Heather’s Bookshelf: Secrets of Lostmor
Author: Ann Smythe
Released: 05/20/25
Genre: Cozy Mystery
“Above their home, the last of the day’s light drained from the sky, and the woodland sheathed the cottage in shadow, while the canopy of trees, roosting crows struck up a cacophony of noise, their black avian eyes alert and watchful.”
“Secrets of Lostmor” follows Lily Sanders, an artist who’s made a life for herself outside of Lostmor since leaving as a child after a terrible family tragedy.
When Lily’s mother dies, she is called to return to Lostmor for the reading of the will. She is surprised to learn that her mother never sold the family home and she is inheriting the gothic home, estate, and her mother’s fortune.
Returning to Penwyth House, Lily is soon flooded with memories of her time there, including some nightmares involving her parents and younger sister, Alice. She makes some surprise friends and a new love interest but family secrets threaten to derail both.
Meanwhile, Marcus, the local bar owner, is seeking answers in the death of his daughter. Marcus’ bestie is a Labrador named Horace. Horace leads Marcus to meet a woman named Julia, who’s determined to pursue her dream of opening a dog shelter. They hit it off, but will Marcus’ need for vengeance override the possibility of new love?
Trigger Warning: violence, reference to child death, Alzheimer’s, death, suicide, domestic abuse, alcoholism, adult language, reference to gambling
Overall, I enjoyed this story. The structure of the tale is a little complex in that it’s told through multiple POVs and interspersed with flashbacks. However, once you get past the first third, it limits confusion and actually feels pretty natural. The setting is lovely and I could picture the gothic home in all of its dusty glory. The main characters are all pretty endearing and relatable. I especially enjoyed following Lily, who begins the tale as a broken loner and finds herself along the way. The relationships between Lily and Oliver & Marcus and Julia both feel natural in their development and challenges. I highly enjoyed the details of all the animals- who doesn’t love a Labrador or a peacock? There’s twists along the way that all add to the suspense and overall character development. The ending wraps up each of the storylines individually, but never really pulls the two of them together. While I enjoyed each of the individual storylines, I wish they would have been intertwined more than in just location and the occasional character path crossing at the local pub.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
A cozy mystery with a lovely setting, endearing characters, and multiple POVs that doesn’t quite all come together in the end.
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