Shore Lodge

The Millersville Series #1

by Susan Specht Oram

A high-stakes psychological thriller
Her grief threatened to swallow her whole. When a seed of betrayal plants a devastating truth, will blood prove thicker than vengeance?

Jacklyn Stone is struggling to stay strong. Left bewildered by her husband’s death, the devastated widow feels her usually competent management over her garden shop sliding into chaos. So when her son and daughter suggest a brief vacation to help speed up her healing, she heads to the remote retreat… only to realize she can’t check out.

With her skin crawling as the so-called getaway reveals its true nature as a psychiatric facility, Jacklyn fights to establish her mental stability. But with her child determined to leave her locked in the gilded cage, she fears the tightly sealed grounds will be the permanent backdrop to her golden years.

Can she reclaim her home before it’s forever destroyed?

Genres: Thriller, Psychological Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Ebooks, Suspense, Audiobook

298 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 5, 2022

About the author

Writing mysteries-thrillers and creative nonfiction. Author of SHORE LODGE, THE THIEVES, CABIN EIGHT, THE MOTHER's THREAT and SECRETS AT THE CAFE, UNDER JACKSON BRIDGE, MISSING MAN, BY MIDNIGHT, THE WINTER STORM, THE COLD NIGHT. I live in a windy part of the Pacific Northwest with my husband and rescue dog.
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Reviews

[Heather Adores Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5⭐
Genre ~ psychological fiction, family drama
Series ~ Millersville, #1
Publication date ~ book ~ November 5, 2022, audio ~ February 18, 2025
Est Page Count ~ 298
Audio length ~ 6 hours 42 minutes
Narrator ~ Robin McAlpine
POV ~ multiple (forgot to take notes, so not sure if 1st or 3rd, but I want to say 1st)
Featuring ~ death of a spouse

Jacklyn is still distraught months after the sudden passing of her husband. She's forgetting things, but is she unreliable or is there gaslighting going on? It was written in such a way that it's hard to tell. Throughout the book we see how strong and determined she is.

Her children Dusty & Rose trick her into thinking she's going to a place to rest for a few days, but turns out it's a psychiatric hospital. Wow, what great offspring she has.

Dusty might very well be the worst son I have ever read about. A real ass hat douche canoe that needed a nad kick and a throat punch.

Overall, this was an eh for me. Tagged as a psychological thriller ~ I'll give it a yes on psychological, but I kept waiting and waiting and waiting for something thrilling to happen and I'm still waiting. It's mostly just family drama.

I'll round up because there's a dog named, Buddy, that Jacklyn stopped at nothing to rescue. And I liked the atmosphere of the hospital giving off Alcatraz vibes, even though the cover just looks like a big rock.

Thanks to hoopla for the bonus borrow, but I don't see myself continuing on with the series.

Narration notes:
3 POV's + 1 narrator =👎

[OutlawPoet]

DNF @ 35%. Depressing AF and NOT a psychological thriller.

[Yvonne (It's All About Books) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Finished reading: February 10th 2023
DNF at 25% (74 pages)

"My body may be strong, but my mind is muddled, making banking errors and sending me backing into cars for the first time of my life."

*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and SOS Communications LLC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***



WARNING: it's time to jump aboard the unpopular opinion train yet again!!

There was something about Shore Lodge that really intrigued me... I do enjoy a thriller with a psychiatric facility angle/setting, and the promise of the main character being trapped in one by her children sounded like a fascinating premise. This book has been receiving high ratings all around so far as well, so I fully expected to have an excellent time with it. Unfortunately the exact opposite happened, and it seems like Shore Lodge and me simply weren't ment to be. I'll try to explain briefly why this story didn't work for me personally below.

I honestly felt like I was reading a completely different book than everyone else, and I even stopped reading twice to check the reviews to see if anyone else was having similar issues. The fact is... Shore Lodge and me REALLY didn't get along. I was struggling from the first page, and this probably had a lot to do with the way this story is written. There is something about the writing style and tone that is just off for me, and the often short and stunted sentences don't help either. This structure really interrupted the flow of the story, and it only started to irritate me more and more as I kept reading. To make things worse, the emotions came over as bad acting and none of it felt genuine or credible.

I felt that the plot itself kind of jumped all over the place, and this again interrupted the flow and pace of the story... I usually don't mind multiple POV structures, but the switching back and forth between the different characters just felt a bit disjointed here. I wasn't a fan of any of the characters, and Dusty is particularly despicable (although I know he is ment to be this way). The fact that I didn't like them was only part of the problem though, as they mostly felt like cardboard cut-outs and rather flat. Apart from that, I just didn't think it was believable what Rose and Dusty were doing nor how Jacklyn reacted to everything. Especially since Dusty comes over as particularly flaky and shady right form the start... How could Jacklyn ever trust him, and especially after she discovered about the money? And I just couldn't see how Rose wouldn't question anything her brother was doing.

