Other than serving as a means to bring Mila from England to France, the whole plot line of her sister's death and her serving as a caretaker for her niece didn't impact the core plot in any meaningful way. It made Mila a more interesting and conflicted character, but what was really the point of all of that? What I mean is that the entire story could have unfolded exactly as it did (with a slight tweak to the climax) with or without this element. For example, she could have inherited the house there or could be spending the summer with family etc. When it is discovered that Gosia is linked to the Professor who is heading up the archaeological dig nearby, who also has suddenly gone missing, Mila is even more suspicious. Added to the mix are the stories going around town about the Professor which will surely discredit him and ruin his reputation.

Mila goes looking for Ani one day and finds her with an old woman traveler, Gosia, and when she finds the old woman dead, she is compelled to find the woman's son Tomaz. The police think that Gosia just died but Mila is not happy with that, she intends to investigate when she finds out that Ani tells her of a book that the old woman had, it cannot be found. Inside that book are the clues as to who Gosia was and what she has written in the book may be enough to have had her murdered. Gosia’s ‘notebook’ goes missing when she is found dead. Her ‘work’ was in this book, work that she had been compiling since her son, Tomas, died.The Lost Notebook by Louise Douglas was a thriller that kept the reader in suspense until the end. Mila, the British aunt to Ani, takes responsibly to take care of her sister's daughter because both the parents were deceased due to a boating accident. Mila moves to French Morranez to assist in Sophie's business and to parent Ani temporarily. I like the characters especially Ani and Mila and I love that through Mila we get to hear Sophie’s voice. In this mystery thriller, the unexpected death of a elderly traveller woman in the seaside town of Morranez sparks Mila Shepherd, a reluctant private detective, to begin an investigation. Mila Shepherd has moved into her family home to look after her niece, whose parents Sophie and husband Charles were lost at sea. I wanted to love this one - sounded like it would be a mystery with a side plot of suspense and romance set in Brittany, France....yes please!

And now the end of the story.... spoilers ahead! Where did the boat come from that the bad guy escaped with? Why didn't he destroy the notebook as soon as he stole it from Goscia? How did no one see him carry/drag Ani off from the sleepout to the pier? Although this starts a bit slowly and feels slightly disjointed this soon settles into a really compelling slow burner mystery that I thoroughly enjoy. There are several cleverly intertwined mysteries that become more and more intriguing the further into the book you get as it takes you in several unexpected directions. A notebook full of secrets, two untimely deaths – something sinister is stirring in the perfect seaside town of Morranez… The Lost Notebook by Louise Douglas brings to you a lovely mystery fiction spanning a murder which took ages earlier. Each character has been crafted carefully. The plot sparks off right from the start. As a reader you can expect storyline which keeps you on your toes. Each and every character has a separate part to play. The only thing which disappoints is that you are going to feel Mila's character left hanging in the end. My favorite part would be the scene where Gosia's life is narrated. All the trauma and findings were very interesting.

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I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you NetGalley, Louise Douglas and Boldwood Books for hearing my honest review. Looking forward to reading more with you