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Bitterroot Lake
When four women separated by tragedy reunite at a lakeside Montana lodge, murder forces them to confront everything they thought they knew about the terrifying accident that tore them apart, in Agatha Award-winning author Alicia Beckman's suspense debut
Twenty-five years ago, during a celebratory weekend at historic Whitetail Lodge, Sarah McCaskill had a vision. A dream. A nightmare. When a young man was killed, Sarah's guilt over having ignored the warning in her dreams devastated her. Her friendships with her closest friends, and her sister, fell apart as she worked to build a new life in a new city. But she never stopped loving Whitetail Lodge on the shores of Bitterroot Lake.
Now that she's a young widow, her mother urges her to return to the lodge for healing. But when she arrives, she's greeted by an old friend--and by news of a murder that's clearly tied to that tragic day she'll never forget.
And the dreams are back, too. What dangers are they warning of this time? As Sarah and her friends dig into the history of the lodge and the McCaskill family, they uncover a legacy of secrets and make a discovery that gives a chilling new meaning to the dreams. Now, they can no longer ignore the ominous portents from the past that point to a danger more present than any of them could know.
Twenty-five years ago, during a celebratory weekend at historic Whitetail Lodge, Sarah McCaskill had a vision. A dream. A nightmare. When a young man was killed, Sarah's guilt over having ignored the warning in her dreams devastated her. Her friendships with her closest friends, and her sister, fell apart as she worked to build a new life in a new city. But she never stopped loving Whitetail Lodge on the shores of Bitterroot Lake.
Now that she's a young widow, her mother urges her to return to the lodge for healing. But when she arrives, she's greeted by an old friend--and by news of a murder that's clearly tied to that tragic day she'll never forget.
And the dreams are back, too. What dangers are they warning of this time? As Sarah and her friends dig into the history of the lodge and the McCaskill family, they uncover a legacy of secrets and make a discovery that gives a chilling new meaning to the dreams. Now, they can no longer ignore the ominous portents from the past that point to a danger more present than any of them could know.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 13, 2021
219 people are currently reading
647 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 197 reviews
March 10, 2021
Bitterroot Lake is a new release by an author I've previously read under a different pseudonym. I've enjoyed her lighter, amateur sleuth mystery series, which made it an easy decision to read this evolution into a darker, more suspenseful novel. To begin with, the cover is enchanting and inviting. Had I not known the author's identity, I still would've picked it up. Given the title, you know it has some lengthy history to cover, and there will be tons of hidden and not-so-hidden metaphors about character personalities and troubled pasts, right?
Sarah has tried to forget some of her past. As a teenager, one friend was attacked, another killed in a strange car accident. Of the two surviving victims, one became her husband... the other a much-disliked lawyer. When the lawyer turns up dead, and notes about the so-called accident come flooding back the week after Sarah's husband dies of cancer, nothing adds up. She's a widow in her 40s; her mother also lost her husband a few years ago, and now she wants to sell the family's childhood home, a large lakeside estate that could become a B&B.
The book has all the elements of a dark and complicated mystery. Multiple streams and stories run through the pages, connecting the past and the future. Sarah's 3 girlfriends reappear with letters stating that someone knows what happened years ago. What could it be? Unlike the author's other work, there isn't an amateur sleuth. Sarah is simply trying to grieve and process her husband's death while figuring out what happened to her life and friendships. Who is following her? Why the sudden urge to sell the home? And who is the woman appearing in a vision that has a connection to her grandparents and great-grandparents who originally built / enlarged the structure?
I appreciated the characterizations and settings in this book. It draws you in, painting a beautiful picture of an idyllic scene that has been tarnished by anger, revenge, and secrets. Sarah is well developed, but she's also ordinary... meaning relatable. Although she has a bit of money, she's first a mother and a widow... it's about overcoming pain and learning you might've been blind to the truth in the past. It's not a fast-paced suspense novel where you turn the pages to guess who killed the lawyer. I almost didn't care who killed him; I wanted to know about the ghost and how what seemed like a regular car accident could really be more.
The writing quality is strong. Some areas were a bit more descriptive than necessary, and it would've been elevated higher had the various stories / plots intersected a bit more. In some cases, I felt like there were details left out that might enhance the intrigue or suspense. Minor stuff. It shows the author can move into other genres and has a lot of promise to come for future books beyond her current series. I liked visiting Montana, which was new to me. It sounds like a stunning place. Thanks for a good read.
Sarah has tried to forget some of her past. As a teenager, one friend was attacked, another killed in a strange car accident. Of the two surviving victims, one became her husband... the other a much-disliked lawyer. When the lawyer turns up dead, and notes about the so-called accident come flooding back the week after Sarah's husband dies of cancer, nothing adds up. She's a widow in her 40s; her mother also lost her husband a few years ago, and now she wants to sell the family's childhood home, a large lakeside estate that could become a B&B.
The book has all the elements of a dark and complicated mystery. Multiple streams and stories run through the pages, connecting the past and the future. Sarah's 3 girlfriends reappear with letters stating that someone knows what happened years ago. What could it be? Unlike the author's other work, there isn't an amateur sleuth. Sarah is simply trying to grieve and process her husband's death while figuring out what happened to her life and friendships. Who is following her? Why the sudden urge to sell the home? And who is the woman appearing in a vision that has a connection to her grandparents and great-grandparents who originally built / enlarged the structure?
I appreciated the characterizations and settings in this book. It draws you in, painting a beautiful picture of an idyllic scene that has been tarnished by anger, revenge, and secrets. Sarah is well developed, but she's also ordinary... meaning relatable. Although she has a bit of money, she's first a mother and a widow... it's about overcoming pain and learning you might've been blind to the truth in the past. It's not a fast-paced suspense novel where you turn the pages to guess who killed the lawyer. I almost didn't care who killed him; I wanted to know about the ghost and how what seemed like a regular car accident could really be more.
