What do you think?
Rate this book
Lost Lake
It's a beautiful summer night in Portland, Oregon.Ami Vergano, a young attorney and single mother, arrives at her son Ryan's Little League game with their tenant and new friend, Dan Morelli. When the assistant coach calls in sick, Morelli seems happy to help out. But then one player roughly blocks another, and a fight erupts. Before the game ends, Ami witnesses violence that shocks and horrifies her and makes her question everything she thought she knew about Morelli.
On the other side of the continent, in a cheap motel room in Washington, D.C., ex-mental patient Vanessa Kohler, a reporter for Exposed, a tabloid that specializes in alien-abduction stories, watches a piece on television about the Little League massacre and quickly places a call to the FBI. For years she's been telling anyone who will listen about a vast government conspiracy to conceal a secret military unit headed by Gen. Morris Wingate, a presidential candidate, and for years every-one has dismissed her stories. But when Vanessa sees Dan Morelli fighting, she believes she's found the key to proving that her theories are true.
Vanessa hires Ami Vergano to represent Morelli, who is charged with attempted murder, and Ami is drawn into Vanessa's paranoid world. Are Vanessa, a former mental patient, and Morelli, a confessed mass murderer, telling the truth about one of the nation's most respected soldiers and politicians? Or are their charges a product of two sick minds? Ami has to decide who -- and what -- to believe, in Phillip Margolin's most exciting and surprising thriller since his breakout bestseller, Gone, But Not Forgotten.
On the other side of the continent, in a cheap motel room in Washington, D.C., ex-mental patient Vanessa Kohler, a reporter for Exposed, a tabloid that specializes in alien-abduction stories, watches a piece on television about the Little League massacre and quickly places a call to the FBI. For years she's been telling anyone who will listen about a vast government conspiracy to conceal a secret military unit headed by Gen. Morris Wingate, a presidential candidate, and for years every-one has dismissed her stories. But when Vanessa sees Dan Morelli fighting, she believes she's found the key to proving that her theories are true.
Vanessa hires Ami Vergano to represent Morelli, who is charged with attempted murder, and Ami is drawn into Vanessa's paranoid world. Are Vanessa, a former mental patient, and Morelli, a confessed mass murderer, telling the truth about one of the nation's most respected soldiers and politicians? Or are their charges a product of two sick minds? Ami has to decide who -- and what -- to believe, in Phillip Margolin's most exciting and surprising thriller since his breakout bestseller, Gone, But Not Forgotten.
321 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2005
443 people are currently reading
1202 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 239 reviews
April 11, 2012
... a thoroughly enjoyable read ... complicated, lots of action, full of surprises, even some unexpected emotion. Perfect for my "not research for my writing" reading.
Margolin used an interesting writing technique in this book that deserves mention ...
There are certain crucial events and characters that are presented early in the story, but not clearly. Margolin brings the reader back to those events several times, from different points of view, each time adding something more and reducing somewhat the ambiguity about what is true. This produced in me a confidence that the author had control of his story and would not leave me dangling. This in turn allowed me to simply go with the narrative and not obsess over what I did not fully remember or understand.
Margolin used an interesting writing technique in this book that deserves mention ...
There are certain crucial events and characters that are presented early in the story, but not clearly. Margolin brings the reader back to those events several times, from different points of view, each time adding something more and reducing somewhat the ambiguity about what is true. This produced in me a confidence that the author had control of his story and would not leave me dangling. This in turn allowed me to simply go with the narrative and not obsess over what I did not fully remember or understand.
March 2, 2023
I have read many books by this Author, however this one was drawn out to the point I was done reading this book. I kept with it and so glad I did, GREAT Ending, it almost brought tears to my Eyes*****
April 17, 2009
Phil Margolin is one of the best at intricate but understandable plotting. I enjoyed this and his other books thoroughly.
December 23, 2009
Phillip Margolin writes fast paced thrillers with interesting twists and "Lost Lake" is no exception.
The most interesting thing about this story is an event is described; and can be interpeted one of two ways.
For example, after the events at Lost Lake, Vanessa is confined to a mental hospital for a year.
