Readers' Comments for Lost

In May, a select group of readers who participated in one of our Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight contests won copies of LOST by S.J. Bolton. It's about precocious 10-year-old Barney Roberts who, like everyone reading the newspapers these days, knows the killer will strike again soon. There will be no warning about who will be next. There will be no real reason for Barney’s friend and neighbor, Lacey Flint, to become involved…and no chance that she can stay away. With the clock ticking, the violence escalating, and young lives at stake, Lacey and Barney both know they can’t afford a single wrong step if they hope to make it through alive. Take a look at some of the readers' comments to give you more insight into this heart-pounding thriller.

Janet L.
After a slow and ordinary start, this book LOST turned out to be very riveting. I read well past my bedtime because I was involved in the story and really wanted to know the ending.  It may have been difficult to get into the story right away for me because it is set in London. Also, some of the main characters are children and at first, some of the actions seemed uncharacteristically adult for children. However, as the story progressed, I realized they were street kids with very involved familial support, which is different than American stories where the street kids are primarily on their own. 

Readers who enjoy mysteries set along the Thames in London will like this updated and modernized story about the area. It is also a good read for those who like figuring out the killer gradually after weeding out all the red herrings. I figured it out before the end, but not so much before that it ruined the puzzle. 

Gaymarie
This is the first time I have read anything by S.J. Bolton, but I was so impressed with LOST it will not be the last book I read by her. From the first page, she captures your attention by introducing you to Barney, a very lonely eleven-year-old boy. When you think you have figured out the mystery, the author takes you down another unexpected alley.

Sorrow, anger, fear and joy are just a few of the emotions that surface while you turn the pages of one of the most intriguing books available. I thank you for introducing me to S.J. Bolton --- a magnificent storyteller.

Kathy
I loved this book! It was so hard to put down. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys thrillers, murder mysteries or police stories. I want to read the other books she has written. 

Betty
S.J. Bolton is a new author for me. I wish I had read the previous books in the series. Her main character, Lacey Flint, is a complicated and interesting character with lots of hang-ups and dark places in her psyche. The character of the obviously troubled young boy, Barney, is complex and Bolton brilliantly gets you inside his head.

This was the kind of book that compels you to finish it. I found myself grabbing it every time I had a few minutes to fill in. I took it with me to doctor appointments, physical therapy and to work to read on my lunch hour.

I'd recommend LOST to readers who like page-turners that are intricately plotted and gritty. Some of the elements of the story are a bit gruesome, but the building suspense takes you through those bits. The murder of young boys can be very hard to take, but my connection to the main characters really kept me going throughout the book. I give LOST four stars.

George
I very much enjoyed LOST, which is the third in a series. This book was somewhat different in that the main character in the series, Lacey Flint, is not the primary focus --- she does appear throughout the book and is critical to its conclusion. That said, the other characters are almost as interesting and the book doesn't suffer from this approach. This book, as with the others, is technically a police procedural, but that description doesn't do it justice. The author's writing, characters and plot are above-average --- very interesting and different. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy British procedurals, but especially to someone who is looking for books that are a cut above, have multiple characters and lots of suspense.

Ray
LOST adds on a unique antagonist in the form of a serial killer unlike those typically found in this genre. Young boys are going missing and turning up dead with their bodies drained of blood. The attacks come without warning and the targets seem to be a group of youths who all know each other in some way. This is not enough for the local P.D. to stay in step with the killer. It will take a brave young boy named Barney and a recently defrocked P.D. Officer named Lacey Flint to stop the killer from striking again. Written in seamless fashion and full of suspense, this novel by S.J. Bolton delivers chills and surprises at every turn. I particularly enjoyed the homage to J.M. Barrie. 

Allyson
Great reading! I thought I may have had it figured out a couple of times. I love these kinds of books. I highly recommend LOST.

Michael
Ostensibly a police procedural, this book should perhaps more aptly be described as a "masquerade," in that it's really a mystery (and almost a venerable Christie-esque whodunit) hiding behind the police procedural moniker. A real page-turner, this book's jacket should have a warning sticker --- "Do not read at night, will result in loss of sleep!”

Bolton's writing technique is amazing --- first the reader is led to think that character "A" committed the crimes, then character "B,” then back to character "A," then to character "C," and so on, leading to a very surprising and satisfying denouement.

The author's grasp of prose is incredible. Ms. Bolton is easily the best writer I've read in a long while. The quality of writing in many of today's books seems generically mass-produced, as if they were written by a machine, but not this one --- not by a long shot. Her grasp of sentence structure and depth of characterization lift her far above the crowd. This author is a true talent and not to be missed by those who love great literature!

