Member Reviews

Eva is a seventeen year old girl who lives remotely with her parents. She wakes up to find herself not in her bedroom but in the attic room and the door locked. What on earth is going on? She aches all over and has scars. She discovers that she was in a road traffic accident but she can’t remember anything about it. Her parents have been over and over it with her and she is retaining nothing. She doesn’t know who she was in the vehicle with- just that the police are trying to trace him- or anything about that evening. Eva knows her parents are hiding things from her- about the accident and maybe even more. She has to get away from her attic prison and find out what is happening. Her best friends are being turned away without even being allowed to see her. She keeps hearing the call of a fox and she has a feeling that a fox was there that night. I took to Eva and her predicament of confusion and not knowing not only what was going on but of who she really was. The tension between the pages is very well written and I just had to keep turning. One trail led to another which turned and so on. A very well thought out clever plot line with excellent characterisations. I could easily see this as a film. One very entertaining read.
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Set in very atmospheric Norway - it certainly made me want to visit - this is the story of Eva who has, we find, out early on suffered an accident. However, the circumstances of this are unknown and therefore we, are Eva is unclear who the real threat towards her is. The book takes a turn about mid way through when a new character is introduced leaving the reader with a whole different angle to consider. I enjoyed this book and thought it was a good solid read.

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I’ve long been a huge fan of Isabel Ashdown’s writing so was really looking forward to Lake Child. And I have to say it was well worth the wait as I’m pretty confident that it’s her best book so far! It’s certainly my favourite of her books so far especially since it blew me away with some brilliantly shocking twists that I didn’t see coming! If, like me, you think you’ve solved the mystery when you read it then don’t get too cocky because I guarantee there are some bigger shocks to come!

The first few chapters made me ask so many questions that I thought I’d burst! Why is Eva locked away? Where is she? What has happened to her? And why don’t her devoted parents want anyone else in the house? Eva was confused and bewildered by her situation and I could well understand why! I was desperate to uncover the secrets being kept by everyone close to Eva and discover why her parents were being so overly protective of her. And then there was Maxine who was working with a ghost writer to tell her life story. Who was she and what did her past have to do with Eva? My frustrations began to build as I raced through this addictive storyline but I became totally involved in the lives of these characters and gripped by their actions. Eva was such a well written character who’s determination to remember the events leading up her accident was perfectly captured by some beautifully descriptive prose. And the Norwegian setting was carefully created to provide a chilling backdrop to the family dynamics that sat at the heart of Eva’s uncertainty about her forgotten trauma.

There are authors who’s books I preorder before I even know what they are about and Isabel Ashdown is one of them. I trust her to deliver family orientated psychological suspense that will suck me in from the very start. The first few pages of Lake Child were perfectly pitched for maximum captivation, a skill that Isabel Ashdown has down to a fine art now. I just loved Lake Child so much that it’s shot onto my favourite books of the year list. It is definitely very highly recommended by me!

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I am writing this review for Netgalley.
The description of Lake Child by Isabel Ashdown, encouraged me to request it to review before release.

I felt that the story began a little slow, and took me slightly longer to get into. But once I did, I loved it! It wasn’t just about what happens next either. I had questions about what was really going on beneath the surface of the characters. I wanted to know these hidden going’s on and I wanted to understand who, what where and ok, but why?
I wondered whether there was madness within Eva. Could she be looking for answers to questions she didn’t know how to ask?, because there was a lot that wasn’t being said .
I began to piece sections of the story together that completely unraveled rather quickly. I have to say, I didn’t see most of the twists coming. Gruesome realisations appeared where I hadn’t expected, while the gruesome truth I expected to unfold was never really there in the first place (great detective I’d make).
By the end I decided this was a cleverly written book and of course I’d recommend it. I’d like to know if the author has written any other books with such good twists.

