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The Lake of Lost Girls
Told in alternating timelines, The Lake of Lost Girls is a haunting novel that will thrill fans of All Good People Here and We Are All the Same in the Dark.
Using suspenseful podcast clips to weave a twisty tale of a missing student and her sister who is desperate for answers, The Lake of Lost Girls is perfect for fans of I Have Some Questions for You.
It's 1998, and female students are going missing at Southern State University in North Carolina. But freshman Jessica Fadley, once a bright and responsible student, is going through her own struggles. Just as her life seems to be careening dangerously out of control, she suddenly disappears.
Twenty-four years later, Jessica's sister Lindsey is desperately searching for answers and uses the momentum of a new chart-topping true crime podcast, Ten Seconds to Vanish, that focuses on the cold cases, to guide her own investigation. Soon, interest reaches fever pitch when the bodies of the long-missing women begin turning up at a local lake, which leads Lindsey down a disturbing road of discovery.
In the present, one sister seeks to untangle a complicated web of lies.
In the past, the other descends ever deeper into a darkness that will lead to her ultimate fate.
This propulsive and chilling suspense is a sharp examination of sisterhood and the culture of true crime.
Using suspenseful podcast clips to weave a twisty tale of a missing student and her sister who is desperate for answers, The Lake of Lost Girls is perfect for fans of I Have Some Questions for You.
It's 1998, and female students are going missing at Southern State University in North Carolina. But freshman Jessica Fadley, once a bright and responsible student, is going through her own struggles. Just as her life seems to be careening dangerously out of control, she suddenly disappears.
Twenty-four years later, Jessica's sister Lindsey is desperately searching for answers and uses the momentum of a new chart-topping true crime podcast, Ten Seconds to Vanish, that focuses on the cold cases, to guide her own investigation. Soon, interest reaches fever pitch when the bodies of the long-missing women begin turning up at a local lake, which leads Lindsey down a disturbing road of discovery.
In the present, one sister seeks to untangle a complicated web of lies.
In the past, the other descends ever deeper into a darkness that will lead to her ultimate fate.
This propulsive and chilling suspense is a sharp examination of sisterhood and the culture of true crime.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published November 5, 2024
1,314 people are currently reading
83.2k people want to read
About the author
Katherine Greene
2 books393 followersKatherine Greene is the pen name of bestselling authors A. Meredith Walters and Claire C. Riley. They each cut their teeth on spine-tingling thrillers and true crime and their love of dark, twisted tales with a strong female voice led them to create stories that leave you guessing. Both currently live in the United Kingdom with their families.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,514 reviews
November 19, 2024
THIS AUDIOBOOK!!!!!! 😍
November 29, 2024
You know that sharp gasp you make when a thriller completely blindsides you? Yeah, I had that gasp. Oh man, this world is dark and twisted, and of course, this book just had to remind me of it. From the moment I read the description, I knew I was in for some seriously uncomfortable moments—and wow, it delivered. I was squirming, in the best way.
Right from the start, the stage is set. Something tragic has gone down, but who’s responsible? We’re introduced to a whole lineup of characters, some of whom are immediately sketchy. Like, yes, you're all deeply messed up, and honestly, any of you could’ve done something awful. The book wastes no time spilling secrets early on, which left me wondering: is this going to be painfully predictable, or is the author gearing up for a mind-blowing twist? It felt like everything was a little too obvious—but not quite. There was this nagging sense that something bigger was lurking beneath the surface, and I couldn’t shake it. My anticipation kept climbing, like when someone is dishing out gossip and you know they’re saving the juiciest part for last.
The whole experience was beautifully chaotic. It really drives home how little we sometimes know about the people around us, even when we think we’ve got them figured out.
As for pacing, it was mostly solid. Sure, there were a few sections that dragged a bit, maybe could’ve been trimmed, but nothing that derailed the story for me. I love when authors can completely throw me off track, and this one did just that. It was a brilliant read, and my mind is officially bent for the week. I can’t wait for more people to pick this up—it’s one wild ride.
Right from the start, the stage is set. Something tragic has gone down, but who’s responsible? We’re introduced to a whole lineup of characters, some of whom are immediately sketchy. Like, yes, you're all deeply messed up, and honestly, any of you could’ve done something awful. The book wastes no time spilling secrets early on, which left me wondering: is this going to be painfully predictable, or is the author gearing up for a mind-blowing twist? It felt like everything was a little too obvious—but not quite. There was this nagging sense that something bigger was lurking beneath the surface, and I couldn’t shake it. My anticipation kept climbing, like when someone is dishing out gossip and you know they’re saving the juiciest part for last.
The whole experience was beautifully chaotic. It really drives home how little we sometimes know about the people around us, even when we think we’ve got them figured out.
As for pacing, it was mostly solid. Sure, there were a few sections that dragged a bit, maybe could’ve been trimmed, but nothing that derailed the story for me. I love when authors can completely throw me off track, and this one did just that. It was a brilliant read, and my mind is officially bent for the week. I can’t wait for more people to pick this up—it’s one wild ride.
November 28, 2024
A book made for true crime aficionados, podcast premise lovers, or anyone looking for a thoroughly chilling read, The Lake of Lost Girls had me spellbound from the very first page. From the evocatively drawn small town setting to the true-to-life characters, the well-rounded feel of this thrilling tale of dark academia mixed with domestic suspense left me utterly breathless. After all, between the dual POVs and the mixed media format, I was easily sucked into the rising tension and eerie feel that managed to permeate the novel.
The characters definitely deserve some resounding applause. Keeping my eye moving between multiple suspicious personas, each took center stage at one time or another in my side-eye for sure. But Lindsey and Jess were easily my favorites. Both sending shockwaves of emotion into the plot, I was head over heels as each of their worlds imploded on either side of twenty-four years. Flawed, raw, and compelling, they were both everything you could want in a narrator—at least for this reading snob.
My only problem was with the twists. You see, I sadly managed to guess each one before it was laid at my feet. Partially down to my own insatiable appetite for all things suspense, the deftly obscured clues gave themselves away just a tad early. Had I not seen them coming, however, the hairpin turns would have been earth-shattering to be sure. Nicely woven into the plot, they all took the shock value of the premise and smoothly dialed it up to eleven.
All in all, with delicious dysfunctional family dynamics, uncomfortable yet dynamite themes, and a depth I wasn’t expecting, I was still blown away by this unputdownable novel. From the insightful narrative flow to the cliffhanger chapters, I was driven to read one more chapter more times than I can recall. And that ending! What can I say? You’re either going to love it or hate it, but I guarantee you definitely won’t forget it. Either way, I’m already eager to read whatever this dynamite writing duo comes up with next. Rating of 4.5 stars.
SYNOPSIS:
It’s 1998, and female students are going missing at Southern State University in North Carolina, but freshman Jessica Fadley, once a bright and responsible student, is going through her own struggles. Just as her life seems to be careening dangerously out of control, she suddenly disappears.
Twenty-four years later, Jessica’s sister Lindsey is desperately searching for answers and uses the momentum of a new chart-topping true crime podcast that focuses on cold cases to guide her own investigation. Soon, interest reaches fever pitch when the bodies of the long-missing women begin turning up at a local lake, which leads Lindsey down a disturbing road of discovery.
In the present, one sister searches to untangle a complicated web of lies.
In the past, the other descends ever deeper into a darkness that will lead to her ultimate fate.
