Whispers Of The Lake by Shanora Williams

***What would you do if your ex-best friend suddenly disappeared without a trace?  Investigative reporter Rose Howard, is about to find out!***

This thriller opens with the description of “a gorgeous two bedroom cottage on Lake Aquilla.” It sounded so peaceful and tranquil, that even “I” was ready to pack my packs and head to NC!

But since this is a “thriller” – you can assume that this amazing cottage is going to pull the rug out from under you – and you won’t be wrong!

Months earlier, Rose and her best friend, Eve, had a serious falling out. Rose was done – friendship over. Fast forward to “now.”

Eve is a social media guru. She’s always on the move, craving attention, engaging with followers. But now her fast-paced lifestyle has caught up to her. She desperately needs a break from life. The remote two-bedroom lakeside cottage in North Carolina is just what she needs — and off she goes!

Rose, also, is having a lot of problems – ditching a cheating husband and dealing with her chaotic job. She’s not concerned when Eve’s teenage sister, Zoey, becomes alarmed that she hasn’t heard from Eve since she left. Friendship dissolved, not her problem – she’s got other things do deal with.

But as time drags on, flaky Eve still has not surfaced. Sweet, innocent Zoey is besides herself. She begs Rose to at least do some initial investigating. After a tug of war with her conscience, Rose caves in. Even though Eve is no longer her friend, Rose realizes something is really wrong and Eve’s really missing.

Once she does a little sleuthing of her own, she suddenly finds herself totally immersed in Eve’s disappearance. Her investigative side kicks in, and she won’t stop until she finds out what happened to Eve.

She books the same cottage that Eve stayed at (according to the manager, Eve checked out as scheduled), and heads to North Carolina. When she arrives at the cottage, everything seems normal. There’s no trace of Eve, no clues as to where she went or what happened to her. Perhaps this time, her wild ex-friend has bit off more than she can chew.

Rose wonders if Eve was abducted and hopes she will find her still alive. The few scattered lakeside residents are sketchy. Covered up abuse, flat-out lies, subtle (and not so subtle) threats – this thriller quietly takes off and you won’t want to put it down until you know, too, what happened to Eve!

This skillfully written thriller tests the bounds of friendship and shows how far one woman would go to find her ex-friend. A solid plot with just the right amount of shivers, makes Whispers on the Lake by Shanora Williams perfect for chilly fall and winter nights (just don’t read it if you’re alone in a remote cottage).

A copy of this book and cover photo were provided by: Kensington Publishing.