Last Seen by Lucy Clarke June Book of The Month

Every so often I find a book that manages to really capture my full attention, you know the ones, the novels where you really have to concentrate to try and work out just who's done what and not only who but why and that is exactly what Lucy Clarke has managed to do with her latest story, Last Seen. And thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins for sending me this book I can give a massive 5 star rating to it....

Seven years ago, two boys went missing at sea – and only one was brought to shore. The Sandbank, a remote stretch of coast dotted with beach huts, was scarred forever.

Sarah’s son survived, but on the anniversary of the accident, he disappears without trace. As new secrets begin to surface, The Sandbank hums with tension and unanswered questions. Sarah’s search grows more desperate and she starts to mistrust everyone she knows – and she’s right to.

Someone saw everything on that fateful day seven years ago. And they’ll do anything to keep the truth buried.

The story is about two best friends, Isla and Sarah, told from both their POV in alternating chapters. These women weren't only best friends, they also had sons the same age, born mere weeks apart. What we learn is that seven years previously a tragic accident (or so we are led to believe) happened, one of them lost their son whilst the other was lucky to have their child survive.

Just how do you deal with such tragedy, especially when it is laced with secrets and lies?

Sarah and Isla try their best to get on with their lives, meeting up each Summer at their beach huts, keeping things as what outsiders would see as normal. However on the latest anniversary of Marley's death, Sarah's son Jacob vanishes without a trace, a coincidence or is there a reason behind the disappearance? The choices that have been made over the years are finally beginning to catch up with both women.

This is something I would describe as a beguiling tale, it is a psychological story that although slow building has you turning the pages at a rapid rate trying to fathom just who was guilty of what. The thing that kept me interested was how the story was set out, changing from past to present and from Isla to Sarah, as the reader I was given so much detail yet the way it was written kept me in suspense.

I found myself sympathising with both Sarah and Isla, as a mother myself I could see why certain decisions had been made, sometimes the wrong actions aren't made to be hurtful they are done to protect the ones we love. There's a certain guilt that comes with being a parent and there are moments when we have to make sacrifices in order to shelter our families from a scarring truth.

A mother's guilt can lead to the unthinkable happening.

By the end of the story my allegience had changed, although I wanted to empathise with both Isla and Sarah, Lucy Clarke managed to shock me with her twists and in by the final page I was left feeling so emotional. I felt the desperation of both women but I honestly couldn't have predicted how it was concluded.

Last Seen was the first book I've read from author Lucy Clarke and it definitely won't be the last. Realistic and filled with intrigue, this is a novel that will literally have you on the edge of your seat and will have you imagining just what you would do if facing a similar situation, in the end a tragedy can either tear you apart or make you stronger.