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The Secret by the Lake
Amy's always felt like something’s been missing in her life, but as a nanny for the Laurent family - Julia, Alain, Viviane - she feels complete.
So Amy wouldn’t think of leaving them when a sudden tragedy forces them to move from France to the small lakeside cottage in the isolated Somerset village where Julia grew up.
But there’s something strange about the cottage by the lake. This is where Julia spent her childhood. But she used to have an older sister, Caroline, whom she rarely speaks about...
Who disappeared at just seventeen...
Who has a secret the whole village wants kept hidden for ever...
Louise Douglas's beautifully crafted and haunting page-turner will hold you in its grip.
So Amy wouldn’t think of leaving them when a sudden tragedy forces them to move from France to the small lakeside cottage in the isolated Somerset village where Julia grew up.
But there’s something strange about the cottage by the lake. This is where Julia spent her childhood. But she used to have an older sister, Caroline, whom she rarely speaks about...
Who disappeared at just seventeen...
Who has a secret the whole village wants kept hidden for ever...
Louise Douglas's beautifully crafted and haunting page-turner will hold you in its grip.
410 pages, Paperback
First published November 19, 2015
841 people are currently reading
4203 people want to read
About the author
Louise Douglas
29 books852 followersHello and thank you for visiting my profile page. I write contemporary Gothic novels which are usually inspired by places close to where I live in the Mendips, close to Bristol in the UK, or by places I've visited, especially Italy and Sicily. The House by the Sea won the Jackie Collins Romantic Suspense Award in 2021. The Love of My Life, my first book, was longlisted for the Romantic Novel of the Year Award. My second book, Missing You, won the RNA Readers' Choice Award, and my third, The Secrets Between Us was a 2012 Richard and Judy Summer Read.
The next book, The Room in the Attic is due to be published in October 2021 and is a ghost story set in a Victorian asylum-turned-boarding school on Dartmoor.
If you'd like to connect, you'll find me on Facebook Louise Amy Douglas or Twitter: @LouiseDouglas3.
The next book, The Room in the Attic is due to be published in October 2021 and is a ghost story set in a Victorian asylum-turned-boarding school on Dartmoor.
If you'd like to connect, you'll find me on Facebook Louise Amy Douglas or Twitter: @LouiseDouglas3.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 284 reviews
August 20, 2020
'Secrets make you lonely, did you know that?'
'I never thought about it,'
'Oh they do. It's their nature to isolate a person. Making someone keep a secret is the same as building a wall around them. Sooner or later the person behind that wall wants to set themselves free.'
What is the cost of the true behind a lie?
What is the cost of the secret that's hiding the true?
If you ask me what was it I expected when going into this story, I probably wouldn't know what to tell you. But I can tell you one thing: I know I got more then I expected.
This story, written in the first person and taking place in 1960th, follows a young woman named Amy. She finds herself in a small Somerset village, taking care of a little girl named Viviane who recently lost her father. It is not an unfamiliar fact that Viviane likes to have imaginary friends. After their arrival, Viviane can't stop talking about her new friend, Caroline, who has the same name as Viviane's mother's sister who died 30 years ago. Not only that she has the same name, but she also knows things from Caroline's life that no one else but Viviane's mother would know, and she never talks about Caroline. Suddenly, strange things start to happen in the house and Amy can't help but wonder if Caroline is real.
This book took me by surprise. After finishing it, I needed some time to think about it, to sleep and clear my mind. My emotions are still all over the place and I know I just can't write a review good enough to do justice to this story.
The writing style is amazing and it is full of visuals. I couldn't help but imagine shadows of gray covering pictures in my head, playing a movie that gave me chills and kept me on the edge because I didn't know what will come from the story.
It was like watching The Ring, only different. The atmosphere was similar, but the plot, characters and message were different.
The message. It is the most precious thing about this novel. If I tell you what it is, I would spoil your potential reading experiance, so i won't.
But I will tell you this: If you have a chance, give this book a chance.
If you do that, I guarantee you that it will keep you awake, it will make you think about monsters, but not the paranormal ones. The real monsters that live among us and can destroy many lives. It is our responsibility to stop them.
Note: I got this book for free via netgalley in an exchange for an honest review. Thank you Random House UK.
Read this and more reviews on my blog: https://bookdustmagic.com
While reading
I am over one third in the book and the story gives me the creeps.
'I never thought about it,'
'Oh they do. It's their nature to isolate a person. Making someone keep a secret is the same as building a wall around them. Sooner or later the person behind that wall wants to set themselves free.'
What is the cost of the true behind a lie?
What is the cost of the secret that's hiding the true?
If you ask me what was it I expected when going into this story, I probably wouldn't know what to tell you. But I can tell you one thing: I know I got more then I expected.
This story, written in the first person and taking place in 1960th, follows a young woman named Amy. She finds herself in a small Somerset village, taking care of a little girl named Viviane who recently lost her father. It is not an unfamiliar fact that Viviane likes to have imaginary friends. After their arrival, Viviane can't stop talking about her new friend, Caroline, who has the same name as Viviane's mother's sister who died 30 years ago. Not only that she has the same name, but she also knows things from Caroline's life that no one else but Viviane's mother would know, and she never talks about Caroline. Suddenly, strange things start to happen in the house and Amy can't help but wonder if Caroline is real.
This book took me by surprise. After finishing it, I needed some time to think about it, to sleep and clear my mind. My emotions are still all over the place and I know I just can't write a review good enough to do justice to this story.
The writing style is amazing and it is full of visuals. I couldn't help but imagine shadows of gray covering pictures in my head, playing a movie that gave me chills and kept me on the edge because I didn't know what will come from the story.
It was like watching The Ring, only different. The atmosphere was similar, but the plot, characters and message were different.
The message. It is the most precious thing about this novel. If I tell you what it is, I would spoil your potential reading experiance, so i won't.
But I will tell you this: If you have a chance, give this book a chance.
If you do that, I guarantee you that it will keep you awake, it will make you think about monsters, but not the paranormal ones. The real monsters that live among us and can destroy many lives. It is our responsibility to stop them.
Note: I got this book for free via netgalley in an exchange for an honest review. Thank you Random House UK.
Read this and more reviews on my blog: https://bookdustmagic.com
While reading
I am over one third in the book and the story gives me the creeps.
November 17, 2019
Spooky!
I jumped, I kept the lights on!
What a fascinating story that went from suspense, mystery to verging on the supernatural.
That’s all I’m saying as the reviews speak for themselves and I’m pretty late to the table with this, so, if you’ve not read it either and love spooky, tight thrillers that keep your attention, this is certainly it.
I jumped, I kept the lights on!
What a fascinating story that went from suspense, mystery to verging on the supernatural.
That’s all I’m saying as the reviews speak for themselves and I’m pretty late to the table with this, so, if you’ve not read it either and love spooky, tight thrillers that keep your attention, this is certainly it.
April 24, 2016
3.5 Stars
This was my first Louise Douglas book and I was plesently surprised by the read.
A Family Tragedy, A Sister's Secret, a Web of Lies and A Spooky old house, all the elements of good fiction in my opinion.
I really enjoyed this novel although it did take me a little while to get into it but after a few chapters it had me engrossed with it's atmospheric plot. It has that old fashioned style charm of good storytelling and surprising twists and turns that I find missing in a lot of fiction books of late. The writing is vivid and I loved the eerie feeling of the story. Characters are well drawn and the plot is suspenseful and kept me engaged throughout the whole novel.
I think readers of Kate Morton or Sarah Waters will enjoy this onw.
This was my first Louise Douglas book and I was plesently surprised by the read.
A Family Tragedy, A Sister's Secret, a Web of Lies and A Spooky old house, all the elements of good fiction in my opinion.
I really enjoyed this novel although it did take me a little while to get into it but after a few chapters it had me engrossed with it's atmospheric plot. It has that old fashioned style charm of good storytelling and surprising twists and turns that I find missing in a lot of fiction books of late. The writing is vivid and I loved the eerie feeling of the story. Characters are well drawn and the plot is suspenseful and kept me engaged throughout the whole novel.
I think readers of Kate Morton or Sarah Waters will enjoy this onw.
November 14, 2015
This is a ghostly story which is completely addictive, one that really grabbed my attention throughout the whole of the read. Amy has been working as a nanny to the Laurent family in France, but when tragedy strikes the family is forced to return to the UK, to the humble Somerset cottage that Julia Laurent grew up in. It is a cottage that is hiding dark family secrets from 30 years ago.
The story is set on the banks of a reservoir, and the reservoir really dominates the whole read, providing a dark and gloomy wintry atmosphere of fog and rain. This really adds to the tension you start to feel when strange things start to happen in the cottage which are the catalyst for the old secrets coming to light.
I really liked the characters of Amy and Julia in particular. They are both well developed and Amy especially proved very surprising and just when I thought I had her pegged she showed a completely unexpected side to her personality on Christmas Eve. I also loved the way that the author showed Julia and Amy’s relationship with each other. They have known each other for a long time and are very close friends but I really liked the subtle way the author very occasionally reminded us that in actual fact they are employee and employer.
The story does build slowly but this pace suits the tale that is unfolding. It is dark, spooky and really sent some shivers down my spine. In fact, it spooked me so much that I broke my own house rule last night and allowed my dog to sleep with me on the bed!
A fantastic read that I thoroughly enjoyed. Many thanks to the publisher via Netgalley for the review copy.
The story is set on the banks of a reservoir, and the reservoir really dominates the whole read, providing a dark and gloomy wintry atmosphere of fog and rain. This really adds to the tension you start to feel when strange things start to happen in the cottage which are the catalyst for the old secrets coming to light.
I really liked the characters of Amy and Julia in particular. They are both well developed and Amy especially proved very surprising and just when I thought I had her pegged she showed a completely unexpected side to her personality on Christmas Eve. I also loved the way that the author showed Julia and Amy’s relationship with each other. They have known each other for a long time and are very close friends but I really liked the subtle way the author very occasionally reminded us that in actual fact they are employee and employer.
The story does build slowly but this pace suits the tale that is unfolding. It is dark, spooky and really sent some shivers down my spine. In fact, it spooked me so much that I broke my own house rule last night and allowed my dog to sleep with me on the bed!
A fantastic read that I thoroughly enjoyed. Many thanks to the publisher via Netgalley for the review copy.
