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Labeled a workaholic by his FBI comrades, Ethan Veech agrees to take a break from work and travel to the sleepy, southern town of Berry Springs, with nothing on his agenda but relaxation and drinks at the local bar. But, before he can even say “Another round, please,” a mysterious pair of human bones, a vicious murder, and a sexy criminal crashes his perfect plans.

A product of her harsh upbringing, Jolene Reeves doesn’t exactly live by the law, and makes no apologies for it, until her life is thrown into the spotlight when she stumbles upon a dead body in the bathroom of the Berry Springs B&B. After Ethan discovers Jolene’s true identity, he threatens to expose her past unless she helps him bring down the focus of his current case; the reclusive millionaire Slade Packer.

As their shaky alliance becomes clouded by their sizzling chemistry, another victim is brutally murdered and it isn’t long until Ethan discovers that Jolene is next on the killer's list.

And the clock to save her life is ticking . . .

Kindle Edition

First published August 7, 2017

753 people are currently reading
578 people want to read

About the author

Amanda McKinney

37 books1,014 followers
Amanda McKinney is the Amazon Charts bestselling and multi-award-winning author of more than thirty romance and thriller novels. Her books have received over fifteen literary awards and nominations, including the prestigious Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence, and have been included in lists such as POPSUGAR's 12 Best Romance Books, and featured on the Today Show.


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www.amandamckinneyauthor.com

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5 stars
474 (52%)
4 stars
282 (31%)
3 stars
118 (13%)
2 stars
19 (2%)
1 star
3 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
Profile Image for Coco.V.
50k reviews134 followers
Want to read
July 18, 2020
💝 FREE on Amazon today (12/04/2017)! 💝
Profile Image for Irma *Irma The Book Whisperer*.
1,751 reviews149 followers
October 8, 2019
Again a great one. It has it all - great characters, action, mystery, romance, humor even.
I recommend it to all suspense readers. Great!
Profile Image for Cindy.
2,352 reviews172 followers
March 12, 2018
An FBI agent who works in Cyber crimes teams up with a woman whose jobs include cyber theft and helping big corporations with tax evasion. Makes for an interesting and exciting story..
Profile Image for Penelope.
1,485 reviews15 followers
October 29, 2020
I enjoyed The Lake, and give it nearly 4* (which I give to books I liked) as described below.

The Lake, #2 takes place in the small farming and tourist community of Berry Springs, AK. Ethan Veech/MMC, a computer forensics expert in the Cyber Crimes unit for the FBI, leaves for a brief vacation in the Ozark Mts following the closing of his last case. The evening of his arrival, a local fisherman snags weathered human bones off the bottom of a nearby lake.

Jolene Reeves/FMC (with a history in cyber scams, identity fraud, organizing both corporate and personal illegal tax evasions) is awaiting final payment on her last job when she finds a dead body in a room of the B&B where she is temporarily lodging. A day later, another dead body is found near downtown. The sudden discovery of dead bodies and scattered human bones in Berry Springs has the police scrutinizing everyone. Is the killer(s) still in the area; are the 2 new deaths connected to the old bones discovered in the lake? Although Ethan is supposed to be on vacation, he is asking his own questions - Who is Jolene; why is she in the area; is she connected to the deaths; why does she look familiar?

I enjoyed the story The Lake. The male character, Ethan Veech, is attractive/interesting as a Cyber Crimes expert. I had a difficult time identifying with Jolene as the female lead, however, especially considering Ethan works for the FBI and he is new in his job. It seems he would still be attempting to prove himself to both his boss and the organization. The ultimatum he gave in the end didn’t seem realistic/honest, to me. He hadn’t even known Jolene for a week, barely, and at the beginning we are told that it had been Ethan’s dream to work for the FBI since he was 10 years old. I don’t believe he would have been willing to toss all that away for a relationship that was so new. Especially considering his last relationship lasted less than a couple months. What if Jolene decides to walk and he has given up his beloved career? That being said, the “Jolene angle” was the only difficult part for me. The story pulled me in, the identity of the killer, and whether or not the crimes were related all kept my interest.

I have been reading and enjoying the Berry Springs Thriller series in nearly reverse order and can confirm that each title can easily be read as standalones - there are no cliffhangers, each story/mystery has its own completion and HEA. The law enforcement & medical experts feature in various books but keeping them straight is not a problem, IMO. The Creek#5 and The Cave#6 were my favorite stories/settings; and The Woods is bk#1. Readers who enjoy: police/FBI mysteries; contemporary romance suspense/thrillers with wilderness outdoor settings; Enemies to Lovers and/or Danger/Proximity trope; (nearly) Insta-Love attraction; and suspenseful HEAs might want to check out this series. I look forward to reading The Storm and The Shadow in The Berry Springs series soon. I have also read and enjoyed more recent titles by Amanda McKinney.

