Murder at the Lake

by Bren Gaudet

When 17-year-old Amanda Christie is invited to a cousins-only weekend retreat at her aunt's Austin, Texas, estate, she doesn't know what to expect. She soon finds though, that the weekend will be... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0982160194
• ISBN13: 9780982160190
• Release Date: January 2009
• Publisher: Synergy Books
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.6" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

A good first effort from a budding author

Bren Gaudet holds a bachelor's degree in literature and creative writing from Vermont College and is working on her MFA in fiction, specializing in young adults and children at Spalding University. She presently lives in San Antonio, Texas and is a member of the Mystery Writers of America and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Amanda Christie is an east coast debutante whose parents have agreed to let her fly out to her recently widowed aunt's estate in Austin, Texas. Her young cousins are also there, with the idea of bonding through an enjoyable weekend together. But right off the bat Amanda can see that there is evil afoot, and when her close cousin, Jack, disappears in a boating accident, all hell breaks loose: "Beth stood up with her arms high over her head, hoping to catch her phone before it fell into the water. Instead, she pitched backwards, hitting Jack and throwing him onto the control panel and the glass windshield. The boat lurched forward. Beth screamed. Chelsea stood up and made a grab for the phone. Reggie made a grab for Beth, and Jack went overboard, the little boat making a loud, crunching noise as it hit the wooden platform, throwing me forward onto my knees." It's difficult writing about teenage angst, but Bren Gaudet handles the issue with sophistication and insight into the wonder years. Both the plot, a dangerously rainy weekend with a group of teens stuck in a potentially haunted house together, and the character development are excellent. Amanda Christie is the teen with the level head, and the agendas of the other selfish cousins emerge in a sinister montage. Lest we forget, teen love figures into the story in a huge way. One can't imagine an ingenue from a solidly middle to upper class family not having experienced that first kiss by the age of seventeen, but if the reader is amenable to suspending suspicion, the love story is sweet and fresh. All in all, MURDER ON THE LAKE is a good first effort from a budding author. We'll look forward to the second effort of the Amanda Christie mysteries. Shelley Glodowski Senior Reviewer

Great Read!

There's nothing I love more than a good mystery, and that's just what Murder At the Lake was. Murder at the Lake had great characters and a suspenseful plot. The plot was totally suspenseful. Gaudet mastered the art of making you suspect everyone at once, and switch your alliances to characters often. The characters were very well written. I really loved Chris - he was the perfect guy. Though I did think Chris and Amanda's romance was rushed. Either way, I can't wait to see more of him in future books! The writing was almost too mature for the book in spots. I think Bren Gaudet was trying to write in a more grown-up manner, and in that it didn't match the characters and plot of the book. The first bit of the book, I just wasn't getting caught up in the story. It was very heavy on description, and was a bit bored. Later on, the descriptions toned down and I found myself needing to know what was going to happen next. I can't wait to see where Amanda's sleuthing takes her next, but I know I'll be hopping on board, reading about her adventures!

Great Series!

Murder at the Lake creates a magical and spooky whodunnit along the shores of Lake Travis. Hidden between the secrets, the lies, the maid, the storm and dinner is a dark family secret that has long been buried. Its up to Amanda Christie to navigate her way to the killer and stop them before someone else is buried beneath the surface of the dark Texas water.

Even if you're not usually a fan of mysteries...

I'm not usually a big mystery fan, but I have to say I truly enjoyed "Murder at the Lake". It was easy to get into, and Bren made me actually care about the characters. When I find myself putting things off to be able to keep reading, I know it's a good book. I even know who should play who in the movie version....!

Excellent read

Murder At The Lake is a must-read for the murder mystery reader, particularly young adult readers. Bren Gaudet has done a fantastic job establishing the Amanda Christie character for this series. As I read the book, I felt as if Amanda could have been one of my daughter's friends, just a typical young lady fresh from high school. The in-depth description of the late uncle's mansion and surrounding grounds pulls the reader into the book itself. I found myself envisioning my surroundings as the story moved from room to room and place to place. The story captured my interest and held it throughout. I had to admit I really didn't know who the murderer was, though I thought I did a number of times. Ms. Gaudet's ability to involve the reader in the story is a testament to her writing abilities. This author gives you just enough to make you think you know "whodunnit" only to smoothly lead you into suspecting someone else. Murder At The Lake is a murder mystery I would strongly recommend for mystery readers of ANY age. There is no strong language over sexual overtones which makes it awesome for the young mystery reader. Thank you Ms. Gaudet.