I'll start at the end: Whaaaaat?
That was my exact reaction when I reached the end of this book. But I have to say that the mystery at the heart of the story was mostly good. From the beginning I had a hunch about what had truly happened to Jules.
Reading Rose's parts was easy to have empathy and grieve with her as a mother myself. Some of Jule's parts were also easy to identify with, especially as I remember how I was at that age: the aimlessness, the unmoored feelings, the ideals destroyed by reality, and the struggles as an aspiring author.
Overall, it was a great story about the complicated relationship between mothers and daughters. However, that final resolution was way over-the-top which brings me to the character of Eva Marshall. This is the 3rd book I finished this year that portrays the terrible side of the publishing world. What's up with that?
The end itself though? Why? HOW? Rose and Jules deserved much better than that.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a good thriller. As a mom, you can never give up on your kids. This had me at the end of my seat. I recommend the read! Thank you for the ARC!

A mother would do anything to find out what happened to her missing daughter; that’s exactly what Rose did. After her daughter, Jules, decided to travel instead of going to grad school, and goes missing, Rose takes matters into her own hands to find out what happened. Following Rose in the Present, the story follows Jules leading up to her disappearance.

I found the story intriguing and wanting to find out more, but a bit slower paced. It did keep me wanting to continue to find out what happened to Jules, though.

You know what I did enjoy this.

It is an atmospheric thriller that does pull you in. It’s the type of book that means you can’t just leave it and you have to keep reading to know more.

The three main characters of Rose, Jules and Eva were likeable strong characters.

If you like an over the top thriller that does leave you on the edge of your seat you’ll like this!

One of the signs of a good thriller, in my opinion, is when the author draws the reader in to the point of cringing and wanting to yell “watch out” at the protagonist. This book fit that criteria and then some for me - I was really drawn in to this story. Rose is a mother who goes to great lengths and unwittingly puts herself in danger to find out what happened to her daughter, Jules who reportedly drowned in Lake Atitlan in Guatemala while working at a writers’ workshop. The story switches back and forth between the POVs of both women as they follow similar paths to become drawn into the sinister plans of Eva, the workshop presenter. I really liked the setting as I know very little about Guatemala. The story was exciting with a satisfying conclusion. The character development was good - about what I expect from any thriller but as usual, I wanted to know more about Rose, Jules and Eva and wanted more descriptions of the setting. Just my personal preference as I think most readers of the thriller genre will really enjoy this book.

A great read for writers who go to writing retreats! Might put you off… This slow-burn thriller is told from the POVs of mother and daughter. After her daughter Jules disappears, Rose embarks on a search both for the daughter she realises she did not know as well as she thought, and a journey of her own self-discovery. Dark and intense, with an ending you won’t guess. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a digital ARC.

This book weaves its magic in two storylines which form their own kind of energy and you are pulled into both stories immediately. Romano-Lax captures the peculiar power dynamics in destination workshops, and how vulnerable writers can fall victim to people ready to fleece them. Along the way, a complex and very real mother/daughter relationship surfaces, and a complicated villain is revealed in layers, reminding us the collateral damage a narcissist's narrative can weave. I gobbled this book up, highly recommend!

I really enjoyed this! It's atmospheric and unique. The story moves at a good pace and I like the writing style. If you enjoy thrillers, I would recommend this! Special Thank You to Andromeda Romano-Lax, Soho Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed thos book. Good premise, decent follow through with plot, and ending that made sense.
I'll look for more by this author.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC

This dual timeline/dual POV thriller was well-crafted with amazing character development. If you enjoy thrillers with strong female characters then this is the book for you. I was sucked in from the beginning.

This story explores the bond of mother and daughter like no other book I have ever read. The ending was not all that I had hoped for though, and left me with questions that I really wanted answered.

Thank you to NetGalley and SoHo Press for the chance to read this book!

Absorbing atmospheric mystery thriller.

When 20-year-old Jules goes missing in Lake Atitlán, Guatemala, while trying to find herself and develop her writing skills, her father immediately sends all kinds of his contacts to try to locate her without success. Eventually presumed drowned in the deep lake, it's 3 months later when her mother, Rose, decides to go there and attend an exclusive writer's retreat under a fake name to see if she can get some answers about what happened to her daughter.

This is a mother-daughter story on one level and a suspenseful thriller as well. As Rose searches and asks questions at the retreat and in the local town, she discovers (as we all usually do) that she didn't really know her daughter as well as she thought she did. The locals are quiet and even though Rose speaks fluent Spanish, they aren't encouraged to talk to her. Likewise, the staff at the writer's retreat, and its famous author hostess, Eva Marshall, are less than forthcoming and some even deny that Jules was ever there. Rose soon discovers that all was not above board at this lovely tropical workshop compound.

