Kate Morton is one of my favorite authors, and she does not disappoint with The Lake House. The story moves through several time periods beginning in the present when Detective Sadie Sparrow (who is on enforced leave from the department due to leaking a hunch to the media) goes to Cornwall to stay with her granddad. There she discovers the remains of a grand estate buried in the woods, and her curiosity is piqued. She learns that the estate was abandoned in the wake of the disappearance of the one-year-old son of the house, who was never found. The detective in Sadie rises to the fore, and she begins to investigate this 70-year-old mystery.
Morton then takes us into the past, to the characters that populated the grand estate, and yet further into the past to their ancestors and slowly explores the events that made them who they were and influenced the decisions they made. The story encompasses both world wars, and explores what was then called shell shock, and is now referred to as PTSD. Along the way, ideas of justice, keeping promises, and infidelity are examined. A mothers need to do anything to protect her child is a theme throughout that helps explain much of the mystery.
Another enjoyable read from Kate Morton, especially if you like historical fiction.