The Lodger: A captivating historical mystery that will keep you hooked from first page to last

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The Lodger by Helen Scarlett is a detective taking place in the aftermath of WWI in London. It's full of brooding and grief but also new beginnings and stories of healing. I didn't get the romance at all. The characters didn't spend enough time together and I didn't feel the chemistry. I saw that some readers enjoyed it, so maybe it just me. The finale scene was a bit cliché Elizabeth was much more than a lodger, she had become a dear friend to Grace, and these memories spur Grace on to uncover the true circumstances as to what led her friend to meet such a tragic fate.

An intriguing mystery layered with deeper themes of loss and regeneration after the Great War. London in 1919 is richly atmospheric, and Grace Armstrong is a sympathetic and spirited protagonist * V. B. Grey, author of SISTERHOOD * I totally loved this one all through the first half. It sounded so realistic. The historical setting was spot on - if a bit expositional in places. There was Elisabeth's mystery: she appeared to have been a very different person before she went lodging with Grace and her family, and I wanted to know whether she had changed or whether she was a misunderstood woman. There was the WWI tread, where Grace kept seeing her husband around the city, and it could have been her hallucinating, but maybe... Grace's mother is a perfect example: there was, after all, no mystery there, and in fact, that thread unravelled in a very uninspiring way. The same happened to all the others. The dreams, for example, which I was so desperate to learn what meant, turned out to mean basically nothing. They were just nightmares.

Summary

The Lodger is a historical mystery novel set in post-World War I London. We follow Grace, an aspiring reporter in her early 20s as she works to discern the truth of the death of her dear family friend and long-time lodger, Elizabeth.

If you read this, go in with zero expectations of it being a gothic murder mystery, because it absolutely isn’t 😅 If you enjoy cozy mysteries, with slight dark elements then you may enjoy this! That’s where I began to feel disappointed was because I expected and wanted a gothic mystery novel but didn’t get any of that. I was loving the mystery at first but that sadly didn’t last long. Nothing really wrong with the writing, I could read it okay and it held my attention, but I just didn’t love it either. Does more telling than showing when presenting clues/new info, which is a reading pet peeve of mine. I think if it had been dual POV and we could discover the secrets from Elizabeth’s perspective rather than being told everything secondhand it could’ve been more intriguing/mysterious. So, despite my mild disappointment at the late introduction of over-used themes, overall I loved this one. A strong mystery contained within an authentic in-depth look at a specific and significant period in time, and peopled by characters I grew to like and care about. I will certainly be reading more from this talented author, and recommend this one highly.I found the story to be an enjoyable easy read, albeit set in ghostly and grim conditions. It thoughtfully handled the depiction of grief and the ghosts of the past, using it unravel our characters as they confront their shared histories and pain. Grace is a compelling main character and I very much enjoyed following her as she begins piecing together the clues as to what happened to Elizabeth. It worked well against the story threads related to her own family using it to highlight the impact of social change following the war And there were mysterious, unsettling dreams Grace was having about the war. There was also a thread concerning Grace's mother that was very very mysterious in the first part of the book.

A ghostly, immersive mystery threaded with twists and turns as evocative as the 20th-century London in which it is set . . . A devastating reveal and a tangled web I won't forget * Amanda Geard, author of THE MIDNIGHT HOUSE * Despite my usual aversion to novels set during wartime, I was thoroughly engrossed in this book. The author did a fantastic job of capturing the atmosphere and era with vivid descriptions, and the mystery itself was well-crafted and kept me intrigued until the end. Grace seems to accept the discoveries about Elizabeth's death and life like completing a puzzle. Elizabeth's story is full of secrets and taboos. But the information Grace gathers during the months following Elizabeth's death have no consequence. The final scenario would be exactly the same if the crime of the central plot was any other; and, what should have been the main story of the novel, becomes a secondary plot. Overall, The Lodger is an excellent read for fans of historical fiction with its captivating plot and realistic portrayal of post-war London. Following the story of Grace Armstrong, a journalist for a small paper, mourning the disappearance of her fiancé at the Battle of Ypres, and led on an investigation following the mysterious disappearance of the lodger residing at the family home. What follows is a journey which will lead Grace to self-discoveries of her own past, the intrigue of a mystery from the past and her realisation of the ghostly presence of loved ones lost to the war.Helen Scarlett] has a gift for pulling readers into the twists and turns of her story * Sunday Times * A body is dragged from the bitter cold and unforgiving mistress that is the Thames, identified as Elizabeth Smith, a former lodger who Grace grew close to after sharing eight years together but one day suddenly disappearing into the night. Soon Grace finds herself under threat, and the only person prepared to listen is the brooding Tom Monaghan. It is a story of a young woman Grace who lost her brother and fiancé. Recently her friend had disappeared and then was found dead. Grace couldn't believe in her friend's suicide and started an investigation. Unfortunately near the end two of the compulsory themes of the decade are dragged in – homophobia and sexual abuse. I assume authors can’t get publishing contracts without them, a bit like the new Oscar rules. At least racism was omitted for once. It’s not that I object to any of these themes – I’d just like them not to be quite so ubiquitous. I love chocolate fudge cake, but I don’t want it with every meal. Believe it or not, there are other aspects of the human condition worth exploring. And in this case, I felt the subjects of loss and renewal were more than sufficient, especially since she dealt with them so well.