Low Lake

Tyrone Swift #5

by Gretta Mulrooney

Looking for your next unputdownable mystery? Discover Detective Tyrone Swift. He takes the cases that the police have given up on.

An old house by a lake. A suspicious drowning. A suspect that the police let go.

WHAT REALLY HAPPENED AT LOW LAKE?

Detective Tyrone Swift is hired to investigate the death of Kim Woodville. Two years ago, the young woman drowned in the lake by her family house. But there was bruising on her arms, and the prime suspect was let go because of police errors.

But the beautiful historic house by the lake doesn’t give up its secrets easily.

It turns out that there are many people who might have wanted Kim dead.

And then another body turns up close to home and Swift realises his own life may be in danger.

Can Swift get to the bottom of this tangled web of dark family secrets?

LOW LAKE is a beautifully written mystery that will have you gripped from start to pulsating finish.

Perfect for fans of Robert Galbraith, P.D. James, or Ruth Rendell.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Fiction

347 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 21, 2018

About the author

Gretta Mulrooney (1952-2023) was a British author of mystery, thriller, and crime novels. Born and raised in London to Irish parents, Mulrooney began publishing novels in her 30s, working with publishers such as Poolberg Press, Harper Collins, and Joffre Books.

Reviews

[Linda Strong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tyrone Swift is a private investigator, following his stint as a detective. He has been hired by a gentleman to look into the drowning death a year ago of a young lady who was his friend. The police say that she had an epileptic seizure and fell into the lake and drowned.

But the police are ignoring the bruises on her upper arms. And they ignore the well known fact that she was terrified of the water and wouldn't even get near any water.

When he starts investigating, he finds that the young woman had two different sides. One one hand, he was told she was quick-witted and smart, humorous, kind, feisty. On the other hand she's been described as damaged, self contained, taking unnecessary risks and very secretive.

Tyrone is puzzled by the number of people had good reason to want her dead. Then another body turns up and his own life is in danger. Is he getting too close to the truth?

This is 5th in a series, a series I haven't read. Surprisingly, it works easily as a stand-alone, although there are several references to previous adventures of Tyrone Swift.

He's an interesting character as he's been stabbed and his personal life is complex. There are plenty of suspects and I didn't even get close in guessing what the real story was. Several twists and turns kept me turning pages.

Many thanks to the author / Joffe Books / Netgalley for the advanced digital copy of this mystery. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

[Louise Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tyrone Swift - Book 5.

An old house by a lake. A suspicious drowning. A suspect that the police let go. What really happened at Low Lake?

PI Tyrone Swift has been approached by the roommate of a friend of his. Still upset after the drowning of his friend,Kim, who was terrified of water. Swift agrees to investigate the case. There are plenty of red herrings and suspects to keep you guessing. I quite like the main character, Tyrone Swift. The story starts slowly then picks up and remains fast paced. A tale of friendships and relationships, but who can you trust. Though this book is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone. But if I was you I would start at the beginning and read the full series. You won't be disappointed!!

I would like to thank Joffe Books and the author Greta Mulrooney for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Books 'n' All Promotions · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Book 4 in the Tyrone Swift series but the books work perfectly as stand-alone.

A young woman, Kim, with a lifetime fear of water is found drowned. The verdict is accidental death as she suffered from epilepsy and had suffered a seizure. Swift is employed by Kim's friend to find out what happened as he doesn’t believe she would go near the water. Kim had a violent start to life and was brought up by a strange woman with an unusual vision on education and guiding young people to adulthood.

The book moves along at a steady pace and gains momentum as it progresses. There are many twists and turns along the way as the reader is caught up in the intrigue and suspense towards a real jawdropping shocker of an ending nobody will see coming.

I like Swift. He is a complex character that develops well into a well rounded realistic character. His girlfriend, Nora, I don’t like so much. I think she is high maintenance and not a good match for Swift. Bella, on the other hand, I do like she is compassionate and caring and would make a good fit for Swift so I will be watching for further books to see how his relationships pan out.

