I read a lot of books; mostly really good books, but sometimes a novel comes along that won't let go, even after I turn the last page. The Dark Lake by Sarah Bailey is one of these novels.
Set in modern-day Australia, The Dark Lake tells the story from the perspective of flawed Detective Gemma Woodstock who is "deeply unnerved when a high school classmate is found strangled, her body floating in a lake."
Though I won't give away any more of the plot, the story weaves brilliantly between Gemma's past and the present as she and her partner, Felix work to solve the mystery. The characters are human, well-rounded with mysteries of their own while Bailey's story telling is perfect and her writing.... so incredible that she makes me want to put down my author hat, never to pick it up again.
A must read.