Karen Katcher has written a book about the complexity and endurance of relationships, and the unintended damage that secrets can do. Set in a small summer lake community with a long history between the residents, the characters are well developed and believable as they grapple with the challenges coming their way. Karen Katcher writes eloquently about a girl's transition from childhood, the intensity, love, and heartbreaks of relationships within families, and the devastating role that guilt can play in a person's life. The mystery at the heart of the story keeps the reader's interest, even though some of the secrets are more easily guessed than others. The Secrets of Lake Road is an excellent first novel.