Dcery jezera

by Wendy Webb

Poté, co jí ztroskotá manželství, odjíždí se Kate Grangerová vzpamatovat do domu svých rodičů na břehu Hořejšího jezera. Krátce nato však v místních mělčinách objeví tělo zavražděné ženy. V záhybech podivně staromódních šatů, jež má oběť na sobě, objeví Kate zabalené nemluvně. Je stejně chladné a pokojné jako jeho matka.
Totožnost ženy nikdo nezná, tedy kromě Kate. Ženu už totiž viděla. Ve svých snech…
O sto let dříve skončil jeden milostný příběh tragédií, kterou se nikdy nepodařilo objasnit. Nadešel čas, aby jezero odhalilo svá tajemství. Jak jednotlivé záhady postupně vyplouvají na povrch, Kate se naopak noří stále hlouběji do víru děsivé legendy, která se šeptem předává z generace na generaci. Na Kate nyní je, aby objasnila a napravila hrozivá pochybení, ke kterým došlo v dávné minulosti…

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Gothic, Horror, Thriller, Historical Fiction, Paranormal

320 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2018

About the author

WENDY WEBB's novels are mysteries about long-buried family secrets, set in big, old haunted houses on the Great Lakes.

THE END OF TEMPERANCE DARE (2017, Lake Union) is set in a former tuberculosis sanatorium on Lake Superior, now a renowned retreat for artists and writers. When Eleanor Harper takes the helm as its new director and her first batch of visiting artists arrives, she begins to suspect this isn't going to be the restful retreat she thought it might be.

THE VANISHING (2014, Hyperion) is the story of Julia Bishop, who takes a job as a companion for a famous novelist, who the entire world thinks is dead. When she travels to the novelist's remote estate, she begins to suspect her too-good-to-be-true job offer is exactly that.

THE FATE OF MERCY ALBAN (2013, Hyperion) is an Indie bestseller. It's the story of Grace Alban, who returns home after 20 years when her mother dies under questionable circumstances on the very day she (the mother) planned to reveal the truth about a tragedy that occurred during a party at Alban House long ago. A packet of old love letters and a lost manuscript by a famous novelist lead Grace to the haunted truth about what really happened that day.

Wendy's first novel, THE TALE OF HALCYON CRANE (2010, Holt) was an IndieNext Pick, a Great Lakes Great Reads Pick and a Midwest Connections Pick. It won the prestigious Minnesota Book Award for genre fiction in 2011, and was a finalist for Le Livre de Poche's Prix des Lecteurs award in France in 2012.

A longtime journalist, Wendy lives in Minnesota.

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am so sad to say that I found this one disappointing.

When I saw the cover it was love at first sight and the synopsis was very intriguing. Sadly, that is where my enjoyment ends.

This book is a slow burn. Very slow. I started skimming even before hitting the 20% mark. That is never a good sign. I found because of the slow pace I just couldn't become invested in the *multiple* (too many) characters.

Also, the ending fell completely flat for me. I can suspend disbelief but not to that extent.

I'm an outlier so if you are a fan of the author or love slow gothic romance / mystery with little in the way of suspense then this may be a perfect read for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Larry H · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm between 4 and 4.5 stars.

"Some stories, especially peculiar, hidden ones involving murder and mystery, have a way of bubbling to the surface, especially when wrongs need to be righted. They make themselves heard despite efforts to keep them silent. All in the proper time. And now was the proper time."

Kate's life is in total upheaval. Her marriage is over, since she discovered her husband had cheated on her, and as if that weren't enough, they had worked together, so she had no desire to go back to her job. With nowhere else to turn, she retreats to her parents' home on Lake Superior, in an effort to pull herself and her life together.

Being home with her parents soothes her, but she can't seem to explain the weird dreams she's having, where she is actually someone else—another woman, in fact—as she sees the woman's face instead of hers, hears her voice, even interacts with the woman's husband. When one quiet day in her hometown a body washes up on the shore of the lake, Kate is absolutely shocked to discover it's the body of the woman from her dreams. And inexplicably, Kate is the one who realizes that there was an infant snuggled close to the woman's body, but she doesn't understand how she could have known that.

Once she is able to (mostly) convince the local police she shouldn't be considered a suspect in these murders, Kate is desperate to figure out the identity of the woman, and why she is appearing in her dreams. The deeper she delves into this mystery, the stranger things become, and when she goes to visit her cousin, who runs an inn in the historic house her grandmother once lived in, she makes even more shocking discoveries—which inexplicably are taking both a physical and a mental toll on her.

Who was the woman that died? What happened to her? How can anyone explain the physical and emotional ways this mystery seems to be manifesting itself in Kate? Are these merely reactions to Kate's own emotional stress, or are there actual spirits that are trying to help her—or hinder her—from uncovering the truth? It's going to take the help of Kate's cousin Simon as well as a handsome police detective to get to the bottom of this, and save Kate from possible danger.

I'm being a little vague in my description of the plot because I went into this book knowing nothing and I think it really enhanced my enjoyment of the story. I thought Daughters of the Lake was a great read—a little bit bizarre, a little bit gothic, a little bit melodramatic, and utterly compelling. I wondered how Wendy Webb would pull everything off, and it certainly required some suspension of disbelief, but it didn't detract from the appeal of this story.

