Maddy Hart is an author currently living with her grandma following the end of an abusive relationship. She is struggling to write her next book, but when her best friend spots an advert for a live-in caretaker for a large dilapidated mansion, in Cumbria, needing a lot of renovation, Maddy seizes the opportunity to go there and take the job. When she arrives from London, she discovers the property is haunted and has a history...

Lakeview House was gripping, with characters that had me rooting for them but one or two were rather despicable though this was most likely intentional. Atmospheric and chilling, I didn't want to put this one down, reading well into the early hours. Very dark and engaging, and offers an unexpected ending.

*AKA What Lies Below

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Bookouture via NetGalley at my request and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

Lakeview House is the 1st book that I have read by Helen Phifer I thought the premise sounded interesting. A psychological thriller with supernatural undertones

Maddy Hart is an author looking to escape an abusive ex-boyfriend. Her best friend Stella tells her about an advertisement to be a live-in caretaker to a manor house that is scheduled for a remodel. In exchange for room and board, and a place to write her next novel, Maddy will stay at the house and oversee the workmen. Sounds like an ideal situation. The house is a bit isolated but there is a nearby village with some people that Maddy meets and befriends. Seth the son of the local publican, Glenys the local tarot reader/psychic and her odd son Alfie. Oh and a serial killer who likes to dump bodies in the lake beside the house where Maddy is staying. Then there is Connor the abusive ex-boyfriend that is on the prowl. Quite a lot going on. I wish there has been more of the superatural portion of the book. Other than a few dreams and weird feelings, the supernatural portion was pretty non-exsistent. Stella also was a bit of a turn off. WIth friends like her…..well no spoilers.

Overall I enjoyed the book and it was an easy quick read. I will look for more books from Ms. Phifer in the future.

Thanks ro Netgalley, Bookouture, and the authore for the chance to read and review this book.

OMG This is one of those books you need to RUN and go get! It was so good! I was hooked from the first page and I didn't want to stop reading! I love books with multiple characters' points of view and this one was written well and was a quick read! I loved it!

I really really enjoyed this one! I was super interested when I read the synopsis and I was hooked from the beginning all the way through to the end!! And the twist was sooo good!

Interesting story with good characters. Didn't see the twist coming but probably should have the clues were there. A good read.

Writer, Maddy Hart, decides to take a job overseeing the renovation of an old mansion, Lakeview House, in the Lake District. It is perfect timing as she wants to get away from her violent ex, Connor. The House is situated out of the local village so Maddy would be there alone most of the time. When she arrives, the place is beautiful although it does have a slightly eerie feeling, but Maddy soon manages to make friends with Seth, a local man who runs the village pub, & Glenys who runs a tarot reading business. Maddy starts to have strange dreams about the House in its former glory days when a young bride drowned in the nearby lake & when weird things start to happen like music playing in the middle of the night, Maddy is unsure if she is being haunted by the dead or by the living.

This wasn't quite as spooky a read as I expected when I first requested it, it's more of a suspense type genre. Most chapters are from either Seth or Maddy's point of view, with the occasional chapter from an anonymous serial killer who is operating in the area, killing people who get lost on the fells. I wasn't enamored of some of the characters - Stella, Maddy's best friend, not only starts to believe Connor's lies at first but actually feels attracted to him - which is a bit of an odd reaction to your BFF's abusive ex. It also seemed to take a long time for Stella & Joe to drive to the Lake District. Nowhere takes that long to drive to in the UK. I had a feeling I knew how Connor's story was going to go & I was right, but the ending did hold a twist (even if it was a bit rushed overall) so I've bumped the 3 star rating up to 3.5 stars (rounded down on sites where half star ratings are not allowed).

TW: physical/domestic violence, death.

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Bookouture, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Thanks to netgalley and bookoture for letting me review this book for an honest review.Here goes ...... I am a big fan of this author and couldnt wait to get started. OMG i could not put this down. Maddie Hart is an author, but struggling to write her second book. Stella her best friend owns a bookstore.. And an add in the local paper, looking for a caretaker for a big house by the lake, stella informs maddie and she sends an email not expecting to hear back ......
Maddie was in a relationship with bad boy connor, but left him as he was being physically abusive . Lakeview house is big and old, it s been empty for years, the owners ate residing in france and are renovating it.
After moving in maddie starts to hear noises at night and when a wedding dress is found outside.her front door, confetti in her kitchen, seth who lives in the village is on hand to find out whats happening. This book make the hairs on my arms stand up at times its eerie. Who are the lake people that a local boy alfie keeps talking about? What happened to Connor when he tracks maddie down after beating stella up? Will they get to the cause of what is happening in the big old house or is it haunted. Highley recommend.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'LakeView House' by Helen Phifer. Previously titled 'What Lies Beneath'.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Helen Phifer, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 8th April 2022.

