๐บ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ป๐๐ ๐ณ๐๐๐
Author: Kimberly Belle
Publisher: Park Row
Publish Date: June 9th, 2020
Pages: 352
Genre: Domestic thriller
๐๐ฎ๐บ๐บ๐๐ซ๐ฒ: When Charlotte married the wealthy widower Paul, it caused a ripple of gossip in their small lakeside town. They have a charmed life together, despite the cruel whispers about her humble past and his first marriage. But everything starts to unravel when she discovers a young womanโs body floating in the exact same spot where Paulโs first wife tragically drowned.
At first, it seems like a horrific coincidence, but the stranger in the lake is no stranger. Charlotte saw Paul talking to her the day before, even though Paul tells the police heโs never met the woman. His lie exposes cracks in their fragile new marriage, cracks Charlotte is determined to keep from breaking them in two.
As Charlotte uncovers dark mysteries about the man she married, she doesnโt know what to trustโher heart, which knows Paul to be a good man, or her growing suspicion that thereโs something heโs hiding in the water.ย
Review:
๐๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐บ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐ผ๐ง๐ฌ: This book felt more like a mystery than a thriller. It did not have the wild twists and turns thrillers are known for. I still enjoyed it and like the flashes of the former lives of the characters. It added an extra layer to the story which helped the overall plot along.ย
๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฌ: Charlotteโs background made her the most relatable character for me and made the story more believable. I enjoyed her growth as the story progressed. Paul felt a bit flat to me โ millionaire, with secrets. Nothing new there, really.ย
๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐ผ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก๐ญ๐ฌ: This was an enjoyable read; perfect for reading this summer by the lake. I figured out the โtwistโ early on but I wasnโt disappointed by that. There was still plenty to consider and for me this book turned towards Charlotteโs past, her family, and the stark differences between the marginalized and the wealthy in their community.
Thanks to Park Row Books for my gifted copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ : โ๏ธโ๏ธโ๏ธ.5/5
Q&A with Kimberly Belleย
Q: Please give your elevator pitch for Stranger in the Lake.
A: Stranger in the Lake is a story about Charlotte, a rags-to-riches newlywed whose shiny new life takes a disastrous turn when a strangerโs body washes up under the dock of her Appalachian lake homeโin the exact same spot where her husbandโs first wife drowned.ย
Q: Which came first: the characters or plot line?
A: Plot, always. My stores are very plot driven, and they always begin in my head with a what-if scenario. What if a woman marries way, way up and then her brand new husband is accused of murder? What if it looks like heโs guilty? How much of a role would her newfound wealthโand her fear of losing itโplay in her decision to stick by him? That was basically where I began building the plot for Stranger in the Lake. Character came much later, after Iโd thought through all the plot points and had them mapped out into an outline. Only at that point in the process do I really start thinking about what kind of person is best dropped into that situation, someone with plenty of blind spots and issues to work through, problems the plot will really shine a spotlight on. For Charlotte, itโs money and everything that comes along with itโsecurity, status in the community, respect. She will have to untangle all these internal issues before her story can be resolved.ย
Q: Why do you love Charlotte and why should readers root for her?
A: I love Charlotte because she is a survivor. She was born into the worst possible family, an absent father and an emotionally abusive mother who left her home with a baby for long periods of time, but instead of turning bitter or following in their footsteps, she emerged stronger. She figured out a way to grow into a smart and kind and loving and trustingโmaybe too trusting–person. She wants so much more out of life than what her parents offered, and sheโs not afraid to work for it.ย ย
Q: What’s the “story behind the story” for Stranger in the Lake?
A: Iโve wanted to write a lake story for a while now. Thereโs just something about a big body of water–the dark swirling currents, the beautiful but remote settingโฆ Itโs the perfect place to set a suspenseful story because you just know something bad is going to happen there.
At the same time, I spend a good deal of family time in the Highlands/Cashiers area of North Carolina. Itโs a place of stunning beauty, but where thereโs a huge gulf between rich and poor. Wealthy outsiders have come in and completely transformed the area, carving out golf courses and building shops and restaurants and million dollar homes on the lakeโฆand then you have the people who have lived there for generationsโthe ones flipping the burgers and scrubbing the toilets. This polarity makes for some very interesting dynamics, because when thereโs money involved, when people have too much or their basic needs arenโt being met, morals can become questionable. This is something I really dug into for this story.ย
Q: Last summer when I interviewed you for Dear Wife, you mentioned a project you were working on, and I believe it was Stranger in the Lake:
” Iโm currently finishing up a story about a newlywed woman who discovers a womanโs body under their lakeside home dock. The police show up, and in the stress of the moment, she follows her husbandโs lead and lies about ever having met the woman. Itโs not a big lie, and she doesnโt really think much of it at the time, but soon that one little lie turns into an avalanche. As the police close in on the womanโs killer, she uncovers dangerous truths about her husband and her marriage, as well as dark secrets that have been simmering below the lakeโs currents for years. No title yet, but coming sometime in 2020.”
