I loved the premise of the story. It's a very intriguing concept. Unfortunately, the story itself seemed to drag and didn't hold my interest. The characters didn't seem ral or interesting enough. Disappinting read.

Described in the blurb as a thriller, this novel is in truth a complicated revenge story in which a traumatized, manipulated girl creates an entirely fictitious identity for herself and her (also traumatized) sister, meticulously planning to frame a man for murder. The hand of the author as deus ex machina is a bit too obvious throughout, and there's very little feeling of true tension as to whether the wrongdoers will be caught and punished, or the innocent vindicated and helped. The characters are out of melodrama, and those whose actions and behaviors are truly odd are never viewed as such by those around them, which detracts from any sense of reality.

This was honestly one of the best debut novels I’ve read in a long time. I usually don’t like multiple views, but this one was done so well! It was definitely a page turner.
The characters were well-developed given the length of the book and I love how it made me feel in the end.
I would most definitely recommend.
Thanks NetGalley for introducing me to this author!

This is a drama mystery story told by Flo, Lily and Grace. At one point I lost the main idea and it was hard for me to follow the tale. I want to give it a try one day.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this chance.

The beginning of the book is bit confusing, you are thrown into events that are already in motion and is up to you understanding who is who. The confusion, in my view, is a choice of the author: as you progress in the story, you will understand who the characters are and what is happening, that's when reading becomes a jigsaw puzzel between you and the book.

Lily and her sister Grace are charismatic characters, within the roles they play in the plot. Flo, Tom and Annie are more shallow. Among the three, Flo is the one with the biggest character development and, even so, I still wanted more about her. However, the book revolves around the two sisters and what happened at the lake ten years earlier.

The reading is very good, the writing is fluid and the main characters well worked. I couldn't decide whether I guessed the ending OR whether I was able to conclude what had happened due to the information given to me, but it was a lot of fun creating theories as I read. I think that some secondary characters could be more developed, besides that it is a solid book about trauma and its consequences in the human psyche.

Original review wrote in Portugues/Brazil, this is part of the complete review.

So...this was my first foray into mystery and, ah, it has definitely turned me off from the genre for the time being.

Told from the perspective of three girls-Grace, Lily, and Flo-"The Cry of the Lake" introduces readers to a mystery steeped in revenge, inner-family conflict, and repressed memories.

The first chapter generally succeeded in capturing my interest as easily as the blurb did, but everything-from the plot to the characters to the writing itself-went downhill to the point where my only desire was to finish the book as quickly as possible and forget all about it.

The plot was everywhere, while at the same time beyond easy to predict from the 20% mark. There were so many subplots to this story that I feel the author should have chosen just one or two of them to write a completely separate novel, which most likely would have been more enjoyable than the actual published product.

As for the characters and the writing, both felt incredibly static and two-dimensional. Each character, especially the three that are telling the story, fit into the cookie-cutter stereotype they were modeled after, from the "psychopathic" female villain hunting for revenge from a spurned romance to the youthful secondary protagonist who scorns traditional feminine values, is quirky, and listens to a band that's as old as her father.

The biggest issue I had with the writing and, by extension, the entire novel, was the way the author chose to write the timeline. The flashbacks weren't intertwined with the present action in any sensible manner and left me more frustrated than intrigued. A lot of details were unveiled prematurely, to the point where I guessed a majority of the climax before I was even a fifth of the way through the novel, whereas other information that would have amped up the suspense and interest was withheld until the final stretch after the climax had already occurred.

I could see "The Cry of the Lake" being more successful as one of many in a horror anthology such as "Slasher Girls & Monster Boys", or even a grimdark fantasy had the mermaid mentioned in the blurb been real. As it is, however, I think this book should have been run through editing and beta-reading a few more times before being published. Seeing how this is a debut novel, I sincerely hope that future works are bolstered by developed writing as the author moves forward.

I absolutely loved this book! I was instantly hooked from the first page. This is a must read for anyone who loves psychotic killer stories like I do. This is one of those stories that keeps you guessing right up until the end. Everything about this book from the beautiful artwork on the cover to the insane characters is simply amazing. I can't wait to read more work by Charlie Tyler.

Honestly at first I wasn’t so sure about this one but dang I’m glad I kept on reading! I love when that happens. The characters really showed up and made the novel a great one.

This was an amazing book that I began reading thinking was about a crime and soon realized was about sisters, family, and the trauma that forms who we are and the decisions that we make. The story was truly horrifying in how a persons trauma can completely corrupt their morals and actions but also beautiful in the hope that one can find despite being exposed to so much evil. The two sisters in this story create a yin and yang of good and evil. The crime at the center of this novel is perfectly interwoven into the story of their relationship and is as gripping as their unraveling background, not always an easy feat for an author.

Beautifully developed, realistically scary, and as fast-paced as the best thrillers, I could not recommend this book enough.

