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ClareR (5726 KP) rated The Saint of Lost Things in Books

Apr 12, 2023  
The Saint of Lost Things
The Saint of Lost Things
Tish Delaney | 2022 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Saint of Lost Things by Tish Delaney was read wonderfully by Bronagh Waugh on the audiobook. Not just the accent - she gave the characters in the book their personalities, bringing them off the page and into my ears!

This isn’t a happy family by any means. Lindy’s Catholic-when-it-suits-him grandfather makes it clear that he only tolerates her. He punishes her for every minor infraction because she is “the wrong child”. He punishes her because she’s illegitimate and female, and what’s more, her mother is no longer alive to take her share of the punishment. Lindy is, of course, responsible for her fathers existence - he’s a gypsy, a tinker and a whole host of other unpleasant names that I could have done without learning. In fact, Lindy is responsible for a great many things that she doesn’t know about.

The writing makes this abusive family seem almost acceptable, and at the same time, shows it up for the horror show that it is. Bronagh Waugh’s narration adds more of a wry, dark humour to what would be a relentlessly sombre story otherwise.

I felt sorry for Auntie Bell, also held in low esteem by her own father and given no option but to look after her niece. To be fair, she’s not very nice about it, and is all too keen to tell Lindy that she was forced to look after her and in doing so, Lindy ruined her life.

Lindy’s life isn’t much better. She tries to have her own life away in London, but ends up returning to the farm and her awful grandfather.

Her life changes forever when the parish priest comes to her with news she never thought she’d have. This news changes everything. And what an earth shattering piece of news it is!!

I really enjoyed this, even though it wasn’t the happiest of books. I found myself thinking about it, even when I wasn’t listening. These are all fascinating characters and brought to life so well by the narrator.
Recommended.
  
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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated What's Done in Darkness: A Novel in Books

Jun 24, 2021  
What's Done in Darkness: A Novel
What's Done in Darkness: A Novel
Laura McHugh | 2021 | Fiction & Poetry, Thriller
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
An excellent dark and foreboding mystery
Sarabeth is seventeen when she's held captive for nearly a week and then dumped along the side of the road, bound and blindfolded. She doesn't know who took her, or where. The police doubt her story and her parents do not even report her missing from their rural Arkansas farm . Sarabeth had argued with her religious parents, who insisted she follow their strict rules and marry someone of their choosing. As she returns home and finds her family appalled by her kidnapping, she realizes something good may come from the abduction: she can escape life on the farm for good. Five years later, she's now known as Sara when investigator Nick Farrow asks her to help with the missing persons case of another girl--one incredibly similar to Sara's. Reluctantly, Sara returns home, where she must face her darkest fears (and her family) to assist in bringing this girl home.

"Sarabeth had come to think of her time on the farm as a sentence that she had to serve, one with an end date. Now it seemed like she'd have to plan an escape."

I adore Laura McHugh's writing at this point. She's an excellent writer, and this is a great mystery in her deft hands. The religious, almost cult-like aspect of Sarabeth's family seems extremely timely in this era. We see how they narrow her options, forcing her to choose between her family and her own life. Religion and darkness are major themes in this book, with darkness playing not just in the title but across the entire novel. McHugh weaves it in and out of her story--Sara being afraid of the dark, darkness and shadows lurking at every turn. And it's a dark book to read too, even if it has its light moments. Still there's hope here as well.

I loved how Sara was a complicated heroine, with a complex past and many scars. She reminded me of Joanna Schaffhausen's Ellery Hathaway in that sense--a troubled soul who must overcome her own darkness to try to save others. Her interactions with Nick were an excellent respite, and I certainly could see myself reading about these two again.

"A piece of me was still there in Arkansas, but I was gone. No one in my new life knew who I was, what had happened to me, and I wanted to keep it that way."

The book is atmospheric, sucking us into both the deep religious aspect of the Ozarks and the Arkansas countryside. The Arkansas hills seem to play their own role in the book--another character so to speak. This one kept me guessing and even as I worked out some pieces, there were plenty of twists and turns. It's a fairly quick read, but an excellent one. Certainly recommend to mystery fans and those who enjoy a character-driven read.