The Keeper of Lost Things is the most engaging book that I’ve read in a very long time.  It is the debut novel for British writer Ruth Hogan.  The characters are quirky.  The setting is charming.  The plot is enchanting.  When I finished reading it, I had a taste for a gin and lime which here in America we call a gimlet.  Alas, I was reminded that I prefer gin and lime with tonic water.

Spoiler alert:  Charles “Bomber” Bramwell Brockley’s remains are in the biscuit tin which was rescued by Anthony Peardew, the keeper of lost things.  Mr. Perdew is a writer of short stories, and he has been grieving his fiance for decades.

I’ve shared this spoiler because the first few chapters are so cryptic that they didn’t make sense.  The stories of Bomber and Anthony travel on parallel tracks with fleeting intersections gaining momentum until the fabulous crescendo at the end of the book.  I laughed.  I cried.  I hooted with delight.

Ruth Hogan

Ruth Hogan is a masterful storyteller.  The Keeper of Lost Things is a luscious mix of mystery, suspense, and complex relationships.  The plot and characters are well-developed.  It isn’t a beach book or literature.  I’d call it lit lite.  Enjoy!