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Loss Lake: A Novel Kindle Edition

3.5 3.5 out of 5 stars 475 ratings

A new town, a new life, and a new home—with an absolutely chilling lakefront view.

Two months a widow, Mallory Dent has made the impulsive decision to pack up and move on. In remote McNamara, nestled in the northern mountains, she can escape her grief, guilt, and pain. But the day Mallory arrives, death follows her, lapping just outside her door. A woman’s body is found floating in Loss Lake—and it’s not the first death on these shores. Locals talk about a monster in the depths with an almost disturbing reverence.

Sergeant Joel Benson understands Mallory’s unease. Years ago, his own brother was killed in the home Mallory now owns. But that was just a tragic accident. Wasn’t it? The more Mallory investigates, the more fearful she becomes. Maybe there are monsters in McNamara. Maybe some have followed her there.

As a winter storm bears down, the refuge Mallory sought has become a trap. It’s time to face her past, the secrets behind the town’s friendly faces, and a reckoning that will shatter the eerie, icy calm of Loss Lake.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A small town gothic thriller that pokes its toes into the dangerous waters of the monstrous, Loss Lake is a perfect diversion for a long, chilly night. Amber Cowie delivers a mystery that tastes like Halloween, complete with scares and surprising identities behind its masks.” —Andrew Pyper, author of The Residence and The Demonologist

“Amber Cowie is a gifted storyteller. In Loss Lake, she creates a stunning suspense about dangerous small-town secrets that threaten the lives of its residents, and its latest newcomer. Sentence by gorgeous sentence, Cowie reveals an intricately woven, powerful plot, unveiling the depths of the characters and their lies. A magnificent read crackling with tension.” —Samantha M. Bailey, #1 bestselling author of Woman on the Edge

With Loss Lake, Amber Cowie spins a web of unraveling family secrets, taut danger, and tragic love. Perfect for readers who like their suspense both eerie and atmospheric.” —Jess Lourey, Amazon Charts bestselling author of Unspeakable Things

“Mallory Dent has run to Loss Lake to recover from the loss of her husband. But it’s only as she meets the townspeople of McNamara—who seem oddly connected through multiple tragedies and a belief in a monster who lives under the lake’s surface—that she begins to understand the implications of her own past. Meditative, eerie, and surreal like the best fairy tales are, Amber Cowie’s Loss Lake builds in quiet strength until the final delivery of a knockout punch.” —Emily Carpenter, author of Reviving the Hawthorn Sisters

“Layers of delicate mystery enhanced by loss and grief plunge you into a must read ending you won’t soon forget!” —Steena Holmes, New York Times bestselling author

“More than a novel, Cowie has woven a story that embodies betrayal, loss, fear, and the riveting intricacies of human nature we don’t want to admit within ourselves. Loss Lake is a testament to the fact that the facade of beauty can hide ugly secrets beneath the surface.” —Marin Montgomery, author of What We Forgot to Bury

“With atmospheric prose, a feverish pace, and a conclusion that left me spellbound, I enjoyed every taut second of this compulsive read.” —Minka Kent, Wall Street Journal and Amazon Charts bestselling author

“Amber Cowie’s Loss Lake is a terrific read—a small town teeming with secrets and seething histories, an ominous and unforgiving environment in the wilds of northern Canada, a story of both grief and forgiveness, and an ending I didn’t see coming.” —Kim Taylor Blakemore, author of The Companion

“This is a thriller with a beating heart and a vivid soul. Amber Cowie delivers the kind of breathless page turner we’ve come to expect from her, but Loss Lake has something more: a vivid setting, an emotional undercurrent that will pull you under, a mythical bent that is unexpected, gorgeous and terrifying—and an ending that will stay with you long after you’ve read the last line.” —Marissa Stapley, bestselling author of The Last Resort

“Wonderfully tense and gorgeously disturbing, Loss Lake is richly atmospheric, centering around a much-fabled monster-filled lake and a darkly twisted small town hiding big secrets. Hypnotic and irresistible, you won’t be able to look away. This beautiful, tautly written story is about love and loss, grief and guilt, and how the past always catches up with us.” —Christina McDonald, USA Today bestselling author

“Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water-front property that was supposed to offer a brand new start…The people of Loss Lake look out for their own; as winter encroaches on the remote town, its residents are vigilant to the dangers of both the natural and the supernatural worlds. For grief- and guilt-stricken newcomer, Mallory, her place of refuge turns into a kind of purgatory. A slow-burning sense of sorrow and suspicion pervades this novel, which will appeal to fans of atmospheric suspense.” —Jo Furniss, author of the Amazon Charts bestseller All the Little Children and The Last to Know

“A mystery that explores mourning and guilt over the deaths of loved ones. Under it all is a small town and its secrets embodied in Loss Lake, betrayals that have pulled under generations of families. The characters and shocking plot twists make it impossible to put this book down. The chill stays with you long after the last page.” —Carl Vonderau, author of Murderabilia, winner of Left Coast Crime 2020 Best Debut Mystery

About the Author

Amber Cowie is a novelist and freelance writer living in a small town on the west coast of British Columbia. Her work has appeared on CrimeReads and in the New York Times and Salon, among other publications. She is the author of Raven Lane and the number one Kindle bestseller Rapid Falls, which was also a runner-up in the Whistler Independent Book Awards. Amber serves as a board member of her local chapter of Sisters in Crime, and she holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Victoria. She is a mother of two and a reader of many who likes skiing, running, and writing stories that make her internet search history unnerving. For more information, visit www.ambercowie.com.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0847NZKB6
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Lake Union Publishing (November 10, 2020)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 10, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2313 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 305 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1542042011
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.5 3.5 out of 5 stars 475 ratings

About the author

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Amber Cowie
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Amber Cowie is a novelist and freelance writer living in a small town on the west coast of British Columbia. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, Salon, the Globe and Mail, Crime Reads and Knitty, among other publications. Her first novel, Rapid Falls, was a runner up in the Whistler Book Awards and hit number one on the Kindle Bestsellers list as well as the top 100 books in the Kindle Store. She has appeared at Left Coast Crime, the Pacific Northwest Writers Festival, and the Whistler Writers Festival. She is a member of several writing groups and holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Victoria.

She is a mother of two and reader of many. She likes skiing, running and making up stories that make her internet search history unnerving.

Loss Lake is her third novel.

Customer reviews

3.5 out of 5 stars
475 global ratings
A hybrid blend of crime thriller and romantic suspense
3 out of 5 stars
A hybrid blend of crime thriller and romantic suspense
This novel could well be a continuation of my seasonal reads, as it is set mostly in the month of October. Set in northwest British Columbia, it is a season of chilly temperatures, shorter days, beautiful leaves, and the very real threat of snow.As soon as I knew the identity of the dead woman, I immediately suspected that the protagonist, Mallory Dent, might be an unreliable narrator. Also, her reaction to the woman's name seemed off some how...This novel held great promise and the plot was very interesting. I was not a big fan of the writing style, especially when the myriad similies started to grate upon my nerves. <i>"Windows lit up like eyes full of laughter"; The darkness turned to dawn like a healing bruise; snowflakes batted against her face like pestering insects; dread rippled through her stomach like spoiled milk; her curiosity bubbled like a shaken soda can; the trees around her moaned like members of a Greek chorus; thoughts bounced around in her mind like drunk drivers in bumper cars</i>... you get the idea. Some similies are good, but having them on almost every page was annoying.A hybrid blend of crime thriller and romantic suspense, "Loss Lake" will appeal to readers who enjoy those genres. Though, to be fair, the abrupt ending will pique some readers, as it did me.
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Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2020
It was an interesting read with an abrupt closing. It felt like the writer woke up one morning and just decided to end it without thinking it through.
2 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2020
LOSS LAKE by Amber Cowie is a gripping, atmospheric and suspenseful mystery that had me hooked from beginning to end. It is a story of grief, loss, guilt and small town intrigue that kept me guessing right up to the unexpected conclusion. Forty-year-old Mallory Dent is a new widow, having lost her husband to a terminal illness only two months ago. She decides to leave everything behind and escape to the remote town of McNamara in the Northwestern Canadian mountains. Sight unseen, she purchases a house and property on Loss Lake and heads north on her own hoping for a fresh start. Just as she arrives at her new house, police Sergeant Joel Benson arrives to inform her that a woman’s body has been found floating in Loss Lake near the beach on her property. Soon Mallory is dragged into the town’s eerie and tragic past and the generations-old legends of Loss Lake. Deeply-buried family secrets are gradually revealed, including those Mallory herself has kept hidden. The vivid descriptions of the setting transported me to McNamara. The characters were so well-portrayed that I felt like I knew them personally. I enjoyed this well-written and edgy novel and highly recommend it.
6 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2020
I was draw to this book by reading positive reviews and although the story slowed st times I deemed it as a good read. The ending was my reason for the three star. It was abrupt and left the reader hanging as if we could end it however we thought it should end! I think the author has to commit to doing the conclusion after all.it was her story.
2 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2020
I didn't think much of this book. It was a easy read but not very good or readable. I couldn't figure out how someone could have moved across the country with nothing but clothes..
Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2021
It must have been hard to write this story. To let guilt rule your life makes the whole world seem dark and empty.
Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2020
Q: Has a certain book ever worked out for you even better than expected because of where you live & where the book takes place? For example, 'Loss Lake' really spoke to me because I live in a small, lakeside town, so I could clearly visualize the story in my head.