The writing quality is strong. Some areas were a bit more descriptive than necessary, and it would've been elevated higher had the various stories / plots intersected a bit more. In some cases, I felt like there were details left out that might enhance the intrigue or suspense. Minor stuff. It shows the author can move into other genres and has a lot of promise to come for future books beyond her current series. I liked visiting Montana, which was new to me. It sounds like a stunning place. Thanks for a good read.
May 2, 2021
Bitterroot Lake by Alicia Beckman takes place for the most part at Whitehall Lodge in Montana, a property owned by McCaskills for many generations. Sarah McCaskill, recently widowed, goes back to the lodge from Seattle to quietly grieve for her husband. She soon realizes her sister and two old friends have also arrived at the lodge only to be told that a local lawyer who was a member of their group of friends twenty-five years ago has been murdered. The story takes the reader from the present day, to a quarter-century earlier, to many decades ago as well. Did the previous generations have secrets that will affect future descendants? What were these secrets? Who murdered the local lawyer? Will Sarah remain at the lodge for good or will she return to her home? Bitterroot Lake is a novel about secrets and they are revealed one by one, peeling back each layer ever so slowly. This is a wonderfully suspenseful mystery. Highly recommended. Thank you to Crooked Lane Books, NetGalley and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 12, 2021
This book was in between for me. It had all the elements I love in a good mystery book. Lots of intrigue, history and drama but for some reason it just dragged on for me and didn't hook me and keep me devouring it word for word. I know others loved it so it may have just been my reading slump kicking in and bad timing.
I was given an eARC by the publisher through NetGalley.
I was given an eARC by the publisher through NetGalley.
July 24, 2021
Author Leslie Budewitz is best known for her two cozy mystery series, the Spice Shop mysteries, which are set in Seattle, and the Food Lovers' Village mystery series which is set in the fictional town of Jewell Bay, Montana. Now, writing as Alicia Beckman, she ventures into the suspense genre with Bitterroot Lake, a novel featuring four female friends who drifted apart after a tragedy but who now reunite under difficult circumstances at the site of the incident that fractured their relationships.
The story unfolds principally from the viewpoint of Sarah McCaskill. For nearly a century, Sara's family has owned a sprawling complex called Whitetail Lodge on the shores of Bitterroot Lake in northwestern Montana. Twenty-five years ago, Sarah, her sister Holly, and two of their college friends, Janine and Nic, were celebrating at the lodge when Janine was sexually assaulted. Immediately thereafter, three young men who had been partying at the lodge with the women were in an auto accident which left one of the three men dead. The car's driver, Lucas Erickson, who was also the man who assaulted Janine, survived the accident and was never brought to account for either incident. But the events of that evening forever changed the relationships among the four women.
Fast-forward twenty-five years to the present day. Sarah, who lives in Seattle, has just been widowed and her mother convinces her that it would be excellent therapy for her to return home to Whitetail Lodge, which has been sitting empty for years. Upon her arrival, Sarah is startled to find Janine living in one of the guest cottages. Janine has led a troubled life and is also seeking refuge back in Montana.
Sarah is even more shocked to learn that Lucas Erickson, the man who brought so much misery into the lives of Janine and the other women, has just been murdered and that Sarah is most likely the prime suspect in the killing. At this news, Holly and Nic also return to Whitetail Lodge and the four women take the first tentative steps at healing their relationships while at the same time they attempt to protect Janine from being charged with murder.
The story simmers slowly in the beginning and then gathers pace, building to a great climax. This is a story about love and loss, about the relationships that matter most in our lives, and about the way in which history often reaches down to touch us in the present day. There's also a hint of paranormal activity in the book as the four women delve into their own pasts and into the history of Whitetail Lodge.
The book is smoothly written; the characters are finely drawn, and the setting is very well done. The author clearly knows the territory and writes about it in a way that will encourage even more tourists to make their way to northwestern Montana. As someone who has to fight the summer traffic in the Flathead Valley, I'm really not enamored of the idea, though it's probably not fair to blame the author for doing her job that well. All in all, Bitterroot Lake is a nice change of pace for Beckman/Budewitz.
The story unfolds principally from the viewpoint of Sarah McCaskill. For nearly a century, Sara's family has owned a sprawling complex called Whitetail Lodge on the shores of Bitterroot Lake in northwestern Montana. Twenty-five years ago, Sarah, her sister Holly, and two of their college friends, Janine and Nic, were celebrating at the lodge when Janine was sexually assaulted. Immediately thereafter, three young men who had been partying at the lodge with the women were in an auto accident which left one of the three men dead. The car's driver, Lucas Erickson, who was also the man who assaulted Janine, survived the accident and was never brought to account for either incident. But the events of that evening forever changed the relationships among the four women.
Fast-forward twenty-five years to the present day. Sarah, who lives in Seattle, has just been widowed and her mother convinces her that it would be excellent therapy for her to return home to Whitetail Lodge, which has been sitting empty for years. Upon her arrival, Sarah is startled to find Janine living in one of the guest cottages. Janine has led a troubled life and is also seeking refuge back in Montana.
Sarah is even more shocked to learn that Lucas Erickson, the man who brought so much misery into the lives of Janine and the other women, has just been murdered and that Sarah is most likely the prime suspect in the killing. At this news, Holly and Nic also return to Whitetail Lodge and the four women take the first tentative steps at healing their relationships while at the same time they attempt to protect Janine from being charged with murder.
The story simmers slowly in the beginning and then gathers pace, building to a great climax. This is a story about love and loss, about the relationships that matter most in our lives, and about the way in which history often reaches down to touch us in the present day. There's also a hint of paranormal activity in the book as the four women delve into their own pasts and into the history of Whitetail Lodge.
