The Girls of Lake Evelyn (Averil Kenny, Echo) 

Society bride Vivienne has left her groom at the altar, fleeing the most anticipated wedding of 1958. With nowhere else to turn, she finds herself in the small town of Barrington Downs in tropical north Queensland. But the manor she thought would be her refuge seems to house a ghostly presence, amid stories of women lured to their drowning at the local lake. Also in Barrington Downs is Josie Monash, farmhand and aspiring actress, caring for her father and four older brothers on their dairy. Josie is determined to dispel the superstition around the lake by staging a play based on the life of the first drowning victim, the glamorous Celeste Star. When Vivienne and Josie’s paths cross there is friendship, drama and intrigue, as well as family secrets to be revealed. Averil Kenny captures the warmth of female friendship as well as the playful familial bonds of the Monash clan. She conjures a humid, tropical, secretive atmosphere and weaves a web of secrets that touches almost everyone in the small town. The Girls of Lake Evelyn is at times florid and convoluted but also gripping and well-paced, with a satisfying final revelation. With its romance, mystery, family secrets, small-town characters and historical setting, the novel is sure to appeal to fans of Fiona McIntosh and Belinda Alexandra.  

Fay Helfenbaum is a freelance writer and editor and was a bookseller for five years. 

Category: Reviews