Loss Lake

Recent widow Mallory Dent, the protagonist of this slow, convoluted psychological thriller from Cowie (Rapid Falls), buys a house sight unseen in the small Canadian town of McNamara on Loss Lake, where she hopes to recover from her grief. The lake is reputed to be haunted by a monster that drowns only bad people. Soon after Mallory’s arrival, Sgt. Joel Benson, a hunky police officer, comes to tell her a body was found washed up on her property that morning, an apparent drowning victim. Once settled in McNamara, Mallory learns that Joel’s brother, Sean, who used to live in the house, was shot to death 10 years earlier in an apparent hunting accident. Mallory has a feeling it was no accident and impulsively resolves to find Sean’s killer. In her search for answers, Mallory encounters stereotypical townspeople, including an alcoholic waitress and a hippie store owner, all with lengthy backstories. The romance that develops between Mallory and Joel follows predictable lines, and the action builds to an abrupt and unfulfilling ending. Cowie has done better. Agent: Gordon Warnock, Fuse Literary. (Nov.)