In 1933, the Edevane family hosts a Midsummer Eve party at their Cornish estate, Loeanneth, which ends in the unexplained disappearance of their eleven-month-old son, Theo. Seventy years later, Sadie Sparrow, a London police detective on forced leave, discovers the abandoned mansion and the cold case while staying with her grandfather nearby. Sadie initiates an investigation, eventually contacting Alice Edevane, now an elderly mystery novelist who was a teenager when her brother vanished. The narrative moves between decades, detailing the hidden tensions of the Edevane parents, the secret actions of the house staff, and Sadie’s contemporary search for the truth behind the child's whereabouts.
This book is written for readers who enjoy dual-timeline mysteries and historical fiction centered on long-buried family secrets. It appeals to those who like piecing together fragmented clues across generations to solve a central puzzle. Readers walk away with a detailed understanding of how past traumas dictate future choices and how the eventual revelation of a hidden history can provide closure for those left behind. The story focuses on the mechanics of memory and the specific consequences of keeping silence within a household.
Escapist; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Escapist Adventurer. Which reader are you?
Insights from The Lake House
“Secrets are like ghosts. They haunt because they have nowhere else to go.”
The entire story hinges on a single moment in the woods. One small decision by a child can ripple out for seventy years.
“The past is a living thing. It breathes and grows.”
Alice spent her whole life hiding her true feelings from her mother. They both lived in a house of silence while craving the truth.
“Truth is a slippery thing. It changes depending on who tells it.”
Sadie finds herself drawn to the Edevane family because her own life is messy. Solving their mystery feels easier than facing her own mistakes.
Eleanor kept a secret that ate her alive. She thought she was protecting her son but only ended up losing him twice.
- Published
- 2015
- Publisher
- Atria Books
- ISBN
- 9781451649352
- Language
- EN
