Secrets of the Lake

The Secrets of the Lake is a gripping wartime novel, by the author of The Silk Weaver, Liz Trenow.'Masterful storytelling, immersive locations, and characters that inhabit your heart from the first page' – Gill Paul, author of The Secret Wife.The war may be over, but for Molly life is still in turmoil. Uprooted from London after the death of her mother, Molly, her father and younger brother Jimmy are starting again in a quiet village in the countryside of Colchester. As summer sets in, the heat is almost as oppressive as the village gossip. Molly dreams of becoming a journalist, finding a voice in the world, but most of the time must act as Jimmy’s carer. At just ten years old he is Molly’s shadow, following her around the village as she falls under the spell of local boy Kit. Kit is clever, funny and a natural-born rebel. Rowing on the waters of the lake with him becomes Molly’s escape from domestic duty. But there is something Kit is not telling Molly.As the village gossip starts building up with whispers against Molly’s father over missing church funds, everything Molly thought she knew is turned upside down. And on one stormy night, when she sneaks out of the house to try to put things right, Jimmy vanishes. Never to be seen again.Decades later, Molly is an elderly woman in sheltered housing, still haunted by the disappearance of her brother. When two police officers arrive to say that the remains of a body have been found at the bottom of the lake, it seems like Molly will at long last have her answer . . .

I loved it. I loved how it made me feel and I didn’t want it to the end. It is beautifully layered, and I found the story moving, magical and original. A book with a mystery at its heart, solved very cleverly, Masterful storytelling, immersive locations, and characters that inhabit your heart from the first page: this is a novel I know will stay with me for a long time, Atmospheric and compelling, it's set during a post-war summer in a small village. I loved the touches of myth & fairytale & the wonderful characters of Jimmy & Molly, A wonderful story of love, family and the things we do to protect both. I loved the post-war setting of a small village rife with secrets and whispers, and Molly, Jimmy & Kit’s story stayed with me long after the last page was turned. A brilliant read for anyone who enjoys books by Pam Jenoff and Rachel Hore, Wonderfully atmospheric, and with an intriguing mystery running through its pages, The Secrets of the Lake is a haunting and compelling tale of family, folklore, and the lingering ripples of tragedy in a quiet English village. Liz Trenow writes such authentic characters you feel as if you know them personally. I enjoyed every beautifully-written page

Liz Trenow is the author of several historical novels, including Under a Wartime Sky, The Poppy Factory, The Silk Weaver, In Love and War and The Dressmaker of Draper’s Lane. Liz is a former journalist who spent fifteen years at regional and national newspapers, and BBC radio and television news, before turning her hand to fiction. She lives in East Anglia with her artist husband, and they have two grown-up daughters.

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