The nineteenth-century whaling village of Warbler is famous for its lucky ship figureheads—and infamous for people disappearing into the nightly fog. In this murky locale, the lamplighter is synonymous with safety and protection, and it’s a position Temperance assumes when her father is found hanging from one of the lampposts. Though Tempe proves competent, the town is still hesitant to let a woman handle this responsibility.
When a girl disappears after two lamps go out, Tempe’s ability to provide for her mother and younger sister hangs in the balance. She scrambles for answers, hindered at every turn by the village authorities’ call for her removal. As more villagers vanish under her watch, Tempe discovers unsettling truths about the famous Warbler figureheads and her own beloved father. But her warnings of a monster are ignored, even by her own family. Now she must follow the light out of her own fog of despair, as she faces the choice to look the other way or risk speaking out and possibly dooming herself and her sister to be among the lost.
Editorial Reviews
Review
“Bell valiantly braids edge-of-the-seat plotting, moody imagery, and evocatively rendered characters into unsettling knots. Temperance’s struggles to prove herself in her male-dominated society are explored with depth and nuance, making this chilling mystery feel at once like a classic folktale and a sharp allegory for the obstacles of modern women.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“The twist at the end is satisfying, and the spooky atmosphere and (righteous) female rage linger like the town’s infamous fog. Chilling.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Treachery abounds in the historical novel
The Lamplighter, wherein crime comes to a seaport town with insidious consequences for its residents.” —Foreword Reviews
“Bell’s novel, with its nineteenth-century setting, is a marvel of the ominous and mind-bending incident.” —
Booklist
“Blending the elements of a historical novel with the suspense of a thriller, this gothic narrative breathes life into the nineteenth-century New England whaling community, adding a sinister twist that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. . . .
The Lamplighter is a compelling and very enjoyable read.” —The Children’s Book Review
“Creepy, gripping, and filled with mystery and suspense.”
2024 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards Gold Winner – Juvenile Fiction
Book Description
Through chilling, atmospheric prose and layers of mysteries, this feminist horror thriller tackles the patriarchy and systemic oppression as its strong female protagonist challenges her village’s misogynistic notions to reveal the insidious entity at its core.
About the Author
Crystal J. Bell is a writer and videographer who calls the Rocky Mountains her home. After graduating from Colorado State University with her BA, she began writing in earnest and hasn’t looked back since. When she isn’t drinking up autumn like the elixir of life, she can be found on the back patio with her laptop and a book, out on the reservoirs on her stand-up paddleboard, or cooking in the kitchen with her husband. Most likely pasta. The Lamplighter is her debut young adult novel.
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