Finally, it's time for their annual summer vacation at their Vermont lake homes. They have been doing this since childhood and it never gets old. However, for Julia, David and Erika this will be a vacation unlike any of their others. They are adults now and they haven't told each other everything that is going on in their lives, but, hey, they have gathered to reunite and enjoy. Too bad that's not exactly what happens.
THE LAKE ESCAPE by Jamie Day is an ambitious story with a large cast of characters. David arrives with his five-year-old twins, a young girlfriend and Izzy, a nanny who isn't really a trained nanny. She honed her nanny skills (what few she has) by watching Mary Poppins multiple times. Who knew? No matter, she has an ulterior reason for being at the lake. Julia's marriage is crumbling under a mountain of debt, a recovering alcoholic husband and a sullen daughter. As if this isn't enough, David has built a house of mostly glass in front of hers. There goes her formerly unimpeded lake view. Erika, too, arrives with her husband and their son. There is something off about them, too.
The story is narrated mostly by the distinct voices of Izzy and Julia. They are candid, sometimes funny and always sincere. Even though the story follows many different paths, it is easy to follow along because it is interesting. An intensive search for David's missing girlfriend brings twists and secrets to the surface. This is a story where everyone might be guilty of something whether it be criminal or simply weakness. Many are not who we initially think they are and this is what makes THE LAKE ESCAPE a highly readable novel. Highly recommended.
The next riveting summer suspense by the author of THE BLOCK PARTY and ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY, Jamie Day.
WILL THIS BE THE BEST WEEK OF THEIR LIVES... OR THE LAST?
JULIA, DAVID, AND ERIKA grew up together spending summers at their idyllic Vermont lake homes for as long as they can remember. Now adults— with their own sullen teens, endless mortgages, and low-voltage sex lives— the three friends have amassed secrets over the years.
This summer, David is eager to show off his newly renovated home—which now blocks his friends’ cherished lake views—and his much-younger girlfriend. He also, unwittingly, brings a nanny with a hidden agenda. What could possibly go wrong?
When David’s girlfriend mysteriously vanishes after a shouting match, Julia and Erika wonder just how well they know their lifelong friend. The lake harbors a harrowing past: two young women, with no known connection, vanished without a trace thirty years ago. Did the lake take another?
As a search is mounted, an intricate web of lies, deceits, and betrayals spanning generations starts to surface, and everyone finds themselves in danger of becoming the next victim. Of the lake, or something darker.
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