Member Reviews
Excellent read.. The Lake House Children is both an intense family drama and a gripping thriller with supernatural overtones. The twists and turns also feel highly believable and not gimmicky. The character development is satisfying and the story is very well paced.
I have read all of Gregg Dunnett’s books and this is up there with the best of them. If I’d known it had a theme of reincarnation I probably wouldn’t have picked it. However, it is dealt with really well and, along with the characters, you don’t really know what to believe. I liked the way Dunnett used the device of an FBI interview to tease out the story. Highly recommended.
The Lake House Children
I am guilty of selecting a book by the genre, book title, and book cover illustration combined. Other than that, I skip the summaries and reviews entirely and go into it completely blind!
My first time reading a book by Gregg Dunnett, I had no idea what to expect and literally experienced my jaw dropping with an audible gasp, not once but twice! Seriously, to the point my own Husband asked me what was wrong and whether or not it was something real-life or something in my book!
A page turner, alternating between the present and the past, I found myself invested in this family from the beginning to the end! Needless to say, the author had to unravel the twist I didn’t see coming!
Do NOT read beyond this point if you don’t want to know more about the specific genre…
.
.
.
.
“Paranormal|Supernatural” isn’t my typical jam but this is, by far, the best one I have unknowingly encountered!
This book had me gripped from the beginning! And I loved how it was organized as an interview from FBI agents! But the ending felt lackluster. The whole book we were trying to figure out who started the fire that killed four people but while I was stunned by other findings that one left me wanting more. Unique and intriguing nonetheless!
I found this to be a haunting story and not only because of the reincarnation theme throughout the book. The actual children of the lake house can be either the 3 adult sisters who return often with their families or the offspring of these characters. Tragedy befalls this family throughout and it is hard to read without feeling the pain of these mothers and their troubled children. The story begins in the aftermath of a tragic fire and winds its way back through the past delving into assisted suicide, a suspicious drowning and a child with an uncanny ability to remember a past before he was born. I was up late into the night to reach the startling conclusion and the ending has stayed with me all day.
The description of the book really had me intrigued.. it is told in multiple POVs with many twists and creepy moments.. However, the paranormal aspect in this particular story just didn’t hit me good enough..
Thank you to NetGalley for my advance reader copy!
I have read most, if not all, of Gregg Dunnett's published books and have always enjoyed his interesting storylines and interesting character development. This book was no exception. The story was compelling with a supernatural twist. For those complaining about the nod to the supernatural, this isn't Dunnett's first literary dabbling in that arena. And Dunnett does a good job of walking a fine line between science and the supernatural. Some of the interrogation passages did seem a little wordy but the story didn't stall out. Although, I can usually anticipate how a story is going to end this one had twists and turns that kept me riveted to the end of the book. The story takes place in the US and, as I have noted in some of Dunnett's other stories, their is a tendency to use some British vernacular that you wouldn't normally hear an American use but that was few and far between. Also, one of the characters is British if I remember correctly. Overall, a very enjoyable read. Would absolutely recommend!
When I requested this one I was highly intrigued, but I did not know this was a supernatural/paranormal type thriller and unfortunately those are not my style and I had to DNF this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this ARC! *The Lake House Children* by Gregg Dunnett is a gripping thriller that masterfully weaves suspense with a haunting atmosphere. Set against the backdrop of a secluded lake house, the story delves into dark family secrets and the chilling consequences of buried truths. Dunnett’s character development is impressive, with each character’s motivations and fears unraveling in unexpected ways. The plot is full of twists and turns that keep readers on the edge of their seats, building to a climax that is both shocking and satisfying. Overall, *The Lake House Children* is a compelling, edge-of-your-seat read that thriller fans won’t want to miss.
I believe the first book I read by this author involved a ghost. This one has reincarnation, when Kate's son starts saying things about his life as her nephew. Even before he could speak he experienced a fear of water (nephew drowned). This all comes out as Kate tries to explain about the fire that killed most of her family. Soon the FBI agent assigned to the case doesn't know what to believe as it seems so impossible. Slow at times, but the plot reels you in as Kate tries to establish how her son knows so much about a boy who died before he was born. The person who set the fire was a surprise too.
Gregg Dunnett is a new author for me, I had never heard of him or his previous novels before reading this book. Now I need to read them, I loved this book. It was totally not what I expected it to be, and that is why I enjoyed it so much. I have never come across a story like this before. The uniqueness this story brings is refreshing.