May 24, 2016
Just as I'd hoped, a mostly feelgood read (the conspiracy revealed during the denouement is rather grim) with mystery, romance and, as an added bonus, a generous helping of spooky stuff. I didn't expect this to be a ghost story at all, so it was a nice surprise to find that it really is.
Amy works as a nanny for a glamorous Anglo-French family, the Laurents, and lives a charmed Parisian life with them until tragedy strikes, they lose their fortune and are forced to return to Julia Laurent's childhood home - a dreary cottage sitting on the banks of an English reservoir. As Julia sinks into depression, Amy digs into her family's history and finds Julia's older sister, Caroline, died at the cottage when she was seventeen years old. Things get creepier when the Laurents' daughter, Viviane, starts claiming Caroline is her new imaginary friend and begins to repeat details about the girl's life (and death) she can't possibly know. It's all splendidly ghostly and makes perfect winter reading, what with the mist-shrouded, ink-black lake, the small-town intrigue and various inexplicable happenings in and around the cottage. Gothic references abound - the setting has a distinctly du Maurier-esque flavour, and then there's that yellow wallpaper in Caroline's bedroom...
The relationship between Amy and Daniel wasn't really to my taste - it's not so much insta-love as auto-love; after one glimpse of him and a distinctly uninspiring conversation, she's already imagining them having a future together. It was a bit too sweet. The other problem I had with the proof I read was that the punctuation was all over the place and there were typos galore. But the first is a minor thing, easily overlooked, and the second has nothing to do with the final published version (at least I hope). After the blip of Your Beautiful Lies, Louise Douglas has now been reinstated as one of my favourite authors of enjoyable, engaging comfort reading.
Amy works as a nanny for a glamorous Anglo-French family, the Laurents, and lives a charmed Parisian life with them until tragedy strikes, they lose their fortune and are forced to return to Julia Laurent's childhood home - a dreary cottage sitting on the banks of an English reservoir. As Julia sinks into depression, Amy digs into her family's history and finds Julia's older sister, Caroline, died at the cottage when she was seventeen years old. Things get creepier when the Laurents' daughter, Viviane, starts claiming Caroline is her new imaginary friend and begins to repeat details about the girl's life (and death) she can't possibly know. It's all splendidly ghostly and makes perfect winter reading, what with the mist-shrouded, ink-black lake, the small-town intrigue and various inexplicable happenings in and around the cottage. Gothic references abound - the setting has a distinctly du Maurier-esque flavour, and then there's that yellow wallpaper in Caroline's bedroom...
The relationship between Amy and Daniel wasn't really to my taste - it's not so much insta-love as auto-love; after one glimpse of him and a distinctly uninspiring conversation, she's already imagining them having a future together. It was a bit too sweet. The other problem I had with the proof I read was that the punctuation was all over the place and there were typos galore. But the first is a minor thing, easily overlooked, and the second has nothing to do with the final published version (at least I hope). After the blip of Your Beautiful Lies, Louise Douglas has now been reinstated as one of my favourite authors of enjoyable, engaging comfort reading.
November 29, 2015
This is the fifth book I have read by Louise Douglas and all have been very enjoyable. This one is no exception.
Amy hasn’t really had a happy family life of her own, and regards the Laurents as her family. As general companion and nanny to their young daughter Viviane, she lives with them in Paris and life is good.
Unfortunately all good things must come to an end. Amy is recalled back home for family reasons and then tragedy strikes the Laurents and they return to Somerset, to an old dilapidated family cottage to live. Julia Laurent asks Amy to return to them and this is where the story really begins.
There is a really creepy, supernatural aspect to this story and although I’m not easily spooked, there were times when I didn’t want to turn the lights out at night!
Both the cottage and the lake have distinct personalities of their own and are integral to the story. The lake can change from being a calm, peaceful and beautiful vision to something dark and menacing, whilst unhappiness seems to seep from the walls of the cottage and affects everybody within it.
Julia had an older sister, Caroline who died aged 17. There is obviously some deep mystery surrounding Caroline as Julia, in her distressed state doesn’t want to talk about her however when a malevolent presence is felt in the cottage and affects Viviane, Amy feels compelled to find out more.
Running alongside the unexplained and disturbing happenings at the cottage is a love story involving Amy. Life at the cottage was sometimes so depressing and dismal that I was so glad for Amy that she found someone to bring some much needed lightness in to her life. However, even this has its problems and there are times when it seems that everyone is destined for unhappiness.
All the characters are so wonderfully drawn; Julia can seem so selfish at times and is so wrapped up in her own misery that everyone else is forgotten. There were times when my heart broke for Viviane, so young but unhappy and relying on her imaginary friends. Amy was the glue that held them together but even she couldn’t perform miracles.
This is a beautifully written, atmospheric and haunting story of intrigue, family secrets and complicity in lies. With a timeline starting in 1931 and then moving forward to 1961, this was an excellent read and one that I can happily recommend. I loved it and can add this to my list of other 5* reads by Louise Douglas.
Amy hasn’t really had a happy family life of her own, and regards the Laurents as her family. As general companion and nanny to their young daughter Viviane, she lives with them in Paris and life is good.
Unfortunately all good things must come to an end. Amy is recalled back home for family reasons and then tragedy strikes the Laurents and they return to Somerset, to an old dilapidated family cottage to live. Julia Laurent asks Amy to return to them and this is where the story really begins.
There is a really creepy, supernatural aspect to this story and although I’m not easily spooked, there were times when I didn’t want to turn the lights out at night!
Both the cottage and the lake have distinct personalities of their own and are integral to the story. The lake can change from being a calm, peaceful and beautiful vision to something dark and menacing, whilst unhappiness seems to seep from the walls of the cottage and affects everybody within it.
Julia had an older sister, Caroline who died aged 17. There is obviously some deep mystery surrounding Caroline as Julia, in her distressed state doesn’t want to talk about her however when a malevolent presence is felt in the cottage and affects Viviane, Amy feels compelled to find out more.
Running alongside the unexplained and disturbing happenings at the cottage is a love story involving Amy. Life at the cottage was sometimes so depressing and dismal that I was so glad for Amy that she found someone to bring some much needed lightness in to her life. However, even this has its problems and there are times when it seems that everyone is destined for unhappiness.
All the characters are so wonderfully drawn; Julia can seem so selfish at times and is so wrapped up in her own misery that everyone else is forgotten. There were times when my heart broke for Viviane, so young but unhappy and relying on her imaginary friends. Amy was the glue that held them together but even she couldn’t perform miracles.
This is a beautifully written, atmospheric and haunting story of intrigue, family secrets and complicity in lies. With a timeline starting in 1931 and then moving forward to 1961, this was an excellent read and one that I can happily recommend. I loved it and can add this to my list of other 5* reads by Louise Douglas.
September 16, 2021
I was hooked from the start and by 9% in I was creeped out! I felt the eerie atmosphere and I have to admit it was making me feel desolate . The author did a great job making you feel the isolation and dreariness of this place. I couldn’t put it down! The paranormal aspect was done well & I couldn’t wait to find out the secrets this town held.
January 3, 2016
I've not read anything by Louise Douglas before and this was not a bad read at all.
Amy is a nanny working for the Laurent family in Paris. Her charge is young Viviane, a delightful little girl who takes great pleasure in the simple things in life and adores her time with Amy. Sadly tragedy strikes and the Laurents and Amy are forced to moved back to Somerset in England. To a childhood home of Julia Laurent, Amy's employer which is next to a lake. What follows is a ghostly tale of secrets, lives lost and relationships made. It's a well drawn out story with some good characterisation with the lake itself taking centre stage. It's a mysterious place that is still, dark and fog covered one minute and light reflecting a myriad of colours the next.
The story unfolds slowly and though the book has a supernatural element, I actually didn't find it haunting in the 'being spooked' sense. From early on I suspected where it was all heading and, rather than being spooked, I was team 'ghost' all the way along. Rooting for scrapings at windows, writings on walls and ghostly imagery. The story needed to come out somehow and how else does a ghost makes its presence felt? In fact, I actually found it frustrating at times that they wouldn't listen!
Overall it's not really anything I haven't seen before but it engages the mind enough to want to keep reading as you get to know the characters and their individual stories. The romance for me that was included was a bit sudden and a little cliched but I guess in and amongst all the darkness that this book had it did provide some light.
The Story By The Lake is seeped in sadness and cruelty and though obvious suspicions may arise there's no satisfaction for knowing what they might be more a relief that some kind of justice is prevailed in the end.
Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. Good storytelling and one I recommend.
Amy is a nanny working for the Laurent family in Paris. Her charge is young Viviane, a delightful little girl who takes great pleasure in the simple things in life and adores her time with Amy. Sadly tragedy strikes and the Laurents and Amy are forced to moved back to Somerset in England. To a childhood home of Julia Laurent, Amy's employer which is next to a lake. What follows is a ghostly tale of secrets, lives lost and relationships made. It's a well drawn out story with some good characterisation with the lake itself taking centre stage. It's a mysterious place that is still, dark and fog covered one minute and light reflecting a myriad of colours the next.
The story unfolds slowly and though the book has a supernatural element, I actually didn't find it haunting in the 'being spooked' sense. From early on I suspected where it was all heading and, rather than being spooked, I was team 'ghost' all the way along. Rooting for scrapings at windows, writings on walls and ghostly imagery. The story needed to come out somehow and how else does a ghost makes its presence felt? In fact, I actually found it frustrating at times that they wouldn't listen!
Overall it's not really anything I haven't seen before but it engages the mind enough to want to keep reading as you get to know the characters and their individual stories. The romance for me that was included was a bit sudden and a little cliched but I guess in and amongst all the darkness that this book had it did provide some light.
The Story By The Lake is seeped in sadness and cruelty and though obvious suspicions may arise there's no satisfaction for knowing what they might be more a relief that some kind of justice is prevailed in the end.
Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. Good storytelling and one I recommend.
February 11, 2021
4.5 stars
Oh guys, The Secret by the Lake by Louise Douglas was a spine-chiller and a half! All the way though, I felt spooked and a dead giveaway was that the hairs of my arms were standing to attention.
FIRST LINE OF THE SECRET BY THE LAKE BY LOUISE DOUGLAS:
“It was a beautiful thing; a slender chain with a heart-shaped pendant – a ruby surrounded by diamonds set in a gold clasp in the shape of two hands, joined together.”
