The Lake House
A Novel
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4.4 • 905 Ratings
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
From the New York Times bestselling author of Homecoming comes a “moody, suspenseful page-turner” (People, Best Book Pick) filled with mystery and spellbinding secrets.
Living on her family’s idyllic lakeside estate in Cornwall, England, Alice Edevane is a bright, inquisitive, and precociously talented sixteen-year-old who loves to write stories.
One midsummer’s eve, after a beautiful party drawing hundreds of guests to the estate has ended, the Edevanes discover that their youngest child, eleven-month-old Theo, has vanished without a trace. He is never found, and the family is torn apart, the house abandoned.
Decades later, Alice is living in London, having enjoyed a long successful career as a novelist. Miles away, Sadie Sparrow, a young detective in the London police force, is staying at her grandfather’s house in Cornwall. While out walking one day, she stumbles upon the old Edevane estate—now crumbling and covered with vines. Her curiosity is sparked, setting off a series of events that will bring her and Alice together and reveal shocking truths about a past long gone...yet more present than ever.
A lush, atmospheric tale of intertwined destinies from a masterful storyteller, The Lake House is an enthralling, thoroughly satisfying read.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Kate Morton intertwines breathless suspense with historical fiction. When police detective Sadie Sparrow stumbles across a crumbling house in the woods, she learns it was abandoned after a child went missing there decades earlier. Shifting between the present day and the ‘30s, The Lake House is a slow-building, richly satisfying gothic mystery filled with family secrets and dark spaces. It’s perfect for readers looking for a thriller without violence or gore.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Bestselling storyteller Morton (The Secret Keeper) excels in this mystery set against the gothic backdrop of 1930s England. In Cornwall, the wealthy Edevane family prepares for its annual midsummer ball at Loenneth, their isolated estate. That night, teenager Alice Edevane is lingering near the nursery when someone kidnaps the cherished Edevane son, Theo; despite a lengthy investigation, he is never found. The story moves forward to 2003 London, where Det. Sgt. Sadie Sparrow is suspended after speaking to the media about a missing-person case, recently closed, that haunts her. Sparrow seeks refuge with her grandfather in Cornwall. On her first morning run there, she finds the now-dilapidated Loenneth mansion deep in the woods. Curious, Sparrow peers through the windows into tumbledown rooms abandoned in haste long ago. She begins to investigate the 70-year-old Edevane case with help from the Cornwall locals, including a retired copper who was there in 1933 when Theo disappeared. Sparrow locates the now-elderly Alice, a celebrated mystery writer in London, who hands over the keys to the estate so Theo's case can be reopened. The compelling story moves back and forth in time as Sparrow uncovers what happened to Theo in 1933 while also resolving the recent missing-person case. Morton's plotting is impeccable, and her finely wrought characters, brought together in the end by Sparrow's investigation, are as surprised as readers will be by the astonishing conclusion.
Customer Reviews
Very well done!
This book is quite well written. Unlike most mysteries, the writing is very strong. The story will definitely capture your attention; I couldn't wait to read the next chapter!
I have only a few complaints which have prevented me from assigning a five star rating. First, the writing gets windy at times and the story would be better served with a terser narrative. Second, there were a few flaws in the plot line which I won't detail for fear of spoiling the book for readers. Third, the ending was sort of Dickensonian and not really credible (although I have to say I liked it anyway). All in all, it was a really good mystery and I'm looking forward to reading more books about Detective Sparrow.
Perfectly perfect
I loved the imagery, as well as the characters. The ending was tidy and a joy to read.
Delightful
As one of seven children, I found this to be a “real family”. We all have our own world we revolve in and see things through. We’ll written with a nice flow between all the yesteryears and current times. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I will savor this one for a spell.
I will definitely read more from Kate Morton.
Thank-you for the pleasure.