Where I expected flat characters with flatter relationships, Webb breathed raw and wonderful life into every character that graced the pages of her novels.īut fair warning, her ability to bring a story to life also left me with a fear of turning off the lights some nights.

Instead of being overly-predictable and cheesy, Webb created a believable world that left me guessing until the last chapter. While I typically think of mystery/gothic novels as being contrived, Webb was inventive and played with the well-loved framework brilliantly. Remember my favorite books? But, I decided to give it a shot and cracked open her most recent novel, Daughters of the Lake.

See, Wendy Webb is a Northern Gothic writer-and gothic was not really a genre I tended to dive into. I remember being hesitant when my mom first suggested I read one of her books. In the local authors section (the best section!), she stumbled across a writer named Wendy Webb, someone who had made their debut within the last few years. Trusting the bookstore owner’s incessant praise, my mom purchased the first of many Wendy Webb books we would come to own. I guess this is what they mean by location, location, location. Oh, and there was a donut shop right next door. A little Cape-Cod-style cottage painted in pastels that sat just a few hundred yards from the shore of the lake. On one of our excursions, we visited the most charming little town of Grand Marais, and if you know my mom, we inevitably ended up at a bookstore. My second summer of living there, my parents came to visit and see what I kept raving about as “the most beautiful place in the whole world.” I’ve mentioned this before, but I lived on the gorgeous North Shore of Lake Superior in a quaint little city called Duluth. But, as with most good things in my life, I can thank my mom for this one.

Honestly, I am someone who has a very difficult time branching out and trying new authors. I know, I didn’t think I could be swayed either. And spoiler alert, it’s not a classic that takes place in Regency Era England. My favorite book is Jane Eyre, my second favorite being Pride and Prejudice-what can I say? I’m a classics lover.īut now, I have a third favorite book, and it’s all thanks to a magnificent new author on the scene: Wendy Webb.

The end of temperance dare a novel