The book is smoothly written; the characters are finely drawn, and the setting is very well done. The author clearly knows the territory and writes about it in a way that will encourage even more tourists to make their way to northwestern Montana. As someone who has to fight the summer traffic in the Flathead Valley, I'm really not enamored of the idea, though it's probably not fair to blame the author for doing her job that well. All in all, Bitterroot Lake is a nice change of pace for Beckman/Budewitz.
dnf
August 30, 2022This is a Super Slow Moving Suspense Mystery/ Thriller. I really try to read this book, but I could not do it. I ended up DNFing this book at 35%. This book was moving so slow it could not keep me pulled into the story. I could not get into the storyline or the characters. If you like slow moving thrillers you may like this book, but I have to have a fast moving thriller/mystery to keep me pulled into the storyline. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Crooked Lane Books) or author (Alicia Beckman) via NetGalley, so I can give honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.
September 3, 2021
Sarah has returned to her hometown just a couple of weeks after her husband’s passing in order to help clean and inventory the family owned Whitetail Lodge. She expected to find cobwebs and hoarder caliber stuff to sort through. What she didn’t expect was to find her high school friend using the place as a hideout and another former schoolmate dead.
I noticed this author has quite a few cozy mysteries in at least a couple of different series. I need to try one of those - I think maybe I would have better luck. This wasn’t awful and I read it over the course of a couple of evenings, but it didn’t seem to quite know what it wanted to be. There was a lot going on with the rapey dead guy, potential ghosts, a secret society, the family business(es). It was just a bit all over the place. Good news is I never figured out whodunnit - bad news is it’s because I was looking for a darker outcome.
If you are like me getting your Fall reads all lined up and you too like the Hallmark mystery movies in front of the fireplace on a Sunday night, this might be a winner.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
April 14, 2021
After the death of her husband, Sarah McCaskill returns to Whitetail Lodge on the shores of Bitterroot Lake. It’s been over twenty years since her previous visit, due to an incident that separated her from her sister and friends. The recent murder of the person responsible leads to a convergence of that fallout and the history of the lodge. Sarah has dreams or are they visions, further complicating things? An interesting scenario is established but unfortunately, the story and characters are somewhat bland. Overall a disappointing saga that is only a two-star rating. With thanks to NetGalley and the author for a preview copy for review purposes. All opinions expressed herein are freely given and totally my own.
October 15, 2020
4 stars
Twenty-five years earlier an assault occurred and was followed by a tragic traffic accident. Sarah McCaskill was at the party that night and witnessed the events. She moved away from Whitetail Lodge on Bitterroot Lake after that.
Only days widowed, she returns at the request of her mother to set the old lodge, now pretty much abandoned, to rights. She will clean and make repairs. She finds an abandoned cat and adopts her. She also finds an old friend squatting in one of the cabins. Janine says she found Lucas' body shot to death. She is afraid she will be blamed. Lucas was the driver of the car in which the young man was killed. Now, Lucas has been shot to death in his attorney office.
This book has an element supernatural in it. Sarah identifies her “visitor” from an old picture she finds in one of her ancestor's photo albums, As she finally begins to talk about the visitations, she learns that she is not the only one who has seen the mysterious young woman. Anja was an employee of the lodge many, many years earlier. She died under somewhat mysterious circumstances.
This book is about the secrets that we all think we need to keep and the consequences of keeping secrets. What is the ultimate cost of them? How to they affect the family as a whole? In an understated manner, this book discusses the issue. Sarah worries too much and imagines things are not okay, when really they are. She seems perfectly normal to me, except for her little “visitations.” I think this is a good book. The reader learns enough about the major characters so that they become known, but it does not detract from the story line at all. We also get a smattering of the history behind the lodge, which I found interesting. I enjoyed this book. I look forward to checking out Ms. Beckman's next offering.
I want to thank NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for forwarding to me a copy of this good book for me to read, enjoy and review.
Twenty-five years earlier an assault occurred and was followed by a tragic traffic accident. Sarah McCaskill was at the party that night and witnessed the events. She moved away from Whitetail Lodge on Bitterroot Lake after that.
Only days widowed, she returns at the request of her mother to set the old lodge, now pretty much abandoned, to rights. She will clean and make repairs. She finds an abandoned cat and adopts her. She also finds an old friend squatting in one of the cabins. Janine says she found Lucas' body shot to death. She is afraid she will be blamed. Lucas was the driver of the car in which the young man was killed. Now, Lucas has been shot to death in his attorney office.
This book has an element supernatural in it. Sarah identifies her “visitor” from an old picture she finds in one of her ancestor's photo albums, As she finally begins to talk about the visitations, she learns that she is not the only one who has seen the mysterious young woman. Anja was an employee of the lodge many, many years earlier. She died under somewhat mysterious circumstances.
This book is about the secrets that we all think we need to keep and the consequences of keeping secrets. What is the ultimate cost of them? How to they affect the family as a whole? In an understated manner, this book discusses the issue. Sarah worries too much and imagines things are not okay, when really they are. She seems perfectly normal to me, except for her little “visitations.” I think this is a good book. The reader learns enough about the major characters so that they become known, but it does not detract from the story line at all. We also get a smattering of the history behind the lodge, which I found interesting. I enjoyed this book. I look forward to checking out Ms. Beckman's next offering.
I want to thank NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for forwarding to me a copy of this good book for me to read, enjoy and review.
April 17, 2021
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Sarah lost her husband to cancer and her mother encourages her to come home to the lodge to help her make some decisions. The lodge holds a lot of heartbreaking history. Twenty-five years ago a weekend turned deadly and ripped Sarah and her closest friends including her sister apart. The fact that Sarah had a dream that could have changed the weekend’s outcome still haunts her today.
Sarah does return to the lodge and the dreams along with her friends are back too. Another person connected to that weekend is killed and one of the friends becomes a prime suspect. While trying to prove her innocence the group of women delve into the history of the lodge and the family that owns it. What they uncover changes everything. Danger lurks nearby as they try to make sense of everything they learn.
What a fabulous cover, it drew me to the book before I ever read the synopsis of the story. Learning that the author was one of my cozy mystery faves made my desire to read it even stronger.
