Cradle Lake
Cradle Lake book cover

Cradle Lake

Kindle Edition

Price
$7.99
Publisher
Open Road Media
Publication Date

Description

Ronald Malfi is the author of The Ascent , The Fall of Never , The Nature of Monsters , Shamrock Alley , Via Dolorosa , and Floating Staircase , which was nominated forxa0the 2011 Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel and won the 2012 IPPY National Gold Medal for Horror. He lives in Arnold, Maryland. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition. “A thrilling edge-of-your-seat ride that should not be missed. Don't let the title fool you; it is less about a mountain and more about life in general. If you love thrillers that keep you guessing, this is a must read.”xa0 — Suspense magazine on The Ascent "Malfi deftly maintains the tension and engrossing atmosphere of horror by stepping up the pace and frequency of bizarre events . . . as Alan spins out of control." — Publishers Weekly “A thoughtful, multilayered tale.” —Rue Morgue magazine on Floating Staircase “A gripping thriller, similar to the novels of Gerald Petievich, the Secret Service agent turned author, but with more emotional and moral depth.” —Booklist on Shamrock Alley “I read the book quickly because of the suspense. The psychology of the Hammerstuns is fascinating.” —Open Book Society“This is the very first novel that I’ve read by Mr. Malfi, and I can assure you it won’t be my last. This author has a new fan following him now!”xa0 —Night Owl Reviews --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Features & Highlights

  • From the award-winning author of
  • Bone White
  • : “Riveting, idiosyncratic horror at its best . . . Leaves readers breathless with anticipation” (
  • Fresh Fiction
  • ).
  • New beginnings . . .
  • In the shadow of the Great Smoky Mountains, an aging house leaves much to be desired, but Alan Hammerstun hopes it will be the fresh start he and his wife, Heather, need after her two miscarriages and later suicide attempt. But Heather remains distant and depressed and Alan is soon drawn to the woods behind the house—and the small lake hidden there. When he sees an injured child healed by its waters after being hit by a car, Alan becomes privy to the town’s greatest secret.   But for every benefit the lake bestows, it demands an exacting price. And when Alan dares to defy the warnings, an ancient evil enters his house and his mind, spawning nightmares and paranoia. Soon, nothing is off limits to its malignant power—even Alan’s wife . . .   “Malfi deftly maintains the tension and engrossing atmosphere of horror by stepping up the pace and frequency of bizarre events. . . . A tale of sustained terror.” —
  • Publishers Weekly
  • “This is, very often, a haunting and disturbing read. In places genuinely terrifying, it’s also a book concerned with themes of hope, redemption and how your past can poison your present.” —
  • Horror Novel Reviews
  • “A haunting and terrifying novel of madness and despair.” —
  • Horror News Network

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
30%
(72)
★★★★
20%
(48)
★★★
15%
(36)
★★
7%
(17)
28%
(67)

Most Helpful Reviews

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Stolen Ideas

It's really hard for me to read a book where the main character is an arrogant, boorish jerk like the one in this book. It's also hard to read book where the other characters are so underdeveloped that they're not much more than tissue paper. It's hard to read a book where the plot elements are so unoriginal and the story so predictable. And it's hard to read a book whose copy editor allowed the use of such dated words as "dungarees" several times and used "viscous" as a noun. This was junk fiction, with a predictable ending.
1 people found this helpful
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Not my favorite by this author

I found this story tedious in places and had trouble connecting to the characters. All in all I’ve read better by this author.
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Lake From Hell

Alan and his wife move to a house Alan's deceased uncle left to him. On the heels of two miscarriages and a suicide attempt, Heather is barely holding on to life. Upon moving in, Alan finds out about a "healing lake" located deep in the woods behind his house. His neighbor warns him that the lake doesn't always heal. It can cause insanity and destruction. Well, you already, know Alan pays little mind to the warning and proceeds to go skinny-dipping. He starts to bring water back for his wife to heal her mental health. Things go good for a hot minute, then Heather finds out she is pregnant again. As Alan descends into madness, the lake waits patiently for its revenge.

Whew that was a wild crazy ride. That is how a horror story is written. I was absolutely terrified for the wife, Heather. The house was creepy as hell. Throw in some determined buzzards, and now we have a party. The ending is tragic, but damn, what a ride to get there!