I've never read anything by Webb before, and in fact simply stumbled over the book on Amazon the other night, but I was totally impressed and enjoyed this from start to finish. Apparently she's been called the "Queen of the Northern Gothic," and I absolutely loved the setting of this book, so I'll have to check some of her other books out. She's a terrific storyteller, one who knows how to ratchet up suspense while drawing you in completely to her characters.

This is partly a mystery, partly a love story, partly a novel about the secrets that families and towns keep hidden. I could totally see this as a fun and campy movie-of-the-week or something like this, but it's a completely enjoyable read to boot.

Amazon First Reads and Lake Union Publishing provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!

See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com, or check out my list of the best books I read in 2017 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2017.html.

[Debra - can't post any comments on site today grrr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate Granger returns to her parent's home on Lake Superior upon learning that her husband was having an affair. She hopes to use the time there to think about her life and start over. Unfortunately, one morning along with her father and her father's friend, Johnny, she came across the body of a young woman on the shores of the lake. What is most shocking to Kate, is that she recognizes the woman from dreams she has been having. Not only does she recognize the woman, she somehow knows that there is a baby tucked in the folds of her nightgown. Kate's reaction to seeing the woman's body and finding the baby, make her a possible suspect in the death of the woman. Side note - I didn't see what was so suspicious about her reaction to seeing the dead woman and baby. I think if I found two dead bodies, I would have a strong reaction as well. Just saying.....

Even though the police are suspicious of her, Kate is still able to travel to Wharton to visit her cousin, Simon and the bed and breakfast he runs out of the former home of their great-grandfather, Harrison Connor. Things get even stranger while she stays in her family's home and as she attempts to put the pieces together, it appears that ghosts of the past are all around her. What secrets might the lake have?

This book is told through the past and the present though alternating chapters. I enjoyed both equally. In the past we meet Addie and Jess. Addie was literally born in the lake and Jess was the one who found her floating in the water. They had a close bond from that time on and no one was shocked when they married years later.

Wendy Webb sets her books about lakes and uses a supernatural element in them. She writes books with plots that are tied to the past, with old mansions, strong female characters, age old secrets, and yes, ghosts. Her books are described as Northern Gothic and do have an eerie and atmospheric feel to them. She also threw in a tragic love story and mysterious lake creature/entity into the mix her as well. This book had a little bit of everything, but it is not scary or creepy (at least in my opinion). It has more of an eerie feel to it, even with the supernatural elements, it won’t scare of have readers sleeping with the lights on. Plus, even with death in the book, there is nothing graphic or gory. There is mystery and the story really revolves around the past and present story-line's and Kate's attempt to make sense of her dreams and experiences.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was invested in learning if Kate would learn the woman's identity. What brought the woman to the lake? Why was she murdered? How does the lake tie in? What is going on in the bed and breakfast? Will the case ever be solved? Why was a missing person's report not filed?

I think this book is perfect for those who enjoy lighter (not scary) Gothic ghost stories involving some mystery, glimpses into the past, romance and intrigue.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Read more of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com

[Mary Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a buddy read with my friend Susan. We both enjoyed it.

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 As I've mentioned before, it seems that books follow a trend. Either that or I am just randomly encountering books that make it seem that way. So trend or not, I am enjoying the many books that I have read lately, that contain a folklore or myth of some kind. Just love all those old stories containing people and places, old beliefs and warnings. This book that I enjoyed also contains such a story.

Set on Lake Superior this a a good story, very atmospher. Old house, fog, mist, with elements of the paranormal, a talent of reading dreams passed down through generations. The timeline is one hundred years apart, and now an event, needs to be understood and corrected in the present. Of course the lake plays a big part of the story, in fact in this book it is where it begins.

"The Lakeshore was magical was magical then, in those days, and so it remained. But people had grown to noisy, too preoccupied, too sophisticated to listen to its song."

To understand what happened in the past, Kate our main character, must learn more about the past, her own family heritage. The spirits of the past are waiting for her to connect the dots and bring peace and the truth to the forefront. Don't believe in spirits? Maybe were just not listening hard enough in our now too noisy world.

ARC from Netgalley.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daughters of the Lake by Wendy Webb is a 2018 Lake Union publication.

Believe it or not, this is my first book by Wendy Webb! I have a small collection of her books on my Kindle and I’m a huge fan of Gothic novels, so I’m not sure why it took me so long to sample her work, but better late than never!

This story has a dual time line, and features Kate Granger, a woman who has returned home after discovering her husband has been unfaithful.

She has begun to have some very disturbing dreams, dreams that manifest themselves into reality when a woman’s body, along with her infant is found in Lake Superior.

Kate has a strong enough reaction to that scene that it makes her a person of interest in the case.

Meanwhile, her dreams become more frequent, more vivid, and more intimate…

A century earlier:

Addie and Jess were fated to be together, but their love story takes a tragic turn.

Now, as Kate pieces together the facts, an unknown entity is determined to prevent the truth from floating to the surface…

This is an easy read, very absorbing, and atmospheric. It’s part murder mystery, part ghost story, laced with a little folklore.

I enjoyed the historical sections more than the contemporary threads, as is usual for me.

I enjoyed the book overall, though, and loved that twist at the end, that I did not see coming!

