The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex

I picked up The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex in Sainsbury’s over the summer. It was cheap and I was short on things to read! I also remembered seeing good things about it a few months back. I was looking forward to reading it, but it kept getting pushed down my to read pile, thanks to new books by some of my favourite authors – Robert Galbraith, Kate Atkinson and Richard Osman.

Set in 1972 and 1992, The Lamplighters is the story of a mysterious disappearance from a remote lighthouse.

Just after Christmas in 1972, lighthouse keepers Arthur, Bill and Vince vanish without trace from the Maiden, miles from the Cornish coast. The clocks have stopped at the same time, the table is set for a meal and the door is locked from the inside.

Twenty years later, an author sets out to find out what really happened. He wants to interview the women they left behind – Helen, Jenny and Michelle. Helen accepts Arthur is gone. Jenny still believes Bill could come home. Michelle will never love anyone like she loved Vince.

Only one of them is willing to speak. Far from being brought together by the tragedy, it drove the women apart.

Both the men and the women had secrets. Is one of those secrets the key to the mystery? And will anyone be honest about their secrets and their memories?

I’ll be honest, I was disappointed by the first chapter of The Lamplighters. It was written in an overly descriptive style, which is not my cup of tea. After that, the writing was all the inner voice of the characters and I got right into it.

The Lamplighters is a beautiful, moving and at times disturbing story about love and marriage, loneliness and isolation. It’s not an easy read, but if you’re looking for a novel which is moving and atmospheric, I would definitely recommend it.