Between the characters, writing style and lack of credibility, I confess that I felt like it was too much torture to make me pretend to care about what was going to happen next, and I had to make the difficult decision to throw in the towel and DNF Shore Lodge instead. I know that I'm in the minority, because most people love this book... I'm not sure if I was reading this in an alternate universe or if my reading mood was particularly fickle, but the fact is that Shore Lodge and me REALLY didn't get along.

P.S. Find more of my reviews here.

[Shainlock · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is what happens when a spouse dies and you have older kids. Sometimes it goes the way it did in this book. We all hope it doesn’t.
What a nightmare ! I can’t say how heavy this made me feel reading this. The son…. Oh.. ugh.
It’s a thriller w personal experience horror and trauma if you’ve ever had someone handle a loved one’s estate with no compassion. Worth reading to the end though. This tough lady does not give up. Inspiring.

[Jane Myers · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful and title totally misleading

Badly written. Awful simplistic dialogue and totally unrealistic. Being described as a high stakes psychological thriller was what drew me in and it was nothing like. Boring and lame. Glad it was free as 99p would have been too much

[Shannon Brown · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m convinced a kindergartener wrote this. Over 4.0 rating? I’m questioning the Goodreads rating system.

[Grace Convertino · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jacklyn has lost her husband of thirty-seven years, the love of her life, father of her two children, and partner in the plant nursery they owned. She is in shock, shaken to her core, and very lonely, becoming very depressed and forgetful. Researching further, she finds her husband knew he had a cardiac issue, finding bills from out-of-network providers showing various tests he had taken. She also found he had given away a huge portion of their nest egg—over $60,000—to their son to build his construction company with neither her knowledge nor consent. She is angry, overwhelmed, and emotional, finding it difficult to do even the simplest tasks. Her son Dusty seems quite concerned about her mental state, asking her to sign over power of attorney to him for her medical and financial well-being. He gets his sister, Rose, who lives out of state, to go along with his plan to send his mother away for a bit for “rest and relaxation” to a beautiful place on an island with ferry access. Jacklyn does not want to go. She wants to stay home with her dog, Buddy, in her home where all of the memories of her husband and family remain. Convinced that “a couple of days” at Shore Lodge will do her a world of good by her children, Jacklyn has her assistant cover the store while she heads off for her mini-getaway. Something seems off right from the beginning, when Dusty has a closed door meeting with Dr. Henderson, head of Shore Lodge. As her suspicions grew, and she found more and more evidence, Jacklyn realizes she has been locked in a psychiatric ward against her wishes, and that her only means of salvation is to escape this horrific place and change her power of attorney.

I wanted to enjoy this book based on its premise and preview, hoping for a very readable medical thriller. Instead, I grew to despise the character of Dusty, whose selfish and greedy behavior toward his mother was beyond abhorrent. As a mother, I found his character the most difficult to read, followed of course by Dr. Henderson, who was Dusty’s patsy, and Ms. Wright, Henderson’s stooge. As a woman with a close family member who struggled with severe mental illness, it sickened me to my core to read how Jacklyn was treated, and how helpless she was while her every right was stripped away, especially her means of communication. Despite the fact that there was nothing wrong with her mental health except the fact that she was grieving, she was allowed no second opinion, phone, computer, guests, or dignity. I must compliment author Susan Specht Oram on her exceptionally well-written characters to which I had such a primal reaction. For that reason, and because of the Jacklyn’s strength, Rose’s redemption, and the book’s conclusion, I gave the book three stars, feeling these positives merited four stars, mitigated by my pure rage and disgust for Dusty and his Shore Lodge minions.

I’d like to thank Bookspring, Susan Specht Oram, and SOS Communications, LLC for the ability to read and review this ARC.

[Rebecca Soule · Rating 2 out of 5]

Someone else's review description "A Lifetime Movie" says it best. The writing is plain and juvenile. Nothing gritty at all about this story. If you like squeaky clean drama written from a church-going Grandma perspective this is for you. Seems more of a "cozy" story...
Amazon wouldn't post this review due to their "guidelines", so I'll just leave this here.
I received a free ARC copy from Hidden Gems and voluntarily leave this review.