I’m impressed enough with this story; it has given me the nudge I needed to get started on all the other Wendy Webb novels gathering virtual dust on my Kindle!

4 stars

[Bren fall in love with the sea. · Rating 5 out of 5]

"the lake a perfect mirror reflecting the sky and mountains with their stars and trees and wonderful sculpture, all their grandeur refined and doubled"
Wendy Webb, Daughters of the Lake

One of the best books I’ve ever read.

A proper review coming soon.

You know, I love it when you have not just a five star book, but a book that etched itself in your memory, and makes it onto your favorites of all time list.

I was really afraid to read this. The main reason is because I’ve been let down a lot with Books. Often I go into them thinking they’re about one thing and then they’ll be about something else entirely. In the case of this book I went into it, thinking it might give me rain drops of discontent, and instead it gave me Windchimes that sounded like they were coming from the sea itself.

I can’t even describe how I felt when reading this, except to say, I fell into it, the way one might fall into a popping turquoise green wave.

It almost felt like a book, that contained within the Pages, within the magical pages, every single thing I love in a book. Every. Single. One.

The sea, the sea, the beautiful sea? Check.

Dream interpretation. Check.

Folklore and mythology and legends. Check.

Lakeside living. Check.

Historical fiction, mystery, Gothic, the sea. Check check check check.

Where oh where has this author been all my life?

Perhaps I threw a message in a bottle into the sea winds, and it washed ashore and she found it because this was my type of book to a tee

It alternates between the present and the past. Kate is in the present. Her husband Kevin has cheated on her with a mutual coworker. This is not a spoiler as youYou learn it in the beginning. Kate is bitter and upset and she goes to see her family at the lake, but she’s also having some issues which are pushed to the forefront when a body is found in the lake.

Kate knows the woman whose body was found floating. But no, Kate has never met her. But the issues I spoke about are manifesting themselves in dreams. Kate has been dreaming of this woman. She sees this face in her dreams, and now the face is staring back at her and it’s a woman who has been found floating in the water.

Meanwhile, in the past, there are the daughters of the lake.

Who they are, and what they can do, I will not reveal.

Back to the present, Kate sets about trying to find out who this mystery lady is, and then in the process finds out a lot of things about herself and her ancestors and about the lady.

This book beguiled me. The prose was just — i’ll give you an example.

“Like a bright pink fish.”

That was a simile used to describe a baby’s birth that takes place place in the lake. I’ve never heard birthing described as poetically and enthrallingly as this.

I, too, am fascinated by the sea. As I read this book, all I could think about was the color turquoise. Coincidentally, I had ordered a dress for myself for the holidays that showed up late in beautiful muted shades of turquoise. I had this insane urge to just put it on which I wound up doing when I saw a friend the next day.

I covered myself in turquoise, which is one of the colors of the sea. Yes, I’ve always loved sea colors and wearing them and having my bedroom painted with those
colors and falling asleep to a cool fan which I pretend is the ocean.

If you’re not transfixed by the sea, you might not understand the feelings of those of us who are and the feelings of joy that we get
when we find books that use the sea as its own character .

It feels like we’ve come home , that we’re reading a book just for us, that like the very sea itself, extends its arms and welcomes us
so we can fall into its Pages.

It’s so sweet and it’s so freeing.

Obviously I would recommend this. Perhaps somebody else who has read this author can tell me if all her books are like this because if they are, I’m going to have to read them all. I have added it to my favorites and I’ve read thousands of books, so I mean that’s a big thing for me.

I’ve read a few five star books this month, but this is by far the best book. I’ve read this year so far and it’s hard for me to believe that anything else will touch it because it’s rare when I add books to my favorite list. It just doesn’t happen very much with me anymore.

I thought this book was really special and I want to thank my Goodreads friend Debra whose review inspired me to read this. I also want to recommend it to any of my Goodreads friends who think it might suit them and to anyone who hears the call of the sea, and the whispers of the seashells that wash ashore. No doubt you will love this as well.

PS: I will never forget you, beautiful Addie!

[Iryna *Book and Sword* · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 41%

So I was in the mood for something thrilling, suspenseful and fast paced. Obviously, from my low rating you can tell that I got none of those things from this book. That is unfortunate, because despite never reading anything by this author I was excited for this book. It's the cover probably (I am always a victim of pretty or intriguing covers).

​The premise was interesting enough, but as I started reading, and reading and reading... I really couldn't tell what the point of this book was. There was little to no plot development and I got to 41 percent, so I feel like I gave this book all of the chances I could.

The backstories of characters weren't interesting, because they were very generic - and they didn't really bring much depth to the story, but then again the whole thing lacked altogether, so depth was of my least concerns here. If I had to describe this novel in one word, I' say 'disjointed'. There were lots of bits and pieces, and I could see how they were supposed to fit, but they just didn't. And as it is the end of the year, I do not have the patience to read books that don't grab me a 100%.

The writing itself was probably the worst part - the dialog was so common, that it felt like it was taken straight up from the "dialog for dummies book" or something. The descriptions were dry and generic, and even silly sounding at times. I found myself rolling my eyes multiple times a page, and that's when I knew I needed to stop.