This is the seventh book I have read by this author. I have previously read 'First Girl To Die', 'The Hiding Place' , 'The Girl In The Lake,' The Killer's Girl', 'One Left Alive' and 'Find The Girl' which I also recommend anyone read.


I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching and stunning cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that this book is 'A gripping thriller that will have you turning the pages until the final breathtaking twist. Perfect for fans of Lucy Foley, Lisa Gardner and Ruth Ware.' I am a huge fan of Lisa Gardner so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I am also a huge fan of Helen and if this is half as good as' First Girl To Die', 'The Hiding Place', 'The Girl In The Lake',' The Killer's Girl', 'One Left Alive' and 'Find The Girl' it is sure to be a page turning read. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of a prologue and 81 chapters. The chapters are short in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in the Lake District, UK 🇬🇧 The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture. I have actually been on holidays to the Lake District and specifically to Keswick so it will help me picture everything and I'm looking forward to reminiscing while reading.


This book is written in third person perspective with the main protagonists being Madison Hart, Connor Wood, Stella and Seth Taylor. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.

'LakeView House' discusses some topics that may trigger some readers or may not be suitable for others. I like to point this out ahead of time in my reviews so you can judge if this book is for you or not. In this book Helen discusses/includes domestic violence.

Wow!!! Just Wow!!! Bloomin heck woman WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME?!?! I did NOT in a million years see THAT coming!!!

Do NOT even try and read this until you have cleared your schedules as you will NOT be able to put it down!!! I smashed this in one sitting and could not sleep until I finished it which ended up being 3am!!!

Yet another absolutely unputdownable page turning book from the extremely talented Helen Phifer!!! Fantastically written and such an addictive and compelling read. Excellent descriptions making it so easy to imagine what's going on. The book cover and synopsis suit the storyline perfectly. This page turner was previously titled 'What Lies Beneath' but I think either of the titles would have suited this immense thriller!!

The storyline is an absolute roller-coaster ride filled with suspense, crime, romance, friendship , drama, red herrings and absolutely anything you could ask for in an addictive psychological thriller that will keep you up until you have read every single page!!! There is also some heartbreak over a certain character and what happened to them. I won't say more as not to soil it for future readers. Did not see that one coming at all so well done Helen. It gets harder and harder to surprise me when it comes to crime books after reading so many yet that was a shocker. I loved the twist and just loved watching it all unfold. The storyline itself was very realistic and I would say that Helen has done quite alot of research in regards to the area plus more which shines through when your reading. I have never actually read a standalone by Helen before so was slightly worried about how it was going to turn out as I immediately missed the characters from her 'Detective Morgan Brookes' series but I had absolutely nothing to worry about and absolutely LOVED IT. I cannot wait for her next book whether a standalone or I meet Morgan and her team again. I was just gobsmacked by the twist and this is a book that will stay with me for a long time. The atmosphere was perfect for the storyline with the creepy, gothic atmosphere and the hints of a creepy ghost story. It was just perfect and has even hit my top 3 books which is a major feat!!! I love how things went with a certain person but I will not mention more as not to spoil it for future readers!!! A huge congratulations Helen on what promises to be a best seller. I would LOVE to see this turned into what will be a sell out movie!!! I would also like to congratulate Helen on including the topic of domestic abuse and weaving it into such an intriguing storyline. Topics such as domestic violence need to be talked about more to help victims and survivors come forward and speak up and if this book helps one person, male or female, then Helen may have saved a life.

Clear your schedules NOW and pick up this page turner. You will regret it if you don't!!!

