Todd Newman has been cleared of his wife’s murder in New York and returns to finish the lake house they were planning to build together in her home town. The town doesn’t think Todd is innocent and when a body is found not far from his home the sheriff and the towns people are certain he is responsible.

Tracey Somerset is having a rough time. She and her husband are divorcing because he cheated on her. She was so wrapped up in him since high school that she doesn’t have many friends. When she gets a migraine one night and has to take her young son to the store for medicine she runs into the most charming man. They talk for hours and Tracey thinks things are looking up. She has no idea that the man she spoke with is the Todd Newman. The one who married a girl from her high school that was recently murdered.

The book had a great storyline but it was sometimes hard to follow. The twist and turns were interesting and I liked the characters but I just had a hard time following the story and would have to re-read to see what I missed.

This book had me gripped from the get go. It builds up the suspense and keeps it going until the very end.

The characters are well developed and thought out. The story flows nicely.

If you like suspense and mystery then please pick this up.

I really wanted to like this book, since I love mystery/thrillers. The Lakehouse sounded like it had all of the things that I would check off my list for a must-read. The writing in this one really really bothered me. I did not like that the writer would switch from third person to second person at random. It was frustrating and took away from the story for me.

Wow, what a story! This psychological thriller tells the story of Todd Norman, who recently moves back to his hometown after being acquitted for his wife's murder. Here, he plans to finish building the lakehouse he and his wife had planned to build together. This intriguing premise drew me into the book, and I really was interested in the characters it introduced to us. The connections between different members of the small community are surprising, and it is quite a tale to unravel. Who killed Todd's wife? And, what about the woman who turned up dead near the lake house construction once Todd returned? These and plenty more questions arise in the Lakehouse!

The Lakehouse is a domestic thriller centered around Todd Norman, a man who was cleared of his wife’s murder. When bodies start turning up in Covenant, a small town in Connecticut Normal takes center stage at the investigation. Secrets hidden in the small town surface to the shores of the lake and bring about a complex psychological drama.

The Lakehouse is an entertaining read and keeps a compulsive pace. I particularly enjoyed the well rounded character, Sheriff, Duane Sobczask, a small town sheriff, a widower and a father trying to repair his relationship with his daughter. However, towards the last third of the book the plot line becomes muddled. Conversations are confusing. However, with a little polishing, this novel shows great promise.

Thank you NetGalley, and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Todd Norman has been cleared of his wife’s murder. He is building a lake house in the small town of Covenant, CT. Another girl has been found dead not far from his new house. And of course, Tom is the prime suspect. But, things are not as neat and tidy in Covenant as everyone seems to think.

Todd and Tracy meet one night, well, actually 2AM, in Walmart. Tracy is a divorced mother with a young child. She and Todd make a quick connection. Little does she know, she is now Todd’s alibi. But, this does not stop her and everyone in the town believing Todd did it.

Enter Dr. Bashir. He is a therapist in this small town. Plus, he was the therapist at a school for wayward girls. He also had an affair with one of these young ladies. When he finds out about the death of this young lady, he decides to come clean.

When I first started this novel I was a little unsure if I would finish it. The story starts slow. But, the longer I read the more I realized this is a “slow burn”. And boy…when you get to the end…you want to take Joe Clifford and shake him till his eyeballs fall out! (sorry Joe!). The ending of this novel will frustrate you as much as trying to figure out who the killer is! Brilliant…just bloody brilliant! I would love to see this made into a movie.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

It’s not the start he wanted, but after being cleared of his wife’s murder, Todd returns to finish building the dream home they had designed together. But suspicion is immediately cast upon him when a woman’s body washes up next door. Tracy Somerset had no idea the man she met late night shopping was a former murder suspect. When another body turns up, the local sheriff begins questioning locals, including a local therapist with ties to a girls group home. Lots of characters in this book kept me on my toes, a little more concentration when reading this book is recommended

I love a good mystery/thriller and based on the description, The Lakehouse seemed to offer just that. Unfortunately, the book did not live up to expectations. The biggest issue for me with this book was the writing, I found it to be disjointed, choppy, and repetitive. There were many times while reading where a piece of information would be presented and I found myself saying, "again? this was mentioned/discussed just a few chapters ago." it felt like the author couldn't remember what had already been mentioned so he put it in the book again. Then there was one short chapter where the author went from writing in a third-person narrative to a second-person narrative for no reason at all. Overall I felt that there was a lack of cohesion that lead to no sense of flow.

Besides the writing style, the other huge issue I had was with the characters. None of the characters felt fully developed. Tracy's entire personality was complaining about her ex-husband, and while I felt that her feelings were justified since he did cheat on her, there are only so many times I can read "jerk of an ex-husband" before I start to roll my eyes. There was so much talk about how Tracy was "born to be a mom" but we never got any reasoning as to why she felt that way or what she found fulfilling about being a mother, and half the time she had her best friend babysitting her son so that Tracy could fixate on the man who may or may not have killed his wife. None of the characters were at all likable and I spent most of my time reading the book rolling my eyes.

