Lake Silence by Anne Bishop

Title: Etched in Bone (The World of The Others, 1)
Author: Anne Bishop
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Ace (6th March2018)
Blurb:

In this thrilling and suspenseful fantasy set in the world of the New York Times bestselling Others series, an inn owner and her shape-shifting lodger find themselves enmeshed in danger and dark secrets.

Human laws do not apply in the territory controlled by the Others – vampires, shape-shifters, and even deadlier paranormal beings. And this is a fact that humans should never, ever forget . . .

After her divorce, Vicki DeVine took over a rustic resort near Lake Silence, in a human town that is not human controlled. Towns such as Vicki’s don’t have any distance from the Others, the dominant predators who rule most of theland and all of the water throughout the world. And when a place has no boundaries, you never really know what is out there watching you.

Vicki was hoping to find a new career and a new life. But when her lodger , Aggie Crowe – one of the shape-shifting Others – discovers a murdered man, Vicki finds trouble instead. The detectives want to pin the death on her, despite evidence that nothing human could have killed the victim. As Vicki and her friends search for answers, ancient forces are roused by the disturbance in their domain. They have rules that must not be broken – and all the destructive powers of nature at their command.

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️ (5 stars)
Review:

LAKE SILENCE is the first book in Anne Bishop’s new series The World of The Others, a spin-off from her brilliant The Others series. This book is set in the same world as the first series, but features new characters in a different place. This book follows the story of Vicki DeVine, a divorcee, who has taken over a rustic resort near Lake Silence, in a human town that is not human controlled. The new move was supposed to signal a new start for Vicki, but the discovery of a dead man on her property brings a lot of trouble instead.

I was sad to reach the end of The Others series, so when I heard that Bishop was going to expand the series but not continue Meg’s story I was curious. A little hesitant, because I really enjoyed reading about Meg and her friends, but mostly curious about what Bishop would do. LAKE SILENCE did not disappoint me. I really enjoyed seeing more of this world and those that inhabit it. My only small gripe was I have no idea where this book is set in relation to Lakeside (other than they’re in the same country) and whilst it doesn’t matter in terms of the story, it kind of bugs me a bit.

LAKE SILENCE is very definitely a standalone novel, and whilst there are links to what happened in The Others series none of the major characters make an appearance on the page. This book is very much mystery driven in terms of the plot, which I really enjoyed. The book focuses on friendships, and on humans learning to live alongside the Others. I really enjoyed the fact that LAKE SILENCE is very much self-contained. Bishop tells a really gripping story, and I enjoyed watching the characters grow into themselves.

Vicki DeVine is a really interesting and complex character, and I enjoyed learning more about her. In a lot of ways Vicki has come to Lake Silence to escape her past, and then a dead body is found on her property. Vicki is a very strong character, and also a well liked one. LAKE SILENCE is Vicki’s book in a lot of ways. I also enjoyed getting to know the other characters in this book. The chapters from Officer Grimshaws point of view were interesting, as were the chapters from the point of view of the bad guy. I also really liked the chapters told from the point of view of one of the Others.

LAKE SILENCE is a fantastic continuation and expansion of Anne Bishop’s The Others series, and if you are a fan of that series then you will undoubtedly enjoy the opportunity to explore more of the world. LAKE SILENCE also works well as a standalone novel in my opinion, so long as you don’t mind spoilers for The Others series as the story starts after the events of the final book in that series. As always, Bishop has created a good story in a really imaginative world.