Thank you to Katherine Greene and Crooked Lane Books for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: November 5, 2024
Trigger warning: missing persons, alcohol abuse, inappropriate sexual relationship, grooming, drunk driving, mention of: infidelity
The characters definitely deserve some resounding applause. Keeping my eye moving between multiple suspicious personas, each took center stage at one time or another in my side-eye for sure. But Lindsey and Jess were easily my favorites. Both sending shockwaves of emotion into the plot, I was head over heels as each of their worlds imploded on either side of twenty-four years. Flawed, raw, and compelling, they were both everything you could want in a narrator—at least for this reading snob.
My only problem was with the twists. You see, I sadly managed to guess each one before it was laid at my feet. Partially down to my own insatiable appetite for all things suspense, the deftly obscured clues gave themselves away just a tad early. Had I not seen them coming, however, the hairpin turns would have been earth-shattering to be sure. Nicely woven into the plot, they all took the shock value of the premise and smoothly dialed it up to eleven.
All in all, with delicious dysfunctional family dynamics, uncomfortable yet dynamite themes, and a depth I wasn’t expecting, I was still blown away by this unputdownable novel. From the insightful narrative flow to the cliffhanger chapters, I was driven to read one more chapter more times than I can recall. And that ending! What can I say? You’re either going to love it or hate it, but I guarantee you definitely won’t forget it. Either way, I’m already eager to read whatever this dynamite writing duo comes up with next. Rating of 4.5 stars.
SYNOPSIS:
It’s 1998, and female students are going missing at Southern State University in North Carolina, but freshman Jessica Fadley, once a bright and responsible student, is going through her own struggles. Just as her life seems to be careening dangerously out of control, she suddenly disappears.
Twenty-four years later, Jessica’s sister Lindsey is desperately searching for answers and uses the momentum of a new chart-topping true crime podcast that focuses on cold cases to guide her own investigation. Soon, interest reaches fever pitch when the bodies of the long-missing women begin turning up at a local lake, which leads Lindsey down a disturbing road of discovery.
In the present, one sister searches to untangle a complicated web of lies.
In the past, the other descends ever deeper into a darkness that will lead to her ultimate fate.
Thank you to Katherine Greene and Crooked Lane Books for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: November 5, 2024
Trigger warning: missing persons, alcohol abuse, inappropriate sexual relationship, grooming, drunk driving, mention of: infidelity
November 6, 2024
2 Stars
I came for the alluring premise—a newly reopened cold-case about missing college girls from the nineties—but soon upon starting, I wanted it to be over quickly, because of the odious one-dimensional characters and their awkwardly stilted dialogue, among other things.
Firstly, I should acknowledge that I called the “mystery” of it all VERY early into the story (around chapter 4). To me, it was GLARINGLY OBVIOUS who the unhinged character was by the things they were saying/not saying, literally from their first presence on page, and because of this, the wow factor of what actually happened to the missing girls (and why) was never quite there for me.
Lack of surprise aside, I also struggled with the portrayals of practically every character in this story. I always have a very hard time reading (any kind of fiction story) when I don’t like or care for the characters involved, and that quickly became apparent in my experience here.
It was one of those stories where each sub-set of characters were exactly the same as each other, and extremely so. By that I mean: ALL the men were predatory creeps that gave major ick vibes with every word spoken, ALL the women were emotionally stunted child-adults, seeking/partaking extremely unhealthy relationships with the men in their lives, and ALL the cops investigating the case were inept buffoons who couldn’t tell a CLEARLY CONNECTED string of disappearances from the freckles on their arses.
That is to say, the author’s personal sentiments felt like they came across hard and fast, especially regarding the untrustworthy, lecherous nature of (apparently all!?) men, the failings of law enforcement at the most basic levels of competency, and even, the small-minds of small-town folk who hate outsiders, and so on. For me, it was a lot of negative archetypes and a lot of preach, and it was damn distracting—again, this struck me very early into the story (literally from the first random podcast rant onward).
Don’t get me wrong, it was an extremely easy book to read, so points for that, but the story, the characters, and even the conclusion of the mystery at hand left a lot to be desired, at least for me personally. I love thriller-suspense stories and I love whodunnit-mysteries, but this just didn’t hit for me on either count. If you don’t read much in this genre, this may have a bigger, more positive impact—perhaps it could even read as intriguing in its telling and reveals—but if you’ve got a mind for this kind of thing, I highly doubt much will shock or excite you here.
***A special thanks to the publishers (via Netgalley) for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I came for the alluring premise—a newly reopened cold-case about missing college girls from the nineties—but soon upon starting, I wanted it to be over quickly, because of the odious one-dimensional characters and their awkwardly stilted dialogue, among other things.
Firstly, I should acknowledge that I called the “mystery” of it all VERY early into the story (around chapter 4). To me, it was GLARINGLY OBVIOUS who the unhinged character was by the things they were saying/not saying, literally from their first presence on page, and because of this, the wow factor of what actually happened to the missing girls (and why) was never quite there for me.
Lack of surprise aside, I also struggled with the portrayals of practically every character in this story. I always have a very hard time reading (any kind of fiction story) when I don’t like or care for the characters involved, and that quickly became apparent in my experience here.
It was one of those stories where each sub-set of characters were exactly the same as each other, and extremely so. By that I mean: ALL the men were predatory creeps that gave major ick vibes with every word spoken, ALL the women were emotionally stunted child-adults, seeking/partaking extremely unhealthy relationships with the men in their lives, and ALL the cops investigating the case were inept buffoons who couldn’t tell a CLEARLY CONNECTED string of disappearances from the freckles on their arses.
That is to say, the author’s personal sentiments felt like they came across hard and fast, especially regarding the untrustworthy, lecherous nature of (apparently all!?) men, the failings of law enforcement at the most basic levels of competency, and even, the small-minds of small-town folk who hate outsiders, and so on. For me, it was a lot of negative archetypes and a lot of preach, and it was damn distracting—again, this struck me very early into the story (literally from the first random podcast rant onward).
Don’t get me wrong, it was an extremely easy book to read, so points for that, but the story, the characters, and even the conclusion of the mystery at hand left a lot to be desired, at least for me personally. I love thriller-suspense stories and I love whodunnit-mysteries, but this just didn’t hit for me on either count. If you don’t read much in this genre, this may have a bigger, more positive impact—perhaps it could even read as intriguing in its telling and reveals—but if you’ve got a mind for this kind of thing, I highly doubt much will shock or excite you here.
***A special thanks to the publishers (via Netgalley) for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
December 22, 2024
Step into the world of Southern State University in Mt. Randall, North Carolina, circa 1998, where a sinister mystery unfolds. Female students are vanishing without a trace, and Jessica Fadley is about to become the fourth victim. But what led to her disappearance? And will her sister, Lindsey, uncover the truth twenty-four years later?
Katherine Greene's "The Lake of Lost Girls" is an absolute gem of a thriller. From the moment I started the first chapter, I was captivated by the gripping storyline. This may be my first encounter with Greene's work, but it certainly won't be my last. Her storytelling prowess is unmatched, keeping readers glued to the pages until the very end.
What sets this book apart is its unique format. With podcast episodes, flashback chapters from alternating perspectives, and even social media posts scattered throughout, the narrative feels fresh and dynamic. Each chapter seamlessly flows into the next, making it impossible to put the book down until every last mystery is unraveled.
As the story hurtles towards its climax, I found myself on the edge of my seat, getting chills with each twist and turn. Greene expertly surpassed my already high expectations, delivering a finale that left me reeling. "The Lake of Lost Girls" is a thrilling rollercoaster ride that will keep you guessing until the very end.
