Shuttling back and forth in time, The Boy in the Lake tracks a search that grows increasingly desperate as Fowler comes up against vivid reminders of his tortured friendship with a boy with a questionable history. This story from long ago develops with exquisite subtlety, and past and present ultimately collide when the two meet as men and come to grips with an event as stark and sudden as the heart of childhood itself. Devoid of melodrama, the disturbing climax will unsettle readers long after they've finished the book. The degree of redemption Swanson allows his characters does not come easily or completely, forcing readers to grapple with the nature of responsibility and the difficulty of forgiveness. In spare yet richly textured prose, Eric Swanson weaves a mesmerizing tale of sacrifice and betrayal. As it explores the ferocity of love and the burdens of guilt, The Boy in the Lake unfolds as a quietly stunning novel from a young writer of great promise.

Shuttling back and forth in time, The Boy in the Lake tracks a search that grows increasingly desperate as Fowler comes up against vivid reminders of his tortured friendship with a boy with a questionable history. This story from long ago develops with exquisite subtlety, and past and present ultimately collide when the two meet as men and come to grips with an event as stark and sudden as the heart of childhood itself. Devoid of melodrama, the disturbing climax will unsettle readers long after they've finished the book. The degree of redemption Swanson allows his characters does not come easily or completely, forcing readers to grapple with the nature of responsibility and the difficulty of forgiveness. In spare yet richly textured prose, Eric Swanson weaves a mesmerizing tale of sacrifice and betrayal. As it explores the ferocity of love and the burdens of guilt, The Boy in the Lake unfolds as a quietly stunning novel from a young writer of great promise.