'Loss Lake' is a small-town based suspenseful, mysterious, thriller that is best read this time of year in the chills of fall, which builds on the books already gothic-ish, richly felt atmosphere w/ a story that you will think about long after you have finished it. 'Loss Lake' is chilling, expertly plotted, riveting, & compulsively readable, but it is also a story about the complexities of grief, forgiveness, betrayals, & the secrets & guilt we hold on to. (And there's a map at the beginning, which I LOVE in books & I know many other readers feel the same way!)

This twisty, well-written novel is my first Amber Cowie book, but I would definitely love to read her other novels now, 'Rapid Falls' & 'Raven Lane'.
One person found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2020
This was not what I expected 😕 and I got a little confused during the genealogy parts at times. I did like the twist in the story but felt that the ending was rushed and incomplete. I did not like the ending. I really feel like this book had so much potential but it just fell short for me.
One person found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2020
Mallory bought a house (sight unseen) in a small remote town (thirteen-hundred miles) north of Vancouver. The tiny population of McNamara (of only three hundred & fifty-four people) is a close-knit community. The house hasn't been updated since it was built in the mid 1960's & it shows. What really sealed the deal was the lake. Loss Lake is mesmerizing. You can't beat the view. She's hardly been in town for more than five minutes, when the police notify her of a body floating in the water behind her house. There's talk of a monster in the lake.

She befriends a local shopkeeper who tells Mallory that her house has been empty for close to ten years, because the previous homeowner was killed in the residence. He was shot through the window of his home. (Her home.) Eventually, the death was ruled an accident. A real person lived & died in the house she now owns. Living in a house where a man died violently is unsettling.

Mallory resolves to find out more about the lake & the creature thought to be lurking around the shores. What really lies below the surface? She becomes interested in the folklore of the lake & the beliefs of the townspeople. The more she investigates, the more fearful she becomes.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Sharon
5.0 out of 5 stars A very easy read💞
Reviewed in Canada on December 5, 2020
“True sorrow carries a person to a remote place. A window into anotherness by being so close to someone on the other side you become suspended between death and life. Grief is the process of finding your way back.” One of many beautiful touching creative leaps the author Amber Cowie makes building a bridge between her writings and her readers! If you like suspense thrillers you will enjoy this one! ❤️
Toni Gray
4.0 out of 5 stars Not bad.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 22, 2021
It certainly kept my interest, but I can't remember much about it. Sorry.
Jen
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
Reviewed in Canada on December 23, 2020
This is the perfect read for over the holidays. I loved the wintery setting of Loss Lake and characters come to life with well developed backstory.
Sarah Dawkins
5.0 out of 5 stars Book 3, and another must read. Great story, and development. A full novel, but a quick read.
Reviewed in Canada on January 8, 2021
Book 3, and another must read. Great story, and development. A quick read.
Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Loss Lake review
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 15, 2020
Very good book very well written nice twist at the end would highly recommend and will definitely be keeping an eye out for more by this author.

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