He father says he loves her and hated to do so but it is for her own good.
Vanessa says that the doctors drugged her on her father's order so no one would believe her when she tried to tell them about her father's conspiracies.
So, who does Amy beleive? Is the General, Vanessa's father up to some illegal matters? Or is Vanessa simply suffering the delusions of a former mental patient and ther is NO cpnspiracy? Where does Carl Rice, Vanessa's high school love--now accused of attempted murder--fit in?
Ami, as a young and inexperienced lawyer is caught between so many fact and details that could be interpeted either way. The stakes are incredibly high as she searches for the truth....
The characters of Vanesssa and Carl are really well drawn. When we first meet Vanessa's character, we think "what a nut"---and the same for Carl. But if even half of their accustions against the General are true, they have ample reason to act paranoid and frightened.
This book will keep you guessing and is an interesting blend of mystery and political thriller. Margolin keeps up the suspense to the very end.
The most interesting thing about this story is an event is described; and can be interpeted one of two ways.
For example, after the events at Lost Lake, Vanessa is confined to a mental hospital for a year.
He father says he loves her and hated to do so but it is for her own good.
Vanessa says that the doctors drugged her on her father's order so no one would believe her when she tried to tell them about her father's conspiracies.
So, who does Amy beleive? Is the General, Vanessa's father up to some illegal matters? Or is Vanessa simply suffering the delusions of a former mental patient and ther is NO cpnspiracy? Where does Carl Rice, Vanessa's high school love--now accused of attempted murder--fit in?
Ami, as a young and inexperienced lawyer is caught between so many fact and details that could be interpeted either way. The stakes are incredibly high as she searches for the truth....
The characters of Vanesssa and Carl are really well drawn. When we first meet Vanessa's character, we think "what a nut"---and the same for Carl. But if even half of their accustions against the General are true, they have ample reason to act paranoid and frightened.
This book will keep you guessing and is an interesting blend of mystery and political thriller. Margolin keeps up the suspense to the very end.
July 29, 2018
When packing for a long road trip I always like to take authors like Philip Margolin along for the ride. His books on CD keep you alert and engaged and Lost Lake is no exception.
While there is a crime committed in Lost Lake (several in fact) there is no mystery to solve because you already know who-dunnit. The underlying question is why was the crime committed, and are the stories being told by the chief protagonists (Carl Rice and Vanessa Kohler) the real deal or just the delusions of a couple of paranoid personalities.
It's up to their lawyer Ami Vergano to try to separate fact from fiction and determine the truth behind the story that began 20 years earlier with the brutal torture murder of a Congressman.
Deborah Hazlett is a talented reader and she deftly breathes life into Margolin's characters and keeps the story moving along at a lively pace. You find yourself pulling for Carl and Vanessa while still wondering if perhaps they really are crazy and you've been sucked into their deluded world.
If you enjoy a story that delves into the arenas of political and military cover-ups and is laced with tension and a touch of uncertainty you'll relish your journey to LOST LAKE.
While there is a crime committed in Lost Lake (several in fact) there is no mystery to solve because you already know who-dunnit. The underlying question is why was the crime committed, and are the stories being told by the chief protagonists (Carl Rice and Vanessa Kohler) the real deal or just the delusions of a couple of paranoid personalities.
It's up to their lawyer Ami Vergano to try to separate fact from fiction and determine the truth behind the story that began 20 years earlier with the brutal torture murder of a Congressman.
Deborah Hazlett is a talented reader and she deftly breathes life into Margolin's characters and keeps the story moving along at a lively pace. You find yourself pulling for Carl and Vanessa while still wondering if perhaps they really are crazy and you've been sucked into their deluded world.
If you enjoy a story that delves into the arenas of political and military cover-ups and is laced with tension and a touch of uncertainty you'll relish your journey to LOST LAKE.
Read
January 31, 2020Read 2007
September 21, 2022
This one was so hard for me to rate. Yes it was a good story written well. The characters were so realistic but did we forget we have a serial killer on our hands? I sure didn't forget and that's why I am shocked no one else understood. When Ami the lawyer said "You are both special." I thought to myself, no they are not!
