Search - The Lake of Dead Languages

Predictable mystery by an author who desperately needs an editor.

The Lake of Dead Languages is a fluffy, thriller that weaves the present and the past in a way that tells two stories simultaneously, but still manages to make the reader feel like it is one, comprehensive tale. The main character, Jane Hudson is a Latin teacher at a private school, Heart Lake School for Girls, who is struggling to deal with suicide of three of her friends, which happened while she was a student at the same school more than 20 years earlier. When the events that happened while she was a student begin repeating themselves, Jane can’t help but get wrapped up in trying to solve the mystery that surrounds the past and the present. The book is about Jane trying to discover what really happened 20 years ago, as well as protect herself, her students, and her daughter from becoming victim to the same terrifying end as her childhood friends.

Carol Goodwin does a good job of switching between the two time periods, particularly when it involves Jane reflecting upon what she wrote in the diary she kept while a student at Heart Lake. The novel itself is well-written, so it is easy for the reader to stay engaged.

There are, however, two main problems with the novel—the length and the ending. The story begins to move slowly and become repetitive, and it is not difficult to determine that there is more going on at the school than just suicides, but it is not until page 356 that Goodwin actually “reveals” what the reader likely already knows. To make matters worse, the final 30 pages after the revelation focus on neatly tying the story up into a pretty package. The last chapter, in particular, feels forced, rushed, and out of place.

Overall, the book is an easy, enjoyable read, but not terribly suspenseful. If you’re looking for something to entertain you, you could do worse, but at the same time, it’s not a novel that you need to rush out and get.

This book was loaded with mystery. It was a bit wordy and could have been shortened a little. It wasn’t bad though.

Great book. I have read Carol Goodman's whole selection and I truly enjoyed reading all of them including this one.

Great read for youth and adult. I have read it twice and enjoyed all the different story lines inside one book both times.

A terrific story, beautifully written. The story of past and present tragedy and mystery at a girls' school in the Adirondacks.