Last Seen by Lucy Clarke

Paperback:  433 pages                                                                                                
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Harper Collins 2017
Source: Tywyn Public Library
First Sentence: Prologue: Salt water burns the back of my throat as I surface, coughing.
Review Quote: ‘With twists, turns, secrets and lies aplenty, you’ll have no choice but to devour it in one’ HEAT
Main Characters: Sarah,( mother of Jacob) Isla, (mother of Marley)
Setting: Beach huts on a stretch of the south coast of England.
My Opinion: Keeping secrets is destructive and although this novel was not the tense thriller I expected from the blurb, it is definitely worth reading.  The setting alone a beach hut on the south coast made it the sort of book to read whilst enjoying the lovely weather we have had recently! The female protagonists have been friends for many years and despite disaster striking when one of their sons goes missing, the friendship survives. Or does it because when disaster strikes again seven years later all sorts of betrayals surface, some of them I guessed correctly but there were also surprises right to the end.


Précis Courtesy of Goodreads:

In a small seaside community, there’s always somebody watching…

Twisty, pacy, and superbly plotted, Last Seen is the perfect psychological page-turner for fans of Clare Mackintosh and Sabine Durrant.

Seven years ago, two boys went missing at sea – and only one was brought to shore. The Sandbank, a remote stretch of coast dotted with beach huts, was scarred forever.

Sarah’s son survived, but on the anniversary of the accident, he disappears without trace. As new secrets begin to surface, The Sandbank hums with tension and unanswered questions. Sarah’s search grows more desperate and she starts to mistrust everyone she knows – and she’s right to.

Someone saw everything on that fateful day seven years ago. And they’ll do anything to keep the truth buried.


Author Profile

Photo courtesy of  James Bowden

ABOUT LUCY FROM HER WEBSITE:
Novelist, traveller, and fresh air enthusiast, Lucy Clarke is the author of four novels.

Lucy graduated from university with a first class degree in English Literature, but it wasn't until she was on a six month road trip across the US and Canada, that she decided she'd love to be a novelist.

Many twists and turns later, Lucy's debut novel, The Sea Sisters, was published (HarperCollins, 2013). It was a Richard & Judy Book Club choice, and has been published in over ten countries.

Since then she has released three more novels, A Single Breath (HarperCollins, 2014), The Blue (HarperCollins, 2015), and most recently Last Seen (HarperCollins, 2017).

Lucy is married to a professional windsurfer, and together with their young children they spend their winters travelling, and their summers at home on the south coast of England. Lucy writes from a beach hut.



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