Family dysfunction is resolved through the magical return of the patron\\\\\\\'s nanny. The mysterious lady shows up to be a cook over the holidays and prepares magical recipes to solve the woes of the family members creating a more harmonious family.

One daughter is likeable and seems to grow as a person. There isn\\\\\\\'t enough character development for me to care about the rest of the clan.

The Lost Years held a lot of promise but didn\'t deliver. First the blurb makes the content of the letter or the letter itself appear to be the most important feature of the novel. It wasn\'t, any important artifact could have served the purpose. There are so many characters that four men are used to create confusion and suspense about who did what, but bringing in the familiar characters of Alvirah, Willy, and Wally made people unfamiliar with MHC books ask why were they there.

As I read about mid-book I got hooked and read the rest really fast, enjoying it. If you want a quick read with suspense this works. For analyzed literature and religious content regarding the letter choose something else.