Helpful Score: 3
THE LAKE HOUSE was the March 2016 pick in my online book club, The Reading Cove.
Considering her popularity, it's so sad to say it, but I've come to the realization that Kate Morton's writing simply isn't for me. :(
At nearly 500 pages, this mystery was one of the most plodding and monotonous stories I've ever read, with an ending so terribly contrived vs. clever that it's just...a shame. I just shook my head.
The dual narrative spans 70 years, with the present-day detective storyline feeling mostly like plot bloat. After previously reading THE SECRET KEEPER, I find that by and large her plotting is pretty elementary, although cloaked in rich, sweeping historical backdrops. I really think this will be my last Kate Morton book. Authors like Kimberley Freeman, Diane Chamberlain and even Emilie Richards are much more sophisticated with this style of storytelling.
So while the setting of THE LAKE HOUSE was quite gorgeously well established, the plot ultimately lacks intelligence and relies quite heavily on convenient coincidence to reach its resolution. C-
Considering her popularity, it's so sad to say it, but I've come to the realization that Kate Morton's writing simply isn't for me. :(
At nearly 500 pages, this mystery was one of the most plodding and monotonous stories I've ever read, with an ending so terribly contrived vs. clever that it's just...a shame. I just shook my head.
The dual narrative spans 70 years, with the present-day detective storyline feeling mostly like plot bloat. After previously reading THE SECRET KEEPER, I find that by and large her plotting is pretty elementary, although cloaked in rich, sweeping historical backdrops. I really think this will be my last Kate Morton book. Authors like Kimberley Freeman, Diane Chamberlain and even Emilie Richards are much more sophisticated with this style of storytelling.
So while the setting of THE LAKE HOUSE was quite gorgeously well established, the plot ultimately lacks intelligence and relies quite heavily on convenient coincidence to reach its resolution. C-
Kate Morton's books specialize in layers upon layers of secrets that slowly peel back to ultimately reveal the heart of the story. She is also masterful at drawing a beautiful, mysterious setting around the secrets. The Lake House is no different, but, for me, has too many different secrets. I am still a Kate Morton fan, but this one is not a favorite.
Read my complete review at: http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2015/10/the-lake-house.html
Reviewed based on a copy received through a publisher's giveaway. Thank you Shelf Awareness.
Read my complete review at: http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2015/10/the-lake-house.html
Reviewed based on a copy received through a publisher's giveaway. Thank you Shelf Awareness.
I have enjoyed every single one of Kate Morton's books, and The Lake House is no exception. Extremely few writers have Morton's knack for interweaving multiple storylines, time periods, and characters.
Throughout the entire book the Cornish estate of Loeanneth kept me spellbound, no matter the time period. From beloved home to neglected shell, Morton's descriptions held me in the palm of her hand because no matter the state of the place, Morton described a home that was loved, not hated. All that needed to be done was to have the secrets brought out into the light.
Young police detective Sadie Sparrow is the perfect character to bring those secrets to light. She is an absolute terrier at digging them up... although she has a secret or two of her own that she doesn't want to share.
Pitted against young Sadie is the much older and wiser Alice (A.C.) Edevane-- a strong character no matter the age at which Morton portrays her. We see Alice's parents falling in love, and we see Alice, her parents and siblings happily ensconced in Loeanneth. At the age of sixteen Alice is already writing novels. She's such a bright, inquisitive child, and so eager to become an adult. But her world comes crashing down around her after a party at Loeanneth. Hundreds of people attended, but only one cannot be accounted for: Alice's eleven-month-old brother Theo. The infant is never seen again, and the tragedy shatters the Edevane family.
The Lake House has so many interlocking secrets and so many possible solutions to what happened to Theo-- more than enough to keep all our little grey cells hopping. We learn about all these secrets as the time period swings to and fro naturally from present day to 1911, 1933, and 1941. Kate Morton has done it again: created a world, characters, and a story that kept me fascinated from first page to last.
Throughout the entire book the Cornish estate of Loeanneth kept me spellbound, no matter the time period. From beloved home to neglected shell, Morton's descriptions held me in the palm of her hand because no matter the state of the place, Morton described a home that was loved, not hated. All that needed to be done was to have the secrets brought out into the light.
Young police detective Sadie Sparrow is the perfect character to bring those secrets to light. She is an absolute terrier at digging them up... although she has a secret or two of her own that she doesn't want to share.
Pitted against young Sadie is the much older and wiser Alice (A.C.) Edevane-- a strong character no matter the age at which Morton portrays her. We see Alice's parents falling in love, and we see Alice, her parents and siblings happily ensconced in Loeanneth. At the age of sixteen Alice is already writing novels. She's such a bright, inquisitive child, and so eager to become an adult. But her world comes crashing down around her after a party at Loeanneth. Hundreds of people attended, but only one cannot be accounted for: Alice's eleven-month-old brother Theo. The infant is never seen again, and the tragedy shatters the Edevane family.
