A House At The Bottom Of A Lake – Josh Malerman

Reviewed By Steve Stred

Wow, wow, wow.

What did I just read?

I snagged this novella the other day and I couldn’t resist bumping it up my TBR and cranking it out.  I read this in one sitting and this book just blew me away.  Stunning.

The gift of prose Malerman shares here is simply stellar.  The tale is, at its core, a coming of age love story between two innocent 17 year olds.  They borrow a canoe, enjoy the gorgeous lakes and discover a pathway to a third, hidden lake.

It’s beneath the surface and below their boat that the true star of this tale sits.  A house.  A majestic, massive, ‘shouldn’t’ be there house.

And like any curious teenagers, they explore it.

There are passages in this book that are so glorious to read that you’ll re-read them two, sometimes three times and they will transport you back to those warm summer days spent at the beach with your friends.  The days were you didn’t have bills, a mortgage, doctor’s appointments or kids.  Where all you worried about was being home by dark and did your crush like you too.

I don’t really ever reread books.  This one, this one will be one I do.

The tale has some incredibly unnerving and downright terrifying moments, but at its heart is a story of two kids falling in love and the ties that bind.

Star Rating (out of 5): 5*

A tale that’s catapulted itself into one of my all-time favourites.

A House At The Bottom Of A Lake

Both seventeen. Both afraid. But both saying yes.

It sounded like the perfect first date: canoeing across a chain of lakes, sandwiches and beer in the cooler. But teenagers Amelia and James discover something below the water’s surface that changes their lives forever.

It’s got two stories.

It’s got a garden.

And the front door is open.

It’s a house at the bottom of a lake.

For the teens, there is only one rule: no questions. And yet, how could a place so spectacular come with no price tag? While the duo plays house beneath the waves, one reality remains:

Just because a house is empty, doesn’t mean nobody’s home.

You can buy A House At The Bottom Of A Lake from Amazon UK & Amazon US

Steve Stred

Steve Stred is an up-an-coming Dark Horror author. Steve is the author of the novel Invisible, the novellas Wagon Buddy, Yuri and Jane: the 816 Chronicles and two collections of short stories; Frostbitten: 12 Hymns of Misery and Left Hand Path: 13 More Tales of Black Magick.

Steve also has a number of works on the go and enjoys all this horror, occult, supernatural and paranormal.

Steve Stred is based in Edmonton, AB, Canada and lives with his wife, his son and their dog Oj.

You can follow Steve on Twitter @stevestred

You can visit Steve’s Official Website here

The Girl Who Hid In The Trees

Something lurks just beyond.

Centuries ago a heinous act created a ripple that still haunts the residents to this very day.

Now the kids who reside near McConnell’s Forest live forever in fear.

Jason lost his brother when he was young. He left with his friends to ‘debunk’ the urban legend and never came back.

Now Jason and his group of friends are fed up and want to discover what is happening, what is the real cause of the terror holding their small town hostage.

But something is waiting for them. She may look sweet and innocent, but the friends are about to find out that pure evil can exist in the smallest of packages.

She’s out there. And while you may not know her name or what she looks like, the local kids will tell you if you ask, that you should fear for your life from the girl who hid in the trees.

From the dark mind of Steve Stred, the author of Wagon Buddy, YURI and Invisible comes this fast-paced, seat of your pants coming-of-age tale.  A quick, violent, bleak read, The Girl Who Hid In The Trees will make you think twice about those sounds you hear far off in the woods.

You can buy The Girl Who Hid In The Trees from Amazon UK & Amazon US