I really enjoyed the mother and daughter characters in this book. Their personalities evolved slowly with the narrative alternating between them. The setting was very important to the story and the descriptions brought the place to life. Eva Marshall was quite the woman and author with many lies to tell and secrets she must keep. The interaction between the other attendees and the townspeople were revealing and added color to the novel.

I listened to the audiobook and the two narrators, Susan Bennett and Rebecca Quin Robertson, did a fantastic job voicing the characters with appropriate feeling and tone. I followed along in the e-book ARC which definitely enhanced my enjoyment. Definitely recommend.

"In this atmospheric thriller set at a luxury memoir-writing workshop on the shores of Lake Atitlán, Guatemala, a grieving mother goes undercover to investigate her daughter’s mysterious death."

A wonderfully compelling read. As a mother, thinking about loosing one of my own children and the lengths i would go to find out what happened to them really kept me engaged in this story and wanting to find out what happened to her daughter.

"In this atmospheric thriller set at a luxury memoir-writing workshop on the shores of Lake Atitlan, Guatemala, a grieving mother goes undercover to investigate her daughter's mysterious death."

Rose has been waiting months to get answers about her daughter Jule's death in Lake Atitlan, but all she gets is that her daughters death has been determined to be an accidental drowning. Is there more to the story? Is Jule's beloved writing workshop teacher Eva involved in her death? Only the love of a mother and her determination to go to great lengths investigating what happened to her daughter in her last days can find out her real fate.

This book was quick to start and draw you in to it's web of emotion and suspense. The story plays out from two points of view, Rose (the mother) and Jules (the daughter). It keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very end. They book didn't disappoint and would be an excellent read for any mystery or thriller lovers.

Thank you to Netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rose goes undercover to try and find out what sctually happened to her daughter Jules who disappeared from a writers retreat abroad. There was no body .
This is a pov story today from jules and roses pov. I would describe this as a mystery written with good dedcription
It felt too long but i was compelled to to find out what happened. The plot was predictable but the characters were well written . The side characters and the retreat made a good sidestory. . I would recommended this to anyone who like a good mystery but be awate of the length. A solid 4 star. Thanks netgallery and publisher and author

This is about a mother and daughter relationship, they travel to Guatemala in search of inspiration by their favorite author. It was very heart wrenching and told in multiple point of views.

Andromeda Romano-Lax did an outstanding job creating a story that will live long in the minds and psyche of the readers who are smart enough to grab a copy of The Deepest Lake. This books grabs the readers right from the beginning, ensnaring them from the get go, and refusing to give any space to draw a deep breath until the readers come to the last word. If people thought movies such as Jaws and Psycho gave the viewers nightmares, then the readers lucky enough to pick up a copy of this book will be in for the shock of a lifetime as they try to decipher what exactly they read and pray to whichever God they believe in that they don't night nightmares, because it's not sharks or nameless people that you need to fear, it's much worse. And Ms. Romano-Lax builds up to the main event in such a way the reader is on pins and needles, just waiting to see if they are right or wrong in their conclusions. I can think of a couple of ways a sequel to this book can go, but just as we had to wait and see about the conclusion of The Deepest Lake, we have to be patient so we can wait and see if there will be a sequel equal to raw brutality that shapes this masterpiece.

Chilling and atmospheric! I loved this thriller about a woman searching for answers about her daughter's death. Full of twists and lovely writing.

From the beginning, this book gripped me, making it hard to set aside. Jules, a young traveler, excitedly starts a job with author Eva Marshall in Guatemala, much to her parents' disapproval. Tragedy strikes when Jules drowns in Lake Atitlán, leaving her mother, Rose, devastated. The dual perspectives of Jules and Rose unravel the events leading to the tragedy. The story unfolds like a roller coaster, building to a thrilling conclusion. While the ending may seem implausible to some, the book remains a compelling read. Highly recommended for those who enjoy mysteries with dual narratives and suspenseful twists.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Without giving any spoilers, this book really blew me away. This is my first title by Andromeda Romano-Lax. I completely absorbed me from the first page. This story is told from the POV of mother and daughter Rose and Jules. After disappearing without a trace, Rose embarks on a journey of self discovery while searching for answers of her daughter Jules whereabouts. It is a challenging, dark and intense ride. For those who are parents, It'll make you question "How well do you know your child?" and if you don't, you will empathize with the characters as they pull you into their dark stories. This is one of my favorite reads for 2024. I cannot stop recommending this to coworkers and customers.

A mother on the hunt for answers. Everyone else is satisfied with what they have been told, but she is sure that something more is going on and will travel across the world to find out.

This one had me on edge and flipping through quickly to find the answers along with her.