for Ricky, his father regarded his love of books as a weakness. Desperate to toughen up his son and to mould him in his own image, the Bates patriarch decided to send Ricky to a boarding school in South Africa leaving Leonora all alone with her dysfunctional parents. But little do they realize the earth-shattering repercussions which this decision will have on all of their lives.
When their father travels to South Africa to bring Ricky home, Leonora cannot help but be apprehensive. Their relationship has always been fraught and Leonora is well aware of the fact that her brother is not exactly going to be overjoyed to see their father. But not even Leonora could have predicted the shocking events that unfold when disaster strikes and their father is shot dead and Ricky is nowhere to be found. What happened between the two of them? Did Ricky shoot their father? Did his hatred for him push him to the limit and force him to commit murder? Or did something far more terrifying happen in South Africa between the two of them?
Leonora is the only one who can find out the truth about what really happened that night. But is she ready for what she is about to discover? Or will this twisted family secret end up tearing the Bates clan asunder forever?
Psychological thriller fans will devour Susanna Beard’s The Lost Brother in one sitting. A spine-chilling tale of obsession, vengeance and murder, The Lost Brother amps up the tension and suspense with a heart-stopping blend of shocking twists and turns and jaw-dropping revelations that will completely floor readers.
Susanna Beard is adept at deftly exploring the darker side of human relationships and in The Lost Brother she has once again penned a nail-biting and captivating thriller guaranteed to keep readers up all night.
February 18, 2021
I read, reviewed and loved Susanna’s previous book ‘The Perfect Life’. When I heard that she was due to release another book, called ‘The Lost Brother’, I knew I had to read it. I thought that her previous book was good but for me ‘The Lost Brother’ was even better. I loved ‘The Lost Brother’ but more about that in a bit.
By thee time I got to the end of the first page, I knew that I was going to be in for a read and a half. Initially I sat down with the book for the first time only intending to read a couple of chapters to say that I had made a start on it but I ended up becoming that wrapped up in the story that I read way more then a couple of chapters. I had my own suspicions as to what was going to happen and I had to keep reading to see if I was on the right track or I had the wrong end of the stick entirely. The pages turned rather quickly as I became ever more desperate to find out how the story concluded. All too quickly I reached the end of the story.
‘The Lost Brother’ is really well written. The author certainly knows how to grab your attention from the start and draws you into what proves to be a compelling story. I must say that Susanna has broken the mould with the family that she has created in this story. The father really did make me feel uncomfortable and shiver. The way in which he treats his family is simply appalling and I am not surprised he ends up dead. Reading this book felt like being on a very unpredictable and at times scary rollercoaster ride with several twists and turns along the way. I felt as though I was part of the story and that’s thanks to Susanna’s very vivid and realistic storytelling. I found this to be a gripping read, which held my attention throughout and had me on the edge of my seat.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘The Lost Brother’ and I would recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Susanna’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.
By thee time I got to the end of the first page, I knew that I was going to be in for a read and a half. Initially I sat down with the book for the first time only intending to read a couple of chapters to say that I had made a start on it but I ended up becoming that wrapped up in the story that I read way more then a couple of chapters. I had my own suspicions as to what was going to happen and I had to keep reading to see if I was on the right track or I had the wrong end of the stick entirely. The pages turned rather quickly as I became ever more desperate to find out how the story concluded. All too quickly I reached the end of the story.
‘The Lost Brother’ is really well written. The author certainly knows how to grab your attention from the start and draws you into what proves to be a compelling story. I must say that Susanna has broken the mould with the family that she has created in this story. The father really did make me feel uncomfortable and shiver. The way in which he treats his family is simply appalling and I am not surprised he ends up dead. Reading this book felt like being on a very unpredictable and at times scary rollercoaster ride with several twists and turns along the way. I felt as though I was part of the story and that’s thanks to Susanna’s very vivid and realistic storytelling. I found this to be a gripping read, which held my attention throughout and had me on the edge of my seat.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘The Lost Brother’ and I would recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Susanna’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.
