Dead Lake

"Dead Lake" by Darcy Coates is exactly the type of horror novel I love coming across. Right from the opening sentences, a feeling of dread and suspense starts to build and you just know things are going to get scary. I continued reading later that night in bed, with my husband right next to me, and I was still so creeped out and scared that I had to stop reading until the next day. But no matter how terrifying things got, the author managed to wrap things up in such a way that everything made sense and ended with a satisfying conclusion. So often in the horror genre, at the end of a story you're left hanging or wondering what the hell just happened. Not so with this story. All in all, this is a wonderfully spine-tingling read that you show more should not miss.

**I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review** show less

To me, there's nothing creepier than being alone, in the woods, by a supposedly haunted lake, miles and miles away from where anyone could hear or help you. At the same time, I could imagine isolating myself for awhile to work on my writing, so I could relate to what the MC was thinking. That's what drew me to this book, and of course, I always enjoy a well-told ghost story.

Beautiful descriptions of the lake, the cabin, and the woods, and you could truly imagine yourself being there, feeling the sense of dread. This never lets up until the last two chapters, where the mystery is revealed and the story reaches its climax.

The plot starts off moving right away and moves along at a nice pace, to reach a satisfying conclusion at the end. show more

However, I had recently read one of Ms. Coates' other books, The Haunting of Ashburn House, and I found the plot arc to be almost exactly alike. Because of that, I liked this book, but I didn't fall in love with it.

The author is obviously very talented and writes well, and still, I wouldn't hesitate to take a look at her other works. show less

If you are a ghost story enthusiast like I am you will love any of this author’s books. The four that I have read thus far have been very short but the story that they tell doesn’t need four or five hundred pages. They are all creepy and you will have no problem painting the picture they evoke clearly in your imaginations. Haunted houses, haunted lakes, haunted people…Darcy Coates will introduce you to them all.

Dead Lake is a creepy page turner by Darcy Coates. This was my second time reading Dead Lake and I enjoyed it just as much.

Perfect mix of suspense, thrills and mystery. My only downside is the ending feels a little rushed but it doesn't detract from the fun for me.

I love the addition of short stories at the end and was thrilled to see Mannequin added as it is one of my all time favorite shorts. This book is a fantastic way to introduce yourself to Darcy Coates. If you are a fan of suspense you are sure to enjoy!

Thanks to Net Galley and Poisoned Pen Press for my ARC to read and review.

The 2020 edition with over 270 pages includes 4 additional stories. The Kindle Unlimited version that I am reading only has the cover story.

Included in the 2020 edition along with the title story:
-- Whose Woods These Are
-- Mannequin
-- Hitchhiker
-- Bellamy
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-- Dead Lake - 3* which is generous. :P
I'd call it a "beach read" horror story. I don't want to give away any spoilers but I will at least say it is one of those types of stories that causes fear of being alone in the woods away from civilization, cell service, 911, etc...