The Lake House has so many interlocking secrets and so many possible solutions to what happened to Theo-- more than enough to keep all our little grey cells hopping. We learn about all these secrets as the time period swings to and fro naturally from present day to 1911, 1933, and 1941. Kate Morton has done it again: created a world, characters, and a story that kept me fascinated from first page to last.
If you read enough books that are similar you start to learn the set up and are able to figure out the twists and spins that will be on the next page. The mystery was very easy to figure out but the author continued to draw you in and you will want to read till the end.
This book was a little long the ending seemed to go and on, but altogether I liked it better than some of her others. If you're familiar with her writing then you know she incorporates different time frames and characterizations which can make it hard to keep up with the characters. This book finaly settled down, she did a really good job with charaters, red herrings, and plot. All in all it was an enjoyable read and encouraged me to read the next one, which I had almost decided not to do.
I have liked all of Kate Morton's books that I've read; I particularly liked Lake House. A young boy is missing and the mystery of his disappearance is still unsolved 70 years later. A detective who is on forced leave and visiting in the area takes up the cold case. Very good read!!!!
Book Description
One of People magazine's Best Books of Fall--"Morton's moody, suspenseful latest is the perfect page-turner for a chilly night."
From the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of The Secret Keeper and The Distant Hours, an intricately plotted, spellbinding new novel of heartstopping suspense and uncovered secrets.
Living on her family's idyllic lakeside estate in Cornwall, England, Alice Edevane is a bright, inquisitive, innocent, and precociously talented sixteen-year-old who loves to write stories. But the mysteries she pens are no match for the one her family is about to endure...
One midsummer's eve, after a beautiful party drawing hundreds of guests to the estate has ended, the Edevanes discover that their youngest child, eleven-month-old Theo, has vanished without a trace. What follows is a tragedy that tears the family apart in ways they never imagined.
Decades later, Alice is living in London, having enjoyed a long successful career as an author. Theo's case has never been solved, though Alice still harbors a suspicion as to the culprit. Miles away, Sadie Sparrow, a young detective in the London police force, is staying at her grandfather's house in Cornwall. While out walking one day, she stumbles upon the old estate--now crumbling and covered with vines, clearly abandoned long ago. Her curiosity is sparked, setting off a series of events that will bring her and Alice together and reveal shocking truths about a past long gone...yet more present than ever.
A lush, atmospheric tale of intertwined destinies, this latest novel from a masterful storyteller is an enthralling, thoroughly satisfying read.
My Review
I always enjoy a Kate Morton book. Her writing is very beautiful with rich characters and an excellent plot. This one was good but a little slow to get started. Once the story took off and straight through to the end it became very interesting and hard to put down. Morton is wonderful at interweaving family secrets and different time periods and I look forward to her next release.
One of People magazine's Best Books of Fall--"Morton's moody, suspenseful latest is the perfect page-turner for a chilly night."
From the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of The Secret Keeper and The Distant Hours, an intricately plotted, spellbinding new novel of heartstopping suspense and uncovered secrets.
Living on her family's idyllic lakeside estate in Cornwall, England, Alice Edevane is a bright, inquisitive, innocent, and precociously talented sixteen-year-old who loves to write stories. But the mysteries she pens are no match for the one her family is about to endure...
One midsummer's eve, after a beautiful party drawing hundreds of guests to the estate has ended, the Edevanes discover that their youngest child, eleven-month-old Theo, has vanished without a trace. What follows is a tragedy that tears the family apart in ways they never imagined.
Decades later, Alice is living in London, having enjoyed a long successful career as an author. Theo's case has never been solved, though Alice still harbors a suspicion as to the culprit. Miles away, Sadie Sparrow, a young detective in the London police force, is staying at her grandfather's house in Cornwall. While out walking one day, she stumbles upon the old estate--now crumbling and covered with vines, clearly abandoned long ago. Her curiosity is sparked, setting off a series of events that will bring her and Alice together and reveal shocking truths about a past long gone...yet more present than ever.
A lush, atmospheric tale of intertwined destinies, this latest novel from a masterful storyteller is an enthralling, thoroughly satisfying read.
My Review
I always enjoy a Kate Morton book. Her writing is very beautiful with rich characters and an excellent plot. This one was good but a little slow to get started. Once the story took off and straight through to the end it became very interesting and hard to put down. Morton is wonderful at interweaving family secrets and different time periods and I look forward to her next release.
Fantastic! Couldn't put it down!
