Reviews

The Dark Lake by Sarah Bailey

lollymac's review

dark mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

km_allan's review

5.0

The Dark Lake is set in a town full of secrets, the reveals of which are weaved throughout and then pulled together by a talented author. Detective Sergeant Gemma Woodstock is set to investigate the murder of a classmate from high school; Rosalind Ryan, who returned to town to teach drama at the high school. When alive, Rosalind captivated everyone she met, and now it’s up to Gemma to find the murderer, as well as sort through her own personal past with Rosalind, the consequences of which may be the very reason for her death. All of the characters in The Dark Lake are flawed, the red herrings never feel cheap, and the ending keeps you guessing but never feels as if it's a revelation that comes from nowhere. It’s a satisfying read, crafted from the viewpoint of Gemma and mixed with the occasional chapter from another character, which cleverly reveals some things only to the reader. Highly recommended for those who love a well-written, character-driven murder mystery.

cangel1967's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

theeclecticreview's review against another edition

2.0

A body is found in the small Aussie town of Smithson. She was Rosalind Ryan, a local drama teacher and pregnant. Detective Sergeant Gemma Woodstock is assigned the case with her partner, Detective Sergeant Felix McKinnon. The detectives find out this is not a cut and dried case, and how is Gemma’s history with her old schoolmate, Rosalind, connected to the case? There are a lot of secrets to be discovered, and Gemma and Felix have a lot to lose if their affair is one of them.

See my complete review at The Eclectic Review .

samfox's review

mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

0.25

tania_1975's review

2.0

Thank you to Netgalley for my arc copy of this book

There seemed to be a lot going on this book flitting between past and present and how the past ultimately led to Rosalind's demise. But there was so much focusing on Gemma and her poor me attitude that we never really got to see any development from any other character.
Gemma was an awful character. Full of self pity, married but having an affair with her partner then constantly thinking about her dead ex but wanting to jump into bed with his much younger brother. Eurgh. I also didn't understand the random chapters from random people that added absolutely nothing to the story.
I understand that a lot of people liked this book but unfortunately it wasn't for me.

mezzoir's review

3.0

A lot of the action (or should that be inaction?) takes place in the head of the main character to the detriment of the novel. Hopefully now that we have got all Gemma's tortuous thoughts out in this one, the next in the series should pick up in pace and action. Certainly not in the league of Tana French as the publicists would have us think.....

stephanierachel's review

mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

theavidreaderandbibliophile's review

2.0

The Dark Lake by Sarah Bailey is the first book in A Gemma Woodstock Mystery series. Detective Sergeant Gemma Woodstock lives and works in Smithson, Australia. Gemma receives a call regarding the strangulation death of Rosalind Ryan. She was found by a jogger floating in Sonny Lake with red roses surrounding her body. Gemma went to school with Rosalind and were once friends (as well as rivals). Rosalind had recently returned to town to teach drama at Smithson Secondary College. Rosalind was a woman who spoke her mind and recently put on an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet (she was quite insistent about it). Gemma starts to dig into Rosalind’s life. Despite her popularity, Rosalind was something of an enigma. Why had Rosalind quit her job in Sydney and returned to Smithson? Gemma is determined to track down the killer despite the threats to her own life and that of her son’s. Will Gemma find the killer, or will she end up the next victim?

The Dark Lake had an extremely dislikeable main character. You know you do not like a character when you keep hoping the killer will do her in. Gemma’s personal life was a mess and it spilled over into her work. She is living with one man (father of her son) while having an affair with another man. There are numerous sex scenes and it seems to be all Gemma can think about (it was obsessive). Gemma came across as unstable. I do want to mention that the book does contain foul language (a pet peeve of mine). I found there to be a lack of action and suspense. The mystery comes across as complex, but the solution is obvious. The book seemed long and drawn out (lacking in suspense and action). The same details kept being repeated. The focus of The Dark Lake was on Gemma and her messed up life instead of Rosalind’s murder. The book had potential. It just needed a major rewrite and severe editing.

alyabbs's review against another edition

mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5