The ending felt rushed and honestly didn't make any sense. Usually, when there's a big reveal at the end of a mystery/thriller the reveal makes sense, this one did not. In fact, it was a bit of a let down because it came completely out of nowhere.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC of The Lakehouse in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts expressed are my own.

I enjoyed the writing style of this book, and felt that the characters were interesting. I was drawn in by the premise, and liked some of the twists the author took that I wasn't expecting. As the book went on, I did feel like it dragged somewhat, and I did find myself getting confused with all of the 'A' names. Ultimately the ending left me a bit underwhelmed. However, I would try another book by this author.

Thanks to the publisher and the author for the chance to review this ARC.

*Thank you to Joe Clifford, Polis books and NetGalley for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review*

I love small New England towns. With their secrets, gossip, backdrop of leaves and grey and mystery. It is the perfect setting for a murder mystery which pulls you in from the first page to the very last, which still has the reader guessing. Todd Norman, dubbed the Butcher Banker, has been accused of murdering his wife, but cleared of all charges. He moves to his wife's hometown, where he is universally hated, to build a lake house. This is a promise he made to his late wife. Coincidentally, once he arrives, a body washes up next to his house and women become missing. This is a story with many characters and as the reader, you are never quite sure who the good guys are and who the bad guys are. But one thing is certain, you won't stop reading until you find out!

This is my first Joe Clifford Book and will not be my last!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of The Lakehouse by Joe Clifford.

Todd has been cleared of the charge of murdering his wife, but it doesn't mean that he is left with an unstained reputation. So, unsurprisingly, the town is less than please when he returns to build a lake house where he can live in isolation. It gets worse for him when a dead woman washes on the lake shore. Did Todd do it again, and will anyone be there to help clear his name a second time?

This is an subtly atmospheric, creepy, cold, small town whodunnit, and it was a very enjoyable read. It's a slower burn, but the characters and town history were all so compelling, so it was easy to enjoy the gentle ride. I enjoy a quiet mystery with an intense undertow of tension, and that's exactly what this was. Well written and surprising the whole way through.

The Lakehouse has a great premise, but just didn’t deliver the way it should have. Writing it in four parts (Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring), might have seemed like a good idea, but something was lost with each transition. It seemed like too much time had passed with little happening in the investigation. The story itself was fairly good but the pace was off and a there were a couple loose ends that didn’t make a real difference, but could have tied in better.

This was a book I requested based off the cover and description, but sadly this one fell flat for me.

When Todd Norman returns back to his hometown, the locals are not happy about it. Todd was accused of killing his wife and even though he was acquitted no one believes he is actually innocent. When Tracy meets Todd she doesn’t want to believe the rumors surrounding him and chooses to continue developing their relationship.

Upon Todd’s return the bodies of some women connected to his dead wife are found near his lake house. The story centers around who is responsible, the obvious answer is Todd, but there is more history about this town than meets the eye.

I found this one moved to slow and then BAM we discover who the killer is and it just didn’t thrill me in any way. It had potential, but jumped around a lot between characters which distracted me from the storyline.

Thank you Netgalley and Polis Books for this advance reading copy.

Even if I liked the atmosphere I found the story confusing and it didn't keep my attention.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Todd Newman has been cleared of his wife’s murder. The murder follows him he insists he’s innocent but people believe he bought his way off. He decides to return to her hometown in Connecticut. He’s building a lake house and just wants a fresh start. When a young woman’s body is found washed up on the beach next door of the lake house, of course Todd’s the first suspect, the police are certain he’s to blame and they continue harass him. Tracey Somerset is a single mom who just went through a tough divorce, she’s raising her two year old son with little help from her ex. On a rainy stormy night she drives to Walmart to pick up some medication. Meeting a handsome man at 1am is the last thing on her mind. She meets Todd unaware of his past and that he was called “The Banker Butcher”she enjoys a coffee and good conversation with the handsome man. The next day she’s shocked to hear about the woman being found dead, and when Sheriff Sobczak asks if she was with a man at Walmart at 1am she’s floored that she’s being asked if she is Todd’s alibi. When more woman disappear she begins to wonder could the nice man she fell for be capable of murder? Is there a connection with the murdered woman and the other woman that have disappeared? What secrets is the small town hiding? Told through the POV of Tracey and the sheriff we get a peek into their lives and the investigation. The ending left me wanting more! I really loved the book ,I felt the darkness hanging over the town, and the author does an amazing job bringing the characters to life and making you feel like they are real and imperfect. The story drew me in and got me out of my reading slump. This is the second book I’ve read from the author and I highly recommend his previous book The One That Got Away. Four stars!

Thanks net galley for this title.

This story was a gripping and exciting tale about a small town Covenant where it is relatively peaceful, that is until Greg Norman ( a man accused of the murder of his wife, a resident April) comes to rebuild his life in a Lakehouse near the beach after being acquitted. A little while after returning a young lady Wendy, was found dead near the lake house and this investigation set off a whirlwind of events that revealed secrets that shook this peaceful little town to the core.