If you're a fan of thrillers with a unique format and unexpected twists, look no further than "The Lake of Lost Girls." Greene's masterful storytelling will leave you breathless and eager for more. This book is an absolute must-read that will linger in your thoughts long after you've turned the final page.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Katherine Greene's "The Lake of Lost Girls" is an absolute gem of a thriller. From the moment I started the first chapter, I was captivated by the gripping storyline. This may be my first encounter with Greene's work, but it certainly won't be my last. Her storytelling prowess is unmatched, keeping readers glued to the pages until the very end.
What sets this book apart is its unique format. With podcast episodes, flashback chapters from alternating perspectives, and even social media posts scattered throughout, the narrative feels fresh and dynamic. Each chapter seamlessly flows into the next, making it impossible to put the book down until every last mystery is unraveled.
As the story hurtles towards its climax, I found myself on the edge of my seat, getting chills with each twist and turn. Greene expertly surpassed my already high expectations, delivering a finale that left me reeling. "The Lake of Lost Girls" is a thrilling rollercoaster ride that will keep you guessing until the very end.
If you're a fan of thrillers with a unique format and unexpected twists, look no further than "The Lake of Lost Girls." Greene's masterful storytelling will leave you breathless and eager for more. This book is an absolute must-read that will linger in your thoughts long after you've turned the final page.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
February 19, 2025
This book 🤯 I did not see the ending coming AT ALL and I love when that happens in a thriller. So good!
March 20, 2024
The Lake of Lost Girls by Katherine Greene plunges readers into the chilling depths of a cold case mystery, promising a blend of suspense, intrigue, and the unbreakable bond of sisterhood. Yet, as the murky waters of the narrative ebb and flow, the novel struggles to keep its head above water, particularly in the execution of its plot and the development of its characters.
Set against the haunting backdrop of Southern State University in 1998, a series of student disappearances casts a long shadow over the campus. Among the vanished is Jessica Fadley, whose life’s downward spiral becomes the vortex of the story. Fast-forward two decades, and we find Jessica’s sister, Lindsey, desperately searching for answers, with a true crime podcast providing her with a new lead.
The novel’s suspense is its lifeline, with true crime podcast snippets lending a modern edge to the tale, even though their presence more irksome than insightful. The most jarring misstep is the handling of Jessica’s corpse’s whereabouts and how it remained hidden for so long.
In its essence, “The Lake of Lost Girls” is a narrative that yearns to captivate with its fresh take on the thriller genre, weaving in the allure of true crime podcast. Yet, the tapestry it weaves is frayed, the execution of key plot points needing a more meticulous hand to render a story that resonates with authenticity. For those who can navigate past the shoals of unlikable two-dimensional characters and particular plot inconsistencies, there may still be treasures to be found in the suspenseful undercurrents of Greene’s creation.
I am thankful to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the possibility to review an advanced copy of the book and express my honest impression.
Set against the haunting backdrop of Southern State University in 1998, a series of student disappearances casts a long shadow over the campus. Among the vanished is Jessica Fadley, whose life’s downward spiral becomes the vortex of the story. Fast-forward two decades, and we find Jessica’s sister, Lindsey, desperately searching for answers, with a true crime podcast providing her with a new lead.
The novel’s suspense is its lifeline, with true crime podcast snippets lending a modern edge to the tale, even though their presence more irksome than insightful. The most jarring misstep is the handling of Jessica’s corpse’s whereabouts and how it remained hidden for so long.
In its essence, “The Lake of Lost Girls” is a narrative that yearns to captivate with its fresh take on the thriller genre, weaving in the allure of true crime podcast. Yet, the tapestry it weaves is frayed, the execution of key plot points needing a more meticulous hand to render a story that resonates with authenticity. For those who can navigate past the shoals of unlikable two-dimensional characters and particular plot inconsistencies, there may still be treasures to be found in the suspenseful undercurrents of Greene’s creation.
I am thankful to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the possibility to review an advanced copy of the book and express my honest impression.
March 12, 2024
Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
(Spoilers at the end if that's your thing, but none throughout my review.)
The Lake of Lost Girls is a mystery thriller centered around the disappearance of several coeds at a North Carolina college in 1998. Twenty-four years later, the body of a girl is found, a true crime podcast is started, and the sister of one of the missing girls is drawn into a decades old mystery that started, and ended, at Doll's Eye Lake.
While the premise and plot is strong, the writing itself is a bit... eh. I don't know if it's because I got an ARC, but the writing is a bit clunky and awkward. There was a lot of description of exactly how our main characters are feeling, and a lot of bland descriptions about hotels and towns, but none of it made me really feel connected to the characters.
I did first guess the ending at the 5% mark, then thought: there's no way I guessed it so fast... Then around 38%, I was like yep, I know exactly what happened.
I'm also not sure the author understood what a small town was like. Somehow its a tiny small town, but also has a huge fancy hotel with a Michelin star chef and a giant park outside with food stalls lining the street.
Finally - for a book that claims to be about the "examination of sisterhood and the culture of true crime" I personally feel like there was zero reflection on these topics aside from some very surface level thoughts in the beginning of the book that never really impacted the overall tone of the story. It was a lot of "women are being murdered, true crime is so gross, my sister can do no wrong because we loved each other" with zero critical thinking sprinkled in.
All in all, there's a lot of great mysteries that reflect on sisterhood, and a lot of great mysteries that tackle true crime. I do not feel like this was one of them, and can't really recommend you read this unless you're bored and just want an easy book to tackle, because admittedly, I did finish it in one sitting.
Below, you will find spoilers if you don't want to finish this but want to know the ending.
(Spoilers at the end if that's your thing, but none throughout my review.)
The Lake of Lost Girls is a mystery thriller centered around the disappearance of several coeds at a North Carolina college in 1998. Twenty-four years later, the body of a girl is found, a true crime podcast is started, and the sister of one of the missing girls is drawn into a decades old mystery that started, and ended, at Doll's Eye Lake.
While the premise and plot is strong, the writing itself is a bit... eh. I don't know if it's because I got an ARC, but the writing is a bit clunky and awkward. There was a lot of description of exactly how our main characters are feeling, and a lot of bland descriptions about hotels and towns, but none of it made me really feel connected to the characters.
I did first guess the ending at the 5% mark, then thought: there's no way I guessed it so fast... Then around 38%, I was like yep, I know exactly what happened.
I'm also not sure the author understood what a small town was like. Somehow its a tiny small town, but also has a huge fancy hotel with a Michelin star chef and a giant park outside with food stalls lining the street.
Finally - for a book that claims to be about the "examination of sisterhood and the culture of true crime" I personally feel like there was zero reflection on these topics aside from some very surface level thoughts in the beginning of the book that never really impacted the overall tone of the story. It was a lot of "women are being murdered, true crime is so gross, my sister can do no wrong because we loved each other" with zero critical thinking sprinkled in.
All in all, there's a lot of great mysteries that reflect on sisterhood, and a lot of great mysteries that tackle true crime. I do not feel like this was one of them, and can't really recommend you read this unless you're bored and just want an easy book to tackle, because admittedly, I did finish it in one sitting.
Below, you will find spoilers if you don't want to finish this but want to know the ending.
August 27, 2024
Whodunnit INDEED!!!
EVERYONE comes under suspicion: the butcher, the baker - oh, no, not the candlestick maker! - but even YOU will be wondering what you were up to on the day that Jessica Fadley disappeared.
Young Lindsey Fadley was the last person to see her sister on that fateful afternoon.