This is a gripping story and one I easily bought in to. It is unique and interesting and has the ability to keep the adrenaline pumping.

[Denise]

"Dig deep and deeper still. It's not what you FIND, it's what you FIND OUT."

Kim Woodville drowned at Low Lake two years ago. A very close friend, Jack North, hires private investigator (and former Met detective) Tyrone Swift to look into the matter because North doesn't believe it was an accident. Kim has led a very troubled life as a ward to the Ramsays living there at property on the lake and no one seems to be very upset that she has died. Kim suffered from epilepsy and had a horrible fear of water because her drug addled mother had tried to drown her in the bathtub when she was a toddler. As Swift begins his investigation in the the circumstances of Kim's death, he finds lies, secrets and betrayal. "Women, money and power."

This fifth in the Tyrone Swift series is the only one I've read and I'm very sorry about missing out on the others. I usually try to read books in order and hate not knowing the backstory of Tyrone but I was able to follow along as the author provides some of the historical detail. This was, for me, a mystery novel that I found hard to put down. I enjoyed it and thought it very well-written with a plot evolving in layers that slowly revealed the truth of what happened to Kim. The characters were interesting and believeable and I really am looking forward to reading the next installment.

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for the e-book ARC to read and review.

[Misfits farm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Low Lake- Gretta Mulrooney 4*
Two years ago a woman drowned after suffering an epileptic fit whilst at a lake side. She had been close to drowning as a child and hence had a fear and stayed away from water. Her close friend Jack doesn't believe that it was an accident although the police came up with very little at the time. Tyrone Swift is a private investigator and finds out more than the police ever did. This is a book with wonderful descriptions- of people and places and scenes. Of a complex family structure with a web in amongst it of secrets. A tale of murder and intrigue, of friendships and relationships. Whom you can trust and whom you can’t. A good length novel , a good value read. Number five in the Tyrone Swift series(but happily stands alone)
For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/
or follow me on Twitter @nickijmurphy1

[Eva Cox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spoiler free review 🤗

[Hannelore Cheney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Joffe Books for the eARC.
This is the 5th in the PI Tyrone Swift series and the best yet. I absolutely loved it and had a hard time putting it down. The mystery is a puzzler, the characters feel real and the writing excellent. Gretta Mulrooney should be up there with the best of them...she's that good.
Tyrone is approached by the roommate of an old friend of his. The young man is still terribly upset about the drowning death of his good and close friend, Kim, who drowned a couple of years ago. She suffered from grand mal seizures, but was also terrified of water. Her boyfriend was investigated, but let go. Tyrone agrees to look into the case, and while interviewing her extended family and friends, he realizes Kim was a very troubled young woman who was not that popular.
Her mother, an addict, tried to drown her at age three and she was taken in by a family member, who already had 3 children, an estranged husband and a nasty cantankerous aunt - all living on the same grounds. The family is dysfunctional, to say the least and Kim was the cuckoo in the nest. Tyrone dislikes all of them except for the young son, Ben, still living at home and very child-like, who is fascinated with Tyrone's job and volunteers to be his helper. Thinking the boy needs something to keep him busy, Tyrone basically says 'why not' and regrets it bitterly when the boy is found murdered in his apartment. Unbeknownst to him, the boy had been stuffed into a cupboard on the second floor and been there for a few days. The police want him to stop investigating, but Tyrone can't let it go.
Apparently Kim had been in contact with her mother and her aunt, something she kept to herself. The mother is a pathetic creature, full of self pity and always looking for a handout. Even after being told of Kim's death, it doesn't seem to affect her, unless she can get a cash for any information she has to offer Tyrone.
I was blown away by the ending, really didn't see it coming, very thrilling. Tyrone is very sympathetic, not very lucky when it comes to love, but he loves his little daughter to bits and spends as much time with her as he can. His relationship with her mother is cordial, but I did not like his current girlfriend, Nora, she felt like too much hard work. Hopefully things in the romance department will be better in the next book!
This book could easily be read as a standalone, but I think the series is excellent and well worth starting at book 1.

