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Summit Lake

Summit Lake 

Robert Gao

Brief Synopsis

Investigative reporter Kelsey Castle, after recovering from a traumatic experience of sexual assault, embarks on a journey of unearthing the killer of first-year law student Becca Eckersley. The victim of a brutal rape and murder, Becca and her tragic story leads Kelsey to travel to Summit Lake, a beautiful coastal town nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. There, she is confronted by a town reeling from grief, a doctor uncertain about her vision, and a band of policemen hiding the evidence. 

Told in alternating accounts of Kelsey’s journey and Becca’s life during the months leading up to her murder, Charlie Donlea showcases how completely different stories of trauma can intertwine, and through that shared connection, can help a broken and lost soul heal. 


Review

Throughout the story, the plot and its consistent habit of foreshadowing events allow for a highly addictive and engaging read. As the story starts out with how Becca is killed without revealing the killer and later traveling back to a year before her death, the reader is left reading the story of one who has already passed, an incredibly strategic way of writing a mystery. The unique and creative style of telling a tragic story in alternating accounts of the victim and the “hero” allow for the reader to know more than the hero at times, making the read highly suspenseful and enjoyable. Charlie Donlea paints Becca as an eager and generous student and one who isn’t likely to make any enemies, and eloquently introduces multiple red herrings to add intrigue to the overall plot. The structuring of the novel as a whole along with the small but significant details in the story makes this novel a masterfully crafted mystery.




Comments

  1. Luke F.November 12, 2021 at 6:27 PM

    This book seems like a very riveting read. I have never before heard of a murder mystery that starts with the murder and then backtracks to tell the story of the deceased protagonist. This book seems like it uses intense topics to develop connections with the reader and to help them become invested in the ultimate outcome. I am interested to check out this book sometime in the future. Thanks for the great review!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yusef AboukhatwaNovember 13, 2021 at 4:40 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yusef AboukhatwaNovember 13, 2021 at 4:41 PM

    I am a big fan of mystery and more serious topics, so this book is very appealing to me! Overall, I enjoyed your review, as it was concise. Although, I wonder if Summit Lake was every confusing, since you mentioned that the novel was "told in alternating accounts."

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ross KimmeNovember 14, 2021 at 2:39 PM

    The book seems like an interesting read as it not only is a murder mystery but also the timeline is not in chronological order. I find it interesting that it tells the murdering first and then goes back in time, something unique for murder mysteries. Overall great blog review!

    ReplyDelete
  5. LeorNovember 15, 2021 at 11:37 AM

    Great review Robert. I think you did a great job at giving me an idea about what the book is about without spoiling the entire plot. I haven't come across a lot of books that start off with someone dying and then the whole book goes back to before it happens. Overall this sounds like a very interesting read.

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