​I also find it funny how I don't have much to say in this review - just as the book didn't do much in those 41% for me - Daughters of the Lake literally left zero impressions on me.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for a digital arc of this book

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[Julia Ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

DAUGHTERS OF THE LAKE by Wendy Webb is a wonderfully crafted, 5-star read which I'm shelving in my favorites collection.

MY TEASE…

Kate Granger is drowning in her troubles.

Humiliated and betrayed, Kate leaves her job and her husband (a fellow co-worker) when she learns he is cheating on her with someone at the office.

Not even sleep brings her relief. Curiously, Kate keeps dreaming about a beautiful, mysterious woman—seeing through her eyes, feeling the love the woman shares with her husband.

As if that isn’t enough to deal with, the unthinkable happens.

While staying at her parents’ waterfront home, the woman Kate dreams about washes onto Lake Superior’s shore. She’s been murdered and a baby is tucked in the folds of her nightgown.

Kate can’t hold back her shock and despair when authorities arrive. Worse, except for the corpse’s name, Kate knows more about the woman than any innocent person should know about a deceased stranger.

Lonely, unemployed, confused, and now a person of interest in the case, Kate seeks refuge at her cousin’s bed and breakfast: Harrison’s House, a mansion which has been passed down through the family ever since Kate’s great-grandfather built it.

Will the house’s hidden secrets and Kate’s dreams help solve the mystery before she unravels?

THOUGHTS…

DAUGHTERS OF THE LAKE creatively brings together two generations of a family, separated by 100 years, through dreams, ghosts, legends, and artifacts, in order to correct history by bringing the truth to light.

The writing is eloquent. (And may I add, Wendy Webb knows how to do fog!) The toggles between the past and present are flawless. And I’m typically not a fan of an omniscient point of view, but I immediately found the all-knowing narrator endearing. Here’s a sample of the narrator’s voice:

“Kate’s wail finally found its voice and pierced the morning calm with a sound so fierce that all the animals within earshot fell silent to listen. There, nestled in the folds of the dead woman’s gown, was a baby. The tiny body was serene and still, as though it were sleeping, cradled in its mother’s arms.”

Every now and then, the book shared more information than I needed so I found myself skimming over those paragraphs. I also felt that the last 10% of the book had lost the narrator’s voice; however, the plot was still strong which is why this didn’t affect the book’s high marks!

QUICKFIRE RATINGS from 1 (ugh) to 5 (woo-hoo)…

Plot (the story): 5+
Main character’s likability: 5
Development of supporting character(s): 5
Settings/Atmosphere: 5+
Pacing (how fast did I turn the pages): 4
Believability (in the context of the story): 4
Satisfying ending: 5
Tension of the story: 4
Stirs the heart (romantic elements): 3.5
Did I solve the mystery/guess the ending before the reveal? There’s a unique twist that keeps me from answering!

OVERALL…

DAUGHTERS OF THE LAKE is an engaging story with exceptional character development and outstanding atmosphere. I highly recommend it!

[Cynthia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book.

I really do like the story, the myth. The author did a great job painting the characters. And maybe understanding the characters so deeply is what ultimately ruined the story for me.
The foreshadowing was too much. The mystery wasn't deep enough. The same flowery cliche descriptors were repeated, sometimes more than once on a page. (Okay, only once did I notice it twice on one page but it really rubbed me the wrong way.)

This book left me feeling like I just read a Lifetime movie. I saw nothing but build up for the first 80% of the book. Maybe I missed the climaxes as I was enjoying the telling of the lore. I finished the book out of curiosity and a deep seeded need for our protagonist to finally figure out the only explanation that made sense. It was all wrapped up until the final chapter where one last twist was provided, something that was either not foreshadowed at all, or I completely missed. But, it had no effect on the story or how I felt about any of the characters.

Maybe this just isn't the genre for me. I loved the story, but hated the story telling.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an absolutely perfect book to read during this time of year, it’s dark and gothic and heavily involved with the supernatural, it really read like a classic ghost story without the super disturbing horror type elements. If you’re the type of reader who doesn’t like really scary stuff or graphic details then this is for you. The mystery is on the lighter side and while it’s eerie, it’s not terrifying and will most likely not disturb you.

This flips back and forth between the present day and the early 1900’s and follows Kate and a young woman named Addie. I liked the way their stories intertwined and while I was able to guess the mystery in the end, I still found it to be an enjoyable read. I think this was because I was so immersed in the great atmosphere Webb created, it was super haunting and spooky and incredibly easy to picture. I loved the gothic vibes and the mix between past and present, and I don’t mind supernatural stuff in a thriller occasionally and again, for this time of year I was into it. Throw in some light romance and an engaging mystery and you have a fun fall mystery that entertained me.

Daughters of the Lake in three words: Eerie, Atmospheric and Mesmerizing.

[Helga زن زندگی آزادی مرد میهن آبادی · Rating 4 out of 5]

A haunted house, a century old mystery, a ghost story, a mysterious creature in the lake, secrets, lies, murder…

A young woman’s body is found on the shore of Lake Superior, holding a dead baby in her arms. Kate Granger whose father has found the body while walking his dog, has seen the dead woman in her dreams before…several times.
The police are baffled. There are no missing persons’ report and they can’t even tell when was the woman murdered.
As Kate’s bizarre dreams continue, she begins her own investigations.

Who is the woman? Why did she have to die? And whose is the sinister spirit that doesn’t want Kate to uncover the truth and right the wrongs?