August 15, 2009
While I'm never disappointed in Margolin, this one was absolutely one of his best - it ranks right up there with "Gone, But Not Forgotten" and "The Undertaker's Widow" in my book. This one had me guessing right up until the end. *Was* General Wingate leading a team of commando assassins to do his political bidding, or is this all the crazy delusions of a distraught daughter and a psychotic ex-military man suffering from PTSD?
An intense political thriller, and a page turner from cover to cover.
An intense political thriller, and a page turner from cover to cover.
May 31, 2019
There was a lot of repetitive information that dragged on. There was a some jumping between past and present. I skimmed some of the past story as it just seemed to drag on and on. In the end, not sure if I believed they could really prove everything.
March 19, 2009
This suspense novel is definitely not the author's best effort, but interesting characters and a military cover-up made this an easy and enjoyable read for me on a rainy afternoon.
July 31, 2018
Lost Lake had plenty of action-- an interesting premise-- some clever plot devices-- and a poor final execution.
Lost Lake describes an incident that took place years before-- where Carl Rice is accused of murdering a congressman-- and then disappears.. Fast forward more than a decade and A little league brawl turns violent and Dan Morelli is shot and arrested. A young woman contacts the FBI and tells the agent investigating the congressman's death she believes she knows where Carl Rice is-- and the story jumps like crazy.
Rice and the young woman keep offering charges of a secret military unit-- but the "establishment" including her father, a retired general and presidential candidate, keep painting them as being mentally disturbed and paranoid.
The author could have created more suspense in this area. Perhaps he could have allowed us to suspect strongly that these two people might actually be mentally disturbed, but he instead lets the reader see this problem is only a smokescreen to hide the further secrets.
Finally, the author gets to the point where a bail hearing is held-- and here the author departs from normal legal procedure and treats the bail hearing as a preliminary hearing, exploring details of guilt and/or innocence-- something no judge would ever permit. Because of this major plotting flaw-- the novel's conclusion is marred horribly and instead of becoming a satisfying conclusion makes a mockery of judicial procedure. The description of the hearing becomes such a bad joke I might suggest that the writer may have written for Saturday Night Live back in the days when it was so poorly written... I mean it is almost funny-- but sad at the same time-- that the author could not find a realistic manner to conclude this novel.
A very mediocre read.
Lost Lake describes an incident that took place years before-- where Carl Rice is accused of murdering a congressman-- and then disappears.. Fast forward more than a decade and A little league brawl turns violent and Dan Morelli is shot and arrested. A young woman contacts the FBI and tells the agent investigating the congressman's death she believes she knows where Carl Rice is-- and the story jumps like crazy.
Rice and the young woman keep offering charges of a secret military unit-- but the "establishment" including her father, a retired general and presidential candidate, keep painting them as being mentally disturbed and paranoid.
The author could have created more suspense in this area. Perhaps he could have allowed us to suspect strongly that these two people might actually be mentally disturbed, but he instead lets the reader see this problem is only a smokescreen to hide the further secrets.
Finally, the author gets to the point where a bail hearing is held-- and here the author departs from normal legal procedure and treats the bail hearing as a preliminary hearing, exploring details of guilt and/or innocence-- something no judge would ever permit. Because of this major plotting flaw-- the novel's conclusion is marred horribly and instead of becoming a satisfying conclusion makes a mockery of judicial procedure. The description of the hearing becomes such a bad joke I might suggest that the writer may have written for Saturday Night Live back in the days when it was so poorly written... I mean it is almost funny-- but sad at the same time-- that the author could not find a realistic manner to conclude this novel.
A very mediocre read.
May 18, 2019
Goodness! Just when I am positive I can relax because I KNOW the "meannie,"...wrong..."things happen" and the plot widens. The author keeps me alert and reading on. Sleep is delayed.
Excellent read. Very interesting character development, a believeable back drop and an interesting array of twists and turns that is obvious only when the story if done.
fast paced... keeps you guessing until the end. would definitely recommend this book. looking for more by this author. 🙂
September 21, 2021
The plot was a bit dated, focusing on covert operations that took place in Vietnam with spies and secret military units, but I kept turning pages to see how it would all unfold. As with some other books by Phillip Margolin, the resolutions were a little too neat and tidy.