MY THOUGHTS ON THE SECRET BY THE LAKE BY LOUISE DOUGLAS:
I immediately clicked with this book when I started reading it. I liked the main character and I loved the affinity she had with children. When she has to leave her dream job to take care of a grandmother who never lavished attention on her, she did it without complaint. I loved her attitude and felt that her harsh childhood is a huge part of why she has so much to give to others.
I also liked that her childhood wasn’t AWFUL, it just wasn’t ideal. She didn’t get outward displays of love or enough attention but she was loved. Her relatives just weren’t great at knowing how to show or voice that love. I liked that we saw some different shades of families and that how they were just trying to do the best that they could.
And when Amy’s former employers run into trouble and have to move from France to England, Amy is there for them too. They are now in dire financial straits and Julia is grieving the loss of her husband. Amy goes willing to their side and moves in to the VERY spooky, rundown cottage that they now live in.
The atmosphere was so eerie! Even when nothing was happening, I had the chills! The house felt sinister and I wouldn’t have stayed a single night under its gloomy room. The furniture was old-fashioned, the paintwork was dark and grubby and it sounded like it needed a good clean. That I could deal with. But when the unexplainable noises start, the dragging sounds on floors, the loud thumps. Yep, I’d have been gone!
When I started the book, I really liked it. But the more I got into it, the faster and faster I had to read. The pace really intensified as the story unravels and I read the whole thing with a 24 hour period as I had to see it though asap.
There is also a cute romance that is very much a sideline story as the main plot is the haunted house and trying to discover the secret of the lake. I did really enjoy the romance though; it adds hope and light to an otherwise dark and sad story. I wasn’t surprised at the direction the book took and I don’t feel it’s meant to be an unpredictable read. I could see where it was going but the journey of getting there was really entertaining.
Overall I loved it, the characters were well-developed and the setting was alternatively exciting/scary/sad. This was my first Louise Douglas book and I immediately went and added all her previous books to by to-read list.
WHO SHOULD READ THE SECRET BY THE LAKE BY LOUISE DOUGLAS?
I’d recommend this to you if you like well-developed characters, small village settings and lots of spooky goings-ons! Fans of Touched by Joanne Briscoe or The Orphan Choir by Sophie Hannah should also enjoy this one.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
Oh guys, The Secret by the Lake by Louise Douglas was a spine-chiller and a half! All the way though, I felt spooked and a dead giveaway was that the hairs of my arms were standing to attention.
FIRST LINE OF THE SECRET BY THE LAKE BY LOUISE DOUGLAS:
“It was a beautiful thing; a slender chain with a heart-shaped pendant – a ruby surrounded by diamonds set in a gold clasp in the shape of two hands, joined together.”
MY THOUGHTS ON THE SECRET BY THE LAKE BY LOUISE DOUGLAS:
I immediately clicked with this book when I started reading it. I liked the main character and I loved the affinity she had with children. When she has to leave her dream job to take care of a grandmother who never lavished attention on her, she did it without complaint. I loved her attitude and felt that her harsh childhood is a huge part of why she has so much to give to others.
I also liked that her childhood wasn’t AWFUL, it just wasn’t ideal. She didn’t get outward displays of love or enough attention but she was loved. Her relatives just weren’t great at knowing how to show or voice that love. I liked that we saw some different shades of families and that how they were just trying to do the best that they could.
And when Amy’s former employers run into trouble and have to move from France to England, Amy is there for them too. They are now in dire financial straits and Julia is grieving the loss of her husband. Amy goes willing to their side and moves in to the VERY spooky, rundown cottage that they now live in.
The atmosphere was so eerie! Even when nothing was happening, I had the chills! The house felt sinister and I wouldn’t have stayed a single night under its gloomy room. The furniture was old-fashioned, the paintwork was dark and grubby and it sounded like it needed a good clean. That I could deal with. But when the unexplainable noises start, the dragging sounds on floors, the loud thumps. Yep, I’d have been gone!
When I started the book, I really liked it. But the more I got into it, the faster and faster I had to read. The pace really intensified as the story unravels and I read the whole thing with a 24 hour period as I had to see it though asap.
There is also a cute romance that is very much a sideline story as the main plot is the haunted house and trying to discover the secret of the lake. I did really enjoy the romance though; it adds hope and light to an otherwise dark and sad story. I wasn’t surprised at the direction the book took and I don’t feel it’s meant to be an unpredictable read. I could see where it was going but the journey of getting there was really entertaining.
Overall I loved it, the characters were well-developed and the setting was alternatively exciting/scary/sad. This was my first Louise Douglas book and I immediately went and added all her previous books to by to-read list.
WHO SHOULD READ THE SECRET BY THE LAKE BY LOUISE DOUGLAS?
I’d recommend this to you if you like well-developed characters, small village settings and lots of spooky goings-ons! Fans of Touched by Joanne Briscoe or The Orphan Choir by Sophie Hannah should also enjoy this one.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
November 20, 2015
Originally posted on This Chick Reads
* Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review *
I can not believe I waited so long to read a Louise Douglas book! Everyone I know in the blogosphere was recommending her books! Now I see why all these people were mesmerized by Ms Douglas' writing!
'The Secret by the Lake' is a beautiful, breathtaking, complex story which got me hooked from the intriguing prologue. The story spans over 30 and more years and two generations of women, and involves several stories which are masterfully interwoven.
Amy's a nanny working for Julia and Alain, and taking care of their beautiful daughter Viviane. She spends years in France in their gorgeous house, however is forced to go back home when she hears her father is not feeling well. But things get bad for Julia and little Viviane while Amy is away, and after a terrible loss they need to go back to Amy's old house by Blackwater Lake, a house which was abandoned and holds some very dark secrets. Julia has not only lost her husband, but all her funds, so she really has no other option but to go back to the house where she spent the early years of her childhood and ask for Amy to come as she needs help. Amy's bond with Julia and Viviane is so strong, of course she decides she must help them, though she won't be paid as Julia is on the verge of poor. While these three women try to pick up their lives, the past is back to haunt them. Dark and ugly secrets will be revealed, and the truth of Caroline's (Julia's older sister) death which was kept under a mystery veil for so many years, will be brought to light.
This is one of these books that will have you hooked from the beginning and have you hold your breath as you turn the pages. There were so many times when I felt chills running through my body and sometimes it felt like I was listening to (not reading) the dialogue. The characters felt so real, I felt like they were in the same room with me, simply popping out of the pages, wanting to reveal their lives to me.
As this is the first book by Ms Douglas I've read, I can't compare it to any of her previous ones, but the writing though very very unique reminded me a bit of Kate Morton's in terms of the complexity of the characters and vivid descriptions. I spent hours in this cold, abandoned house by Blackwater Lake, feeling the mist and hearing the waves. I swear, when I closed my eyes I could picture the house and its cold walls, and even now days after reading it I can just close my eyes and think of Caroline and be transported there. AMAZING! Very rare and precious reading experience!
'The Secret by the Lake' is definitely one of the best books I've ever read. Right after finishing it I loaded my kindle with some of Louise's previous books and hands are already itching to make a start. Beautiful, mesmerizing, complex and haunting, 'The Secret by the Lake' is a book I recommend to everyone! It's a complex drama/mystery with a perfectly interwoven paranormal element, and everything flows with perfection. I'm still in shock with some of the revelations and the book was full of surprises and twists which I certainly couldn't predict. Such a clever, complex story and undoubtedly one of the best books I've ever read. Addictive, nail biting, exciting, poignant... this books is everything! Please, don't make the same mistake I did! If you haven't read Ms Douglas' books, you're really missing out on a fantastic, ubertalented author. Wholeheartedly recommend it! Easiest 5* ever and honestly, deserves all the stars in the sky. Just read it, trust me you need this book in your life.
November 21, 2015
The Secret By The Lake was absorbing, haunting and hard to put down. A thoroughly good read with an excellent plot that I finished in a day. I thought the writing was well crafted and it didn’t take me long to start to enjoy the company of the main character Amy. This is the first book I’ve read by author Louise Douglas and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it or consider another of her books to try myself.
Amy is living in France and Nanny to the Laurent’s and their 10 year old daughter Viviane. But sadly Amy has to return to England when her Grandmother requires nursing. She is reunited with Viviane and her mother Julia after a tragic accident as they find themselves in Julia’s childhood home in Somerset. The place is set by the lake and the author draws atmospheric scenes of remoteness, swirling mist and dark waters. Julia’s creaky cottage is old and in need of renovation but creates a place of creepy eeriness that holds family secrets from the past that come to light as ghostly happening begin.
Julia’s older sister Caroline passed away at seventeen and Amy begins to uncover her story even though Julia and the villagers seem reluctant speak of her. What she gradually uncovers is frightening and left me desperately reading on to discover the mystery of Caroline’s short life. I was on the edge of my seat as Louise Douglas brought the story to a climatic ending which was a thrill to read. This book has a bit of everything, creepiness, romance, mystery, intrigue and it’s a little frightening too. I can only recommend that you read it for yourself.
Thank you to the publishers for a review copy of this book in return for an honest opinion.
February 19, 2016
Odlično ispričana priča , prepuna misterije i zapleta . Knjiga koja se čita u jednom dahu . Uz savršeno odmjerenu dozu jeze koja vas prolazi sa svakom novom stranicom .
November 30, 2015
This haunting, dual time period, romantic mystery beguiled me throughout, it has everything ythe discerning reader could wish for in a captivating and intriguing new novel.
Brimming with hidden secrets, family tension, and the overwhelming sense of something nasty lurking underneath the surface this book is narrated by Amy, with a patchy childhood herself she has always sought to belong and when she landed a job as nanny with a wealthy family in France it became not merely a job but a whole new life and family to belong to and cherish.
Returning home to the UK to visit her ailing father out of a sense of duty more than familial love, she doesn't hesitate when she receives an urgent summons from her former employer Julia to whom tragedy has befallen. She drops everything to join Julia and young daughter Viviane in a tumbledown cottage overlooking a lake where Julia lived as a child with her hapless, misfit sister Caroline, an upbringing no more love filled than Amy's own.
What Amy finds is a fractured family living in near poverty in a dilapidated house where a young woman once lived and died in mysterious circumstances and a close knit rural community reluctant to let go of the past.
