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    Starvation Lake
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    Starvation Lake
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    Starvation Lake
    Audiobook12 hours

    Starvation Lake

    Written by Bryan Gruley

    Narrated by Rich Orlow

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Bryan Gruley's debut mystery has received starred reviews from publications such as Booklist and Publishers Weekly. Disgraced reporter Gus Carpenter returns home to his small town and becomes embroiled in a murder investigation.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books Audio
    Release dateJan 4, 2010
    ISBN9781449810849
    Unavailable
    Starvation Lake
    Author

    Bryan Gruley

    Bryan Gruley is the Amazon Charts bestselling author of Bleak Harbor and the award-winning Starvation Lake trilogy of novels. He is also a lifelong journalist who is proud to have shared in the Pulitzer Prize awarded to the staff of the Wall Street Journal for their coverage of the September 11 terrorist attacks. Gruley lives in Chicago with his wife, Pam. You can learn more by visiting his website at www.bryangruley.com.

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    Reviews for Starvation Lake

    3.5/5

    139 ratings22 reviews

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      Gus Carpenter grew up in Starvation, a little town in Michigan. He eventually left town to became a reporter with the Detroit Times. The story that almost won him the Pulitzer Prize also lost him his job and his reputation. He returned to Starvation and the only job he could secure, as editor of the small town local paper working for his old boss. The townspeople haven't forgotten that Gus was the boy who allowed the winning goal that lost the local hockey team the state championship. His old coach drowned after his snowmobile fell through the ice of a local lake. But when pieces of the same snowmobile show up in another lake Gus starts to investigate what really happened, and finds more than he bargained for. This was a fantastic small town mystery story with interesting characters and a compelling story. I'll be looking forward to the next story Gruley writes.
    • 4/5
      A remarkable debut mystery full of reminders that small town life on the east side of Lake Michigan isn't all that different than small town life on my own west side of it. Of the many plot elements that I'm almost always a sucker for, being a reporter for a modest local newspaper ranks high on the list, so the protagonist in this one really works for me, and he's surrounded by all sorts of interesting folks, many of whom have secrets of their own. And even though hockey is way down my list of sports interests, Gruley makes that aspect of the story extremely interesting, as well. Heck, I may even have to add hockey to my existing list of baseball, college football and college hoops. A central element of the main plot of this one might make some people squeamish, and I won't reveal it since I don't want to spoil the story. Suffice it to say that it is handled as delicately as possible, but no one will confuse it with a Disney movie. As usual, there are some aspects to the story that didn't work well for me, in particular the collective level of denial in a small town and some of the things surrounding a female character who seemed to be forgotten in the end. But there will always be things to question in any story, and taken as a whole, this was a great outing. And after reading the author's comments at the end of the book, I'm convinced that Gruley is a guy I'd enjoy sharing a PBR or two with, whether on his side of the lake or my own.
    • 5/5
      Bryan Gruley's first mystery is a corker. What I liked best: the Northern Michigan setting, the hockey, the insight into the newspaper business, the "coming of age" feel portrayed in the character development.
      Starvation Lake was well plotted and hung together, paced well and had a few surprises (without abandoning logic). Off to find what else he's published :)
    • 4/5
      If you like hockey and intrigue, combined with small town friendships and politics, you'll enjoy this mystery! Many twists and turns. Keeps your interest until the very last page.
    • 1/5
      A truly awful book. Stilted dialogue, poor character development and a protagonist with a laughable 'past.' I have no idea how this was nominated for an Edgar
    • 4/5
      Liked the mystery, loved the setting, enjoyed the hockey references. Looking forward to reading the second book by Bryan Gruley. This was a great debut.
    • 4/5
      Very good mystery debut revolving around small town Michigan hockey. At the start of the book, I thought the town was a little too Mayberry RFD to be believable, but as the story went on it definitely won me over. I like the main character, Gus, but felt the hometown's sustained reaction to him allowing the goal that cost the Town a state championship to be overplayed. But well worth it overall.
    • 3/5
      Why do all mystery novels have to end with some sort of sex scandal? What happened to good old fashioned murder mysteries?
    • 4/5
      Coach Blackburn was a beloved hockey coach, in Starvation Lake, a small town in upstate Michigan. He was killed, when his snowmobile plunged beneath the ice, during a drunken night-time reverie. His body is never recovered. Ten years later, pieces of his snowmobile rise to the surface, but on a different lake five miles away.Gus Carpenter, the editor of the local paper, has had a shaky past with this town. He recently returned from a job at the “Detroit Times“, after a disgraceful scandal and is trying to put his life back together. He was also a popular goalie, under Coach Blackburn and decides to start his own investigation into the mysterious death of this legendary coach. This leads Gus down some dark dangerous avenues, that include both family and friends, the past and present and shocks him with some shattering revelations.This is an impressive debut novel; a perfect snap-shot of small town life, a glimpse into some very flawed characters, a nice dose of hockey, all captured in a frigid wintry setting. This is the first of a series and I’m looking forward to returning to Starvation Lake.
