Odd mashup of woo-woo, Murder, widow’s lament, past and present. Her dead husband’s loan to the family company came so much out of nowhere that it was weird it was the motive for Murder. Does Sarah seriously expect to get over her husband’s death in a few weeks? Had she not spoken to an attorney about her financial situation after he died and learned about the loan? Ugh, ugh. ( )

McCaskill Land and Lumber and the property known as Whitetail Lodge have been in the family for generations. There are priceless memories held dear, but also memories of a weekend long ago that linger in the minds of all who experienced it for different reasons.

Family. Friends. Secrets all. Sarah McCaskill returned to Whitetail Lodge at her mother's request to help clean and prepare the lodge for summer use. Sarah knew her mother was trying to give her a change of scenery, a peaceful place to heal after the recent loss of her husband.

A story of family, friendship, mother-daughter and sister relationships, a ghost from the past, and women trying to reconcile the present with memories of the weekend never discussed. As the secrets of the past are revealed, unanswered questions must be reconciled to move forward in the present.

Every reader has different expectations of a suspenseful novel. This reader enjoyed the novel as women's fiction. A map further highlights description of the setting at the beginning of the book. Characters are well-developed. Some readers will undoubtedly enjoy the paranormal element more than I did. I didn't find it elevated or diminished the story. It was simply a tool the author used to present one aspect of the past.

Discussion questions are available on Leslie Budewitz/Alicia Beckman's website. At the time of this writing, click on "Bookshelf" tab and follow to click on "For Book Clubs," and scroll down for "Bitterroot Lake." ( )

The melodrama of the first few chapters mixed in with the exhausting detail of the surrounding landscapes made this book practically unreadable. I made it 13 chapters before I had to give up from frustration of the constant allusions to past events that were directly affecting the plotline. Good stories use this tactic successfully to drive a thriller, this book only proved to irritate me with its midlife crisis histrionics and abstruseness. ( )

The story is a slow-moving mystery with an interesting premise. Sarah is the story’s narrator and she is defensive with a bit of a hair trigger temper. The isolated setting provides a spooky backdrop for the women to try to mend the rifts in their relationships. The busy storyline is occasionally a bit confusing and Lucas’s murder gets lost among the other dramas playing out. With the pacing picking up,. The author does a fantastic job of bringing the mystery to a satisfying conclusion. Mystery & suspense fans will love it as will those that like a bit of the paranormal in their stories. ( )

I wanted to love this mystery and it did evolve into a good read but it took a while. There were twists and turns and lots of secrets that had to come out. In the end, it was a true catharsis for the characters' lives. ( )