Today I am one of the first stops on the blog tour for The Cry Of The Lake (Published 9 Jun 2020) By Charlie Tyler. A big thank you to the author for sending me a copy to review, always appreciated. Also to the wonderful Anne for the invite. Thank you!
The Cry Of The Lake
A gruesome discovery unravels a dark trail of murder and madness.
A six-year-old girl sneaks out of bed to capture a mermaid but instead discovers a dead body. Terrified and unable to make sense of what she sees, she locks the vision deep inside her mind.
Ten years later, Lily is introduced to the charismatic Flo and they become best friends. But Lily is guilt-ridden – she is hiding a terrible secret which has the power to destroy both their lives.
When Flo’s father is accused of killing a schoolgirl, the horrors of Lily’s past come bubbling to the surface. Lily knows that, whatever the consequences, she has to make things right. She must go back to the events of her childhood and face what happened at the boat house all those years ago.
Can Lily and Flo discover what is hiding in the murky waters of the lake before the killer strikes again?
About The Author
Charlie has been writing for years but it was taking a creative writing course in 2018 which gave her the gentle kick she needed to finish her debut novel.
Charlie is very much a morning person and likes nothing more than committing a fictional murder before her first coffee of the day. She studied Theology at Worcester College, Oxford and now lives in a Leicestershire village with her husband, three teenagers and golden retriever.
My Review
Be prepared dear reader as without warning Tyler throws you head first into the deep end. A murder scene. Instantly I was on tenterhooks with questions buzzing around my head. We quickly learn that the body belongs to Amelie, a girl at Lily’s school. Tom, who is dating Lily’s mum, Grace also happens to be a teacher there. His daughter Flo, Lily’s best friend has a striking resemblance to the deceased. But of course these are not all mere coincidences, for this is a plan that has been calculated and plotted for a long, long time. Not everyone is who they say they are. What unfolds is a tale of haunting horrors that leaves you shocked, disturbed and desperate for more. I won’t spoil it for you by telling you exactly what happens in this book as you have to experience it for yourself. But it is SO worth it! Trust me, you will be left speechless.
The narrative is told in first person from the three main characters, Lily, Grace and Flo. Following each of these characters allowed a different insight and perspective to the events taking place. It was interesting to read the inner workings of each character, their true feelings, suspicions and intentions towards each other.
Lily is guilt-ridden and desperate to come clean to Flo about something. She struggles as her past haunts her dreams with visions of a mermaid beckoning her to the bottom of a lake. She is a mute and can’t remember much of her childhood and only has what Grace has told her to go by. She is a tortured soul that has lost her way and begins to lose her grip on reality as she spaces out frequently. The moments she spends with Flo are some of her happiest and she longs to confide in her but the fear of Grace finding out scares her.
Grace is psychotic and enjoys having control over others. She is passive-aggressive towards Tom’s ex Annie whenever they speak and denies Lily her medication as a form of punishment. She is ruthless, scheming and to be honest quite frightening. You never know exactly where her head is at as she is unpredictable and prone to violent outbursts. Like Lily she too is haunted by a past but remembers what and who she is running and hiding from.
Flo is innocent and completely oblivious to the horrors her best friend is suffering in silence. She starts out as your typical teenager but when her father is accused of murder she starts to wise up and begins to do her own research. She slots the pieces of the puzzle into place and discovers the shocking truth about Lily and Grace.
There are so many twists and turns that lead you down dead ends forcing you to double back and reassess your options. Just when you thought you had it all figured out Tyler sweeps in and strikes you with another conundrum that leaves you stunned. From the moment I picked this book up, I refused to put it down. It swallowed me whole and I loved every second of it.
Tyler excels at creating an intense atmosphere full of fear and paranoia. My heart was pounding with anticipation. You begin to feel trapped as the walls close in around you but you’re in too deep and you have to, HAVE to know the truth. It’s hauntingly gripping and sucks you in.
I truly adored Tyler’s use of creative imagery, the textures, sounds and smells absorb you into this world where a blonde haired mermaid tempts you to the bottom of the lake. The echo of death and uncovered truths leave you gasping for air yet always ready for another dive down into the murky depths and the secrets buried beneath.
I give The Cry Of The Lake By Charlie Tyler a Five out of Five paw rating.
Absolutely brilliant. I was hooked from start to finish. I NEEDED to know what happened, I needed to know everything. This deserves a standing ovation and has made my list for must-reads of this year. Loved it!
Don’t forget to follow the rest of the blog tour, dates below, enjoy!
Links
Buy a copy
@CharlieTyler17
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Bunny’s Pause 
Thanks so much for the blog tour support xx