March 5, 2021
Devoted siblings Leonora and Ricky are cruelly separated by their harsh violent father and alcoholic weak mother. Ricky is sent away to South Africa to 'man up' and live up to his father's high expectations. Leonora is academically gifted but her father wants her to stay at home, cooking and cleaning. When Ricky's father travels to South Africa for his son's graduation, he is shot and Ricky vanishes...
The title of The Lost Brother seems a slight misnomer as Ricky doesn't actually go missing until the second half of the book. While he is away at school he is only absent in the physical sense as he is still writing to his sister and always remains emotionally connected to her.
The descriptions of the family life are heartbreaking to read. I felt desperate for the children to escape their cruel and selfish parents. It is abuse, pure and simple: Mental, emotional and physical. My sympathy was completely aligned with Leo and Ricky. The final chapter has some explosive revelations which I was not expecting and turned around some of my impressions about the events and characters within the book.
Set in the 1980s, I didn't really get much sense of the era except for the lack of modern technology. I did have to suspend my disbelief a little as I felt that the authorities would get more involved with the family even 30 years ago.
The narrative is provided through the dual perspective of Leo and Ricky, the latter being in the first person. However, this was compensated by Leo's synaethesia which added an extra dynamic to her elements of the book. Ricky's survival in the second part of the book felt realistic and I felt happy that he finally proved his strength and determination to himself.
The Lost Brother was an emotional book about the love between siblings in the face of adversity.
The title of The Lost Brother seems a slight misnomer as Ricky doesn't actually go missing until the second half of the book. While he is away at school he is only absent in the physical sense as he is still writing to his sister and always remains emotionally connected to her.
The descriptions of the family life are heartbreaking to read. I felt desperate for the children to escape their cruel and selfish parents. It is abuse, pure and simple: Mental, emotional and physical. My sympathy was completely aligned with Leo and Ricky. The final chapter has some explosive revelations which I was not expecting and turned around some of my impressions about the events and characters within the book.
Set in the 1980s, I didn't really get much sense of the era except for the lack of modern technology. I did have to suspend my disbelief a little as I felt that the authorities would get more involved with the family even 30 years ago.
The narrative is provided through the dual perspective of Leo and Ricky, the latter being in the first person. However, this was compensated by Leo's synaethesia which added an extra dynamic to her elements of the book. Ricky's survival in the second part of the book felt realistic and I felt happy that he finally proved his strength and determination to himself.
The Lost Brother was an emotional book about the love between siblings in the face of adversity.
March 30, 2021
The second Susanna Beard novel I've read - and I want more please!
Ricky and Leonora are not only brother and sister, they are best friends. With parents who don't exactly ooze love and affection, they need to stick together. Their domineering father disapproves of their closeness, claiming that Ricky is not tough enough and he regards Leonora's smartness as a failing, which is why he announces that he's sending Ricky away to school - boarding school at that - and not only in another country but on a different continent. The siblings are devastated; both of them unsure how they are going to survive without the other. Then, when they think they will be together again, their father heads to South Africa to bring Ricky home and is found shot dead with his son nowhere to be found. Leonora sets herself the goal of finding out what happened and, more importantly, finding her brother.
Leonora and Ricky have an enviable relationship, and that is exactly why being split up has such a calamitous effect on both of them and the author conveys this admirably. I really felt for both characters and this drew me into the story. Their bond is tight and distance impacts on both of them quite badly. Following each of their lives was both emotional and enlightening and I was shocked by the death of their father. And then the story really begins! Pulling the reader's emotions first one way and then the other, this is a gripping tale which kept me on my toes until the very final word. Original and thrilling, it was impossible to tell how it was going to end. Great characterisation and a well-crafted story all add up to a spirited read and one I thoroughly enjoyed. I'm happy to recommend this one and give it 4.5*.
Ricky and Leonora are not only brother and sister, they are best friends. With parents who don't exactly ooze love and affection, they need to stick together. Their domineering father disapproves of their closeness, claiming that Ricky is not tough enough and he regards Leonora's smartness as a failing, which is why he announces that he's sending Ricky away to school - boarding school at that - and not only in another country but on a different continent. The siblings are devastated; both of them unsure how they are going to survive without the other. Then, when they think they will be together again, their father heads to South Africa to bring Ricky home and is found shot dead with his son nowhere to be found. Leonora sets herself the goal of finding out what happened and, more importantly, finding her brother.