Daughters of the Lake is a well written, albeit a bit drawn-out, atmospheric Gothic story about love, destiny, redemption and reckoning.
A perfect read for this cold season.

Thanks to Wendy Webb, Lake Union Publishing and the NetGalley for providing me with a copy.

[luciana · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️ Disappointed stars.

Daughters Of The Lake Review escorted by John Mulaney Gifs


Daughters of the Lake isn’t the most popular book out there right now. None the less, it still managed to make noise and make its way in most people’s favourites thrillers of 2018. For some reasons I’m not privy of. It’s highly praised and the ones who have read it seem to consider it to be a masterpiece, I personally don’t see why.



Premise: The Daughters Of The Lake tells the story of two women separated by a 100 years but brought together by the oldest’s one death, a hundred years before, in the early 20th century. Her body was discovered on the shore by our main character (the young one,) holding a dead baby, unscathed by time or the water. From there starts a journey of obsession and discovery because our main character has seen that woman before; every night, in her dreams.



The original idea is incredibly interesting, I love the idea of people being connected through time because it explores the idea that the past isn’t so far and can be affected by the present, (at least by some other books I��ve read.) This book doesn’t try to tie the past with the present in any way, it’s strictly linear. I think it’s a part of the biggest issue I have with this book; it opens so many interesting doors but doesn’t explore them, we just stay on the doorstep, looking in from the outside.

There’s also an idea of the lake being an entity and while the said entity is explored for a few pages in the book in order to explain why the body is so well conserved, it could have been more. I wanted more of that. So many things that happen in this book isn’t explained, I guess they come from the lake, but they’re never questioned and answered at any given moment.



So many loose ends, and yet, this book is still wrapped in a pretty bow at the end. It doesn’t end abruptly in any case, you get a follow-up months after the investigation to see where the characters are like after a weight-loss tv show to see if they’ve stuck to their diet. Yet, even if it ends like that, so many questions aren’t left answers, we have more questions in the end than in the beginning and it doesn’t seem to bother anyone else but me.

Okay, as for the actual plot and investigation of this book, it’s boring. I’ve seen it coming from miles away but that’s not even the problem with it; the fact is, that are our characters are dumbed down so much to make it look like it’s unthinkable when it bloody is. Here’s an example; the dead body is discovered with a 20th-century dress (duh) and they think it’s vintage (another duh) but they haven’t thought to check vintage stores to see if they sold a dress like that? It took them fifty pages with a police detective in the conversation to think about it and they act like it’s the best idea they’ve had in months.



There’s just one moment I went like ‘wait a second’ and it had little to do with the intrigue and more with the overall message behind this book; I think I might be wrong but isn’t this book about the obsession of one reader with their book. Here me out, the main character is a journalist and learns what happened about the murder victim through diaries and journal articles and becomes completely obsessed with the story as they try to capture one’s existence even though they don’t exist anymore. I don’t know, it might be dumb, just an idea I had when I was taking a step back from it, but if someone has gotten the same vibe from it like me I’d like to know!



Another thing that disappointed me before I end this review, the fact that our main character is supposedly ‘obsessed’ with the murder, but it doesn’t really show. She gets side effects of it, twice, but it doesn’t affect her psyche like I hoped it would have. I was expecting some Zodiac situation as we had with Jake Gyllenhaal (incredible movie and actor btw) because he loses everything as he tries to solve the murders. His family, his job, his house, his sanity. Everything goes and I was expecting our MC to be more touched by it. The people were way too happy.



Which leads me to character development and overall personality; it’s non-existent and I stand by that but I also have nothing else to add about it because you can’t discuss something that doesn’t exist.

Basically, this book is pretty bland and dumbed down, if someone who has read it and got something I didn’t see please tell me, I like to be aware of my own stupidity. I was expecting something more and less PG16. I wanted something darker and greedy, and I didn’t get that. I usually would say that it’s my fault for having high expectations but Daughters Of The Lake is marked as a dark thriller so it’s a market error. Anyway, if someone else has read this and has a different opinion please let me hear it.

[Dennis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Daughters of the Lake is a gothic, historical fiction mystery blended with your typical ghost story. Kate Granger has been having dreams, or nightmares, about a woman, her child, and her family life, but just tunes it out as fiction. That is, until the woman and her baby are washed up along the shore by their house. Kate is in shock, disbelief even, because it shows that her dreams are in fact premonitions. Kate has been going through a lot lately, with her divorce proceedings about to start, and now the police force believes that Kate is more involved in this murder than she's letting them believe.

While the police and Kate try to investigate how this woman and her child died, generations of mystery and deceit hidden deep in the roots of her family begin to unravel. Kate needs to tap into this woman's life and find out how this woman's life ended in tragedy. It's only until she notices a family photo of hers that she can pinpoint who the woman is—dated over 100 years ago.

Daughters of the Lake reminded me of Michael J. Malone's House of Spines, so if you enjoyed that novel, you'll definitely like this story. It's a ghost story, fused with love, tragedy, and mystery. It's a slow burn at it's core, so you will only start uncovering the mystery of this story when you reach the halfway mark. I've read a lot of mysteries in the past year, so I sadly was able to figure out what happened rather quickly, however the writing and mystery is vastly original. In fact, Wendy Webb masterfully immerses you into this atmospheric tale. If you are looking for a slower paced whodunnit that won't keep you up at night, I'd recommend Daughters of the Lake .

