Black Lake - Johanna Lane

"A lush, beguiling beauty, like the Ireland of its setting"* about a family losing grip of its legacy: a castle estate on the cliffs of Donegal.

*Elisa Albert, author of The Book of Dahlia

The Campbells have lived happily at Dulough, an idyllic, rambling estate on the Irish coast, for generations. But upkeep has drained the family coffers. Faced with the heartbreaking possibility of having to sell, John Campbell makes a difficult decision; to keep Dulough he will turn the estate into a tourist attraction.

He and his wife, daughter and son move from the luxury of the big house to a caretaker's cottage. The upheaval strains the already tenuous threads that bind the family, and when a tragic accident befalls them, long-simmering resentments and unanswered yearnings are forced to the surface.

As each character is given a turn to speak, their voices tell a complex and fascinating story about what happens when the upstairs becomes the downstairs, and the legacy that remains when family secrets are revealed.