October 4, 2018
Not his best work.
August 28, 2022
A mystery within a mystery. Throughly enjoyed the read and not at all disappointed with the ending which some authors rush. A well written story. Highly recommend if you enjoy mysteries
June 16, 2024
Was a goodwill find, and I understand why. Wasn’t impressed with the story nor the writing. Had unnecessary plot points and to chaotic.
September 23, 2017
Another great read from Mr. Margolin. I've read quite a few of his books and I always get sucked into his world of crime and suspense. Mr. Margolin is my favorite crime author and I've tried a couple if others but for me none compare to Philip Margolin's writing.
August 15, 2022
Geniala! Exact genul meu de carte!
July 5, 2010
His 11th thriller uneven - complex plot but choppy storyline...
We're Margolin fans, having read all ten of his prior novels, and generally find his work entertaining and satisfying. We agree that this one is slow to get going -- only the latter part of the book zings along with exciting action. Perhaps the problem with this thriller's complex plot is that to make any sense of the present we have to wade through lengthy recounts of the past for main characters Dan Morelli (aka Carl Rice) and Vanessa Wingate, the bad-girl general's (and presidential hopeful's) daughter. That both lead characters, not counting the sweet but rather naive lawyer to the rescue, Ami Vergano, have apparent histories of mental trouble makes it hard for us to decide just who is telling the truth and who might be fabricating the most intricate delusions one would ever try to invent.
At any rate, Rice and Vanessa get into more trouble, and leave more bodies in their wake, than a serial killer with a death wish. Yet in the end, will these bad guys convince a judge that their fantastic claims about Gen. Wingate are true? Can there be proof? And does any such truth justify the brutal half dozen or so murders committed along the way?
We know Margolin can craft a good tale and turn a good phrase. Indeed, "Lost Lake" does generate some heat before the final pages. Unfortunately, like an amusement park ride that gets a little long to sustain the thrills, we found ourselves tiring from all the ups and downs, all the trials and tribulations. Perhaps a little better pace, less historical detail, more believable protagonists, and a little more character work with key supporting players might add up to a better book. As suggested by others, it's not a novel so much bad as just disappointing -- and whether that's worth our investment of time, a little problematic.
We're Margolin fans, having read all ten of his prior novels, and generally find his work entertaining and satisfying. We agree that this one is slow to get going -- only the latter part of the book zings along with exciting action. Perhaps the problem with this thriller's complex plot is that to make any sense of the present we have to wade through lengthy recounts of the past for main characters Dan Morelli (aka Carl Rice) and Vanessa Wingate, the bad-girl general's (and presidential hopeful's) daughter. That both lead characters, not counting the sweet but rather naive lawyer to the rescue, Ami Vergano, have apparent histories of mental trouble makes it hard for us to decide just who is telling the truth and who might be fabricating the most intricate delusions one would ever try to invent.
At any rate, Rice and Vanessa get into more trouble, and leave more bodies in their wake, than a serial killer with a death wish. Yet in the end, will these bad guys convince a judge that their fantastic claims about Gen. Wingate are true? Can there be proof? And does any such truth justify the brutal half dozen or so murders committed along the way?
We know Margolin can craft a good tale and turn a good phrase. Indeed, "Lost Lake" does generate some heat before the final pages. Unfortunately, like an amusement park ride that gets a little long to sustain the thrills, we found ourselves tiring from all the ups and downs, all the trials and tribulations. Perhaps a little better pace, less historical detail, more believable protagonists, and a little more character work with key supporting players might add up to a better book. As suggested by others, it's not a novel so much bad as just disappointing -- and whether that's worth our investment of time, a little problematic.
December 9, 2010
Lost Lake has aplot that tries to be complex but ends up being convoluted and cliched.
The twists offered by the author hold no surprises and the characters seem forced in their every interaction with one another.
The dialogue is average at best, itself not necessarily a bad thing but it is paired with poor action that displays the author's lack of research.