Flash forward 24 years and Lindsey is impatiently waiting for the forensic results on the bodies of several women who had been found at the bottom of the local lake. Her entire life has revolved around her sister's disappearance and her need to dispel the burden of morbid speculation which has clouded her entire life.
Lindsey is guided by a true crime podcast in her attempts to solve the mystery of her sister's disappearance. Did I suspect the actual culprit(s)? Yes, of course. As I said before, everyone comes under suspicion. As the threads in this long-dormant mystery painstakingly unravel, you would be forgiven for beginning to question whether Jessica was ever actually abducted or murdered.
Will the real Jessica Fadley please stand up?
I'm rating this one a 3.8 out of 5 (rounded up to a 4 because GR doesn't allow for fractions.) Parts of this story were loaded with visible red herrings for me and there was a tad too much repetition in the last few chapters, as if to convince the reader - like water dripping on a stone - to accept the final version of the events of that fateful afternoon. Overall great storytelling, but characterization was a tad "canned" or formulaic in some parts.
My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this thriller in exchange for an honest review.
EVERYONE comes under suspicion: the butcher, the baker - oh, no, not the candlestick maker! - but even YOU will be wondering what you were up to on the day that Jessica Fadley disappeared.
Young Lindsey Fadley was the last person to see her sister on that fateful afternoon.
Flash forward 24 years and Lindsey is impatiently waiting for the forensic results on the bodies of several women who had been found at the bottom of the local lake. Her entire life has revolved around her sister's disappearance and her need to dispel the burden of morbid speculation which has clouded her entire life.
Lindsey is guided by a true crime podcast in her attempts to solve the mystery of her sister's disappearance. Did I suspect the actual culprit(s)? Yes, of course. As I said before, everyone comes under suspicion. As the threads in this long-dormant mystery painstakingly unravel, you would be forgiven for beginning to question whether Jessica was ever actually abducted or murdered.
Will the real Jessica Fadley please stand up?
I'm rating this one a 3.8 out of 5 (rounded up to a 4 because GR doesn't allow for fractions.) Parts of this story were loaded with visible red herrings for me and there was a tad too much repetition in the last few chapters, as if to convince the reader - like water dripping on a stone - to accept the final version of the events of that fateful afternoon. Overall great storytelling, but characterization was a tad "canned" or formulaic in some parts.
My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this thriller in exchange for an honest review.
April 10, 2024
I received a free digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley exchange for an honest review.
For the life of me, I cannot understand how this book is rated so highly. The writing is so awkward at times and juvenile. The podcast aspect brought nothing to the story. It just seems like the thing to do now in thrillers, and in this case it didn’t work at all because it was pointless. It added nothing to the story.
I had a hunch pretty early on who the killer was, and it would’ve been a fantastic twist had the writing not been so poor. I considered DNF-ing the book a couple times due to the lackluster and stilted writing, but I wanted to find out if my instinct was correct. It was, hooray for me. But also sad for me because I spent time reading a book that is simply not good.
Full review to come, maybe.
For the life of me, I cannot understand how this book is rated so highly. The writing is so awkward at times and juvenile. The podcast aspect brought nothing to the story. It just seems like the thing to do now in thrillers, and in this case it didn’t work at all because it was pointless. It added nothing to the story.
I had a hunch pretty early on who the killer was, and it would’ve been a fantastic twist had the writing not been so poor. I considered DNF-ing the book a couple times due to the lackluster and stilted writing, but I wanted to find out if my instinct was correct. It was, hooray for me. But also sad for me because I spent time reading a book that is simply not good.
Full review to come, maybe.
November 17, 2024
Please note that I received this via NetGalley. This did not affect my rating or review.
Saw that ending coming from a mile away. And honestly there was very little development of Lindsey or Jess. I got bored halfway through and thought the plot “the little we get” just is a whole mess with too many unresolved answers. I also am begging authors to stop introducing podcasts into these type of thrillers. It just wrecked the flow of the chapters I was reading. It didn’t help that there were also photos and other things that just made it hard to even read/see.
This book follows the mystery of the disappearance of Jessica Fadley. She disappeared in 1998 along with three other girls at her college. Fast forward 24 years later and the police have found a body in the so-called Doll’s Eye Lake which was a special location to Jessica. With Jessica’s younger sister Lindsey still living in their hometown and with their parents, she starts trying to figure out who her sister was and who could have harmed her and the other missing girls. The book jumps from Lindsey in the present day, to Jessica back in 1998, and two podcast hosts in the UK musing (poorly) on the cold case and current investigation.
Lindsey was barely developed. I can get having a character wanting to figure out what happened to their sister. But all of the reveals we get shows that Lindsey has to be the most unaware person on Earth. Her “relationship” with Ryan, a reporter has also been done to death in similar thrillers so I was just bored by it at this point. Speaking of Ryan, I got nothing people. It wasn’t necessary and if Greene had cut him and just had Lindsey amateur sleuthing alone that would have worked better.
The character of Jessica. Look, I can’t say much about out it without spoilers, but there are some “a lot is happening there” that wasn’t subtle.
The podcasts hosts came across as insipid and uncaring and I assume Greene was using this book to take on that whole media of true crime podcasts, but it just had me annoyed every time they popped up because it was wrecking the flow. Also again, super similar to a book I just read a few weeks ago.
The other characters are not very well developed. The women just seem to be these beings that have no common sense in the men just can’t help themselves with their rage and emotions.
The writing wasn’t very great. I thought a lot of the dialogue just didn’t even sound right and I thought at times Jessica being back in 1998 just had a whole tone and back-and-forth and sounded like she was from the 80s or something. I don’t know it just felt wrong the whole time. I already told you that the flow was really messed up and it was I think going back-and-forth between Jessica and Lindsey and the podcast just made the entire book drag. I was getting really really tired of things by the 50% mark. It also didn’t help that I had already had that point figured out who did what to who so I was just bored and waiting for everybody else to catch up.
The setting of the book was confusing. It’s supposed to take place in North Carolina and I for some bizarre reason kept thinking this was taking place in upstate New York. I don’t know so that’s just let you know that the setting of a small town was not really well done.
The ending was just kind of a mess and a half, and I honestly don’t believe that some of the characters would have went along with things. I do have to say this, I really just need thriller/mystery authors to just write a good book. Please quit trying to turn things into the next Gone Girl or the Girl on the Train, and just write a good book. That’s all we need as readers. Please write something that’s good that does not have plot holes and makes you want to go into a corner and scream for several hours.
Saw that ending coming from a mile away. And honestly there was very little development of Lindsey or Jess. I got bored halfway through and thought the plot “the little we get” just is a whole mess with too many unresolved answers. I also am begging authors to stop introducing podcasts into these type of thrillers. It just wrecked the flow of the chapters I was reading. It didn’t help that there were also photos and other things that just made it hard to even read/see.
This book follows the mystery of the disappearance of Jessica Fadley. She disappeared in 1998 along with three other girls at her college. Fast forward 24 years later and the police have found a body in the so-called Doll’s Eye Lake which was a special location to Jessica. With Jessica’s younger sister Lindsey still living in their hometown and with their parents, she starts trying to figure out who her sister was and who could have harmed her and the other missing girls. The book jumps from Lindsey in the present day, to Jessica back in 1998, and two podcast hosts in the UK musing (poorly) on the cold case and current investigation.
