Wow. It's difficult to put into words this stunning debut novel from Emma Stonex.

Atmospheric, mysterious and haunting, The Lamplighters is the story of three lighthouse workers who simply vanished without a trace in the 70s. We're treated to a dual timeline. The first tells us the events as they happened. The second, 20 years on, is the voice of the women those men left behind as they speak to an author who wants to try and solve the mystery whilst writing a book.

I found this quite slow to start and it took me a good 30% of the book to get my head around the different characters and who was married to who. But once I overcame that, it sucked be in. The narrator's in this book were brilliant too - I typically listen at 1.75 - 2, but I felt like I was doing a disservice to them at that speed as I wanted to really enjoy every minute of this book.

It's not your typical historical fiction. It's a story full of secrets that culminates in an ending that nobody could have predicted. In fact, I was so absorbed in the narration and I was enjoying every step of the way, that I didn't find myself trying to solve the mystery.

It's quite heart-wrenching by the end as you realise you're so much more invested in the characters than you could have imagined. I loved The Lamplighters. Original and a stunning debut.