Reader Cautions -
Violence - Yes. This is a police procedural murder mystery; the law officers regularly discuss the murders. Also, the personal perspective of 2 of the victims occurs prior and during their abductions/death, although this is fairly brief.
Profanity - Yes. Strong language is used.
Sexual situations - Yes. There are several scenes of intimacy and frank sexual innuendos/guy talk.

Therefore due to the aforementioned, I do not recommend this title to readers who prefer Clean fiction or to YA.
Profile Image for Stephen.
675 reviews18 followers
December 24, 2018
After a terrifying prologue, the tight prose and action pull you in. Then, the sharply-defined characters and suspenseful plot seal the deal.
This is a first-class murder mystery. Ms. McKinney is one of the best at romantic suspense.

Jolene Reeves had a tough childhood. She learned to fend for herself and to survive. And to skirt the law. At 32, she is a highly-sought-after independent financial consultant. She's an expert at hacking, money laundering and hiding companies' assets. She's financially secure.
She's also on the FBI's radar. She is also vert smart.

Ethan Veech is a computer forensics investigator for the FBI. He lives for the job. He's a workaholic.
However, Ethan has a vacation coming up and when he's offered to stay at a friend's cabin in Berry Springs, Arkansas he jumps at the chance.
He had been on a previous case there and enjoyed the area.

Once there, while having drinks with some local cop buddies, sexy Jolene walks into the bar.
After picking his jaw up from the floor, Ethan swears that she looks familiar.

When Ethan remembers who Jolene really is, he threatens to turn her into the FBI unless she assists him in taking down the target of his latest investigation.

Seclusive millionaire software developer Slade Packer is suspected of being the leader of the Hexagon Group.
The group is believed responsible for hacking into the Pentagon's employees files.
And planning to use the information for no good.

Bones have been discovered at Otter Lake in Berry Springs.

As the attraction between Jolene and Ethan begins to sizzle, a body is found at the local B & B.
A while later there's another body at the park. Stabbed in the same way way as the first victim.
Ethan learns that Jolene may be next!

The suspense and sexual tension build and the pair finds themselves barreling down a road with hairpin curves and dangerous obstacles.

"The Lake" is a page-a-minute thrill ride!
Profile Image for Sandra Knapp.
530 reviews14 followers
February 13, 2018
An interesting twist on a murder mystery tale, but I have to be honest. I guessed correctly, who the killer was way too soon for me to give it 5 stars. I did like the general story line very much. But it was almost too obvious who had to be doing it. Also, too much graphic sex for my liking. I guess many writers think they can`t get a good rating without it, or feel they can`t tell the story without it, when I can assure them that I would have had a very good idea what was occurring if they had left the graphic detail out. Who knows? My imagination might have made it more exciting. :)

Still, it was a good story line, you really do find yourself "rooting" for the two lead characters and their budding relationship. Would I read more from this series? Yes, I definitely would. After all the years I`ve been reading, I`ve become quite skilled as knowing where to skip parts, and picking up the story at just the right place and avoid all that mushy stuff. I just want the gritty details of the dastardly deed, and to know the SOB was caught out in the end.
Profile Image for Rocky Henriques.
Author 29 books1 follower
December 30, 2017
A really good story...

I very much enjoyed this book, and will probably read more from the series. The author should seriously consider hiring an editor, though. There were just enough grammatical errors to be distracting, such as "conscious" instead of "conscience, " "here" instead of hear, " and "lead" instead of "led." Normally I would have found those to be so distracting that I would have stopped reading, but the story was too good to put down. I fell in love with the little town of Berry Springs!
Profile Image for Lori Bindner.
169 reviews3 followers
January 11, 2018
Thrilling suspense

I thought this was well written, full of passion, intrigue and mystery. It held my attention as I finished reading instead of doing chores. Pick it up, you won't regret the read.
Profile Image for Mary.
34 reviews
November 22, 2017
This second book in the Berry Springs series is even better than the first book (which I thoroughly enjoyed). Often I can guess "who done it" but not this time. Very fun to read!
551 reviews1 follower
October 23, 2017
When FBI agent Ethan Veech decides to take a much needed vacation, he heads to one of his favorite small towns, Berry Springs, little does he know he will end up smack dab in the middle of a murder investigation. He is a cyber crimes investigator and one night while at the bar he spots someone from his watch list; the beautiful Jolene Reeves. That evening Jolene's residence becomes the scene of a grisly murder investigation and before the local authorities can learn her true identity Ethan needs her help capturing a bigger criminal. As they race against the clock and evade becoming the next victim in a deadly game of cat an mouse, Ethan and Jolene may discovery they need each other more then they ever thought.