She also finds love and her own inner strength as she tries to uncover the truths about what really happened to Caroline.
Set mainly in the 1960s it captures the essence of buried small town secrets, the closeness of a rural community and a creeping sense of apprehension, desolation and imminent
The whole book simmers with mysteries, camouflaged secrets and deeply shrouded unpleasantness that has been buried for years, as Amy begins to peel away the layers, the messages which are revealed are about to release unexpected corruption and depravity.
I loved the progressive sense of malignance and the ethereal quality of the brooding lake and the spectral brooding presence of the much maligned Caroline.
I'd like to add my thanks to Louise Douglas and her publishers Black Swan for providing me with an advance copy to read and review.
Brimming with hidden secrets, family tension, and the overwhelming sense of something nasty lurking underneath the surface this book is narrated by Amy, with a patchy childhood herself she has always sought to belong and when she landed a job as nanny with a wealthy family in France it became not merely a job but a whole new life and family to belong to and cherish.
Returning home to the UK to visit her ailing father out of a sense of duty more than familial love, she doesn't hesitate when she receives an urgent summons from her former employer Julia to whom tragedy has befallen. She drops everything to join Julia and young daughter Viviane in a tumbledown cottage overlooking a lake where Julia lived as a child with her hapless, misfit sister Caroline, an upbringing no more love filled than Amy's own.
What Amy finds is a fractured family living in near poverty in a dilapidated house where a young woman once lived and died in mysterious circumstances and a close knit rural community reluctant to let go of the past.
She also finds love and her own inner strength as she tries to uncover the truths about what really happened to Caroline.
Set mainly in the 1960s it captures the essence of buried small town secrets, the closeness of a rural community and a creeping sense of apprehension, desolation and imminent
The whole book simmers with mysteries, camouflaged secrets and deeply shrouded unpleasantness that has been buried for years, as Amy begins to peel away the layers, the messages which are revealed are about to release unexpected corruption and depravity.
I loved the progressive sense of malignance and the ethereal quality of the brooding lake and the spectral brooding presence of the much maligned Caroline.
I'd like to add my thanks to Louise Douglas and her publishers Black Swan for providing me with an advance copy to read and review.
November 26, 2015
This is the first Louise Douglas that I have read and on the basis of this novel I would be more than happy to read another! It was a bit like a "lucky dip" read as I had no idea what type of book I would be reading and was pleasantly surprised by the eerie, ghostly goings on!
Having worked as a nanny to Julia, Alain and Viviane while the family lived in France, Amy has gone home to visit her sick father. An awful tragedy however means that Julia and Viviane also return to the UK, to Julia's childhood home by the lake. Amy returns to the family to help Julia, who now has no money, and Viviane but the 10 year old seems to have made a new "imaginary friend". Spooky goings on in the cottage soon start to resonate throughout the family and the whole village while the truth about a family tragedy 30 years ago is about to come to the surface.
I really liked the way this book surprised me and played out a plotline that I wasn't expecting. The author mixed a supernatural story with that of a family relationship drama and a love story and it all worked rather well! The presence of Caroline added extra layers to the atmospheric setting and I loved the way the story itself seemed reflected in the lake of the title.
I will definitely be looking out for other books by this author and really recommend this one for the cold winters evenings ahead.
I received a copy of the book via netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
Having worked as a nanny to Julia, Alain and Viviane while the family lived in France, Amy has gone home to visit her sick father. An awful tragedy however means that Julia and Viviane also return to the UK, to Julia's childhood home by the lake. Amy returns to the family to help Julia, who now has no money, and Viviane but the 10 year old seems to have made a new "imaginary friend". Spooky goings on in the cottage soon start to resonate throughout the family and the whole village while the truth about a family tragedy 30 years ago is about to come to the surface.
I really liked the way this book surprised me and played out a plotline that I wasn't expecting. The author mixed a supernatural story with that of a family relationship drama and a love story and it all worked rather well! The presence of Caroline added extra layers to the atmospheric setting and I loved the way the story itself seemed reflected in the lake of the title.
I will definitely be looking out for other books by this author and really recommend this one for the cold winters evenings ahead.
I received a copy of the book via netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
January 17, 2024
It’s very addictive and engaging. I found myself holding my breath as I turned each page. I can’t say this is a scary story, but it did give me chills more than once and plays with your mind. I spent a great deal of time trying to solve the mystery, and it wasn’t until near the end that the pieces came together. The author has an excellent writing style that is full of emotions and fear and makes the story suspenseful.
Amy has worked for the Laurent family as a nanny for many years and is Viviane’s primary caretaker. Her life before working for the Laurent family always felt empty, like something was missing. Her mother left when she was very young and never came back. She was forbidden to speak of her mother. Her father and grandmother were not very kind to her either. So, she jumped on the opportunity to work for the Laurent family. Their home was full of love, and they gave freely to Amy. Her happiest memories were with them. Word is sent to Amy that she must return home to care for her ailing grandmother; she is heartbroken to leave Viviane and the Laurents. She’s never been close to her grandmother and doesn’t want to return to the home that never felt like hers.
Viviane’s father, Alain, is killed, and Julia and Viviane need Amy to help them. They have moved to Julia’s childhood home, Reservoir Cottage, in Somerset. Julia is frail in their small, run-down home, and Amy feels concerned for her. They have no money as their assets are frozen. Amy isn’t sure how they will make it through the winter. This is the first time she has heard of Caroline, Amy’s older sister, who seems to haunt Julia now. The longer Amy is in the home, creepier things seem to keep happening, and after talking to the neighbor, Julia is convinced this town knows more about Caroline than they’re saying. There’s a ghostly presence that feels threatening and propels them into the mystery surrounding Caroline.
The characters are believable and bring life into the story, along with Daniel, who seems like just a local farmer but quickly catches Amy’s eye. The whole town, including the cottage and lake, adds to the spookiness of the story. To avoid spoilers, I can’t say much more.
My attention was held the entire time reading, and I stayed up later than I should have, but it was totally worth it. I caught on to a few clues in the story, knowing they held significance, but I was still shocked by the ending and didn’t see it coming. I enjoyed the way the author kept us in the dark and toyed with us until the end.
Amy has worked for the Laurent family as a nanny for many years and is Viviane’s primary caretaker. Her life before working for the Laurent family always felt empty, like something was missing. Her mother left when she was very young and never came back. She was forbidden to speak of her mother. Her father and grandmother were not very kind to her either. So, she jumped on the opportunity to work for the Laurent family. Their home was full of love, and they gave freely to Amy. Her happiest memories were with them. Word is sent to Amy that she must return home to care for her ailing grandmother; she is heartbroken to leave Viviane and the Laurents. She’s never been close to her grandmother and doesn’t want to return to the home that never felt like hers.
Viviane’s father, Alain, is killed, and Julia and Viviane need Amy to help them. They have moved to Julia’s childhood home, Reservoir Cottage, in Somerset. Julia is frail in their small, run-down home, and Amy feels concerned for her. They have no money as their assets are frozen. Amy isn’t sure how they will make it through the winter. This is the first time she has heard of Caroline, Amy’s older sister, who seems to haunt Julia now. The longer Amy is in the home, creepier things seem to keep happening, and after talking to the neighbor, Julia is convinced this town knows more about Caroline than they’re saying. There’s a ghostly presence that feels threatening and propels them into the mystery surrounding Caroline.
The characters are believable and bring life into the story, along with Daniel, who seems like just a local farmer but quickly catches Amy’s eye. The whole town, including the cottage and lake, adds to the spookiness of the story. To avoid spoilers, I can’t say much more.
My attention was held the entire time reading, and I stayed up later than I should have, but it was totally worth it. I caught on to a few clues in the story, knowing they held significance, but I was still shocked by the ending and didn’t see it coming. I enjoyed the way the author kept us in the dark and toyed with us until the end.
December 19, 2015
I can't express how much I was looking towards reading this book - I have heard amazing things about Louise Douglas and her books (The Secret by the Lake was my first read by this author, somehow have never managed to read other novels, even though I have them on my TBR pile, of course!), and lately heard only prizes from friends about this newest release. Also, after reading the blurb I was convinced this is for sure going to be up to my bookish street.
So I started reading it and waited, and waited, and waited for something to wow me as much as it wow-ed the other bloggers. Don't get me wrong, it was a beautifully written and thoroughly plotted story, but it just didn't make such impression on me. I am not against paranormal in the stories, but this time I just couldn't get this whole ghost subplot. Sure, I know it was there to rehabilitate one of the characters, but on the whole it just didn't sit with me. Also, relatively quickly I guessed the two important to the story things - namely what happened to Caroline and what was happening to Viviane, and who was involved in this dirty business, and that there was much more to Caroline that met the eyes. So when the grande finale arrived, I was not at all surprised. Sure, Caroline's presence was needed to explain what happened in the past, to stop the history to repeat itself but altogether, for me it made the whole reading just unbelievable - somehow it didn't fit this kind of book.
Nevertheless, even though I guessed what happened 30 years ago and what was happening now, revealing this fact by the author has shocked me and made me feel so, so sad and powerless. Maybe because something such sinister was happening all the time and there was no - one there to help? I must admit, it broke my heart a little.
The atmosphere in this book is so grim - I had a feeling that the fog hovering over the lake is twining around me, I just could feel the chill. We have a character here fighting a depression after her husband has been murdered, we have a cold, unloved house, we have a very sad and tragic past, and it only gets creepier and creepier, especially when Viviane, Julia's daughter, becomes a new best friend - Julia's dead sister, Caroline. It's really amazing that the author has managed to create such atmosphere, make the book so ghostly, full of intrigues and tragic incidents. The characters in the story are also not the easiest ones to like or to relate to, at least in my case. I understand that Julia and Viviane's lives went upside down and I truly fell for them, but Julia was not the only widow in the world, right? I couldn't watch the poor Viviane, so abandoned and so alone in this sad, grim house - Julia was just too much into her own grief and she seemed to just wash her hands of all the things that were happening in her life. Fortunately there was Amy to pick up what was broken, and I don't want to think what would happen without her? The local villagers were not too happy, as well, and I'd rather not live there.
