Summit Lake

“On the floor with her legs splayed and arms like two broken tree limbs attached to her sides, she faced the wide-open patio door. The lighthouse in the distance—with its bright beacon calling out to lost boats in the night—was all she knew and all she needed. It was life and she clung to its swaying image.”

The novel opens by describing the final moments of Becca’s life, using a simile that compares her arms to “broken tree limbs,” to emphasize the brutality of the attack. The introduction of the lighthouse beacon as a representation of hope contrasts with the violence, representing a final, distant hope that Becca can’t reach. The focus on this singular image of “life” underscores the tragedy of her death and establishes a key symbolic element for the narrative.

“In a mixture of feigned surrender and secret revenge, Brad agreed to an education at George Washington University […]. But instead of joining his father in thievery, as Brad put it, he would use the degree and education his father paid for to go after tort law, and one day shut his father down. So the plan went, anyway.”

This quote provides insight into Brad’s character, revealing a capacity for long-term planning rooted in resentment toward his father. The phrase “feigned surrender and secret revenge” establishes a core character trait that foreshadows his later actions and thematically connects to The Destructive Power of Secrets. By framing his educational and career path as an act of calculated rebellion, the passage characterizes Brad as someone willing to manipulate circumstances for a hidden purpose.

“As she stared down from the bluff, Kelsey felt connected to the town. It had a story to tell her. And even though Penn Courtney sent her here to slowly get her swagger back, to ease her gently back into the occupation she once ruled, Kelsey had no intention of taking it easy.”

This passage establishes the novel’s narrative framework by linking Kelsey’s professional investigation to her personal recovery. The personification of Summit Lake (“It had a story to tell her”) suggests that the town’s secrets are an active force that Kelsey must confront, mirroring her own internal trauma.