[Jodi KH · Rating 2 out of 5]

Annoying& unbelievable
Widow gets fleeced by her son & put in a cliche psych ward
She miraculously gets out, her friends rally
She & her dog live happily ever after

[Naomi · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars is generous… the story was compelling, but poorly written. It read as if a 5th grader wrote it. The characters were flat and the language was, well, insipid.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a hard book to read....but it was so incredibly well written!!

Jacklyn Stone has recently lost her husband. Of course, she's absolutely heartbroken and things are happening that shouldn't. The bank accounts aren't exactly up to par, she's had a fender bender, misplaced her keys....all these things could be due to grief, or is it something more?

Dusty Stone is a contractor and the son of Jacklyn. He's recently convinced his mom to give him power of attorney over her health and finances. He's concerned that she's really losing it and needs help beyond what he or his sister Rose could provide.

Rose Stone is a hard-working single mother doing everything she can to provide for her son. She's not been the most attentive to her mother but agrees with Dusty's assessment to have their mom go to Shore Lodge for a short period of time to get some rest.

The situations that take place once Jacklyn becomes a resident of Shore Lodge are disturbing at best and horrifying at their worst. I really felt for Jacklyn in her grief and could see through several of these situations and why she reacted the way that she did.

This is my first experience reading a book by Susan Specht Oram but hopefully not my last. I'll be looking for more books as I found this one very intriguing and well written!

[Debbie Mathis PA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jacklyn Stone is really struggling after the death of her husband, as I would imagine any wife would do after such a loss. She is slipping up on a few things, paying bills, etc when her son suggest that she get away for a few days and relax. He even has the perfect place for her. Once Jacklyn gets there and checks in, she makes a few discoveries that things aren't as they appear.

I loved Jacklyn and her strength and determination. I felt like I was right there beside her this entire journey. The story definitely makes me think twice about who I trust. Great read and I highly recommend to anyone who loves a good thriller.

[Mrs Vanessa Bentley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not recommendable at all.

Poorly written and repetitive. Weak characters and a predictable plot line. Sorry to be so negative as the initial idea was promising.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good story but the writing...SO amateurish, almost laughable, I cringed at some of it. But had to finish to see how things played out.

[Holly Brettell · Rating 1 out of 5]

Blech. Lame and not a thriller

[Jessica Pritt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shore Lodge is a well written book. This is a fast read. I really enjoyed this book. The events that took place was like a roller coaster ride. Can't wait to read the next book.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up
Quick read, took a bit to get into and a lot of things annoyed me but I could feel Jacklyn's frustration. Will probably read other books in the series.

[Renae Hamshar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely give this a go if you want a fast paced, heart pounding, emotional thriller to read!

Jacklyn Stone, a widow who watched her husband die and felt responsible for not saving him due to him having a DNR is a freaking boss lady. She has two kids an adult son and daughter. Her daughter is a full time mom and has a job as well and regretfully isn’t around much.

Her wretched son uses the Power of Attorney that he convinced her in drawing up, locks her away in a secure psychiatric facility and tries to ruin her life. He and the psychiatrist convinced his sister that Jacklyn needed to be admitted to this secure facility named Shore Lodge. This heroic woman withstands his efforts and fights til the very end. Does she win in the end? Read this book like I did to find out!!

[Andrea Repp · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh, what a terrible book. Amateurish writing, too much description, everything was a metaphor, switching between the points of view of the characters was very distracting, even with the chapters labeled.

The protagonist was supposed to be a strong woman and she was physically, but emotionally and psychologically she was a wreck, and not just because of the trauma in her life. She was just the quintessential weak, emotional female...disappointing. Her 1st person internal dialogue ruined it for me because there was no strength there, just the same, tired, old patriarchal tropes that have been holding us down for millennia.

The story had a good premise and it actually got me to think about my advancing years and what I'm going to do should I be in a situation like this. I actually thought this was going to be some sort of scary thing, that's what BookBub usually gives me, so that also fed my disappointment.

[Di · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author has created such a detailed picture of the atmosphere I felt like I could have been right there with the characters. This really is an unputdownable thriller with a breathtaking twists and looming darkness and suspense.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Hannah Cluff · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story had such a good start. The ending has left so many questions and unresolved problems. I feel like the author was just tired of writing and ended it as soon as they could.

[Tara Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jacklyn Stone is struggling to overcome the sudden death of her husband. She is trying to wade her way through the grieving process but feels overwhelmed by the myriad of emotions that she is experiencing. After losing the love of her life Jacklyn feels lost and lonely without him and often feels extreme guilt over having not been able to save her husband. At other times she feels anger over the secrets that her husband kept hidden from her during their marriage.