This is a very complex mystery with a lot of threads that entwine in and out with each other. I enjoyed the bit of paranormal included within the pages as it really enhanced the story and gave it some new depth. I liked the lodge setting and all the treasures found within.
Sarah is dealing with so much and this reunion truly tests her but she needs answers. She is grieving, counting the days since her husband’s death but her visions need to be explained along with learning what she may have missed all those years ago. I was drawn to Sarah, she was very relatable and felt genuine to me. All the characters she interacted with developed nicely over the course of the story too. They all have their flaws which make them believable.
This is a story you can not just plow through to find the killer, in fact, that turns out to be a minor part of the story. There is a lot of nuance in these pages. There are situations that could be called chilling and there are situations that really drive the story forward. I found the way the author blended history with modern-day incredible and the part secrets play through both periods very intriguing. From an attempted rape to the loss of a loved one and broken friendships this book will hit readers on many levels. There were a couple of areas where I thought the text needed to be tightened up because the flow seemed a little off but these instances were few and far between.
Bitterroot Lake lets the author explore a darker mystery than she can in the cozy realm and she excelled at it. As this is a stand-alone title we will not meet these characters again but I am very interested in where Ms. Beckman takes us in the future.
Sarah lost her husband to cancer and her mother encourages her to come home to the lodge to help her make some decisions. The lodge holds a lot of heartbreaking history. Twenty-five years ago a weekend turned deadly and ripped Sarah and her closest friends including her sister apart. The fact that Sarah had a dream that could have changed the weekend’s outcome still haunts her today.
Sarah does return to the lodge and the dreams along with her friends are back too. Another person connected to that weekend is killed and one of the friends becomes a prime suspect. While trying to prove her innocence the group of women delve into the history of the lodge and the family that owns it. What they uncover changes everything. Danger lurks nearby as they try to make sense of everything they learn.
What a fabulous cover, it drew me to the book before I ever read the synopsis of the story. Learning that the author was one of my cozy mystery faves made my desire to read it even stronger.
This is a very complex mystery with a lot of threads that entwine in and out with each other. I enjoyed the bit of paranormal included within the pages as it really enhanced the story and gave it some new depth. I liked the lodge setting and all the treasures found within.
Sarah is dealing with so much and this reunion truly tests her but she needs answers. She is grieving, counting the days since her husband’s death but her visions need to be explained along with learning what she may have missed all those years ago. I was drawn to Sarah, she was very relatable and felt genuine to me. All the characters she interacted with developed nicely over the course of the story too. They all have their flaws which make them believable.
This is a story you can not just plow through to find the killer, in fact, that turns out to be a minor part of the story. There is a lot of nuance in these pages. There are situations that could be called chilling and there are situations that really drive the story forward. I found the way the author blended history with modern-day incredible and the part secrets play through both periods very intriguing. From an attempted rape to the loss of a loved one and broken friendships this book will hit readers on many levels. There were a couple of areas where I thought the text needed to be tightened up because the flow seemed a little off but these instances were few and far between.
Bitterroot Lake lets the author explore a darker mystery than she can in the cozy realm and she excelled at it. As this is a stand-alone title we will not meet these characters again but I am very interested in where Ms. Beckman takes us in the future.
May 1, 2021
Read my full review and view link to spoilers here: https://www.howdidthatbookend.com/bit...
I’m a sucker for books that take place at run-down houses that the MC is renovating. The setting of this thriller in a run-down lakeside lodge with lots of history was perfect. I loved Caro’s journals and hearing about the other items Sarah and her friends uncovered during their renovations.
I’ve never been a huge fan of paranormal themes in my thrillers, so the whole idea of a ghost giving Sarah and others dreams of what was to come was a little woo-woo for me. Interesting, just not my normal preferred explanation of why strange things are happening. I prefer real-life explanations!
Overall, this was an interesting slow-burn mystery, my first by this author. I listened to it on audio, which helped me get through some of the slower passages. I enjoyed the narrator and thought her voice was a great fit for these characters and this story.
I’m a sucker for books that take place at run-down houses that the MC is renovating. The setting of this thriller in a run-down lakeside lodge with lots of history was perfect. I loved Caro’s journals and hearing about the other items Sarah and her friends uncovered during their renovations.
I’ve never been a huge fan of paranormal themes in my thrillers, so the whole idea of a ghost giving Sarah and others dreams of what was to come was a little woo-woo for me. Interesting, just not my normal preferred explanation of why strange things are happening. I prefer real-life explanations!
Overall, this was an interesting slow-burn mystery, my first by this author. I listened to it on audio, which helped me get through some of the slower passages. I enjoyed the narrator and thought her voice was a great fit for these characters and this story.
January 16, 2021
Bitterroot Lake
“When four women separated by tragedy reunite at a lakeside Montana lodge, murder forces them to confront everything they thought they knew about the terrifying accident that tore them apart.”
This was such a great and emotional read. It covered so many topics such as attempted rape, murder, mental healing, death of a loved one, and fixing friendships. Thank you to crooked lane books for this digital copy to read and review, and thank you to NetGalley for your amazing platform!
This story follows Sarah, whose husband had just recently passed. She heads to the family lodge she grew up around that has so much history and so many memories. When she arrives at the lodge, she finds an old friend, Janine hiding out there. It comes out that she went to confront a man who ruined their lives and found him dead. Sarah and Janine know they will pin the killing on her. A very tragic situation took place in these ladies lives and the whole gang of friends reunite to help Janine and figure out what happened. During all this craziness, Sarah begins having dreams about a woman walking to the lake. As she dives into the history of the lodge she realizes all the things that have happened and what people have gone through in the years.
This is a hard book to review without giving away spoilers so I tried my best. This book will be released in April so you should totally add this to your carts or your TBR list!
