The Lake of Lilies

by Julia Sutton

One girls death...murder, intrigue, mystery, passion – TRUTH?........CAN MURDER LEAD TO LOVE?
Little a picturesque town, nestled in the English countryside. When a young girl disappears, tensions run high and a private investigator is called in to help solve the case.
Lisa Reynolds is a key witness. A bakery assistant by day and a club singer by night, whose world is thrown into turmoil by a tragic event.
So begins a journey of intrigue, romance, love and passion, combined with a burning desire to unravel the What happened at the Lake of Lilies?

298 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 10, 2015

About the author

Hello all, I was born and still live in Wolverhampton, England. I've had a variety of jobs since the age of 15 working as a strawberry picker, a secretary, a shop assistant and more recently as a teaching assistant and dinner lady.

I retired in 2019 to focus on my writing and to pursue my dream of becoming a successful author. I'm a multi-genre author and love writing for both adults and children.

I enjoy reading, walking and anything arty. You can find me procrastinating on my Facebook Author Page at Julia Sutton Author,

I'm also on Twitter as SparklyAuthor.

I love hearing from readers. If you'd like to contact me direct, my email address is:
juliasutton@sky.com

Thank you for reading my work and for taking the time to leave a review :-)

Reviews

[Melanie Mole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much that it only took me 2 days to read. Everything else, like chores, went out of the window so that I could just enjoy reading this wonderful book.
The characters draw you in like elastic, pulling you into the story and holding you there. Each one is interesting and colourful in their own way.
You want to know what will happen next, but at the same time, want the story to last longer so that you can enjoy every single sentence. I will enjoy reading this book again and again.
The key witness, Lisa Reynolds, has her life turned upside down by the events she witnessed.
So what happened at The Lake of Lilies?
Well, you will need to read the book to find out the whole story. But, believe me, you won't be disappointed. My advice would be to go and get a copy today so that you can enjoy the story as much as I did. A definite 5 star read!

[Phil Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read other titles by this author, I thought I'd give this one a go. The story is centred on Lisa, a young woman living in a small town who witnesses a heated altercation between a man and a woman. The victim is found soon after, strangled. From there, Lisa is swept along with police interviews whilst trying to keep some semblance of normality in her life. Enter Gabe, a private detective who joins the hunt for answers, blossoming feeling appearing between them as they try and close in on the killer.

I really enjoyed this book. Yes, it's about a murder, but I felt that it was more about Lisa's life and her close family. Great characters, especially Lisa who I found myself rooting for on many occasions. No spoilers given as to how it all ends. You'll just have to find out for yourself.

Cracking stuff from a very talented author.

[Jill Kelley]

A page turner, mystery, murder and romance. It will keep you intrigued.

I read lake of lilies in a day, it had me hooked as I'm sure it will you.


A fabulous read by julia Sutton.

[Michael Wilton]

Purchase Verified Format: Kindle Version

A feel-good feeling

Despite the fact that this is based on a murder mystery, there is a feel-good feeling about the story as romance engulfs the life of Lisa Reynolds, in the quiet somewhat sleepy town of Little Hamsden. Working part time in a bakery, she manages to fulfil a heart-felt ambition by singing occasionally in the local Belles Club in the evening.
Relaxing in a rowing boat after her birthday on a nearby lake, Lisa overhears a violent confrontation between a couple, and by the time she gets to the scene she discovers she is too late to be of any help. Rushing home, she tells her father, a police sergeant, about the woman’s plight, but returning to the same spot all she can find is a bracelet. A few says later, a woman’s body is found amongst the reeds and the event prays on Lisa’s mind.
At this point, romance rears its head in the shape of a handsome private investigator who is investigating the case on behalf of the dead woman’s family and calls on her for help as the key witness. As she decides to take her first independent decision by buying her own flat, as well as preparing for her best friend’s wedding, she finds herself falling madly in love with Gabe, the investigator. Before long, she finds herself caught up in the case and her eagerness to help leads her into dangerous waters. I found it an absorbing read, full of believable characters and an idyllic setting. Thoroughly recommended.

[Michele Northwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Lake of Lillies by Julia Sutton.

