To begin with: I loved this book.

At some point during a 1933 midsummer's party at a grand home on the Cornish coast, little Theo Edevane, less than a year old, vanishes, presumed kidnapped or possibly dead. His loss devastates the family, the mystery is never solved, and the Edevane family leaves Cornwall for good.

Seventy years later, in 2003, Sadie Sparrow, a London CID officer who has been suspended from her duties, goes to stay with her grandfather in Cornwall. On a run, she finds the long-unihabited house, is fascinated by it, and even more so when she finds out that there is a mystery attached to it. Unable to do any detecting for the police force, her able mind and obsessive nature drive her to solve the long-ago unsolved puzzle of Theo Edevane's disappearance.

The book was a delight to read. It interweaves time and narrators seamlessly, and brings characters and settings sharply into focus so that the reader can picture clearly the events and people involved. It was a very satisfying book, and I am writing this review after 3:00 a.m., as I just had to stay up and find out the truth about Theo. The book had plot twists I never suspected, and was utterly engrossing. I will definitely be reading more of Kate Morton's books as soon as I can lay hands on them. I particularly like how well Morton blended historical fiction with crime fiction.

Highly recommended. ( )

Some reviewers have compared the experience of reading this book with curling up and whiling away the hours with a bar of chocolate. I agree. This is quite an involving yarn, in which there are several heroines: Sadie Sparrow, in danger of suspension from her job as detective for talking to the press; Alice Edevane, now an elderly writer, who lived in the now abandoned country house in Cornwall which Sadie stumbles across whilst staying with her grandfather; and her mother Eleanor. Sadie stumbles across a mystery too. Why is the house abandoned? What is its secret?

We zip back and forth through the decades and come to know Alice's parents and their life stories, as well as the lives of her sisters, and more about Sadie and her grandfather. It's a good yarn, with many unexpected twists and turns. But my goodness. Did ever a tale get so very neatly tied up at the end? Nothing whatever is left unaccounted for. Coincidence (we're not allowed to call them coincidences though) piles up on coincidence in a way that is ultimately unsatifying. This is a decent holiday read, but not one that attracts me to try any more of Kate Morton's books. ( )

This is another lushly-described, dual-timeline historical mystery by Australian author Kate Morton, shifting between 1930s and contemporary Cornwall. It is a slow-moving, intricate story with a gothic feel.

Detective Sadie Sparrow goes to stay with her grandfather in Cornwall while recovering from a traumatic police case. While walking she stumbles upon an abandoned manor house, Loeanneth, and discovers the story of baby Theo Edevane who disappeared on Midsummer Night’s Eve in 1933 leaving a heartbroken family, uncertain if he was dead or missing.

The story moves back and forth to Theo’s sister, Alice Edevane, growing up as an imaginative teenager in the 30s, and currently working as an author of mystery stories. The story also focuses on their parents Eleanor and Anthony, their grand romance and then their difficulties dealing with his PTSD following WWI. Alice’s perception of her mother as a formal and restrained person is at odds with Eleanor’s own thoughts and experiences as a carefree child growing up in the enchanting gardens of Loeanneth.

I loved this book, like Kate Morton’s other books it is complex, evolves slowly, and has many twists and turns. I would give this 4 and a half stars, half a star deducted for the sweet but rather improbable ending. ( )

A great story, with a wonderful final twist at the end. Slow at first then I couldn't put it down. The author has a way of letting you feel the characters emotions. ( )

I've just finished reading this 599 page doorstop and am feeling both satisfied and frustrated.

I've read all of Kate Morton's books---she's an absolute genius and I'm on needles and pins every time she releases something. I love the mysterious modern gothic style of The Lake House---the old house, old lady, young girl, hint of romance, layered mystery---and it's set in du Maurier's Cornwall to boot! All of these elements combine to make the story wonderful in so many ways. 599 pages finished in just four days---for a mother of nine, that indicates precious time devoted to a great story!

The frustrating part was that, besides a tiny surprise having to do with the character Theo toward the end, I had it all figured out about page 400. Every time I read something from Kate Morton, I think I have it figured out---only to be blown away at the end by twists and turns that I never saw coming. With The Lake House, I was met with let down after let down for 200 pages as I found that I actually had figured out the mysteries before the characters did. One reason I adore her stories is because they're some of the few that aren't predictable---not that I'd call this one predictable, not at all. Perhaps the fault is in myself and I've just become better at sleuthing over the years!

Other readers have mentioned the frustrating jumps in timeline. This is Morton's style and I've found it helpful to really take my time with the first few chapters---cementing the characters and dates in my mind until I've got the timeline figured out. This one did jump around quite a bit, but I never found it confusing.

I also really enjoyed picking out all the parallels to the real life story of Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) and Alice Liddel's family. It was very loosely there---but both Ben and Llewellyn served as Dodgson-esque characters; while Morton's Alice, complete with close relationships with an older and a younger sister, served to both men the "two sides" of Alice that modern day rumors hint at.

Overall, I loved The Lake House---just as I've loved all her other stories. I'll find a new reader for this one soon. ( )