#justonemorechapter #crookedlanebooks #netgalley #bitterrootlake #digitalarc #digitalbook #januaryreads #saturdaymorningreads #bookaddict #bookobsessed #bookjourney #2021books
“When four women separated by tragedy reunite at a lakeside Montana lodge, murder forces them to confront everything they thought they knew about the terrifying accident that tore them apart.”
This was such a great and emotional read. It covered so many topics such as attempted rape, murder, mental healing, death of a loved one, and fixing friendships. Thank you to crooked lane books for this digital copy to read and review, and thank you to NetGalley for your amazing platform!
This story follows Sarah, whose husband had just recently passed. She heads to the family lodge she grew up around that has so much history and so many memories. When she arrives at the lodge, she finds an old friend, Janine hiding out there. It comes out that she went to confront a man who ruined their lives and found him dead. Sarah and Janine know they will pin the killing on her. A very tragic situation took place in these ladies lives and the whole gang of friends reunite to help Janine and figure out what happened. During all this craziness, Sarah begins having dreams about a woman walking to the lake. As she dives into the history of the lodge she realizes all the things that have happened and what people have gone through in the years.
This is a hard book to review without giving away spoilers so I tried my best. This book will be released in April so you should totally add this to your carts or your TBR list!
#justonemorechapter #crookedlanebooks #netgalley #bitterrootlake #digitalarc #digitalbook #januaryreads #saturdaymorningreads #bookaddict #bookobsessed #bookjourney #2021books
June 9, 2021
The story is a slow-moving mystery with an interesting premise. Sarah is the story’s narrator and she is defensive with a bit of a hair trigger temper. The isolated setting provides a spooky backdrop for the women to try to mend the rifts in their relationships. The busy storyline is occasionally a bit confusing and Lucas’s murder gets lost among the other dramas playing out. With the pacing picking up,. The author does a fantastic job of bringing the mystery to a satisfying conclusion. Mystery & suspense fans will love it as will those that like a bit of the paranormal in their stories.
February 16, 2021
An intriguing spin on the "I know what you did" story entwined with a multitude of suspects and suspicion due to an abundance of secrets between the main characters leads to a plot that will keep you turning pages and trying to figure out who the real villain is. Well written and great characters with strengths, weaknesses and flaws that make them all the more real. I absolutely can't wait to read more of this authors books as this one was a first for me.
April 13, 2021
This was disappointing for me…it was slow-moving with characters I couldn’t connect with. There’s was just too much unnecessary information with not enough action. It was not a page-turner for me.
January 26, 2021
This is one of those books that has all the ingredients I love in a book (a murder, a ghost, a creepy old lodge!) but I just couldn't connect with it and I can't put my finger on why. It centers on Sarah and is told primarily from her point of view. Sarah lost touch with her group of friends after an incident in their early 20s and returned to her family's Montana lodge 20+ years later after her husband dies from cancer, only to be faced with the murder of the guy who caused all the fallout all those years ago.
The author spent more time developing Sarah's character than the other characters and I thought she was likeable, but just didn't really connect with her. There was a lot of time and words spent on the history of the lodge and the old owners, and I wish that there would have been less of that and more of getting to know the current characters.
When the mystery between both the murder and the history of the lodge were solved, they were unexpectedly, but honestly I just wasn't that invested.
Overall, I really can't decide why I wasn't into this book- the only thing I can put it down to is just too much bland detail and not enough action, even though all the pieces were there. I don't know that I will read another book from this author. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The author spent more time developing Sarah's character than the other characters and I thought she was likeable, but just didn't really connect with her. There was a lot of time and words spent on the history of the lodge and the old owners, and I wish that there would have been less of that and more of getting to know the current characters.
When the mystery between both the murder and the history of the lodge were solved, they were unexpectedly, but honestly I just wasn't that invested.
Overall, I really can't decide why I wasn't into this book- the only thing I can put it down to is just too much bland detail and not enough action, even though all the pieces were there. I don't know that I will read another book from this author. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 18, 2021
When four women separated by tragedy reunite at lakeside Montana lodge, murder forces them to confront everything they thought they knew about the terrifying accident that tore them apart.
Thank you Netgallery for this book, in exchange for an honest review. This is my own opinion, others may like this story more than I did. I just felt it was very slow, and I couldn’t get into it.
Thank you Netgallery for this book, in exchange for an honest review. This is my own opinion, others may like this story more than I did. I just felt it was very slow, and I couldn’t get into it.
December 28, 2020
Twenty-five years ago four friends and roommates (Sarah, her sister Holly, Nicole and Janine) vacation at Whitetail Lodge. One of the girls was assaulted by one of the young men in their group. The other guys come to her defense and chased the guilty guy by jumping in a car and then there is a terrible accident that left one dead.
Now: Sarah McCaskill Carter is 47 and a young widow, he husband Jeremy recently died of cancer. Although Sarah is still grieving she returns to her family’s summer home Whitetail Lodge in Montana near Bitterroot Lake to help prepare for the summer guests. She finds Janine in one of the cabins and she is terrified as she received a letter undated and unsigned.
“Only you know the truth of what happened twenty-five years ago.
Only you can decide what to do.”
Lucas who was driving the car twenty-five years, and is found shot! Janine is assumed to be guilt. She was the one who was assaulted years ago and blamed for the death as most feel she was a tease.
Hmm so she was asking for it?????
Story is told mainly from Sarah POV; it deals with secrets and is slow burn suspense. I did love the description of this small Montana village so it kept me reading. Always like twists and turns.
Love the Author’s note and Acknowledgements. Mrs. Beckman tells us that beautiful Bitterroot Lake, Deer Park, and Whitetail Lodge are from her imagination. However, in her research she was drawn to the historic lodges
Want to thank NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this early release granted to me in exchange for an honest professional review. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Publishing Release Date scheduled April 13, 2021
Now: Sarah McCaskill Carter is 47 and a young widow, he husband Jeremy recently died of cancer. Although Sarah is still grieving she returns to her family’s summer home Whitetail Lodge in Montana near Bitterroot Lake to help prepare for the summer guests. She finds Janine in one of the cabins and she is terrified as she received a letter undated and unsigned.
