One Night at the Lake

April 8, 2019
At the start of this twisty suspense novel from Chase (Results May Vary), PhD student Leah Tessaro looks forward to leaving New York City and spending a week with her boyfriend of four years, Ollie Bierman, at his family’s house on Seneca Lake in the western part of the state. Leah is convinced that Ollie is going to ask her to marry him there. Meanwhile, Leah’s best friend, jewelry designer June Kang, is recovering from a recent breakup, and Leah insists that June join them on the trip to Seneca Lake—a trip that results in Leah’s death. Seven years later, June is engaged to Ollie, but overshadowing her happiness is the knowledge that she’s with the love of her life because Leah died. Despite feeling guilty, June agrees to return to the lake to celebrate Ollie’s mother’s birthday. Once there, memories from the past come back, and June realizes she doesn’t know exactly what happened the day Leah died. While the truth comes as something of a letdown, this tale of love, friendship, grief, and forgiveness will resonate with many. Agent: Meredith Kaffel Simonoff, DeFiore and Co.

Starred review from June 1, 2019

Leah and boyfriend Ollie plan to spend a blissful, relaxing week at his family's lake house on Seneca Lake, NY. It's tradition to spend the week of July Fourth there, where the fireworks and parties promise to be epic. This year, Leah has asked best friend June to join them--she suspects Ollie will pop the question and wouldn't want to celebrate such an occasion without her best friend. However, events unfold that change everything. Seven years later, June is engaged to Ollie and they are headed back to Seneca Lake, but Leah will not be joining them. Alternating between Leah's and June's perspectives, the story divulges the friends' secrets and yearnings and the guilt that can eat someone alive. VERDICT Chase's (The One That Got Away) compelling novel will have readers turning pages till the wee hours. Perfect for fans of women's fiction with a hefty dose of suspense thrown in for good measure. [See Prepub Alert, 12/6/18.]--Cynthia Price, Francis Marion Univ. Lib., Florence, SC

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2019
What should have been a fun, romantic trip to her boyfriend's house in the Finger Lakes ends in Leah's untimely death, leaving her boyfriend, Ollie, and her best friend, June, devastated. Fast forward seven years: June and Ollie have fallen in love and are planning their wedding when Ollie asks June to join him for a family celebration at the house where her friend's life tragically ended. This novel, told in dual narration alternating between Leah of past and June of present, details the experiences each woman has as they spend time at the lake house and with Ollie's family. There is a mystery surrounding Leah's death and several secrets are revealed, however the focus of the book is on June and Leah's friendship, as well as their relationships with Ollie. Chase's third novel (after Results May Vary, 2016) demonstrates her engaging writing style and ability for strong character development. One Night at the Lake is a good recommendation for readers who enjoy emotional, relationship-driven women's fiction such as The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo (2017).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)