Summit Lake

What disappointed you about Summit Lake?A reporter is brutally raped and beaten and a month later her "thinks of her like a daughter" boss sends her for R&R to cover a case where someone was brutally raped, beaten and died. Makes no sense. Then everyone in this small town meets her and wants to tell her everything, including the sheriff who gives her all his notes on the case. Really? Just too far-fetched of a story.What was most disappointing about Charlie Donlea’s story?The state police cannot get answers from anyone and a reporter solves the case. She has been beaten and raped and then goes off alone with a man she has just met. There are just far too many conveniences for this to be anywhere near realistic.How could the performance have been better? (refers to the audio version)Another narrator. Shannon McManus has recorded quite a few books, but this one is an absolute mess. Her inflection is completely wrong. Her voice goes up at the end of most sentences, the way it should when asking a question. She has no grasp of cadence in moving from one sentence to another. Thank goodness I only paid $2.95 for it! If I had paid more, I would be sick over it.

Rarely do I ever pick anything up other than a self-help book or non-fiction story. Somehow I stepped into the world of Summit Lake and read it cover to cover faster than any book I've ever read. Summit Lake found me and grabbed me from the opening chapter with the female protaganist law student "Becka" being murdered in this quiet North Carolina town. The story then divides into two- following Becka for the 15 months before her death and the journalist who is hired to investigate the murder shortly after her death. As the two stories evolve- they are interwoven beautifully that truly earns a climactic conclusion that was worth the journey. I can honestly say my saddest part was that it had to come to an end- it was that remarkable. If you like thrillers, then this is the one for you.This book made me re-think picking up more books in the fiction arena. If I can find some stories that are half as good as Summit Lake, then I’ll feel blessed. Kudos to this first time author. I cannot wait for more!!!

When Becca, a law student at GWU, seeks a brief respite from school at her family's vacation home in Summit Lake things go horribly wrong. Becca is brutally murdered. Some of the local townspeople believe it to be a senseless, random act while others are convinced that Becca was keeping a secret that may have led to her demise. Kelsey Castle, a magazine journalist, is slowly recovering from her own harrowing ordeal. Her boss, in an attempt to give Kelsey time and space to heal, sends her to Summit Lake to investigate the death of Becca. Little does he know, local officials are trying to keep the investigation under wraps and he may actually be putting Kelsey in harms way.This book was really good. The characters are well developed and quite likable. The death of Becca happens immediately but Donlea develops her story over time throughout the book and it's impossible not to feel a connection to her and want her murder to be solved so she can have justice. Kelsey is the perfect character to fight for Becca and bring her murderer to justice.This book was a page turner for me. I read it in a day. I was truly baffled about the identity of the murderer and there was one twist I didn't (quite) see coming. I had a slight problem with some of the coincidences that occurred and by the fact that I thought Kelsey may not have done some of the things she did in regards to her own RECENT terrifying experience. Beyond that, the book was engaging. I would definitely recommend it to others

Kelsey Castle is a journalist recovering from a horrifying attack. A small amount of time has passed, enough for her to feel she's ready to go forward again, so her boss sends her to Summit Lake to investigate a murder. The premise was, get her back in the game slowly, and let her skills come forward again, drowning out her past. But it's a murder that's anything but basic. Something's going on at Summit Lake, something that people in the town are trying to keep hidden. The more Kelsey searches through the evidence, the more alarmed she becomes. And the more she relates to the victim's death.The book is well written, drawing you in a page at a time, until your fingers are flying, flipping through the pages as fast as they can go.And trying to find the murderer becomes an obsessive quest. For me, I flipped back to see if I'd read what I thought I'd read in the beginning, hoping this was a clue. But Donlea drops so many clues, and has so many complex characters, that it becomes impossible to ascertain just which one is guilty.The book has heart, and heartbreak. But it also offers redemption, shining a light on hope, and the reassurance that many things do finally come right, no matter how dark the path the character walked.

Summit Lake starts with a terrible crime, and ends with a twist.Becca, a young law student, is murdered in the very first chapter. Kelsey, a reporter recovering from her own painful past, is determined to discover who killed her. The chapters alternate between Becca’s life leading up to the day of the murder, and Kelsey’s investigation in the days immediately following her death.Kelsey’s investigation is met with resistance from the state police who have taken over the case (sorry to say but I never really did figure this part out - maybe to make finding the answers more difficult??). As we learn more details from Becca in the lead up to her death, many suspects present themselves as options. But who was the guilty party??I liked the friendship between Kelsey and Rae. I also liked the relationship between Becca and her mystery boyfriend.Pretty good...this one has been on my list for a while so I am glad I got to read it and I really liked the twist at the end.

This was the first time I read anything from Charlie Donlea. I was hooked after the first chapter and had difficulty putting it down to get on with my day. It's one of those books that you want to keep reading to find out the whodunit, but sad when the final page has been finished.

A really enjoyable book with a great twist at the end. It was really nice to be shocked by the ending of a book!

I was immediately drawn in to the book. Fast-paced and will definitely read more books by this author.

So much suspense! I liked the way the book alternated between Becca's living her story and Kelsey, telling Becca's story, didn't guess the ending!