An unusual story told in 2003 and present. Who is Lisa and what has she done. Who is the little girl living by the lake with her father who is suffering from PTSD. How far will he go? How are the two women connected? A story of strength, determination and loss.

This book bored me. I finished it but I skimmed most of it and then I was disappointed with the ending. It was all very well written but there was just a certain spark missing.

It took me a while to get into, but once I did I raised through this twisty page-turner. I liked that you couldn't tell who you could trust and while I did work out some of the twists there were enough that I was kept guessing to the end.

A really gripping read, spanning 2 time periods. It's a fast paced thriller where the 2 stories collide, with lots of twists and turns along the way. Not what I expected, but it will hook you right from the beginning.

I'm afraid I was unable to get into this book, so I did not finish reading it.
That is why I have only given a two star rating.

I was frustrated by this book but wanted to read on in equal measure. There is nothing overly sophisticated in the writing of this book and some of the switches from one character to the next are clumsy, but I enjoyed the heartfelt honesty of the book. I wanted to save Grace and felt so angry with her dad that he stole her childhood but you also understand his motive. I enjoyed the twist in the tale because part of the desire to read on stems from wanting to piece together the connection between the characters. It’s not the most outstanding bit of literature I’ve read but it’s easy to read and the story is ok.

A very enjoyable book. At first, I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy it, but, after a few chapters, I was hooked. It is a sad tale of love, friendship, mental and physical cruelty. Lisa, Grace and Isabel are all victims, but react differently. Are the good really good and are the bad really bad?

Wow, wow, wow!

Just about sums it up! This book will completely absorb you and have you second guessing every moment.

A must read!

Lisa needs to disappear. Her friend's rambling old home in the wilds of Yorkshire seems like the perfect place. It's miles away from the closest town, and no one there knows her or her little boy, Joe. But when a woman from the local village comes to visit them, Lisa realizes that she and Joe aren't as safe as she thought. What secret has Rowan Isle House - and her friend - kept hidden all these years? What will Lisa have to do to survive, when her past finally catches up with her?

This was okay but could have been great. Ellwood has the perfect setting that instantly creates a creepy, intense atmosphere and one that lends itself easily to fear and spooky goings on. Throw in a creepy, old house and it is utter perfection. However, the plot was a bit lacklustre. There are twists in this but Ellwood takes too long to insert the first one and I found myself bored, sadly the twists were then not enough to save the read.

Looking at the plot as a whole, it is decent and provides some entertaining moments, by entertaining I mean chilling. It is clear from the beginning that Lisa is not what she seems but can you figure out the truth before Ellwood reveals it? I have mentioned the setting being a great choice for this book, but the people in the village are perfect as well. Again, it soon becomes clear they have secrets and have a role to play in the plot. It was worthwhile reading this to discover how everything slots in.

Ellwood has flashback chapters throughout, which at times, I think I was reading the book purely for these. They provide more clues and had me more on edge than the rest of the read and are a worthy addition.

'The House on the Lake' is an okay read but not a thrilling, scintillating one. The atmosphere is sublime but the action somewhat lacking.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Books UK for an advance copy.

I’ve seen a lot of positive reviews for this book so can only assume it’s me that’s the issue because I just didn’t really enjoy it. I hate giving negative reviews so I couldn’t give any lower than a 3* as I really enjoyed the Day of the Accident. But I just found this really slow going and neither of the storylines really gripped me. I definitely felt more could have been done with the present day storyline with the abuse Lisa had suffered and would have found the escalation of that within her relationship a more interesting sub story than the flashbacks with Grace and Soldier Number 1. Thanks to Netgalley, Penguin and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

It’s hard to know what to expect from this book from the opening chapters. It follows two separate narratives – that of Lisa, a young mother on the run from her abusive father, and Grace, a teenage girl writing her journal decades before, detailing her life as a ‘soldier’ under her father’s strict rule. Their stories are linked by the house on the lake, and Isobel, who befriends each of them. Despite the years separating the two narratives, as the book progresses they become inextricably tied, and each hurtles towards a violent conclusion. The characters weren’t always accessible, but the pacing is strong and it’s a compelling story as you are driven to find out what secrets each person is keeping.

