Castle Lake by Thomas Ryerson is a story that covers 70 years of Murdock family and their property around Castle Lake. I jumped right into the book with out reading other reviews or a synopsis of the story. Having read a few of his other books, I came in expecting to find something with a science fiction twist or a futuristic society. However, I found myself somewhere on the east coast of North America in 1821. The story develops at a good pace and nothing seems out of place for the time. The story centers around two families. The Murdocks and Ficks who own the property surrounding the lake Things begin well enough for the new neighbors, but quickly things erode into tragedy and well, black magic – I didn't see that coming.

The characters in the story are all very real and well developed. The likeable characters are easily likeable and their actions are very human. The story moves at a good pace and the book can be completed in a sitting or two. I have read a few of Ryerson's books and they all are worth the read. Castle Lake, like his other books, provides a nice bit of escapism. His books are the perfect break in the piles of non-fiction I usually read; he has become my go to guy for fiction. If you are looking for something to read this weekend or for a day at the beach, I recommend Castle Lake or another of Ryerson's books. I haven't been disappointed in any of his books. ( )