Sarah Bailey is a Melbourne based writer with a background in advertising and communications. She has two young children and currently works as a director of creative projects company Mr Smith. Over the past five years she has written a number of short stories and opinion pieces. The Dark Lake is her first novel.
"THE DARK LAKE hooked me from page one! Sarah Bailey combines the
very best elements in this stunning debut thriller--a troubled
detective still trying to find her way as a female investigator, a
small town haunted by secrets both past and present, and a
beautiful victim whose unsettling allure appears to be her biggest
asset and largest downfall. With clever twists and all-too-human
characters, this book will keep you racing toward the end."―Lisa
Gardner, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Right Behind You
and Find Her
"THE DARK LAKE is a stunning debut that gripped me from page one
and never eased up. Dark, dark, dark--but infused with insight,
pathos, a great sense of place, and razor-sharp writing. It's going
to be big and Sarah Bailey needs to clear a shelf for awards."―C.
J. Box, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Vicious Circle and
Open Season
"Police work comes easily to Det. Sgt. Gemma Woodstock, the
narrator of Australian author Bailey's stellar first novel...Bailey
interweaves her sympathetic protagonist's past and present with
uncommon assurance...a page-turner that's both tense and thought
provoking."―Publishers Weekly
"The Dark Lake is a mesmerizing thriller full of long buried
secrets that sucked me right in and kept me up late turning pages.
Gemma Woodstock is a richly flawed and completely authentic
character - I loved going on this journey with her and the way the
truth of her past was revealed in bits and pieces as we went along.
Sarah Bailey has crafted an exquisite debut - I can't wait to see
what she does next!"―Jennifer McMahon, New York Times bestselling
author of The Winter People
"I read THE DARK LAKE in one sitting, it's that good. A crime
thriller that seizes you from the first page and slowly draws you
into a web of deception and long buried secrets. Beautifully
written, compulsively readable, and highly recommended."―Douglas
Preston, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Lost City of
the Monkey God and co-author of the bestselling Pendergast
series
"A compelling debut."―Booklist
"I raced through this deliciously complicated, mesmerizing debut at
warp speed. Sarah Bailey's THE DARK LAKE is sure to keep readers
awake far too late into the night."―Karen Dionne, author The Marsh
King's Daughter
"Enthralling... Sarah Bailey's debut delivers a multilayered police
procedural with strong characters whose emotions both assist and
interfere with their work. The Dark Lake also balances an intricate
story of a community with an intimate look at police detectives...
Bailey uses solid character development and superior storytelling,
rather than violence, to fuel The Dark Lake, and she is off to an
excellent start in this launch of a series."―Oline Cogdill,
Associated Press
"There are echoes of Tana French in the novel... A satisfying
mystery novel with a relatable heroine."―Kirkus Reviews
"Australian author Bailey's first novel weaves a tale of deception,
family secrets, and flawed but relatable characters... Several
smaller mysteries and background characters make this a worthwhile
read for fans of fellow detective-focused authors Tana French and
Lisa Gardner."―Library Journal
![]() |
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
![]() |