For example: Mr. Margolin created a character with a black belt in karate but did not put the effort into research of even ten minutes online to find any of the traditional methods that such a trained martial artist would employ in combat. Suffice to say a "drop kick" is used in professional wrestling or in football, not in martial arts. A roundhouse kick or heel kick are normal accepted English terms used to describe real maneuvers.
Certainly this is a pet peeve of mine, having an interest in martial arts, but it serves to highlight the fact that the author has not done all his research. Errors in terminology may not seem important to those who do not know the difference, but to those who do? Well, I won't be reading any more Margolin. With Robert Crais and Lee Child writing high-action crime/thriller novels that are better written and better researched, there is no room in my brainspace for second-rate crime fiction.
The twists offered by the author hold no surprises and the characters seem forced in their every interaction with one another.
The dialogue is average at best, itself not necessarily a bad thing but it is paired with poor action that displays the author's lack of research.
For example: Mr. Margolin created a character with a black belt in karate but did not put the effort into research of even ten minutes online to find any of the traditional methods that such a trained martial artist would employ in combat. Suffice to say a "drop kick" is used in professional wrestling or in football, not in martial arts. A roundhouse kick or heel kick are normal accepted English terms used to describe real maneuvers.
Certainly this is a pet peeve of mine, having an interest in martial arts, but it serves to highlight the fact that the author has not done all his research. Errors in terminology may not seem important to those who do not know the difference, but to those who do? Well, I won't be reading any more Margolin. With Robert Crais and Lee Child writing high-action crime/thriller novels that are better written and better researched, there is no room in my brainspace for second-rate crime fiction.
July 27, 2013
Grabbed this one for 50 cents off the clearance shelf at Half Price Books. I thought it was going to be a horror story, but it wasn't. I'm not disappointed, however. It turned out to be a pretty riveting thriller.
I want to find more paperbacks from this author.
A young woman is destroyed by her father who is a general for a secret government intelligence agency (even more secret than the CIA). She witnesses her ex boyfriend doing some of her fathers dirty work and he subsequently forced her into a mental institution for a year to destroy any credibility her testimony would have.
Just when everyone thought the ex-boyfriend/assassin is dead and gone, he shows up again, of course with a different name.
All kinds of crazy things are going on here. Spying, espionage, murder....mystery. It just doesn't get any better than this.
I would have preferred more of a twist at the end, which is why I only gave it 4 out of 5 stars.
Perhaps now I will try to finish that horrible Jane Austen book.
I want to find more paperbacks from this author.
A young woman is destroyed by her father who is a general for a secret government intelligence agency (even more secret than the CIA). She witnesses her ex boyfriend doing some of her fathers dirty work and he subsequently forced her into a mental institution for a year to destroy any credibility her testimony would have.
Just when everyone thought the ex-boyfriend/assassin is dead and gone, he shows up again, of course with a different name.
All kinds of crazy things are going on here. Spying, espionage, murder....mystery. It just doesn't get any better than this.
I would have preferred more of a twist at the end, which is why I only gave it 4 out of 5 stars.
Perhaps now I will try to finish that horrible Jane Austen book.
December 15, 2013
I picked up a large selection of audio books at a yard sale this past summer. Lost Lake is one of them. I had never heard of Phillip Margolin, but the description of the story printed on the box captivated me. I was not disappointed.
I must confess that I often enjoy the audio book more than I would the printed book, particularly if the reader is good (and Deborah Hazlett is quite good). I listen in my car, and am typically transported by a good story. This is a good story. It is a page turner (disc turner?).
The characters are well developed, and the plot has enough twists to keep any suspense aficionado engrossed.
There are some rather implausible aspects to parts of the plot, particularly the courtroom portion, but I can forgive that as long as the story moves forward deftly, and the ending is unpredictable right up until, well, the end.
I will be reading or listening to more Phillip Margolin. I have a passion for suspense, and sometimes find myself in a rut with the same authors. It's nice to discover an author who, for me, is new and fresh.
I must confess that I often enjoy the audio book more than I would the printed book, particularly if the reader is good (and Deborah Hazlett is quite good). I listen in my car, and am typically transported by a good story. This is a good story. It is a page turner (disc turner?).