Lindsey was barely developed. I can get having a character wanting to figure out what happened to their sister. But all of the reveals we get shows that Lindsey has to be the most unaware person on Earth. Her “relationship” with Ryan, a reporter has also been done to death in similar thrillers so I was just bored by it at this point. Speaking of Ryan, I got nothing people. It wasn’t necessary and if Greene had cut him and just had Lindsey amateur sleuthing alone that would have worked better.
The character of Jessica. Look, I can’t say much about out it without spoilers, but there are some “a lot is happening there” that wasn’t subtle.
The podcasts hosts came across as insipid and uncaring and I assume Greene was using this book to take on that whole media of true crime podcasts, but it just had me annoyed every time they popped up because it was wrecking the flow. Also again, super similar to a book I just read a few weeks ago.
The other characters are not very well developed. The women just seem to be these beings that have no common sense in the men just can’t help themselves with their rage and emotions.
The writing wasn’t very great. I thought a lot of the dialogue just didn’t even sound right and I thought at times Jessica being back in 1998 just had a whole tone and back-and-forth and sounded like she was from the 80s or something. I don’t know it just felt wrong the whole time. I already told you that the flow was really messed up and it was I think going back-and-forth between Jessica and Lindsey and the podcast just made the entire book drag. I was getting really really tired of things by the 50% mark. It also didn’t help that I had already had that point figured out who did what to who so I was just bored and waiting for everybody else to catch up.
The setting of the book was confusing. It’s supposed to take place in North Carolina and I for some bizarre reason kept thinking this was taking place in upstate New York. I don’t know so that’s just let you know that the setting of a small town was not really well done.
The ending was just kind of a mess and a half, and I honestly don’t believe that some of the characters would have went along with things. I do have to say this, I really just need thriller/mystery authors to just write a good book. Please quit trying to turn things into the next Gone Girl or the Girl on the Train, and just write a good book. That’s all we need as readers. Please write something that’s good that does not have plot holes and makes you want to go into a corner and scream for several hours.
December 17, 2024
Hi. This review is for readers who, like me, want to know if other readers felt the same way, or who are 5 minutes into the book and want to see if they figured it out:
The foreshadowing and clue-dropping in this book was some of the clunkiest I’ve ever read in my life. I literally knew who murdered Jessica in chapter 2 while my Kindle said 5%. Every single twist in the book was very clear throughout. There is no surprise here: yes, it’s the dad, and yes, Jessica killed the others, which you’ll guess a little later when you get more information. Yes, the many times Jessica takes Daisy’s ID are going to come up later. Yes, the guy who is introduced with breathless interest in the case is involved in the case. Just absolute garbage writing.
The red herrings were absolutely ridiculous. Not one but three people who all happened to be involved with all of the missing people in some way? A professor who is banging his students in the DORM ROOM, kissing them outside, but then is also described as self-preserving? Make it make sense!
The dialogue was bad. The romance was unbelievable. The main character in present day becomes attracted to a mysterious man because they talk for five minutes and he tells her she’s not her missing sister. I find it hard to believe no one in her entire life ever could have had such a conversation with her before.
This may be the worst book I’ve read in 2024.
The foreshadowing and clue-dropping in this book was some of the clunkiest I’ve ever read in my life. I literally knew who murdered Jessica in chapter 2 while my Kindle said 5%. Every single twist in the book was very clear throughout. There is no surprise here: yes, it’s the dad, and yes, Jessica killed the others, which you’ll guess a little later when you get more information. Yes, the many times Jessica takes Daisy’s ID are going to come up later. Yes, the guy who is introduced with breathless interest in the case is involved in the case. Just absolute garbage writing.
The red herrings were absolutely ridiculous. Not one but three people who all happened to be involved with all of the missing people in some way? A professor who is banging his students in the DORM ROOM, kissing them outside, but then is also described as self-preserving? Make it make sense!
The dialogue was bad. The romance was unbelievable. The main character in present day becomes attracted to a mysterious man because they talk for five minutes and he tells her she’s not her missing sister. I find it hard to believe no one in her entire life ever could have had such a conversation with her before.
This may be the worst book I’ve read in 2024.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 4, 2024
In 1998 female college students come up missing. There was never any answers, just a few suspects. One student in particular, Jessica Fadley. Her sister and parents still struggle with the unanswered questions. What happened to Jessica?
Current time, a podcast begins to focus on the mystery as a body has been found near the lake in St. Randall twenty four years later.
Told in alternate timelines, we get a look at what exactly happened during that time in Jessica’s life. Her sister, Lindsey, starts her own personal investigation. Several men are suspects. But who really committed these heinous crimes?
I really enjoyed this one and finished it pretty fast! Twists are sprinkled throughout the book. The final twist threw me for a loop!
Huge thanks to Kathrine Greene and Crooked Lane Books for the gifted copy!
Publication date Nov 5, 2024
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Current time, a podcast begins to focus on the mystery as a body has been found near the lake in St. Randall twenty four years later.
Told in alternate timelines, we get a look at what exactly happened during that time in Jessica’s life. Her sister, Lindsey, starts her own personal investigation. Several men are suspects. But who really committed these heinous crimes?
I really enjoyed this one and finished it pretty fast! Twists are sprinkled throughout the book. The final twist threw me for a loop!
Huge thanks to Kathrine Greene and Crooked Lane Books for the gifted copy!
Publication date Nov 5, 2024
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
December 3, 2024
this story is the beginning of a dark and twisted journey into the disappearance, and possible murder, of a girl at uni in the late 90s and its likely link to the disappearances of three other young women, all students at Southern State University in Mt. Randall, North Carolina
^^^Actual footage of me the entire time I was reading this one. (I have since toned down the bleachiness of my hair color, however.)
If you are like me and addicted to all things true crime and the Lifetime TV caliber of stabby stabbies involving missing women, then this should be HIGHLY satisfying for you.
I’m eight gazillion reviews behind, so just trust me on this. I liked the “mixed media” snippets involving social media posts and the podcast – and the writing, pacing and ending (although it’s not a super big shocker) made me fly through this in one sitting. I’ll definitely pick up The Woods Are Waiting.
^^^Actual footage of me the entire time I was reading this one. (I have since toned down the bleachiness of my hair color, however.)
If you are like me and addicted to all things true crime and the Lifetime TV caliber of stabby stabbies involving missing women, then this should be HIGHLY satisfying for you.
I’m eight gazillion reviews behind, so just trust me on this. I liked the “mixed media” snippets involving social media posts and the podcast – and the writing, pacing and ending (although it’s not a super big shocker) made me fly through this in one sitting. I’ll definitely pick up The Woods Are Waiting.
December 26, 2024
4.75⭐️ SO close to a 5 star read for me! This was twisty and whacky two of my favorite things in a thriller.
Follow along a true crime podcast and a young woman desperate for answers of what happened to her sister who went missing almost thirty years ago. Told in alternating timelines from the past to the present prepare to put your detective hat on to solve a cold case where everyone will seem like they’re guilty.
I guessed part of the twist and I feel like that’s why I’m not giving it a full 5 stars and that the ending just seemed a little rushed but other than that bravo - great thriller!! One of my favorites of the year for sure.
Follow along a true crime podcast and a young woman desperate for answers of what happened to her sister who went missing almost thirty years ago. Told in alternating timelines from the past to the present prepare to put your detective hat on to solve a cold case where everyone will seem like they’re guilty.
I guessed part of the twist and I feel like that’s why I’m not giving it a full 5 stars and that the ending just seemed a little rushed but other than that bravo - great thriller!! One of my favorites of the year for sure.