Louise Douglas has also added an element of romance, but - sadly - it also didn't sit with me. This relationship between Amy and Daniel seemed so forced and unrealistic to me - Amy fells in love with him almost immediately, after one very uninspiring conversation, and she is the one initiating everything and in her mind giving birth to their children.
The lake, and also the cottage the women lived in, are separate characters in this story, and the descriptions of them both were really giving me the creeps. There was always this heavy, implying something atmosphere around the lake, and the house, with all the closed doors, cold rooms and creaky steps was not my idea of a cosy, welcoming home.
But nevertheless, even though it was not my favourite read, I still was able to see and appreciate a quality of this story - the beautiful writing, great storytelling and interesting plot, and I am truly looking forward to reading other Louise's books. She has also managed to transport me into the world of the characters, back in time to the village, such great the writing was. I welcome how the author mixed the paranormal elements with the family drama, and I am really sorry that it didn't work for me, but I am sure it can send a shiver or two down your spine. Louise Douglas has delivered a captivating, sophisticated and beautifully written story, a very complex, multi - layered one, full of twists and turns and I really appreciate this fact, as well as the tension being so palpable through the pages. full of secrets and lies - perfect for this time of the year.
Copy provided by publisher in exchange for a review.
July 13, 2016
There is only one way that I can sum this book up; a struggle. Dear God, the characters were annoying in this story. Unfortunately, that distracted me from any enjoyment that I may have actually got from this book despite the actual plot being pretty good.
Here were my issues:
1.) Amy's character was so naive I literally wanted to shake her. I would like to ask WHY she is working for this trainwreck of a family for no pay???!! I understand that she used to work for them back when they still had money and I completely get why she would go to support Julia and stay with them AS A FRIEND. But why is Julia still treating Amy like a bloody servant and more to the point, why is Amy allowing her to do so?! In short, Amy needs to grow a backbone.
2.) Julia. Please don't get me started on Julia. The woman needs to get a grip. I appreciate the fact that she is grieving for her husband and for the life that she has lost. I do. But her persistent moping and detachment from everyone and everything is just insufferable, especially as she has a child that needs her. A prime example of Julia's complete idiocy and self-pitying behaviour is when she won't let her daughter celebrate Christmas because there aren't any "nice" decorations in the house. I know she hates having to live back at her family home but on the plus side, AT LEAST SHE HAS A HOME. The story is set in the 1960's, a time where many widows and single parents would have struggled to scrape together enough money to actually feed their families and there Julia is drowning in her own despair because she can't live in her French mansion anymore and she's struggling to pay her daughters private school fees. My heart bleeds for her....
3.) The romance between Amy and Daniel is one of the most forced and boring relationships I've ever had the misfortune to read about. As far as I can see, their liaison adds nothing to the story and seems completely dull and pointless. Nothing more even needs saying on that.
4.) The one redeeming quality of this book was the main plot regarding Julia's deceased sister, Caroline. It was the only part of the story that I remotely cared about and up until the end there was far too little focus on it as the author instead favoured using Amy to deliver an endless internal monologue about pretty trivial matters. When I did finally find out all of the details surrounding what actually happened to Caroline, I was disappointed. Don't get me wrong there have been far worse endings to books similar to this one but I wasn't amazed. I had spent a majority of this book struggling through in the hope that the ending would blow me away and make this whole tedious affair worth my time but it just wasn't. It's nothing that I hadn't heard before and although it wasn't a terrible way to tie up the loose ends, it really wasn't anything special.
Overall, I really wanted to like this book having heard such good things about it. However, my dominant feeling whilst reading was pure frustration and mild to moderate annoyance throughout the whole thing. I know that I'm in a minority here as so many people seemed to have loved The Secret by the Lake but it just really wasn't for me. I spent the entire duration of this book hoping that it would get better and consequently spent each chapter becoming increasingly disappointed. If you hate endless internal monologues, weak and uninteresting characters and far too much self pity, then avoid this book at all costs.
Here were my issues:
1.) Amy's character was so naive I literally wanted to shake her. I would like to ask WHY she is working for this trainwreck of a family for no pay???!! I understand that she used to work for them back when they still had money and I completely get why she would go to support Julia and stay with them AS A FRIEND. But why is Julia still treating Amy like a bloody servant and more to the point, why is Amy allowing her to do so?! In short, Amy needs to grow a backbone.
2.) Julia. Please don't get me started on Julia. The woman needs to get a grip. I appreciate the fact that she is grieving for her husband and for the life that she has lost. I do. But her persistent moping and detachment from everyone and everything is just insufferable, especially as she has a child that needs her. A prime example of Julia's complete idiocy and self-pitying behaviour is when she won't let her daughter celebrate Christmas because there aren't any "nice" decorations in the house. I know she hates having to live back at her family home but on the plus side, AT LEAST SHE HAS A HOME. The story is set in the 1960's, a time where many widows and single parents would have struggled to scrape together enough money to actually feed their families and there Julia is drowning in her own despair because she can't live in her French mansion anymore and she's struggling to pay her daughters private school fees. My heart bleeds for her....
3.) The romance between Amy and Daniel is one of the most forced and boring relationships I've ever had the misfortune to read about. As far as I can see, their liaison adds nothing to the story and seems completely dull and pointless. Nothing more even needs saying on that.
4.) The one redeeming quality of this book was the main plot regarding Julia's deceased sister, Caroline. It was the only part of the story that I remotely cared about and up until the end there was far too little focus on it as the author instead favoured using Amy to deliver an endless internal monologue about pretty trivial matters. When I did finally find out all of the details surrounding what actually happened to Caroline, I was disappointed. Don't get me wrong there have been far worse endings to books similar to this one but I wasn't amazed. I had spent a majority of this book struggling through in the hope that the ending would blow me away and make this whole tedious affair worth my time but it just wasn't. It's nothing that I hadn't heard before and although it wasn't a terrible way to tie up the loose ends, it really wasn't anything special.
Overall, I really wanted to like this book having heard such good things about it. However, my dominant feeling whilst reading was pure frustration and mild to moderate annoyance throughout the whole thing. I know that I'm in a minority here as so many people seemed to have loved The Secret by the Lake but it just really wasn't for me. I spent the entire duration of this book hoping that it would get better and consequently spent each chapter becoming increasingly disappointed. If you hate endless internal monologues, weak and uninteresting characters and far too much self pity, then avoid this book at all costs.
December 8, 2015
I love Louise Douglas's writing and was really excited to read her latest offering, which, after finishing it, just confirms to me what a talented writer she is.
In 1960's England, Amy finds herself moving to Blackwater Lake to help out her former employer, Julia, and her young daughter Viviane who have fallen on hard times. Julia's childhood home in the village is bleak and rundown and when mysterious things begin to happen, Amy starts to uncover shocking details of a long hidden secret.
I was immediately drawn into the eerie environment which felt like it was set in a time much earlier than the 60's thanks to the secluded nature of the village and it's residents. The tension surrounding the secret and its final reveal built nicely, and I had the chills a fair few times. Different from her previous works, but still highly enjoyable and beautifully written.
*Thank you to the publishers for providing a copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
In 1960's England, Amy finds herself moving to Blackwater Lake to help out her former employer, Julia, and her young daughter Viviane who have fallen on hard times. Julia's childhood home in the village is bleak and rundown and when mysterious things begin to happen, Amy starts to uncover shocking details of a long hidden secret.
I was immediately drawn into the eerie environment which felt like it was set in a time much earlier than the 60's thanks to the secluded nature of the village and it's residents. The tension surrounding the secret and its final reveal built nicely, and I had the chills a fair few times. Different from her previous works, but still highly enjoyable and beautifully written.
*Thank you to the publishers for providing a copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 7, 2017
My Second Louise Douglas Book And Again, It Didn't Disappoint. She's Such A Brilliant Writer. I Fell In Love With The Setting Of The Novel And The Characters, Although, The Main Character Made Choices At Times That I Didn't Think Were Actually Her
October 13, 2015
The Secret by the Lake by Louise Douglas is published in paperback by Black Swan (Transworld) on 19 November 2015. The Secret by the Lake is the author's sixth novel, I have read and enjoyed all of her books, she's one of my favourite writers, her books are beautifully written and incredibly compelling and I've featured some of them here on Random Things in the past. Her previous novels are; The Love of my Life (2008), Missing You (2010), The Secrets Between Us (2011), In Her Shadow (2012) and Your Beautiful Lies (2014).
The prologue of The Secret by the Lake takes place by Blackwater lake in 1931; a young unnamed housemaid sits and gazes at a beautiful heart-shaped pendant, her thoughts are interrupted by the sound of someone approaching. The girl manages to avoid being seen by the unnamed man. This short prologue forms the basis of a story told thirty years later, and perfectly sets the scene for what is an entrancing and beautifully told story of betrayal and loss.
Moving forward, it's 1961 in Deusables, France. Amy is Nanny to Viviane Laurent. She is more than a Nanny, she is part of the family. Her own family is disjointed, her mother left when she was a small child and her father seems to care more for his pigeons than he does for her. Amy is devastated when she has to leave the Laurents and return to Sheffield to care for her ailing father.
When tragedy strikes, Amy rushes to Viviane and her mother Julia who are now living in Julia's childhood home in Somerset, at the side of Blackwater lake. The glitter and sparkle of Paris life has gone, along with their wealth and beautiful things. Life in the dark gloomy cottage is difficult, and it soon becomes clear that there are deep and sinister secrets hidden within the walls. The community is tight-knit and closed-lipped. Amy struggles to keep Julia's spirits up and Viviane has regressed back, conversing with her imaginary friend .... but is Caroline purely a product of her imagination.
The cottage and the lake are characters in themselves. Louise Douglas' writing sends chills down the spine as she describes the bleak and dreary cottage with it's closed rooms and unidentified noises. The lake consumes the story and the characters, it is central to village life and central to the plot. The vastness of the deep dark waters, the history of tragedy and pain is so well defined and gives a sinister air to the whole story.
The Secret by the Lake is multi-layered and complex. There are sudden twists and unexpected happenings throughout the story. There are moments in the book that will make the reader's heart pound in anticipation, the author expertly builds tension and fear.
Interwoven with the mystery and suspense is Amy's own gentle love story, so different, yet so closely connected to the story of lost love that emerges and is linked back to the mystery housemaid of the prologue. Louise Douglas is gentle and tender with Amy and her love interest, building their relationship gradually and masterfully.
