Book Tour Review: The Lake House by Kate Morton

Title: The Lake House
Author: Kate Morton
Genre: general fiction, historical fiction
Series: N/A
Pages: 400
Published: October 20 2015
Source: Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for review
Rating: 4/5

Living on her family’s idyllic lakeside estate in Cornwall, England, Alice Edevane is a bright, inquisitive, innocent, and precociously talented sixteen-year-old who loves to write stories. But the mysteries she pens are no match for the one her family is about to endure…

One midsummer’s eve, after a beautiful party drawing hundreds of guests to the estate has ended, the Edevanes discover that their youngest child, eleven-month-old Theo, has vanished without a trace. What follows is a tragedy that tears the family apart in ways they never imagined.

Decades later, Alice is living in London, having enjoyed a long successful career as an author. Theo’s case has never been solved, though Alice still harbors a suspicion as to the culprit. Miles away, Sadie Sparrow, a young detective in the London police force, is staying at her grandfather’s house in Cornwall. While out walking one day, she stumbles upon the old estate—now crumbling and covered with vines, clearly abandoned long ago. Her curiosity is sparked, setting off a series of events that will bring her and Alice together and reveal shocking truths about a past long gone...yet more present than ever.

A lush, atmospheric tale of intertwined destinies, this latest novel from a masterful storyteller is an enthralling, thoroughly satisfying read.

Kate Morton is one of my favorite authors (and has been for several years) for many simple reasons. Her novels are intricately plotted, creatively written, and masterfully executed. She is an author that uses many pieces across a sprawling, detailed story and does so with skill and aplomb every single time. The careful layout of the mystery at the heart of The Lake House, with the small hints and clues that emerge, and the all-too-believable red herrings, add up to crafting a mostly unpredictable, wholly memorable tale of family and secrets.

The dual timeline with alternating  narratives is again used here, like in Morton's previous novels. Despite this being her fifth novel featuring the same narrative frame - that of two women with somehow interconnecting lives across decades - it doesn't feel old or reminiscent of anything that she has written before.  The Lake House's main duo of Alice and Sadie aren't my personal favorites of Morton's female-dominated cast, but they shine with dimension and personality. Sadie's personal story didn't seem to fit, or dovetail in as neatly with Alice's as had previous counterparts in Morton's novels. That dissonance which was my one of my very few issues with the story.

Morton has always been an author with strengths across the board. It's not hard to find some side of yourself in at least one of her characters (hello, Meredith from The Distant Hours!) but she's also adept at facilitating a real sense of both time and place. This time, it's both Londonand  and Cornwall at several different time periods. However,  the small details and descriptions found in The Lake House make up an easily-envisioned setting no matter what character is the current focus. 

I was surprised that some of the plot resolution in The Lake House was more obvious than expected. This was the first novel of hers that I had called more than one element of the mystery correctly. The way the ending unfolded was neat and well-executed; I just knew more of it than I'd have liked. It's possible with all the time frames and perspectives, plots and subplots Morton's authorial sleight of hand (and timing) was just a bit off with her fifth offering.

There are few authors I would call an authomatic "auto-buy" - as in would buy the hardback without needing any more information than the author's name. For me, Kate Morton is one fo those authors. Her books are examples of why I love reading: they're inventive and smart. They're executed with precision and vision. They take me to new times and places and new perspectives. As soon as I finished this I began the countdown until Morton's sixth novel. The Lake House is another beautifully written tale that is going to gain Kate Morton new fans and remind older ones why she is the best at her genre.

Kate Morton grew up in the mountains of south-east Queensland and lives now with her husband and young sons in Brisbane. She has degrees in dramatic art and English literature, specializing in nineteenth-century tragedy and contemporary Gothic novels.
Kate Morton has sold over 7.5 million copies in 26 languages, across 38 countries. Her novels include The House at Riverton, The Forgotten Garden, The Distant Hours, and The Secret Keeper.
You can find more information about Kate Morton and her books at www.katemorton.com or www.facebook.com/KateMortonAuthor

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, October 5
Review at Just One More Chapter

Tuesday, October 6
Spotlight at Passages to the Past

Thursday, October 15
Review at The Eclectic Reader
Review at History From a Woman’s Perspective

Monday, October 19
Review at The Baking Bookworm

Tuesday, October 20
Review at Unshelfish
Review at Luxury Reading

Wednesday, October 21
Review at Book Drunkard
Review at Ageless Pages Reviews

Monday, October 26
Review at Beth’s Book Nook

Tuesday, October 27
Review at Peeking Between the Pages

Wednesday, October 28
Review at The Maiden’s Court

Thursday, October 29

Review at Book Nerd

Friday, October 30

Review at A Chick Who Reads

Sunday, November 1
Review at One Book Shy of a Full Shelf

Monday, November 2
Review at A Book Geek
Review at CelticLady’s Reviews

Tuesday, November 3
Review at Bookish
Review at Bookramblings
Review at Flashlight Commentary

Wednesday, November 4
Review at Broken Teepee
Review at Words and Peace

Thursday, November 5
Review at The Lit Bitch
Review at Kinx’s Book Nook

Friday, November 6
Review at A Literary Vacation
Review at Curling Up By the Fire