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readingtimeatthezoo's review against another edition
3.0
Not quite sure how to review this book. I didn't dislike it, but I didn't really like it either. I was offered the opportunity to read this one and after reading the synopsis I agreed because it actually sounds really good.
Todd Norman is acquitted of his wife's murder and returns to her hometown to build their dream lake house he was planning to build before she died. The move isn't that easy for Todd. His wife's parent's live in the town and blame him for their daughter's death, the local police think he did it, in fact everyone thinks he did it. Everyone except newly separated single-mum Tracey. She falls in love with Todd and is adamant he is innocent.
This could have been so good with it's thriller undertones but unfortunately something fell slightly flat for me. I kept waiting for this amazing story to start and it just didn't. It was almost like reading a report, just a list of facts with no life to it. Everything was too one dimensional, there was no real oomph to any of the characters. I really wanted to learn about them, what was going on behind the scenes, and why some of the characters were even there, Dr Bakshir? What was even the point of him meandering weirdly through the story-line?
Unfortunately there were just too many of these one dimensional characters and strange detours from the main story line that just didn't make any sense or add any value.
I know this sounds like I really disliked this book. I didn't, I stuck with it because the plot itself was a good one and I wanted to know what happened, I just wanted more.
Todd Norman is acquitted of his wife's murder and returns to her hometown to build their dream lake house he was planning to build before she died. The move isn't that easy for Todd. His wife's parent's live in the town and blame him for their daughter's death, the local police think he did it, in fact everyone thinks he did it. Everyone except newly separated single-mum Tracey. She falls in love with Todd and is adamant he is innocent.
This could have been so good with it's thriller undertones but unfortunately something fell slightly flat for me. I kept waiting for this amazing story to start and it just didn't. It was almost like reading a report, just a list of facts with no life to it. Everything was too one dimensional, there was no real oomph to any of the characters. I really wanted to learn about them, what was going on behind the scenes, and why some of the characters were even there, Dr Bakshir? What was even the point of him meandering weirdly through the story-line?
Unfortunately there were just too many of these one dimensional characters and strange detours from the main story line that just didn't make any sense or add any value.
I know this sounds like I really disliked this book. I didn't, I stuck with it because the plot itself was a good one and I wanted to know what happened, I just wanted more.
natalier3's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this, the characters were good and likeable. I would have preferred a more suspenseful read though, ie if Greg was actually a potential murderer. The police thought he did it, but the way Greg is portrayed is too gentle on this and could have helped to add more danger to Tracy's story.
dommdy's review against another edition
2.0
Poorly developed characters, not well plotted or narrated, confusing, nonsensical, unsatisfying ending
kourtneyalexis's review against another edition
5.0
Having recently read "Skunk Train", I had extremely high hopes for "The Lakehouse" and Joe Clifford did not disappoint!!!
Greg Norman, whose wife was killed, moves to her hometown to fulfill a promise they made to build a house on the lake. Let's back up and mention that Greg was accused of and stood trial for her murder and was cleared of all charges....unfortunately, the townsfolk do not believe in his innocence...and when a body is discovered near the site of the lake house, any chance of clearing his name is out of the question. It gets worse when more women start to disappear and the plot thickens.
This story has so many rich characters, brilliantly interwoven into a great story that shows the ripple effect of things that happen in a small town and how the dead don't stay buried. I could not put this book down, every layer that was exposed made me want to unravel the mystery more!
If you haven't read anything by Joe Clifford, please do yourself a favor and pick up one of his books! They will keep you up reading into the wee hours of the night!
A special thank you to NetGalley, Polis Books, and Joe Clifford for providing me with an ARC.
Greg Norman, whose wife was killed, moves to her hometown to fulfill a promise they made to build a house on the lake. Let's back up and mention that Greg was accused of and stood trial for her murder and was cleared of all charges....unfortunately, the townsfolk do not believe in his innocence...and when a body is discovered near the site of the lake house, any chance of clearing his name is out of the question. It gets worse when more women start to disappear and the plot thickens.
This story has so many rich characters, brilliantly interwoven into a great story that shows the ripple effect of things that happen in a small town and how the dead don't stay buried. I could not put this book down, every layer that was exposed made me want to unravel the mystery more!
If you haven't read anything by Joe Clifford, please do yourself a favor and pick up one of his books! They will keep you up reading into the wee hours of the night!
A special thank you to NetGalley, Polis Books, and Joe Clifford for providing me with an ARC.
reading_my_life_away's review against another edition
1.0
That book is the ultimate textbook thriller, it has all the aspects and steps of how to writer a contemporary thriller/mystery book, which are:
( A sudden murder _ a prime suspect who everyone thinks is the culprit _ a copper, preferably close to retirement just to give an edge to the book _ a small town setting, which must be described as a safe haven until the murder _ many side characters, the more the merrier _ unlimited side plots, literally everyone has to have a connection _ an ending in which you discover that the main suspect isn't the murderer ( surprised, right?) And instead it's one you didn't even doubt until the grand finale.
