My rating: 4 of 5 stars

[This is part of the 2010 DSP Daily Dose. Most of the stories have a cute generic cover that works but a few have something original. Anyone know why? But whatever the reason…. I LOVE THIS COVER! Its not only perfect for the story but makes me want to pick this up if it was in a bookstore. Fabulous.]

Review:

Beneath Lake Redemption is a creepy tale filled with hot men, secrets, ghosts, and the allure of a great ending. While I enjoyed reading BLR quite a bit, I was feeling slightly ambivalent about it until the ending. I loved the final touch and that really brought me around to the cleverness and interest the story shows. This is one I’d read again and while it’s not perfect in length, it does work very well regardless.

Syd is a writer that’s determined to get his big break and find a hidden government installation on a quiet lake in Pennsylvania. Syd’s heard all the ghost stories, the accounts of people in the lake, weird lights, creepy noises and he thinks it’s all a government conspiracy. Armed with expensive technology Syd heads off to prove his theory. Unfortunately the secret under the lake is not as obliging and he’s is thrown into a whirlwind by the appearance of a handsome stranger, David. Just who is David and what is the secret under the lake will test Syd to his limits.

The story has a good premise and creepy story. You can probably figure out the punch line early on but that doesn’t matter since watching Syd react and learn is part of the fun journey. The creepy aspect is a pitch perfect idea and really makes you feel as though you’re sitting somewhere hearing about this scary story. No doubt this entire premise could have been expanded to a full length novel but the idea is well portrayed in the small space allotted.

What suffers somewhat is the characterization and relationship between Syd and David. David appears in the book and the two almost immediately have sex. We barely know David’s name before Syd is ruminating on the taste of his skin and … other areas. The reason for David’s mystery becomes obvious and then spelled out rather clearly if you hadn’t guessed it, so I wasn’t too bothered by his lack of development. That’s intentional and plays into the story. I also didn’t really get a handle on Syd and his personality sadly because the story is too short. The set up to the idea/plot takes most of the short space and what’s left over is devoted to sex. It’s a few hot scenes no doubt but neither character really came alive (ha) for me.

Thankfully the short ending brought me back. Just as I was feeling a bit ambivalent about the characters and their seemingly instant sex, the clever ending works well and made me want to read the whole story again. I doubt I missed anything but I like the idea that the story is likely to change and evolve with each reading. That’s a fabulous way of storytelling, whether intended or not. If you’re looking for a creepy story with some hot sex and a good premise, check this out. It fits the anthology/series incredibly well and of course stands alone on good merit.