The Lodger

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The atmosphere of post-WW1 London is beautifully evoked and richly detailed . . . I loved the character of Grace . . . It deserves to be a huge hit * Sarah Smith, author of HEAR NO EVIL * Added to this, there is the disappearance of the woman who has been lodging with the Armstrong family for the past eight years. Elizabeth Smith was a very private person though had become a good friend to Grace. Then a woman’s body is dragged from the Thames and is identified as Elizabeth. The Lodger is Helen Scarlett’s second novel (following The Deception of Harriet Fleet in 2020) who, once again, delivers a tale of mystery and intrigue set amid a gothic atmosphere set amid a period of mourning in 1919 following the First World War. Helen Scarlett] has a gift for pulling readers into the twists and turns of her story’ SUNDAY TIMES

The Lodger - Helen Scarlett - Google Books The Lodger - Helen Scarlett - Google Books

This is Helen Scarlett’s second novel; I haven’t read her first, The Deception of Harriet Fleet, but both are standalones so that didn’t matter at all. I will probably look for that earlier book now, as I did enjoy this one. It’s a slow-paced novel, but I still found it quite gripping, mainly because of the vivid portrayal of a world emerging from war, with people attempting to move forward while still struggling with the trauma of the recent past. Nobody in the novel has come out of the war unscathed; we meet men left damaged both physically and mentally by the horrors of the trenches, families grieving for the deaths of loved ones – and perhaps worst of all, people like Grace who are unable to grieve properly without knowing whether their loved one is dead or alive. Grace sees Robert everywhere – in the street, on the bus, in her dreams – and feels that she’ll never be able to rebuild her life until she knows the truth. The Lodger by Helen Scarlett is a gripping and haunting gothic tale set in post-World War I London. When the body of Elizabeth Smith, a lodger who had become a dear friend to Grace, is found in the Thames after disappearing suddenly, Grace is drawn into the dangerous underbelly of London to uncover what happened to Elizabeth. London in 1919, a city of ghosts and absences. Grace Armstrong believes that she has come to terms with her own loss, the death of her fiancé, the brilliant and dazzling best friend of her brother. He was declared Missing in Action during the Battle of the Somme, but he starts to reappear both in her waking life and dreams. All in all very well written, and if the mystery would have been more appealing and a little less romance, it would have made a a perfect read.

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. The book just tries to do too much and falls flat in its premise/execution! The one thing it does well is show Grace’s grief following World War 1 and the aftermath effects of how it affected the country as a whole. Honestly the book would have been much better as a historical romance or general historical novel that focuses on characters’ grief and trying to move on following the war.

Helen Scarlett | Incredible books from Quercus Books Helen Scarlett | Incredible books from Quercus Books

Elizabeth story really did break my heart 🥲 and was so close to what's happening in the real world that I wouldn't be surprised if it was based on true story 💔 The Lodger is easy to read, despite using period-specific vocabulary. There are no complicated structures or complex vocabulary, which helps to keep the reading pace. If you are looking for an book to improve your English, The Lodger is a good choice. The author uses her beautifully evoked setting - an eerie, watery, twilit London in the aftermath of the First World War, a place of ghosts at a time of collective loss and grief, the London of The Waste Land and Mrs Dalloway - to dramatic effect as amateur sleuth Grace investigates the disappearance of the secretive lodger of the title. 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. What I really liked is the description of post war London, even if it reminded me very much of Downton Abbey. The characters could just have been taken from this grand house to the slightly more family home of Ryedale Villa. And the pacing and escapism reminded me of "All creatures, great and small". However, midway through I found the pacing to become very slow and more and more emphasis was put on romance which is just something I don't like in mysteries.

To make matters worse, a body, dragged from the Thames, is identified as Elizabeth Smith, who lodged with Grace and her family for the last eight years before suddenly disappearing. Grace is appalled when a body, dragged from the Thames, is identified as Elizabeth Smith, who has lodged with Grace and her family for the last eight years before suddenly disappearing. Grace Armstrong believes that she has come to terms with her own loss, the death of her dazzling fiancé who was declared Missing in Action. But soon he starts to reappear both in her waking life and dreams. The middle part felt too slow for my taste and there was a lot of speaking about clues and small talk too, but not many active moments. The story lost its atmosphere in this part for me