    • 4/5
      It is always nice reading a book that has some local interest. I like Gruley's writing style, and the mystery was interesting, there there was too much hockey in the storyline. I don't care what a deke is, or how to tape a goalie glove. It was a bit difficult keeping track of all the character's names, too. That being said, I will read his next one in the series.
    • 4/5
      Gus Carpenter left Starvation Lake to make a name for himself and to exonerate himself for a shame that had been lain on his shoulders when he was a boy playing hockey. He'd nearly done it too, but circumstances landed him back in his hometown, his image and reputation as a newspaper reporter tarnished. He works as an editor for the local paper in town, where his bosses prefer softer news to hard hitting stories. When new evidence surfaces about the death of his childhood hockey coach who had died many years before, several people in Starvation Lake would rather leave the past in the past. What was perceived as an accident all those years ago, is now being investigated as a murder. The more Gus discovers, the more he realizes just how little he knew his coach--and several of the other townsfolk.I went into the novel hoping for a fast-paced read but found the book to be slow going at first. The author took his time setting the background and preparing the reader for what was to come. I was never bored, however. I settled into the novel and let it suck me in. And suck me in it did. While the mystery is significant to the novel, so are the relationships and side stories presented on the pages of the book.The sense of place is strong throughout the novel. Starvation Lake by name alone doesn't sound like an inviting place to live, but it is a beautiful mountain lakeside town like many others (in my own reading and visualization of the town, it was like a mountain town, but CJ pointed out in her comment it isn't one. I've never been to Michigan and so have no reference--I tend to pull images out of my own memory or from pictures I've seen. When I read the next book I'll try and think Lake Elsinore instead of Lake Tahoe.). The name of the town is quite fitting in some respects--more than just for the reason given in the novel. The town has suffered its share of financial woes and is struggling to stay afloat. Business is hurting. The town is also full of secrets, some darker than others.As the story unfolded, it picked up speed and came together in a satisfying way. I feel like I was right there, alongside the characters. Each of the characters was fully developed, none without their own flaws. I liked the fact that the novel had so many layers to it. I am really curious about the author's next book in the series and hope to read it soon.
    • 4/5
      An alternate title for Starvation lake might have been "Living With Failure". Perhaps not as grabby, but certainly more descriptive of our protagonist and the richly detailed background that introduces all the characters. The story takes place at the town of Starvation Lake in the Lower Peninsula, Michigan. Gus Carpenter, both reporter and on-site management for The Pilot is well known in town for the goal that got past him in the crucial game, dooming his love as well as his career prospects, if not for good.....well, we don't know the rest, even at the story's conclusion, since there is a sequel already out. The plot and subplot are very intersting, very twisted in more than one sense of the word. Until close to the very end, the reader is very uncertain as to what the crime here actually is. I enjoyed this and will read Satrvation Lake #2. My only criticism of this book is that the resolution of the sub-plot, dealing with Gus's time in Detroit, is rather abrupt and a bit too pat.
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed this mystery. It kept my attention all the way to the end.
    • 5/5
      Through the eyes of Gus Carpenter, editor of the Starvation Lake Pilot, Bryan Gruley tells the story of tiny Starvation Lake in upstate Michigan, a town that has seen more than its share of opportunities fail to materialize. One of those missed opportunities was a shot at the state hockey championship that that ended badly due, in the minds of many, to a critical goaltending error on Gus’s part. From that moment on nothing seemed to go right for Starvation Lake. When the popular coach that turned the ragtag team into a legitimate contender dies in a tragic snowmobiling accident on a frozen lake the town goes all out to honor his memory. Now twenty years later part of the snowmobile washes ashore at a lake different from the one it supposedly was lost in. What could have happened? This question in itself wasn’t compelling enough to make me read the book when I first got it but when it started garnering award nominations I finally picked it up and started reading it and I’m glad I did. The story quickly gets a lot more complicated as Gus attempts to find out what really happened.Back when I was in journalism school my professor was fond of saying ‘The devil is in the details’. Gruley, a bureau chief for the Wall Street Journal, must have had the same professor. In ‘Starvation Lake’ he deftly spins multiple thin threads together into a thrilling story that threatens to turn Starvation Lake upside down. I highly recommend this book and am looking forward to the sequel due out in August.
    • 4/5
      Starvation Lake is a hockey-crazed town in Michigan. Gus Carpenter is the editor of the local newspaper, The Pilot. Gus was also a member of the only hockey team from Starvation Lake to make it to the state championship game. The mystery in the book surrounds the death ten years ago of Gus's former hockey coach, Coach Blackburn, when the coach's snowmobile went through the ice on the lake. Gus finds himself right in the middle of a re-opened investigation that brings to light many of the town's secrets. Good writing; a few loose ends left dangling at the end. Other than Gus, there wasn't a lot of character development. Very much a plot-driven book and an interesting take on America's willingness to turn a blind eye in the name of sports.
