Bitterroot Lake by Alicia Beckman

When four women, separated, by tragedy, reunite at a Montana lake lodge, murder forces them to think about everything they knew about the accident that tore them apart.

The book was okay. I thought the author spent too much time on the history off the lodge, and its former owners. There were many interesting characters and suspects. Surprised to read who the killer was. Very sad parts of the book.

Bitterroot Lake by Alicia Beckman was a well crafted story of four women united by a long ago tragedy and reunited by a mystery linked to that event. The characters were well written and personable and their entwined stories kept me interested to the end.

I enjoyed the book but it took me awhile to finish it. Although I liked the storyline, it seemed to go back and forth between past and present. The 4 main characters were friends 25 years ago and reunite at the lake to solve the mystery of the tragic event that killed a friend. I felt like I was always trying to piece things together and to remember what happened in the past. Thank you for the ARC.

Twenty-five years ago four friends and roommates (Sarah, her sister Holly, Nicole and Janine) vacation at Whitetail Lodge. One of the girls was assaulted by one of the young men in their group. The other guys come to her defense and chased the guilty guy by jumping in a car and then there is a terrible accident that left one dead.

Now: Sarah McCaskill Carter is 47 and a young widow, he husband Jeremy recently died of cancer. Although Sarah is still grieving she returns to her family’s summer home Whitetail Lodge in Montana near Bitterroot Lake to help prepare for the summer guests. She finds Janine in one of the cabins and she is terrified as she received a letter undated and unsigned.
“Only you know the truth of what happened twenty-five years ago.
Only you can decide what to do.”
Lucas who was driving the car twenty-five years, and is found shot! Janine is assumed to be guilt. She was the one who was assaulted years ago and blamed for the death as most feel she was a tease.
Hmm so she was asking for it?????

Story is told mainly from Sarah POV; it deals with secrets and is slow burn suspense. I did love the description of this small Montana village so it kept me reading. Always like twists and turns.
Love the Author’s note and Acknowledgements. Mrs. Beckman tells us that beautiful Bitterroot Lake, Deer Park, and Whitetail Lodge are from her imagination. However, in her research she was drawn to the historic lodges

Want to thank NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this early release granted to me in exchange for an honest professional review. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Publishing Release Date scheduled April 13, 2021

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love the relationships, past and present, of the heroines in this novel.

This is a unique, slow burn story with some paranormal elements. I enjoyed the history surrounding the setting.

This was an okay book but I felt it really dragged in places and it ended up being a did not finish. Terribly sorry. I think some details could have been left out. Too much.

You can find this review and all of my others over at www.readbookrepeat.wordpress.com

Seventeen days. It's been seventeen days since Sarah's husband passed away. Seventeen days since her life changed in a way that she still can't understand, yet. Her mother suggested she return to the family homestead at Bitterroot Lake. That cataloguing and cleaning the lodge will give her purpose, help keep her busy, keep her moving. What Sarah doesn't expect when she arrives at the lodge, is her friend Janine whom she hasn't seen in a long while. Another thing that comes as a shock is the murder. Twenty five years ago, Sarah had a dream that she brushed off as nothing, until a young man died and Sarah felt responsible for not speaking up. Now, back at the lodge, the dreams have returned, though a man was already dead before they started. What could the dreams possibly be trying to warn her about now?

I was expecting a psychological thriller when I requested this, and that's not what I got, but I'm not even mad at it because it was an entertaining read that had a lot going on.

Sarah's husband has recently passed away and she heads back to Whitetail lodge on Bitterroot lake to get away for a bit and try and work through her grief, what she finds when she gets there is anything but a quiet space to do anything though. Her friend Janine, whom she hasn't kept in contact with and their friendship has drifted a bit, is in one of the cabins and is freaking out because she thinks she's going to be the one pinned for a murder, but she claims it wasn't her. Enter Sarah's sister, Holly and their other friend Nic, and the old gang is back together. This brings up old grievances and makes the story not just a mystery with paranormal connotations, but a story about love, friendship, and grief and how you have to work at all of them. It's a real well rounded book and covers a lot of stuff. I loved that there was the touch of possible paranormal/supernatural stuff like the dreams Sarah was having as well as the pennies she keeps finding. Though these are never really cleared up as such, they're left open to the readers interpretation which I feel work great for this story.

I found this to be a slow burn and I'll admit, it did take me a while to read, but I don't think that was due to pacing issues, I feel like it may have just been because I feel like I haven't really had a moment to myself lately. What I will say though, even though I did enjoy the story enough, it didn't really grip me and keep me needing to know what was going to happen. Yeah the mystery itself kept me going because I wanted to know who the murderer was, but nothing else really grabbed me, which is a shame, because there were some fantastic ideas here and I honestly do think they were done well, I just feel like this book may have not been for me. I feel like I may have ruined it for myself by expecting it to be more towards the psychological thriller side of things than just a straight mystery. I did feel like the murder itself kind of took a backseat to everything else, once the mystery of the girl in Sarah's dreams started, and then the friends started uncovering more about the history of their family lodge, the mystery of that side of the story became a front runner. So in the end, the conclusion of everything felt a teeny bit rushed and the murder really did feel like it had taken a backseat to everything else, it almost felt like an afterthought for me. And I was super curious about the cat....what was with the cat! I loved the addition of said cat, but I'm left with questions about her, was there a hidden meaning connected to her?? I NEED TO KNOWWWW!

