Small-town murders, a psychiatrist with something to hide… and enough red herrings to open a fish shop. 

This murder mystery from Joe Clifford is set against the backdrop of high school secrets that are gradually uncovered when Todd Norman returns to Covenant after being acquitted of murdering his wife, April, and sets out to rebuild the Lakehouse. 

When a body turns up near the Lakehouse, Police Chief Sobczak is convinced of Norman’s guilt. Things become complicated with the involvement of police from another district, a private investigator on the brink of retirement, a psychiatrist with secrets, and a creepy, new-wave preacher—Uncle Bob.

I really enjoyed Clifford’s descriptions of the small town and its surroundings, his gritty, abrupt writing style, and the twists he created. He plays fair with the reader, and there is a definite clue that points to the guilty person if you read closely enough. 

I would have loved The Lakehouse more if Clifford hadn’t used similar names for the female characters—it was sometimes hard to keep track of who was who. And I would really have loved it if the mystery had a definite ending so I could confirm that my suspicions were correct. Instead, I turned the page only to find the acknowledgements. 

What?

In my own mind, I’ve worked out what happened— but am not sure if you’ll think the same.

Despite this, I still enjoyed the novel and would recommend packing it, but for those of you who prefer an unambiguous ending—be warned.