“Only you know the truth of what happened twenty-five years ago.
Only you can decide what to do.”
Lucas who was driving the car twenty-five years, and is found shot! Janine is assumed to be guilt. She was the one who was assaulted years ago and blamed for the death as most feel she was a tease.
Hmm so she was asking for it?????
Story is told mainly from Sarah POV; it deals with secrets and is slow burn suspense. I did love the description of this small Montana village so it kept me reading. Always like twists and turns.
Love the Author’s note and Acknowledgements. Mrs. Beckman tells us that beautiful Bitterroot Lake, Deer Park, and Whitetail Lodge are from her imagination. However, in her research she was drawn to the historic lodges
Want to thank NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this early release granted to me in exchange for an honest professional review. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Publishing Release Date scheduled April 13, 2021
March 10, 2021
Sarah has arrived back at her family’s lodge to seek answers. Many years before an accident changed everything. But now one of the people from that tragedy is dead. Who killed him and is it the same person who is lurking about? I liked the story. I thought all the characters were good and easy to believe. The mystery aspect was a little shallow, but not a deterrent. What I liked the best is the setting in Montana. Books about the west beckon me and this one was no different. Perhaps Bitterroot Lake should be your next reading destination. Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the advance read.
April 8, 2021
This story started out so slowly that I considered not finishing it but since it's audio, I soldiered on. The last 20 % the story finally picks up, and Sarah FINALLY stops cleaning (which there is an abundance of through most of the book). The ending was worth it but it takes a lot to get through all the cleaning and the repetitive inner monologue about why no one likes her. I understand that she's grieving the death of her husband but it starts to grate on your nerves when it's all she whines about.
I received a copy from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
#BitterrootLake #NetGalley
I received a copy from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
#BitterrootLake #NetGalley
September 15, 2021
Alicia Beckman takes you on an atmospheric journey into women's lives at an old Montana lodge. Questions and crimes from the past reappear when Sarah McCaskill returns to the site of events that happened twenty-five years earlier.
Beckman is a master author under her Leslie Budewitz nom de plume, and this brilliantly told veer into a darker, more suspenseful story does not disappoint. I can't wait for the next installment about Sarah and the women in her life. I highly recommend this book.
Beckman is a master author under her Leslie Budewitz nom de plume, and this brilliantly told veer into a darker, more suspenseful story does not disappoint. I can't wait for the next installment about Sarah and the women in her life. I highly recommend this book.
March 17, 2021
Giving this one 4 stars...I will be reviewing this one for The Library Journal.
April 25, 2021
After Sarah's husband dies, her mother asks her to come back to the family's lodge at Bitterroot Lake. Sarah has made only quick visits to the lodge since a friend died 25 years ago in a tragic accident she feels partially responsible for, and she lost touch with her other close friends from that time. Upon Sarah's return, she is greeted by her old friend Jeanine and the news of a murder related to that accident from 25 years ago. Sarah's dreams are giving her warnings of more danger ahead. As Sarah, her family, and friends clean out the lodge, they discover an old family heritage related to the dreams. Can Sarah figure out what the dreams are telling her to avoid more tragedy?
I loved hearing about the family's/lodge's history and would have been happy to have an entire book just related to that. I also liked Sarah and her friends reuniting and coming to terms with what happened 25 years ago. The murder seemed fairly obvious to me who was responsible from almost the beginning, so the suspense wasn't really there for me, just waiting for the characters to catch up with what I knew. It took a while to get attached to the characters, and the second half was more intriguing than the first.
Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an audio ARC of this book.
I loved hearing about the family's/lodge's history and would have been happy to have an entire book just related to that. I also liked Sarah and her friends reuniting and coming to terms with what happened 25 years ago. The murder seemed fairly obvious to me who was responsible from almost the beginning, so the suspense wasn't really there for me, just waiting for the characters to catch up with what I knew. It took a while to get attached to the characters, and the second half was more intriguing than the first.
Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an audio ARC of this book.
April 30, 2021
BITTERROOT LAKE, by Alicia Beckman, has an intriguing premise with its long-ago tragedy that tore family and friends apart, a ghost that seems to haunt an old family lodge, and a current day murder that is tied into the past. That said, it starts out slow, and I felt like the protagonist, newly widowed Sarah McCaskill, was overly repetitious in telling the reader how much she missed her husband. It added to the slowness of the pace. However, once the story began unfolding and the suspense began building, my attention was captured and I began enjoying the book. Ms. Beckman does an admirable job of weaving in seemingly random threads to the story until a cohesive plot with several twists I didn’t see coming, revealed themselves. Writing cozy mysteries under a different name, Ms. Beckman knows how to pen descriptive settings, and as such, the details provided helped me visualize the location of the story as well as the characters. Narrator, Linda Jones, was splendid in capturing the voice of the protagonist and I thought she added to the overall enjoyment of the book.
I was provided with an advance audiobook copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I was provided with an advance audiobook copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
June 9, 2021
An intriguing spin on the "I know what you did" story entwined with a multitude of suspects and suspicion due to an abundance of secrets between the main characters leads to a plot that will keep you turning pages and trying to figure out who the real villain is. Well written and great characters with strengths, weaknesses and flaws that make them all the more real. I absolutely can't wait to read more of this authors books as this one was a first for me.
April 23, 2021
I love stories that take place in an isolated setting, a character who is struggling with their past, a group of friends who haven’t been together in ages, a murder mystery, and maybe ghosts!
It’s my sweet spot and Bitterroot Lake checks all those boxes.
Centering around a dynamic cast of women, several stories unfold: a tragic night 25 years ago amongst our reunited friends, a widow working through her recent loss, a small town murder, and the history of the lakeside lodge where everything unfolds. The rich history the land and lodge hold were so compelling I completely forgot about the murder mystery.
