The story centres around Charlotte Boyd, an unemployed young woman who relies heavily on her parents for emotional and financial support. They enlist Charlotte to oversee the renovations of their small-town summer house while they're away. During renovations Charlotte unearths the diary of teenage Lark, the young woman who committed suicide at the house 15 years ago.
Told using the dual POVs of Charlotte and teenage Lark's diary entries, readers get pulled into a mystery complete with small-town atmosphere, lies and secrets, someone will do anything to keep hidden.
I'm not one for slow burns but this book kept things moving and I enjoyed how secrets were revealed to the reader, keeping me engaged and guessing. Fans of slow burn tension will enjoy how Sommerville successfully balances a compelling, atmospheric mystery with a sensitive exploration of trauma.
Disclaimer: Thanks to Rising Action Publishing Co for the complimentary digital and trade paperback advanced copies which were given to me in exchange for my honest review.
My Rating: 4 stars
Author: Brianne Sommerville
Genre: Suspense, Canadian
Type and Source: ebook and trade paperback from publisher
Publisher: Rising Action
First Published: August 12, 2025
Read: July 25-30, 2025
Book Description from GoodReads: In a home where the past lives on, can the truth ever really be buried?
Recently fired and adrift, Charlotte Boyd agrees to oversee renovations on her parents’ small-town summer home that holds a tragic past. After discovering an enthralling diary hidden amidst junk the previous owners left behind, Charlotte connects with the author—a troubled teen named Lark Peters who died by suicide at the house sixteen years ago.
When an unsettling incident forces Charlotte to seek refuge at the local pub, regulars, including the police, warn her of Lark’s older brother, Darryl, who has become a recluse since Lark’s death, and may know more than he’s letting on. But Charlotte sees a side of Darryl others don’t, being an outsider herself.
In a search to uncover the truth, Charlotte must question those closest to Lark and reconcile her own past trauma. Because if Lark was actually murdered, then whoever is responsible might be lurking in Charlotte’s own backyard.
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