[Elaine Tomasso · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for a review copy of Low Lake, the fifth novel to feature London based PI Tyrnone, Ty, Swift.

After a few months off Ty is ready to get back to work and is intrigued when he gets a call from an old girlfriend asking if he will help her flatmate, Jack North, who wants him to have another look at the death of his childhood friend, Kim Woodville. Kim was found drowned in the lake of her family home and the coroner ruled it an accident. Jack is convinced she was murdered and wants Ty to prove it. Unfortunately Kim wasn't the angel Jack believed her to be so soon suspects and motives aren't the issue.

I thoroughly enjoyed Low Lake which is a well plotted, absorbing read. The plot builds slowly but with momentum to a very unexpected twist which took me totally by surprise - a real wow moment. There are plenty more twists than just the final one, some more obvious than others, along the way which keep the reader turning the pages. I really like the mix of investigation and Ty's domestic life and, in fact, enjoyed the twists and drama of his life as much as the investigation.

As Ty is investigating what amounts to a cold case much of the novels centres on "victimology" i.e. the examination of Kim's life and character. I found the contrasting views of her fascinating and realistic - very few interviewees could look at her objectively so their views are tinged by their own prejudices, outlook on life and motives. It's hard to believe a 20 year old could have seriously upset so many people in such a short life but it makes for good reading.

Ty is a likeable protagonist. Essentially a good guy he is a dogged investigator with an ability to think laterally. Unfortunately his lateral thinking does not extend to his own life where a series of ill thought out decisions in previous novels have led to upheaval and heartbreak and this pattern continues in Low Lake. I found his girlfriend Nora's reactions to certain events understandable, perhaps, but out of keeping with her role as a Detective Inspector trained to examine he facts.

Low Lake is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

I read the Kindle edition.

Private Detective Tyrone Swift receives a telephone call from a former girlfriend. She wants him to talk to her roommate about a two year-old death, for he is certain that it was murder.

As Jack, Kim’s friend tells her story, the reader learns that she had epilepsy and was deathly afraid of water. She wouldn’t even take a bath; it was always a quick shower. This was because years before her own mother had tried to drown her. After her mother was incarcerated, Kim went to live with relatives on Low Lake. They didn’t care for her much and tended to ignore her. Kim often acted out; pushing the limits of what she could get away with. Her best friend was Jack.

When Swift goes to Kim’s childhood home, he meets a plethora of odd people. They don’t really seem to have cared about Kim. They are a bunch of aging hippie-like wannabes. He does, however, like the youngest son who takes a great interest in Swift’s work. He learns that Kim’s boyfriend was questioned in the mysterious death, but was let go.

As Swift follows clues and interviews more people, he realizes that danger is closer to him than he knew.

I liked the relationship that Swift has with his hearing impaired daughter. It is precious. His current girlfriend is a washout. Kim’s mother is a major loser who feels sorry for herself and only wants to profit from Kim’s death.

This is a well written and plotted novel. While it begins rather slowly with the telling of Kim’s life by Jack, it picks up the pace after that. I liked the tortured Tyrone Swift and his care for his daughter was touching. He has had a series of tragedies in his love life. There was sufficient background information given on the major characters to flesh them out, but not so much that it intruded on the story. All in all, it was a good story and I truly enjoyed reading it.

I want to thank NetGalley and Joffe Books for forwarding to me a copy of this good book to read and enjoy.

[Joanna Larum · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book 4 in the Tyrone Swift series but it is perfectly possible to read it as a standalone. I haven't read any of the earlier books in the series and I found no difficulty in following the story.
I was intrigued right from the first page reading about a girl who falls into a lake and her 'eyes close forever'. I found that so poignant and sad - that she should die in such beautiful surroundings. Then the reader discovers that that event was nearly two years previously and the police have treated it as an accidental death. The girl, Kim, had epilepsy and must have fallen into the lake as she was suffering an attack. One of Kim's friends, Jack North, isn't satisfied with this outcome and he enlists the help of a private detective, Tyrone Swift.
The storyline is full of twists and turns with believable, well-rounded characters which drew me in so that I was lost in it. I didn't want to put it down until I had reached the end which is so unexpected that I had to stop and re-read that part of it. It has left me with a desire to find out more about Tyrone Swift so I am going back to the beginning and have started with the first novel in the series. In my opinion, this is a 'must read' book which I would recommend to all lovers of crime mystery.

