Paradox Lake
What's It About?
"Gritty, fast-paced, lyrical and haunting." —Harlan Coben, New York Times bestselling author“Outstanding! Twists, turns, and you’d-never-guess-it plot twists galore. This vintage Zandri can’t be missed.”
—Diane Capri, New York Times bestselling author
—∞—
In his most recent standalone, Paradox Lake (Oceanview Publishing), the versatile bestselling and award-winning thriller author Vincent Zandri once again delivers powerful psychological suspense sure to keep you on the edge of your seat. For more information about this skilled writer visit his author profile page.
Single mother, art professor and sculptor Rose Conley is troubled by recurring memories of her tragic past. Her first child passed away from leukemia, and less than a year later, her late husband committed suicide. And while she has rebuilt her life thanks, in part, to her long-term boyfriend, Tony, recently she’s been feeling uncertain about her relationship with him.
REPAIRING OR RUINING A RELATIONSHIP?
Needing a break from everything to focus on her art, Rose decides to take a sabbatical from teaching and rent a house in the seemingly serene town of Paradox Lake. She takes her preteen daughter Anna with her, leaving Tony back in Albany.
Lately, Anna has been preoccupied with friends and her crush, spending little time with her mother. Like many preteens, Anna is truculent and sarcastic. In Paradox Lake, Rose hopes to renew and strengthen their tenuous relationship.
Paradox Lake is a tranquil and scenic town in the Adirondacks, replete with lush forests and rolling hills. But there is also a darkness haunting its verdant woods and calm waters. Thirty years ago on the shoreline of the lake, a man named Theodore Peasley murdered little Sarah Anne Moore. When Rose and Anna arrive in Paradox, little do they know that Sarah Moore’s killer is back in their midst. Will he kill again? Or has he changed and foregone his vulturous ways?
Thankfully, Rose finds a protector in local shop owner Tim Ferguson should she and Anna become Peasley’s target. When Rose sees a shadowy figure lurking about the rental property that may be a dangerous creature, her new friend vows to keep her safe.
PIECES OF THE PAST AT PARADOX LAKE
As her relationship with her boyfriend back home has become rather stale, Rose sets her sights on this new fella, and their friendship quickly blossoms into more. While she feels excited and happy, she also agonizes over how she will reveal her romance to Tony.
As Rose’s new relationship progresses, however, she slowly starts to notice some changes in her new man. Rose wonders if these changes are idiosyncrasies or red flags. Only time will tell.
As we read, we watch Rose put together the pieces of Paradox Lake’s dark past with its present-day inhabitants. We wonder whether Theodore Peasley can resist the temptation to kill again. We also ponder how Rose’s love life will turn out: will she end up with her new love interest or go back to Tony?
Zandri’s suspenseful narrative is easy to get lost in. It’s an ever-evolving tale, compelling us to turn the pages as we marvel at each spine-tingling revelation. But more than that, Paradox Lake is a story about the terrifying duality of human nature — and the paradoxes that can exist in the hearts and minds, and thoughts and actions, of the people we think we know and trust.