Leonora and Ricky have an enviable relationship, and that is exactly why being split up has such a calamitous effect on both of them and the author conveys this admirably. I really felt for both characters and this drew me into the story. Their bond is tight and distance impacts on both of them quite badly. Following each of their lives was both emotional and enlightening and I was shocked by the death of their father. And then the story really begins! Pulling the reader's emotions first one way and then the other, this is a gripping tale which kept me on my toes until the very final word. Original and thrilling, it was impossible to tell how it was going to end. Great characterisation and a well-crafted story all add up to a spirited read and one I thoroughly enjoyed. I'm happy to recommend this one and give it 4.5*.
January 28, 2021
**Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review**
This was a nicely written book about survival.
Leonora and her brother Ricky have learned to lean on each other in a house with an abusive father and a mother who is too scared of her husband to stand up for herself or her children. When Ricky is sent to boarding school in South Africa, Leo is devastated. Years later, their father goes to South Africa to bring Ricky home. He is later found with a fatal gunshot wound. Ricky is nowhere to be found.
And so Leo embarks on a journey to find her brother, growing up along the way.
To me, this did NOT come off as a thriller. Everything was pretty darn straightforward and the twist at the end didn't quite make sense to me because Maybe it's just me, but I enjoy being surprised by a twist and still being able to look back at what I read and think, "Oh, I should have seen that coming."
The story is definitely a slow burn and I was disappointed in it because of that. Had it not been advertised as a thriller, I likely wouldn't have minded. However, because the search for Leo's brother is so long and drawn out and includes so many details about her life, I nearly DNFed the book several times.
The prose was beautiful though, if a bit expository at times. I think if the book stopped trying to be something it isn't and was just a book about a girl growing up and overcoming her terrible life situation, it could be great.
This was a nicely written book about survival.
Leonora and her brother Ricky have learned to lean on each other in a house with an abusive father and a mother who is too scared of her husband to stand up for herself or her children. When Ricky is sent to boarding school in South Africa, Leo is devastated. Years later, their father goes to South Africa to bring Ricky home. He is later found with a fatal gunshot wound. Ricky is nowhere to be found.
And so Leo embarks on a journey to find her brother, growing up along the way.
To me, this did NOT come off as a thriller. Everything was pretty darn straightforward and the twist at the end didn't quite make sense to me because Maybe it's just me, but I enjoy being surprised by a twist and still being able to look back at what I read and think, "Oh, I should have seen that coming."
The story is definitely a slow burn and I was disappointed in it because of that. Had it not been advertised as a thriller, I likely wouldn't have minded. However, because the search for Leo's brother is so long and drawn out and includes so many details about her life, I nearly DNFed the book several times.
The prose was beautiful though, if a bit expository at times. I think if the book stopped trying to be something it isn't and was just a book about a girl growing up and overcoming her terrible life situation, it could be great.
March 7, 2022
All happy families are alike
But each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. Leo Tolstoy wrote that. This is the story of one of those unhappy families—abusive father, alcoholic mother, and a brother and sister who are extremely close. When Ricky is 12 and his sister Leonora, who he calls Leo, is 10, their father decides to send him to boarding school in South Africa to “toughen him up, make a man of him”, he says. It becomes obvious to Leonora that part of the purpose, at least, is to separate the two of them, as their letters to each other don’t get past their father. They devise a way to get around this, however. Ricky is only allowed to come home once on vacation the entire time he’s at school; after that he’s forced to stay in South Africa. However, he develops a strong relationship with the wildlife science teacher at the school and he also becomes very good at shooting, which is a sanctioned school sport. When he graduates, his father comes to visit and insists they go on a camping trip. But the father doesn’t return home, and Ricky disappears. Leonora is left to wonder what happened, and to spend several years searching for him, especially after the police visit her with the news that her father was found shot to death in South Africa and Ricky was a suspect. The story is told in alternating voices, Ricky’s and Leonora’s. I wouldn’t really call it a psychological thriller, although that’s how it’s marketed. The finish isn’t “electrifying” as the blurb says either. In fact, I didn’t even find it particularly surprising. But it was a decent enough story of its type.
