The Lake House, by Kate Morton

Police detective Sadie Sparrow has been forced to take four weeks vacation by her senior partner in order to try to salvage her career after she leaks information about a case to a reporter. Sadie has gotten too close to the case and can't believe that the missing woman she's been trying to find had abandoned her young toddler. Sadie's trying to forget the case while she's in the Cornwall countryside. She's staying with her grandfather Bertie who's recently retired after the death of Sadie's grandmother Ruth.

While in Cornwall, Sadie spends her time running through the woods and fields with Bertie's two hounds. On one such run she discovers an abandoned house near a lake; the house is completely furnished, and it appears that its occupants simply walked away from it. As Sadie inquires about the house in town, she learns that the family left after the youngest son Theo disappeared in 1933. Sadie begins to investigate what happened on the estate so long ago, using the resources of the public library and its helpful librarian for her research.

Sadie tracks down the last remaining daughter of the family who lived on the Cornwall estate and persuades her to help with her research. As Sadie cycles through one theory after another, she finds that her recent case in London continues to intrude on her thoughts. The missing woman's mother persists in calling her with clues and evidence that she believes proves her daughter hasn't run off, and Sadie finds her very convincing. While a long book (598 pages) this novel kept me turning the pages. It's well-written and lively, with authentic dialog and interesting characters. Anyone who enjoys detective fiction would like this book.

Kate Morton. The Lake House. New York: Atria Books, 2015. Advance uncorrected proof. 598 pages. ISBN 9781451649321.