I absolutely loved meeting all the new characters and became completely invested in them. Each of the characters played their role perfectly and were all strong and realistic. I absolutely adore the fact that the main protagonist Maddy is an author. The one thing that can make an amazing book even better for me is when the main character has anything to do with books, whether a publicist, author or anything at all. As someone who loves books I become immediately invested in a bookworm character and Maddy was absolutely perfect. I loved all the book talk throughout and I was intrigued by some of the things that she mentioned such as an author who started writing books because they loved reading never having time to read. I wonder if this is something Helen herself faces and it is one of the reasons, apart from not having the confidence to be able to attempt a book, that I would not be able to write a book myself, I just love reading too much!! My heart really did go out to Maddy throughout the story and I would love to meet her again (this is the only problem with standalones, you become invested in characters you may never meet again). I could have killed Stella myself on a couple of occasions. Stella is a friend to Maddy but I don't understand how she could do what she did and then continued to do even worse. Without giving away too much information I dont understand why she didn't give false details out or then not contact the police immediately to warn them. Arggghhh... Right I won't say anymore as I'm worried I will give too much away and I don't want to spoil it for future readers but anyone who has read it will understand what I mean. However, I do understand that if she hadn't did these things then the storyline would be completely different and possibly not as amazing as it was. Moving on to other characters. I absolutely fell in love with Seth and thought he was so romantic and my heart absolutely went out to him on many occasions. I had mixed feelings with Glenys and it took me a while to click with her as I found her to be quite a female dog at first and awful to the sweet Alfie who I really liked and who will stay with me for a long time. However, over the story Glenys did grow on me and I loved that she was "kooky", didn't care what people thought and was a bit of a goth, she actually reminded me of myself when I was younger!! However, she didn't seem too shocked at certain events which left me wondering about her afterwards. I absolutely adored both Aden and Joe who were both sweet guys and the complete opposite to the absolute b"+t%%D of a scum (certainly not a man) Connor who least said about him the better. Anyway, I have probably bored you already so I will leave it there and thank you if you got this far. Love them or hate them these characters were absolutely perfect for this storyline and each will stay with me for a long time for different reasons.


Well done on yet another massive success Helen and here is to the next success in an amazing series 🥂 🎈 💐. This is EXACTLY why your one of my favourite authors!!!! 😍


Overall another action packed, page turning, addictive, gripping, suspense filled edge of your seat must read by the legend that is Helen Phifer!!


Genres covered in this novel include Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Thriller and Psychological Fiction amongst others.

I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Angela Marsons, Carol Wyer, CL Taylor, Tess Gerritson, Lucy Foley, Lisa Gardner, Ruth Ware and anyone looking for an epic read including you!!!


483 pages.

This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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Lakeview House by Helen Phifer
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

First, I want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for letting me read this book! This was my first NetGalley read. This book sounded very interesting and I was excited to read it. This book is about a girl, Maddy Hart, that is trying to escape her abusive ex-boyfriend. Her bestie, Stella, suggests that Maddy take a job as a live-in caretaker of an old mansion, Lakeview House. Maddy is a writer and believes this is just what she needs to finish a book she’s been working on without the interruption of worrying about if her ex will find her. So, she packs up and moves hours from home to this new life. As the days go by and longer she stays in this house, weird things start happening that just aren’t making sense and Maddy finds herself questioning her own reality.

I loved the short chapters in this book and how the plot just kept building. It left me wanting more and more, so it was hard to put down. There are alternating POV’s and I love reading from different character perspectives. However, I felt like some of the characters actions just didn’t make sense. I wish the book had elaborated more on the characters’ motives. This was a quick, suspenseful thriller but the ending just fell kinda flat for me. I felt it ended abruptly with no further explanation and I needed more. Also, some of the relationships in the book seemed forced and made my skin crawl by how cheesy they were.

Overall, I did enjoy this book and would read more from this author. This book’s Pub date is TOMORROW 4/8/22.

Wow! What a great read! I would describe this book as light and a quick read. I felt that the character development was just enough that I felt invested in them, but not overly detailed where I would get bogged down with too many details of their past. I loved that there was some romance and horror thrown into this psychological thriller. I felt very confident that I had figured out the ending, but then I was shocked when the twist came. Not what I was expecting at all! 4.5 stars rounding up to 5!

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture, and Helen Phifer for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

Author, Mandy Hart, impulsively accepts a job as caretaker of an crumbling mansion in order to escape an abusive boyfriend and to finish her second novel. Shortly after she arrives spooky things to start to happen. The build up is well done, but the ending felt very rushed. Thanks to NetGalley and @Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love Helen's books, this one is fantastic. Although it is a slow start it gets going and the ending is worth the wait.

When Maddy applies to be a live in caretaker at Lakeview House it’s the perfect getaway from her abusive ex, Connor, and also gives her the chance to write her second book.
Someone is watching Maddy though as she is close to discovering his secret hiding place.
This was a step away from Helen’s usual series and I absolutely loved it. A mixture of domestic thriller, crime, a little bit ghost like and I think there was a lot more of the author in this one. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Lakeview House is a thriller written by Helen Phifer, set to be published in April 2022. I stumbled upon the author and this book via NetGalley, and when the description piqued my curiosity, I requested a download; it was promptly delivered - many thanks! Set in the British countryside, a writer escapes an abusive relationship and finds a remote and rundown home (to be its caretaker) and find a way to write her second novel. After she leaves, the abusive ex-boyfriend goes all out to track her down, including stalking and attacking her friends. When she arrives, the woman discovers the house is haunted and has a huge history... and since she's the first person to live it in in decades, the previous killings start up again.

