The Secret of Black Lake offered up a great premise. However, I don’t believe J.J. Burke, the author, succeeded despite his/her best intentions. I expected a bit more “creepiness” and a bit less pedestrian vignettes. The writing was solid and there are eerie moments. A bit of editing would have strengthened the story. A caution: if you are looking for some land to purchase and develop into your dream location, beware what troubles you dig up!
Thanks, NetGalley, for the opportunity to read this book.

Thank you Netgalley, Leaf & Literature, LLC and J.J Burke for the eArc of The Secret of Black Lake.

We start off with a couple , Judith and Mark who are bored with the humdrum of life and decide to go on an extended holiday. After mixing it up a bit and finding that the change of pace is helping their relationship. They decide to look for properties/land to buy and develop. After looking at several properties, they come across some unusual land with a unusual black lake and after digging up, what looks like an ancient North American tribal bowl, unwittingly unleash a demon who wants to rule the earth.

This is my first book Ive read by J.J Burke and I really enjoyed this one. The narrative had a nice balance between character building of Judith and Mark and the relationship they build with the characters throughout the book. I would say the book is quite slow pacing, unfortunately in the middle, it was quite repetitive in what was going on. Even though I can see why J J Burke felt like he needed to draw the story out, I felt like it lagged a little. It was still interesting enough to keep things ticking over to the big day.

I loved how inclusive this book was, I loved how JJ Burke dedicated the book itself to the indigenous People Of North America as there is a lot of culture references and 2 wonderful characters within the story who are from the Abenaki Tribe of North America. The description of their ways ( I don't want to spoil the narrative ), their dresswear and the museum that dedicated space for the Abenaki artefacts was respectfully done.

The horror elements with the demon was psychologically creepy with some gory bits which I really enjoyed. Will this demon beat Judith and Mark and rule the world?

4.5 stars for Storygraph,. 4 stars for Amazon, Netgalley and Goodreads

Fully enjoyed the idea of having ones that could cross in and out of our world and exploring new cultures and beliefs. I felt a bond with Judith and could see myself falling victim to the same dark situation because of my strong curiosity. I'm not sure I could pass up the opportunity to investigate something as mysterious and intriguing as this either. I would definitely want to know more! An interesting read that will have you questioning things until the very end.

Thank you NetGalley for letting me ready the book early!
So first things first, this book is very boring. Summed up, a rich couple goes on vacation, spooky things happen. The writing is really nice, but there is so much nothing that happens. It should have been like 100 pages shorter. We get a scene almost every day of them getting breakfast and having dinner. It happens so much it's kind of lame.
It usually goes they wake up, they have sex (it's not graphic just mentioned), they go get breakfast (the whole breakfast is described), they try to get a house built (it's cool I guess, but there is so much unnecessary filler about them trying to build a house), spooky things happen (I won't say why but things happen), the couple is kind of unfazed, they go get dinner or drinks (which of course is described in detail), and then they go to sleep and maybe have a nightmare.
Overall, the horror bits are really interesting, and the idea is really cool. There is just so much nothing in between the little spooky scenes that ruins the atmosphere. Pretty decent book tho.

My arc copy was so riddled with spelling errors that it was impossible to read. i am totally interested in actually being able to read this story once the final copy is available to read

The Secret of Black Lake is a thrilling novel that explores the chilling possibility of a hidden world lurking just beyond our perception, where darkness reigns and unspeakable horrors await. A seemingly innocuous event sets off a chain reaction, unraveling the fabric of reality and exposing humanity to a terror beyond comprehension. What drew me into this book was its ability to blend elements of mystery and horror, keeping me on the edge of my seat with each twist and turn. Despite the spine-chilling premise, I found myself unable to put it down, eager to uncover the truth behind the secrets of Black Lake. For fans of supernatural thrillers, this is a great read that will leave you questioning the very nature of existence.

Strap in, fellow thrill-seekers, because The Secret of Black Lake is about to take you on a spine-tingling rollercoaster ride through the shadows of the unknown! Picture this: a seemingly harmless incident with the power to unravel the fabric of reality and unleash pure, unadulterated terror upon the world. From the moment I cracked open this book, I was hooked like a fish on a line, eagerly devouring page after page of heart-pounding suspense and bone-chilling horror. With each twist and turn, I found myself teetering on the edge of my seat, unable to tear my eyes away from the unfolding nightmare. So, if you're craving a read that'll make your hair stand on end and your heart race with fear, grab yourself a copy of The Secret of Black Lake and prepare to be plunged into a world where the darkness holds sway and the horrors lurking in the shadows are all too real! 🌑