[Julie (JuJu) · Rating 5 out of 5]

One sentence summary
A haunting tale with gothic undertones...mesmerizing and superbly written!

My thoughts
The story is told in past and present. The past portion takes place in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. And even though this story deals with the paranormal, it is not a horror story.

The portion told in the past is the love story of Jess and Addie...both beautiful and tragic. It’s laced with ghosts and hauntings. And it is full of legend, lore and mysterious family secrets. The present deals with Kate and her connection to the past. A lot of the story takes place at the Harrison’s House B&B, which is part of Kate’s family heritage, and is run by her cousin Simon. He is a hoot and one of the funniest characters I’ve read about in a long time! He added so much to the story.

I absolutely love old houses, antiques and digging through old “treasures” and heirlooms... so when the author described the Harrison’s House B&B, with all its family photos, portraits and antique furnishings...plus the trunks full of “treasures” stowed away in the attic...I was literally drooling! I wanted to jump in the book and help dig in those trunks SO BAD.

Although I predicted parted of the ending, the story was so elegantly written, it was never dull or uninteresting...and there was a final twist that took me by surprise!

Wendy Webb is another new author for me, and one I will watch for in the future.

My Rating: 4.5 ⭐️’s

Thank you to NetGalley / Lake Union Publishing / Wendy Webb for this digital ARC / in exchange for my honest review!
#DaughtersOfTheLake #NetGalley

Book Description
After the end of her marriage, Kate Granger has retreated to her parents’ home on Lake Superior to pull herself together—only to discover the body of a murdered woman washed into the shallows. Tucked in the folds of the woman’s curiously vintage gown is an infant, as cold and at peace as its mother. No one can identify the woman. Except for Kate. She’s seen her before. In her dreams…

One hundred years ago, a love story ended in tragedy, its mysteries left unsolved. It’s time for the lake to give up its secrets. As each mystery unravels, it pulls Kate deeper into the eddy of a haunting folktale that has been handed down in whispers over generations. Now, it’s Kate’s turn to listen.

As the drowned woman reaches out from the grave, Kate reaches back. They must come together, if only in dreams, to right the sinister wrongs of the past.

[Magdalena · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF 37%!

Sorry, but no matter how much I enjoyed The End of Temperance Dare couldn't I muster interest enough to finish this book. The story is so... saccharine and honestly boring. I have to admit that I was quite taken with the cover and the blurb intrigued me. But, it's just romance all the way. The murder mystery? Zzzz well it's much more important that the MC had a vision of her romancing the cop that takes over the case.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this gothic ghost story!
It kept me hooked from start to finish!
Kate returns to her lakeside childhood home when she learns her husband has been cheating on her. While there she discovers the body of a woman washed up on shore. No on can identify this woman except for Kate who has seen her in her dreams. Long ago, a love story ended in tragedy and it's secrets are being told to Kate.
A captivating story, with well-developed characters, told in two different timelines.
I loved the dark, eerie atmosphere of this mystery that takes us down some dark, sinister avenues.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

[Lyn❤Loves❤Listening to Real Voices Only!!!!❤️🎧📚 Addict ON HIATUS · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audio...5 stars
Story....3.5 stars

The story is told in past and present. The past is when the crime is committed, but it's in the present that the crime gets investigated. Sound strange? It was. It also kept me guessing, and the supernatural parts of the story were a bit creepy.

[Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this, from the rich atmosphere to the small town feel, right down to the strong family connections and bonds. And while this wasn't a scary read by any means, it was a bit creepy at times (mostly towards the end) and that was a nice change of pace.

Definitely a good mystery with a paranormal element, a hint of romance and something anyone would enjoy.

[Jonas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the author’s first book set on Lake Superior in the supernatural town of Wharton. I read book two first as an Amazon First Reads free selection and immediately had to go back and read the first. I was not disappointed.

Kate is haunted by visions of the past. Is it a past life? A ghost? She flees to Wharton to escape the embarrassment of her husband’s (and coworker) cheating on her with another coworker. Kate stays with her cousin at their grandparent’s home that he is renovating into an inn.

There are parallel storylines running. The modern mystery of Kate’s haunting visions that grow stronger after the body of a woman and baby wash up on the shore. Kate uses her talents as an investigative reporter to try to identify the two.

The second story line involves her grandparents and their best friends lives and secrets in the past. We are also introduced to the spirit of the lake.

I loved both storylines and they were equally well-crafted. It was a quick and compelling read. It wrapped up nicely at the end leaving me wanting to spend more time in Wharton with these characters. I hope there is a third book in the near future.

[exorcismemily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like the concept of Daughters of the Lake. It sounded like it was going to be right up my alley, and I was looking forward to a good gothic ghost story.

However, it has been more about the main character's divorce and the history of a hotel than anything else. There are a ton of unnecessary details, and I started skimming pretty early on since it was pages of information on the main character's family history. I was hoping I could connect more with the story in the past (there are alternating timelines), but this one just isn't working for me. I think it will be good for a historical fiction fan.

[Crystal Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Be sure to visit my Favorites Shelf for the books I found most entertaining.

