SYNOPSIS:
A gruesome discovery unravels a dark trail of murder and madness. A six-year-old girl sneaks out of bed to capture a mermaid but instead discovers a dead body. Terrified and unable to make sense of what she sees, she locks the vision deep inside her mind. Ten years later, Lily is introduced to the charismatic Flo and they become best friends. But Lily is guilt-ridden – she is hiding a terrible secret which has the power to destroy both their lives. When Flo’s father is accused of killing a schoolgirl, the horrors of Lily’s past come bubbling to the surface. Lily knows that, whatever the consequences, she has to make things right. She must go back to the events of her childhood and face what happened at the boat house all those years ago. Can Lily and Flo discover what is hiding in the murky waters of the lake before the killer strikes again?
MY THOUGHTS:
The book starts with a bang! A murder has been committed and you are very aware of who has committed the crime, a mother and her daughter. I was hooked straight away. As you read on it becomes apparent that Lily is mute; a traumatic event from her past has caused her to lose her voice. This part of the story line in itself was so intriguing and I couldn't wait to find out more.
Grace is a very powerful character who dominates and manipulates not only her daughter Lily but others around her. She is a complex individual who also has a disturbing back story and I loved how the novel weaved its way from the past to present day to reveal both Grace's and Lily's childhood.
The Cry Of The Lake is a book where nothing is quite what it seems at the beginning, I loved this about the novel as it kept me guessing the whole time. I was very intrigued by the character's past lives as this held such relevance to the present story line and I loved how the plot unfolded. Although Grace was such a manipulative character I did actually feel sorry for her as her story is one of sadness, heartache and exploitation. The ending for me was perfect, all the loose ends were tied up and I loved how the last two chapters in particular, paid tribute to 'the lake'. I found it very symbolic, calming and a beautiful way to round up the novel.
This book has everything: murder, revenge, love, loss, family secrets, mental health issues, cruelty - to name just a few. It is a dark, twisted tale with lots of suspense and has a gorgeous front cover to draw you in. Many thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for inviting me to join The Cry Of The Lake blog tour.
AUTHOR:
Charlie has been writing for years but it was taking a creative writing course in 2018 which gave her the gentle kick she needed to finish her debut novel. Charlie is very much a morning person and likes nothing more than committing a fictional murder before her first coffee of the day. She studied Theology at Worcester College, Oxford and now lives in a Leicestershire village with her husband, three teenagers and golden retriever.
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