While as far as e-books go ASHES TO WATER is quite a long book, but it is compelling reading.

Annie Bartlett has been estranged from her father for some years, having never really forgiven him for the death of her mother. In the intervening period she has carried the memory of her mother with her, in a delusional way, to the point where she "sees" her mother and holds conversations with her.

“Since you were nine years old I’ve been whispering in your ear, showing you the truth, lighting your way.”

Annie has also become a successful photographer and is about to get married.

She returns to her hometown when her father is murdered and is met at the airport by her ex-boyfriend, Pete, who is acting as defence lawyer for the woman accused of murdering Annie's father. Annie decides she must meet Della, the accused, and is shocked to find that Della is a double for her dead mother. Della protests her innocence and asks Annie to help her prove her case. Annie feels that Pete is not acting as a defence lawyer should as he advises Della to plead guilty so her case will not go to trial.

This is the main story supported by a host of sub-plots: an arsonist is burning new homes that are being built on land in the forest; the main suspect for the arson is a Downs syndrome lad who is the son of the local judge; Annie's older sister Leigh a drug addict who had asked her father to help her; and a range of other interesting characters including a Seminole Indian who wants to help his people survive by building houses for them and setting up a casino for them to run.

I remain puzzled by the title ASHES TO WATER (The Lake Trilogy). I understand the ASHES TO WATER bit but not "The Lake Trilogy". Irene's website tells me that RULES OF THE LAKE, a collection of linked short stories, is the pre-quel to ASHES TO WATER. It focuses on Annie Bartlett growing up and is semi-autobiographical. ( )

When I received this book for advanced reviewing, I was pleased to find the author was kind enough to write me a little note inside; the matching bookmark was avery nice touch as well. As a little side note, such small, intimate touches do not go unnoticed. I will also note this did not shade my opinion of the work itself.

As far as the book itself, I am giving "Ashes to Water" 4 stars out of 5, but it is closer to a 4.5. The story was imaginative, insightful, hard to put down, but not perfect. I loved the beauty of the language, the way details and descriptions seemed very real, or at least very beautiful or hard-hitting. reading the author bio and seeing Ziegler's stage experience made me think that in some ways she wrote these things as a playwright would, in a way in which the words must do so much more than say a line--they must characterize, move plot along, etc., in a way that is minced in so much of regular writing. Other times, the descriptions disappointed me a bit, as I wasn't sure what was being said. I read the chapter about Marguerite and Eugene in the boat several times, trying to discern how much was coincidence, how much was planning, and whether I had just missed something that would make it less surprising. Sometimes it seemed like ideas needed a bit more fleshing out to tell me what I needed to know. Still, I found my way through and enjoyed the liveliness of her wording. I write like this much of the time, so it was good to see someone else using a similar style.

As far as characterization, I really liked the characters. They were quite diverse, in appearance, jobs, mentality. I liked how different chapters had different viewpoints and knowledge bases, and these were kept separate quite carefully. I think the scene of Dade fishing near the end was nice, something he more or less deserved or would appreciate. Even when a character had bad points, they were usually endowed with good aspects too, which created rounder, better characters. The insight into pyromania, firefighting, addiction, family bonds, and mental illness seemed well-researched and fresh compared to what I have seen elsewhere. It made me wonder how much she knew before setting pen to paper and what led her to these niches of experience. Too often today is writing lazy, with authors sticking to what they know or what is popular, so these little details make Ziegler stand apart as an artisan in her characterizations.

The story moved along pretty well. It didn't lag, although the clip seemed to combust near the end in an almost hurried fashion. Things started to be mentioned rather than happen, and the ends that were so tangled may have been a bit frayed before they were neatly tied up. I think the death toll was a bit high, and I would like to know a bit more about what happened to Annie and her sister and even the lake after the book ends, but I suppose that leaves more room for another volume. Perhaps reading the Lake House book sometime will help clear some of this up.

All in all, the book was not perfect but its sins were forgiveable. I am glad to have read it and find its merits many. ( )

In a world that is completely filled with books, piled up in multiple warehouses and waiting for a home, it is difficult for an author like Irene Ziegler to shine. As I am sure you all know by now, I am a huge fan of uncovering those hidden shining gems and sharing them with you! Ashes to Water is without a doubt my favorite hidden gem this year. If the following review happens to make no sense and ends up entirely filled with ramblings, it is only because I still cannot seem to wrap my mind around how much I fell in love with this book. Let us begin shall we?

One of my absolute favorite parts about reading adult literature is being able to connect with the characters on a much deeper level. As much as I adore Young Adult books, I am past the point in which I resonate with those characters in my current life. They can remind me of what I once was, but only adult characters can actually show me who I may or may not want to be. Does that make sense? I hope so.

That being said, Annie is such a fantastic protagonist in this story. Her life as a whole is laid out in this story, and Irene has no qualms with sharing the less than favorable parts about who Annie is. As a character with understandable flaws, she was so easy for me to connect with and I fell in love with her instantly. From the first page I was completely invested in who she was and what she wanted to be. Sweet Annie, a photographer who loves her mother and cannot seem to let her go. Flawed Annie, who needs love and reassurance and is not always sure where to go to find it. I adored her! She made the book for me, and sticks with me even after finishing it. If she were a real person, I do believe she and I would get along quite well.

On the flip side we have Annie's sister Leigh. The yin to Annie's yang, Leigh projects herself as a self assured and confident female figure. Only when you read on do you begin to see the cracks in her shiny exterior, and as the story progresses they just grow more and more defined. Leigh definitely makes her fair share of bad decisions throughout the story. However she is written so that it is hard not to feel for her as a person. She knows the decisions that she makes aren't always the most intelligent, but she only stops to ponder them after they have been made. Leigh knows she needs help. That alone makes her favorable in my eyes.

Lest I make this book sound like some self help book, I must add that on top of all of the inner dialogue is a beautiful and well paced story line. Irene shines in her ability to write a story that will keep you guessing! There is both an arsonist and a murderer on the loose, and it has turned Annie's small hometown completely upside down. People begin to suspect one another, and no one is sure that they actually "know" one another anymore. One part mystery, one part introspective story, this is an exquisite book that will stay with me for a long time. Page turner is an understatement.

If you haven't decided that you must read it by now, I will leave you with this. There is a twist. Yes, a delicious twist at the end that will make your mouth gape open and possibly leave you wanting to applaud. I need a copy of both this book and the prequel. Stat. ( )

I love the author’s lyrical description of the part of Florida that she was describing. It was easy to sense that the author loves that area.
She artfully added comic touches and handled great sorrow, the mixed feelings of grief, regret of inadequacies equally as well. She handled a lot of mixed feelings of the main characters with a great deal of ease. The dialogue flowed very well.
Her characters were very well developed. It was great to get inside of their feelings and thoughts. I could understand the motivation of each of the main characters. It really adds to the book when the author explores the psychological make-up of the characters.
The only thing I would have preferred is to have fewer characters. Sometimes, I had to strain to remember who some of the minor characters were. If she could pare down her character list, I think she could be truly great author.
The ending of the book was an up and down ride through all the suspects and I did not guess who was the guilty one.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes mysteries with a psychological component. ( )