Unfortunately, I stopped at the 40% mark of the book because I could not get into it. I really enjoy suspense and murder mysteries, but this book was not for me. It was slow and meandering, making it hard for me to really commit to the book. I found myself not caring that much for any of the characters, especially the lead who is a cop with a shady partner and past.

Australia and New Zealand have always had some very fine crime writers (going back more than a century - the bestselling crime novel of the 1800s was written not by Conan Doyle but a Kiwi lawyer and wannabe playwright and set in Melbourne), but international eyes are turning more towards Downunder lately thanks to the Edgar Award and CWA Dagger Award shortlistings of the likes of Jock Serong, Paul Cleave, and particularly Jane Harper, who won the CWA Gold Dagger last year.

Sarah Bailey joins an incredibly strong contingent of female Australian crime writers bringing fresh blood and fresh ideas to the #southerncrosscrime (Australian and New Zealand crime) ranks in recent years; along with Harper, multiple-award-winning Emma Viskic, and Candice Fox, who's collaborated with James Patterson on Australian-set thrillers (Patterson certainly follows the trends) as well as writing her own award-winning series, are particular standouts and relatively new voices.

There's a lot to like about Bailey's debut, THE DARK LAKE; it's an interesting and very solid debut from an author who delivers a polished tale and shows plenty of promise. Being hyper-critical, it's not quite the quite a slam-dunk 'oh my God, this is amazing' debut akin to Harper and Viskic in recent years, but that's more to do with the originality of its sublime peers. This is still a good read.

I'm a fan of rural noir, so I was immediately intrigued by Bailey's set-up; the drama teacher of a small town's high school is found strangled in the lake. The lead investigator, Detective Gemma Woodstock, knew the victim back when they were teenagers, setting up lots of that lovely small-town 'everyone knows everyone, lots of past histories but also secrets and things people don't know' vibe.

Bailey sets the hook quite well, and I found myself eagerly turning the pages to find out just what happened, while at the same time never feeling quite 'onside' with the main 'hero'. Gemma is a young mother who treats her partner badly, while obsessing over her colleague, with whom she's been having an affair. While Bailey gives us insights into Gemma that make her quite human - and a character doesn't have to be likable to be compelling - I just never quite gelled with Gemma, meaning I was following along the story more out of intellectual interest rather than being fully emotionally engaged. Perhaps a bit nitpicky, because it is a good read, but the balance wasn't quite right for me.

Bailey does a great job bringing the Australian small-town to life, the interlocking relationships and the secrets hidden away behind suburban doors. She has a nice touch for setting, and some good characterisation overall, and beyond the main players - which is always great to see.

THE DARK LAKE has more of a slow build, getting deeper and more engaging as it goes on, rather than being a page-whipping ripsnorter from the get-go. I don't mind that, and found myself really enjoying many aspects of the book, while just wishing I engaged slightly more with the main characters. That could have taken the book from good/very good towards great. Bailey shows plenty of writing chops, and she'll definitely be one to watch in future. A good read from another talented Downunder author.

Psychological thrillers are always my first choice in books. Mix in some strong characters and mystery and you will have me hooked. I'm sure that the fact that one of the characters was an English teacher also hooked me. (Okay, she was the one murdered, but that is beside the point.) I wouldn't recommend this book to my students, but I would recommend it for adults.

This book was given to me for my honest feedback.

DNF. I don't know if it was my state of mind at the time, or if it was the novel, but I could not finish this novel at all. I tried numerous times, I kept to my rule of reading 30 pages or 3 chapters, whichever is longer, but nothing changed. At the time it was way too complex for me, even confusing. Gemma, the main character, was flawed, just like every other female lead out there right now. This fact has become relied on to much and took away from the novel in many ways.

I will update this review if I can make it through this novel.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and author, through NetGalley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

So, I'm a huge fan of all the Aussie crime novel attention lately & because of that I was very excited to dig into this one! However, comparatively, this one didn't completely do it for me. To start, it was too long. I think some parts could've been left out because they didn't add to the story or because they were just longing out a plot point for no reason. The MC (Gemma Woodstock) is rather dislikeable at times (which is a-okay with me, I live for that in any book) & you can really feel the pain of her past that she's decided to ignore rather than process, which has shaped her as a person. Bailey does this very well in my opinion. But the resolution was the most disappointing part for me. It was unfulfilling & anti-climactic. In fact, every small reveal throughout the novel (i.e. new-found secrets uncovered, the realization that someone has lied about their alibi, etc.) was casual & undramatic, which didn't make for a particularly exciting reading experience. I think I will give the next Gemma Woodstock #2 a try, but I wouldn't say I was overly impressed by this one.