The Daughters of the Lake offers something for every reader. It's a slow-paced whodunnit. It has history and mystery, paranormal elements, ghosts; alternate timelines; a little romance; and an unexpected twist at the end. The story takes place around Lake Superior, being from Ontario that's home to me. I enjoyed the characters, and the writing was good. I thought the story lagged in the middle, and that's why I'm giving 4 stars instead of 5.

[Tamar...playing hooky for a few hours today · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daughters of the Lake is a fun quick read with a mystery of sorts, but kind of predictable. The book includes the supernatural, which doesn’t really interest me, so I’m probably not the best person to review this genre. DOTL covers several timelines and our heroine of today, Kate, is plagued by dreams that are personal in nature but not about her. She has temporarily moved back home with her parents as she is going through a divorce from her unfaithful husband. Both the troubling dreams and her personal issues are emotionally unbalancing, but when the body of a woman and baby are washed up onto the shore of Lake Superior where her family (of today resides), she is shocked to find that she recognizes the dead woman as the woman in her dreams. Lake Superior takes on a mystical atmospheric embodiment including an ethereal sea creature with a strong connection to the women in the family timelines. The dead woman and baby are from the earlier timeline, circa 1880-1905



Kate feels she needs to get away and leaves her family home to visit her cousin Simon who is living in the family’s ancestral home, also on the water. Her dreams pursue her and in the ancestral home she is also plagued by ghosts – but who? And what is the connection? This book is all about the story and there isn’t a lot of character development, except maybe the colorful character of Simon (he made me giggle a few times). The book is available on Kindle Unlimited. 3.5 stars rounded up.👻👻👻👻

[Lori · Rating 1 out of 5]

I never write reviews.. Never. This book.. Awful! Awful writing, implausible storyline, the paranormal was written in a way that didn’t seem believable at all. I felt like I was reading a young adult novel. The characters were annoying at best. I don’t want to share spoilers, but I will say a few things about the writing and the characters that drove me crazy - I don’t care if I have a gay cousin, he’s not going to help me settle in to a bath! And the main character is a journalist, yet she doesn’t think to check the library for microfiche about people that were living a hundred years ago??? Come on! And my favorite, the breed malinois rarely ever growls?? A malinois is a guarding breed and are often used as police dogs. Nearly all dogs growl when they feel threatened. Just a bunch of rubbish writing. As I was reading, I just kept thinking that this author is going on and on and on, yet jumping so quickly from one detail to the next. I wanted more detail of the people 100 years ago, yet all this time was spent on the main character and her seemingly airhead ways. I skimmed through the last thirty pages of this book because it was just so stupid. And at the end, I felt like I just wanted to shake the characters, the writer, the people that thought this book was good... Just don’t waste your time. There are much better books out there for your reading pleasure that doesn’t make you feel like your twelve years old again.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so glad I chose this book from the Amazon Kindle free book for the month! At first I had my doubts, I usually don't go for haunted houses, ghosts, and things like that, but this is quite a detailed and intense novel. I enjoyed reading the way the author had it sectioned chapter by chapter, going from the past (1901) to the current times - and the main character was a suspect in a murder that, she found, was committed 100 years before when a perfectly preserved body of a victorian woman and her baby washed up on shore.
This was not your regular Casper the Ghost type of story. This was a true mystery that really has the wheels turning in the reader's mind! Plus it keeps you on edge up to the last page. What an awesome book!
I will look for more by author Wendy Webb!

[Kimberly · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dreck alert! This book was laugh-out-loud horrible! How in heaven's name is this monstrously bad novel achieving a 4.01 star rating? How, I ask? How?

It's bad enough that the reader can easily guess the outcome about 40% of the way through, but that's just the beginning of this epic fail.

Let us discuss the overused trope of the gay man (Simon) as comic relief, the character who seemingly exists for no other reason than to gasp, gossip, and fetch coffee and drinks for the main character, Kate. It's many a straight woman's dream to be the center of a gay man's universe. Kate's gay man's raison d'etre is to comfort her, listen to her marital woes, encourage her to go ahead and flirt with that sexy policeman, and to save her--literally and figuratively--about 900 times. *yawn* I'm so bored with the gay cliche. Please develop LGBTQ characters who have a purpose beyond being a foil or a sassy cheerleader offering support and a glass of fabulous wine.

Now let's dig into the star of our story, our heroine, Kate Granger. You will recognize Kate because she sounds like so many other young-ish white female characters in best selling novels. She's vulnerable yet strong. Smart yet grounded. Everything revolves around her because she is just so darn interesting. Except she isn't.

She is as tedious as a 1940s actress overacting in a film that might co-star Mickey Rooney (who I guess then served the same kind of role as Simon). *Hey you're swell Kate! Let's put on a show!* Ahem. I digress. But the point is, Kate seems to have little regard for the people around her except to react to her drama du jour. I found her tiresome and hard to care about.

Despite the snarky good time I'm having writing about how truly god awful this story is, I am more disappointed than I've been letting on. I'm a sucker for myths, legends, old wives tales and the beginning of the book had me absolutely drawn into the plot. Based on the Ojibwe legend of the Michipeshu spirit of Lake Superior, the body of water in the novel came to life and almost became its own character. I was intrigued, hooked, excited. Until I wasn't.

