Some thrillers keep you engaged with dialogue and plot twists – they’re good, easy reads, and many times, forgettable. But sometimes you stumble upon a gem – the likes of Karin Slaughter and Gregg Olsen. The dialogue and scenes are complex and intricate, they slow you down so you’re able to soak everything in and remember. You experience the ups and downs of the characters, you empathize with their situations, and your heart breaks just a little bit when they’re going through a rough patch. These are the books you pass along to a friend and such is the Dark Lake by Sarah Bailey.
Title: The Dark Lake
Author: Sarah Bailey
Rating: A Slow Heartbreak
Genre: Thriller/Suspense
Page Count: 384
Published: 2017
Gemma Woodstock is the lead detective on the homicide investigation of a former classmate, Rosalind (Rose) Ryan. While this could be seen as a conflict of interest, Gemma is good at compartmentalizing – work, job, affair, parenting. As a detective, she’s devoted, level-headed, and will stop at nothing to solve a case. As a girlfriend, she’s elusive, commitment-phobic, and rarely present.
As she and her partner (and also her secret lover) try to solve the murder, Gemma recalls bits of the past that intertwine with the present and complicate the case. Who would have thought that the jealousy and mistakes made by a teenage girl a decade earlier would surface now and lead to the murder of a popular teacher? And what was the relationship between Gemma and Rose like in high school?
Prepare to get lost in the mystery of Rose, Gemma, and the collision of past and present. You’ll feel the sadness and the heartbreak, but you’ll want to keep reading more.
TL;DR
This is a heartbreaking story of a detective trying to solve the murder of a former classmate. A decade’s old drama is brought to the surface in this explosive read – one that you’ll remember long after you’ve finished the last page. Don’t hesitate – if you’re a fan of Karin Slaughter or Gregg Olsen – grab this now.
If you liked this book, you might enjoy: The Sound of Rain by Gregg Olsen.
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