Thinking back to what you told me then, what was the book like then verse how it turned out? Anything that surprises you or that really changed or that stayed the same that you were sure would stay the same?
A: I donโt remember how far I was into writing the story when I answered that question, but it must have been far because thatโs pretty much exactly what happens in this storyโฆand exactly the core of the original premise for Stranger in the Lake. A wife who lies for her brand new husband in the heat of the moment, then has to figure out if she did it because she loves and trusts and believes in him, or if itโs maybe a little bit because she doesnโt want to let go of the shiny new life heโs given her. Money complicates things. It muddies emotions and blurs moral boundaries. This is the kernel of the idea that began Stranger in the Lake.ย
Q: The narration of Dear Wife was so unique, what can you say about the narration/structure of Stranger in the Lake that isn’t going to spoil anything?
A: Stranger in the Lake is told largely through Charlotteโs point of view, with occasional snippets of a story many years in the past. This makes the structure much more straightforward than Dear Wife, and when I began I thought it would be an easier story to tell. Fewer heads for me to crack open for the reader, fewer viewpoints for me to keep string together just so. But once I started writing, I discovered sticking to one point of view made telling the story more difficult. Everything every other character thinks has to be filtered through Charlotte, through her reactions and internalizations. For this and a bunch of other reasons, Stranger in the Lake took me longer to write than Dear Wife.ย
Q: Which character in the novel is most like you and why?
A: This is a tough one! Iโd like to think I have Charlotteโs tough skin and that I share her sense of loyalty, but Iโm not sure I could have survived everything she has. My research taught me that far more people follow in their parentsโ tragic footsteps than break the cycle like Charlotte did, and I canโt say for certain which side of the equation I would have fallen on. I do also share Paulโs drive, his innate desire to create beautiful things, but I think (hope?) thatโs where the similarities between us end. I guess thatโs the answer here, that like most authors I put little pieces of myself into every characterโthe good, the bad, the ugly.ย My characters are the best and the worst of me.
Q: How can everyone find you online during promotional rounds for Stranger in the Lake, since the traditional type of tours won’t be possible?
A: A little pandemic canโt keep this author down! I have lots of online events planned, chats with bloggers and fellow authors and bookstores Iโd planned to visit before this thing hit, and lots more in the works. The most up-to-date list is at www.kimberlybellebooks.com/eventsโand make sure to check back often. I am adding more every day.
Q: What was your last 5 star read?
A: I have a couple recent ones. I tore through the paperback of Heather Gudenkaufโs This Is How I Lied, and I just listened to Kimberly McCreightโs The Good Marriage. Both were absolutely fabulous! And Heather and I will be doing a joint virtual event on my release day, June 9th. Details are on the events page of my website.
Q: What is one thing about publishing you wish someone would have told you?
A: Just one? Hmm, I guess if I have to choose, it would be to trust the creative process. Every story is different, from the idea to the structure to the ease with which the words move from my head to my laptop to finished product. With every new story, I have an a-ha moment when I realize all the methodologies and processes Iโve used in the past wonโt work with this one. I have to let all those โrulesโ go and let the story lead the way. Getting to The End is the hardest thing in the world, but also the most satisfying. There is no better feeling than to hold a finished copy of your book in your hand. It makes all those sleepless nights worth it.
Q: Do you have any specific writing rituals?
A: When Iโm writing, I have a hard time sitting stillโkind of strange for a job that requires many hours in a chair with a laptop. But it is a laptop so I move around a lot, floating around the house from my office to the kitchen to the living room to the outdoor patio. I change spots depending on my mood or the way the sun is shining through the window. Sometimes figuring out how to untangle a plot knot is as simple as a change of scenery.ย
Q: What can you tell us about your next project?
A: I am currently working on a story about a home invasion. Itโs a premise that has always terrified me, and it hits awfully close to home as it happens a lot here in Atlanta. I even know a family that survived one. Iโve pulled in a few details of their experience for this story, then mixed in plenty more from my imagination. No title yet, but out sometime in 2021.
About the Author:
Kimberly Belle is the USA Today and internationally bestselling author of six novels, including the forthcoming Stranger in the Lake (June 2020). Her third novel, The Marriage Lie, was a semifinalist in the 2017 Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Mystery & Thriller, and a #1 e-book bestseller in the UK and Italy. Sheโs sold rights to her books in a dozen languages as well as film and television options. A graduate of Agnes Scott College, Belle divides her time between Atlanta and Amsterdam.
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