Lilly has a secret. Fortunately for her sister Grace, she is mute so there isn't much worry of her spilling all the dark and treacherous things they have done since their father passed. That is, there isn't much worry until a young girl's body is found and an old, sinister family member reenters their lives. The description of this book immediately caught my attention. A dark, sinister plot line with a young innocent girl wrapped up in it sounded right up my alley. Unfortunately, it did not quite live up to expectations. This book is filled with twists and turns from beginning to end. There were things I didn't see coming all throughout. The problem is, there was too much unknown from the get-go. Two of the characters go by different names throughout the book which adds to the confusion. There are flashbacks interspersed throughout the book which illuminate much of the story, but there are so many unknown players all the way up until the end that even after finishing the book I find myself scratching my head and unsure exactly how it all played out. Moreover, I don't really love any of the characters. The main characters aren't exactly loveable people and I find myself conflicted regarding my feelings toward Lilly...sometimes I like her and other times I am ambivalent. Also, I read a fair amount of English literature and am relatively familiar with terminology that is primarily English (i.e., British). However, there was even some slang in here that I did not know and found it a bit frustrating.

Told from the perspective of three girls. Lily, Grace and Flo, this is the story of a murder.

Two sisters, a serial killer, a mute girl. This book twists and turns and ties itself in knots. It's the kind of mystery that sticks with you after you are done.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book was not at all what I expected, even reading the synopsis could not have prepared me for what I was about to embark upon... The opening of this book grabbed my attention from the start.

The writing is excellent, Charlie Tyler weaves this perfect web of lies and deception that have us questioning every single person and every turn of the page. I didn't know who to trust or what was going on.

Each chapter was from a different perspective and character POV, which I do feel helped to really build up the story. However, at points it did get quite confusing, and it felt as though some chapters weren't quite fitting in with the rest of the story.

At points I really struggled to connect to the characters, I felt like I couldn't form a proper opinion on them throughout the book as we just didn't have enough from them. Which was really disappointing for me as I loved the way the author wrote the book from their different perspectives.

Once everything started to unravel I was hooked. I couldn't stop reading because I needed to know how it ended. I was sucked in and when I completed the book I wanted to applaud the author for weaving such a clever web of lies!

That being said, I did feel at points like I was walking through treacle trying to read this book, some paragraphs were just way too long and I could feel myself skim reading them because they were taking too long.

On the whole, I have really mixed feelings about this book. There is no doubt that it was very cleverly written and that Charlie Tyler has a talent and I was gripped from the outset, there were just a couple of things that knocked this book down for me.

I did enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who was interested in this genre!

This is such a dark, morbid and unputdownable book!

I read it in one sitting. Packed with unexpected twists and turns, it was gripping till the end. The characters were well described and compelling. I loved their thought process and the alternating POV's give a difference in perspective which builds the climax.

The plot is excellent and is a good psychological thriller. A story about murders, revenge and manipulation.

The Cry of the Lake follows the story of Lily and her best friend Flo. When a girl from their school is murdered, Flo’s father is accused of killing her. Lily is hiding a number of secrets about her past and wracked with guilt over the murder, Lily knows she has to make things right, but can she face the truth before the real killer strikes again?

The Cry of the Lake is one of those books that sucks you in from the very first page and doesn’t let you go. I started this one on a quiet Sunday morning and ended up reading it in one sitting. Dark, addictive and with a cast of really compelling characters, The Cry of the Lake is not to be missed.

The Cry of the Lake is quite a short book, but it certainly packs a punch. The story has plenty of twists and turns but the thing that really made this one for me was the fascinating characters. I really liked Lily and Flo and I found Grace to be a really interesting protagonist. and I enjoyed the alternating POVs between the different characters, it gave you the opportunity to see things from different perspectives and it definitely helped to ramp up the tension.

The Cry of the Lake is a dark and gripping psychological thriller, full of twists and turns. If you’re looking for an unputdownable thriller to read this summer, The Cry of the Lake should definitely be on your wishlist.

This is one hell of a book! I find it quite hard to believe that this is Charlie Tyler's debut novel because it is just that darn good!

The plot of the book is hard to summarise without giving away spoilers, and I don't think any of the summaries for this book that I have read so far really do it justice! But let me tell you that it starts with murder as all good crime books do, however, whereas other crime books begin the story from the point of the murder, we find ourselves at the very end of the story in the Cry of the Lake.

I really liked all three of the main protagonists, and I felt that we gained so much more as an audience getting an insight into their actions and thought-processes from getting all their points of view. Charlie Tyler was able to transform themselves into each of the characters and give their voice to the story. I came away from this book not even being angry at the murderer, instead, I felt sorry for them.

Definitely a 5 star book! It is out now so please go and support this amazing author and book!

I think my favorite part of this entire book is the cover. Mostly just the cover (it’s quite stunning, don’t try to deny it). I also enjoyed the first chapter. The first line itself — “Death smells like macaroons” — is such a distinct phrase; it gives off a sense of character and morbid charm. From there, the rest of the first chapter is delightfully disconcerting. The action is grim and gruesome while the narration is shockingly nonchalant when talking about a dead body.

