In 1985, Deputy Sheriff Aaron Harney hears a woman scream during his routine patrol of the affluent community of Lost Lake.  Little does he know, he is about to stumble across a woman who repeats "He's dead.  Carl killed him."  The case goes cold when the key witness is whisked into a mental institution by her father and the man named Carl Rice vanishes without a trace.

Twenty years pass.  Ami Vergano is a widow and single mother who offers to rent her apartment above her garage to a man named Dan Morelli.  Dan does wonders for her son, and Ami is thrilled she accepted him as her renter.  Suddenly, a horrific incident at her son's little league game has her questioning everything she knows.  Dan murders another man and is then shot by police.

When Ami is approached by a reporter named Vanessa Kohler to take Dan's case, Ami refuses.  She is not a criminal attorney.  As she learns that Dan did not exist until a short while earlier, she becomes intrigued enough to take a look at his case and help him out.  Ami has no idea that she is about to become involved in a case that delves deep into the sixties and may well lead a ruthless killer-turned-politician straight to her door.  That is if Dan and Vanessa are telling the truth.

To enjoy LOST LAKE, you must approach it with the understanding that the book is not a mystery.  There are no surprises waiting in the wings.  The book is a case of Dan/Carl and Vanessa's battle to prove Vanessa's father founded a top-secret military unit whose goal was to kill anyone Vanessa's father (now running for the presidency) commanded.  This is LOST LAKE in a nutshell.  The true aspect of this novel is whether Dan/Carl and Vanessa will be able to prove what they know - both have a history of mental illness that makes it hard for them to get anyone to listen.  The cat and mouse chase keeps the reader involved in the story, and the court trial sections also keep your attention.

LOST LAKE is an enjoyable read.  Do not expect a true mystery, instead expect a bone-chilling suspense that delves into both politics and the military.  If you enjoy suspense, you'll enjoy LOST LAKE.