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