I really liked the story. The characters were relatable I especially liked Tracy, Amanda and Uncle Bob's characters .It read like an enjoyable TV series in some parts. I think that in end we could have had more detail of how Greg and Tracy's relationship turned out because I felt they just left the story abruptly (read the book so you will know what I'm talking about). This is one of those mystery stories that you just had to wait till the end to see who did it. I had so many thoughts about who the murderer could be that I just gave up speculating and just waited till I was at the end and what an ending it was. I would definitely recommend this book and I look forward to more like this from the author.

In The Lakehouse, a man has come to his dead wife's hometown, bringing with him an air of suspicion and concern, particularly after a body is discovered. The beginning of the book grabbed me. I couldn't wait to keep reading to see what would happen next. It seemed that no one was as they appeared, and I was intrigued by the potential mysteries that playing out on the pages.

About halfway through, the book seemed to fall a little flat somehow. The air of intrigue wasn't quite the same anymore. I was able to figure out some of what was going on based on earlier clues. Characters that were prominent earlier in the story seemed to fall away somehow. I wasn't entirely certain how all the various scenarios pulled together.

That being said, overall I enjoyed the book. I was invested in the characters finding resolution in their different situations, and I wanted answers to the questions being asked.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

As an avid reader of Thriller/Horror books, I was very excited for this novel. The synopsis I sucked me in and I thought it was going to be great. However, I felt like the concept was awesome but the story itself just fell flat.

I probably don't need to restate my love for thrillers and horrors. I heard a lot about The Lakehouse and had been really drawn in by the cover itself. There is a great atmosphere about it that really raised my expectations. Unfortunately I think they might have been raised a little bit too high and I ended up disappointed during my reading. Thanks to Polis Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A house on the lake. A mysterious new man in town. A body washed up on the beach. The perfect trifecta of happenings to be the start of a great thriller. One of the things that makes reading thrillers so comforting is that it's always about fitting the same kind of puzzle pieces together. There is a crime, there must be a perpetrator. There is your main character, who will have to figure out what's going on while, most likely, being in danger themselves. There are side characters who are either super helpful or super suspicious. Or maybe, just maybe, they're both. It is from these recognizable pieces that authors have been able to create something new and exciting every single time. But this is where drudgery can come from as well, when readers can predict all the next steps and the element of surprise disappears.

The Lakehouse, as the blurb shows, is about Todd Norman returning to Covenant to finish building the lake house the promised his wife, except this is interrupted when a woman's body washes up on his property. Except Todd Norman is called Greg in the book itself, which I guess falls down to changes in the editing between ARC and blurb. I also put some of the other mistakes throughout the book down to needing a final round of editing before final publication. But Todd/Greg also isn't the main character, even, of The Lakehouse. And his motivation for returning is never really addressed in the novel, only hinted at. The Lakehouse's narration is split up between Tracy Somerset, the new flame, Duane Sobczak, the cop, and Meshulum Bakshir, the psychiatrist. They all feel a little too like cardboard cut outs as their motivations are never delved in to too deeply. Because of this many of their actions feel like they come out of nowhere or are overly dramatic and nonsensical.

Duane Sobczak is probably the most fully formed of the characters and shows some actual development towards the end. He is a small town cop with a one-person team consisting of his son-in-law. He strongly believes in his town and in the goodness of its people. Drugs have no place there and neither do pre-marital sex, lesbians and murderers. Watching him come up against the real world is kind of charming but also struck me as very odd in this particular cultural moment. Tracy is a messy character that I think needed a lot more pages to develop her interiority. Dr. Bakshir feels like the odd character out, largely used for shock factor in some of the twists and turns. Aside from that there is a focus on drug abuse and sexual abuse in some of the female story lines that I don't believe was handled well or with any kind of delicacy.

I've seen a lot of praise for Joe Clifford's writing and was very excited to experience it myself. Unfortunately, as you might have guessed from the previous paragraphs, I was merely whelmed. There are a lot of interesting ideas in The Lakehouse which maybe needed a little bit more time in the oven, but in the edition I read they didn't quite fit well together yet. Some of the characters needed more development and attention in order to make them feel less like a plot-device. I saw the plot twist coming from quite early on but was looking forward to how Clifford would work his way towards it. Unfortunately, by the time we got there, many things did not end up getting explained which left me quite unsatisfied. By the end of the novel there were still quite a few plot threads that needed wrapping up which never happened. Finally, and I'm willing to admit it may be pedantic, but I loathe the title not separating 'Lake' and 'house'.

I had very high expectations of The Lakehouse but unfortunately none of them were met. Although I did get through the book quickly, I did not enjoy a lot of aspects of it. I may give Joe Clifford another go in future books, but only once complete edits have been done.

Ooo just by the cover I know y’all know that it’s going to be a creepy book! It definitely was which is how I like them! Very suspenseful and such a good thriller.