In came Kate with her sob stories and self absorbed ruminations. I kept eagerly awaiting for her character to shut up and go take a hot bath so we could the return to the good parts. But the good parts for me, sadly, were too few and way too far between to sustain the promise of a truly fascinating tale.

The ending, which I thought I'd arrived at no less than three times (but wait--there's more!) was hilariously, spectacularly dreadful. Yes, there's a last minute twist. But good God, I don't care at that point because I'd already thought the loose ends were tied up. Wrap it up already.

Summing up: From yarn to yawn five chapters in. I'm going to go read up on Michipeshu elsewhere 'cause underwater lake spirits sound kinda cool.

[❀⊱RoryReads⊰❀ · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was something a bit twee about this story that kept if from being as good as her previous books. Still, a quick and spooky read.

[Mel Lenore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Where to start with this one. The concept of this story intrigued me. Kate has just gone through something traumatic. Her husband cheated on her, and now she is getting a divorce. To top it all off, she has been having these strange dreams of a woman who mysteriously washes up on the shore of Lake Superior just down from where she is. To escape it all, Kate goes to stay at the B&B owned by her family. Things keep happening that Kate can't explain, and she knows she has to get to the bottom of the woman's murder.

I really enjoyed the prose of this story. It was deliciously Fall, and full of mystery and intrigue from the very beginning. The story flips back and forth between Kate in present day, and Addie in the 1900s. We learn the story simultaneously between these flashbacks, what Kate sees in her dreams, and what she discovers along the way. I liked this back and forth way of telling the story because you get a lot more background information.

Where this story went off for me was toward the end. I found the entirety a little slow, but it was well written, so I was able to look over that. Unfortunately, there were a lot of holes and things that seemed rushed to make sense after this drawn out build up. I won't give specifics because I do not want to spoil it, but the why of Kate having dreams just seemed too "convenient," and quickly wrapped up. There were other little things that got under my skin because they seemed to be there just to fit the narrative at the end and not really because it made sense character wise. There was no real reason behind Jess cheating on Addie. Especially when she spends all this time building up how much they love each other, and how much they were meant to be. It seemed to be there just to throw more onto him as the killer.

Overall, the plot was intriguing and the atmosphere perfect for this time of year. I enjoyed the book, but it did not blow me away. I recommend this book if you are looking for a little mystery with a lot of atmosphere.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate Granger is attempting to put her life back in order on the heels of learning that her husband, Kevin, was having an affair. She has quit her job and gone back to her safe place, her parent’s home, in an attempt to heal. This tranquil setting is instantly thrown into chaos when Kate’s father discovers the body of a murdered woman floating in the lake their house backs up to. This mystery woman is wearing a white nightgown that appears to be the definition of vintage. Tucked in the folds of this gown is a small infant, left to pass away in the cold water with its mother. The identity of this woman is unknown to those in town, except for Kate who swears she has seen her in her dreams, has been her in her dreams.

Over 100 years ago a great tragedy took place that was the ending of a story about love and fate. Some mysteries get pushed aside, but this tragedy needs to be solved. Kate dedicates herself to being the person to piece this one together. She quickly finds herself mixed in with folklore and ghosts that might just be more real than anyone wants to admit. Will Kate discover who killed this woman and child?

DAUGHTERS OF THE LAKE is an atmospheric, Gothic mystery surrounding Kate Granger and her connection to a long dead woman found in the lake near her family home. This story is unfolded through current times with Kate and her sleuthing, as well as passages from the past, which reveal the life of this mystery woman and what lead to her ultimate demise. Mixed within these alternating timelines is a healthy dose of folklore and paranormal activity. Wendy Webb does an excellent job of making these unbelievable elements fit within the story being told. There were certainly times that left me with goosebumps on my skin. I will say that if you’re looking for a fast-paced, in-your-face thriller, that this book will miss the mark for you. The story is methodical, detailed, and supremely atmospheric. If you’re looking for a unique mystery with historical vibes and a touch of other-worldliness, DAUGHTERS OF THE LAKE would make a perfect selection for your reading list!

Disclosure: Thank you Amazon Publishing for sending me a free review copy of this book!

[Matt Rudy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow this story had a lot going on. Daughters of the Lake had romance, drama, ghosts, and a mystery that several characters are trying to solve.

Kate Granger is having a rough time after her divorce. She returns to her home on Lake Superior and begins to have strange dreams. Shortly after this she discovers a lady and her baby in the water. Unfortunately the woman and the baby are dead, but that is not all. This woman is the same one that has appeared in Kate's dream.

To make matters worse Kate Granger is the suspect in an investigation that has opened up regarding the bodies that were found.

This does not stop Kate from uncovering secrets from the past and from trying to discover more about who this lady is. The book alternates between Kate and Addie. Addie is the woman who was found dead in the lake. We also meet characters such as Jess, Celeste and Harrison Connor. I don't want to give away anything important, but there is a reason why Kate is having these dreams.

I really enjoyed this book by Wendy Webb. The story had an eerie feel to it, but I wouldn't consider it a horror book. She did a good job of developing her characters to make them interesting to the reader. My favorite character in this story was definitely Addie. My heart was really aching for her when I found out about the events that led up to her death. Thank you Wendy Webb for making her so lovable.

Also, thank you Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to read this book for an honest review.