August 26, 2024
In 1998/99, four young women disappeared from a college in a small North Carolina town. Twenty four years later, the body of one of them is discovered in a secluded lake. Which one? Lindsey is the younger sister of one of those girls; her family has never recovered from their loss. When a journalist wanting to write the story appears, he approaches Lindsey for assistance solving the mystery. As she digs down into the case, secrets are revealed and suspects identified, but does Lindsey really want to find out the truth?
Set in dual timelines and different POVs, the story is interspersed with podcast transcripts, interview notes, and newspaper articles. I have seen this technique used in other novels. It works successfully here. There is the danger of male predators as well as the effects of their behaviors on their many victims, including their families. Twists, turns, and red herrings lead the reader on a suspenseful journey in this engrossing, fast read.
Thanks to #NetGalley and @CrookedLaneBooks for the DRC.
Set in dual timelines and different POVs, the story is interspersed with podcast transcripts, interview notes, and newspaper articles. I have seen this technique used in other novels. It works successfully here. There is the danger of male predators as well as the effects of their behaviors on their many victims, including their families. Twists, turns, and red herrings lead the reader on a suspenseful journey in this engrossing, fast read.
Thanks to #NetGalley and @CrookedLaneBooks for the DRC.
November 14, 2024
I was excited when I saw this thriller included snippets of a podcast as I like that technique, especially for audiobooks. Overall I thought the narrator did a great job with the main characters, but I didn’t love the voices she made for the male characters. I did hope for more from the podcasters, but it was still fun. Lindsey’s life has been defined by the disappearance of her sister Jessica. Lindsey was only 6 when her college aged sister went missing and nothing was the same afterwards. Three other women went missing that year. Fast forward to the present and a body has been found. This has brought new attention to the cases and especially to the poor police work that was done. Lindsey meets a reporter who seems to be as dedicated to solving this case as her and she finds herself digging into the case and finding pieces of the story that happened to her sister. This thriller was fun, but I didn’t think it was super twisty. The culprit was pretty obvious early on, but I still enjoyed the ride.
January 31, 2025
This one was fun! It kept me guessing and I loved the podcast element. I didn’t guess the major twist, but I did guess one aspect of it. Quick and fun read!
November 6, 2024
I rolled my eyes way too much while reading this book lol
Overall concept - LOVE. This is my favorite type of thriller to read (which unfortunately means I’ve read a lot of them leading to a very high bar lol)
ISSUES:
- Jessica being one of the narrators and hiding the fact that’s she’s the fucking killer the entire time. I hate it when authors do this because it makes no sense. The entire time I was like something is off about this bitch, but it doesn’t make any sense and that actually distracted from me getting into the story or caring what happened to her because I was just annoyed at her the whole time
- I’m sorry but Jessica solely blaming her dad on the fact that she is murdering these girls is kind of ridiculous. Like I need more character development or something? Because peoples parents cheat all the time and that alone doesn’t make someone a murderer
- yes there were toxic men in this but like all the women were portrayed as very weak and easily swayed by these men and that was off putting
Ok that’s all!
Overall concept - LOVE. This is my favorite type of thriller to read (which unfortunately means I’ve read a lot of them leading to a very high bar lol)
ISSUES:
- Jessica being one of the narrators and hiding the fact that’s she’s the fucking killer the entire time. I hate it when authors do this because it makes no sense. The entire time I was like something is off about this bitch, but it doesn’t make any sense and that actually distracted from me getting into the story or caring what happened to her because I was just annoyed at her the whole time
- I’m sorry but Jessica solely blaming her dad on the fact that she is murdering these girls is kind of ridiculous. Like I need more character development or something? Because peoples parents cheat all the time and that alone doesn’t make someone a murderer
- yes there were toxic men in this but like all the women were portrayed as very weak and easily swayed by these men and that was off putting
Ok that’s all!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 25, 2024
This book was an exhilarating journey; I adored the mystery, the shifting timelines, the inclusion of podcast enthusiasts, and a narrative that kept you on your toes. I thoroughly enjoyed "The Woods are Waiting," but Katherine Greene surpassed herself with "The Lake of Lost Girls." If you're a crime aficionado like me, this one is a must-read.
When female students disappear from a university in North Carolina, the police and everyone else presume they've just run off. However, Jessica's family is certain that isn't what happened to their daughter, who disappeared while fetching her sister's birthday cake from the car, leaving the trunk open.
Twenty-four years on, Jessica's younger sister Lindsey is desperate for answers. When a podcast named "Ten Seconds to Vanish" spotlights her sister's disappearance, Lindsey finds herself compelled to listen, despite it feeling like a violation of her family's privacy. As bodies start to surface in a nearby lake, each discovery sends the family into a state of dread, fearing it might be their beloved Jessica. This tale will leave you suspecting everyone and pondering the depths of human malevolence.
Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
When female students disappear from a university in North Carolina, the police and everyone else presume they've just run off. However, Jessica's family is certain that isn't what happened to their daughter, who disappeared while fetching her sister's birthday cake from the car, leaving the trunk open.
Twenty-four years on, Jessica's younger sister Lindsey is desperate for answers. When a podcast named "Ten Seconds to Vanish" spotlights her sister's disappearance, Lindsey finds herself compelled to listen, despite it feeling like a violation of her family's privacy. As bodies start to surface in a nearby lake, each discovery sends the family into a state of dread, fearing it might be their beloved Jessica. This tale will leave you suspecting everyone and pondering the depths of human malevolence.
Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
February 23, 2025
I couldn’t stop devouring this book. The true crime podcast element made the audiobook amazing. The mystery was solid and I never saw the truth coming.
November 7, 2024
Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and Katherine Greene for my copy of this book. It was about a true crime podcast digging into the disappearance of four women from Southern State University in 1998. Twenty-four years after her sister’s disappearance, Lindsey is still searching for answers. She remembers the night her sister disappeared, and the podcast investigating the cold case is bringing all the memories back. Then bodies start turning up at the local lake, and the case might not be so cold after all.
Thoughts: I thought this story was really interesting and had a lot of intriguing storylines to follow. This was both an academia and podcast trope thriller, which were fun and done well. The themes in this story were poignant and uncomfortable and realistic. I thought that the story was heartbreaking because of how it happens in real life, and there were lots of twists and turns throughout the story. I liked the way that there were lots of ways the story could have ended, and the ending was the best path and felt satisfying. 4.5 stars.
Thoughts: I thought this story was really interesting and had a lot of intriguing storylines to follow. This was both an academia and podcast trope thriller, which were fun and done well. The themes in this story were poignant and uncomfortable and realistic. I thought that the story was heartbreaking because of how it happens in real life, and there were lots of twists and turns throughout the story. I liked the way that there were lots of ways the story could have ended, and the ending was the best path and felt satisfying. 4.5 stars.
January 21, 2025
3.5 stars. This started off so good. I was hook, line and sunk in this book. It was fast paced and quite a thriller. But the ending was just not satisfying to me at all.
April 22, 2024
Thank you to #NetGalley and #CrookedLaneBooks for sending this book for review consideration through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
The book contains trigger warnings and complex themes that may be unsettling to some readers. Aside from murder, the novel is rife with depictions of objectification of women, grooming, infidelity, predatory behavior, police incompetence, psychological dynamics of toxic familial and teacher-student relationships, and trauma.
One of the maddest plot twists I've read since "Sharp Objects."
