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Blurb:

Told in alternating points of view between the living and the dead, Jessica Hamilton’s debut novel will be perfect for fans of THE LOVELY BONES.

Idyllic Avril lsland, owned by the Bennett family, where their hundred-year-old cottage sat nestled in acres of forest. Forty-year-old June Bennett believed that the island had been sold after the summer of her father’s disappearance when she was only twelve years old. It’s months after the shocking death of her older sister May in a fatal car accident, that June finds out that the cottage was never sold. Avril Island is still owned by the Bennett family and now it’s hers.

Still reeling from the grief of losing her sister, June travels back to Avril lsland in search of answers. As she digs, she learns that the townspeople believe her father may have, in fact, been murdered rather than abandoning his family in the dead of night, as she was led to believe by her mother. And that’s when she begins to notice strange things happening on the island–missing family possessions showing up on her bed, doors open when she had locked them closed. It takes June no time at all to realize that her childhood summers at Avril Island were not at all what they had seemed to be.

Review:

This is a haunting story told from the point of view of two sisters, one dead and one alive. After the death of her mother and of sister May, June finds out that she is now the owner of Avril Island, a place she hasn’t been to since her father’s sudden disappearance when they were children. Her mother told her that she’d sold the island years ago, so June was more than surprised that it was still in the family and now belonged to her. Unaware that her dead sister’s ghost accompanies her, June returns to the isolated family island cottage for the first time in decades to find out why her mother lied to her about selling the cabin. She also hoped to find out perhaps why their father left them that night, never to be heard from again.

She begins digging through decades worth of clues and uncovering all sorts of creepy family secrets in the process. Surprisingly, she learns that residents of the nearby town assume that her father may have been involved in a murder or may have been murdered himself rather than merely having “left them,” as her mother had always claimed. As she learns, her father was not the only one to go missing. The family caretaker, Will, also went missing a short time later.

What follows is a gripping, multi-layered mystery (with just a touch of the paranormal) as June slowly begins to put the pieces together and eventually learns the shocking truth of what really happened that night. The suspense really gets ratcheted up when strange things start happening at the cottage while June is there alone, such as dead birds at the door and phonograph records playing by themselves.

What we have here is a wonderfully crafted and thrilling tale about loss, grief, love, lies, betrayal, and dark family secrets that I absolutely loved. This was such a vivid and atmospheric book, which at times made me feel as though I were right there at the cottage along with them. I also thought the addition of May’s ghost as a narrator with a fun and innovative touch.

All in all, an exceptional read with an exciting plot and gripping characters with twists galore. Recommended!

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Blurb:

A detective hiding away from the world. A series of disappearances that reach into her past. Can solving them help her heal?

Anna Hart is a seasoned missing persons detective in San Francisco with far too much knowledge of the darkest side of human nature. When overwhelming tragedy strikes her personal life, Anna, desperate and numb, flees to the Northern California village of Mendocino to grieve. She lived there as a child with her beloved foster parents, and now she believes it might be the only place left for her. Yet the day she arrives, she learns a local teenage girl has gone missing. The crime feels frighteningly reminiscent of the most crucial time in Anna’s childhood, when the unsolved murder of a young girl touched Mendocino and changed the community forever. As past and present collide, Anna realizes that she has been led to this moment. The most difficult lessons of her life have given her insight into how victims come into contact with violent predators. As Anna becomes obsessed with the missing girl, she must accept that true courage means getting out of her own way and learning to let others in.

Weaving together actual cases of missing persons, trauma theory, and a hint of the metaphysical, this propulsive and deeply affecting novel tells a story of fate, necessary redemption, and what it takes, when the worst happens, to reclaim our lives–and our faith in one another.

Review:

I read The Paris Wife by this author, which I loved, so I thought I’d give this one a go as well. First off, let me say that this book is nothing like the Paris Wife — rather than a historical fiction story, McLain gives us a heart-in-your-throat thriller with just a touch of historical fiction. I’m impressed by the talent and versatility of this author.

Set in the early 1990s, “When the Stars Go Dark” follows Anna Hart, an emotionally damaged detective specializing in searching for and finding missing children. After a horrendous tragedy in her life, Anna escapes to her hometown of Mendocino to try and figure out her next move and find herself. Once there, however, she’s asked by an old friend who is now the Sheriff to assist in the case of a missing 15-year-old girl named Cameron. Alternating between the past and present, Anna not only uncovers similar disappearances in other nearby towns but also unearths information about a missing child case that occurred while she lived in Mendocino years ago. One of the cases that comes to light is the kidnapping case of Polly Klaas, a true-life event that occurred during this time period. I thought this historical true-crime element added extra intrigue to the narrative.

As the case progresses, Anna also dredges up secrets about her own past and personal life. I loved how Anna’s poignant backstory was revealed a little at a time. resulting in a compelling character-driven story. We get to see first-hand the heartache Anna carries from her childhood as well as that from her recent life. We also see how Anna’s family life suffered due to her obsessive drive to solve her assigned cases.

Though this is undoubtedly a gritty and gripping mystery with many unexpected twists and turns, it also illustrates the extent of how trauma can affect someone’s life. So at its core, the story is about trauma, vulnerability, opening up, and resilience. Because of its dark subject matter — the kidnapping, abuse, and murder of children — the book is heartbreaking and tough to read. I knew this subject will be a gut puncher- but was woefully ill-prepared for how much. It kinda destroyed me for a few days, truth be told.

But at the end of the day, what we do get is a complex, utterly addictive character-driven thriller about tragedy and grief, but also about redemption and growth. I was captivated right to the end by the lyrical, superlative writing. Definitely recommended for those that love their thrillers peppered with a bit of true crime.

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Blurb:

The truth lies just beneath the surface…

Kate’s world falls apart when her teenage son drowns in the waters by his school. She’s convinced it wasn’t just a tragic accident, but no one will listen.

Then, six years later, Kate unearths Michael’s lost diary and realises she may finally be able uncover what really happened that night.

But as she delves deeper, she begins to realise that she didn’t really know her son – or the people in his life – at all. And that, sometimes, secrets are better left submerged…

An absorbing, emotionally-charged and addictive page-turner that will keep you gripped into the dark hours, perfect for fans of Linda Green and Teresa Driscoll.

Review:

The story follows a mother who is grieving the passing of her 15-year-old son Michael who drowned six ago. When she accidentally discovers his diary, she begins to suspect there was much more to his death than a mere drowning — and that someone else may have been with him at the lake that night.

What follows is an intense, fast-paced thriller as she slowly uncovers Michael’s past and gets closer to discovering the truth of what really happened. The mother’s pain was heartbreaking as she unearthed her son’s past, desperately searching for closure and justice, resulting in quite an unsettling narrative. The emotional depth of Kate’s search draws us deeply into her spirit, to the point that her pain is our pain, her joy (as little as there is of it) is our joy. So in this way, I felt that The Lake hits at an intensely visceral level. Anyone who has known the pain of losing a loved one will no doubt see themselves in this story. I knew this subject matter would be a gut puncher- but was woefully ill-prepared for how much.

There is depth to this story, which delves into some pretty dark themes of grief, loneliness, religious extremism, mental and emotional abuse, teenage pregnancy, and inappropriate sexual relationships. While I found this indeed to be a compelling story, I typically like my thrillers with more twists and turns, which I thought were lacking here, rendering the story a tad predictable and underwhelming. But apart from that, I really enjoyed this whirlwind of a novel. I found it emotive, heartbreaking, and utterly engrossing, and aches with past and present bruises. But a few surprises and red herrings would have been nice.

Purchase The Lake from Amazon