Customer Reviews

On Tall Pine Lake

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Dorothy Garlock's latest two books, this one - On Tall Pine Lake - and the last one - Train from Marietta - were great disappointments. I won't say too much about Train from Marietta, since it's been about a year since I read it and all I can remember is that the plot did not make much sense and the characters were exasperatingly clueless. But having just put down On Tall Pine Lake I can only conclude that Garlock is past her best work. I've no idea why she set this book in the 1980s rather then sticking to the evocative Depression Area. The characters all acted like they were living in an era 50 years ago anyway and were not fully developed. More and more it looks like Garlock is working with stock characters who react in one way only no matter what their personal story may have been. And I did not like the fact that there was no conclusion to the mystery underlying the book. I will keep Garlock's earlier books on my shelf and reread them as they are not only great stories, but have memorable characters and a real sense of time and place, especially the series that started with With Song.

This book is not up to Dorothy Garlock's usual quality. The writing seems disjointed at times with a meandering plot and too many "side stories." The characters are not very likable or very well-developed--especially the main female one who seems to be in a perpetually bad mood.

Although I usually really enjoy Ms. Garlock's books, this one was a disappointment. I would not recommend buying this book.

Garlock, is one of my favorite writers. I own every book she's ever written. The problem is that this book feels like it was written thirty years ago.The characters, the plot, the mystery in no way seem modern. I know the book was set in the 1980s, but was it orginally written then too? It feels like the writer had this on top of her closet shelf dusted it off and sent it into the publisher. I would still recommend the book, just be prepared for the disconnect.

I have been a very satisfied reader of Ms. Garlock for a number of years.
However, her recent books have become increasing hard for me to finish.
They are beginning to read like a Harlequin Romance. I found myself
skipping through most of the pages to get to the end. I doubt that I
will be buying her next book.

I HAVE READ ALL OF GARLOCK'S BOOKS, I am a fan to say the least. I love her books because I KNOW IT WILL BE A GREAT STORY. With that said, this book has had some bad reviews and I ignored them and bought it anyway. I should have listened!!!!! This book started off GREAT and I was reminded of how much I enjoy D. GARLOCK. THEN about half way through something bad happened the story just went flat. If you have ever read her books before, you know that there almost always is a kidnapping on the way to the outhouse and there is always a last min rescue before anyone really gets hurt and someone is always shot in the " fleshy part of their shoulder" I am beginning to think all her books are alike, the same 'ol story with different names. This Author has written some of the most wonderful love stories. However, after the last couple that she has written I am concerned that she may be running out of NEW ideas.....THIS BOOK WAS UNDER DEVELOPED, LACKED DEPTH AND EMOTION AND WAS A BIT CHEESY AS WELL AS PREDICTABLE.

Although I own all of Ms. Garlock's books, I was greatly disappointed with this book. The characters were flat and under-developed. The peripheral characters were more interesting than the main characters. The "hippy" family was greatly under-utilized. I was offended by the "love interest's" chauvanizm. An eighties man would or should know better than to manipulate and deceive the heroine if he was truly interested in her.

This romantic suspense all begins with a box and a letter.

After Nona's parents died, she is left to care for her younger sister. Their half-brother is in charge of settling their father's estate, but after five years, they still haven't seen a cent. Nona takes odd jobs whenever she can to support herself, her sister, and their older "adopted" mother. When Nona gets a phone call with a job offer to manage a hunting and fishing camp, she is thrilled. During the move, the mysterious box and letter arrive. It is from her half-brother and says not to open the box, just to keep it safe.

Simon is a rich boy full of secrets. The biggest secret is that he has been in love with Nona for years, even though she has never met him.

When he hears Nona is in trouble, he does all he can to protect her. Since she doesn't know she is in trouble, it makes things pretty difficult. He arranges a safe place for her and her famly to stay where he can watch over them. As an added bonus, he gets the chance to get her fall in love with him.

Poor Maggie is a normal fourteen-year-old girl. She loves her sister very much, but is honestly a little sick of being over-protected. Once they get to the camp, she is in heaven. She can run about and enjoy herself without getting into trouble.

Thanks to whatever trouble her half-brother is in, trouble follows Nona and Maggie. Nona can trust no one except her sister Maggie, and her adopted mother, Mabel.

Somone is plotting to hurt her and Maggie and she will do all she can to stop it. In the middle of nowhere, surrounded by people she doesn't know or trust, she is scared out of her wits. Simon has too many secrets to trust him. The only others around are a severely pregnant tenant, an aged caretaker, a handyman and his wife who fade into the background, and Simon's friend Jake.

Nona is in trouble !

Usually when I read a mystery, I try to figure out who did what before the author tells me. It is the true mark of a great book to keep me from doing that. Author Garlock had me so encompassed in her world that my mind shut down and enjoyed the ride. Though it doesn't read quickly, the reader is kept captivated to the very end.

Armchair Interviews says: Another book that hold your tight to its grip.

The pitiful plot: Heroine, Nona 26-year-old beauty with red curly hair takes her 14-year-old sister Maggie with brown hair, and her friend "Aunt" Mabel with red lipstick to a camp on a lake where Nona and Mabel get jobs as caretakers/managers of the hunting lodge. The hero is Simon, Nona's half brother's second-cousin (?) who has been secretly stalking her at his grandfather's apartment building where Nona's had lived. Now Simon the hero buys the resort and hire's Nona to protect her from her half brother Harold, who is a thief?

Not only is the plot so convoluted, there is absolutely no sizzle or chemistry between the hero and the heroine at all. The characters and the storyline are totally flat. Ugh, Ugh, Ugh! The more I read the more frustrated I got. I really don't understand how any reviewers or critics could say this novel was even okay! Awful would be a better description. Awkard, choppy dialogue. Horrible writing--if an unknown writer submitted this, I doubt it would have been published. The external kidnapping/crooks plot smothers the romance between Nona and Simon, that never comes across as very romantic. I really hate novels that claim to be romances that are monopolized by murder and mysteries and kidnapping that are poorly contrived "Bad movie of the week" dribble. I have read other Dorothy Garlock novels and this was substandard work for sure. DON'T BOTHER WITH THIS ONE.

I didn't even finish this i stopped reading with 100 pages to go--who cares about the characters or the story? Not me.

Story of Nona Conrad raising her younger sister and they move to Tall Pines Lake to run a fishing camp along with Mabel, their long time older friend. Nona received a misterious package from her no good half brother and the trouble begins.

This is a good book, but I did not get the deep feeling for the romance with Nona and Simon to get a five star rating from me. The plot and action is good as always with Ms. Garlocks stories. But not her best.

this book was awesome...had a hard time putting it down. The book was easy to read and the print was big. I'm looking forward to reading more of her books