Mystery novels infused with the intrigue of true crime podcasts are currently all the rave. I may have read more than five books using this trope as a framework, yet it's far from being overdone. There's more to unpack from this method of storytelling to introduce the murder mystery narrative, offering a unique blend of realism and social commentary that retains reader engagement.
When a true crime podcast creates a buzz about the unearthing of human remains in Doll's Eye Lake, the people of Mt. Randall speculate that the remains were of Jess Fadley, who vanished twenty-four years ago. Jess's sister, Lindsey, was just a six-year-old then, and she's been struggling with the void of her sister's absence ever since. When Ryan, a determined journalist, seeks the help of Lindsey to uncover the truth behind Jess' disappearance, more bodies have surfaced in the lake. In this dysfunctional madhouse of a thriller, Greene takes us into a small town's dark secrets that will blow your sanity away.
"The Lake of Lost Girls" swirls as an intriguing whodunit that starts with a slow build, but halfway to the end, the plot finally heads in the right direction. But despite a seemingly ascending trajectory, the tension ebbs and flows. It wasn't until the final pages that everything started falling into place. The alternating chapters offer evidence of the murder in the present while responding to previous chapters' cliffhangers by narrating what transpired in the past as it happens. I can't help but gush at how the authors structured the narrative by LINEARLY laying down the pool of suspects and highlighting their relevance to the plot in individual chapters. The author cleverly executed the narrative flow, preventing me from going back and forth between chapters to analyze specific characters.
If there's one thing that would make me remember this book, it is the brilliance of including news articles, clippings, and social media posts within the narrative. Such visual elements blur the barrier between fiction and reality as readers partake in the immersive journey.
I would have given this book five stars in a heartbeat, but I cannot deny I was on the verge of abandoning it due to its tedious nature and the repetitive stream of consciousness from Lindsey and Jess. Additionally, most of the characters were downright toxic and unlikable, except for a few decent ones. Misgivings aside, the unexpected twist stunned me. I've run through possible outcomes in my head, but the jaw-dropping moment threw me for a loop.
"The Lake of Lost Girls" is a sad tale brought upon by traumatic experiences and society's ills. It gnaws on your skin until nothing is left. The aftermath left me in grief-stricken astonishment, all while confronting moral ambiguity. Murder mysteries are genres I've come to love for the thrill, but no matter how fictional most of the narrative is, its foundation is rooted in reality. And it is damn terrifying.
The book contains trigger warnings and complex themes that may be unsettling to some readers. Aside from murder, the novel is rife with depictions of objectification of women, grooming, infidelity, predatory behavior, police incompetence, psychological dynamics of toxic familial and teacher-student relationships, and trauma.
One of the maddest plot twists I've read since "Sharp Objects."
Mystery novels infused with the intrigue of true crime podcasts are currently all the rave. I may have read more than five books using this trope as a framework, yet it's far from being overdone. There's more to unpack from this method of storytelling to introduce the murder mystery narrative, offering a unique blend of realism and social commentary that retains reader engagement.
When a true crime podcast creates a buzz about the unearthing of human remains in Doll's Eye Lake, the people of Mt. Randall speculate that the remains were of Jess Fadley, who vanished twenty-four years ago. Jess's sister, Lindsey, was just a six-year-old then, and she's been struggling with the void of her sister's absence ever since. When Ryan, a determined journalist, seeks the help of Lindsey to uncover the truth behind Jess' disappearance, more bodies have surfaced in the lake. In this dysfunctional madhouse of a thriller, Greene takes us into a small town's dark secrets that will blow your sanity away.
"The Lake of Lost Girls" swirls as an intriguing whodunit that starts with a slow build, but halfway to the end, the plot finally heads in the right direction. But despite a seemingly ascending trajectory, the tension ebbs and flows. It wasn't until the final pages that everything started falling into place. The alternating chapters offer evidence of the murder in the present while responding to previous chapters' cliffhangers by narrating what transpired in the past as it happens. I can't help but gush at how the authors structured the narrative by LINEARLY laying down the pool of suspects and highlighting their relevance to the plot in individual chapters. The author cleverly executed the narrative flow, preventing me from going back and forth between chapters to analyze specific characters.
If there's one thing that would make me remember this book, it is the brilliance of including news articles, clippings, and social media posts within the narrative. Such visual elements blur the barrier between fiction and reality as readers partake in the immersive journey.
I would have given this book five stars in a heartbeat, but I cannot deny I was on the verge of abandoning it due to its tedious nature and the repetitive stream of consciousness from Lindsey and Jess. Additionally, most of the characters were downright toxic and unlikable, except for a few decent ones. Misgivings aside, the unexpected twist stunned me. I've run through possible outcomes in my head, but the jaw-dropping moment threw me for a loop.
"The Lake of Lost Girls" is a sad tale brought upon by traumatic experiences and society's ills. It gnaws on your skin until nothing is left. The aftermath left me in grief-stricken astonishment, all while confronting moral ambiguity. Murder mysteries are genres I've come to love for the thrill, but no matter how fictional most of the narrative is, its foundation is rooted in reality. And it is damn terrifying.
January 4, 2025
The Lake of Lost Girls by Katherine Greene is a gripping thriller that kept me hooked from the very first page. She masterfully weaves together a chilling mystery with a captivating narrative that unfolds across different timelines. The story follows the disappearance of college students, and as the investigation deepens, shocking revelations and unexpected twists emerge. The jaw dropping ending left me speechless and it made think about it for a while after reading. It's a must-read for fans of suspenseful thrillers and anyone who enjoys a good mystery.
August 26, 2024
Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing this title in exchange for an honest review!
This could have been good…
“The lake of lost girls” by the writing duo under the penname of Katherine Greene is a murder mystery with the thriller part scratched out. The premise is this: in 1998-1999, four girls go missing at their North Carolina university. Their families never got any answers but, 24 years later, remains are found at a local lake and the cases are reopened, garnering public interest thanks to a true crime podcast. We get a dual POV: of Jessica Fadley, during the months leading up to her disappearance, and of her sister Lindsey in the present, trying to find out the truth about her sister by teaming up with a charming but shady reporter.
I recently binge-watched “Only murders in the building”, so I was particularly interested in the podcast element. Unfortunately, this served absolutely no other purpose than decoration. Short transcripts of the beginning of the episodes were used as interludes between chapters, along with stuff like social media posts, but we actually didn’t get any information from it, it didn’t factor at all in the investigation, and the hosts were obnoxious - on purpose, but again, I didn’t think it added anything to the story, so it was just annoying.
Even putting that aside, the book was lackluster on the whole. The ending was both predictable and out of nowhere, if that makes sense. Predictable in that you could easily suspect it halfway through; out of nowhere in that it just wasn’t consistent with the characterization we’re given. And I mean, obviously, you don’t want to show your hand too early in a murder mystery; the killer reveal has to shock you. But it also has to make sense, and I can’t say that I bought it.
I enjoyed the authors' first work, “The woods are waiting” (2023) better than this one, but I felt like the issues I had with it were also present here in ways that were harder to overlook. There was a slightly cartoonish veneer - in the character motivations, in the themes, in the actions, in the messages, that made it not feel realistic enough or just wasn’t done deftly. In addition to that, there was a repetition of statements that felt unnecessary - I don’t need to have everything spelled out and reiterated!
This was a pretty fast read and not a terrible one if you enjoy murder mysteries and want to be entertained for a while. I enjoyed Lindsey and her perspective as a sister who didn’t get to be her own person because she was marked by this tragedy for so long. But I thought that it could have used more work. The theme of older men abusing their power to prey on younger women had potential, but I felt like it was undermined by the resolution. I get what the authors were trying to do, but it needed a lot more buildup for it to work, imo.