Jacklyn is usually strong and outgoing but now she struggles to keep herself going and chooses to stay home reading instead. Normally a competent business woman Jacklyn now finds her once thriving business starting to flounder. She feels as though she is losing a grip on her life and in the midst of her grief starts to make small mistakes. Her son, Dusty, and her daughter, Rose, are concerned about their mom’s mental health so they offer to take her on a mini vacation to a retreat where she can relax and heal.

Jacklyn is hesitant to go to the retreat but once she sees the beautiful surroundings she feels as though this might be just what she needed to heal. However, once inside Shore Lodge she soon discovers that there is something far more sinister at work. Jacklyn soon discovers that it is actually a psychiatric facility and that she has no hope of ever leaving. Her children have not only lied to her, but they have abandoned her and had her committed. Cut off from the outside world Jacklyn struggles to maintain her sanity and find a way to escape from the facility.

This book was a roller coaster ride of emotions for me. I felt great empathy for Jacklyn and my heart broke for her to see what her children did to her. She was grieving the loss of her husband of 37 years and rather than show compassion her children had her committed to a psychiatric facility. Then being spoken to and treated as though she was crazy by the staff made me cringe and I wanted to scream at them for mistreating Jacklyn.

Dusty seemed kind and caring initially and at first glance he seems to have his mom’s best interests at heart. It does not take long to realize that all he cares about is himself and his own gain. Dusty made me so angry that he took advantage of his mom like that when she was experiencing such loss and trauma. He was the epitome of evil and is clearly a narcissist who could not see beyond his own selfish needs with no thought to how it effected others. I could not fathom ever doing such horrible things to my own mother or being so cruel and heartless. Rose seemed as though she was just too wrapped up in her own life and her pursuit of a career to find time for her mom. It was easier to let someone else take charge so she could do her own thing. In time, it seems that Rose does care for her mom and wants to help her. Whether Rose felt guilty and changed her mind about having her mom committed, or she had a change of heart, is the question.

This book was intense from start to finish and will have you questioning who you truly trust! A must read for anyone looking for a psychological thriller.

[Darla Yocom · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is described as a psychological thriller and that is exactly what this author created. Initially the story starts with a sad story regarding the main character, Jacklyn Stone, losing her true love, her husband of many years, her rock. She deals with the aftermath of his passing that most of us would struggle with if put into this situation, including the fact that she finds that her husband made a number of questionable decisions related to their financing. Due to this fact, she will be unable to sell their business since she will be forced to recoup the money taken from their savings.

While Jacklyn is riddled with grief, which is expected, she finds that she sometimes struggles to remember things like the placement of her keys, her last name, etc. Her two children, a son named Dusty and a daughter named Rose, are very concerned for her well being. Therefore, they decide to look into a medical facility that could assist their mom in the grieving process and help her deal with latest struggles.

When Dusty and Rose present her with the opportunity to stay at a nice retreat that helps grieving widows/widowers, Jacklyn is not immediately receptive. After a bit of convincing and assurance that she will only stay a few days, she agrees to a few days of extra rest and relaxation. This is when readers learn of the Shore Lodge, where nothing is quite what it seems. Quickly Jacklyn realizes that her children were not very forthcoming or truthful with the details surrounding her stay and she finds herself in a scary and dangerous situation.

Readers will commiserate with Jacklyn and her situation. Anyone dealing with an abrupt change in circumstances could understand why such an aggressive response should be expected in this situation due to the overwhelming feelings of helplessness. Thankfully the main character is stronger than even she expected and has a lot of fight left in her as she deals with the heartbreaking betrayal and struggle for control over her life again. All she wants is to return to her own home and continue to own/run her impressive and successful garden store.

I enjoyed this book from the get go and it made me internally question what I would do if I were ever in this situation. I think readers will enjoy this book as well while trying to determine how this story will end with so many twists and turns.

[Lorralei Hoerner · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars!! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Hands down one of THE BEST Psychological Thriller story I have read in a very long time. This gave me all the feels........my heart palpitating, edge of my seat trying to figure out what comes next!!

When grief hits Jacklyn with her husbands death, she is trying to get through each day just to survive. When her two children, Dusty and Rose, recommend a retreat lodge to help Jacklyn with her grief, the ultimate betrayal happens. Greed and money is all it takes to commit Jacklyn to Shore Lodge...and it locks her down finding out it is a psychiatric facility, not just a retreat. When Jacklyn starts to slowly put the pieces together of this betrayal and fights for her freedom and life...will she succeed or just succumb to being a patient at Shore Lodge forever?

I have never disliked a character as much as I did Dusty in this book....wow...a piece of work is all I can say without giving any spoilers. I loved Jacklyn in this story, such a fighter as well as Buddy the beagle (my heart)....

