The House by the Sea

Edie feels relieved when Anna DeLuca, her mother-in-law, passes away. Edie holds Anna responsible for her family's devastation in the catastrophe. Edie recognizes Anna's tricks when she follows her will to Sicily and the deserted Villa della Madonna del Mare.

Edie is keen to get away from Italy as soon as possible because she believes Anna is interfering from the afterlife to try to bring her and her ex-husband Joe back together. However, the villa begins to reveal its enigmatic mysteries before she can.

In Anna's childhood pictures, who are the girls next to her, and why is one of them missing? Why is it that someone or something wants them to ignore the past? Old ghosts seem to feel at home in the villa, but is it necessary to put their legacy to rest before Edie and Joe can move on?

Returning with a gripping, terrifying, and unforgettable narrative of treachery, envy, and the mysteries buried in every family history is best-selling novelist Louise Douglas.

Accolades to Louise Douglas:

"Kept me guessing right up until the very end, when the shocking conclusion left me speechless." The Accident's author, C.L. Taylor, on Your Beautiful Lies

"Louise Douglas at her brilliant best, with a beautifully written, chillingly atmospheric, and completely compelling novel The Secret by the Lake." The Broken's author, Tammy Cohen

"A master of her craft, Louise Douglas masterfully writes a haunting tale of buried secrets and past tragedy, ratcheting up the tension." Sworn Secret author Amanda Jennings

"A clammy, atmospheric, and suspenseful novel that builds tension until the shockingly close pages." S Magazine and Sunday Express