Amanda McKinney's series Berry Springs is a great recommendation for Karin Slaughter and Mary Kubica fans. It's a murder mystery with a little romance sprinkled on top. I was new to the Berry Springs series but was able to pick up the story without any problem and now I can not wait to read the rest of the series.
Profile Image for PepperP0t .
5,161 reviews88 followers
September 28, 2023
FBI tech analyst Ethan Veech expected to fish, hike, relax, visit friends and sneak in some work while on a solo vacation in Berry Springs. Ethan lost interest in his friend’s bar talk of skeletal bones that surfaced from the local lake to talk to the town beauty. Ethan’s reaction to a gorgeous, sexy newcomer was to rise mid-flirt and go to sit next to the newcomer.

Their bar gambit included a bet and giving him a false name. Ethan’s sexy bar-mate haunts his dreams, he awakes with clarity! The sexy newcomer is on the FBI watchlist, she’s cyber-thief, Jolene Reeves. Jolene finds the body of a man she argued with two days before, no one else seems to know him and she can’t admit their connection.

As local police have their hands full, Ethan catches Jolene unaware and offers a bargain. In exchange for immunity, Ethan asks Jolene for help on his assignment to locate a high-profile, notorious hacker. Working together, they take advantage of the close quarters, a perk for them both. Meanwhile, another victim falls in this nicely paced, twisty who really dun-it.
Rating: 4.5stars
Profile Image for Chanel.
1,833 reviews
June 10, 2019
I believe this is my first book by this author, so I had no idea what to expect. What I got was a rather complex plot involving an unknown dangerous murderer, a old cold case, a beautiful career white-collar criminal wanted by the FBI for questioning, a sexy work-alcoholic FBI agent investigating cyber attacks by the mysterious Hexagon Group, and colorful locals from a small town with Southern Charm.
There were no surprise revolving around the chemistry shared between Ethan, the FBI agent, and the suspect Jolene, as it led to the predictable outcome "between the sheets". The same can not be said for the mystery part of this book, as this suspenseful story line didn't follow a traditional path. It only stood to reason there was a connection between the Prologue, the recent murders, and the elusive Slade Packer, but darn if I could see it. The author did an outstanding job keeping me guessing which only added to the allure of this well-written book. Stars 4.25
77 reviews1 follower
January 27, 2018
I was given this book by the author and the publisher in return for an honest review.

This is the second book in the Berry Springs series; I hadn't read the first book The Woods when I read this book, but I had no problem catching up and enjoying the second book as a stand-alone.

I think Amanda McKinney is going to be a very successful author -- as soon as a competent editor is found. I found many grammatical errors as well as a place where a character was referred to by her real name before it was known to anyone yet in the book. The author has the ability to draw you in to her book, engaging your curiosity and really making you want to see how it will all turn out! She has well fleshed out characters and just in general is a very good mystery writer. I plan on reading the first book in the series as well as any further books.
830 reviews
January 5, 2020
Ethan and Jolene

This is the second book in the series and I can't tell if it's supposed to be supernatural lite. I also can't tell if the author really likes small southern towns or thinks they're akin to Deliverance. Berry Springs certainly has plenty of crime and long held secrets. Ethan decides to vacation in Berry Springs well because it's a free place to stay. Jolene who made an appearance in the last book, is there working although it seems like if she's a smart as you'd think she'd have left following the events in book one. When the villain is revealed you wonder why. Why Berry Springs? Why the murders which drew attention when there were other ways to achieve the same goals. As in the first book, the romance between the two seems secondary to the mystery. Despite all the above, I like the cast of characters and will keep reading the series.
3,547 reviews14 followers
July 21, 2020
Whew!! What a fantastic read. The Lake is an extraordinary romantic suspense by Amanda McKinney. Ms. McKinney continues to impress me with her storytelling abilities. She has managed to keep me guessing right up to the big reveal. Kudos! This well-written book is loaded with spectacular characters. Jolene has cleaned up her act a little, but not enough to use her real name. Ethan is an FBI agent in the Cyber Crimes Unit. When his friend offered up a cabin in Berry Springs he was happy to accept and start his vacation. Jolene and Ethan's story is packed with drama, humor, spice, action and suspense. I loved reading this book and can't wait to read my next book by Amanda McKinney. The Lake is part of A Berry Springs Novel Series but can be read as a standalone. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.
Profile Image for DarcLibrarian .
339 reviews2 followers
March 1, 2020
Hot Geek!