If you are looking for a psychological thriller that totally engrosses you and a story you cannot put down....I HIGHLY recommend this book!!!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gripping psychological thriller that I found hard to put down, this is a real page turner of a novel. Newley widowed and grieving Jacklyn Stone is struggling to stay strong, having been left bewildered following her husband’s death. Although Jacklyn is usually independent, confident and manages her garden shop, she finds her life spiralling into chaos. When her son and daughter suggest going on a brief holiday to a remote retreat, where she can grieve and heal she reluctantly agrees. However, it’s not long until she realises that the so-called retreat is actually a psychiatric facility, and now she’s checked in she can’t check out. Reeling from the shocking betrayal of her children who seem determined to keep their mother locked up, Jacklyn fights hard to establish her mental stability. I was hooked from start to finish by the tragic storyline and atmospheric setting of this novel. I really felt for the main character, Jacklyn who was a great heroine and who I felt engaged with throughout the story. I was taken on an emotional rollercoaster whilst reading this immersive novel. A great read and one which I definitely recommend.

[Kris Zeller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jacklyn Stone knows she's struggling with grief after her husband passes away unexpectedly. That's normal, though. So when her kids suggest she spend a few days at Shore Lodge, a grief retreat, she doesn't think it's necessary; she has her business and her dog to keep her going. Still, her kids persist and ultimately convince her the quiet time on the isolated island will be good for her, she goes. She doesn't realize that she won't be leaving anytime soon.

I absolutely could not put this book down. For almost the entire book you are completely unsure if this is a gaslighting situation, or an unreliable narrator. It is masterfully done. I legitimately don't understand how this book isn't on the best seller list.

The only thing i found a little confusing is the voice of the main character was sometimes serious and older (kids are considering putting her in assisted living) and then sometimes fit and mischievous (steals tools, climbs things, messes with security cameras). Sometimes she seems like a strong independent young widow (she owns a garden store and does some manual labor, her kids are young adults still trying to establish themselves) and other times she seems a bit like a fuddy-duddy (The neighbor makes her sound like a little old lady, her friends seem older) so I had a hard time picturing her. I would *love* to see this adopted into a Netflix movie, with someone who could make the character both the grieving older widow *and* the feisty independent woman. I picture Jamie Lynn Curtis and the director of Haunting of Hill House making this a super tense thriller, but I'd be curious to know if the writer had a lighter tone in her head or who she pictured playing Jacklyn.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have never hated a character more than one of the characters in this book. I instantly hated him and I did not trust him at all in this one. Jacklyn has just abruptly lost her husband and is trying to navigate life without him. She is a little depressed and is just trying to figure out life without him. Finding that her husband basically drowned all their savings into their sons business and a Manager who keeps asking to buy her plant store from her Jacklyn is a little overwhelmed. That's when her children come up with a plan to have her evaluated or I should say Dusty her son has. Before she knows it Jacklyn is trapped in an institution against her will fighting to get out. Problem is...she signed over power of attorney to her son. Will Jacklyn escape with her dignity and sanity or will she wither away in the institution she desperately tries to get out of?

[Kirsten Berkebile · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book got me in my feels. Jacklyn, a recently widow, finds herself running away from a secured facility. I mean I use to joke with my parents that I would put them in a locked facility when they got older but I never actually thought I would do it. Dusty, (Jacklyn’s son) does some horrible things to his mother which include tricking her into going to Shore Lodge. Now she has another grown child (Rose) but she isn’t aware of what her brother’s doings. Unfortunately she is also tricked (at least I believe that) into thinking that Shore Lodge is exactly where her mother needs to be. I found this book very relatable and very sad at the same time.

[Rachel Moss · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 star read

I really tried to get into this book, the premise was good and I felt like it had a lot of potential but it me it just kind of fell flat. I didn't enjoy the multiple point of views and the time hopping. Or or felt like time hopping to me. To me the events felt disjointed, and it was hard for me to connect with the story and stay interested. I really wanted to like this one because it sounded so interesting but I just couldn't. The writing was well done though, I enjoyed the writing and when I wasn't confused with the time hopping I was easily immersed.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yikes! This is a story that scares the crud out of me. I can easily see this happening. That being said…I Loved it! I have already recommended it to a few people. I easily felt empathy, anger, sadness and frustration. I was shocked at the behavior of a few of the characters and could feel the betrayal deep in my bones. The main lead impressed me with grit, determination and inner strength. I could not help but root for her with every page I turned.

This is a first time author for me. I immensely enjoyed this. The writing style kept me engaged and the story moved along at a good clip not getting caught up in unnecessary wording.
Again…highly recommend!