This could have been good…
“The lake of lost girls” by the writing duo under the penname of Katherine Greene is a murder mystery with the thriller part scratched out. The premise is this: in 1998-1999, four girls go missing at their North Carolina university. Their families never got any answers but, 24 years later, remains are found at a local lake and the cases are reopened, garnering public interest thanks to a true crime podcast. We get a dual POV: of Jessica Fadley, during the months leading up to her disappearance, and of her sister Lindsey in the present, trying to find out the truth about her sister by teaming up with a charming but shady reporter.
I recently binge-watched “Only murders in the building”, so I was particularly interested in the podcast element. Unfortunately, this served absolutely no other purpose than decoration. Short transcripts of the beginning of the episodes were used as interludes between chapters, along with stuff like social media posts, but we actually didn’t get any information from it, it didn’t factor at all in the investigation, and the hosts were obnoxious - on purpose, but again, I didn’t think it added anything to the story, so it was just annoying.
Even putting that aside, the book was lackluster on the whole. The ending was both predictable and out of nowhere, if that makes sense. Predictable in that you could easily suspect it halfway through; out of nowhere in that it just wasn’t consistent with the characterization we’re given. And I mean, obviously, you don’t want to show your hand too early in a murder mystery; the killer reveal has to shock you. But it also has to make sense, and I can’t say that I bought it.
I enjoyed the authors' first work, “The woods are waiting” (2023) better than this one, but I felt like the issues I had with it were also present here in ways that were harder to overlook. There was a slightly cartoonish veneer - in the character motivations, in the themes, in the actions, in the messages, that made it not feel realistic enough or just wasn’t done deftly. In addition to that, there was a repetition of statements that felt unnecessary - I don’t need to have everything spelled out and reiterated!
This was a pretty fast read and not a terrible one if you enjoy murder mysteries and want to be entertained for a while. I enjoyed Lindsey and her perspective as a sister who didn’t get to be her own person because she was marked by this tragedy for so long. But I thought that it could have used more work. The theme of older men abusing their power to prey on younger women had potential, but I felt like it was undermined by the resolution. I get what the authors were trying to do, but it needed a lot more buildup for it to work, imo.
March 11, 2024
This book 🤌🏻
You’ve got alternate timelines, podcasts, Instagram posts, police transcripts anddddddd it takes place in NC, basically this book was made for me.
I enjoyed every bit of this book, but I really enjoyed Jessica’s POV I mean, it was the 90s immediately hooked. There were so many sleazy characters, so it was hard to pin point who did it, which made it fun. Definitely mark your calendars I have a feeling this book is going to be everywhere this fall!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5
Thank you @netgalley and @crookedlanebooks for the arc in exchange for my honest review. Pub date: 11/5
You’ve got alternate timelines, podcasts, Instagram posts, police transcripts anddddddd it takes place in NC, basically this book was made for me.
I enjoyed every bit of this book, but I really enjoyed Jessica’s POV I mean, it was the 90s immediately hooked. There were so many sleazy characters, so it was hard to pin point who did it, which made it fun. Definitely mark your calendars I have a feeling this book is going to be everywhere this fall!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5
Thank you @netgalley and @crookedlanebooks for the arc in exchange for my honest review. Pub date: 11/5
January 5, 2025
First of all, The Lake of Lost Girls was written by two people?!?! I had no idea that Katherine Greene was the pen name for writers A. Meredith Walters and Claire C. Riley, and the book certainly doesn't read like it was written by two people either. Everything was entirely seamless and now I am definitely keen to get to their debut together, The Woods are Waiting. The podcast element in here was top notch and integrated perfectly into the rest of the storyline. I love anything with a podcast, and this was probably one of my favorites to date! I also highly enjoyed the viewpoint shifts between Lindsey in the present and Jessica in the past before she went missing blended with the podcast.
The audiobook for The Lake of Lost Girls was pure perfection and definitely the route I would recommend for reading. Helen Laser, Frankie Corzo, Sara Young, Haley Taylor & David Bendena checked all the boxes with their narration and I was completely drawn in by the writing and narration alike. I also loved how the podcast was presented in the audio, and it’s the little things like that, that create a perfect audiobook experience. I was completely blown away by the ending, and while I do think you need to suspend disbelief to some extent, it was certainly explosive, and I didn’t see it coming. Read this if you are looking for an immersive whodunnit, characters who exude bad behavior, and twisty cold cases!
Thank you to the publishers for my advanced listening and reader copies of this book. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
The audiobook for The Lake of Lost Girls was pure perfection and definitely the route I would recommend for reading. Helen Laser, Frankie Corzo, Sara Young, Haley Taylor & David Bendena checked all the boxes with their narration and I was completely drawn in by the writing and narration alike. I also loved how the podcast was presented in the audio, and it’s the little things like that, that create a perfect audiobook experience. I was completely blown away by the ending, and while I do think you need to suspend disbelief to some extent, it was certainly explosive, and I didn’t see it coming. Read this if you are looking for an immersive whodunnit, characters who exude bad behavior, and twisty cold cases!
Thank you to the publishers for my advanced listening and reader copies of this book. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
February 8, 2025
3.3 stars?
Lindsey Fadley's life is on hold, just as it has been since her big sister Jessica disappeared. Jess went out to her car to get the birthday cake and is never seen again. Lindsey still lives at home with her parents. Where would she go until she learns what happened? Still, she alternately appreciates and resents the two women who are hosting a true crime podcast focusing on Jess and the other young women from her campus who disappeared during the same time frame. She also wonders about the journalist who has tracked her down and wants her assistance with his investigation.
The novel shifts between the past, seen from Jessica's point of view, and the present with Lindsey. We get to accompany Jess as her life spins out of control, her grades slip, and her alcohol consumption escalates, though there are only hints at what is bothering her so much. Lindsey has hope that the cold case will break open when a body is found out by a local lake.
There are actually two authors who have created a pseudonym to publish their joint writing. In my opinion, they have written an effective mystery, replete with red herrings and suitably ambiguous about the characters' motivations. Sadly, as in real life, there is a collection of reprehensible men available to choose from as you build your theories. If you like this book, I would recommend Bright Young Women (the 1970s) or The Quarry Girls (the 1980s). In The Lake of Lost Girls the murder takes place in the 1990s. Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.
Lindsey Fadley's life is on hold, just as it has been since her big sister Jessica disappeared. Jess went out to her car to get the birthday cake and is never seen again. Lindsey still lives at home with her parents. Where would she go until she learns what happened? Still, she alternately appreciates and resents the two women who are hosting a true crime podcast focusing on Jess and the other young women from her campus who disappeared during the same time frame. She also wonders about the journalist who has tracked her down and wants her assistance with his investigation.
The novel shifts between the past, seen from Jessica's point of view, and the present with Lindsey. We get to accompany Jess as her life spins out of control, her grades slip, and her alcohol consumption escalates, though there are only hints at what is bothering her so much. Lindsey has hope that the cold case will break open when a body is found out by a local lake.
There are actually two authors who have created a pseudonym to publish their joint writing. In my opinion, they have written an effective mystery, replete with red herrings and suitably ambiguous about the characters' motivations. Sadly, as in real life, there is a collection of reprehensible men available to choose from as you build your theories. If you like this book, I would recommend Bright Young Women (the 1970s) or The Quarry Girls (the 1980s). In The Lake of Lost Girls the murder takes place in the 1990s. Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.
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