In the evocative tradition of Donna Tartt’s first novel, The Secret History, comes this accomplished debut of youthful innocence drowned by dark sins.
Twenty years ago, Jane Hudson left the Heart Lake School for Girls in
the Adirondacks after a terrible tragedy. Now she has returned to the
placid, isolated shores of the lakeside school as a Latin teacher,
recently separated and hoping to make a fresh start with her young
daughter. But ominous messages from the past dredge up forgotten
memories that will become a living nightmare.
Since freshman
year, Jane and her two roommates, Lucy Toller and Deirdre Hall, were
inseparable – studying the classics, performing school girl rituals on the lake, and sneaking out after curfew to meet Lucy’s charismatic brother
Matt. However, the last winter before graduation, everything changed.
For in that sheltered, ice-encrusted wonderland, three lives were taken, all victims of senseless suicide. Only Jane was left to carry the
burden of a mystery that has stayed hidden for more than two decades in
the dark depths of Heart Lake.
Now pages from Jane’s missing
journal, written during that tragic time, have reappeared, revealing
shocking, long-buried secrets. And suddenly, young, troubled girls are
beginning to die again... as piece by piece the shattering truth
slowly floats to the surface.
At once compelling, sensuous, and intelligent, The Lake of Dead Languages is an eloquent thriller, an intricate balance of suspense and fine
storytelling that proves Carol Goodman is a rare new talent with a
brilliant future.
