I finished this book, and then started reading through the reviews on here. (I never read reviews before starting a book if I can help it, as I don’t like to be influenced one way or another or go in with preconceived ideas).
After doing so, it appears to be quite polarising. Either loved or disliked.
I definitely fall into the first category. I found the story intriguing, immersive & atmospheric.
Great characters and well executed. I’d recommend this book without thinking twice.

The Lake House, a picturesque family getaway. A house where children make memories and adults make up lies…

A thriller with a supernatural twist, this is unlike anything I’ve read before. Imaginative and gripping, this kept me turning the pages, desperate to find out what really happened. And boy, did my jaw DROP at one point.

Gregg Dunnett never fails to disappoint.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm publishing for providing me with an eArc in exchange for my honest review!

Synopsis:
After a house fire that killed half of her family, Kate finds herself in the interview room being questioned about the night of the fire.
But that's not where the story begins - to understand the night of the fire, we first need to understand what led to it.


My opinion:
I really wanted to enjoy this book. The premise was great and my expectations were high. Sadly, this book was not for me.

I wouldn't class this book as a thriller and I would have liked to be made aware of some of the topics that were discussed in this book (Zack and Jack situation).

The whole Zack - Jack situation was just not believable to me, for various reasons, but naming a child Jack after your sister's son Zack died in such a tragic way seems a bit strange and that detail also made the story a bit too obvious.

Everything was a bit too repetitive and unnecessarily so.

Nevertheless, after reading the reviews, I see that I am the minority! I would like to give this author another go in the future.

What a great read. This book has me gripped from the beginning, the writing style made it so easy to get into and the who done it so intriguing.

I'll definitely be looking for more books by the author.

one of the characters felt like they had anything to them that made them special. They all felt wooden. Within the first time meeting each character, you know how they’re going to turn out. There was not a single plot twist that I did not guess by 25% through the book, which very much hindered the amount of fun I was able to have while reading it. Of course Jack is Zack. Of course Aaron killed him. Of course Amber was sleeping with Neil and covered up her son’s murder. I don’t even count this as spoilers because it’s all so obvious. I couldn’t get a sense of suspense because I could easily figure out what was going on -and that’s not bragging. I’m dumb, I can’t ever guess what’s going to happen.

4* Excellent introduction to this author. Not the suspension of disbelief tale that I expected.

This is nicely written, told in part in the present, in the aftermath of a fire that killed 4 people, and in events that led to the fire. It was plausible, and the author's clearly done research into people who claim to remember past lives and reincarnation (that Hindus and others believe is what happens when you die. Your soul is reincarnated in another body).

The start of the tale totally had me going in one direction and tbh, that part felt completely divorced from the rest of the story, but it gave an opening to how matters came to a head. I'm not entirely sure why the author included what he did, as it had no relevance to the tale - unless an ulterior motive was to maybe give the subject matter some attention? Make people think? But, I digress.

If you've watched Bollywood, then you naturally suspend disbelief a little. If you've watched Om Shanti Om, you'll remember that bad guys get their just desserts, often at their own hands, and in fire, and so this will probably feel quite believable.

The tale ends with a now-retired detective McGee visiting Kate, the storyteller, with a theory about who set the fire. I'm again OK going with the flow, because I'm not sure if Kate played a part from a distance and judged things to perfection, or if the detective could've been right about the person found dead in a certain place. 'Bollywood justice' got done.

ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Storm Publishing for my reading pleasure.

I enjoyed Gregg Dunnett’s Little Ghosts so was eager to read another one of his books.
Described as ‘a one of a kind thriller’ and it really is, I can’t think of anything similar.
Kate is being interviewed by police in the aftermath of a fatal family tragedy, she tells her story which includes the her young son Jack’s eerie recollection of events from before he was born.
I love a good troubled child thriller, and the depiction of Jack, a sensitive child, learning to communicate his fears and convey his memories, is very powerful.
There are some eerie and chilling moments. Not the fastest book but it holds together really well and kept me turning the pages.
Highly original, perhaps a little bit niche but well worth it.

Thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing

What an original story and a very well written book. I found the supernatural aspect a little bit unsettling but I was really drawn into the family drama and mystery and thought it was a gripping read. The writing really was amazing. Great job, and 4 stars from me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the early copy.

Kate is being interviewed by police after a fire that killed several people. The story flips back and forth to the past as she recounts the story leading up to it. I hated everyone in this book. Also, even including all the more "spiritual" (for lack of a better word) aspects of the story, the least believable thing to me was that a woman would name her son JACK three years after her nephew ZACK died. 2 stars.

Brilliant, brilliant, BRILLIANT!

I absolutely love Gregg Dunnett’s writing and this book is my favourite yet.

I have myself experienced what the three daughters went through with their father and that part of the story was hard to read, but very important and relevant, to get to know the family and their history.

