Description

The Sunday Times Bestseller 2021. As recommended by the BBC Radio 2 Book Club
‘The novel I’ve enjoyed most this year’ – Hilary Mantel
‘A mystery, a love story and a ghost story, all at once. Wonderful’ – S J Watson

Cornwall, 1972. Three keepers vanish from a remote lighthouse, miles from the shore. The entrance door is locked from the inside. The clocks have stopped. The Principal Keeper’s weather log describes a mighty storm, but the skies have been clear all week.

What happened to those three men, out on the tower? The heavy sea whispers their names. The tide shifts beneath the swell, drowning ghosts. Can their secrets ever be recovered from the waves?

Twenty years later, the women they left behind are still struggling to move on. Helen, Jenny and Michelle should have been united by the tragedy, but instead it drove them apart. And then a writer approaches them. He wants to give them a chance to tell their side of the story. But only in confronting their darkest fears can the truth begin to surface . . .

Inspired by real events, The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex is an intoxicating and suspenseful mystery, an unforgettable story of love and grief that explores the way our fears blur the line between the real and the imagined.

‘Gripping’ – Guardian
‘Riveting’ – Independent
‘Excellent’ – Observer
‘A triumph’ – Daily Mail
‘Stunning’ – The Times

Publisher Review

A beautifully written but totally gripping page-turner * Fabulous Magazine * A brilliant page-turner, a compelling mystery laced with the most haunting descriptions of the ocean and life on a remote lighthouse . . . Stonex gradually illuminates each character’s story, until the darkest truths are brought into the light and the full spectrum of love, desire, loss and grief is revealed. — Hannah Richell, author of Secrets of the Tides I can’t remember when I last enjoyed a book this much. The Lamplighters is a compulsive, bewitching read. The sea and wind get into your bones, the riddle pulling you through the pages like a tide. Deftly written and atmospheric, I didn’t want it to end. Brilliant. — Tor Udall, author of A Thousand Paper Birds The Lamplighters is one of the most magical books I’ve ever read. The writing is dazzlingly good. The mystery is uniquely crafted and utterly beguiling. And it’s full of such tenderness and humanity and grace. I loved it with all my heart. — Emylia Hall, author of The Book of Summers The Lamplighters took my breath away. A cracking mystery, perfectly plotted, and oh-so-beautifully written. — Lucy Diamond A beautifully written, utterly compelling tale. — Jenny Colgan, Sunday Times bestselling author of Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe Compulsive, taut, and unforgettable. The Lamplighters is that rare book which is as exquisitely written as it is page-turning. I’m already telling everyone I know to read it. — Lucy Clarke, author of The Sea Sisters A deeply atmospheric and utterly gripping mystery . . . Superb — Wyl Menmuir, Man Booker Prize longlisted author of The Many Wise, beautiful and quietly devastating, The Lamplighters gets under the skin in a way that few books do. Weeks on from reading the last page, it still makes my heart ache — Kate Riordan, author of The Heat Wave A gorgeous page-turner that is at once a mystery and a novel about mysteries – about how we all write our own endings and suffer betrayals, but still light the lamps so the people we love can find their way home. — Charlotte Rogan, author of The Lifeboat Beautiful, absorbing and utterly riveting, The Lamplighters is a hymn to loneliness, to the sea, and to the stories we allow ourselves to believe when we are alone. I treasured every moment of this dazzlingly accomplished and completely unforgettable novel. — Rosie Walsh, author of The Man Who Didn’t Call The Lamplighters transported me effortlessly to the mysterious Maiden Rock and life on the Cornish coast. Stonex creates a most engaging collection of voices and perspectives that unveil what happened in true pager-turner fashion, a mystery told through vivid prose that had me completely absorbed from start to finish. Haunting, harrowing and heartbreaking, this is a novel that will stay with you. — Ashley Audrain, author of The Push Beautifully written and evocative, this is a mystery, a love story and a ghost story, all at once. It kept me gripped throughout, and I didn’t want it to end. Wonderful. — S J Watson, bestselling author of Before I Go to Sleep Full of atmosphere and dread, it’s the perfect way to escape right now * Stylist * An intoxicating and beautifully written mystery about love and loss, as moving as it is suspenseful — C.L. Taylor, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Missing A remarkable book, through every page, every character, the writing resonates with the dark, powerful presence of the sea — Raynor Winn, author of The Salt Path Outstanding. Literary and insanely gripping. — India Knight I loved The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex – lighthouse keepers, ghosts, warring widows. It’s a wonderfully smart and atmospheric story. * Observer *