The House Across the Lake

My Riley Sager

This is one of those books you should go into blind. Just know you are in for a wild ride, its starts out pretty typical but then the drop hits you. There were so many twists and turns towards the end that the story completely changes into a complicated tangle.

The first half felt very familiar to me, think Woman in the Window vibes. Our main character Casey Fletcher, a widowed actress, escapes to her family’s lake house after some awful moments in the press. She drinks herself into oblivion every night until she sees the binoculars sitting next to her.

Tom and Katherine Royce are staying in the house across the lake. She is a famous model and he runs a tech company. One day Katherine almost drowns in the lake and Casey is able to save her. From there the relationship between them grows, and Casey finds it hard not to spy on the famous couple. When Katherine goes missing, Casey becomes consumed with finding out what happened.

For over half the book I felt like the story was very familiar. The unreliable narrator thinks she sees something across the lake. With all of Casey’s drinking you just don’t know what you can believe, but when the twist hits it changes everything.

This is one of those twists that you either hate or love because it is so outlandish it’s hard to believe. The last 30% of the book went pretty fast for me. There were so many twits and turns I couldn’t really stop reading until I knew exactly what was going on.

Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for my review. I really enjoyed this one. The twist wasn’t my favorite but I still liked the spooky atmosphere.

Happy reading

XOXO Tricia

The Golden Couple

By Greer Hendricks, Sarah Pekkanen

Synopsis:

Wealthy Washington suburbanites Marissa and Matthew Bishop seem to have it all―until Marissa is unfaithful. Beneath their veneer of perfection is a relationship riven by work and a lack of intimacy. She wants to repair things for the sake of their eight-year-old son and because she loves her husband. Enter Avery Chambers.

Avery is a therapist who lost her professional license. Still, it doesn’t stop her from counseling those in crisis, though they have to adhere to her unorthodox methods. And the Bishops are desperate.
When they glide through Avery’s door and Marissa reveals her infidelity, all three are set on a collision course. Because the biggest secrets in the room are still hidden, and it’s no longer simply a marriage that’s in danger.

Review:

I love this style of writing with multiple perspectives, but not too many. It was just the right amount of back and forth without the confusion. I thought Avery’s character was the most interesting. She was edgy but sophisticated and could take care of herself. On the other hand I didn’t enjoy Marissa as much. I can see how her character was meant to be a little weak and vulnerable, but I found it hard to care for her.

There are a lot of side stories and characters that help round out this book. They keep things interesting and added enough intrigue that I found myself needing to know more. Once you think you know where things are headed your’e thrown a twist that changes everything.

I’ll be honest, a couple of times I thought I had it all figured out and I turned out to be wrong. It wasn’t until one clue at the end that it all came together for me before the big reveal. That’s how I like a thriller. I want to be taken in the wrong direction as long as possible to make the reveal that much sweeter.

If you like a little martial drama and an unsolved murder from the past, you’ll likely enjoy this one! It’s a slow burn in the beginning, but stick with it, you won’t be disappointed.

Happy reading,

Xoxo Tricia