The book is a really slow paced one and what made it worse was the writing style, the author just kept jamming a lot of information in the same paragraph in an overly descriptive manner, also, i didn't like the heavy usage of slang and acronyms.
Don't recommend
( A sudden murder _ a prime suspect who everyone thinks is the culprit _ a copper, preferably close to retirement just to give an edge to the book _ a small town setting, which must be described as a safe haven until the murder _ many side characters, the more the merrier _ unlimited side plots, literally everyone has to have a connection _ an ending in which you discover that the main suspect isn't the murderer ( surprised, right?) And instead it's one you didn't even doubt until the grand finale.
The book is a really slow paced one and what made it worse was the writing style, the author just kept jamming a lot of information in the same paragraph in an overly descriptive manner, also, i didn't like the heavy usage of slang and acronyms.
Don't recommend
jupitershallemerge's review against another edition
5.0
I initially rated at 4 stars (4.5 to be more exact) but now, after a few days, I will round it up to 5.
Some parts of this book got me so furious with cops and I also liked the romance here, and that doesn't happen usually.
This book stuck with me and I was somewhat impressed I guess so there we are ... 5 stars.
Some parts of this book got me so furious with cops and I also liked the romance here, and that doesn't happen usually.
This book stuck with me and I was somewhat impressed I guess so there we are ... 5 stars.
onmalsshelf's review against another edition
While I thank the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC, I cannot finish this.
The sentence structure is so choppy and does more telling than showing with minimal dialogue to move the plot forward. Beyond that, is the character's name Todd or Gregg because changing the name of an accused killer within a few chapters was a horrible idea?
The sentence structure is so choppy and does more telling than showing with minimal dialogue to move the plot forward. Beyond that, is the character's name Todd or Gregg because changing the name of an accused killer within a few chapters was a horrible idea?
francica's review against another edition
3.0
Thanks net galley for this title.
This story was a gripping and exciting tale about a small town Covenant where it is relatively peaceful, that is until Greg Norman ( a man accused of the murder of his wife, a resident April) comes to rebuild his life in a Lakehouse near the beach after being acquitted. A little while after returning a young lady Wendy, was found dead near the lake house and this investigation set off a whirlwind of events that revealed secrets that shook this peaceful little town to the core.
I really liked the story. The characters were relatable I especially liked Tracy, Amanda and Uncle Bob's characters .It read like an enjoyable TV series in some parts. I think that in end we could have had more detail of how Greg and Tracy's relationship turned out because I felt they just left the story abruptly (read the book so you will know what I'm talking about). This is one of those mystery stories that you just had to wait till the end to see who did it. I had so many thoughts about who the murderer could be that I just gave up speculating and just waited till I was at the end and what an ending it was. I would definitely recommend this book and I look forward to more like this from the author.
This story was a gripping and exciting tale about a small town Covenant where it is relatively peaceful, that is until Greg Norman ( a man accused of the murder of his wife, a resident April) comes to rebuild his life in a Lakehouse near the beach after being acquitted. A little while after returning a young lady Wendy, was found dead near the lake house and this investigation set off a whirlwind of events that revealed secrets that shook this peaceful little town to the core.
I really liked the story. The characters were relatable I especially liked Tracy, Amanda and Uncle Bob's characters .It read like an enjoyable TV series in some parts. I think that in end we could have had more detail of how Greg and Tracy's relationship turned out because I felt they just left the story abruptly (read the book so you will know what I'm talking about). This is one of those mystery stories that you just had to wait till the end to see who did it. I had so many thoughts about who the murderer could be that I just gave up speculating and just waited till I was at the end and what an ending it was. I would definitely recommend this book and I look forward to more like this from the author.
ariailheath's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
shelleyann01's review against another edition
3.0
At times it was exciting but most of the story was either predictable or confusing. The writing itself is okay and consists mostly of dialogue...internal and otherwise, which is what causes the confusion. This story is told in first-person by the two main characters. The chapters switch back and forth between the characters narrations, which I normally enjoy. However, with this book, when the point of view changes no time has passed so it is hard to suddenly be reading from a different perspective, but pick up with the same event in the story. It has some interesting plot twists toward the end, but most I had predicted before they occurred.
Bottom Line: It was interesting but became confusing at times remembering which character was speaking. The story itself had sufficient mystery to keep my interest. The story of each main character became so entangled I was eager to see how the author would unravel the mystery in the end. It was not entirely surprising.
Thank you NetGalley, Joe Clifford and Polis Books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an impartial review; all opinions are my own.
#TheLakehouse #NetGalley
Bottom Line: It was interesting but became confusing at times remembering which character was speaking. The story itself had sufficient mystery to keep my interest. The story of each main character became so entangled I was eager to see how the author would unravel the mystery in the end. It was not entirely surprising.
Thank you NetGalley, Joe Clifford and Polis Books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an impartial review; all opinions are my own.
#TheLakehouse #NetGalley