But each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. Leo Tolstoy wrote that. This is the story of one of those unhappy families—abusive father, alcoholic mother, and a brother and sister who are extremely close. When Ricky is 12 and his sister Leonora, who he calls Leo, is 10, their father decides to send him to boarding school in South Africa to “toughen him up, make a man of him”, he says. It becomes obvious to Leonora that part of the purpose, at least, is to separate the two of them, as their letters to each other don’t get past their father. They devise a way to get around this, however. Ricky is only allowed to come home once on vacation the entire time he’s at school; after that he’s forced to stay in South Africa. However, he develops a strong relationship with the wildlife science teacher at the school and he also becomes very good at shooting, which is a sanctioned school sport. When he graduates, his father comes to visit and insists they go on a camping trip. But the father doesn’t return home, and Ricky disappears. Leonora is left to wonder what happened, and to spend several years searching for him, especially after the police visit her with the news that her father was found shot to death in South Africa and Ricky was a suspect. The story is told in alternating voices, Ricky’s and Leonora’s. I wouldn’t really call it a psychological thriller, although that’s how it’s marketed. The finish isn’t “electrifying” as the blurb says either. In fact, I didn’t even find it particularly surprising. But it was a decent enough story of its type.
January 26, 2021
Leonora and Richard live with their parents in a small town in the south of England. Their mother is a rather shy timid woman who is fearful of her dictatorial bully of a husband who treats both her and the children as inconveniences only there for his beckoning. Ricky learns that as the boy he is to be sent to his fathers old school “ to make him a man”. His fathers school is in South Africa. Leo is very close to her brother and is fraught at the separation. She cleverly realises that education is her best way of escape. According to her father she is a “ good for nothing female who will never amount to anything” so has been sent to the local rundown school. However she has been blessed with brains and this is her plan of attack against him. Her mother is then hospitalised due to being savagely hit by her father. Not long afterwards, he goes to South Africa to bring Ricky home, only there is an accident and their father is killed. Ricky is now missing. How on earth is Leo going to find him when she is thousands of miles away? A book not easy to read in parts for some (childhood abuse- more verbalisation but suggestions of more) but one to make us realise that not every home is a loving one. Of hope and tenacity, of steely determination and ultimately love that conquers even the most seemingly impossible situations. Brilliant.
For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/
or follow me on Twitter@nickisbookblog
For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/
or follow me on Twitter@nickisbookblog
February 7, 2021
This is the story of two siblings, Ricky and Leonora.
Their father is a cruel tyrant, their mother is a slave to his every whim her only means of escape is to turn to drink.
This leaves Ricky and Leonora with only each other as a source of support and comfort.
That is until father sends Ricky off to an exclusive boarding school in South Africa.
It`s the school where he was educated and he thinks it will make Ricky into a man.
His plans for Leonora are nothing like as grand, she is sent to the local rundown school, after all she is a mere female and as such in his eyes good for nothing other than marriage and childbearing.
However Leonora is clever and determines to get an education that will free her from her father and his plans.
Although thousands of miles apart Ricky and Leonora manage to keep in touch through letters, even after she manages to escape her father and goes to live with friends on the canal.
When Ricky finishes school he decides he wants to remain in South Africa and work in conservation, his father of course has other ideas and arrives to take him back home.
The father is found with a fatal gunshot wound in the bush, Ricky is missing.
What happens next will affect all their lives for years to come.
Leonora begins her search to discover the truth.
The story is told from both Ricky and Leonora`s viewpoints and brings the characters to life.
A tale of hope. tenacity, determination and love.
Thanks to Joffe books for the chance to read this as an ARC.
Their father is a cruel tyrant, their mother is a slave to his every whim her only means of escape is to turn to drink.
This leaves Ricky and Leonora with only each other as a source of support and comfort.