This was a very unusual , dark and in some places quite disturbing book. The story unfolds by means of a diary kept by young Grace or Soldier 1, as she was called by her deeply traumatised and unbalanced father. Brought up in isolation in the old house by the lake, living an almost feral existence, one wants to rescue her ! I don't want to issue any spoilers but the past and the present collides when she slips a piece of paper to a young mother needing refuge , telling her she hide there safely. It's good to come across an original and different book

When Lisa disappears to her friends derelict house, miles from home and in secret with only her 3 year old in tow it seems that she has not found safety at all.
Told alongside Lisa's tale is Grace, resident in the house when it was slightly less awful, with her strange father and a very odd upbringing.
Isobel brings them together- friend of the child Grace and later kindly neighbour to Lisa and Joe.

The descriptions of the house in particular are very atmospheric in both time lines and the occupants of the village lend to the isolation with their attitude towards first Grace and her father and then strangers in general. However I could have done with more information about why Lisa was on the run to begin with as aspects of the story (particularly absconding to dereliction with no food or water and a child in tow) were really hard to believe.
Overall a good read, some beautiful descriptive writing but I struggled with the plot at times.

From start to finish this exciting thriller kept you guessing. What a page turner with all the unexpected twists right until the end. A book which made you want to continue despite the disturbing narrative. A thoroughly good read.

This follows the stories of 3 women and their struggles with men in their life.
Lisa and her son JOe are hiding from her abusive husband at her friend's house on a remote lake.
Another thread of the story follows a young girl who is being kept away from school and the rest of the world by her father, an ex soldier who suffers from PTSD.
The third story follows Isobel, daughter of the local minister who meets both of the other women at significant times in their lives.
Their stories intersect towards the climax of the book with some twists at the end.
I found the story confusing at times and unbelievable . I really struggled to finish it.
In saying that it was well written but definitely not my cup of tea.

Rowan Isle House is in the wilds of Yorkshire- dark, creepy and dilapidated, but Lisa needs to hide there with her son Joe. Her friend told
her about the place but can she escape her past? A seemingly lovely neighbour befriends Lisa but is she all she appears to be? What is her connection to the house or the father and daughter who lived there before? The story is told by 2 people - Lisa and the girl who lived there before, with her father. Virtual recluses, the young girl is not allowed to go to school or mix with people from the village. You must read this book to find out how all the characters are connected, and to know if Lisa and Joe are safe.

The House on the Lake is a brilliant creepy gripping book .Fast paced and told across two timelines the story is about Lisa who has fled from London with her son Joe to escape her controlling husband Mark ,she is given the address of a safe house in Yorkshire called Rowan House .Back in 2002 Grace is a child and lives with her ex SAS soldier Dad who she calls Sarge in this house off the grid ,he is suffering from PTS and trains her to be a soldier.Both Grace and Lisa are terrified of the men in their lives .The story twists and turns at a fast pace .I really enjoyed this book I have been lucky enough to read Nuala Ellwood 's last two books and this one is just as brilliant .I can't wait to read her next book .Many thanks to the Publisher ,the Author and NetGalley for my preview copy in return for an honest review .

Not read any Nuala Ellwood novels before. I shall be now seeking out the others as I really enjoyed this dark psychological thriller. It is perfectly paced, with not too many twists and turns to veer off in bizarre directions. Written from the perspective of the two main characters, Nuala takes down a mysterious and gripping path of intrigue and mystery to present a lightly written but intense story of secrets and abuse and death, Nuala builds the characters with such beautiful depth, and it really is a most eloquent novel.

Having read "The Day of the Accident" by this author, I was expecting another book with a plot full of mystery that unraveled slowly, unpredictably but logically, and I wasn't disappointed. Nuala Ellwood has shown that she can take characters who are dealing with some real issues and make the situation they are in seem fantastical and far fetched, but by the end of the book their actions make perfect sense as they are all shaped by their experiences which are very real and very believable.

In this book, we have a woman arriving at an abandoned house with her small son, escaping from an abusive husband. At the same time we have another story of an occupant of the same house living in what seem extraordinary circumstances some years before the main narrative. You then sprinkle in some characters who span the two stories with secrets and issues of their own, and you have an intriguing plot that makes you want to read on, along with an ending and revelations that are not always happy ones. A great read.

An excellent novel, although, in places not an easy read. Well drawn characters and plot. Engrossing and absorbing. Couldn’t put the book down,