5 Star Reviews on Amazon This book is much better than the preview I saw for it. I found it a particular compelling and intriguing story, and a most enjoyable read. It handles its two-tier timeline in a very effective and unique way, and it is clever, well written, and easy to read. There’s mystery, suspense, drama and romance all with an underlying supernatural theme. I am sure it would work very well as a film too. The House by the Lake is a fast-pace page turner that is hard to put down. The House is a time portal that takes contemporary heroine, Ellen, back a century to identify with Lenora, a heroine from the past. I got quite cross with Lenora giving in to the dissolute Charles again and again- we women never learned do we? And the denouement was as unexpected as it was satisfying. This book is easy to get into but hard to put down. It is intriguing and takes you from the present to the past. I find this a hard concept in other books but somehow the change in time flowed easily and I swapped with our heroine from place to place with no problem. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and I couldn’t imagine how it could end and, it surprised me! Creepy, suspenseful and atmospheric, this book once started was a real page turner. It will appeal to anyone who likes a dual timeline and has a historic drama at its core. After a broken relationship, Ellen is trying to get her life back on track, until a mysterious painting catches her eyes, causing an eerie sensation. Drawn to the location of the house, in the remote Cumbrian hills, she finds herself living another woman’s memories. Lenora (who lives a platonic marriage with much older man) is seduced by his nephew, a man you immediately suspect to be less than honourable. I loved the pace of the story, gentle, easy to follow, with well-drawn characters and a passionate storyline. At 58% I was starting to loose patience with Lenora, before the story took an unexpected twist. This is well written, with a lovely description of Cumbria, a touch of the supernatural and a satisfying ending. I read this book in a matter of days, so well written and I couldn’t put it down, one of those stories you just can’t wait to get back to. Waiting for the authors next book. Excellent read. I enjoyed this story of two people and how they merged into one. The setting is hauntingly atmospheric with the house set in woodland and by a large lake. As I turned from chapter to chapter the intrigue deepened and I couldn’t put the book aside until I had finished.