I don't want to say too much about the story because the blurb doesn't really give much away, so I don't want to either. All I'll say is it was a mystery, not just of the whodunnit kind, but incorporated a mystery connected to the history of the place itself. It was also a story that really touched on the importance of friendships and how miscommunications can happen so easily, and how not saying something can scream so much louder than any words you could have voiced. It's about a family trying to deal with their grief over a recently lost loved one, as well as grieving so many other things as well. I almost feel like this could go into women's fiction, if I'm honest.

The characters were likeable enough, and I don't really have much to say about them other than they were well written, and their relationships were clear and expansive. I feel like there was so much more that could have been looked into in the writing of this book, but then it may have been too long. The story is definitely plot driven rather than character driven, at least for me it was. Nothing really stands out about any of the characters as a whole.

So final thoughts: This was an alright book. I did enjoy the story, but probably wouldn't pick it up again. I'd definitely check out more from the author as I found her narrative to be lyrical with a steady flow which really helped put you in the story. If you like a mystery with character development and growth between the relationships, give it a shot.

It was hard to get into the story. It sounded like a good slow burn novel but it really dragged for me. The characters are well developed but I didn't are about them which took away from the story. On the plus side, everything came together at the end

This one was ok but I didn’t like the paranormal aspect of it . I felt it was slow in parts and I found it hard to engage with characters.

I had a tough time getting into this story and felt that it was all over the place. A murder, visions from the past, gifts from a dead husband, it just did not seem to flow all together, and I often felt like I was "catching up" as the characters jumped from one scenario to another. Not the book for me, but others may like it.

This was a fun book to read for entertainment. Nothing too serious and no awkward scenes or language that can put the reader off. It is character driven with references to the area...there is a ghost...an old journal with history...a mystery easily solved...try it...enjoy...

Different from what I expected & found it a little slow for my taste .Overall the storyline was o.k. with a bit of suspense mixed in (some supernatural elements also) but had to persevere to finish, but it has a satisfactory ending. Thanks to NetGalley & Crooked Lane Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

What a great read. Sarah returns to her family’s summer home, that houses tragedy, after her husbands death. Upon returning to town tragedy occurs yet again, she finds a mysterious cat, and an old friend she hasn’t talked to in years and if that isn’t enough she has that feeling like something is there but isn’t. This book is a recipe of suspense, chills and a touch of supernatural. With a cast of characters you can’t help but empathize with and want to be with helping figure everything out. Thank you NetGalley for this chance to review this book.

A recently widowed Sarah Carter returns to Whitetail Lodge, Montana where 25 years ago a tragedy occurred. Sarah is grieving and beset with memories of her past. This story is a bit slow and Sarah’s memories and visions were a bit much for my taste. Her guilt seems overwhelming and gives the character a very stilted character. Loved the lodge and the location descriptions.#BitterrootLake #NetGalley

The first part of the story is slow and dragging, but later on it becomes better. The house and the surroundings are well described and the character development is good. Tying up of characters across two generations is done seamlessly. If the narrative in the beginning is modified it would appeal to a larger audience.3.5 stars

There are several mysteries to be solved in this book, and I had to keep reading to see how it turned out. The first part of the book seemed a little slow and I had a hard time keeping my mind on it. After it picked up, I was fully engaged in the story and the characters. Bitterroot Lake and it’s surroundings are well described, and it appears to be an area I’d like to visit. This is not an edge-of-your-seat book, but it is very good and well worth reading. I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

Bitterroot Lake is the story about a middle aged, recently widowed, woman who goes back to the lodge owned by her family, helping her mother (also widowed) clean up the property. When she arrives, she encounters an old friend who is being accused of killing a man. This begins to conjure memories of a trauma that happened in their youth, tying together the characters in a web of secrets, memories, alliances, betrayals.

Beyond this I cannot describe the plot, because I made the decision to stop trying about halfway through. Despite my best efforts, I could not find myself engaged in the story or characters and had far too much difficulty following the story. To be fair to the author and publishers, it is possible this book is simply not a good fit for my taste. On the other hand, I think this book would have been significantly improved by more attention to editing, polishing the writing to improve the flow. The story has a great potential and may develop into something quite interesting. The book is told first person, from the narrator's perspective, allowing us a glimpse into the honest, emotionally wrought world of a woman dealing with significant loss. There are seeds here, but unfortunately, for me, not enough to keep me going.

Love this! Lovely characters- so real/believable. Love the relationships that show not only love but the prickles too. Beautiful storyline with her ancestors who were ahead of their time as far as the women’s movement goes. Always appreciate it when characters look beyond any stupid religious notions or strict “morals” and help those in need who aren’t up to their high standards. Really a nice story that I enjoyed reading. Like a cup of hot chocolate on a cold dreary day. How about Bitterroot book 2? ☺️

My thanks for the advanced copy to review. Book opens discussing a car accident and an attack on a woman. Fast forward 25 years later and Sara McGaskill returns to her family lodge after being widowed and reunites with friends from her past and come upon a murder. Add a ghost and a land dispute and you have an ok read. Well development of characters, but most of the early part of the book just had Sara grieving over her husband. Story did not flow well which made it hard to grasp.