A great read
This book will keep you guessing till the end
There is a big twist which I didn’t see coming
Really good plot
Thanks NetGalley

⭐⭐.5

I love the cover on this one. Alas, the book was a bit of a mixed bag. I loathed Stella, and the romance was ridiculous. I also found it slow, repetitive, and I figured out who the killer was right from the start. On a positive note, I loved the setting and found it suitably spooky. I also really liked Glenys and Alfie. So as I said, a mixed bag...

**ARC Via NetGalley**

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review*

Thrilling book - very engaging. Kept me reading until the late hours of the night!

The Lakeview House by Helen Phifer is an atmospheric cozy mystery set in the lake district. I love this setting and it works really well in this book. Maddy is the main character, a writer, and has moved to an older, elaborate house to finish her book and escape her abusive boyfriend. There's good plot development in the story, and the characters all seemed plausible with their specific foibles and idiosyncrasies. I figured out the mystery about halfway through, but that did not stop me from finishing the book. Overall a good read.

Helen Phifer became one of my favorites with the last book I read from her. I was completely hooked from page one. This woman has such an amazing talent for storytelling.

I adore Helen’s books. I know I’m in for a great read with Helen’s books. This one hasn’t been any different. I have devoured page after page in just one sitting. I love this book.

This is a book filled with great characters. We get a good feel for them as we read. Phifer has included twists in this one which have been completely unexpected. At occasions, I’ve felt my heart pounding as I’ve read this one.

This is a book which is excellently written and definitely doesn’t disappoint. Helen is able to transport you with her writing and this book is no different.

The plot moves at a good pace and you can definitely feel the tension as you read. I am a huge fan of Helen’s books, I’m already eagerly anticipating the next one.

A woman escaping her violent ex. A derelict house with a reputation for bad luck with the locals. A killer on the loose on the fens...
Lakeview House is a psychological thriller and murder mystery with a splash of romance as well as ghosts!
I loved this book from the very first page and was totally engrossed in the plot and characters. We are introduced to Maddy, an author with writer's block who is dealing with the realisation that her ex Connor is violent and dangerous. Her best friend Stella shows her the details for a caretaking job at a remote house in the Lake District and Maddy heads up there to clear her head and kickstart her writing.
But there is a killer in the area who uses the lake to dispose of his victims. Maddy is haunted by dreams and strange occurances begin to occur. Could her ex have found her or is there a ghostly presence in the house?
The book is written from various third person perspectives so we follow the individual plot strands and character development. The writing style was easy to read and the pace was fast with each chapter quite short to maintain the momentum of the plot. So tempting to read just one more chapter!
Danger and tension are cleverly created and sustained over the course of the book. I felt a mix of anger at Connor's behaviour, fear for the safety of Stella and Maddy, genuinely spooked by the ghostly happenings and gruesomely fascinated by the killer.
Lakeview House was an absolutely gripping thriller!

5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Thankyou #netgalley #helenphifer #bookcouture for the arc copy of this
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⚠️Abusive relationship.
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- I have to say it’s a very easy read. It may take up to chapter 81 but never put off. Each chapter was light and not as long.
- one thing that I love about the story is describing the scenery, I felt like I was up there in the house,in the lake , with the locals. Such an airy mood to read.
- unexpected ending to be honest, I could’ve put my mind to it on who’s the one to blame, who’s the suspect and who’s in the lake.
- very much recommended. The characters were well described and as I said very light.
A 5⭐️ Read for me.

❤️Shaye.reads

This is a great story with strong, identifiable characters. There's some mystery and a bit of romance. Maddy is a strong female lead and once you're in you've got to keep reading.

Lake View House is a thriller about Maddy, a writer, who, after a successful first book, wants to write her second novel. She is just out of a toxic relationship and wants to go somewhere peaceful to get into the headspace to write so she decides to go to a lonely country manor to get stuck into her novel.

But, with a toxic ex-boyfriend looking for her and strange things happening in the house she is staying and the handsome and charming Seth wanting to possibly become more than friends....

Things start to spiral when odd and spooky things happen at the house. Is it spirits, ghosts or something even more sinister???

A good read with some interesting twists and turns!!!

This was my first of Helen’s that wasn’t a Detective Morgan Brookes book. Being honest I started this with a little trepidation as they are so good it had a lot to live up to. I quickly berated myself however when I realised that the characters may be different but her writing certainly wasn’t. It was like slipping into my favourite comfies and without detectives at the helm this time that role soon became mine.

Maddy was a great protagonist, a writer struggling with second book syndrome and on the run from a controlling ex. So when the opportunity comes to escape she soon finds herself in a secluded crumbling mansion which just happens to be by a lake filled with dead people.

Told via multiple narration we also hear from community members, her friend Stella, ex Connor who has more than a screw loose. He would hate me as I’m definitely one of the feisty feminists he despises and also from the unnamed killer. I love that in Helen’s books the goodies are virtuous and likeable while the baddies are extremely rotten to the core. There is also that one character in her books that is always on the fringe with a slightly supernatural presence, whether that is someone who is good with herbs or has a sixth sense about them. It always gives that extra element that hooks me in.