The would-be reader should be cautioned about two things. Firstly, while this book can be read as a stand-alone book (which is how I read it), the author makes numerous references to events that befell the main character in other books. The reader is left wondering what these events were. The only way to find out, of course, is to read the author's other book; something that I, personally, look forward to!

Secondly, the crimes in this book are about the murder of children, making this quite a dark read --- perhaps not the sort of thing to read while lying on a sunny beach. I'd recommend this book to both crime and mystery fans, as they'll both be more than satisfied, and for anyone who loves a good novel, as Bolton really is an up-and-coming talent.

Brigitte
I started reading LOST right away and loved it. I had been trying to find a good book for months and had failed miserably. LOST by S.J. Bolton was a fast-paced, intricately woven crime novel based in London. From the first chapter (which is quite short), it pulls you in. This hard-to-put-down-book was a pleasure to read. I often found myself reading at 1AM because I couldn't get the book off my mind and wanted to know what was next.

S.J. Bolton is a fantastic author. She introduces the reader to numerous characters of various backgrounds. Some appear to be connected, others don't. However, as the book progresses, every character is connected to each other in some way. This crime thriller was daring because it was children who were being murdered. The characters were full of personality and easy to track. At any given moment in the book (until perhaps the last 50 pages) I really had no idea which character could be the murderer. I had ideas and guesses, but usually it consisted of me hypothesizing about at least five characters. 

This book was a refreshing change from the slow-moving books I have found lately. I have suggested this book to a co-worker who also likes crime/suspense authors, as well as to my sister (she doesn't read crime often, but after she saw how much I enjoyed it she said she had to give it a try). I believe I have found a new favorite author!

Scott
I want to say that I enjoyed the book. I'm a bit of an anglophile, so having it set in London was cool. I also enjoyed how the book was told from different angles instead of just focusing on one character. It was interesting to see the series of murders from different points of view, especially from the main child character. In addition, the various red herrings throughout the book were enjoyable instead of annoying as they can be in other books. I enjoyed this book enough to search out the first in the series and add it to my Nook.

I would recommend this book to those who enjoy British mysteries and honestly anyone who enjoys a good mystery in general. I would describe the book as a murder mystery told from different points of view --- from the detectives working on the case, to a child who could serve as the type of victim the killer is going for. Twists and possible suspects come and go in this well-built mystery. It made me feel as if I was caught in a London fog --- eerie and disoriented and eager to catch my next breath. 

Frederick
I liked the main characters and how the author dealt with them. I want to read more from the author.

Bo
I enjoyed this book very much. It started out slowly but gradually pulled the reader in.  Before I knew it, I couldn't stop reading it. I would recommend this book to fellow readers who are interested in books by James Patterson, Lee Child and Matthew Reilly. I will be checking out other books by S.J. Bolton.

Penny
I have just finished the book, LOST by S.J. Bolton. I think my first impression is that I wish I'd read the previous two books in the series prior to reading this book. While this was a good story, there were references to events that had happened in the previous two books, but no explanations to go along with the references. I think I'd have enjoyed this book much more had I read the previous two stories. There were times that I thought the book was a bit too descriptive --- making it kind of boring --- but overall I enjoyed it.

This was a good story. I'd recommend it to adults and young adults who enjoy a good mystery/thriller story. I'd tell them that it's the story of a young boy who is following the events in his area where young boys his age are being kidnapped and killed, but there's no evidence of any sort of abuse prior to their deaths either physical or sexual. It is suspenseful and has plenty of red herrings to keep you guessing. Social media also plays a big role in this story. This is an interesting story and at times it keeps you on the edge of your seat. It can be hard to put down. I would definitely tell anybody that I recommended the book to that it would be wise to read the previous books in the series first, though.

Erin
It was a psychologically intense and almost painfully gripping thriller. When I realized it was about the murder of young boys I almost put it down (should have read the description more carefully). I have three sons and there were times when the subject matter was too horrifying to contemplate. What kept me reading was Barney --- from the first scenes introducing his character --- I had to know that he was going to be okay. By the end of the book, my stomach was in knots trying to figure out who was responsible and what would ultimately happen to Barney and to Lacey, who had clearly suffered so much already. In the end, this was one of the most gripping thrillers I've read in a very long time, with an emotional impact that reminds me of Elizabeth George at her best. I would recommend this to anyone who likes psychological thrillers (as long as they aren't squeamish). 

Doreen
Thanks for the book. This book was okay, but I recommend reading DEAD SCARED first, maybe then you would understand Lacey's situation better. I didn't read it so I felt a bit confused. Barney was interesting and likeable. I really didn't have much feeling for Lacey. The story moved along with interesting twists with a few suspects popping up, but ending with someone you didn't expect! The last few chapters were the best part of the book.