Search This Blog







2025 Cover Lovers Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)

2025 Literary Escapes Challenge
- Alabama (1)
- Alaska (2)
- Arizona (2)
- Arkansas (1)
- California (9)
- Colorado (3)
- Connecticut (1)
- Delaware (1)
- Florida (2)
- Georgia (1)
- Hawaii (1)
- Idaho (1)
- Illinois (1)
- Indiana (1)
- Iowa (3)
- Kansas (1)
- Kentucky (1)
- Louisiana (1)
- Maine (4)
- Maryland (1)
- Massachusetts (1)
- Michigan (2)
- Minnesota (2)
- Mississippi (1)
- Missouri (1)
- Montana (1)
- Nebraska (1)
- Nevada (1)
- New Hampshire (1)
- New Jersey (1)
- New Mexico (1)
- New York (8)
- North Carolina (4)
- North Dakota (1)
- Ohio (1)
- Oklahoma (2)
- Oregon (3)
- Pennsylvania (2)
- Rhode Island (1)
- South Carolina (1)
- South Dakota (1)
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (2)
- Utah (1)
- Vermont (3)
- Virginia (2)
- Washington (4)
- West Virginia (1)
- Wisconsin (1)
- Wyoming (1)
- Washington, D.C.* (1)
International:
- Australia (5)
- Canada (3)
- England (16)
- France (2)
- Greece (2)
- Italy (1)
- Japan (1)
- Norway (1)
- Puerto Rico (1)
- Scotland (2)
- Vietnam (1)


2025 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge



2025 Build Your Library Reading Challenge









Tuesday, November 05, 2019
Ho-Hum Murder Mystery Just An Okay Read
6:40 PM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Summit Lake, North Carolina, is the kind of quaint little town that homicide never touches. So, when a 22-year-old law student is brutally murdered there, it leaves everyone reeling with shock. How could this have happened in their peaceful community? Who would want to kill a promising young woman like Becca Echersley? It simply makes no sense.
Kelsey Castle, a crime reporter in need of a vacation (even a working one), is sent to Summit Lake to dig around for answers. Since the police don't appear to be doing much to solve the case, Kelsey becomes even more impassioned. Feeling a strong connection to the murdered woman, the reporter vows to find Becca's killer. Even if it puts her own life in danger.
Summit Lake, a debut novel by Charlie Donlea, is your basic murder mystery. There's nothing really fresh or original about it, but it was compelling enough to keep me reading. It's not as suspenseful as I hoped it would be, especially because Becca narrates half the chapters. The characters are pretty flat, the prose is capable but melodramatic, and a lot of the plot is far-fetched and contrived. Still, I didn't see all the twists coming. In the end, though, I found this to be just an okay read. Although this is a first novel, I don't think I'll bother with another Donlea book.
(Readalikes: Reminds me of lots of other murder mysteries set in sleepy little towns, although no specific titles are coming to mind. You?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language (no F-bombs), violence, blood/gore, and disturbing subject matter
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
5 comments:
Comments make me feel special, so go crazy! Just keep it clean and civil. Feel free to speak your mind (I always do), but be aware that I will delete any offensive comments.
P.S.: Don't panic if your comment doesn't show up right away. I have to approve each one before it posts to prevent spam. It's annoying, but it works!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments
(Atom)


Reading
The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed By Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold

Listening
The Other Mothers by Katherine Faulkner


Followin' with Bloglovin'

-
-
-
Other People's Houses by Clare Mackintosh5 hours ago
-
-
FO Wednesday: Nine-to-Five Socks11 hours ago
-
-
Ephron, Nora "Crazy Salad"16 hours ago
-
-
Read Write Rendezvous 202517 hours ago
-
-
-
-
Waiting on Wednesday - The Librarians20 hours ago
-
A Land So Wide By Erin A. Craig21 hours ago
-
-
There’s Pumpkin About You1 day ago
-
-
-
-
Fonseka by Jessica Francis Kane1 day ago
-
The Understudy by Morgan Richter2 days ago
-
-
YA Christmas Romance Books4 days ago
-
The Guardians of Dreamdark: Windwitch4 days ago
-
-
-
August reads and autumn plans1 week ago
-
Sorry About the Spam…2 weeks ago
-
-
No Roundup this month4 months ago
-
Sunday Post #5685 months ago
-
-
February 2025 Reading Wrap Up6 months ago
-
One Big Happy Family by Susan Mallery6 months ago
-
-
-
I'm Still Reading - This Was My October10 months ago
-
Girl Plus Books: On Hiatus1 year ago
-
-
-
What Happened to Summer?1 year ago
-
6/25/23 Extra Ezra2 years ago
-
-
-
-
-
Are you looking for Pretty Books?2 years ago
-
-
-
-
-
-

Grab my Button!


Blog Archive
- ► 2021 (159)
- ► 2020 (205)
- ▼ 2019 (197)
- ► 2018 (223)
- ► 2017 (157)
- ► 2016 (157)
- ► 2015 (188)
- ► 2014 (133)
- ► 2013 (183)
- ► 2012 (193)
- ► 2011 (232)
- ► 2010 (257)
- ► 2009 (211)
- ► 2008 (192)


2025 Goodreads Reading Challenge
2024 - Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction
2023 - Middle Grade Fiction
2022 - Middle Grade Fiction
2021 - Middle Grade Fiction

2020 - Middle Grade Fiction

Your first paragraph makes this one sound as if it were constructed from a kind of paint-by-the-numbers kit. I think I've read this one a few dozen too many times already. Sounds like a mystery in bad need of a twist or two.
ReplyDeleteI've only read The Girl Who Was Taken by Donlea. And I did like that one. But I haven't been too interested in reading his other books. Sounds like I'm not missing out.
ReplyDeleteSorry it was a bit of a dud for you. Trying a debut can be tricky sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI guess at the end of the day, a mystery novel that compels you to keep reading is an effective mystery in itself.
ReplyDeleteIf books are only ho hum for me, I've started not finishing them so that I can move on the wow books. :-)
ReplyDelete