Summit Lake
by Charlie Donlea
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Pub Date Jan 26 2016 | Archive Date Jun 06 2017
Kensington Books | Kensington
Description
“No suspects. No persons of interest. Just a girl who was alive one day and dead the next.”
Set in a small, picturesque North Carolina town, Charlie Donlea's suspenseful debut novel tells the haunting story of a murdered law school student, the reporter assigned to her story—and the intimate connection that comes when the living walk in the footsteps of the dead.
Some places seem too beautiful to be touched by horror. Summit Lake, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, is that kind of place, with charming stilt houses dotted along the pristine water. But two weeks ago, Becca Eckersley, a first-year law student, was brutally murdered in one of those houses. The daughter of a powerful attorney, Becca was hard-working, accomplished, and ambitious. Now, while the town reels with grief and shocked residents gather to share their theories, the police are baffled.
At first, investigative reporter Kelsey Castle thinks of the assignment as a fluff piece. But the savagery of the crime, and the determined efforts to keep the case quiet, all hint at something far more than a random attack by a stranger. As Kelsey digs deeper, pushing on despite danger and warnings, she feels a growing connection to the dead girl. And the more she learns about Becca's friendships, her love life—and the secrets she was keeping—the more convinced she becomes that learning the truth about Becca could be the key to overcoming her own dark past…
A Note From the Publisher
“No suspects. No persons of interest. Just a girl who was alive one day and dead the next.”
Advance Praise
“With
a soaring pace and teasing plot twists, Charlie Donlea’s debut mystery is like
a cool drink of water with a twist of lemon. It’s refreshing to find a book
that has such a well-developed plot and excellent writing to back it up.”
– BookPage
“Debut author
Donlea keeps readers racing through the chapters…Fans of contemporary suspense
will enjoy this brisk read.”
– Booklist
“Horrible things
happen in Donlea’s…debut, starting with the murder of first-year law student
Becca Eckersley.”
– Publishers Weekly
“So
clever and compelling…For fans of nonstop mysteries with a twist.”
– Library Journal
“This exceptional
debut will challenge the most ardent reader to discover the culprit. The
buildup to the startling climax is handled with kid gloves, giving away only as
much as Donlea wishes to reveal. The ending is a stunner.”
– RT
Book Reviews, 4.5 Stars, Top Pick!
“An exciting debut, with all the right
touches, captivating from the first page to the last. There’s a bright future ahead for this
newcomer to the thriller genre — definitely a talent to watch.”
- Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author
“Summit Lake is a gem of a mystery,
fast-paced and suspenseful.”
- Catherine
Coulter, # 1 New York Times bestselling
author
“A brilliant, haunting thriller in which The Lovely Bones meets The Silence of the Lambs—with a bit of Twin Peaks thrown in for good measure!
Charlie Donlea weaves a unique, spellbinding tale about a bond between two
fascinating women—one living, one dead. Full of unexpected twists and turns,
Summit Lake is an irresistible page-turner.”
- Kevin O’Brien, New York Times
bestselling author
"Gripping! This one kept me up late into the
night."
- Nancy Bush, New York Times bestselling author
“A swift, outstanding debut. Summit Lake
engrossed me then knocked me cold. Charlie Donlea is a superb storyteller sure
to damage the best seller lists.”
- Robert
Dugoni, New York Times
bestselling author
"Charlie Donlea has written a
riveting novel, layered with secrets and intrigue. He reveals his story through
Becca Eckersley, the young law student who was murdered, and Kelsey Castle, the
tenacious reporter working to bring a killer into the light. Donlea weaves his dual
narrative together seamlessly for a gripping and tense mystery."
- Allen Eskens, author of The Life We Bury
“Summit
Lake makes a small town come alive through the lens of madness,
misunderstandings, betrayal, and a pile of the kind of secrets that makes a
mystery of a life so hard to untangle from its death. The pages fly by, zinging
through the twists and revelations, all the way to the shattering conclusion.”
-
Jamie Mason
Marketing Plan
Interested in joining the blog tour for Charlie Donlea's next thrilling suspense THE GIRL WHO WAS TAKEN? Send an email to KensingtonBooksMedia@gmail.com to sign up!
Available Editions
| EDITION | Hardcover |
| ISBN | 9781496700988 |
| PRICE | $25.00 (USD) |
Featured Reviews
Ann K, Bookseller
This is a murder mystery that has you turning the pages with a passion. A newspaper reporter who is recovering from a sexual attack goes to a small town in North Carolina to cover the murder of a young woman student. This is the first murder in the history of this town and Kelsey wants to tell Becca's story. Well written and great setting and characters make this a book you'll enjoy.
Stephanie C, Educator
I couldn't put this book down! It is awesome. I love how it opens with the murder of one of the main characters and then travels back in time to the events that led up to her death. In the meantime, a reporter is trying to solve her murder. The book switches back and forth with both stories without telling you who the killer is. It is fun to take the clues the writer gives you and the clues the reporter finds to solve the mystery. Highly recommend this book.
Judith D. C, Reviewer
A special thank you to Kensington and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
T O P - N O T C H ! 5 Stars +
Debut? If this is a debut, can only imagine what is to come.
OK, I have a pretty good track record, predicting Top Books and those inspired for film. Reading 400-500 books a year, certain show-stopper's stand out. Remember: You read it here: This well-written psychological crime suspense mystery thriller has "bestseller/the big screen" written all over it.
SUMMIT LAKE by talented new author, Charlie Donlea, is destined to be in line for "The Best Debut of 2016." "Charlie, I hope you have given up your day job, and busy writing your next installment of Kelsey Castle." Many more stories here, waiting to be uncovered, (hoping for a series); sure your fingers are tapping away.
