The Keeper of Lost Things, a 2017 debut novel by Ruth Hogan, is extremely hard to classify. It is a love story, a mystery, a ghost story, a good “recipe” for a “good read.”
Take a large portion of characterization equal parts of Anthony Perkins, once a celebrated author of short stories; Laura, his recently betrayed assistant, who is struggling both financially and emotionally; and Frank, handsome but scarred (literally) gardener…
Pour mixture into a large old house with a locked study filled with…what? and add a dash of a teenage Downs Syndrome girl named Sunshine, a pinch of a grumpy ghost, a dollop of short vignettes inspired by sometimes sad circumstances.
Mix with a wooden spoon until the plot thickens (pun intended), and ladle into a baking pan. Bake in the heat of a sexual attraction until humor is emitted from the touch of a finger, and the reader has a story about “second chances, endless possibilities, and joyful discoveries.
Promise from the recipe writer: The results will be most enjoyable!
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