From internationally bestselling, acclaimed author Melinda Salisbury comes a darkly seductive story of murder, betrayal, love, and family secrets in a small town in the Scottish Highlands.
Here are the rules of living with a murderer.
One: Do not draw attention to yourself.
Of course, when you live with a murderer, this is impossible. Even the subtlest of spectres is bound to be noticed. Which leads to the next rule.
Two: If you can't be invisible, be useful.
Everyone in this quiet lakeside community knows that Alva's father killed her mother, all those years ago. There wasn't enough proof to arrest him, though, and with no other family, Alva's been forced to live with her mother's murderer, doing her best to survive until she can earn enough money to run away.
One of her chores is to monitor water levels in the loch-a task her father takes very seriously. Their family has been the guardian of the loch for generations. It's a cold, lonely task, and a few times, Alva can swear she feels someone watching her.
But the more Alva investigates, the more she realizes that the truth can be more monstrous than lies, and that you can never escape your past …
Format
Page Count
Trim Size
Dewey
AR
Genre
Scholastic Reading Counts
JLG Release
Book Genres
Topics
Standard MARC Records
Cover Art
Gr 7 Up–Alva Douglas, 16, lives by a set of rules she created for protection after her father, Lachlan, murdered her mother seven years ago. She has a job waiting for her in another town, and as she prepares to leave home, Alva counts down the minutes until she will no longer live in fear of being her father’s next victim. However, due to the greed of the local mill’s owner, the levels in the loch have been dropping exponentially, resulting in the release of horrific creatures. It is the job of Lachlan, the loch’s caretaker, to ensure the mill slows down operation. Though when Lachlan is exposed as a murderer and taken away, Alva steps up to take matters into her own hands and save the village. This novel, set against the picturesque Scottish Highlands, begins with a slow build that breaks way to a bloodcurdling thriller that offers fast-paced suspense and surprising twists on every page. Readers will root for Alva. She is a strong, resourceful go-getter who perseveres, even when faced with an incessant stream of exposed truths. Salisbury delivers a harrowing and pulse-pounding novel that, once it takes hold, will carry readers all the way to the heart-wrenching end. VERDICT Fans of horror and fantasy novels will devour this.–Amanda Harding, Elmwood Elem. Sch., Wauconda, IL
Gr 7 Up-Alva Douglas, 16, lives by a set of rules she created for protection after her father, Lachlan, murdered her mother seven years ago. She has a job waiting for her in another town, and as she prepares to leave home, Alva counts down the minutes until she will no longer live in fear of being her father's next victim. However, due to the greed of the local mill's owner, the levels in the loch have been dropping exponentially, resulting in the release of horrific creatures. It is the job of Lachlan, the loch's caretaker, to ensure the mill slows down operation. Though when Lachlan is exposed as a murderer and taken away, Alva steps up to take matters into her own hands and save the village. This novel, set against the picturesque Scottish Highlands, begins with a slow build that breaks way to a bloodcurdling thriller that offers fast-paced suspense and surprising twists on every page. Readers will root for Alva. She is a strong, resourceful go-getter who perseveres, even when faced with an incessant stream of exposed truths. Salisbury delivers a harrowing and pulse-pounding novel that, once it takes hold, will carry readers all the way to the heart-wrenching end. VERDICT Fans of horror and fantasy novels will devour this.-Amanda Harding, Elmwood Elem. Sch., Wauconda, IL