Cradle Lake

By: Ronald Malfi

Narrated by: David Stifel

When Alan Hammerstun inherits a quaint ranch house in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, he and his wife Heather seize the opportunity to leave New York and the haunting aftermath of two miscarriages. Eager to start over in the rural North Carolina town, they hope this new beginning will be the antidote to Heather's severe depression. For a time everything seems perfect. Too perfect, in fact. The neighbors are all young, handsome, healthy, and friendly. While surveying his new property, Alan finds a dirt path through the forest designated by stone markers carved with strange symbols, which culminates in a grassy clearing. One night Alan dreams the path ends at the foot of a lake and dives in; when he awakes gritty with lake grime and improved health and strength, he wonders if it could cure Heather's depression and infertility as well. When the townspeople warn Alan of the lake's powers, he must decide if the community's secret is a nightmare or a miracle.

©2013 Ronald Malfi (P)2017 Journalstone Publishing

Kept my attention

From the very first my attention was grabbed and held. All characters were interesting. Would recommend to other s. Will follow this author.

A dash of Pet Sematery.....

I've read quite a bit of Mr Malfi's work, more than I had realized, while listening to Cradled Lake. The man doesn't disappoint when it comes to dark storytelling and rich atmosphere. Like his other books, this story carries both in spades. A young couple seeking solace in the country from the traumas they faced in the city, Alan and Heather seek a new beginning, a fresh start. Unfortunately the nearby Lake provides both...with a price. I would've given this book four stars, but, thirty chapters or so into the story the "dream sequences" began to slow the stories momentum significantly, causing me to start the "it's only this many chapters till the end" argument in my head. Once that started it fell to three stars for me. A good story with equal measures suspense and atmosphere, I recommend Cradle Lake if you want a good horror story with fleshed out characters that you want to see succeed....maybe.

Riveting story line

I chose this book simply because David Stifel was narrating it, and I was not disappointed. The narration was superbly done as always. The plot definitely held my interest & kept me listening to every detail until the very end. My only complaint is that there isn’t another one to follow!

Great story

I loved Pet Semetary. This book had a similar feel. It was hard to put down, and I finished it in just a couple of days. Creepy parts, with a growing sense of dread, it’s a great Halloween type read.

Huge Malfi fan

This kept my attention throughout, even though the character development kind of lacked a tad bit. But I love Ronald Malfi’s work. And yes, it was very much like pet Sematary, which was a bit of a drag on the storyline. But overall, it is probably worth your credit.