Redemption Lake is a detective story, but more. It is about the effect of a outrageous act of murder on the living. A boy's struggle to find himself after being seduced into the world of adult secrets is central to the story though everyone in the circle of family and acquaintances is effected. Love, responsibility to protect others, and new and old guilts drag at this sensitive eighteen year old. Adults talk at him, but no one knows what he faces. His courage and his eventual moral triumph are contrasted with an esteemed ethics and philosophy professor's failures. This man is the father whom the boy has admired and to whom he has given his loyalty. The question, "Who are you?" looms in the minds of both father and son. The answers make this a memorable and significant novel.
It is a very satisfying read although as it deals with issues as searingly primal as a profound Greek drama. Ultimately, it is also a testament to the human spirit and the heights that the best of us may reach.