The secrets that emerge in this book are age-old and shameful, I had many theories whilst reading the story, but the final reveal is shocking and explosive, and quite perfectly done.
Once again, Louise Douglas has produced a captivating, intelligent and beautifully written story. I became totally lost in the plot, adored the characters and feared the cottage and the lake. An absolutely superb read.
http://randomthingsthroughmyletterbox...
The prologue of The Secret by the Lake takes place by Blackwater lake in 1931; a young unnamed housemaid sits and gazes at a beautiful heart-shaped pendant, her thoughts are interrupted by the sound of someone approaching. The girl manages to avoid being seen by the unnamed man. This short prologue forms the basis of a story told thirty years later, and perfectly sets the scene for what is an entrancing and beautifully told story of betrayal and loss.
Moving forward, it's 1961 in Deusables, France. Amy is Nanny to Viviane Laurent. She is more than a Nanny, she is part of the family. Her own family is disjointed, her mother left when she was a small child and her father seems to care more for his pigeons than he does for her. Amy is devastated when she has to leave the Laurents and return to Sheffield to care for her ailing father.
When tragedy strikes, Amy rushes to Viviane and her mother Julia who are now living in Julia's childhood home in Somerset, at the side of Blackwater lake. The glitter and sparkle of Paris life has gone, along with their wealth and beautiful things. Life in the dark gloomy cottage is difficult, and it soon becomes clear that there are deep and sinister secrets hidden within the walls. The community is tight-knit and closed-lipped. Amy struggles to keep Julia's spirits up and Viviane has regressed back, conversing with her imaginary friend .... but is Caroline purely a product of her imagination.
The cottage and the lake are characters in themselves. Louise Douglas' writing sends chills down the spine as she describes the bleak and dreary cottage with it's closed rooms and unidentified noises. The lake consumes the story and the characters, it is central to village life and central to the plot. The vastness of the deep dark waters, the history of tragedy and pain is so well defined and gives a sinister air to the whole story.
The Secret by the Lake is multi-layered and complex. There are sudden twists and unexpected happenings throughout the story. There are moments in the book that will make the reader's heart pound in anticipation, the author expertly builds tension and fear.
Interwoven with the mystery and suspense is Amy's own gentle love story, so different, yet so closely connected to the story of lost love that emerges and is linked back to the mystery housemaid of the prologue. Louise Douglas is gentle and tender with Amy and her love interest, building their relationship gradually and masterfully.
The secrets that emerge in this book are age-old and shameful, I had many theories whilst reading the story, but the final reveal is shocking and explosive, and quite perfectly done.
Once again, Louise Douglas has produced a captivating, intelligent and beautifully written story. I became totally lost in the plot, adored the characters and feared the cottage and the lake. An absolutely superb read.
http://randomthingsthroughmyletterbox...
January 30, 2017
I am finding this very hard to rate simply because this wasn't my type of book.
It was reminiscent of a gothic novel. But where the gothic novel has a feeling of "something is going to happen" I felt that this story was seeped in a atmosphere of doom. And I can see that these two types of story are similar the feeling of doom just depressed me.
Oh, the novel was very much well written. It was fluid, but also a bit slow. I did realize, though, where the story was going. And I was pretty much right on all accounts. Still I know that there are many readers that would love this story. I just was the wrong reader.
It was reminiscent of a gothic novel. But where the gothic novel has a feeling of "something is going to happen" I felt that this story was seeped in a atmosphere of doom. And I can see that these two types of story are similar the feeling of doom just depressed me.
Oh, the novel was very much well written. It was fluid, but also a bit slow. I did realize, though, where the story was going. And I was pretty much right on all accounts. Still I know that there are many readers that would love this story. I just was the wrong reader.
April 13, 2016
“Secrets, silent, stony sit in the dark palaces of both our hearts: secrets weary of their tyranny: tyrants willing to be dethroned.”
----James Joyce
Louise Douglas, an English author, has penned an intriguing tale of historical mystery, The Secret by the Lake that unfolds the story of a nanny living with the Laurent family, but when tragedy strikes, the whole family move from the suburbs in Paris to a countryside cottage in Somerset. And in his village mystery lurks everywhere, before the nanny stumbles upon which opens the door to a hidden past related to this family.
Synopsis:
Amy's always felt like something’s been missing in her life, but as a nanny for the Laurent family - Julia, Alain, Viviane - she feels complete.
So Amy wouldn’t think of leaving them when a sudden tragedy forces them to move from France to the small lakeside cottage in the isolated Somerset village where Julia grew up.
But there’s something strange about the cottage by the lake. This is where Julia spent her childhood. But she used to have an older sister, Caroline, whom she rarely speaks about...
Who disappeared at just seventeen...
Who has a secret the whole village wants kept hidden for ever.
Amy has forever served the Laurent family's daughter Viviane as her nanny. But when Viviane's father is killer, Julie and Viviane moves back to Julie's childhood home in Somerset village. This is where Amy hears about Julie 's badass elder sister, Caroline, who disappeared under strange circumstances and Julie does not like to talk about her. Soon, Viviane is haunted by the ghost of Caroline and with their neighbors' secrecy and strange looks. And as Amy befriends the next door neighbor man's son, she is sure that the death of Caroline is something to do with this village.
The author's writing style is excellent laced with emotions, fear and suspense. The mystery is gripping and scary and just like Amy's curious mind, the mystery will keep the readers anticipating till the end as it is very addictive and engaging. Caroline's death is a tragedy but how she dies is what composes the whole gripping story line. The narrative is free-flowing, inspired from the local dialect and also from the era the story is set in. The whole atmosphere of the book is very chilly and has an ability to induce fear into the minds of the readers. The pacing is really fast and moves smoothly with the flow.
The setting of the book in an old dilapidated cottage is absolutely well captured by the author. The eerie feeling that we get when we enter into an old country side house is vividly captured into the story line and all through out the book with Caroline's ghost lurking in the background, the story gives a frightening feel. The time frame with the then fashion and the changes in the society are strikingly portrayed by the author, and it really feels like we are in a time-warp.
The characters are extremely well-developed and highly convincing in their demeanor. The main character of Amy is backed with lots of back story stretching to her sad childhood days, thus letting the readers contemplate with her. Her kind and understanding towards children demeanor shapes up well with the story and the author has perfectly played out well in her heroine avatar, meaning someone who is ready and fearless to take action. The other characters are also very interesting to the very core, especially the character of Viviane and she will make the readers fall for her.
Overall, this is a story that will give the readers goosebumps as well as keep them turning the pages till the very end.
Verdict: Do no miss out this hair-raising thriller.
Courtesy: Thanks to the author, Louise Douglas, for giving me an opportunity to read and review her book.
----James Joyce
Louise Douglas, an English author, has penned an intriguing tale of historical mystery, The Secret by the Lake that unfolds the story of a nanny living with the Laurent family, but when tragedy strikes, the whole family move from the suburbs in Paris to a countryside cottage in Somerset. And in his village mystery lurks everywhere, before the nanny stumbles upon which opens the door to a hidden past related to this family.
Synopsis:
Amy's always felt like something’s been missing in her life, but as a nanny for the Laurent family - Julia, Alain, Viviane - she feels complete.
So Amy wouldn’t think of leaving them when a sudden tragedy forces them to move from France to the small lakeside cottage in the isolated Somerset village where Julia grew up.
But there’s something strange about the cottage by the lake. This is where Julia spent her childhood. But she used to have an older sister, Caroline, whom she rarely speaks about...
Who disappeared at just seventeen...
Who has a secret the whole village wants kept hidden for ever.
Amy has forever served the Laurent family's daughter Viviane as her nanny. But when Viviane's father is killer, Julie and Viviane moves back to Julie's childhood home in Somerset village. This is where Amy hears about Julie 's badass elder sister, Caroline, who disappeared under strange circumstances and Julie does not like to talk about her. Soon, Viviane is haunted by the ghost of Caroline and with their neighbors' secrecy and strange looks. And as Amy befriends the next door neighbor man's son, she is sure that the death of Caroline is something to do with this village.
The author's writing style is excellent laced with emotions, fear and suspense. The mystery is gripping and scary and just like Amy's curious mind, the mystery will keep the readers anticipating till the end as it is very addictive and engaging. Caroline's death is a tragedy but how she dies is what composes the whole gripping story line. The narrative is free-flowing, inspired from the local dialect and also from the era the story is set in. The whole atmosphere of the book is very chilly and has an ability to induce fear into the minds of the readers. The pacing is really fast and moves smoothly with the flow.
The setting of the book in an old dilapidated cottage is absolutely well captured by the author. The eerie feeling that we get when we enter into an old country side house is vividly captured into the story line and all through out the book with Caroline's ghost lurking in the background, the story gives a frightening feel. The time frame with the then fashion and the changes in the society are strikingly portrayed by the author, and it really feels like we are in a time-warp.
The characters are extremely well-developed and highly convincing in their demeanor. The main character of Amy is backed with lots of back story stretching to her sad childhood days, thus letting the readers contemplate with her. Her kind and understanding towards children demeanor shapes up well with the story and the author has perfectly played out well in her heroine avatar, meaning someone who is ready and fearless to take action. The other characters are also very interesting to the very core, especially the character of Viviane and she will make the readers fall for her.
Overall, this is a story that will give the readers goosebumps as well as keep them turning the pages till the very end.
Verdict: Do no miss out this hair-raising thriller.
Courtesy: Thanks to the author, Louise Douglas, for giving me an opportunity to read and review her book.
November 22, 2015
I need to preface this review by stating that I am not a lover of ghostly matters and The Secret By The Lake has plenty of spookiness spread amongst its pages. But… somehow this didn’t feel quite as out of place as it might have done perhaps because the book was set in the 1960s with reference back as far as the 1930s and they were allowed to have ghosts back then!
Amy worked for the Laurent family in their beautiful home in Deusables, France ever since she had left home which consisted of her father and his beloved pigeons and her Grandmother; Amy’s mother left home when she was a small child never to return. With that background the Laurent family became her second family and when the time came for her to return home to care for her dying Grandmother Amy desperately missed her charge, ten year-old Vivienne. Soon after her Grandmother’s death a letter arrives from Julia Laurent. In a sudden change of circumstances Julia and Vivienne are living in a dilapidated cottage on the side of a reservoir in Somerset.
