
The Lake House

"Cornwall, August 1933
The Rain was heavy now and the hem of her dress was splattered with mud. She'd have to hide it afterward; no one could know that she'd been out."
Thus begins this epic novel of 512 pages by bestselling author Kate Morton. Alice Edevane lives on the family estate in Cornwall, England. A very precocious and talented 16-year-old, she aspires to be an author so carries around a journal so she can record her thoughts. On the eve of Midsummer's Eve, Alice's young brother Theo disappears, never to be found. Was he kidnapped, murdered or did he get lost? No one knows, but there is a lot of speculation. This is a tragedy that all families fear especially families in the Edevane's position, moneyed and titled. Waiting for the ransom that they are sure that will come, but it does not.
Fast forward decades later, Alice lives in London as a successful author. Her brother's case was never solved but a detective Sadie Sparrow who is on an leave pending an investigation regarding a case that she was involved in. Staying with her grandfather in Cornwall, Sadie comes across an old abandoned estate that is in disrepair. It appears that the owners just up and left, everything left as if they still lived there. She finds out that the estate is the home of Alice Edevane when she was a child. At the same time, Sadie is battling her own issues with a case that involved a grandmother, daughter, and her child. Sadie made some decisions that
Through flashbacks, we learn about the Edevane family from Theo to Anthony, the father. Family secrets are uncovered, even though Alice wishes they were not. With Sadie's help the mysteries surrounding Loeanneth, Alice's siblings, Deborah and Clementine and parents, Eleanor and Anthony and grandmother Constance are eventually brought to light for an enjoyable novel of destinies that are linked. This is the first novel by Kate Morton that I have read, I do have others and after reading this one I will definitely be going back and reading more by this author.