    • 3/5
      Just wasn't my thing. I love a good mystery, but it took too long to build the suspense in this one. A few elements were well foreshadowed with a surprise or two at the end, but all the detail about hockey games just bored me. Maybe a guy would find it more enjoyable. The characters are likable enough - although the language is adult and the subject matter at times is too. The writing itself is well done...but I skimmed long paragraphs about hockey game action and didn't seem to miss much as far as the story. Had I not been reading this for a group, I probably would have given up after the first 100 pages. The last 40 pages or so were good stuff, though - but again, it just took too long to build the mystery and any kind of suspense.I would bet there will be a continuation of the story with Gus...but I'll probably skip it.
    • 5/5
      Gus Carpenter returns to Starvation Lake after working as a reporter in Detroit and getting into trouble by withholding the name of his source.Gus runs "The Pilot," a local newspaper. He gets a call when a snowmobile washes up at Walleye Lake. After arriving, the sheriff will not give him any information but the vehicle is identified as belonging to legendary hockey coach, Jack Blackburn, who disappeared in 1988.The reader is able to see the events of 1970 when the coach first arrived from Canada. He soon began coaching and worked with a group of younger players so he could develop their talent. The talent improved and the team was able to challange for the state championship. At this time, the coach's fiery enthusiasm was contageous and he worked as a pitchman for developer, Francis Dufrense. People came to see the team play and liked the area and built homes there. However, the team came up one victory short of the title. Soon, the enthusiasm died down and after the coach disappeared, development dried up.With finding the snowmobile, secrets that had been hidden for years, gradually come out. What was the coach and his assistant hiding? Somehow, a number of the young men who played under the coach, seemed to change but no one could put it all together until Gus and his reporter, Joanne.This is a splendid debut novel. It is plot driven and includes well described characters. In particular, Gus and his friend, Soupy, have a reality that makes them seem like they are in the reader's own home town.The author has a background in hockey and in newspapers and has used that background to create a realistic, page-turning novel.
    • 4/5
      I used to read mystery novels incessantly. If you had looked at my reading list a decade ago it would have been chock full of John Sandford, Lawrence Block and Stuart Woods. I have to admit there was even a James Patterson novel or two thrown in there. I was also a sucker for true crime books.However, when my first child was born I found it harder and harder to read stories about crime and murder. To read about a parent meeting their demise or a child coming to a violent end was just too much for me. I need a break from the genre.As of this past week I am responsible for ordering mystery novels for the library. Hence a return to the genre I once loved. Starvation Lake, a solid debut by Bryan Gruley, was a great place to start. This is a solid thriller set in the northern part of lower Michigan. A disgraced reporter returns to his hometown to edit his local paper. Years ago, as the goalie for the local hockey team, he had allowed the winning goal in the state championship. He subsequently became the town goat and had a falling out with his coach. Years later his coach died in a snowmobile accident. The resurfacing of that snowmobile brings question to whether or not it was an accident.Worth a read if you like mysteries.
    • 4/5
      At first I was turned off by the hockey minutiae, but as I read on the suspense and excellent character development grabbed my interest. By the end of the book, I could not put it down until it was finished. Gus Carpenter edits the local newspaper in Starvation Lake, his home town to which he returned after a scandal in Detroit. The details of the scandal are not revealed immediately which is one of the mysteries in the book. I like the development of the relationships among the characters, although I thought the anger and resentment displayed toward Gus 20 years after his screwup in a hockey game was overdone. He ends up investigating the murder of his former high school hockey coach, and the outcome is quite a surprise. Gus learns a great deal about himself, parents, his friends and fellow townspeople.
    • 4/5
      Debut novel about Gus Carpenter, a small town journalist who begins a story he may not want to finish.This is a great first novel. The characters are quirky and bit too over-the-to[ at times, but still completely enjoyable. The small town setting is all too well described in the upper cold northern Michigan. And, the ending is very satisfying despite some unfinished business. If you like hockey, you'll really like this book.
    • 5/5
      Wow! An intelligent debut mystery that involves a bunch of well-developed characters who almost skate right off the page. I know absolutely nothing about ice hockey but I was swept up in this snowbound page-turner and couldn't put it down until I reached the last page. Well done, Mr. Gruley. I'm waiting for the next one....
    • 5/5
      WOW! What a debut work. Gruley has absolutely captured a small Michigan town, and it's inhabitants. If you are not a fan of hockey (as I am not), you'll learn a lot about it. But the best thing about Starvation Lake is Gruley's absolutely spot on inhabitants of this book. And I use "inhabitants" rather than "characters", because they come alive. I personally hate a book with 2 dimensional characterizations. I can't wait until Gruley comes out with the next Starvation Lake story. I'd be willing to bet that it won't be a direct to paperback, but a real hard-cover for Gruley next time. I wonder what Gus, Darlene, Dingus and Soupy will be up to then.