The characters are well developed, and the plot has enough twists to keep any suspense aficionado engrossed.
There are some rather implausible aspects to parts of the plot, particularly the courtroom portion, but I can forgive that as long as the story moves forward deftly, and the ending is unpredictable right up until, well, the end.
I will be reading or listening to more Phillip Margolin. I have a passion for suspense, and sometimes find myself in a rut with the same authors. It's nice to discover an author who, for me, is new and fresh.
September 10, 2014
I do wish that GoodReads had 1/2 stars. I would rate this book 1 1/2. Perhaps if the book wasn't written in third person it would have been easier to find even one character in this book to bond with; but alas that is not the case. Perhaps the author himself doesn't bon with any of the characters as he chooses to refer to the characters by their full name almost all of the time throughout the story. Perhaps it is just the lack of the authors ability to make words and narratives flow naturally and beautifully that makes this story dull; or maybe it is just the combination of all of the things mentioned. Either way, I wouldn't recommend or waste my time with this novel.
February 2, 2015
In Phillip Margolin's Lost Lake, he told us a cryptic tale of a hidden conspiracy in this legal thriller. In Portland, Oregon, attorney Ami Vergano watched in horror as violent erupted in a Little League ball game. Back in Washington D.C., Vanessa Kohler viewed the news incident and believed she found a witness to the deadly conspiracy. Caught between a mad woman and a confess mass murderer, it was up to Ami to race against time to unearth the truth that may or may not happen 20 years ago in a secluded cabin in Lost Lake.
December 5, 2022
LOST LAKE is my 7th Phillip Margolin novel and another one with interesting characters (both g00d and bad), and plausible situations leading up to a satisfactory conclusion. As a criminal defense attorney, Margolin knows of what he writes.
Ami is a young attorney with a son, Ryan, who is a Little League player in the Portland, OR area. Amy joins the big leagues when her tenant, Dan Morelli, who is filling in for the asst. coach, is arrested for assault and attempted murder during the game. Because a criminal defense attorney is unavailable, Ami volunteers to represent Dan and is in way over her head.
Another major character is a reporter for a D.C. tabloid, Vanessa, whose father is a candidate for US President. She despises her father and is convinced he heads up a secret military unit that has committed atrocities. Her boss thinks the Oregon Little League incident would be a great story for Vanessa to cover.
What results is an exciting story of murders and cover-ups, as Ami joins forces with Vanessa to clear Dan of the charges against him and to try and prove Vanessa's Dad is an evil man.
Well written and fun to read. I enjoyed the time I spent trying to decide who are the bad guys and who are the good guys.
Ami is a young attorney with a son, Ryan, who is a Little League player in the Portland, OR area. Amy joins the big leagues when her tenant, Dan Morelli, who is filling in for the asst. coach, is arrested for assault and attempted murder during the game. Because a criminal defense attorney is unavailable, Ami volunteers to represent Dan and is in way over her head.
Another major character is a reporter for a D.C. tabloid, Vanessa, whose father is a candidate for US President. She despises her father and is convinced he heads up a secret military unit that has committed atrocities. Her boss thinks the Oregon Little League incident would be a great story for Vanessa to cover.
What results is an exciting story of murders and cover-ups, as Ami joins forces with Vanessa to clear Dan of the charges against him and to try and prove Vanessa's Dad is an evil man.
Well written and fun to read. I enjoyed the time I spent trying to decide who are the bad guys and who are the good guys.
April 20, 2018
This was the first book that I've read by Phillip Margolin and it may be the last. I found it under the genre of legal thriller or courtroom drama. Oh, Please! One of the main characters, Ami Vergano, WAS a lawyer, albeit not one experienced in criminal law, yet supposedly temporarily representing Dan Morelli/Carl Rice charged with very serious criminal offences. I could have accepted that if the plot had delved into legal issues and if the characters had been interesting and believable. It didn't and they weren't. The story regressed into convoluted conspiracy theories, much third person narrative rather than dialogue and unlikely characters. There was a courtroom scene, but almost near the end of the book and it wasn't compelling. I dragged myself through the book just to get to the end so that I could read something I actually enjoyed. The only reason that I gave "Lost Lake" two stars instead of one was because two possible scenarios emerged to explain who Carl Rice really was and both could have been equally likely. The answer wasn't revealed until the final pages, but then the whole story ended in a cliched and unlikely conclusion.