Bitterroot Lake is about family, friendships, and the bonds of women. It’s a great engrossing read.
Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the audiobook copy.
It’s my sweet spot and Bitterroot Lake checks all those boxes.
Centering around a dynamic cast of women, several stories unfold: a tragic night 25 years ago amongst our reunited friends, a widow working through her recent loss, a small town murder, and the history of the lakeside lodge where everything unfolds. The rich history the land and lodge hold were so compelling I completely forgot about the murder mystery.
Bitterroot Lake is about family, friendships, and the bonds of women. It’s a great engrossing read.
Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the audiobook copy.
May 12, 2021
Twenty-five years ago a weekend turned deadly and ripped Sarah McCaskill Carter and her closest friends worlds apart, including her sister's. At that time, Sarah had a dream that could have changed the weekend’s outcome and this still haunts her. When Sarah's husband dies of cancer, she returns to Bitterroot Lake as her mother who lost her husband a few years ago, now wants to sell the family's childhood home, a large lakeside estate.
Bitterroot Lake was suspenseful and dark and the characters well-drawn, particularly Sarah, whom I found relatable. There was a fantastic flow to Alicia Beckman’s writing which was extremely appealing. The steady pacing allowed me to fully appreciate the story with no dips in concentration. It drew me in as the author painted a picture of a glorious setting in Montana though tainted with secrets. The mystery itself was interesting with its multiple strands, highlighting some issues including overcoming loss and dealing with pain and tragedy. A compulsively readable thriller and I await the next by Alicia Beckman.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
Bitterroot Lake was suspenseful and dark and the characters well-drawn, particularly Sarah, whom I found relatable. There was a fantastic flow to Alicia Beckman’s writing which was extremely appealing. The steady pacing allowed me to fully appreciate the story with no dips in concentration. It drew me in as the author painted a picture of a glorious setting in Montana though tainted with secrets. The mystery itself was interesting with its multiple strands, highlighting some issues including overcoming loss and dealing with pain and tragedy. A compulsively readable thriller and I await the next by Alicia Beckman.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
April 15, 2021
The melodrama of the first few chapters mixed in with the exhausting detail of the surrounding landscapes made this book practically unreadable. I made it 13 chapters before I had to give up from frustration of the constant allusions to past events that were directly affecting the plotline. Good stories use this tactic successfully to drive a thriller, this book only proved to irritate me with its midlife crisis histrionics and abstruseness.
December 8, 2020
It was hard to get into the story. It sounded like a good slow burn novel but it really dragged for me. The characters are well developed but I didn't are about them which took away from the story. On the plus side, everything came together at the end
December 15, 2020
You can find this review and all of my others over at www.readbookrepeat.wordpress.com
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, and the author via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Seventeen days. It's been seventeen days since Sarah's husband passed away. Seventeen days since her life changed in a way that she still can't understand, yet. Her mother suggested she return to the family homestead at Bitterroot Lake. That cataloguing and cleaning the lodge will give her purpose, help keep her busy, keep her moving. What Sarah doesn't expect when she arrives at the lodge, is her friend Janine whom she hasn't seen in a long while. Another thing that comes as a shock is the murder. Twenty five years ago, Sarah had a dream that she brushed off as nothing, until a young man died and Sarah felt responsible for not speaking up. Now, back at the lodge, the dreams have returned, though a man was already dead before they started. What could the dreams possibly be trying to warn her about now?
I was expecting a psychological thriller when I requested this, and that's not what I got, but I'm not even mad at it because it was an entertaining read that had a lot going on.
Sarah's husband has recently passed away and she heads back to Whitetail lodge on Bitterroot lake to get away for a bit and try and work through her grief, what she finds when she gets there is anything but a quiet space to do anything though. Her friend Janine, whom she hasn't kept in contact with and their friendship has drifted a bit, is in one of the cabins and is freaking out because she thinks she's going to be the one pinned for a murder, but she claims it wasn't her. Enter Sarah's sister, Holly and their other friend Nic, and the old gang is back together. This brings up old grievances and makes the story not just a mystery with paranormal connotations, but a story about love, friendship, and grief and how you have to work at all of them. It's a real well rounded book and covers a lot of stuff. I loved that there was the touch of possible paranormal/supernatural stuff like the dreams Sarah was having as well as the pennies she keeps finding. Though these are never really cleared up as such, they're left open to the readers interpretation which I feel work great for this story.
I found this to be a slow burn and I'll admit, it did take me a while to read, but I don't think that was due to pacing issues, I feel like it may have just been because I feel like I haven't really had a moment to myself lately. What I will say though, even though I did enjoy the story enough, it didn't really grip me and keep me needing to know what was going to happen. Yeah the mystery itself kept me going because I wanted to know who the murderer was, but nothing else really grabbed me, which is a shame, because there were some fantastic ideas here and I honestly do think they were done well, I just feel like this book may have not been for me. I feel like I may have ruined it for myself by expecting it to be more towards the psychological thriller side of things than just a straight mystery. I did feel like the murder itself kind of took a backseat to everything else, once the mystery of the girl in Sarah's dreams started, and then the friends started uncovering more about the history of their family lodge, the mystery of that side of the story became a front runner. So in the end, the conclusion of everything felt a teeny bit rushed and the murder really did feel like it had taken a backseat to everything else, it almost felt like an afterthought for me. And I was super curious about the cat....what was with the cat! I loved the addition of said cat, but I'm left with questions about her, was there a hidden meaning connected to her?? I NEED TO KNOWWWW!
I don't want to say too much about the story because the blurb doesn't really give much away, so I don't want to either. All I'll say is it was a mystery, not just of the whodunnit kind, but incorporated a mystery connected to the history of the place itself. It was also a story that really touched on the importance of friendships and how miscommunications can happen so easily, and how not saying something can scream so much louder than any words you could have voiced. It's about a family trying to deal with their grief over a recently lost loved one, as well as grieving so many other things as well. I almost feel like this could go into women's fiction, if I'm honest.
