Review: The Lake House by Kate Morton

The Lake House
by Kate Morton

Publication Date: October 20, 2015
Atria Books
Hardcover & eBook; 512 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

From the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of The Secret Keeper and The Distant Hours, an intricately plotted, spellbinding new novel of heart-stopping suspense and uncovered secrets.

Living on her family’s idyllic lakeside estate in Cornwall, England, Alice Edevane is a bright, inquisitive, innocent, and precociously talented sixteen-year-old who loves to write stories. But the mysteries she pens are no match for the one her family is about to endure…

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. What follows is a tragedy that tears the family apart in ways they never imagined.

Decades later, Alice is living in London, having enjoyed a long successful career as an author. Theo’s case has never been solved, though Alice still harbors a suspicion as to the culprit. 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 estate—now crumbling and covered with vines, clearly abandoned long ago. 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, this latest novel from a masterful storyteller is an enthralling, thoroughly satisfying read.

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOKS-A-MILLION | GOOGLE PLAY | ITUNES | INDIEBOUND | POWELL’S

Kate Morton has crafted a marvelous and captivating story that spans decades.  Seamlessly combining the past and present into dual timelines, The Lake House profiles three women (even more if you count the sisters and Constance) and one long-cold missing persons case that unites them.

Morton’s writing voice is exquisite as always and readers will be swept up in the scenery, in the family dynamics, in the unsolved disappearance that has haunted a family for years.  Besides composing a beautiful narrative, Kate Morton shows her clever story-crafting skills as well – in the minute details that may go unnoticed individually but as a whole create the perfect atmosphere for the plot. For example, as Alice (one of the characters that appears in both timeline narratives) is a mystery author, I thought it fitting that there were several nods to Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes, not to mention that the plot itself conveyed elements of both.  And while some reviews I’ve read found fault with the ending, I don’t see – with all the references throughout to fairy tales and magic – how it could have ended any other way.

Bottom Line:  Sharp, on-point writing and a plot that will keep readers guessing make The Lake House well worth your time.  While I did feel that it dragged a bit unnecessarily in the middle, I realized by the end that those parts did in fact matter to the overall outcome. Fans of British mysteries – from any decade – will appreciate Morton’s contributions to the genre as well as her nods to the familiar and beloved.  Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys reading Jodi Picoult, Diane Chamberlain, or Agatha Christie. (Since this is a blog where I primarily review Christian fiction, I feel obligated to point out that this is a book written for the general market.  As such, there are a very few instances of profanity but no scenes of a sexual nature.)

(I received a copy of this book in exchange for only my honest review.)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kate Morton grew up in the mountains of south-east Queensland and lives now with her husband and young sons in Brisbane. She has degrees in dramatic art and English literature, specializing in nineteenth-century tragedy and contemporary Gothic novels.

Kate Morton has sold over 7.5 million copies in 26 languages, across 38 countries. Her novels include The House at Riverton, The Forgotten Garden, The Distant Hours, and The Secret Keeper.

You can find more information about Kate Morton and her books at www.katemorton.com or www.facebook.com/KateMortonAuthor