The Lake was at its heart about a mother trying to do right by her son. I figured out who was responsible for her sons drowning fairly quickly but the story of Kates journey kept me invested in the book .

Kate has struggled with the death of her Michael in a tragic accident years before. Her mother having had a stroke she returns to stay in her old family home. Here she finds her son's diary hidden by her mother. Kate then goes on a journey to discover what happened to her child. This causes her to look at her life and what she know. She even evaluates her marriage.
Will she find out what happened to Michael before he died. Is anyone else to blame for his death?
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Could the truth lie beneath the lake's surface? Read The Lake by Louise Sharland for a fast paced thriller to find out. Kate is devastated when her teenage son, Michael drowns in the lake near his school. She is convinced it was not an accident, but no one will listen. Six years later while staying at her mother's house, while her mother is hospitalized with a stroke, she finds Michael's diary. She begins to read it and finds out things about her son that she knew nothing about. Kate takes this information and goes on a hunt for the truth so she can get the closure she desperately needs. I found myself sometimes frustrated with Kate as she could not see what was right in front of her. I was just as anxious to find out about Michael's death so this book was hard to put down.I I found myself saying, one more chapter ,then I'll go to bed. If you enjoy a great mystery this book is for you. Thank you to Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book and give an honest review.

For a debut author, this was impressive and held my attention straight away. Slight lull in settling in at the summer school but builds up the tension again. Really enjoyable as you want to find out with Katie what the unknown life of her son was at boarding school through the found diary.

I read this in a couple of days as really wanted to keep going and find out the ending.

This was a great book to read, it had all the twists and turns in it which kept me guessing right until the end. I was convinced it was one character then, I change my mind and decided it was someone else but, I didn’t guess who it was until the end. This is the type of book I love. I nearly read it in one sitting but just manage it. I loved the tension in this it added to the theme of the story. Great!!! My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and Louise Sharland for the advance copy of this emotional thriller. Kate is still struggling to cope with the death of her son in a drowning accident six years on. When her mother has a stroke and Kate stays at her house she discovers Michael's diary and laptop. She begins to investigate his death again as she is certain it wasn't a accident. A compelling emotional journey of a mother determined to get the truth. Absolutely amazing read, highly recommended.

🏖“The Lake” by Louise Sharland unfortunately did not give me all the great vibes I’m looking for when reading a book. While the book was well written; each chapter flowing easily into the next. I felt as if the story continued to drag, with no progress in determining who committed the crime, or if it truly was an accident or suicide. Bringing awareness to mental health throughout the book, was a good addition, showing mental health is real and it can happen to anyone, affecting individuals differently. Also, some of the characters added to the book, felt meaningless. As if they were added to the book with no purpose, only to fill in space of the book. Overall, the book was a decent read. It’s a quick book that could be read in a day, even though it took me almost a week to read it. Even though I wasn’t 100% happy with the book, nor did the ending sit right with me, I still would recommend the book to others to read.🏖

🏖“The Lake” follows Kate on her journey to find who killed her teenage son Michael, 6.5 years prior, even though his death was ruled accidentally or possibly suicide. When Kate visits her mom’s house, she finds a diary that belonged to her son, that contains entries that may be able to help Katie prove to the police who handled her sons case, that he did not take his own life. However, while going in Michael’s diary, she learns that Michael was in a relationship, but she doesn’t know with who. Katie’s marriage is on rocks and when she becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened that night at the lake,her husband doesn’t agree with her decision to look into it. He fears looking into the past will only affect her mental health, while Katie thinks her husband wants her to forget about Michael.🏖

Rating - ⭐️⭐️⭐️

🏖The publication date for “The Lake” is 18Mar2021. Thank you Netgalley and Avon for the chance to read “The Lake” prior to its release.🏖

Thank you for giving me a copy of this book. The beginning was slow to pick up for me. Due to the setting there were a lot of words I didn't know because I grew up calling them something else. Also the different spellings drove me a little crazy.
I also don't think the title fits. Yes her son drowned but the book is about her getting justice for her son, finding the truth which I feel at the end didn't happen. The world should have known as about her and she should have went to prison. Overall still a good book though.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview The Lake by Louise Sharland.
Is there anything worse than a mother's pain - the lose of a child - In Sharland's novel, a mother is devistated by the death of her son. She does not believe it was suicide, and she is determined to get to the truth. Finding his diary navigates the plot and how the truth may be more difficult that you expected.
3.stars - heartbreaking at times.

