The Hous Across the Lake | eat. live. travel. write.

This is part of my Summer Reads series where I’ll be sharing book recommendations – a series of “not just cookbooks”.

When I saw that The House Across the Lake was the July book club pick for my friend Jan’s Betty’s Bookshelf book club, I couldn’t resist. Although Jan doesn’t personally choose the books herself (she knows her books and has excellent taste!), I figured if it was good enough for their book club discussion, it was a good Summer Reads choice!

From the publisher:

Be careful what you watch for . . .

Casey Fletcher, a recently widowed actress trying to escape a streak of bad press, has retreated to the peace and quiet of her family’s lake house in Vermont. Armed with a pair of binoculars and several bottles of bourbon, she passes the time watching Tom and Katherine Royce, the glamorous couple living in the house across the lake. They make for good viewing—a tech innovator, Tom is powerful; and a former model, Katherine is gorgeous.

One day on the lake, Casey saves Katherine from drowning, and the two strike up a budding friendship. But the more they get to know each other—and the longer Casey watches—it becomes clear that Katherine and Tom’s marriage isn’t as perfect as it appears. When Katherine suddenly vanishes, Casey immediately suspects Tom of foul play. What she doesn’t realize is that there’s more to the story than meets the eye—and that shocking secrets can lurk beneath the most placid of surfaces.

Packed with sharp characters, psychological suspense, and gasp-worthy plot twists, Riley Sager’s The House Across the Lake is the ultimate escapist read . . . no lake house required.

Riley Sager himself acknowledges that it’s a “bonkers plot” (I always read the acknowledgments first!) and, reading the blurb, I was struggling to see where it could get “bonkers”. In fact, for about 75-80% of the book, this read like a typical thriller and I was scratching my head wondering what on earth could be about to happen.

For the most part, this was a perfect Summer Read – moved along at a good pace (although there was a heavy emphasis on the main character and her alcohol dependence that, when mentioned so often, didn’t necessarily add anything more to the story), and I found myself turning page after page because I couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next.

The “bonkers” plot twist introduces a supernatural/ paranormal element that, for sure I wasn’t expecting and which, to be honest, is a bit ridiculous and requires you to really reach to believe it. But hey, if the summer isn’t a time when you can suspend belief and enjoy a bit of a ridiculous plot twist, when can you? (it reminded me a little bit of the series “Behind her Eyes” that I watched on one of my many plane rides this summer).

A good, quick read – perfect for a flight or bus/ train ride, a lazy day at the beach/ pool, or even perfect for a rainy day on the couch.

Buy The House Across the Lake on Amazon (this affiliate link should bring you to the Amazon store in, or closest to, your country). For free worldwide shipping, buy from The Book Depository.

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