At first, I felt the pacing was too slow for my liking, but as I got further in, I realised that it was helping to build up the tension bit by bit making me feel incredibly anxious about what's going to happen. The boom! A shocker of a twist that I did not see coming. An omg, no way moment, that totally fit in with the rest of the story. Dunnett skillfully builds the suspense throughout with a clever plot and well written characters that completely drew me in.
I could say a lot about this book, but I feel like it would ruin the experience for someone else. For me, you need to go into this book blind.
A unique, tension building mystery with a cracking twist that will have you reading past your bedtime.
Thanks to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for my ARC.
My opinions are my own
Just wow! My first Gregg Dunnett but most definitely not my last. Characters were fantastic and kept me flipping pages long past my bedtime. I loved how this story fell into place. A bit flirty with endless possibilities in life and death. Felt like a roller coaster ride from beginning to end, and it was impossible to know who to trust.
Thank you NetGalley, Gregg Dunnett and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book
Deception, lies, greed and reincarnation: A detective novel with the best characteristics of this genre.
~
Intense and maintaining tension from start to finish. It is the first time that I have the opportunity to read a work by this author and I tell you that it is in my top 5 best of the year.
~
A police drama with supernatural overtones in which Dunnet develops the story through one of the few witnesses who have survived this family tragedy, Kate, who from her point of view begins to unravel what happened.
~
I felt the pacing was one of the best I've ever experienced. Also the author created great characters, all of them with their own grey personality making you a hard job to decipher who the murderer was.
The reviews were great and the story sounded great too but i couldnt get into the story. I had a tough time just finishing.
This felt like a "cosy mystery" in the opening pages, but the intrigue revved up quickly after that. I love a story with the hint of the supernatural, where you are itching to find out if there really is something otherworldly going on. Throw into the mix a family dealing with more than one tragedy. As the plot developed, more and more secrets were revealed, creating the sort of explosions that made me sit up and take notice. This was fascinating reading and I lapped it right up.
My only criticism is that when they were out in the boat, Jack's speech became more developed.
I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley and Storm Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
I was drawn to the cover of this book originally. Then I read the synopsis and really hoped I’d get chosen to receive an arc.
I really enjoyed this book! This was my first book by Gregg Dunnett and am now interested in checking out some of his other books.
The Lake House Children was different than any other book I’ve read in the genre and I didn’t find it predictable like some mysteries and thrillers tend to be for me. Every time I thought I was figuring it out something proved me wrong and I flew through the second half of the book as I couldn’t put it down.
Kate has a 4-year-old son called Jack, who has memories of being someone in a previous life. Her husband, Nick, is a scientist, someone who relies on evidence to form his personal views – so this puts Kate in a tricky position, particularly as Jack’s comments appear to become more ‘credible.’
Throw in Kate’s two older sisters (one of them particularly bossy), their partners and kids (one of them particularly obnoxious) lashings of internecine aggravation, a beautiful old family lake house, a serious crime, a mysterious death, and you have a riveting blend of drama.
The book starts with the elderly widower father calling a family dinner at the Lake House, a dinner shrouded in mystery. The drama starts there and continues until the last page. There were parts where the hairs on the back of my neck stood up, there were other moments I just couldn’t read on due to the suspense, and the fear of confrontation.
Brilliant, and highly recommended.
Kate becomes alarmed when her young son Jack believes he has been reincarnated as her nephew Zack, who died in a drowning accident several years before Jack was born. Jack insists he is Zack and constantly talks about his other mother.
When Jack/Zack reveals that his cousin Aaron held him under the water, causing him to drown, Kate’s desperate move to prevent the family from discovering the truth leads to a family tragedy.
I absolutely loved this one. The perfect atmosphere for this haunting story…. And I do mean that with some literalism. This was amazingly well written and the characters were phenomenal. An element of supernatural gives this a depth like no other. I could not put this one down and days later it still occupies space on my mind. This is a top your list must read. It covers every base from the characters to the plot to the atmosphere. Beautifully woven. Suspenseful and creepy but with a heartfelt element that makes you want to cry at moments. Amazing
This book was great. Every time I thought I had something figured out, I was proven wrong. Definitely will add Gregg Dunnett to my list of authors to read!