[Bonnye Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

GNA Gretta Mulrooney brings us an old fashioned British PI series set in modern times with a male private investigator, Tyrone Swift, a man with a complicated life. I found all the characters in this novel entertaining. Some of the bad guys (and gals) are not completely all bad, some are bad as bad can be, and the good guys and gals all have glaring flaws, bringing to us a realistic mystery with mostly empathetic characters. And poor Tyrone - every time his love life seems to be improving the scene is ripped apart by either one of his exs, his baby daughter, an old friend, or the ringing phone with another stiff being reported. In retrospect the solution is glaringly obvious but I was kept so busy trying to keep up that I didn't see it till it was over. Looking forward to more by this author - this was fifth in the series so I have four to catch up on. By then I hope #6 is waiting....

I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley. Gretta Mulrooney, and Joffe Books in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.
pub date Mar 22, 2018
rec Mar 20 2018
Joffe Books

Not available at B&N

[Donna Maguire · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/...

This is the fifth book in the Tyrone Swift series.

I enjoyed the plot for this one and the setting was great. The writing style made it tense and I was trying to second guess the outcome as the book progressed. The characters are great and they work really well within the story.

I would say that I think this is fine to be read as a stand alone. Four stars from me for this one, I really enjoyed it!

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is about as put-downable a whodunit as you're likely to find. The author has a tin ear for dialogue which means the first half of the book, every character speaks like they either are psychologists, or have spent the last ten years in therapy.

Everyone one talks in windy paragraphs that include ALL of their feelings, analysis of everyone else's, and some general pitiful lives just to make it depressing enough. For a self proclaimed fan of writers like Chandler, she seems to have missed the point.

e.g. "... Sadie Stanley is a domineering person and she always seemed to resent Kim. She thought Gill was taking too much on by offering her a home. Kim was very quick-witted and she used to wind Sadie up." (loc 546 Kindle, Ch. 2) The book goes on, and on, and on... and ON like this for entire chapters.

If I had friends who spoke like that I'd need anti-depressants and meth to get out of bed.

It's punctuated okay though.

[Marty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was going to give this book three stars, but the great multiple plot twists at the end raised the rating to four. I was reading through the series, got out of it, then read book #8 and went back to the correct order. That might have gotten me off track, but really, these novels are pretty much stand alone. I enjoy following Ty’s personal life ( and loves). It’s comfortable to read a good detective series and to be familiar with all of the main characters. The one thing that I find annoying is the overly descriptive explanations of what people are wearing and what’s blooming in the garden. It’s just TMI for my taste and does nothing to advance the plot. But that’s just me. Others might love it. It’s useful that this series is free on Kindle Unlimited.

[Virginia Tican · Rating 5 out of 5]

The bottom line of this one would be, Money via blackmail. For the central figure of this story, it would mean Freedom and a new identity. A vertically challenged client asked Swift to investigate his cherished friend's death by drowning. In the course of Swift's 'extremely hazardous to his health' investigations' tracing the dead woman's movements and putting the jigsaw puzzle pieces of her life together, another darker picture was gradually emerging... thus, the client's loving memories for his dead friend slowly became un~cherished. Being duped and gullible, most definitely not good for the ego... given the other issues someone in the client's situation always and inevitably experienced and would still go through in the future. Another good one from this author.

[Bev · Rating 5 out of 5]

Detective Tyrone Swift takes on cold cases that the police have given up on. He is hired to investigate the death of Kim Woodville. She drowned at the family home, but she had all kinds of bruises on her arm. She was afraid of water due to almost being drowned by her mother when she was younger. Who would want her dead? Her boyfriend was questioned and released. Swift has his hands full with this case. This story has wonderfully written characters and the story has things happen in it I wasn't expecting. I would like to thank Joffe Books for a copy of this story. The review is my own opinion and done voluntarily.