The plot easily blends the two main threads of serial killer and cat and mouse and I found that both were equally intriguing. With the setting driving the chill factor along with one of the narrators having a more than unusual viewpoint this was a fast paced and highly addictive one sitting read.

This is a tour de force of wonderfully written characters buried in a richly drawn and extremely eerie setting with more bodies than you can shake a stick at. One to give even the die hards a case of the willies.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Maddy is a writer and has just broke off an abusive relationship so is desperate for a change of scene and the opportunity to finish her second book. When her friend Stella who owns a book shop sends her information from the owners of Lakeview House who are looking for a care taker to oversee the refurbishment of an old Manor House on the lake Maddy jumps at the chance and applies. She’s quickly on her way to stay for 6 months at Lakeview House. Meanwhile her ex boyfriend is looking for her, he wants to get his own back for her leaving him, and he is violent and aggressive and is set in causing her serious harm, meanwhile as Maddy is settling in to her new temporary life, strange things start to happen, with a soaking wet wedding dress turning up in the doorstep one morning, she seeks the assistance of a local man named Seth who’s family owns the local pub to help her figure out who is trying to scare her off, and why.

That’s really as far as I got in the story, I couldn’t get in to this book at all, some of the characters weren’t very believable, such as her friend Stella who goes on a date with her ex knowing he was violent towards Maddy. I just didn’t understand that concept at all, she seemed really easily lead, maybe too easy! It’s a shame as I really enjoyed Helen’s other books but this one I just couldn’t get in to at all, and it’s not very often I find myself not wanting to finish a book.

Thank you for letting me read this book, it definitely won’t put me off reading Helen’s other books as I usually enjoy this author’s work, so I was a bit disappointed!

A creepy edge of your seat read with an amazing heroine to boot. This twisty, turny book will keep you reading and wanting to know what will happen next. It’s a rollercoaster of ups and downs. The characters are like-able and well written the story itself is amazing. This is fast paced and flows nicely. I adored the town and it’s people. This was a great read

Oh those short chapters will be the death of me! I kept reading “just one more” well passed my bedtime. What a great addictive suspense story. Was hooked right from the start. Thank you netgalley and publisher for this arc in exchange of an honest review.

I started to read this, but as Helen's books are so memorable (and I have read everything she has written) soon realised that I had already read it when it was previously published as What Lies Below, to say I was a tad disapointed is an under statement as I was so looking forward to a new title. Would still recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a good suspense read, nice short chapters that grip you and keep you reading ''just one more'' before going to sleep that usually ends up being several.

"Running from a devastating relationship that almost cost her everything, Maddy Hart impulsively accepts a job as a live-in caretaker at imposing Lakeview House. She has no memories of having visited the crumbling mansion on the banks of Lake Thirlmere before, but when she arrives, something about the house feels familiar…"

While I liked the interesting characters & detailed descriptions of the settings, there were also some areas that felt unfinished. Some things characters do were very much out of character for the people we'd come to know. Despite that I am a sucker for a thriller with a great location, so this definitely hit the mark for me.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunty to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

I always enjoy this author's books, they are creepy and good thrillers. This one is no exception; from the creepy Lakeview House to the foggy fells, the small town with an oddball mixture of people, it set the scene for a great book. To start with, I really enjoyed the story, enough that I overlooked some of the issues that I had with it.

This book has a great plot, enjoyable characters and a great backstory, all in a creepy, lonely house. Some of the characters motivations made no sense, but sometimes people do things that make no sense, so I was okay with that. One of the things that bugged me was that it seemed to take Maddy was less time to drive to Lakeview House than anyone else. I really loved the way the story went, but then it seemed to wrap up so quickly with no explanation whatsoever as to motive. I really wanted more of that backstory and would love a sequel where Maddy investigates the history of the house and the bride in the lake.

What a great story! It was full of thrills and chills! Great characters, some loveable and some not so much. The book kept me hooked and I finished it in one day. The very idea of not finishing was not possible because I had to know who the culprit was. There were possible suspects and midway, I figured it out. Twists and turns kept the story going and poor Maddy was not one to walk away from fear.... spunky female, that Maddie! I'm hoping for more Maddie adventures!

Thank you #NetGalley and #Bookouture for AC!

I had high expectations after reading the blurb and the atmosphere had the right level of creepiness and the characters are interesting.
Unfortunately I found it very slow and the story didn't keep my attention.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I normally love Helen Phifer’s work. I’ve read all of her other books and am a huge fan of her Morgan Brookes series, so I was excited to dig into this one. Unfortunately, it just didn’t work for me. I did enjoy the creepy is it a ghost or is it a person messing with you and Helen really sets the scene beautifully. I could really picture the house and felt like I was there. There were too many POV’s to keep up with though which made the story jump around.

Stella was an odd character. Not only was she a terrible friend but everything she did made absolutely no sense. Maddy had weird anger issues and was extremely judgemental. I did love Glenys and Alfie though. Then the ending came out of the blue was extremely rushed and didn’t really make any sense. I just felt like I needed more of an explanation.

I highly recommend checking out the rest of Helen’s books though.

I received a copy of the ebook via NetGalley