Lake Child is the first book I've read by Isabel Ashdown but it won't be my last. The setting in Norway is absolutely beautiful and the writing brought me right into the novel as I wondered what had happened to Eva.
From the beginning of Lake Child it is clear that quite a few of the characters have secrets and this brings up so many questions. I needed answers, and just as I thought I was getting near - more than once - the author threw in a twist that made me rethink everything! I was gripped the whole way through.
Lake Child is not just the story of Eva At the beginning of the second part, we meet Maxine, whose chapters take the form of an interview. As Eva's chapters are told in the first person, this means that the reader only hears the story from these viewpoints. This made it easier for me to sympathise with them, but harder for me to detect if they were telling the truth. Despite their obvious flaws, I enjoyed getting to know these characters and learning more about their part in the story.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

So gripping! I couldn't stop reading. Great twists and turns, especially towards the end. I will definitely look out for more from the author.

This book started slow. And by slow, I mean slow. I was about to put it down and chalk it up to a bad pick and an unfortunate DNF... but I read some reviews that said to keep going, even if you get a little stuck. So I kept going. And it was worth it to continue on. The pace gained momentum and it did get better than expected. I'm glad I finished it and I will continue to read from the author.

Wow, this book was hard to put down. I've never read anything from Isabel Ashdown before but this was good. I had to keep reading because I needed to know what was happening straight away. The story is told from Eva's point of view and is way more complex than first thought. As the story starts unfolding there is twist after twist which keeps changing the direction of the book and making it that much more exciting to read.

I got to about 30% in and thought, shall I give up? It was a bit slow and I just wasn’t invested in the characters. The reviews were good so I thought I would continue, thankfully I did as it was worth sticking with! Enjoyable gripping thriller but stick with it to see!

I very much enjoyed this book. It has a good story and excellent main characters. I would definately recommend this book.

I absolutely love good psychological thriller's and this novel was atmospheric, creepy with a lot of dark secrets and twist 😉I'm always happy when I don't quite figure out the twist!
Quick read so i recommend it definitely.

This book is the definition of a page turning thriller. Each chapter brought a little more insight to what happened to Eva while also throwing you a new twist as soon as you think you’ve pieced the story together.

What goes around comes around.

Eva is in a terrible accident and wakes up after months of being in a coma. Little does she know what she thinks has been a few weeks turns into over 9 months.

Her parents have kept her safe under lock and key, but Eva starts to question the necessity of the control and being cooped up in the attic takes it toll on her. Eva doesn’t remember anything before the accident but something does quite make sense.

Once the story picked up I couldn’t put it down. The lies the betrayal and the terrible injustice caused so many years before. Her parents aren’t who they say they are but they do love her more than anything. I loved the truth and the twists in the physiological thriller.

Great read.... it starts out slow but pick up momentum! Give it a try you won’t regret this read! 17 year old Eva wake from a coma and remembers nothing that happened. She starts her on investigation..... now go read it!

This is a truly excellent read! At first I wasn't sure I'd get into it, seemed a little wordy, but don't let that deter you. it didn't take long until I was sucked in, as each piece of the tapestry started to become visible and more secrets surfacing. The book began with everyone in one place, and ended with everyone in a totally different place, and the story flowed along diving into layer and layer. I love books that are intriguing, really get into humanity, and the "twists" are realistic and not something coming out of nowhere. If you like a good mystery with a lot of pieces that come together at the end, then you will love this one. Will look for more by this author.

Lake Child is the story of 17 year old Eva who awakes from a coma with no apparent memories of how she got to be in that state. The book follows her investigations into finding out more information about the recent past, to try and work out what has happened. I enjoyed getting to know the characters, not knowing who to suspect, and then when it was revealed, realising that everything did make sense! It took me a while to realise what was happening- then when something got revealed close to the end confirmed my theories! There were a few tender subjects, but dealt with in an easier to read way which I as a reader appreciated. Thank you for a really good book. I enjoyed it and would definitely recommend!

I have always wanted to read books written by Isabel Ashdown, and I finally received a free copy for review. I enjoyed the book and am looking forward to reading other books in the future.

Only two words needed for this review - absolutely brilliant!

My thanks to Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review honestly.

Thank you to the publisher for this copy - all opinions are my own.

I must say, this book is something else. It admittedly took me a few chapters to get into the story and to start to figure out what was happening (the plot drops you right into the middle of the confusion) but once I was hooked there was no way I could stop reading this one. I LOVED that this book kept me guessing chapter after chapter, and every time I thought I had figured something out, I was likely wrong. Give me a book any day that really just keeps getting more complex without being overwhelming, and I am going to be a happy reader.

This story really deserves to be read without expectations or spoilers, but I would absolutely encourage readers to still with it - within a few chapters you too will see why this one is just so good.

This was my first Isabel Ashdown book. I had read a review of her work on another site so decided to give this book a try. I was not disappointed.
A few chapters in with no clue where the plot was taking us, I was gripped by the descriptive scenes and the characters. The author does a great job of building tension throughout and keeps you guessing right to the end. An original plot, brought to life by the author. Well worth reading!
Thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Eva awakes in an unfamiliar room, with no recollection of how she got there or what happened to her. She is covered in scars, and has no idea how they got there.
She is well looked after, but locked in the room every day. What happened to bring her there? Is she being locked in to keep her safe or to keep others safe from her? She doesn't know.
The book was a bit slow to start , but I'm glad that I persevered with it . What you initially think happened, didn't.

I enjoyed the book, it was different to what I usually read. It was interesting as the story unfolded to discover more about the characters and where it was leading.

A very cleverly written story. Gripping, twisty and addictive. Enjoyed reading this and will definitely look out for more from Isobel Ashdown.

I thought I had the plot sussed. But nope! Amazing.