September 1, 2022
I have read numerous books by Phillip Margolin that were all in the same series with the same characters and enjoyed them all. This book, however, was a totally different cast of characters and story line - Still a great read.
In a nutshell, this is a story about a very important general who is responsible for some terrible missions that he orders and only his daughter tries to tell the world about this. Her father has her committed to a sanitarium and, of course, tells all that it is for her own good since she is delusional. It is a story that shows you how one VIP can get away with all kinds of crimes because he is a VIP. No one believes his daughter or anyone she has convinced because she is obviously delusional and also it can't possibly be true of such an important, caring individual.
Don't want to tell you any more of the story so I recommend you get it a try and think you will be glad you did.
In a nutshell, this is a story about a very important general who is responsible for some terrible missions that he orders and only his daughter tries to tell the world about this. Her father has her committed to a sanitarium and, of course, tells all that it is for her own good since she is delusional. It is a story that shows you how one VIP can get away with all kinds of crimes because he is a VIP. No one believes his daughter or anyone she has convinced because she is obviously delusional and also it can't possibly be true of such an important, caring individual.
Don't want to tell you any more of the story so I recommend you get it a try and think you will be glad you did.
November 12, 2020
Phillip Margolin, an attorney based in Portland (Oregon, of course) has written another thrilling, although slow to develop, book primarily set in Portland. This one involves a complex tale of murder, torture, a clandestine military organization which may or may not have existed, the apparently mentally disturbed daughter of a presidential candidate, and a relatively inexperienced attorney. The attorney is reluctant to take the case because of her total lack of experience in criminal law, but is more or less forced into it by circumstances. The reader suspects that she could find an experienced criminal law expert to take the case had she really tried, but then the book wouldn't be quite as interesting and entertaining. A great conspiracy is at root, and proving its existence is at the heart of the book.
March 7, 2023
Amy Vergano, a single mother, artist and attorney who handles small local cases, finds herself in the middle of a crisis that could be the biggest federal crime. The altercation at her son’s Little League baseball game, once again opens the investigation into a 20-year-old murder case, where the defendant and the accomplice who are believed to be paranoid and delusional, point the finger at a highly decorated army general who happens to be the front runner for his party’s nomination as the president of the United States. It is up to Amy to find out the truth.
Phillip Margolin is an excellent writer and Lost Lake is not an exception. Usually, mystery writers follow a pattern and after reading a few of their books, you can figure out the plot from the beginning. Margolin doesn’t disappoint you. The plot and the twists and turns will engage you from the beginning to the very end.
Phillip Margolin is an excellent writer and Lost Lake is not an exception. Usually, mystery writers follow a pattern and after reading a few of their books, you can figure out the plot from the beginning. Margolin doesn’t disappoint you. The plot and the twists and turns will engage you from the beginning to the very end.
December 30, 2017
Amy is selling art at a fair, when she meets a man creating custom furniture next door to her. Dan Morelli seems nice, so she offers to let him rent the room above her garage. Everything is fine, until he explodes at a Little League game, arrested for assault. Suddenly, his identify is uncertain. She ends up representing him at the request of Vanessa Kohler, a woman who knew him when she was attending a private high school with him.
As the mystery deepens, he claims to have been in a secret Army unit led by Vanessa's father, who denies everything. Of course, there are no records of this secret unit ever existing.
Phillip Margolin is good at twist plots, and you don't quite know how this book is going to end, if the unit really existed, or if it was all an insane dream.
As the mystery deepens, he claims to have been in a secret Army unit led by Vanessa's father, who denies everything. Of course, there are no records of this secret unit ever existing.
Phillip Margolin is good at twist plots, and you don't quite know how this book is going to end, if the unit really existed, or if it was all an insane dream.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 239 reviews