Una historia, inquietante que se extiende desde un oscuro secreto del pasado hasta una demoledora revelación en el presente. Un día de verano, la nueva profesora de arte de la escuela de Chatham llegó al pueblo. Se instaló en una casa aislada junto a las oscuras aguas de la Laguna Negra. Con su llegada comenzó una imprevisible cadena de sucesos que cambiaría para siempre la tranquila vida del pueblo. Ahora, años más tarde, sólo una persona viva conoce la respuesta a la pregunta que destruyó irrevocablemente toda una manera de vivir: ¿Qué ocurrió realmente aquel día en la Laguna Negra?

Good story. What I didn't like,foreshadowing was overdone making for a very frustrating read. Story goes back and forth in time and it seemed I would just start getting into the time frame and it would change. Not enough time to really sink your teeth into the past or present. Again very frustrating. This is the first time I have read this author and I'm not sure if I would read him again,even as interesting as his stories do look to be. ( )

La fin du livre est surprenante mais le début est trop lent à mon goût. J'ai eu du mal à rester dans l'histoire jusqu'à la moitié du livre... ( )

This was my introduction to Thomas H. Cook...couldn't remember the name for the longest time (or his, either), but upon seeing his name on a review (the back cover of another book I was reading), knew it was he and this book...don't remember the plot, just remember that it was thoroughly enjoyed, and plan on reading all of his others.... just finished 'The Fate of Katherine Carr', also thoroughly appreciated it...'The Last Talk with Lola Faye' is next....G. ( )

Elizabeth Channing arrives at Chatham, Massachusetts to be the new art teacher at the Chatham School. She's met at the station by Arthur Griswold, headmaster and his son, Henry, who will be a sophomore in the new school year.

Channing is a romantic and Henry soon develops a puppy love for her.
A domestic at his house, Sarah Doyle, asks Channing to teach her to read and she and Henry are often at Channing's cottage working on their studies.

Leland Reed arrives to be the new poetry teacher. He's accompanied by his wife and small child. Reed and Channing are drawn together as the story moves back and forth between the peaceful start to the story and a trial taking place involving the characters.

The reader isn't sure what crime was committed but there are parallels to Dreiser's "An American Tragedy."

Winner of the Edgar Award, this is a story that will tug at the reader's heart as the characters are led to a tragedy that seems impossible to avert. ( )