On Tall Pine Lake

Nona Conrad has been struggling to raise her younger sister Maggie since her father died. With the help of loyal friend, Mabel Rogers, she has barely managed to get by. When the offer to manage a fish camp on Tall Pine Lake drops into her lap, it almost seems to good to be true. Nona has received a mysterious package from her no account older brother Harold and she knows she and Maggie will be safer out in the country. Following a disturbing encounter with a stranger in town, Nona meets her new boss, Simon Wright and immediately takes a dislike to the handsome bossy stranger who seems to know more about Nona than she does herself. Soon, Nona finds herself bullied into remaining on as manager of the camp that Simon is feverishly attempting to modernize. Alas, danger seems to lurk around every corner, and before long, Nona doesn’t know if she can trust even the man who has stolen her heart ON TALL PINE LAKE.

Ms. Garlock has penned an unusual tale in that she has departed from her usual Depression Era setting in this story. However it must be noted by this reviewer that although set in 1980, this story reads much like Ms. Garlock’s other works, due to the extremely rural setting and lack of modern amenities. The strength of this story is the endearing characters, a hallmark of Ms. Garlock’s work, both main and supporting. The secondary love story may be more enchanting than Nona and Simon’s, although it was somewhat awkward. The mystery/suspense elements consumed most of the plot and kept the story moving along and engaging. Nona and Simon’s relationship seemed to occur out of nowhere, and while, charming, lacked the depth and richness this reviewer has come to expect from Ms. Garlock. Simply put, the secondary characters, especially Nona’s headstrong sister Maggie, were just more interesting and compelling than the main two. This did not detract from this reviewer’s enjoyment of the tale, especially the surprise twist at the end. This reviewer would love to see a sequel featuring Maggie as an adult. Fans of Ms. Garlock will enjoy her latest entry, as did this reviewer.

April 2007