The Dark Lake is a suspense thriller following Gemma Woodstock, a homicide investigator, as she delves into the murder of a woman that she went to high school with. I've been on a serious mystery/thriller kick for a bit now, and this debut was one that I was SO excited for. I especially love that it was set in Australia.

I adored the writing style, and I loved the extremely flawed characters. They were all likeable, but their flaws made them realistic and fleshed out for the reader. This book is a story about character growth with a murder mystery laced between the pages. It wasn't so much as a suspense novel that had me flying through the pages trying to figure out what was going on, as it was a story of characters that I wanted to savor.

I'm not sure how the author will turn this into a series, considering this was the first book and I have no idea what could come next. My only complaint is that the ending wrapped up a little too conveniently. Otherwise, it was a solid read and I'm happy to have it on my shelves. Looking forward to the second installment.

If you're fond of bleak, noir-ish stories, particularly those with a slightly tawdry bent, The Dark Lake is definitely for you. It was a bit too much for me, the 'romance' of an affair coupled with the murder investigation. Gemma, the protagonist and lead detective, remains a heartsick teenager as an adult -- perhaps with good reason, as the book slowly reveals -- and I couldn't help wanting her to just grow up a bit.

The Dark Lake by Sarah Bailey is the first book in A Gemma Woodstock Mystery series. Detective Sergeant Gemma Woodstock lives and works in Smithson, Australia. Gemma receives a call regarding the strangulation death of Rosalind Ryan. She was found by a jogger floating in Sonny Lake with red roses surrounding her body. Gemma went to school with Rosalind and were once friends (as well as rivals). Rosalind had recently returned to town to teach drama at Smithson Secondary College. Rosalind was a woman who spoke her mind and recently put on an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet (she was quite insistent about it). Gemma starts to dig into Rosalind’s life. Despite her popularity, Rosalind was something of an enigma. Why had Rosalind quit her job in Sydney and returned to Smithson? Gemma is determined to track down the killer despite the threats to her own life and that of her son’s. Will Gemma find the killer, or will she end up the next victim?

The Dark Lake had an extremely dislikeable main character. You know you do not like a character when you keep hoping the killer will do her in. Gemma’s personal life was a mess and it spilled over into her work. She is living with one man (father of her son) while having an affair with another man. There are numerous sex scenes and it seems to be all Gemma can think about (it was obsessive). Gemma came across as unstable. I do want to mention that the book does contain foul language (a pet peeve of mine). I found there to be a lack of action and suspense. The mystery comes across as complex, but the solution is obvious. The book seemed long and drawn out (lacking in suspense and action). The same details kept being repeated. The focus of The Dark Lake was on Gemma and her messed up life instead of Rosalind’s murder. The book had potential. It just needed a major rewrite and severe editing.

Sad.

That’s the overall feeling I took from this book. Not a bad “sad,” but a thoughtful, regretful sad. Like after you read “Romeo and Juliet.” The book starts out with a quote from the famous play, and the play features prominently in the book - after the reveals, you’ll understand why.

Rose Ryan is a popular English and drama teacher at a local high school is found murdered. Local girl Gemma Woodstock is one of the homicide detectives investigating. But the case - as well as being tricky - keeps bringing up old memories, and the case may depend on Gemma coming to terms with what happened back then.

I liked this book a lot: it had plenty of suspense and many layers to it. But I did guess the ending as things started coming together.

The characters were very interesting, because I still don’t really know what to make of them. They were complex and many did some pretty bad things but they didn’t necessarily feel like bad people. I also never got a real hold on Rose as a person, she was so central to everything but she never really gets revealed.

But all of that adds to the mystery and the overall atmosphere of the novel. It’s like a dark drama: just like Shakespeare!

Highly recommended for fans of thrillers and the Bard.

