Charlotte Keller finds a stranger in the lake, literally. The victim is floating under the dock at the rear of her home alongside Lake Crosby, North Carolina. How did the body get there and why?
I really enjoyed reading this mystery. Unlike other crime thrillers where the focus is generally from the Police point of view, this novel is mostly from the point of view of the person who found the body. I loved the characterisation of Charlotte, a young woman who came from a grubby trailer park on the ugly side of the lake. Charlotte fell in love and married a wealthy widower called Paul and moved into his luxury home alongside Lake Crosby. Only Paul and all the other characters in this mystery are very economical with the truth. Can Charlotte get to the bottom of the mystery of the stranger she found in the lake.
This story asks how much do you know and can trust your partner? Although the questions and doubts come from Charlotte’s point of view, this story will appeal to both genders and it does not matter whether you are in a hetrosexual or same sex relationship.
Finding a body and questioning people’s openness does not make this a grim read. There is some light humour in this tale, for example…
Micah managed one last glare in Jax’s direction before selecting one from the pile. “Please tell me you don’t really listen to this shit. Where’s the Zeppelin? The Skynyrd and Steve Miller? This is some girlie-ass music you got here, dude. Who the hell is Coldplay?”
...Yes, quite right Kimberly. I can’t stand their music either and my worst memory is the tremendous traffic jam they generated when they played at the Principality Stadium, here in Cardiff, UK. Kimberly writes her novel in American English and includes words I am unfamiliar with like hooptie, kook and schlep. British readers will engage and enjoy her book because Kimberly weaves such a depth of atmosphere into her story you can imagine you are there. For example…
We step onto the deck, and the gazes sweep over me and Paul with a disapproving thud. This is Wrangler jeans and baseball-cap kind of crowd, and Paul’s brand of designer casual might as well be a three-piece suit. I scan the row of faces pointed our way, and I recognize every single one. Nobody smiles. Nobody says hi. “Tough crowd,” Paul mutters.
I step to the window and Buddy doesn’t smile, but then again, Buddy never smiles. He lifts a chin in greeting, wiping a hand down his grubby apron. “What do you want?”
“Two heavyweights all the way with strings. Two Cokes.”
He doesn’t have a menu, and only a regular customer would know the lingo for their most popular sandwich, chopped brisket topped with everything but the kitchen sink. The strings are code for french fries.
… I liked how all the characters raised doubts with the reader, each and everyone had motive and opportunity. I think Stranger in the Lake would make a great television drama. I loved this book and think it has international appeal as you can so easily put yourself alongside Lake Crosby. There is a lot of suspense in this novel and as you progress through the chapters, you wonder if Charlotte is safe or if she will become another victim of Lake Crosby. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Stranger in the Lake and consider it to be an OUTSTANDING 5 star read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher HQ Digital for giving me a copy of this book on the understanding that I provide an honest review.
Stranger in the Lake was written in 2020 and is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook.
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