That is until father sends Ricky off to an exclusive boarding school in South Africa.
It`s the school where he was educated and he thinks it will make Ricky into a man.
His plans for Leonora are nothing like as grand, she is sent to the local rundown school, after all she is a mere female and as such in his eyes good for nothing other than marriage and childbearing.
However Leonora is clever and determines to get an education that will free her from her father and his plans.
Although thousands of miles apart Ricky and Leonora manage to keep in touch through letters, even after she manages to escape her father and goes to live with friends on the canal.
When Ricky finishes school he decides he wants to remain in South Africa and work in conservation, his father of course has other ideas and arrives to take him back home.
The father is found with a fatal gunshot wound in the bush, Ricky is missing.
What happens next will affect all their lives for years to come.
Leonora begins her search to discover the truth.
The story is told from both Ricky and Leonora`s viewpoints and brings the characters to life.
A tale of hope. tenacity, determination and love.
Thanks to Joffe books for the chance to read this as an ARC.
January 31, 2021
This is the story of brother and sister Ricky and Leonora Bates. It begins in the late eighties where Ricky and Leonora are living with their parents in a small British town. Their father is a domineering and overbearing man. Mum is terrified of her husband and has turned to drink. When Ricky is sent to school in South Africa Leonora is devastated. Leonora is a bright and clever girl but her father doesn’t value education for girls and she eventually moves out when she’s 16 as he doesn’t want her to go into higher education. Ricky has found a passion for animals in South Africa and wants to stay there to work as a ranger. After his graduation and before returning to the UK he and his father go on a camping trip in a local reserve. The father suffers a gunshot wound and dies and Ricky disappears. Leonora is consumed by her search for her brother and is convinced that he is still alive. She is also following the career that she had always dreamed of and that her father said she would never achieve. The story is told from Ricky and Leonora’s points of view and flows really well.
I wasn’t sure about this book from the description but I couldn’t put it down - thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. Great read.
Thanks to Joffe Books and Susanna Beard for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
I wasn’t sure about this book from the description but I couldn’t put it down - thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. Great read.
Thanks to Joffe Books and Susanna Beard for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
February 22, 2021
This is a sad tale of 2 siblings caught up in a domestic violence home life perpetrated by their strict father.
The siblings Ricky and Leno are exceptionally close supporting each other through their loveless childhood when suddenly their father decides to send Ricky to boarding school in South Africa and goes to great lengths to stop communication between the pair.
As the story unfolds it becomes clear that their mother has turned to alcohol to deal with the unhappy situation in her marriage and becomes ever dependent on her addiction. Matters are brought to a head when Ricky and his father undergo a male bonding trip trekking through South Africa. The murdered body of their father is found and there is no trace of Ricky.
Leno is devastated and vows to find her missing brother whatever it takes.
Despite the dark theme of this book I found the story unfolded gently being told through both siblings view points. I would say it’s genre is more a domestic drama than mystery/thriller however I found it to be a good read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
The siblings Ricky and Leno are exceptionally close supporting each other through their loveless childhood when suddenly their father decides to send Ricky to boarding school in South Africa and goes to great lengths to stop communication between the pair.
As the story unfolds it becomes clear that their mother has turned to alcohol to deal with the unhappy situation in her marriage and becomes ever dependent on her addiction. Matters are brought to a head when Ricky and his father undergo a male bonding trip trekking through South Africa. The murdered body of their father is found and there is no trace of Ricky.
Leno is devastated and vows to find her missing brother whatever it takes.
Despite the dark theme of this book I found the story unfolded gently being told through both siblings view points. I would say it’s genre is more a domestic drama than mystery/thriller however I found it to be a good read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 24, 2021
The story of brother and sister Ricky and Leonora Bates,
Their bullying father decides to send Ricky away to boarding school at thirteen years old but its not in England its in South Africa the savoy school kwazulu-natal province where their father was taught it will make a man of him. Leonora writes to him and its another year before he comes home for a holiday but this is the last time , father cannot afford and flight, Ricky pleads with her to get away from their father and as years go by she is soon sixteen, things take a turn when father goes to South Africa and is found shot and Ricky is missing, Leonora must search for him and find out the truth.
