Black Lake Manor Plot Summary
Black Lake Manor is a locked-door mystery that revolves around Ella Manning, a Marine Biologist and part-time constable who is invited to Black Lake Manor to a party held by tech billionaire Lincoln Shan and her ex-boyfriend Lincoln Shan. When a storm traps her and six other people in Black Lake Manor, things get a little worse when Shan is found dead in his office with his heart missing.
Ella must find the killer but things prove to be difficult since every time she makes a step in the right direction the killer rewinds time. There are a lot of things to do with time and timelines in this book, and the locked door mystery is complicated enough with the rewinding of time, but there is another story that is told between the pages, so let’s explain those questions:
What happened with the crew of the Pride of Whitby?
The Pride of Whitby is a ship that was caught in a storm and crashed off the coast of Panhena, Vancouver Island. The crash was witnessed by Maquina, the chief of the Mowachaht tribe and an outsider and companion Jewitt. While Jewitt wants to save the men of the ship, Maquina reminds him that they did not have enough food to feed extra mouths and doing so would put their tribe in danger. As a result, they leave the men to their fate, unaware that they are leaving them to a much more horrific fate.
A few men survived the crash and found themselves trapped in a nearby cave. The few that were left slowly died from their injuries leaving only three men alive. The Bosun, Captain Ross, and Seaman Cooper. Without any food or a way out, the Captain decides to kill Cooper for survival, much to the horror of the Bosun. However, soon he gives into Ross’s persuasion and helps Ross with his plan. The guilt and mental toll of what they had done soon take a toll on the Bosun, and he slowly starves himself to death, leaving Ross, who had eaten, to escape on his own.
What is the Wolf?
The wolf appears to Captain Ross after he eats Cooper. It is fully taking part in the act of cannibalism itself that summons the wolf to him. Ross first hears the wolf after he swallows Cooper’s flesh. It’s heavily implied that the Bosun didn’t hear the wolf because even though he tasted flesh, he never swallowed it, and did not choose to take part in cannibalism (even though he helped to kill Cooper), instead being sick every time the Captain tried to get him to eat.
The wolf is a spirit that appears to someone who has become Hamasta. It is the reason why Captain Ross survives the caves leading him outside. It also leads him to Mowachaht village.
What is Hamasta?
Hamasta is an honour given to someone who takes part in cannibalism. It is normally done through a ritual and Ceremony and seen as a great honour amongst the Mowachaht. Over time, it was phased out of their traditions, especially with the young generation. By the time it got to the story the Mowachahts had phased it out completely, but with all things some people still held the belief.
Who are the Akhaht?
After the Captain made it to the village, he had a run-in with Jewitt the other outsider. Believing that chief Maquina would kick him out of the village because now there were two outsiders, Jewitt and Ross had an altercation that resulted in the Captain being expelled from the village. Since there were still some people who still believed in the Hamasta tradition, when the captain left, they went with him. These people along with the Captain made up a tribe called the Akhaht (of course, their name comes from the Mowachaht), to make trade more possible for them as they try to survive.
How could the killer rewind time?
The killer can rewind time because of the Hamasta. The ability to rewind time is a gift given to them by the wolf spirit. Only Akhaht people have this ability, as it was passed down from the descendants of the Captain and those who took part in the Hamasta ceremony after they left the village. As stated before, the Hamasta eventually was phased out, but by then the call of the wolf was passed down throughout the generations, so even though they don’t take part in the ceremony, they still have the ability.
Now that we’ve answered some of the questions in Black Lake Manor, you can go on to enjoy the main mystery of the novel.
Have you read Black Lake Manor? Comment below and let us know!
Read More: Black Lake Manor Book Review