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A review by danubooks
The Lake Escape by Jamie Day
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Some secrets are too dangerous to tell
Three people who have been friends since childhood are spending their annual summer vacation at their neighboring houses on Lake Timmeny in Vermont. Julia arrives with her husband Christian and teenage daughter Taylor, hoping that the vacation will be a balm to her many woes...financial troubles caused by the business venture she and Christian run which is failing, a shaky marriage marred both by Christian's past drinking problem and his recently ended affair, and a teenage daughter whose mood swings are increasingly hostile in nature. Things don't start off well; the first thing Julia sees is her friend David's newly "renovated" house which has turned his setting appropriate rustic house into a multistory glass monstrosity which is sure to block views of the lake from both Julia's house and that of the third member of the Lake Gang, Erika. David arrives, with his latest gorgeous girlfriend Fiona as well as his five year old twins and Izzy, the pretty young college girl who will be acting as nanny for them. Tension seems to set the mood this year, and things come to a head when Fiona disappears after a heated argument with David. Over the last three decades two other young women have disappeared without a trace along the shores of Lake Timmeny, with the bones of one of them having recently been discovered...is Fiona the victim of foul play, and could her situation have any relation to that of the previous two women? For three people whose families have been summertime neighbors and friends for years and who once considered themselves a close-knit group, it is shocking to discover that they don't really know one another well at all. What secrets are being kept, and who has a motive strong enough to kill?
The Lake Escape is a solid summer thriller, with its setting alongside a lake bringing vibes of family summer vacations of yesteryear. The story is told from the points of view primarily of Julia and Izzy, the nanny who harbors her own hidden reasons for being at the lake. The pace is a bit slow at first as each character's backstory is fleshed out, but once those are established the speed and the tension ramp up. Themes of friendship, family, nostalgia for the past and the secrets everyone keeps are blended in with the search for Fiona and its possible connection to the previous missing women. Some of the twists didn't completely ring true for me, but overall it was an engaging read perfect for the beach (or in this case, the lake) bag, 3.5 ⭐️ rounded up to 4. Fans of Riley Sager, Lisa Jewell and Lucy Foley as well as those who enjoy a good summer-themed thriller should grab a copy of author Jamie Day's latest effort. My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me access to a copy of this suspenseful read in exchange for my honest review.
Three people who have been friends since childhood are spending their annual summer vacation at their neighboring houses on Lake Timmeny in Vermont. Julia arrives with her husband Christian and teenage daughter Taylor, hoping that the vacation will be a balm to her many woes...financial troubles caused by the business venture she and Christian run which is failing, a shaky marriage marred both by Christian's past drinking problem and his recently ended affair, and a teenage daughter whose mood swings are increasingly hostile in nature. Things don't start off well; the first thing Julia sees is her friend David's newly "renovated" house which has turned his setting appropriate rustic house into a multistory glass monstrosity which is sure to block views of the lake from both Julia's house and that of the third member of the Lake Gang, Erika. David arrives, with his latest gorgeous girlfriend Fiona as well as his five year old twins and Izzy, the pretty young college girl who will be acting as nanny for them. Tension seems to set the mood this year, and things come to a head when Fiona disappears after a heated argument with David. Over the last three decades two other young women have disappeared without a trace along the shores of Lake Timmeny, with the bones of one of them having recently been discovered...is Fiona the victim of foul play, and could her situation have any relation to that of the previous two women? For three people whose families have been summertime neighbors and friends for years and who once considered themselves a close-knit group, it is shocking to discover that they don't really know one another well at all. What secrets are being kept, and who has a motive strong enough to kill?
The Lake Escape is a solid summer thriller, with its setting alongside a lake bringing vibes of family summer vacations of yesteryear. The story is told from the points of view primarily of Julia and Izzy, the nanny who harbors her own hidden reasons for being at the lake. The pace is a bit slow at first as each character's backstory is fleshed out, but once those are established the speed and the tension ramp up. Themes of friendship, family, nostalgia for the past and the secrets everyone keeps are blended in with the search for Fiona and its possible connection to the previous missing women. Some of the twists didn't completely ring true for me, but overall it was an engaging read perfect for the beach (or in this case, the lake) bag, 3.5 ⭐️ rounded up to 4. Fans of Riley Sager, Lisa Jewell and Lucy Foley as well as those who enjoy a good summer-themed thriller should grab a copy of author Jamie Day's latest effort. My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me access to a copy of this suspenseful read in exchange for my honest review.