This is a good story that has twists and turns in as you keep reading, and a lot Is unearthed. great story all the way from this author.
Their bullying father decides to send Ricky away to boarding school at thirteen years old but its not in England its in South Africa the savoy school kwazulu-natal province where their father was taught it will make a man of him. Leonora writes to him and its another year before he comes home for a holiday but this is the last time , father cannot afford and flight, Ricky pleads with her to get away from their father and as years go by she is soon sixteen, things take a turn when father goes to South Africa and is found shot and Ricky is missing, Leonora must search for him and find out the truth.
This is a good story that has twists and turns in as you keep reading, and a lot Is unearthed. great story all the way from this author.
February 12, 2021
Ricky and Leonora are siblings trying to survive in their dysfunctional family. Their father is a bully and believes his son needs to toughen up and his daughter is holding him back. Their mother never goes against her husband. Ricky and Leonora are the best of friends, so it came as a huge surprise when they learned Ricky was being sent away to boarding school. Leonora was devasted. Leo wants to write a letter to her brother but her father refuses to give her the address and tells her to leave the boy alone. Five years go by and Ricky graduates. His father goes to the graduation and takes Ricky on a camping trip. During the trip, Rick tells his father something he didn't like. His father was found dead and Ricky couldn't be found. Read the book to learn the rest....
***Read and Reviewed voluntarily #NetGalley #SusannaBeard #Joffeooks .#ARC
***Read and Reviewed voluntarily #NetGalley #SusannaBeard #Joffeooks .#ARC
November 24, 2021
Though this is not a psychological thriller as advertised, it is nonetheless a gripping story. The author writes in a way that absorbs you from page one. The story focuses on the main characters, brother and sister Leonora and Ricky, who are fiercely close but have been separated by their nasty father, who sends Ricky away to boarding school in South Africa to 'toughen him up'. The nastiness and dysfunction of the Bates family unfolds chapter by chapter, with the domineering and controlling dad and the mum who becomes dependent on alcohol to cope.
The story follows Leo and Ricky through their seperate lives over the years, and in their quest to be reunited and to find themselves again.
It is a well written, heart-rendering story of loss, grief and survival. Very enjoyable and highly recommended.
The story follows Leo and Ricky through their seperate lives over the years, and in their quest to be reunited and to find themselves again.
It is a well written, heart-rendering story of loss, grief and survival. Very enjoyable and highly recommended.
January 26, 2021
This is a terrific book, sad, uplifting and suspenseful at the same time. Plus it takes place in part in South Africa, which I loved.
Leonora (Leo) and Richie are siblings, very close to each other. who live in constant fear of their father. Their mother is no help, she's beaten down by the treatment she receives by her husband.
When Richie is sent to South Africa to boarding school, the siblings are beyond heartbroken.
At the end of school, their father flies to S. Africa and Richie and he go on a trip into the African bush. The father is subsequently found dead and Richie disappears.
Leo looks for him for years, with no success.
A good and surprising ending made for a great read. Highly recommended!
Leonora (Leo) and Richie are siblings, very close to each other. who live in constant fear of their father. Their mother is no help, she's beaten down by the treatment she receives by her husband.
When Richie is sent to South Africa to boarding school, the siblings are beyond heartbroken.
At the end of school, their father flies to S. Africa and Richie and he go on a trip into the African bush. The father is subsequently found dead and Richie disappears.
Leo looks for him for years, with no success.
A good and surprising ending made for a great read. Highly recommended!
March 10, 2021
I am thoroughly disappointed. A true ***** book with a * ending.
The author should have quit at the end of Chapter 51 for a ***** rating. I grudgingly give it ***'s.
IF the information that comes out in the last TWO chapters is really part of the story, then why did RICKY not find his sister as soon as he could, to comfort her, to receive comfort from her, to share the brooch, to share the truth. The ending makes no sense to me.
Was it a social justice thing that had be included? Truly deplorable actions by the father, but it doesn't fit the rest of the story, and makes Ricky's tale inexplicable.