The characters were likeable enough, and I don't really have much to say about them other than they were well written, and their relationships were clear and expansive. I feel like there was so much more that could have been looked into in the writing of this book, but then it may have been too long. The story is definitely plot driven rather than character driven, at least for me it was. Nothing really stands out about any of the characters as a whole.
So final thoughts: This was an alright book. I did enjoy the story, but probably wouldn't pick it up again. I'd definitely check out more from the author as I found her narrative to be lyrical with a steady flow which really helped put you in the story. If you like a mystery with character development and growth between the relationships, give it a shot.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, and the author via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Seventeen days. It's been seventeen days since Sarah's husband passed away. Seventeen days since her life changed in a way that she still can't understand, yet. Her mother suggested she return to the family homestead at Bitterroot Lake. That cataloguing and cleaning the lodge will give her purpose, help keep her busy, keep her moving. What Sarah doesn't expect when she arrives at the lodge, is her friend Janine whom she hasn't seen in a long while. Another thing that comes as a shock is the murder. Twenty five years ago, Sarah had a dream that she brushed off as nothing, until a young man died and Sarah felt responsible for not speaking up. Now, back at the lodge, the dreams have returned, though a man was already dead before they started. What could the dreams possibly be trying to warn her about now?
I was expecting a psychological thriller when I requested this, and that's not what I got, but I'm not even mad at it because it was an entertaining read that had a lot going on.
Sarah's husband has recently passed away and she heads back to Whitetail lodge on Bitterroot lake to get away for a bit and try and work through her grief, what she finds when she gets there is anything but a quiet space to do anything though. Her friend Janine, whom she hasn't kept in contact with and their friendship has drifted a bit, is in one of the cabins and is freaking out because she thinks she's going to be the one pinned for a murder, but she claims it wasn't her. Enter Sarah's sister, Holly and their other friend Nic, and the old gang is back together. This brings up old grievances and makes the story not just a mystery with paranormal connotations, but a story about love, friendship, and grief and how you have to work at all of them. It's a real well rounded book and covers a lot of stuff. I loved that there was the touch of possible paranormal/supernatural stuff like the dreams Sarah was having as well as the pennies she keeps finding. Though these are never really cleared up as such, they're left open to the readers interpretation which I feel work great for this story.
I found this to be a slow burn and I'll admit, it did take me a while to read, but I don't think that was due to pacing issues, I feel like it may have just been because I feel like I haven't really had a moment to myself lately. What I will say though, even though I did enjoy the story enough, it didn't really grip me and keep me needing to know what was going to happen. Yeah the mystery itself kept me going because I wanted to know who the murderer was, but nothing else really grabbed me, which is a shame, because there were some fantastic ideas here and I honestly do think they were done well, I just feel like this book may have not been for me. I feel like I may have ruined it for myself by expecting it to be more towards the psychological thriller side of things than just a straight mystery. I did feel like the murder itself kind of took a backseat to everything else, once the mystery of the girl in Sarah's dreams started, and then the friends started uncovering more about the history of their family lodge, the mystery of that side of the story became a front runner. So in the end, the conclusion of everything felt a teeny bit rushed and the murder really did feel like it had taken a backseat to everything else, it almost felt like an afterthought for me. And I was super curious about the cat....what was with the cat! I loved the addition of said cat, but I'm left with questions about her, was there a hidden meaning connected to her?? I NEED TO KNOWWWW!
I don't want to say too much about the story because the blurb doesn't really give much away, so I don't want to either. All I'll say is it was a mystery, not just of the whodunnit kind, but incorporated a mystery connected to the history of the place itself. It was also a story that really touched on the importance of friendships and how miscommunications can happen so easily, and how not saying something can scream so much louder than any words you could have voiced. It's about a family trying to deal with their grief over a recently lost loved one, as well as grieving so many other things as well. I almost feel like this could go into women's fiction, if I'm honest.
The characters were likeable enough, and I don't really have much to say about them other than they were well written, and their relationships were clear and expansive. I feel like there was so much more that could have been looked into in the writing of this book, but then it may have been too long. The story is definitely plot driven rather than character driven, at least for me it was. Nothing really stands out about any of the characters as a whole.
So final thoughts: This was an alright book. I did enjoy the story, but probably wouldn't pick it up again. I'd definitely check out more from the author as I found her narrative to be lyrical with a steady flow which really helped put you in the story. If you like a mystery with character development and growth between the relationships, give it a shot.
April 12, 2021
2 stars
This book is written by Alicia Beckman and Leslie Budewitz.
I am sorry to say that I never got into this book. I couldn’t find a comfortable rhythm and none of the characters seemed to resonate with me or grab my attention enough to keep the through-line through the book. It does jump around a lot which kind of brakes the reader’s concentration to focus on another character set and keep these sets separate from each other.
This is a long complex storyline that brings four women together and then a murder happens to further complicate things.
The cover drew me in. I definitely picked it up because of the cover but I just could not find my groove with it. The descriptions were too long and the jumping around from character set to character set had me frustrated. I wish the author would have focused on one group and told the story through them. Maybe if this was on tv it would make more sense.
Overall it was just an okay read for me.
I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title. Opinions are completely my own.
This book is written by Alicia Beckman and Leslie Budewitz.
I am sorry to say that I never got into this book. I couldn’t find a comfortable rhythm and none of the characters seemed to resonate with me or grab my attention enough to keep the through-line through the book. It does jump around a lot which kind of brakes the reader’s concentration to focus on another character set and keep these sets separate from each other.
This is a long complex storyline that brings four women together and then a murder happens to further complicate things.
The cover drew me in. I definitely picked it up because of the cover but I just could not find my groove with it. The descriptions were too long and the jumping around from character set to character set had me frustrated. I wish the author would have focused on one group and told the story through them. Maybe if this was on tv it would make more sense.
Overall it was just an okay read for me.
I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title. Opinions are completely my own.
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