Kate’s life has been an unending journey of misery since her 15 year old son, Michael, drowned. While she is convinced his death wasn’t an accident, everyone around her, including her husband, wants her to just move on. When Kates mother is hospitalized from a stroke, she heads to her house to look after her cat and be closer to her mum. She didn’t expect to find Michael’s diary in her mother’s house. And she didn’t expect it to reveal even more questions about not only his death, but a life Kate knew nothing about. Determined to solve the mystery of the night Michael died, she’ll stop at nothing to get to the truth.

The Lake was a gripping read, with several characters I wanted to reach through the pages and strangle. Being a mother myself, stories about harm befalling children are always an emotional read and this one was no exception. A fast paced thriller, covering many intense subjects, such as abusive relationships, grief, family issues and more, The Lake provided enough drama and twists to keep me entertained the whole way through. While some of the plot points were a little predictable, on the whole, I found the story an engaging and easy read.

I’d recommend this one to anyone who enjoys domestic thrillers!

Brilliantly written, suspenseful and utterly compulsive. A mother's quest to find justice for her son, whose death was returned as an open verdict, leads her on a suspenseful journey. Red herrings aplenty , dual storylines of her disintegrating marriage to a domineering husband keep the pace up throughout. Despite everyone around her telling her she's crazy, she persevered in her quest. When her mother has a stroke ,forcing her to return to the family home, she finds her son's laptop and diary ,which leave her even more convinced someone else was involved in his death, the mysterious Diving Fish of his poetry. The ultimate denouement is a breathtaking climax to an original and compelling read.

Kate's world falls apart when her teenage son drowns in the waters by his school. She’s convinced it wasn’t just a tragic accident, but no one will listen. Then, six years later, Kate unearths Michael’s lost diary and realises she may finally be able to uncover what really happened that night. But as she delves deeper, she begins to realise that she didn’t really know her son – or the people in his life – at all. And that, sometimes, secrets are better left submerged.

This is an intense, fast-paced thriller about the protagonist trying to get closer to discovering the truth of what really happened. The author has written the book very well and at times delves into some pretty dark themes of grief, loneliness, religious extremism, mental and emotional abuse, teenage pregnancy, and inappropriate sexual relationships.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

This was an average book definitely worth reading unfortunately in this genre the book must be an OMG book.

Six years ago, protagonist Kate Hardy’s 15 year old son drowned from a tragic ‘accident’. Kate has always suspected that the police’s judgement that her swimmer son’s death was a accident could not be the truth. Surrounded by people questioning her judgement and mental state, Kate has not pursued this inkling she has. That is until she finds her dead son’s diary. A sinister diary filled with hidden poems and a suspicious ‘Diving Fish’.

This mystery takes you all over the UK from Cornwall to an Upper-Class Private school in the north of Scotland. This book covers such intense and varied issues: <b>addiction, religious fundamentalism, child grooming, domestic abuse, teenage pregnancy, and mental health</b>. Including a same- sex couple was great as well. They are not key characters but important to the book and offered humour and female friendship. Brilliant LGBTQ representation in a casual way. However, the addition of a love interest towards the end of the book (I will not add spoilers), seemed to be just thrown in, as is the regular theme for female protagonists. Women do not always need to have a happily ever after with a man. This story line didn’t really add anything to the book.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this read. I couldn’t wait to pick it up on an evening and fly through the pages. Gripping and it felt like there was constant twist and turns (maybe sometimes to a fault). There is so much going on, and I would have loved the author to delve into the topics with more detail as I just loved the characters and the story lines.

<b>Rating: 4.5/5 Stars</b>

Thank you to NetGallery and Avon Books for giving me access to a digital copy of <i>The Lake</i> in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the sound of this from the description but unfortunately for me it just didn't live up to my expectations. It follows the story of Kate who has lost a son to downing, has a controlling husband and a dysfunctional relationship with a pious mother.

