The Lamplighters is based on a real mystery where three men working in a lighthouse went missing. The door was locked from the inside, the table was laid for two, and the clocks were all stopped on the same time. The book tells a fictional tale based on this.

I had no idea that the real mystery had happened! This is the kind of book that sends me down a googling wormhole. Sometimes the best mysteries an author can create are those based on real events. I absolutely loved the setting of the lighthouse. It was so unique and felt particularly atmospheric and vivid. It actually made me want to go inside a lighthouse, to experience what the characters experienced.

I liked that the timeline jumped between when the men went missing and 20 years into the future, with the lasting effect it had left. I also loved the chapters where their wives were speaking to the author, I’ve never read anything quite like that before. My only complaint was that I struggled in general with the writing style. I was unwell when I read this book so it’s possible that this affected my reading. But, I couldn’t get fully immersed in the book because the writing style didn’t suit me personally. That being said, I really enjoyed the ending and felt very moved, this definitely boosted my feelings on the book a little!

I recommend this to any fans of real life mysteries with a fictional twist. I had fun reading this with my friend as we passed around ideas about the mystery.