THE LAKE HOUSE

 

SYNOPSIS

You can always trust your closest friends. Can’t you?

 

This trip was a chance to reconnect away from our busy lives. The five of us used to be so close—going right back to our college days, when we shared a rickety house and all our favorite clothes, as well as every high and low of our lives—but that was then.

 

Now, the thought of three days in a small cabin far from anywhere, surrounded only by water and trees, with my four oldest friends makes my stomach sink and my hands sweat. Because if they knew what I’d done—the betrayals I’ve committed—they’d never forgive me. And neither would you.

 

The straight-A student, the sports star with a bright future ahead of her, the sheltered girl who blossomed away from her family and the hippie child who was going to save the world. Their lives have turned out so differently to how we pictured all those years ago. I try not to think about why.

 

But then danger strikes, and too late I discover I’m not the only one keeping secrets. And I wonder: who will go furthest to keep the truth hidden?

Title: The lake house

Author: Laura Wolfe

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication date: March 17, 2021

Purchase Links

Amazon: https://geni.us/B08THVTFMTCover 

Apple: http://ow.ly/oGWQ50Deq7S

Kobo: http://ow.ly/GEaX50Deq4S

Google: http://ow.ly/n6Fw50Deqb0

Audible:

UK: zpr.io/R7tdy

US: zpr.io/R7tdu

 

 https://soundcloud.com/bookouture/the-lake-house-by-laura-wolfe-narrated-by-lydia-parker

Laura Wolfe writes fast-paced and twisty mystery and suspense novels. Her new and upcoming releases include TWO WIDOWS (Bookouture, August 2020), SHE LIES ALONE (Bookouture, November 2020), and THE LAKE HOUSE (Bookouture, March 2021.) Her equestrian-themed YA mystery books have been shortlisted for multiple indie book awards. Laura is a lover of animals and nature. When she is not writing, she can be found hanging out with her highly-energetic kids, growing vegetables in her garden, or spoiling her rescue dog. She enjoys living in Ann Arbor, Michigan

 

Social Media Links

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/LauraWolfeBooks/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LauraWolfeBooks

Website:  https://www.laurawolfebooks.com/

REVIEW

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

What do COVID-19 and locked room mysteries in isolated settings have in common? In both social meetings of more than 3 people are ill advised. That’s one of the teachings I’ve learned from literature.

Megan, Sam, Charlotte, Jenna and Kaitlyn have been friends for over 20 years after meeting at university, but after 5 years with almost no contact at all they decide to go on a girls getaway to rekindle their friendship. The chosen destination  is an isolated cabin besides Crooked Lake, but to the no phone signal and no WIFI they have to add that the cabin looks nothing like the brochure pictures (I can relate). Stranded there and with a creepy cabin owner around, tragedy does not take long to make its appearance.

Although the plot was not the most original one, the writing was so good an atmospheric that I felt myself walking with them around the woods. The sense of isolation was really well done. Add to it a sinister abandoned camp site and you’ll have all the ingredients for a really engrossing read.

The relationship between the five women was well depicted. Soon small old quarrels arise and secrets between them are hinted at. After several unfortunate events happen and some bad decisions are made you can’t help but to feel for them. I would for sure not like to be in their shoes! My only critique is that sometimes they acted more like 20 yo than the 40 yo they were, jumping readily to a series of conclusions with no evidence at all.

The past flashbacks worked not only as a way to meet the characters younger selves and to explain how their friendship was forged, but to understand their current dynamics and why they found themselves in that predicament.

As the story progressed things kept getting crazier. I had my suspicions the whole time, so when the villain was revealed I found their motivations a bit weak. The story ended a bit abruptly but with a final twist in the last line that I did not foresee.

The lake house was my first Laura Wolfe read but certainly won’t be my last.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.