This novel revolves around a murder, but it is primarily a love story between the main character Lisa Reynolds and Gabe, a private investigator, who is investigating the crime.
Lisa’s dad is a cop, so she keeps him informed of anything she discovers too.

Like all of Julia Sutton’s books, the characters come to life as she describes every aspect of their lives. By day, Lisa works in a bakery but sings her heart out as a paid entertainer at the weekends, despite being insecure and relatively shy. Yet always in the back of her mind is the death of the victim, Scarlett Reading. Perhaps because Lisa blames herself for not acting quicker and stepping in to save her.

Throughout the book, our poor protagonist barely has a minute to herself. She’s moving out of the family home into her own flat, her best friend is getting married, and it appears her sister’s marriage may head towards divorce. In each different scenario, I was on tenterhooks expecting the illusive killer to step in and ruin everything. I also wondered if he was already in her inner circle, but nobody had realised. This, for me, added an extra layer of intrigue to the storyline.

Will our timid protagonist find her killer, and will she summon the hidden strength necessary to save the day, or will she become a victim herself?

I’m not telling. You’ll have to read the book to find out!
A solid five stars from me!

[Livia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lisa Reynolds lives with her parents in Little Hamsden ,a sleepy little picture perfect town in the countryside. Lisa works two jobs - by day part time in a bakery and at night she sometimes sings in Belles Club ..A few days after her birthday on a hot sunshiney day she takes her little row boat out on the lake ..a peaceful, quiet place ,where in certain parts of the lake beautiful lilies float in all their vibrant colours ..But this is a day that will prey on her mind ..after she witnesses a violent altercation between a couple .When she rushes home to tell her father who is a police Sergeant..she returns back to the spot where the only thing they find is a bracelet. Three days later a woman's body is found ..and as the weeks turn into months the scene at the lake still plays on her mind ..As Lisa prepares for her best friends wedding as well as buying her first flat , one day a Private Investigator calls to see her ..and she finds herself falling for Gabe who is looking into the case on behalf of the dead woman's family , as well as somehow becoming embroiled in the case itself ..And just as they think there are no more leads..a killer is about to come out of the shadows..The Lake of Lilies is my first read by this author ..A fast Paced little thriller / romance read where Murder and Love mix in an idyllic setting ...

[Eve Gaal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lisa Reynolds is relaxing on a lake when she witnesses, what later turns out to be, a homicide. If only she could have rowed her boat faster to confront the killer. If only…. But all the what ifs in the world, won’t bring Scarlett Reading back. The only thing she can do is work closely with the authorities, and since her dad is a cop, and Gabe, the private investigator is, well, dreamy, it shouldn’t be too difficult.
Meanwhile, Lisa is moving into a new place, her sister Ruth might have marital issues, and her best friend Emma is getting married. Did I mention she has two jobs? Lisa is the main character and this author keeps her busy. All part of what makes this book exciting and entertaining. It’s not a humdrum romance or template-styled who-done-it, because Sutton makes the reader feel comfortable in each unique setting. Her vivid descriptions and attention to detail will make you feel like you live in the little English town of Hamsden. You will recognize these people, and you might even crack the case! Enjoy it today!

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thoroughly enjoyable read. The main character, Lisa Reynolds, is a likeable and believable woman who is a witness to a scene that ends in a murder which changes Lisa's life.

There is a lot of description which keeps you on the edge of your seat as you wonder what might happen. It is a beautiful story of love and loss.

I wanted to keep reading, picking it up each day was a pleasure.

My only real issues were that there were too many speech tags that became distracting and slightly annoying but not enough to put me off reading. I think removing some of these could make the book stronger.

Without wanting to give anything away, I also felt that the resolution was a packaged a little too neatly. It was reminiscent of a 70's or 80's crime shows. I think it could have benefitted from a little more grit at this point.

Overall I loved immersing myself in this book and the lives of the characters. I look forward to seeing what this talented author writes next.

[Jessica Brimer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lisa Reynolds is enjoying a day at the lake when she witnesses a crime. With no leads, the case starts to grow cold. Life goes on, yet Lisa can't forget what she saw at the Lake of Lilies.
The Lake of Lilies is good combination of mystery and women's fiction.