But, I loved her writing, and have already bought WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT her next book.
The author should have quit at the end of Chapter 51 for a ***** rating. I grudgingly give it ***'s.
IF the information that comes out in the last TWO chapters is really part of the story, then why did RICKY not find his sister as soon as he could, to comfort her, to receive comfort from her, to share the brooch, to share the truth. The ending makes no sense to me.
Was it a social justice thing that had be included? Truly deplorable actions by the father, but it doesn't fit the rest of the story, and makes Ricky's tale inexplicable.
But, I loved her writing, and have already bought WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT her next book.
February 2, 2021
A slow build, but full of heartbreaking happenings. I found the sister most interesting as she sees words and letters as a colour of their own. The family is highly disfunctional. Father is a bully, mother tries very hard to keep the peace. The son is sent off to boarding school in South Africa to 'make a man of him', but he's not the sportsman that his father wanted. After their father dies in South Africa Rickfy returns to England and lives on the streets. Leo keeps looking for him, but will she find him alive.
Enjoyed it.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I read a free advance copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.
Enjoyed it.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I read a free advance copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.
March 6, 2021
Very Clever!
This book is very different to what I normally read, not the storyline but the way it is written & I'll be honest it took me a while to actually get into it properly. Once I got into it as I'm not one to give up on a book just because it's different, I promise you it's an amazing story of loss which made me feel so sad for Leo & Ricky!
I had just finished The Perfect Life so I went on to read another book from the same author & the 2 book/Storylines are nothing alike, both Brilliant in their own colourful ways which proves what an Amazing author Susanna Beard is!
This book is very different to what I normally read, not the storyline but the way it is written & I'll be honest it took me a while to actually get into it properly. Once I got into it as I'm not one to give up on a book just because it's different, I promise you it's an amazing story of loss which made me feel so sad for Leo & Ricky!
I had just finished The Perfect Life so I went on to read another book from the same author & the 2 book/Storylines are nothing alike, both Brilliant in their own colourful ways which proves what an Amazing author Susanna Beard is!
March 22, 2021
Picked up due to the marketing presenting the book as a psychological thriller neither of which is true. I thought the book decent until the brother gets shipped off to boarding school and the action begins to falter. The motivations of the characters were nonsensical to me, I really could not see the characters doing what they did, especially in light of their close relationship with one another. And Leo's search for her brother went on and on. Not sure I'd read another of this author's works.
September 16, 2021
This is not a psychological thriller, no matter what Mad men want you to believe.
It’s so boring I soon stopped reading and skipped pages and pages without any problems since basically nothing happened.
Leonora’s search for his brother drags on and on.
His brother’s behaviour makes non sense at all.
The twists are useless and totally predictable.
I’m sorry cause I loved What happened that night a lot. This. I really wondered why writing such a repetitive, shallow story…
It’s so boring I soon stopped reading and skipped pages and pages without any problems since basically nothing happened.
Leonora’s search for his brother drags on and on.
His brother’s behaviour makes non sense at all.
The twists are useless and totally predictable.
I’m sorry cause I loved What happened that night a lot. This. I really wondered why writing such a repetitive, shallow story…
December 12, 2021
A really good book! An exploration of dysfunctional family life, the havoc an authoritarian and cruel father has on wife and kids in the days before people learnt to stand up to bullies in the home, where fearfulness reigned and the bullies destroyed their victims' lives. Then the consequences of taking control and turning the tables on the bully. A happy ending to this angst-ridden tale was very satisfying.
January 28, 2021
THE LOST BROTHER kicks off with a gunshot in the wild.
The detailed, well written story leading up to that gunshot brings the characters to life so that you're sharing their emotions.
The grueling and frightening, tortuous and disheartening aftermaths are utterly agonizing.
Follow them on their heart-wrenching journeys. You will not be disappointed.
The detailed, well written story leading up to that gunshot brings the characters to life so that you're sharing their emotions.
The grueling and frightening, tortuous and disheartening aftermaths are utterly agonizing.
Follow them on their heart-wrenching journeys. You will not be disappointed.
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