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I felt this book hard to put down.
The first few chapters are confusing but then it all makes sense.
A tense but excellent read

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A really enjoyable and emotional read. I loved Isobel Ashdown’s books and his was just as amazing. A great story, exceptionally written xx

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Omg I loved this book I couldn't wait to get stuck in I love isabels writing I've read all her other books they are fantastic reads and this was no exception this book kept me guessing all the way threw Isabel has a way of doing that kept me hooked till the last page so many twists and turns it was like being on s rollercoaster I loved it

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Outstanding and brilliant !!
Absolutely full of praise for this fabulous book that is totally compulsive reading. Eva wakes in the attic room of her home her parents roll her she has been badly injured in a car accident but why is she being locked in her room and why are her parents acting so strange nothing seems to make any sense to Eva and from there the story just gets more and more mysterious.
This such a well crafted book with intricate plotting and lots going on keeping you guessing at just what has actually happened to Eva, there are also plenty of surprises and twists and I just loved it grabbing every spare minute to read. Wonderfully written by Isobel Ashdown as are all her other books this really is a page turner and a highly recommended 5 star read from me.
My thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing group, Trapeze for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

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Really enjoyed this novel. Excellent storyline build up and fascinating characters bring this story to life. I will definitely reading more books by this talented author.

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Sorry but I found this book too slow for me and I did a lot of skim reading just to get to the end. Even though this book was well written it wasn't really for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Trapeze Publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

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I truly found this book hard to put down.

Pick this book up in a quiet place and I dare you to get to chapter 5 and say it’s confusing because I thought so too until then.....
I HAD to keep reading, I needed to know things. I wanted answers, I needed clarity.

Was this person mad, where her parents mad, this just wasn’t making sense, why is she locked in the attic.
She asked that herself! And it made sense until.........
Then I’m WHAT, jaw dropping on floor screaming in my in my head “what’s going on”?

Talk about tense.

I’m on a complete roll of superb books at the moment. This ones definitely in my top 10 this year in this genre.

Twists! Twists? You’ll get twisted in knots!

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Eva wakes up locked in the attic. Her mother tells her she has been in an accident and is recovering from injuries. Still her parents are keeping her locked up. Slowly regaining strength she finds someone is watching her which terrifies her parents. How does Eva’s family life link to a child missing in england years before?

This was a really engaging read. I loved the characters and the setting. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

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Eva has has been in a terrible car accident that she has little memory of.
She has recently woken up from a coma and relies on her parents to look after her.
As her memory starts to return she begins to doubt what her parents have been telling her about the accident and wants to find out the truth.
A slow moving story and I found quite confusing at the beginning.
Some twists and turns that kept me reading this story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

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The idea behind this book is probably better than the book itself. I found it slow going and had to keep checking how many pages I had to go. That's when I know I'm not enjoying it.

The story is original and well written, it just seems to drag along especially the beginning.

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I found this book slow to get going,covering the same ground for quite a while.
Then when it started up,it felt slightly predictable.
It was an easy one sitting read,and I enjoyed the twists that kept coming.

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Isabel Ashdown has always been one of those authors who never lets me down as a reader. I've enjoyed all of her novels, which are all gripping in their own way, but what always stands out to me are the underlying themes Ashdown addresses. Lake Child may be a psychological thriller, but it is also a novel of depth. Underneath the story, there are tones of female strength and family, of loyalty and courage. Eva is a unique seventeen-year-old girl, with a maturity and knowledge far beyond her years, and so it is a joy to read through her eyes.

Ashdown has produced another brilliant and thrilling story, set in amongst a breathtaking landscape, and it is, as always, a breathtaking read.

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Firstly I’d like to Thank Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

The story begins with the awakening of Eva after she was involved in a horrific life changing accident which has left her unable to access her short term memories.

But as her memories start to resurface it appears not everything as it seems and it's difficult to know who to trust.

The story is full of interlocking secrets, great characters, lots of twists and turns and set in the beautiful country of Norway.

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Initially I struggled getting into this novel however I’m really glad that I persevered as I grew to enjoy the compelling storyline throughout that came to a great conclusion

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A really well written plot, twisty and creepy. It kept my attention throughout and i loved the Norweigan descriptions, made me feel like I was there. Good charcters too.

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A well written book of family secrets and a lot of descriptions of Norway. Would recommend this to other readers so thank you Netgalley and the Publishers.

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