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.

Almost the entire story of The Lake House Children takes place in an FBI interview room, through the eyes – and memories – of Kate Marshall. She survived the terrible house fire that killed four members of her family, and she is the primary, maybe only, suspect. She readily agrees to be interviewed, but the story she tells is far-fetched at best, and completely impossible to believe to Agent Billy Robbins. Jim McGee, the senior agent who is ready to retire in a few weeks, doesn’t want to become entangled in a long, drawn-out case but he at least listens with a more open mind. Kate’s story, however, really is pretty hard to imagine.

Kate, the middle Marshall sister, begins with a special, mysterious, dinner with their father at the lake house of their childhoods. The sisters - Amber, Kate and Bea – are worried about a woman they don’t know who is going to be there; they suspect she is after their father’s money and the lake house. That turns out not to be the case, but their father dies that night and from that point Kate’s story goes back and forth in time, sometimes describing mundane events and sometimes straying into woo-woo land.

There is so much going on in the past and the present that it’s almost hard to keep track, and it all makes The Lake House Children eerie, compelling, unsettling, and impossible to put down. The three sisters being so worried about someone stealing their father’s money and their family’s house at that dinner makes them seem grasping, greedy, materialistic, overly dramatic, and that all they care about is money and their inheritance. Amber, the eldest sister, assumes responsibility for renovating the house, and it begins to seem like “hers” and the work she has done goes well beyond a simple renovation to something grand.

The family dynamics are probably typical of most families and don’t always go smoothly. There are a lot of old and new grievances and jealousy; the sisters get along – mostly. Amber puts on airs, is bossy, she and husband Brock want to live an elegant life with a big presence. Her children are twins: Eva is quiet, almost too quiet, and Aaron is a creepy dude, sneaky, violent, arrogant. Bea’s son Zack drowned at the lake house when he was eight years old, causing she and her partner Tris to split up, although remain in each other’s lives, and understandably she’s never been the same. Kate’s husband Neil is a brainiac professor who doesn’t always have a lot to say, and their son Jack is a difficult child, deathly afraid of water, even baths, and speaking in what seems to be gibberish – until Kate starts to uneasily understand what he’s saying.

The Lake House Children keeps you off balance the entire time, believing Kate one minute, thinking she’s making otherworldly stuff up to turn suspicion away from her the next. So many feelings compete for your attention and you have the sense there is some big secret you haven’t found out yet, and you don’t even know who did and who did not survive the fire right up until the absolutely stunning ending. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it without hesitation. It kept me on edge, guessing, feeling both sympathy and anger, with strong writing, oh so compelling characters and a plot that tied (almost) everything up. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.

The way a small trickle of water gathers at a summit running downhill gathering momentum with twigs leaves stones collecting along the way until its a stream then a river forever collecting moving growing expanding that was this story to me astonishing i really loved it 5 stars

The lake house is a wonderful place of memories for sisters Amber, Bea and Kate as they were growing up and they want the same for their children. But through the years tragedy has struck and the book opens with Kate being interviewed by the FBI after a horrific tragedy. Agent Jim McGee can’t believe all Kate is telling him and his partner is sure she is lying. If you like a read that is thrilling, twisted, characters that don’t always play nice, a murder and a touch of the paranormal, then this is a must read. Thank you Netgalley and Storm Publishing for an early copy of this enjoyable read. This review is my personal opinion.

Captivating story that made me want to keep reading. The storyline contained some parts that I wouldn’t normally gravitate towards, but the story still pulled me in. Family drama and thriller with a sprinkle of supernatural.

Thank you to Gregg Dunnett, NetGalley, and Storm Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The lake house children by Gregg Dunnett are once again an exceptionally written book that you will find once you start reading you cannot put this book down. The story is of Kate, and her son Jack who insists that he used to be somebody else in a previous life. The story takes place in a beautiful lake house setting with Kate's sisters Amber and Bea and Kate's father. This book is the story of Love, loss, and grief within the family. It focuses on the three sisters their families and the tragedies and dark secrets that will unfold. It is a great read which has plenty of mixed emotions as you are drawn into the family's lives from Beas sons' death after a drowning to Amber's children whose son is a nasty piece of work and seems to get away with every dreadful thing, he does with no consequences. You will certainly be engrossed with a delightful story, and amazing characters. Once again, an enjoyable book from Gregg Dunnett. Thanks to NetGalley and to the publishers of this book for giving me a free advance copy of the book to preview and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

From the author of 𝗟𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗚𝗵𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀, comes another gripping novel that you won't be able to put down.

Against the backdrop of a secluded Lake House, Gregg Dunnett weaves a complex police drama with a hint of supernatural.

I absolutely loved the writing style and was completely engaged with the storyline, as I had never read anything like it.

It was odd, but it worked. Gregg's character development is phenomenal, and I really enjoyed the "interview type" narrative between Kate and the Detective. As Kate answers questions, we are taken back to before the fire and learn what led up to it.

The pacing is excellent with phenomenal characters, and the hint of supernatural gives the story a little edge or a creep factor. I loved it.

Many thanks to Netgally, Storm Publishing, and the author for my copy. My review was voluntary.

My review on Instagram:
www.instagram.com/sheilasenchantedbookshelf

I think I liked everything about this book. I could not put it down and ended up reading way into the small hours to finish it. I think for me this says it all. I found the book to be unusual, a little weird in places. The characters were good, very well drawn and the story and plot excellent.

Many thanks to netgalley, the author and the publisher for approving my request to read this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I was intrigued by the the blurb and quickly found myself immersed in this supernatural thriller.

The lake house is a picture perfect get away perfect for making memories but as we quickly uncover there is a much darker side lurking there.

I liked the character development throughout and the main subject matter for this book was great and something that has always fascinated me throughout the years. This story is well written and definitely gets you thinking, I'd definitely recommend it if you enjoy supernatural/psychological thrillers.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

This was a really quick read that I finished in one sitting. There was one big twist at around 80% that I didn't see coming, other than that, it wasn't very suspenseful. The reincarnation aspect was really interesting. It's not badly written, I simply didn't care about a single character. Most of them were fairly horrible people. I will say the ending was satisfying. I wish we had seen more from Agent McGee's perspective.

(I know this is not the final proof but I do hope the use of pronouns will be fixed before publication. "Her/him and I" instead of "she/he and I" throughout the entire book was like nails on a chalkboard.)

This was my first Gregg Dunnett book but it certainly won't be my last. I didn't know what to expect when I started reading but I was immediately hooked by the use of the interview technique as a way to tell the story. I'm not a lover of the supernatural genre but I loved the slightly creepy reincarnation thread throughout this story. It was dealt with so well. I was convinced, then not, then convinced again! Brilliant! The relationships between the main characters were very believable. The squabbling sisters, the slightly superior uninvolved husbands. The rivalry between the couples. It could have been any family hit by a major trauma. A brilliant read I devoured in one sitting. What else are Sunday afternoons created for?
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

The investigation into a fire at the lake house leads to difficult family dynamics, to past secrets, revealing truths that were meant to stay hidden.
And while the past that led to the fire is investigated, the question whether it is possible to remember a past life is becoming increasingly important.