This book goes in for eeriness in spades, the locals are at best reserved and at worst, well, this isn’t a village where I’d like to visit much less live! If making the cottage fit for sale wasn’t hard enough Julia is filled with melancholy. To make matters worse her return to the family home has stopped her escaping the memory of her elder sister Caroline, who died aged just seventeen under somewhat of a cloud. If Julia was the sweet pretty younger daughter, history states that Caroline was the exact opposite. With no money and a cold winter to contend with things are bleak for them all.
Despite my misgivings I was keen to find out the truth of what happened all those years before, even if I couldn’t quite believe that the dead were determined to communicate quite so frequently with the living. There is as to be expected, an element of romance which should have provided some light relief but sadly the ghosts of the past seem to want to interfere with that too! One thing’s for sure, they are determined little ghoulies! I like books that can successfully carry some side-plots, and Louise Douglas uses this to add real depth to her characters although I didn’t really warm to Julia, who even giving credence for her despair, was far too content to allow the action to happen around her for my liking. Fortunately Amy’s tenacity made up for this and her depiction of a 1960s child, the hardest characters for a writer to successfully make feel authentic, worked well within this storyline. The tension rose because of the intense feeling that the ghosts must be appeased before history repeated itself in some terrible way, and as the dramatic dénouement died away I was left with a real sense of satisfaction.
I’d like to thank the publishers Black Swan for allowing me to read an advance proof copy of this book which is published today, 19 November 2015, in return for my honest opinion.
Amy worked for the Laurent family in their beautiful home in Deusables, France ever since she had left home which consisted of her father and his beloved pigeons and her Grandmother; Amy’s mother left home when she was a small child never to return. With that background the Laurent family became her second family and when the time came for her to return home to care for her dying Grandmother Amy desperately missed her charge, ten year-old Vivienne. Soon after her Grandmother’s death a letter arrives from Julia Laurent. In a sudden change of circumstances Julia and Vivienne are living in a dilapidated cottage on the side of a reservoir in Somerset.
This book goes in for eeriness in spades, the locals are at best reserved and at worst, well, this isn’t a village where I’d like to visit much less live! If making the cottage fit for sale wasn’t hard enough Julia is filled with melancholy. To make matters worse her return to the family home has stopped her escaping the memory of her elder sister Caroline, who died aged just seventeen under somewhat of a cloud. If Julia was the sweet pretty younger daughter, history states that Caroline was the exact opposite. With no money and a cold winter to contend with things are bleak for them all.
Despite my misgivings I was keen to find out the truth of what happened all those years before, even if I couldn’t quite believe that the dead were determined to communicate quite so frequently with the living. There is as to be expected, an element of romance which should have provided some light relief but sadly the ghosts of the past seem to want to interfere with that too! One thing’s for sure, they are determined little ghoulies! I like books that can successfully carry some side-plots, and Louise Douglas uses this to add real depth to her characters although I didn’t really warm to Julia, who even giving credence for her despair, was far too content to allow the action to happen around her for my liking. Fortunately Amy’s tenacity made up for this and her depiction of a 1960s child, the hardest characters for a writer to successfully make feel authentic, worked well within this storyline. The tension rose because of the intense feeling that the ghosts must be appeased before history repeated itself in some terrible way, and as the dramatic dénouement died away I was left with a real sense of satisfaction.
I’d like to thank the publishers Black Swan for allowing me to read an advance proof copy of this book which is published today, 19 November 2015, in return for my honest opinion.
November 26, 2015
The Secret By The Lake is a mesmerising, dual-time novel taking place over thirty years, that will send chills down your spine.
Amy has been living in France working as a nanny for the Laurent's and has become part of the family. When she gets news that her father is in hospital she reluctantly returns home to take care of him. Then when tragedy strikes the Laurent family Amy rushes to be with them. She finds Julia and Viviane living in Julia's now dilapidated childhood home and the situation she finds herself in isn't a good one.
Recently widowed Julia has very little money due to her husband's assets being frozen and she is inattentive to little Viviane, just wanting to stay in bed with thoughts only for her husband. Amy is worried about them both but her concerns start to grow for Viviane when she finds out that her new imaginary friend is called Caroline, which happens to be Julia's sister's name but she died years ago aged only seventeen.
Amy tries to find out more about Caroline but no-one wants to talk about her but Caroline and the run-down cottage want her to reveal their secrets so Amy takes it upon herself to try and discover the truth.
The atmosphere throughout this novel crept up on me almost like the mist across the lake. I could feel the dampness and gloom of the cottage, I could feel Amy's fear when things started to go bump and cleverly interwoven into the creepy atmosphere and mystery is a touching love story.
I've read other novel's by Louise Douglas and for me they are all wonderful so if you haven't read any yet this would be a good one to start with.
With kind thanks to NetGalley and publishers Black Swan for the review copy.
Amy has been living in France working as a nanny for the Laurent's and has become part of the family. When she gets news that her father is in hospital she reluctantly returns home to take care of him. Then when tragedy strikes the Laurent family Amy rushes to be with them. She finds Julia and Viviane living in Julia's now dilapidated childhood home and the situation she finds herself in isn't a good one.
Recently widowed Julia has very little money due to her husband's assets being frozen and she is inattentive to little Viviane, just wanting to stay in bed with thoughts only for her husband. Amy is worried about them both but her concerns start to grow for Viviane when she finds out that her new imaginary friend is called Caroline, which happens to be Julia's sister's name but she died years ago aged only seventeen.
Amy tries to find out more about Caroline but no-one wants to talk about her but Caroline and the run-down cottage want her to reveal their secrets so Amy takes it upon herself to try and discover the truth.
The atmosphere throughout this novel crept up on me almost like the mist across the lake. I could feel the dampness and gloom of the cottage, I could feel Amy's fear when things started to go bump and cleverly interwoven into the creepy atmosphere and mystery is a touching love story.
I've read other novel's by Louise Douglas and for me they are all wonderful so if you haven't read any yet this would be a good one to start with.
With kind thanks to NetGalley and publishers Black Swan for the review copy.
May 25, 2018
Do you believe in real ghost?
I am a huge fan of Louise Douglas and have read all of her books.
The story opens up with a housemaid that has stolen a Ruby heart-shaped necklace on a gold chain that was worth a hundred guineas. The heart-shaped pendant turns up years later. Amy who had worked in an children's home for just four months is forced to leave to a small lakeside cottage when Amy receives a letter saying that Julia's husband Alain had died. While Amy is staying at the Reservoir Cottage she finds that some ghostly strange things are going on. This is the Victorian Cottage that the children's mother spent her childhood and it is the place where her sister Caroline died as a teenager. Young Viviane did first have Emily as an imaginary friend, but now she her dead aunt Caroline and talks to her. Ghostly things happen while Amy is at the cottage by the lake.
I am a huge fan of Louise Douglas and have read all of her books.
The story opens up with a housemaid that has stolen a Ruby heart-shaped necklace on a gold chain that was worth a hundred guineas. The heart-shaped pendant turns up years later. Amy who had worked in an children's home for just four months is forced to leave to a small lakeside cottage when Amy receives a letter saying that Julia's husband Alain had died. While Amy is staying at the Reservoir Cottage she finds that some ghostly strange things are going on. This is the Victorian Cottage that the children's mother spent her childhood and it is the place where her sister Caroline died as a teenager. Young Viviane did first have Emily as an imaginary friend, but now she her dead aunt Caroline and talks to her. Ghostly things happen while Amy is at the cottage by the lake.
February 6, 2016
I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House UK for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest and open review.
I started reading this book before Christmas but had to put it down as I was scared witless. However, I was feeling brave today so decided to pick it up and persevere. I'm so pleased that I did.
It's one of the most atmospheric, chilling books I've ever read.
The descriptions of the scenery were so breathtaking that I could picture myself walking in the fog by the lake.
The final reveal left me speechless (and it takes a lot to do that). Although I had a slight inkling of some of what had happened, I certainly was not expecting it all!
If you enjoy atmospheric, spine-tingling mysteries then buy this NOW!
I started reading this book before Christmas but had to put it down as I was scared witless. However, I was feeling brave today so decided to pick it up and persevere. I'm so pleased that I did.
It's one of the most atmospheric, chilling books I've ever read.
The descriptions of the scenery were so breathtaking that I could picture myself walking in the fog by the lake.
The final reveal left me speechless (and it takes a lot to do that). Although I had a slight inkling of some of what had happened, I certainly was not expecting it all!
If you enjoy atmospheric, spine-tingling mysteries then buy this NOW!
November 26, 2015
4.5
Posted in full http://www.reviewedthebook.co.uk/2015...
It’s taken me a while to get there – having owned most of Louise Douglas’ books, The Secret by the Lake is the first one I’ve actually read so far but it was truly a phenomenal read – enchantingly written, mesmerising and vividly drawn. Blackwater Lake and the abandoned cottage beside it was really brought to life – I grew to know it and chillingly love it like it was a place I visited daily – some place where I got to know every little detail and all its flaws and hidden layers. The setting was beautifully written and really set the tone for the story, drawing on the tension and building it to an extent it was impossible for me to not need to carry on reading.
Though the prologue to this book commanded my attention, it did take me a little bit of time to really connect with the story once we met Amy and the family she is a nanny for, Julia, Alain and their sweet daughter Viviane. I think it was just a matter of adjusting to the change of course in the story because I was soon finding myself breath-taken by the wonderful story unfolding across the pages. Amy lives a contented life along with the Laurent family but that life is soon met with upheaval in two ways. When Amy learns a family member is ill, she has to return to England to look after them but when some sad news then forces the Laurent family to move back to Julia’s childhood home, Amy knows she has to be there for them and makes her way back to the family she has developed such a bond with.
It’s shortly after Amy’s return to the Laurent family when the realisation of just how full-to-the-brim with secrets the lakeside cottage is soon hit me and I was hooked. Everything about this setting appealed to me – how it was at times extremely spooky and though a tragedy gave the location a bit of a grim feel, it was also completely captivating to read about. The lake, too, was as big a part of the story as any character, always changing and developing and influencing the way things were about to unfold.
