Shore Lodge by Susan Specht Oram – Review by Tara Johnson Barnes
Shore Lodge: A high-stakes psychological thriller by Susan Specht Oram
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Jacklyn Stone is struggling to overcome the sudden death of her husband. She is trying to wade her way through the grieving process but feels overwhelmed by the myriad of emotions that she is experiencing. After losing the love of her life Jacklyn feels lost and lonely without him and often feels extreme guilt over having not been able to save her husband. At other times she feels anger over the secrets that her husband kept hidden from her during their marriage.
Jacklyn is usually strong and outgoing but now she struggles to keep herself going and chooses to stay home reading instead. Normally a competent business woman Jacklyn now finds her once thriving business starting to flounder. She feels as though she is losing a grip on her life and in the midst of her grief starts to make small mistakes. Her son, Dusty, and her daughter, Rose, are concerned about their mom’s mental health so they offer to take her on a mini vacation to a retreat where she can relax and heal.
Jacklyn is hesitant to go to the retreat but once she sees the beautiful surroundings she feels as though this might be just what she needed to heal. However, once inside Shore Lodge she soon discovers that there is something far more sinister at work. Jacklyn soon discovers that it is actually a psychiatric facility and that she has no hope of ever leaving. Her children have not only lied to her, but they have abandoned her and had her committed. Cut off from the outside world Jacklyn struggles to maintain her sanity and find a way to escape from the facility.
This book was a roller coaster ride of emotions for me. I felt great empathy for Jacklyn and my heart broke for her to see what her children did to her. She was grieving the loss of her husband of 37 years and rather than show compassion her children had her committed to a psychiatric facility. Then being spoken to and treated as though she was crazy by the staff made me cringe and I wanted to scream at them for mistreating Jacklyn.
Dusty seemed kind and caring initially and at first glance he seems to have his mom’s best interests at heart. It does not take long to realize that all he cares about is himself and his own gain. Dusty made me so angry that he took advantage of his mom like that when she was experiencing such loss and trauma. He was the epitome of evil and is clearly a narcissist who could not see beyond his own selfish needs with no thought to how it effected others. I could not fathom ever doing such horrible things to my own mother or being so cruel and heartless. Rose seemed as though she was just too wrapped up in her own life and her pursuit of a career to find time for her mom. It was easier to let someone else take charge so she could do her own thing. In time, it seems that Rose does care for her mom and wants to help her. Whether Rose felt guilty and changed her mind about having her mom committed, or she had a change of heart, is the question.
This book was intense from start to finish and will have you questioning who you truly trust! A must read for anyone looking for a psychological thriller.
