The Secret of Spirit Lake

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Author(s)

Jane Haltmaier

Publisher Name

Palmetto Publishing

Genre(s)

Age Range

13+

Release Date

August 19, 2025

ISBN13

979-8318803611

ISBN10 or ASIN

The Secret of Spirit Lake follows young Amy, a teen who is heartbroken when she must leave the only home she’s ever known to move with her family into a grand Victorian house on a quiet North Carolina lake. As she grapples with her feelings of isolation, Amy discovers the tower bedroom, where whispers of the past linger.

Eighty-five years earlier, orphaned nanny Penny is determined to protect the children in her care from hidden dangers within the same house. As their worlds intertwine through a restless spirit haunting the tower, Amy must delve into a mystery surrounding the spirit’s past to uncover a long-buried truth about Penny’s fate.

The Secret of Spirit Lake is a haunting tale of courage, friendship, and bonds that transcend time. Drawing from living on a lake in Locust Grove, Virginia, author Jane Haltmaier’s love of swimming, and memories of growing up in an old New England house, Jane weaves atmospheric settings with resilient, relatable characters. She believes the heart of a good story lies in protagonists who face challenges and rise to meet them, like the teenage girls she mentored in her book clubs.

User reviews

1 review

Overall rating

4.3

Writing Style

4.0(1)

Plot

5.0(1)

Characters

4.0(1)

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A(0)

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The Secret of Spirit Lake Book Review

March 14, 2026 (Updated: June 04, 2026)

Overall rating

4.3

Writing Style

4.0

Plot

5.0

Characters

4.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

The Secret of Spirit Lake by Jane Haltmaier is a mystery that follows two girls whose lives connect across different time periods. In the present day, Amy is a fourteen-year-old who has just moved to a small town in upstate New York because her parents want to open a watersports store. She misses her old life and has a hard time fitting in at first. Things get weirder when she learns that the old Victorian house her family moved into may be haunted by a girl named Penny who disappeared years ago.

The story also takes readers back to 1938, where we meet Penny. After losing her parents in a fire, she is sent to live with relatives in the same house Amy now lives in, even staying in the same tower room. As Amy starts hearing strange noises at night, she and her friend Marissa begin trying to figure out what really happened to Penny all those years ago.

What I liked most about the book is how the story switches between Amy and Penny’s lives. Even though they lived in different times, they both deal with loneliness and big changes that they did not ask for. That made their experiences feel real and easy to understand. I also liked how small details, like the tower room and the lake, slowly connect the past and the present. The mystery kept me curious about what really happened, and I enjoyed seeing the clues come together. By the end, I could clearly picture the town, and the people in it, and the story stayed on my mind even after I finished reading.

Good Points

- Interesting mystery that connects two girls from different time periods

- Ghost story elements that add suspense

- Easy to follow even though it switches between the past and present

- Relatable main character dealing with moving and fitting in

- Strong atmosphere

- The clues slowly build up to a satisfying reveal!