The Lake of Dead Languages

Carol Goodman

I think my prevailing memory of this book will be how significantly my interest in it varied while I was reading it. I oscillated between thinking it was really interesting to being totally annoyed with the story. I rated it a 3 but, in retrospect, that was likely a little low since I was most disappointed in the end and I wanted retribution. ;-)

At its core, it's the story of a woman who, due to some changes in personal circumstances, returns to her high school alma mater to teach Latin. While a student at the school herself, she was involved in several tragic incidents and it's her hope that those things won't resurface when she returns. No surprises that they do and the rest of the story unfolds as a result. Rich in atmosphere, and short on logic, this isn't a book I'd recommend. I'm hoping that Seduction of Water, the author's second book, is better since it, too, is a resident of my shelves.