The Lost Girls of Devon

By: Barbara O'Neal

Narrated by: Helen Lloyd, Esther Wane, Sarah Naughton, Pearl Hewitt

One of Travel + Leisure's most anticipated books of summer 2020.

From the Washington Post and Amazon Charts bestselling author of When We Believed in Mermaids comes a story of four generations of women grappling with family betrayals and long-buried secrets.

It's been years since Zoe Fairchild has been to the small Devon village of her birth, but the wounds she suffered there still ache. When she learns that her old friend and grandmother's caretaker has gone missing, Zoe and her fifteen-year-old daughter return to England to help.

Zoe dreads seeing her estranged mother, who left when Zoe was seven to travel the world. As the four generations of women reunite, the emotional pain of the past is awakened. And to complicate matters further, Zoe must also confront the ex-boyfriend she betrayed many years before.

Anxieties spike when tragedy befalls another woman in the village. As the mystery turns more sinister, new grief melds with old betrayal. Now the four Fairchild women will be tested in ways they couldn't imagine as they contend with dangers within and without, desperate to heal themselves and their relationships with each other.

©2020 Barbara O'Neal (P)2020 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

Audiofile Earphones Award Winner

“An ensemble cast of Sarah Naughton, Helen Lloyd, Esther Wane, and Pearl Hewitt delivers this well-crafted mystery. Accompanied by her daughter, Zoe Fairchild travels back to her home village of Devon, England, after her grandmother's caregiver goes missing. While there, Zoe meets up with her estranged mother, thus bringing together four generations of women who go about uncovering family secrets. This involved story couldn't have a better executed narration. Each of the four skilled performers voices one of the Fairchild women. Every chapter delivers a clear point of view without any disruption to the overall flow. All the narrators deliver authentic depictions of the characters' personalities, predicaments, and triumphs. This performance is a remarkable accomplishment.” (Audiofile Magazine)

“A woman’s strange disappearance brings together four strong women who struggle with their relationships, despite their need for one another. Fans of Sarah Addison Allen will appreciate the emphasis on nature and these women’s unique gifts in this latest by the author of When We Believed in Mermaids.” (Library Journal, starred review)

"The Lost Girls of Devon draws us into the lives of four generations of women as they come to terms with their relationships and a mysterious tragedy that brings them together. Written in exquisite prose with the added bonus of the small Devon village as a setting, Barbara O’Neal’s book will ensnare the reader from the first page, taking us on an emotional journey of love, loss, and betrayal." (Rhys Bowen, New York Times and number one Kindle best-selling author of The Tuscan Child, In Farleigh Field, and the Royal Spyness series)

So much potential but fell short!

I had high hopes for this book based on the description and the setting. However, it dragged on endlessly in parts and became incredibly boring because of too many frivolous details and conversations.
The mysterious disappearances could have evolved more and some details about the disappearances and reasons were unbelievable.
Some of narration was annoying and I did not care for the ending.

Fantastic tale of healing

Every daughter has wishes for their relationship between them and their mother This was a great story of love shared, lost and foynd.

Review of The Lost Girls of Devon

This was an excellent book. The voices were all perfect for the characters of the book. I liked the end - the way everything got resolved. The only thing I didn’t like was the swearing. Especially using the Lords name in vain. Other than that quite good 😊

Beautiful story of mothers and daughters

Zoe, Isabelle and Poppy are three generations of women, yet couldn't be more different. The spend a season by the shore in England finding themselves and one another. With tenderness and love this story is beautifully told.

good story

I enjoyed this book. It was very mysterious and of good mystery . I would recommend for a nice easy listen

Mystery, relationships, family, and romance

Really enjoyed it. It held my interest. People are flawed and forgiveness is possible. The characters were relatable and well-developed. As the story continued, I enjoyed getting to know them.

Glad I found this author

Characters were sometimes unsympathetic, but engaging. The mystery plot wasn't very. Still a fan of the author tho.

great listen

story os generational trauma and healing through losses. performance was phenomenal and great to listen to

Slow story line

Seemed slow moving in the middle. Beginning and end of the story were the best parts

Wonderful book, great story

I loved this book! It cemented my fanhood of Barbara O’Neal. The mystery unfolded nicely and I was not disappointed by the solution. The characters were rich and deep. I cried at the end and several places within the story.