I found many good things in this book: interesting characters, elaborate descriptions of the settings, and several intense scenes. The overarching story is attention-capturing. But there were also some areas that felt unfinished. Things characters do were very much out of character for the person we'd come to know. The reasons for people's actions weren't clear. The ending came from nowhere and abruptly concluded with no explanations for why (s)he was the killer. We heard his/her POV in several chapters, and it had great build-up... but in the conclusion, it was listless and open-ended. Mixed feelings on this one... grateful for the opportunity to read it. Found things that kept me interested... but somehow this didn't sit well as an entire piece on its own. I'd give the author another chance... would just want to know the story is complete.

4.5 stars

Lakeview House by Helen Phifer is a psychological thriller.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Maddy Hart needs a fresh start.  She's running from an abusive relationship.  She's on a deadline with her publisher.  She just needs to get away.

When her best friend sends her a flyer showing Lakeview House, with the opportunity for Maddy to work there uninterrupted while being paid as a caretaker, she jumps at the chance.

But things are not as they seem in this rather imposing mansion.  Either the house is haunted, or someone is trying to scare her off.  Maddy's going to put up a fight.


My Opinions:   
Absolutely loved this....and the twist...OMG, I was really surprised.  Love when that happens!

It started out a little slow, but when it picked up speed, there was no stopping it.  Helen Phifer is an excellent writer.

The plot was really good, and although it seemed straight-forward, it wasn't.  I loved Maddy, and her friend Stella.  Although Stella's actions left a lot to be desired, she was still a friend.  Glynnis and her son were just as entertaining.  All the characters were a little quirky, well thought out.

So, a creepy old house, a serial killer, and an author.  What more could you want?

First I want to thank Dutton and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve been a fan of Sager’s for a few years and largely enjoy his books because of how easy they are to get lost in.

This book is about Casey an actress who is sent to live at her family’s lake house in rural Vermont after a public scandal.

Casey developed a drinking problem after the death of her husband who drowned in the lake she is now living next to. After saving her life from drowning, Casey develops a friendship with model Katherine who lives in the huge house across the lake.

When Katherine goes missing, Casey gets worried and sets out to find out what happened to her.

Sager as always created a book that is compulsively readable. I flew through this and felt it was super easy to read.

My main gripe with Sager’s writing is that I find his characterization of women is a bit off. It is hard to believe women would make a lot of the decisions the protagonist does and it feels like a carbon copy of the protagonist in his last few novels.

I strongly dislike the archetype of “woman drinks too much after trauma and is an unreliable narrator” and that is exactly who the protagonist is. People handle trauma in all sorts of different ways, but making it alcoholism in this case just felt lazy.

This book is definitely more of a horror novel than a thriller. I would say it is thrilling but it definitely leans more into the horror genre than say Final Girls.

Overall, 3.5 stars. It was very readable and I had fun but the twist was different than I expected based on the blurbs.

I loved this! Set in Cumbria where I live so even better as I love reading about my local area!

Maddy splits with her boyfriend and takes off to a remote house in the lakes to get away, and to finish off writing her book. But someone doesn't want her there, but is it the ex, locals or someone more dangerous?

Its a brilliant thriller and I read it start to end in one sitting. Can't wait to read more from this author. Fans of M W Craven, and Rachel Lynch will love this!

I enjoyed this thriller. It wasn't my favorite, and at times the characters were a bit frustrating and difficult to understand. What I did like about it was that there were a lot of unexpected twists and turns, which I appreciate in a thriller. I loved the creepy lake house vibes - totally screams perfect setting for a murder mystery! I liked the backstory and premise of the story as well.

Sometimes I wanted to shake some of the characters at certain points when their actions were frustrating. However this is a decent thriller with a fast-faced plot and some chilling plot twists!

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing a digital ARC in exchange for review!

I'm a huge fan of Helen Phifer's Morgan Brookes' series, so I was excited to read this standalone story. That's part crime thriller and part psychological thriller as author Maddy Hart decides to leave London for the Lake District and become a live in caretaker of the remote, creepy and imposing Lakeview House, whilst trying to escape her abusive ex and write her second novel.

But with stories of a woman drowning on her wedding day, creepy noises and pranks played Maddy begins to wonder if leaving London was the right choice after all.

And with an ex who will do anything to find Maddy and make her pay and someone using the lake as a dumping ground. This was an engaging read that after a slow start soon picked up and it's one I'd happily recommend to others.

This is a thriller in my taste. A page turner for sure. So happy I was able to read it thanks to Netgalley.
Loved the atmosphere, the beautiful yet creepy description that the author gives you through the book.
I got chills and that's what I want in a thriller and enjoyed it from the first page.
And the ending...oh my... wasn't prepared for that one. Love the twist which the end gives you.
I give it ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ cause this thriller deserve it.