Imagine how disappointed I was, then, when this charm seemed to ooze away from the story. I disliked all three POV characters: Grace reads like a stock character villain, Flo like a poor approximation for a teenage girl. Lily’s sections were tolerable and altogether not unbearable, but failed to make up for the others chapter for me. The split POV in general didn’t live up to the mark either; it didn’t add anything in terms of suspense. I’d go so far as to say it disrupted the suspense, especially since Lily and Grace know things Flo doesn’t (and, to my utmost frustration, the only reason Flo doesn’t know anything for half the book is due to her conversations with Lily being interrupted… I hate miscommunication plotlines). As much as I dislike Flo, I think the story would have held more of its suspense if it was told exclusively through Flo’s POV. That way I wouldn’t have known anything she didn’t and could have been just as mystified by Grace and Lily’s behavior.

I feel really guilty about it, but I started skim reading the book around the 50% mark. I just couldn’t handle how slow the plot seemed to be progressing and how annoying the characters were to me. Altogether, this isn’t a god awful book. It certainly has its good moments and I can see enough potential that I wouldn’t be opposed to reading Tyler’s future stories. The Cry of the Lake, however, will have to be shelved as a tedious read for me.

(thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review)

The Cry of the Lake tells the story of Grace and her daughter Lily, a troubled girl who is mute after experiencing some kind of trauma when she was younger. Grace’s partner Tom also has a daughter, Flo, who is close friends with Lily and the four are preparing to start a happy new life together when Grace and Tom get married. However, all plans for an idyllic family life are shattered when a schoolgirl is found dead and evidence points to Tom as the main suspect.

As the case develops it becomes clear that Grace and Lily’s history is far more disturbing than anyone knew. As Grace’s behaviour starts to become more and more erratic, Lily must make a choice – stick with her family and protect their dark secrets or help Flo to prove Tom’s innocence.

This story was told from three different viewpoints in alternating chapters which was really interesting as the story switched between past and present, building up to reveal more and more of what happened to Lily when she was younger. Based on the blurb I didn’t really know what to expect from the book but in essence it was a very dark family mystery / psychological thriller which looked at different forms of abuse and how this can completely ruin lives.

The Cry of the Lake was a really unusual story of revenge, murder and manipulation which really took me by surprise. I was really impressed by this debut novel and am looking forward to reading more from Charlie Tyler in the future.

A dark, twisted tale, brimming with suspense.

What an opening - We are thrown right into the action with a murder! Right from the first line 'Death smells like macaroons' I was hooked.

The story unfolds from three different perspectives Lily, Grace & Flo and as we learn more about these characters we learn nothing is what it seems, there are lots of deeper, darker secrets uncovered slowly as you read each chapter and I found it really difficult to put down - I had to find out exactly what was going on!

It narrowly missed out on 5⭐ because I was left a little bit frustrated by the ending.

Overall, a fabulous debut with haunting characters that will stay with you long after you have turned the last page.

A huge thanks to Anne Cater & Darkstroke Books for gifting me a copy in return for an open & honest review.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

I just finished reading The Cry of the Lake and I would rate it a 3 out of 5 stars.

The story takes us chapter by chapter in the life of Flo, Grace and Lily. Grace and Lily are not who they appear to be and it is not until the disappearance and death of a young girl in the community that people start to take notice of Grace and Lily's past life. Grace, especially, will stop at nothing to keep her secrets under lock and key, even when her fiancee, Tom, finds himself the number one suspect in the death of one of his students. It is up to Flo, the soon to be stepdaughter of Grace, to unlock the secrets Grace as buried deep down, all while fighting for her dad, Tom's, innocence.

This book was full of twists and turns, revenge and secrets. I also liked the varying perspectives as each chapter was detailed from the eyes of a different character, leading up to major reveal. At times, I didn't want to stop reading as I wanted to figure out who murdered the young girl and if they would be caught as well as what secrets Grace and Lily were hiding. The ending was a nice wrap up, with a bonus twist, however, there was some things to dislike about this book as well.

I felt in the beginning we are abruplty introduced to Lily and Grace without any explanation as to who they really are and how everyone is connected. As the chapters unfold, we start to see the connections, but starting it off with very little background, made it very difficult to follow and I almost put the book down. The characters and their personas were well developed, however, there seemed to be a lot of emphasis on Grace's persona to the point where it felt extremely redundant and had me wishing we could just get on with it. The plot and subplots were interlaced well, yet, I found myself wishing that more was given from chapter to chapter rather than dragging them out. Some chapters seemed to feel repeatitve or as though they could've been left out.

That being said, I did enjoy the plot of this novel and would recommend this to someone who can be patient with the development of the characters and intrigue because the twists and turns were worth it.

The Cry of the Lake by Charlie Tyler After a confusing start, felt overwhelmed with all the characters, POVs, time periods and information. Unfortunately lost interest in the book. Perhaps readers with multitasking minds will prevail and enjoy the book.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.