Summer at the Lake

O'Malley's (Family Saga) #1

by Andrew M. Greeley

For childhood friends Leo Kelly, Jane Devlin, and newly ordained "Packy" Keenan, the summers they spent at the lake together were times of pure magic. And no summer was more enchanting than the summer of 1948 - until a tragic car wreck killed two of their friends. The rich and prominent "Old House" families of Chicago banded together to protect their own - the driver, who was drunk, was the son of a local doctor. There was a cover-up and a vicious scandal. Leo left for the Korean War, and the three friends' summers at the lake were gone forever. . . Until thirty years later when Leo, still obsessed by the memory of Jane and the need to solve the mystery of what really happened that fateful summer, comes back to Chicago and back to the lake. Jane is more beautiful than ever, but her life has been an unhappy one, trapped in a loveless marriage and haunted by the memory of Leo. She has returned to the lake to try to piece her life back together. Disillusioned with the priesthood, Packy realizes he's in love with Jane, too. But as a best friend and confidant to Leo and Jane, he faces a difficult choice this should he help his oldest friend win back the woman of his dreams or pursue what might be his own last chance for love?

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Mystery, Friendship, Historical Fiction, Family, Contemporary

480 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Andrew Greeley was a Roman Catholic priest, sociologist, journalist, and author of 50 best-selling novels and more than 100 works of nonfiction. For decades, Greeley entertained readers with such popular characters as the mystery-solving priest Blackie Ryan and the fey, amateur sleuth Nuala Anne McGrail. His books typically center on Irish-American Roman Catholics living or working in Chicago.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/andrew...

Reviews

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great premise about 3 friends trying to make sense of the events that took place in their youth. They all have regrets about the choices they made and believe that their interpretation of the events influenced them to make those choices. The main character decides to look more closely at the events and find the truths behind them. This could have been a great story. Greeley bounces around in time and from character to character. The story is not tied together very well. It was not enjoyable to read and I found the ending to be unsatisfying. It did not do justice to the characters.

[Claire · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have decided not to finish this book. I have read almost half, and just can't get into it! So, clearly, I would not recommend this book.

[Diane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointed with this book. I had trouble going back and forth through the decades with the different main characters and that's not usually a problem. The storyline was just OK.

[Janice · Rating 1 out of 5]

This summer escape was a dud. After giving it seventy pages it has yet to grasp my interest.

[☮Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a big Greeley fan and this did not disappoint. I just thought the format was unusual in that it not only told parts of the story from 3 different character's points of view, but it also went back and forth between the 1940's and 1970's. Ended up that many things were repeated several times. I kept thinking, well we already know he loves her very much and he thinks she is the most beautiful woman in the world, but how many times is he going to tell us? The plot was riveting for the most part. I also liked that it takes place in Chicago and "the Lake" is based on Lake Geneva, my old stomping grounds.

[Brooke · Rating 2 out of 5]

Summer at the Lake by Andrew M. Greeley was difficult to get into. It was hard for me to keep up with many different main characters going back and forth between decades.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think Andrew Greeley will always be the master of the twisted plot. As always, his books are timeless and very well written.

[Holyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Greeley writes a steamy novel filled with mystery, romance, and enough church politics to keep all 400-ish pages interesting. This book follows three friends across three decades as they remember their childhoods, event that drove them apart, and then those that bring them back together - only to find that they must solve a crime in order to live the remainder of their lives with joy and in peace. I was hooked from page one. As always with Greeley, I am amazed that a Catholic priest can write books like this!!! This would be a great beach/pool read this summer.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ewww.

I had never read any Andrew Greeley and came across this one. Best way I can classify it is as a trashy Catholic romance. Yeah, basically everyone in the book is Catholic.

Greeley was a priest who obviously was frustrated by his vow of celibacy.

Weird, dated, and just strange.
I kept reading until the end waiting to see what would happen with a few of the characters. It was a (possible spoiler alert) non-ending. The book just stops. What a waste: like he couldn't decide how to end it, or didn't know how, so he didn't. He just stopped writing! It's one of those books you just want to throw across the room once you finish it.

NOT recommended.

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book, although not so sure about the jumping around in years. I often wasn't sure what year the characters were talking about, past or present.
All in all, great characters, brain catching plot that kept my interest, and I didn't figure out at all. I recommend this author.

[Patrick Barry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of my favorite Father Greeley novels of Old Chicago. It centers on a decades old automobile tragedy, the mystery surrounding it, and its effect on three childhood friends. One of Greeley's best stories with the usual themes of love, faith and redemption.

[Laura Edwards · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book seemed interesting at first and drew me in, but the story quickly became just too depressing. No levity at all. Simply 460 pages of bleakness. Ugh. I started skimming after a time in order to spare my mental health. Do not read this if you are at all depressed.

[Pattie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my favorite. Found it hard to get into. Was certainly not a page turner for me but did get better as I persevered. I will read another book by this author to be fair but also because I already have one in my stash.....

[Merrikay Shade · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very rambling and tedious read.

[Pdamon · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book meanders and then wanders and then arrives nowhere.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great entertainment for the beach

[Karon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read it to the end because I wanted to see what happened. Not a big fan of this author. A bit too heavy for my taste.

[David Freas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book so long ago, I can't remember much about it except that like every Andrew Greeley book, it told one heck of a good story.

[laurel jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

life has strange twists and so does this book but the ending is sweet

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hard to follow, hops around a lot.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too long but good

[Rd · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my favorite read of 2022...

[Renita Steenbergen · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are of Catholic decent I think the book would be more interesting but the story is basically ok.

[John Love IV · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this book but two thimgs bug me in the audio version. The staccato reading by the narrator bugged me throughout the audio. Jane's Irish accent did as well. There's no reason for her to have one. Even if her parents were immigrants, none of her older brothers have accents in the reading.

The book itself is quite good. I'm just disappointed in the audio versions. We'll see how others are.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

For childhood friends Leo Kelly, Jane Devlin, and newly ordained "Packy" Keenan, the summers they spent at the lake together were times of pure magic. And no summer was more enchanting than the summer of 1948 - until a tragic car wreck killed two of their friends.

The rich and prominent "Old House" families of Chicago banded together to protect thei

[Joanne Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my cup of tea. Maybe you need to be an Irish Catholic to appreciate Greeley's style. I did finish it -- mostly because I bought a stack of books with "Lake" in the title for my daughter who is living at "the lake house" right now. And I wanted to read them all before I gave them to her so we can discuss them. But it was work.

[Annie Myers · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually read this book once before... but I forgot. I think I liked it better the first time around.

[Mo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this novel by Andrew Greeley. Story about friends that grew up near each other at a lake and a auto accident that changed their lives.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

entertaining summer read with insight

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had not read his work. Enjoyable,hard to put down .good summer read