Four of Kate’s family members have perished in a fire at their shared holiday home, she is happy to tell the full truth to the police, but has warned them that they won’t believe her! There is a hint of supernatural to this story and the way it is written is utterly realistic and believable - this is not a fantasy or speculative supernatural novel, this is totally relatable.

Jack and his situation absolutely fascinated me. It is something I am curious about and open minded to. I remember my son, at around two years old, saying at bedtime, “I want to go home”. We reassured him that he was at home, he replied, “not here, my other home”.

I was completely invested in this story and this family and there were some mind blowing twists that I absolutely didn’t expect - amazing!

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Gregg Dunnett and Storm for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Wow! I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did.
The Lakehouse Children centers around Kate, her son Jack, and the rest of their extended family. There's been a fire, and during the investigation the book goes back in time to tell the story. Without putting spoilers out there, I'll say that Jack's storyline is something I would normally stear away from, but I could NOT put this book down. I loved it. It was so suspenseful. I will most definitely be reading more books by Gregg Dunnett.

Gregg Dunnett was a new-to-me author. The book description made it sound intriguing: part mystery, part supernatural thriller. While I enjoyed the first half of the book, the mystery and the impetus for the story disappeared at the midway point. Some of the characters, especially one implicated in the tragedy in the heart of the book, needed more development. I suppose it was supposed to be a twist, but it didn’t match what we knew of the character whatsoever.

Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for letting me read an ARC of this book.

*4 Stars*

Copy kindly received via NetGalley for an honest review.

This book was a bit of a different storyline to what I would normally read. It was an interesting read especially where Jack was concerned. I found the characters intriguing and the ending was good too.

This was quite different from anything I ever read before, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

The author, Gregg Dunnett, did a great job with every aspect of the book from characterization to descriptive settings and even the fleshing out of the how memories worked for a young child who was reincarnated into the same family he was a part of before. The small details added up to a great story. Having read non fiction books about people who remembered past lives, I appreciated how Gregg turned this into a novel.

5 stars!

FBI Agent Jim McGee is a few weeks away from retirement when his final case lands on his desk. It involves a fire at an isolated lake house that killed four members of a family. He and his colleague Robbins interview a surviving member of the family, Kate Marshall, but something feels off to McGee, and this last case will certainly haunt him for some time to come.

He and Robbins thought this would be an easy cut and dried interview, but when Kate falls silent McGee almost pleads with her, “Just tell me what happened, what really happened,"
Kate replies “You want the truth, Agent McGee?" she whispers. "I'll tell you, but you won’t believe me. She continues with the most astonishing story that frankly seems impossible to believe, either for McGee or the reader!

This was a well written storyline with a crime and mystery at its heart, but which also veers into the supernatural, ( A very good mix, I have to say). A really unusual story that had me quickly turning the pages in my desperation to see exactly where this was going. Recommended.

•Weeks away from retirement, Agent Jim McGee has one last case come across his desk. The case— a house fire that killed half of a family. Agent McGee spends his last few weeks interviewing one of the survivors, Kate Marshall, and the story she tells is out of this world.

•This book was so much more than I expected. Based on the description, I thought it was going to be solely based around a house fire, but it was much, much more.

•Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this ARC of The Lake House Children. It will hit the shelves on September 18, 2024.

I am not usually the biggest fan of supernatural storylines, but let me tell you, I loved this book. I could not put this book down but when I HAD to put it down (Toddlers... I mean do they really need to eat and be loved when Mama's got a good book? I jest, but come on!) I was thinking about it the entire time and could not wait to get back to it.

If you enjoy a truly original, well written thriller with a healthy dose of family drama, mystery, supernatural elements and a beach house setting then this book is for you.

I highly recommend this book!

Reading the description, I knew this book would be right up my alley. And I was right! I really enjoyed the pacing of this book, I thought the characters were fleshed out really nicely. The book was intriguing, it kept me on the edge of my seat and at times, I find myself creeped out a little bit. I love when books combine different formats of the story so I really enjoyed the added aspect of police interviews. If you're looking for a compelling, thrilling and at times unsettling read that will keep you wanting to know more and more of the story, I definitely recommend The Lake House Children and I will be definitely checking out other Gregg Dunnett's works.

Thank you to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for my ARC copy in exchange of my honest opinion.

I went into this book blind and really enjoyed it! I liked the police interview format of the story and was pleasantly surprised by the 'past lives' angle. I initially assumed it would be a typical 'whodunnit' but the narrative around Jack's character really kept it all fresh and interesting, if a little creepy! I felt the characters were explored well and the pacing of the book was great. I really enjoyed this and look forward to reading more from this author!

I have been reading Greg Dunnett’s books since the Rockpools series.
With The Lake House Children this author has hit another one out of the park.
Rarely has a male author captured a female characters feelings quite so accurately that I continue reading.
The storyline was eerie and interesting and having several situations happening at once, I did not get bored with this book at all!
This one ended far too soon! Great book.