The Garden Under The Lake

By Miss Ifeoma Lolita Mokolo

Summary
The Garden Under the Lake is a sweeping, haunting, and ultimately hopeful novel set in the town of Rowena, where the serene Lake Rowena conceals a submerged Victorian garden entwined with the town's darkest secrets. The story opens with the discovery of a body among the lilies, setting off a chain of investigations and personal reckonings that unravel generations of pain, silence, and trauma.
At the heart of the narrative is Dr. Evelyn Shaw, a forensic psychologist haunted by her own past, and her estranged, artistically gifted daughter, Iris. Together with Detective Lucas Reed, tenacious reporter Helena Morse, tech-savvy best friend Marisol, rookie officer Jamie Patel, and brooding groundskeeper Owen Locke, they are drawn into a mystery that echoes the tragedies of decades past, including the disappearance of girls linked to a secretive ritual and the founding families of Rowena.
As more bodies surface, each arranged with symbolic flowers and blue ribbons, the group uncovers a pattern of generational trauma, conspiracy, and silence. The investigation leads to hidden letters, old confessions, and a series of discoveries in the abandoned boathouse, the cellar, and the forgotten orchard. Central to the mystery is the "circle"-a pact of girls from the founding families, whose attempts to protect the town with rituals only invited more loss. Edith Grant, the mayor's mother and a survivor of the original circle, becomes a pivotal figure as old secrets come to light.
Iris, plagued by visions and dreams of the garden and the missing girls, gradually realizes she is the latest "keeper" in a chain meant to bear the burden of remembrance. The climax unfolds as the community confronts the truth during a festival, with confessions and forgiveness breaking the cycle of violence. The town's wounds are exposed and, through collective action-public memorials, open confessions, and the creation of a new commemorative garden-the cycle is at last broken.
The narrative closes with a series of epilogues set over the following year, chronicling the town's healing: the villains are named, the innocent exonerated, and the keepers of secrets unburdened. Iris, now grown and ready to explore the world, leaves Rowena carrying the lessons of her home-the melding of memory, forgiveness, and growth. The hush that once weighed down the lake transforms into a gentle blessing, as the garden under the lake, once a symbol of suppressed grief, becomes a testament to resilience, community, and the enduring power of truth.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0FJ7FSPXK
• ISBN13: 9798293250462
• Release Date: July 2025
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 162 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.0" x 9.0"