Set in the Western North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains in a small upscale weekenders’ lake hideaway idyllic area, we learn of a brutal murder of law student, Becca Eckersley in 2012. Her wealthy parents reside in Greensboro, NC Piedmont Triad area, well-connected and father a prominent attorney—one of their many weekend second homes.
As the novel opens we learn of the brutal murder which shakes the small tourist town. We flash back and forth from fourteen months earlier with Becca, and her college life at George Washington University.
We meet a series of Becca's college friends. Guy friends, a secret lover, a former relationship with a professor, and an old high school fling. They await college acceptance letters from the top Ivy League schools. From college stresses of grades, cheating to pass, obsessions, their future careers, aspirations, secrets, loves, and pressure of hi-profile parents….readers relive the months leading up to the tragic event.
We also meet Kelsey Castle, a crime investigative reporter and author, from Miami, FL at Events Magazine, recuperating from her own tragic event. Her boss sends her to the small tourist town for some R&R, for a fluff story. Little does he know, what is in store and what Kelsey will find, as she begins her investigation.
She is obsessed with finding answers for Becca, a young woman with a bright future, cut short. More secrets unfold. She feels a connection and will use all her resources to find out the identity of the killer. For justice. The murder has to be someone the girl knew--no signs of intrusion. Limited clues. The authorities are of little help. Someone is hiding information.
Donlea, slowly peels back the layers, giving nothing away; flashing between the present with Kelsey, and Becca’s past, as we get closer to the day of the murder. Everyone has a secret. The investigation is mysterious and due to the parent’s wanting to keep things private, there is not a lot of information.
Kelsey has to use all her creative reporting skills putting her in harm’s way. With the help of some new found local special friends, she tries desperately to piece together the mystery. Who killed Becca Eckersley? A girl with so many hidden secrets. Who would want to kill her and why?
An intense haunting mystery. There are so many suspects. What compounds the intriguing crime mystery is the dark lurking psychological aspect. The secrets thoughts and obsessions of a killer. With twists and turns and many surprises, the identity of the killer will not be revealed until the end.
In addition to the well-written and crafted debut, vivid settings, and descriptions--the human dynamics, with the powerful parallel story line of Kelsey. My favorite characters: Jack, Peter, Rae, and Kelsey. An irresistible page-turner—you will not be able to put it down, grabbing you from page one, to the "hold your breath" last page.
Dying to do a Q&A with the author, for more about this fresh unique, intriguing mystery. The inspiration, the setting, characters, the parallel stories, etc. My favorite genre; for me, three huge familiar connections, true to my heart (S. Florida, Blue Ridge Mountains, and Piedmont-Triad NC areas). You just know when a book will blow you away, from the well-designed book trailer, the description, and the cover. It lives up in every way; as why I pick the "best" for my Featured Weekend Reads.
Think: A wide cross between Mark Edwards, Michael Robotham, and Linwood Barclay authors, always landing on my top book list.
I never left my hi-rise South Florida apartment once, this weekend-- gazing over the waterfront view, nerve-racked with intense suspense, glued to this page-turner. Thanks for delivering a fantastic crime mystery thriller, and an added bonus--the setting!
Add Summit Lake to your TBR list. Pre-Order Now! Jan, 2016 release. If you have not seen the trailer, a little more temptation:
A gem, not to be missed.
Rosemary S, Librarian
Summit Lake in the Blue Ridge Mountains is an area filled with lovely homes and people who have it all. Or at least it was until law student Becca Eckersley was found dead there. The police are left with no leads. Becca led a quiet life as an ambitious law student and the daughter of a powerful attorney. When reporter Kelsey Castle is assigned to do a story on the case, she’s not expecting to turn up much, but to her surprise, there’s a lot more about Becca and this case than meets the eye. The manner in which Becca was killed leads Kelsey to believe the killer was someone Becca knew, and the fact that there are people doing everything they can to keep the murder quiet sets off alarm bells. Kelsey is warned to back off, but she’s become obsessed with solving the crime, even though it may lead to her own death. This was an incredible mystery with a beautiful setting, a gutsy heroine and more than a few twists to keep me on the edge of my seat
Linda S, Reviewer
Lake Summit is a small town in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Lake Summit is where a young woman is brutally assaulted and strangled in her home.
Lake Summit is where Kelsey Castle, a crime reporter, is sent to cover the story.
This is the first time ever that a murder has been committed in this tight-knit community. The local police have been replaced by the State Police. The State Police aren't talking to anyone. The town is buzzing with all kinds of theories.
When Kelsey starts asking questions, she faces a wall of silence. Cops won't talk to her. The autopsy report is not on file. There are no available medical records. The family won't talk to her. So what is everyone hiding?
The book bounces back and forth between a year before Becca Eckersley died and what's happening currently with Kelsey's investigation. The past is filled with secrets and lies that Kelsey is trying to untangle.
The author has done a fantastic job of keeping the suspense at a high level of tension. I absolutely could not put this one down. I read until my eye sight got blurry. This is a new author to me, but one I'm sure we will all hear a lot more about down the road.
I just can't say enough about this book. Well-written ... seamlessly merging the past into present day. There are a lot of characters, and all of them are unforgettable. And watch out for the twists and turns here and there. Just when I thought I had it figured out, the author would push me into a new direction.
Highly recommend for anyone who likes a good who-done-it! 5 Stars.
My thanks to the author / Kensington Books / Kensington/ NetGalley who furnished a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
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