One of my favourite aspects to this book was the atmospheric writing, which was so stunning and believable and really set the tone for the novel perfectly. The gloomy, eerie weather depicted the feel of the lakeside location so well – dark and full of suspense, secrets hidden under every layer. The atmospheric ambiance also, with ease, led into the supernatural edge this book possessed and it was seriously spellbinding reading – I couldn’t get enough of it. There was real power in Louise’s every word and I hung off every last one of them. The way she built up the story was very gripping – even when I felt it was a bit of a slow-burner, I still couldn’t put the book down for it got under my skin right from the first page. I was so eager to unfold the mystery to this novel I actually skipped two meals and stayed up late…
I’m being deliberately vague with my detail to the storyline for a reason – there’s such a rewarding feel about uncovering the secrets and the mystery that I really don’t want to spoil anything if you’re to go on and read the book. All I can say on that is that I wholeheartedly recommend you pick it up and read it for yourself – because The Secret by the Lake is so spectacularly good and I am sure you’ll be completely fascinated with the story too. More than simply an absorbing mystery, Louise combines a romantic strand of the story between Amy and Daniel, which I enjoyed, along with a strong mix of the paranormal which I found particularly intriguing. There was the right amount of everything, except maybe for the pages which I wanted to go on for about double the length as once this story grabbed a hold of me, it never let go. Throughout the core of the remote location, The Secret by the Lake delivered absorbing and thrilling twists and turns again and again and I never managed to predict what was coming next in this genuinely fantastic novel.
(review copy)
November 24, 2015
Originally reviewed on Becca's Books.
I really don't know where on earth to begin with my review of The Secret by the Lake by Louise Douglas. Do I first mention the dark and compelling plot? Or should I talk about how deep beneath my skin Louise's characters managed to submerge themselves? Or, perhaps I should comment on the fact that not only was The Secret by the Lake a gripping mystery, but it was an eerie unravelling of one Somerset village's hidden past that kept me awake way past midnight? In all fairness, it really doesn't matter which way I decide to go with my review, because all roads of discussion will lead me to the same final conclusion... I loved it.
Louise Douglas begins The Secret by the Lake beautifully, as she whisks us back in time within the prologue, to the year of 1931. As a small yet delectable slice of the past is revealed to us, the character we meet remains without an identity, immediately rocketing my intrigue and leaving me with a hundred and one questions as to who she is and what, exactly, she is up to. I think I knew, from the prologue itself, that what Louise Douglas had in store for me would be quite special. Within those first few pages, nothing yet everything was revealed to me all at once, and I absolutely loved it. I was eager to know more, desperate to begin my reading of the rest of the novel, and to watch as Louise slipped the pieces into place for me and answered my questions.
Thirty years later in France, and Louise introduces us to a brand new character whose first-person narrative is a real treat. Amy has worked for the wealthy Laurent family for years, and so, when she's called back to a distraught Julia, while in Sheffield, she feels she has no choice but to go to her, which leads Amy to the cottage in the quiet, innocent-looking Somerset Village. But things are never quite as peaceful as they appear on the surface...
One thing that I must comment on in regards to Louise Douglas's writing is how stunningly atmospheric the scenes were within this novel. Chilled to the bone is how I felt throughout most of the chapters, and I was pleasantly surprised to discover an element of the supernatural which only added to the darkness within the pages. Louise managed to go so far as to keep me from stepping across the hall with the lights off because the writing had affected me so much. I adored the tone and feel of The Secret by the Lake, enticing and suffocating sometimes, I found it addictive and didn't dare to put it down.
The whole unravelling of the plot was utterly absorbing. Every chapter held a clue towards the mystery that Amy found herself in. The cottage in which she moved to, to be alongside Julia and her daughter Vivi, was old and full of character, although not in the best state. It was a superb place for this story to be told in, adding so much atmosphere to the tale.
Overall, I absolutely loved The Secret by the Lake by Louise Douglas. Drenched in secrets, I was completely gripped from beginning to end. It was a joy to be beside Amy as she ventured into the village and began to put the pieces of a mysterious character's past into place and I was excited to see how it would all end. Louise Douglas has created a sublime masterpiece with this novel, one which will draw me to Douglas's future releases with a keen and eager eye. Fantastic in every sense of the word, I'd read The Secret by the Lake in a heartbeat. Five cupcakes from Becca's Books.
I really don't know where on earth to begin with my review of The Secret by the Lake by Louise Douglas. Do I first mention the dark and compelling plot? Or should I talk about how deep beneath my skin Louise's characters managed to submerge themselves? Or, perhaps I should comment on the fact that not only was The Secret by the Lake a gripping mystery, but it was an eerie unravelling of one Somerset village's hidden past that kept me awake way past midnight? In all fairness, it really doesn't matter which way I decide to go with my review, because all roads of discussion will lead me to the same final conclusion... I loved it.
Louise Douglas begins The Secret by the Lake beautifully, as she whisks us back in time within the prologue, to the year of 1931. As a small yet delectable slice of the past is revealed to us, the character we meet remains without an identity, immediately rocketing my intrigue and leaving me with a hundred and one questions as to who she is and what, exactly, she is up to. I think I knew, from the prologue itself, that what Louise Douglas had in store for me would be quite special. Within those first few pages, nothing yet everything was revealed to me all at once, and I absolutely loved it. I was eager to know more, desperate to begin my reading of the rest of the novel, and to watch as Louise slipped the pieces into place for me and answered my questions.
Thirty years later in France, and Louise introduces us to a brand new character whose first-person narrative is a real treat. Amy has worked for the wealthy Laurent family for years, and so, when she's called back to a distraught Julia, while in Sheffield, she feels she has no choice but to go to her, which leads Amy to the cottage in the quiet, innocent-looking Somerset Village. But things are never quite as peaceful as they appear on the surface...
One thing that I must comment on in regards to Louise Douglas's writing is how stunningly atmospheric the scenes were within this novel. Chilled to the bone is how I felt throughout most of the chapters, and I was pleasantly surprised to discover an element of the supernatural which only added to the darkness within the pages. Louise managed to go so far as to keep me from stepping across the hall with the lights off because the writing had affected me so much. I adored the tone and feel of The Secret by the Lake, enticing and suffocating sometimes, I found it addictive and didn't dare to put it down.
The whole unravelling of the plot was utterly absorbing. Every chapter held a clue towards the mystery that Amy found herself in. The cottage in which she moved to, to be alongside Julia and her daughter Vivi, was old and full of character, although not in the best state. It was a superb place for this story to be told in, adding so much atmosphere to the tale.
Overall, I absolutely loved The Secret by the Lake by Louise Douglas. Drenched in secrets, I was completely gripped from beginning to end. It was a joy to be beside Amy as she ventured into the village and began to put the pieces of a mysterious character's past into place and I was excited to see how it would all end. Louise Douglas has created a sublime masterpiece with this novel, one which will draw me to Douglas's future releases with a keen and eager eye. Fantastic in every sense of the word, I'd read The Secret by the Lake in a heartbeat. Five cupcakes from Becca's Books.
December 4, 2015
4.5 stars
When I’m in the mood for a creepy read I find that nothing beats a good historical ghost story, so when I was after just that on a cold winter’s day I picked up The Secret by the Lake and it delivered the moody mystery I wanted and so much more!
The book is set in the 1960’s and follows Amy who works as a nanny to Alain and Julia Laurent’s little girl Viviane. The family lead a comfortable life in France until Alain dies, forcing Amy, Julia and Viviane to sell their belongings and move to the lakeside cottage in England that Julia grew up in. But the lake and cottage aren’t as idyllic as they seem – they each carry horrific memories of Caroline – Julia’s sister – a troubled girl who died in her teens. As a dark and hard winter draws in, the long buried secret by the lake begins to surface as history intertwines with the present.
Being new to Louise Douglas’s work, The Secret by the Lake took me completely by surprise. It’s impossible to not be swept away by the ominous atmosphere and compelling storyline. Both the cottage and the lake were so vividly described that I physically felt like I was alongside Amy as she uncovered the secrets of the past which made the ghostly parts even more frightening to read.
Louise Douglas is a masterful storyteller. I thought that I knew where this book was going but the last fifty or so pages took me completely by surprise! I think that what Louise Douglas does so brilliantly here is leaves breadcrumbs, which seem like nothing at the time, right before your eyes. Her hints are so subtle yet so plain to see by the end of the book.
The Secret by the Lake is a book that’s impossible to discuss too deeply without giving up its secrets but if you’re looking for accomplished writing, a complex plot and compelling characters all wrapped up in a haunting setting, The Secret by the Lake has it all. On the strength of this book alone Louise Douglas has become an auto buy author for me. This is essential reading for anyone who wants a book that they can lose themselves in from first to last word.
When I’m in the mood for a creepy read I find that nothing beats a good historical ghost story, so when I was after just that on a cold winter’s day I picked up The Secret by the Lake and it delivered the moody mystery I wanted and so much more!
The book is set in the 1960’s and follows Amy who works as a nanny to Alain and Julia Laurent’s little girl Viviane. The family lead a comfortable life in France until Alain dies, forcing Amy, Julia and Viviane to sell their belongings and move to the lakeside cottage in England that Julia grew up in. But the lake and cottage aren’t as idyllic as they seem – they each carry horrific memories of Caroline – Julia’s sister – a troubled girl who died in her teens. As a dark and hard winter draws in, the long buried secret by the lake begins to surface as history intertwines with the present.
Being new to Louise Douglas’s work, The Secret by the Lake took me completely by surprise. It’s impossible to not be swept away by the ominous atmosphere and compelling storyline. Both the cottage and the lake were so vividly described that I physically felt like I was alongside Amy as she uncovered the secrets of the past which made the ghostly parts even more frightening to read.
Louise Douglas is a masterful storyteller. I thought that I knew where this book was going but the last fifty or so pages took me completely by surprise! I think that what Louise Douglas does so brilliantly here is leaves breadcrumbs, which seem like nothing at the time, right before your eyes. Her hints are so subtle yet so plain to see by the end of the book.
The Secret by the Lake is a book that’s impossible to discuss too deeply without giving up its secrets but if you’re looking for accomplished writing, a complex plot and compelling characters all wrapped up in a haunting setting, The Secret by the Lake has it all. On the strength of this book alone Louise Douglas has become an auto buy author for me. This is essential reading for anyone who wants a book that they can lose themselves in from first to last word.
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