The writing is great but I’m bored. So, I’m going to put this down for now and I may come back to it. I blame the book slump 🙄

My kindle profile was apparently having technical issues and I could not download this book before it was archived.

Rosalind Ryan is beautiful and loved by everyone so it comes as a huge shock when her body is found in the lake of the small town of Smithson. It is up to her former classmate Gemma, now a detective of the local police, and her partner Felix McKinnon to find out who killed her. An English and Drama teacher at the local high school, it seems she was loved by all her students and the other teachers, but by some a little too much. A strange relationship with her family, a seemingly non-existent social life, and problems at her former school don't make the search for the killer any easier. Additionally, Gemma has demons from her past to deal with, a complicated love life, and a son she barely sees.

Gemma's messy personal and love life kept me hooked to the book as much as the murder and the investigation. The characters are deeply flawed and they feel real and the story is very well-written and captivating. With vivid descriptions and a compelling plot, this a story not to be missed!

This book was an engaging read. There were some aspects that seemed a little slow moving, but the overall story and plot were worth it.

The story follows a self destructive detective. Gemma has had so much lose in her life that she just coasts through. Not really living, but living enough to muck up not only her life, but the life of those around her as well.

The case itself will have you guessing until the end.

While I am typically not one for police centric mysteries, Dark Lake was done very well. I think what I enjoyed most about it is that while the premise of the book is centered around solving a murder, Bailey doesn’t dive too deep into the police procedurals that tend to bore me. Additionally, kudos to Bailey to staying away from the cliché cop who is drinking themselves into a stupor and jeopardizing their job.

With that being said, well Gemma, see Gemma’s got issues. Not just issues, the girl has some serious baggage. But Bailey tells the story in such a way that I didn’t get annoyed with Gemma (although there were times when a slap across the face would have been appropriate). I usually find myself immersed in serious eye rolls when I have to read about the alcoholic cop who continually makes stupid mistakes.

I really enjoyed the character development as well as how the past and present weaved together to solve the murder of Rose. Not to mention that I was pleasantly surprised that the author was able to keep me guessing and I was not able to guess who killed Rose. This is always a nice treat because I read so many books in this genre that I can usually figure it out.

Although this is the first book in a series, I will probably not continue to read about Gemma as I am not the biggest fan of police driven books, especially those in a series. However, if this is your thing (aka Alex Cross or Kay Scarpetta) then this book is for you! Gemma Woodstock is one cop to watch and I think you will enjoy her character development.

Gemma is a detective on the murder case of an old high school acquaintance. This leads her down the trail of her past.

This book just did not do it for me. The story is just ok. It’s a little long and round about. To be honest, I started skimming toward the end. Lots of junk in this book. For instance, there are several chapters on whether Gemma knew the victim more than she should. She is from a rural town…of course she knew the victim. Also, whether Gemma is going to have another baby. Who cares…related to the murder..NO!

To say I disliked Gemma is an understatement. She is very selfish, secretive and she is having a affair with her partner. It is very difficult to enjoy a book when the lead character is as unappealing as Gemma. I don’t think I found anything about her to like.

I will be honest, I thought this book would never end. I hate to write bad reviews. I do not want to damage the author’s hard work based on my opinion and it is just MY OPINION.

I received this novel from Netgalley for a honest review.

I really enjoyed this mystery. There were many layers to this story that kept me turning the pages. After the death of a young, beautiful teacher, a detective who once knew the victim in school, is set on investigating. We get a personal look into the detective's life, as well as the victim. Which brought more to the story than just the mystery. I enjoyed this book immensely that I have already bought a hard copy for my personal library.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 Stars.

Rosalind Ryan is dead. Beautiful, popular, enigmatic, Rosalind Ryan: the High School English Teacher at Smithson, just outside of Sydney. Former Drama Queen and the most popular girl in her High School Class. Rosalind was found in a lake surrounded, by roses. The investigating officer? Detective Sergeant Gemma Woodstock. They knew each other once. They were class mates, at Smithson High School.