[Black Butterfly · Rating 3 out of 5]

FAMILY SECRETS, EVERYONE HAS THEM BUT THE PEOPLE IN THIS BOOK SEEM TO HAVE AN OVERLOAD OF THEM. THEY’RE ALL KIND OF PERCULAR, EVEN IF FROM OUTWARD APPERANCES THEY SEEM NORMAL BUT LOOKS CAN BE DECIEVING. THE CHARACTERS IN THIS BOOK HAD SO MANY PERSONAL PROBLEMS, MENTAL & PSYSICAL. I WONDERED IS THERE ANYONE REALLY HAPPY, SATISFIED OR EVEN SANE IN THE WORLD. IT SEEMED EVERYONE IN THIS BOOK NEEDS THERAPY, IT REALLY GOT SORT OF TIRESOME. I LIKED TY BUT HE SHOULD STOP TRYING TO GET INTO RELATIONSHIPS, IT WAS CLEAR HE DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT WOMAN. I DID FIGURE OUT PART OF THE MYSTERY EARLY ON. YAY ME!;0

[Jillian Higham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

It was refreshing that the victim in this tale was not a paragon of virtue but a warts and all feisty person who could be quite nasty at times. Tyrone Swift is an interesting character and you get to see him on many levels - father of a toddler, investigator and partner. He has good insights into the people he is investigating, but he's certainly not perfect. Good twist. Doesn't quite work as a stand alone book as there are many references to people from previous books whose role was not initially explained.

[Clyde Parrott · Rating 2 out of 5]

My First and Last Mulrooney

Tiresome. Plodding, meaningless dialog. Too-o-o many characters. Too much detail about meaningless stuff..I could give less than a damn about some character's string tie being plum colored with a lime green stripe. Too much gratuitous physical infirmity. It became just too difficult to read this tripe, and I deleted it halfway through. Feel much better now.

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ty's most complex case yet.

Jack North asks Tyrone Swift to investigate the death of Kin Woodville. Jack cannot accept she died by drowning following an epileptic seizure.
As well as having the case to work on Tyrone's private life is as complicated as ever. And he has to deal with the death of a close friend.
Low Lake is absolutely brilliant. Gretta Mulrooney has written a book with outstanding characters and a gripping storyline.
Highly recommended.

[Cynthia Sacks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

If you enjoy crime books with English sensibilities, this series is for you. This is the first of the Tyrone Swift, private detective books I have read, and can't wait to read more. A great mystery of a previous death, and also a nice look into Swift's private life. Well done.

[barbara jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really suspenseful read. Keeps the reader on edge until the end.

Here is an author who takes the reader into the depths of a criminal s mind. Let's you see how greed and hate can make a murderer out of anyone.

[Louise Child · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was ok

Too complex a case for the police ,apparently .Lots of red herrings .Lots of moneyed people .Outrageous back stories The constant use of " feds " by various ,English characters was irritating .

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of twists

Super book full of twists and turns. I can usually figure them all out but this one got me! Not a fan of stories located in England but haven't read any in a bit and this one being exceptional, scored well.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Low Lake

A very interesting read. I enjoyed reading the exploits of Tyrone Swift and his colleagues and friends. It was a complicated plot but interesting.

[Kathleen Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unusual mystery

A thought provoking mystery! Many plot twists and a little confusing. The main character was very likable and the book had a good ending.

[Jane C. Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Low Lake

Can't imagine how this book got its name. "Total Greed" would have covered it. Mixed up people doing stupid, greedy things!

[Ishmael A. Hosein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pedestrian rather than Gripping. I personally hated the L-O-N-G chapters.

[Becky Jacobs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goog

Every good read! Love it that I don't get the real answer until the end. Suspense is a very good thing!

[Emma Fraser · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always a brilliant read, there was a part of the book that had me in tears. cannot wait for the next one....