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.
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