Long Lost

Eleven-year-old Fiona has just read a book that doesn’t exist.

When Fiona’s family moves to be closer to her older sister’s figure skating club—and far from Fiona’s close-knit group of friends—nobody seems to notice Fiona’s unhappiness. Alone and out of place, Fiona ventures to the town’s library, a rambling mansion donated to the town by the long-dead heiress. And there she finds a gripping mystery novel about a small town, family secrets, and a tragic disappearance.

Soon Fiona begins to notice strange similarities that blur the lines between the novel and her new town. And when she looks for the book again, it’s gone. Almost like it never existed. With stubbornness and a little help from a few odd Lost Lake locals, Fiona uncovers the book’s strange history. It’s not a novel, but the true story of an unsolved century-old crime filled with clues to the mystery. Lost Lake is a town of restless spirits, and Fiona will learn that both help and danger come from unexpected places—maybe even the sister she thinks doesn’t care about her anymore.

New York Times-bestselling and acclaimed author Jacqueline West weaves a heart-pounding, intense, and imaginative mystery that builds anticipation on every page, while centering the strong and often tumultuous bond between sisters. Laced with suspense, Long Lost will fascinate readers of Trenton Lee Stewart’s The Secret Keepers, and fans of ghost stories.

★"... A captivating narrative that draws the reader into two stories of two sisters living over a century apart... A spooky sisterhood mystery that is sure to be a hit with readers who enjoy titles such as Katherine Arden’s Small Spaces, Ellen Oh’s Spirit Hunters, or Lindsay Currie’s Scritch Scratch." - School Library Journal, starred review

"In a spooky middle grade love letter to libraries and the mystery genre, West crafts a spellbinding exploration of sisterhood." - Publishers Weekly

"A spine-tingling brew of ghosts and half-forgotten mysteries...This has all the makings of a classic." - Stefan Bachmann, internationally bestselling author of The Peculiar

"Grab a flashlight and stay up late with this one." - Kirkus

  • 2022 Minnesota Book Award Winner

  • Winner of the 2023 Prix Enfantaisie (Le Secret de Lost Lake)

  • Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

  • Indie Next List pick

  • Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List selection

  • Oklahoma Sequoyah Book Awards Master List selection

  • New Hampshire Great Stone Face Book Award master list selection

  • Three Stars Book Award (District of Columbia) nominee

  • Volunteer State Book Award master list selection

  • Grand Traverse Battle of the Books selection

  • Sunshine State Young Readers Award master list selection

  • Maud Hart Lovelace Award master list selection

  • Grand Canyon Reader Award nominee

  • Iowa Teen Award selection

  • 2024 Read Aloud Indiana Selection

  • 2023-2024 North Carolina Battle of the Books Selection

  • 2024 Beehive Book Awards (Utah) Nominee

  • Jeanette Fair Memorial Book Award Nominee

Cover reveal and interview at From the Mixed-Up Files of Middle Grade Authors