"House by the Devil’s Lake" by Tatyana Korsakova, summary Automatic translate

The novel "The House by the Devil’s Lake" is a mystical detective story by renowned author Tatyana Korsakova, written in 2009. The central plot revolves around a mysterious will and an ancient curse that unites the destinies of three former classmates thirteen years after a dramatic breakup. The book combines elements of love drama, family secrets, and paranormal phenomena, all set in a remote provincial town.

Notary’s conditions

Varvara Savelyeva reluctantly returns to her homeland, which she always considered a joyless backwater and a "black hole." She spent the last thirteen years living in the capital, trying to overcome the fears of her youth. The reason for her visit was a letter from notary Veniamin Kukushkin. It announced that the late millionaire Leonid Poklonsky had left Varvara, rock musician Vladislav Voronin (aka Voron), and the city’s new mayor, Dmitry Zhuanov, an unusual inheritance.

Each applicant is entitled to three hundred thousand dollars, as well as equal shares of the restored mansion on Devil’s Lake. The notary announces the deceased’s strict condition: applicants are required to live in the mysterious house for six nights. Every midnight, they must gather in the main hall for a telephone call with the executor. Anyone who misses the call forfeits their share of the estate.

Secrets of the school past

A reunion of former classmates at the office reopens old wounds. During her school years, Varya was a poor, quiet, straight-A student whose father was a binge alcoholic. After her mother’s death, the girl grew up in constant fear of child welfare and the orphanage. Yulia Sivtsova, the school’s number one beauty, forced Varya to clean her apartment for free, threatening to report her mother to social services.

During those same years, an event occurred that changed the lives of the characters. Dmitry Zhuanov, Vlad Voronin, and Leshka Samorukov (Einstein) organized a party for the Old New Year. Yulia Sivtsova challenged the guys to a cynical billiards bet. The winner would receive Yulia herself as the grand prize, and the loser would have to spend the night in Varvara’s bedroom. Vlad deliberately lost the game to Zhuanov, refusing to participate in the dirty deal.

Vlad and Varya’s forced proximity in the cold Zhuanov house blossomed into a truly profound relationship. The young people began dating, overcoming the sidelong glances of their classmates. Vlad protected Varya from street bullies and surrounded her with care. However, their happiness was short-lived due to Savelyeva’s father’s morbid obsession.

Varya’s father believed in an ancient family curse, according to which all women in their family died after the birth of their first child. Seeing Vlad with his daughter, the man lost his mind with fear. He brutally beat Varvara, trying to "save" her from death. Vlad found his bloodied and unconscious lover, called an ambulance, and told the truth to investigators. The man was placed in a psychiatric hospital, and Varya hated Vlad for "betraying" her father.

Paranormal activity in the mansion

Returning to Poklonsky’s restored Gothic castle, the heroes encounter terrifying evil. The mayor’s wife, Yulia, and model Darina, Vlad’s companion, join the group. Alexey Samorukov, who studies anomalous phenomena, also appears in the house. On her very first night, Darina is attacked in her sleep by an invisible entity, leaving deep cat-like scratches on her chest. The frightened girl then leaves.

Yulia Zhuanova is then found hanging in her own bedroom. She survives thanks to Vlad, but is in a semi-mad state. She claims she was driven to suicide by the ghost of Barbara, the house’s former owner. The next day, Yulia is hospitalized with severe fractures after falling down the stairs.

Varvara suspects the Zhuanovs are staging a diabolical plot using hallucinogenic gases and holograms. The mayor is eager to eliminate his competitors, as the land near the lake has skyrocketed in value for the construction of an elite resort. To eliminate Varya, Dmitry even arranges for her to be falsely arrested in the city, posing as a drug addict, but Alexey Samorukov rescues her on his motorcycle.

Barbara’s story and the origins of the curse

Alexey Samorukov shows the heirs archival documents about the estate’s first owner, the Dutchman Sebastian Guano. It turns out that three hundred years ago, the builders walled the merchant’s dark-haired mistress, Barbara, alive into the basement wall as a "construction sacrifice." Before her death, the walled-in woman cursed the mason who stole her gold medallion and the artist Pantelei Poklonsky, who knew of the crime but remained silent.

Barbara’s curse condemned the women of the stonemason’s family (Varya’s ancestor) to die at the birth of their first child. The descendants of the artist Poklonsky, including Alexei Samorukov himself, were punished with incurable blindness. Millionaire Leonid Poklonsky, dying, attempted to gather all the descendants of those involved in that long-ago tragedy in a restored castle to appease the rebellious spirit.

The Finale and the Showdown

On the fifth night, Varya proposes a game of billiards for their share of the inheritance. Vlad and Zhuanov agree. Varvara, secretly trained by the renowned billiards master Mark Sigismundovich, masterfully defeats both men. Zhuanov, enraged, refuses to admit defeat. That night, the drunken mayor stumbles, falls into the fireplace, and is burned to death. Vlad, dejected by the events, gives Varya his share and leaves the mansion.

Alexey Samorukov convinces Varya to go down to the basement to find Barbara’s remains. After opening a stone niche, Einstein unexpectedly hits Varya on the head. He confesses to having made a deal with the ghost: Barbara promised to restore his sight if he provided her with Savelyeva’s body for the soul’s transmigration. Upon awakening, Varya senses the approach of the mystical rite of transmigration. Vlad runs into the basement, remembering his school vision and realizing that Varya is in danger of dying.

Vlad manages to speak with Barbara’s ghost. Recalling his love for her, he convinces her to release Varya and forgive her former tormentors. Touched, Barbara’s spirit frees the girl and walks along a moonlit path to heaven, taking the curse with her. The old house, deprived of its guardian, begins to crumble. Vlad and Varya manage to escape, but Einstein finds himself trapped in the collapsed hall beneath a heavy fallen chandelier. The lovers reconcile to the sound of the notary’s phone ringing, beginning a new chapter in their lives.