by Charlie Tyler
SYNOPSIS A gruesome discovery unravels a dark trail of murder and madness. A six-year-old girl sneaks out of bed to capture a mermaid but instead discovers a dead body. Terrified and unable to make sense of what she sees, she locks the vision deep inside her mind. Ten years later, Lily is introduced to the charismatic Flo and they become best friends. But Lily is guilt-ridden - she is hiding a terrible secret which has the power to destroy both their lives. When Flo’s father is accused of killing a schoolgirl, the horrors of Lily’s past come bubbling to the surface. Lily knows that, whatever the consequences, she has to make things right. She must go back to the events of her childhood and face what happened at the boat house all those years ago. Can Lily and Flo discover what is hiding in the murky waters of the lake before the killer strikes again?
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.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Charlie has been writing for years but it was taking a creative writing course in 2018 which gave her the gentle kick she needed to finish her debut novel. Charlie is very much a morning person and likes nothing more than committing a fictional murder before her first coffee of the day. She studied Theology at Worcester College, Oxford and now lives in a Leicestershire village with her husband, three teenagers and golden retriever.
www.charlietyler.com Twitter - @CharlieTyler17
Thanks to Anne Cater @RandomTTours and Charlie Tyler @CharlieTyler17 for the opportunity to read & review.
Fiction: Mystery / Psychological Thriller
Product format: Paperback
ISBN: 979-8646758614
Pages: 261 pp