Thursday, October 15, 2015

Review: The Lake House by Kate Morton

Title: The Lake House
Author: Kate Morton
Genre: Historical/Contemporary Fiction
Publication Date: 20th October 2015
Pages: 512
Book Source: Atria Books & Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours


Synopsis: 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.

My Thoughts:
Lake house ...
Cornwall ... 
Sold!

I loved the old-world almost dreamy feel to The Lake House ... I lost myself in another time and place. 

The Lake House is a multi-layered story of love, loyalty, loss and long-held secrets. Three strong women; Eleanor, Alice and Sadie, multiple time frames, plots and sub-plots. There's a lot going on. 

In 1933 we're introduced to the Edevane family of Leoanneth, the Lake House ... Alice, Deborah, Clemmie, Theo and parents Eleanor and Anthony. On a midsummer's eve, 11 month old Theo disappears. 

In the present day Sadie Sparrow, (cringe on the name) a London detective on disciplinary leave, visiting her grandfather in Cornwall, stumbles upon the abandoned lake house, her curiosity reviving the 70 year old cold case of missing baby Theo.

The story shifts to London, 1911, filling in Eleanor's back story. Past, present, back and forth with Kate Morton deftly peeling back the layers while I literally held my breath in anticipation.

I worked out what happened to baby Theo early on, I didn't waver, even though there were multiple threads leading in different directions, but just as I was patting myself on the back for being so clever, Kate Morton put me in my place. I loved the ending, I didn't see that particular gem coming. There were tears, happy tears.  

Kate Morton's skill with family ties, secrets and the slow reveal is masterful, even the quieter, drawn out parts of the narrative have purpose. The whisper fine threads came together beautifully and the resulting picture was bittersweet. 

Cover: beautiful


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23 comments:

  1. This sounds like one I need to read. Great review!

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    1. Thanks Mary, Kate Morton is one of my faves. Hope you love it too :)

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  2. Ohhhhhhhhhh this sounds GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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    1. another one of our awesome Aussie authors Julie lol. You should totally read it :))

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  3. It sounds so good!!! I can't wait to try it.

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    1. Kate has a distinct style, it's often a slow build but there's always a point and her writing is just so beautiful. Hope you love it too Brandie!

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  4. This sounds lovely! I do tend to get a other-worldly feeling from Morton's books. The name Sadie Sparrow is pretty bad and very similar to the name Sally Sparrow which is a Doctor Who character. I'm really looking forward to getting this one. Great review!

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    1. Doctor Who ... I get the weirdness lol
      Can't wait to see what you think Katherine, I'll keep an eye out :)

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  5. One day I have to try a Morton book

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    1. YES! That list is getting out of control B lol

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  6. I need to move this one up on my stack.

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  7. I have this one on my wish list and really want to read it. I'm not sure when, but I hope to get to it later in the fall. Great review, as always.

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    1. Thanks Kathy. Kate Morton is one of my favourite authors so a must-read for me, I just really love her writing style.

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  8. I read a review from Laurel-Rain I think it was and was enticed and now am even more so. While I sometimes get a little muddled in multiple plots/subplots it sounds like one I just have to read. Like Nise, moving this up on my to read list.
    Laughing at the name Sparrow - immediately made me think of comedy TV show of guy who time travelled in Britain between WW2 and present!
    Great review Sheree.

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    1. Yes Laurel loved this one too. So glad you're going to read it, I think you mentioned last week it will be your first Kate Morton? Can't wait to see what you think, hope you get hooked on her writing :)

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    2. the guy named Sparrow was the time traveller? I love time travel shows, not sure about a time travel comedy but now I'm wracking my brain trying to work out what the show is lol

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    3. Made me think. Goodnight Sweetheart it was called and Gary Sparrow was the 'hero'!

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    4. Made me think. Goodnight Sweetheart it was called and Gary Sparrow was the 'hero'!

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  9. I don't know what it is about Kate Morton's writing but there's something just lovely about it. I dislike historical fiction but this just pulls me in!

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    1. Wow Deb that's really saying something when you dislike historical fiction. Kate's writing is so addictive!

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  10. I love her books.

    I haven't gotten my hands on THE LAKE HOUSE yet.

    Thanks for your wonderful post and thoughts.

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    1. I see it's on your TBR pile now Elizabeth ... enjoy, can't wait to see what you think!

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