Gemma Woodstock has quite the time trying to figure out who was responsible for Rosalind Ryan’s death. The investigation is messy - as is Gemma’s personal life. Even though Gemma tries to keep both the investigation and her life separated, she cannot. For she knew Rose Ryan. Better than she lets on. And things go awry. Her partner Felix sees it. He knows all. He also knows Gemma better than anyone thinks. That becomes messy also. Gemma becomes obsessed. WIth the investigation, Rosalind Ryan and everything going on in her personal life. She must solve this case. Her husband Scott and her son Ben take a back seat. Like always.

Gemma’s past comes back into focus. How she knew Rose Ryan. Gemma Woodstock must come to terms with her past in order to deal with the present. Solving this mystery is difficult. Nothing is as it seems.

“The Dark Lake” is told in in alternating timelines: the present and the past and is told mainly from Gemma’s POV. She isn’t a very like-able character, nor is the character of Felix or Scott for that matter, but for some reason that didn’t stop me from liking the book. Somehow, the mystery itself kept me engrossed. Gemma’s past was intriguing. That got me. All I can say is that this was an entertaining mystery/suspense and it’s one I recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing and Sarah Bailey for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Published on NetGalley, Goodreads, Twitter and Instagram on 11.28.17.

This was a great book. Five stars for suspense and sheer page turning awesome. There's a reason this is on the B&N We Recommend list this year. If you love a good thriller, grab this one now!

The Dark Lake by Sarah Bailey opens with the finding of a body. Rosalind Ryan is found floating in the lake, surrounded by red rose petals. The lead detective for the case, Gemma Woodstock, is used to knowing some of her victims, but Rosalind is especially upsetting. Gemma went to school with Rosalind and seems to have been a little obsessed with the popular and vibrant Rosalind.

However, the Rosalind that Gemma knew in high school seems far different than the Rosalind that was found murdered. Why is she living in a cheap apartment when her father is one of the richest men in the county? Why was she fired from her first teaching job, causing her to show up back in town and becoming the local drama teacher.

What makes this mystery a little more interesting (or not) is that Gemma is not very likable. She is hard to get a read on. She is living with her son and the father of her son, though she doesn’t seem committed to either. She is carrying on a love affair with her partner Felix.

The story is told both in the present and we are also given ample glimpses in Gemma’s past. All of it tied together nicely at the end.

A very nice debut, I look forward to more books from Sarah Bailery.

I received an ARC of the book.

So what are the chances of two crime novels being published within a month of each other, both featuring small-town police detectives named Gemma, each investigating the murder of a high school teacher? Nor do the similarities between Emily Littlejohn's A Season to Lie (St. Martin's/Minotaur, digital galley) and Sarah Bailey's The Dark Lake (Grand Central, digital galley) end there. Both Gemmas have live-in boyfriends with whom they have a child, both face on-the-job challenges, both are attractive, determined and flawed. And both deal with bad weather, although that means different things to the detectives. Gemma Monroe (A Season to Lie) battles blizzards in Cedar Valley in Colorado, while Gemma Woodstock (The Dark Lake) has to worry about a Christmas heat wave and wildfires in the Australian town of Smithson.  A Season to Lie is the second outing for Monroe, who was six months pregnant in Littlejohn's Inherit the Bones. Now that baby Grace is three months old, her mom is hoping to ease back into work, but on her first night back, she and her partner discover a murdered man on the snowy campus of a private high school. The victim is famous author Delaware Fuente, a visiting lecturer using an alias while at Valley Academy. Fuente has other secrets, as do the close-knit townspeople who are split over the question of development by outsiders. There's also an anonymous bully known as Grimm, who is terrorizing the academy students. And does another death mean a serial killer is at work? It's a neatly plotted procedural. The Dark Lake, Bailey's first novel, is more intricate in its secret-keeping. Gemma Woodstock went to high school with beautiful Rosalind Ryan, the popular drama teacher whose drowned body is found after opening night of her modernized version of Romeo and Juliet. Past collides with present as Gemma recalls the suicide of her high school boyfriend, whose younger brother is playing Romeo. Gemma also is juggling an affair with her married partner and her homelife with staid boyfriend Scott and toddler son Ben. Bailey alternates present-day events with Gemma's flashbacks to high school and her rivalry with Rosalind. The time jumps make for an uneven pace as the investigation unfolds, but a nail-biting showdown atop a water tower offers a killer ending.
from On a Clear Day I Can Read Forever 11/20/17