There were parts that I found engaging, but I began to find Kate irrational and obsessive in her behaviours and hence list sympathy for her. I found the ending did not adhere to how the characters had previously been portrayed so as a consequence found it disappointing

I am a little disappointed. Should of researched this book better. I thought it was a real true crime read, Its a thriller read. With that being said.

“A mother knows when something is not right. And will do anything to prove it.”

Once I started this book. I had to read it all through.. Kate’s son drowns at 15. When her mom is hospitalized. Kate finds something of her sons. That her mother instincts kick in and she investigates it. Even when no one else believes her.

I enjoyed this debut novel by Louise Sharland. “The Lake” is a well paced engaging story and I finished it in one day. As a mom I cannot imagine the depths of the pain that Kate feels over the loss of her son Michael, not to mention being told repeatedly to move on and forget it. Driven for answers Kate must journey into an uphill battle where she finds more than she bargains for. I look forward to reading more by this author in the future.

Six years ago, Kate lost her son Michael in a tragic drowning accident. Her husband wants her to move on and concentrate on her future, but when Kate finds her son’s diary, her suspicions rise about what really happened to Michael all those years ago.

I really loved the sound of this novel based on the blurb, and it did not take me very long to read. I enjoyed Kate’s interactions with her sister and her neighbour, as well as learning about a very different childhood to my own.
However, I really struggled to warm to the main protagonist. She makes some questionable choices and behaves in ways I could not really relate to. I think the plot is missing something and seems a little undeveloped which I found quite jarring.

I was hoping for a lot more tension and a build-up of atmosphere. I think this is a much lighter thriller than I was expecting.

Thank you to Net Galley for providing a copy in return for an honest review.

This is the second book I have read about a mother losing a child. It makes for an emotional read, a topic that crawls under my skin and makes it impossible to put the book down. This riveting tale had me turning the pages faster than I have ever managed before.
The Lake deals with the loss of a child, dominate relationships and abuse. This truly engrossing story left me with a need to wrap my arms around my children, never wanting to let them go again. (Not that it would be welcomed by my independent teenage girls.)
This debut novel from Louise Sharland is beautifully written. Her writing is wonderfully descriptive and emotionally intoxicating. She shares the emotions of the characters so clearly that you are left sharing the experience with them. Louise Sharland turned me into a fan with this book and I eagerly await her next novel.
When Kate’s son Michael drowns, the police investigation is inconclusive. Kate cannot accept Michael’s death as an accident or a possible suicide. Pressured by her husband to put it behind her and move on, it takes six years before Kate finds new evidence that sends her on a hunt for the truth about what happening to Michael. A truth she did not expect, but enough to give her the closure she so desperately needs to move on.
This book kept me up at night. At times things were so clear and I wanted to scream at Kate for not seeing what was right in front of her. I lost myself in this story completely and I was as eager for the truth as Kate herself. I had my suspicions, but this proved wrong which made the story even more entertaining.
The characters in this book were realistic people, they were flawed and interesting and deeply moving. Kate was wonderfully portrayed, a mother who lost her child, suffered a breakdown and was living with a dominant husband. Her insecurities and uncertainty were clear, making her an easy character to bond with. As for Adam, Kate’s husband, all I can say is: What an idiot! The man annoyed me from the moment he was introduced. My favourite had to be Doris, the neutral next-door neighbour who helped Kate see things in a new light and gave her the confidence she needed to fight for what she believed in. Doris was a genuinely loving mother-figure, while she played a small part in the book, she stood out as a strong, loving woman. I adored her!
The Lake easily made it onto my Loved list for 2021 – this book looked at dominance and abuse showing how a vulnerable woman can regain her inner strength and find peace and happiness. This book looks at several real-life issues faced by women every day in a manner that left me appreciating the life I have.
Mystery fans will love this book, but it will also appeal to fans of women’s fiction.
I enjoyed reading this book and cannot possibly recommend it highly enough. Make a note, publication day is 18 March – make sure to get yourself a copy, this is a brilliantly entertaining read.

Was a good book..not great. Took me a bit to get into it. Was hard to hold my interest in parts. Did finish it and ended up liking it.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.