FBI Cybercrime specialist Ethan Veech returns to Berry Springs on vacation but soon becomes embroiled with murder and a sexy little hacker. Jolene masquerading as Anna is happy with her life and the money she makes from her illegal enterprises until her world collides with hot as hell Ethan. Suddenly she finds that she is being blackmailed to help bring down a very dangerous person of interest. All whilst battling her attraction to her enemy and thinking seriously about her future. I really enjoyed this romantic mystery featuring the hottest geek ever, the bad girl he falls for and a plot twist at the end you won't see coming. I recommend reading this book for Free with Kindle Unlimited.
Profile Image for Diane Griffiths.
198 reviews3 followers
October 24, 2017
So, FBI agent Ethan Veech decides to take a much needed vacation, and he heads to Berry Springs. He wanted to relax and do some fishing, but he ends up in the middle of a murder investigation. He is a cyper crime investigator and ends up finding Jolene who is on the FBI wanted list. This brigs them together in a way you would not suspect.

This story again had me guessing what the next move was and who the murderer was!! I really got caught up in it, and could not put the book down.

Some authors have a way of pulling you in to a story, and Amanda McKinney has that talent!! I can't wait to read her next book!!
818 reviews3 followers
March 3, 2019
Good story and works well in the series!

I am enjoying the Berry Springs series and this story was a good addition. There was a lot of action, suspense and adventure in the small town of Berry Springs. The plot was well done and kept me guessing until the end!
Although I really enjoyed the book, I have to say the book needs editing. Jolene is living under another name and I could count at least a half dozen times where the wrong name was used. Plus the book started calling her by the wrong name before the fake name was explained.
417 reviews7 followers
October 25, 2017
I was pleasantly surprised by the content of this book. It had me mesmerized just from the Prologue. A good mix of suspense, mystery, and a touch of romance. This author shows a tremendous amount of talent. I do a lot of reading and usually end up setting a book aside for a while when the plot temporarily weakens. But not this one. Looking forward to reading more in this series from this up and coming author.
Profile Image for Connie Ringler.
3 reviews
November 28, 2018
Book 2 - "The Lake"

I don't normally read trilogy novels, because they can be so long and drawn out. After I read the first installment, The Woods, I thought, what the Heck. Let me tell you, it was worth it! "The Lake" is a stand alone story, that high lights a minor character from the previous book. This is how to keep my interest up! Plan to read the 3rd installment soon! Happy holidays!
Profile Image for tabitha bradshaw.
718 reviews1 follower
July 19, 2019
“I was almost too late.”

FBI agent Ethan is finally on vacation and trying not to work too much and meets a familiar face while hanging out. Jolene, aka Anna, isn’t the girl next door kind of woman. Can she and Ethan work together to figure out what’s going on in little Berry Springs before someone else winds up dead? The second book in this series will not leave you wanting. Super read! Enjoy!!!
Profile Image for shayla tisevich.
3 reviews1 follower
September 3, 2017
Even better than the first!!!

I loved the first book in the series, The Woods, so much that I got this one immediately after, and I was not disappointed! Amanda McKinney wrote another fantastic murder mystery, with super sexy characters. I can't wait for the next in the series! Definitely a fan!
Profile Image for Jackie Zortman.
Author 8 books7 followers
April 29, 2018
All three of Amanda McKinney's books are right up my alley. They have just enough romance, mystery and intrigue all set in a small Alabama town. This is all mixed gently with police procedural and will keep you turning pages until you finish the book way too soon. I loved The Lake and think you will, too. Well written.
Profile Image for Debbie.
96 reviews
May 28, 2018
The Lake by Amanda McKinney is a fun summer read that keeps the pages turning. The plot was well constructed and the characters were developed just enough to keep you guessing what was happening in Berry Springs. Murder, intrigue, and suspense fills the pages with a twisted story and villain I loved to hate! Great book!
Profile Image for P J Van Benthusen.
468 reviews1 follower
January 19, 2019
You gotta love a good ending!

This book is enough to make you head to Arkansas if they have guys like Ethan. And what a twist! I did not see that coming and the real identity of the villain was a mystery. Good tale woven with just enough of all the good stuff to make it interesting.
1,908 reviews18 followers
February 15, 2019
Terrific!

Very fast paced murder mystery. Continues from previous book several months later with different protagonists but characters from previous book. Exciting adventure with many twists and diversions. It is an intricate plot with an unexpected ending --- all the different plots converge into one solution!
Profile Image for Sandra R.
3,377 reviews47 followers
December 30, 2021
I enjoyed this romantic suspense story. Set in Berry Springs with the main character being a colleague of the hero from the previous book. It can be read as a stand alone re the back story and the romance, but several side characters from the town reoccur in this book. It's insta attraction/love for the H/h and the murder story is interesting and well written.
318 reviews1 follower
September 10, 2017
Another great book! Enjoyed the first book I read by Amanda McKinney, "The Woods", but this one is even better. Plenty of suspense and titillating romance. I definitely was not disappointed.

I'll be watching for the next in the series.

Definitely recommend!
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