If you're looking for a slow burn thriller that transports you to another country and keeps you guessing, this is the book for you! It took me some time (and two starts), but after that, I couldn't put this book down.

I loved this book so much and found it both thrilling as a mystery and also an insider’s look into writing residencies, which seemed even my mysterious! The writing and pace are fabulous. I really hope this book does well because it’s so deserving!

Thrillers have always been one of my favorite books to read. Besides romance, they were one of the most reviewed genres on this blog. When I read the blurb for The Deepest Lake on Soho Press’s NetGalley page, I became very interested in it. The storyline caught my attention, but the location also made me double-take. I haven’t read many books set in Central America, and I have read no books set in Guatemala. I hyped this book up in my mind, and in most cases, the book falls short. But not in this case. I enjoyed reading The Deepest Lake.

The Deepest Lake is a dual storyline, dual POV book. In my years of reading, I have noticed that books that go between characters and POVs become choppy towards the end (when the author tries to merge the storyline for the ending). But not in this case. The transition between Rose and Jules was smooth. The author marked whose chapter it was and when it was happening (this is very important towards the end of the book). And the merge of the storylines was seamless. All of this made the book very enjoyable to read.

There are two storylines in The Deepest Lake. One centers on Jules and her experiences working for Eva. The other storyline centers on Rose’s quest for answers about Jule’s disappearance/drowning. Both storylines were well-written and kept my attention focused on the book.

Jules did rub me the wrong way at the beginning of the book. She came across as a brat (for lack of better words) who felt suffocated by her parents. She also suffered from a severe case of hero worship, which lasted until the middle of the book. However, a significant scene in the middle of the book opened her eyes to everything and set up the events at the end of the book.

The depth of Rose’s grief crushed me. All she wanted was answers; the one person who had them (or she thought had them) was Eva. I got why she joined the writer’s workshop. I also got why she kept quiet about who she was and her relationship with Jules. I also loved that she was determined to figure out what happened to Jules, even though her ex-husband had already been to San Felipe and the resort looking for her.

Eva was a great villain. The more page time she got, the more unhinged she became. It was apparent early on in Rose’s workshops. But with Jules, it was evident when, well, the spa scene and after that scene, it just snowballed. I want to say grief was a significant factor behind everything, but you know what, I don’t know. And that is what made her such a great villain. You didn’t know the real reasons of what drove her and why (there were reasons given, but I took them with a grain of salt). I was also shocked by what was revealed at the end of the book about her (on so many levels).

The thriller and mystery angle of the book was good. The author was able to keep me on tenterhooks with both Rose and Jules. She would end chapters a certain way, go to the other POV, and I’d have to wait to see what happened. Also, two massive twists and a few smaller, more insignificant ones were thrown into the storyline. The big twists did surprise me. I did not expect what was revealed and what happened actually to happen. The more minor twists didn’t surprise me, but they added extra padding to what was revealed by the more significant twists.

The end of The Deepest Lake was one of the best endings to a book I have read. I loved how the author wrapped everything up. There was a surprise that the author included at the very end that surprised me, mainly because of who was involved and where that person was.

Many thanks to Soho Press, Soho Crime, NetGalley, and Andromeda Romano-Lax for allowing me to read and review this ARC of The Deepest Lake. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

I was very excited when I received this e-galley. I am happy to say that the book did not disappoint.

Things to enjoy in this one include the location (Guatemala), the concept (a writer’s retreat), the characters, especially the victim’s mother, and the writing itself. What really happened to Jules? Will her mother (who attends the retreat to investigate) find out what she needs to know? What has Eve (the writer and host) been up to? Who are the other attendees? These questions will be answered in a suspense filled narrative.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Soho Press for this title. All opinions are my own.

My son was born in Guatemala, and I've visited the country several times. When I read about this book taking place there, I knew I needed to check it out. The story that the author created surrounding Lake Atitlan fascinated me. I've swum there, visited villages around the Lake, and more. I felt just like the main character as she was arriving and uncovering mysteries - such a well-done story. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Simplicity is a virtue in plotting, if not writing, a thriller. What complexity there is, in a truly involving example of the genre, comes from the characters and what they want that takes them far outside the safe confines of bourgeois life. The death of a child's good for rage, and even revenge; but the death of a child who evokes a guilt or a regret in a parent...that will move one far outside behavioral norms.

This iteration of the mother-hunting-murderer starts to show us complexity about halfway through. The first half is a not-that-exciting takedown of the Writing Industry as a hollow, pretentious ego farm. Been there, read that. I kept going because, as a hardened old reader, there was something prickling my arm hairs, something I couldn't quite put a finger on. The writing about the titular lake was lovely, but not unusually so. The character of the snobby writing coach, if that's what she is and not some super Svengali creating murderous minions out of lonely women who like to write, is in a word predictable. The mother...easiest point of failure because pathos wears thin fast...it's the mother, I thought. <I>But why?</I> echoed back at me.

I couldn't answer myself.

On I read, waiting for the...something. That was it! I was reading a book waiting for this unknown, but subtly prefigured somehow I couldn't quite grasp...something to occur. Let me say that again: Without being able to say what, or when, I got my expectation set on, I was hooked into not being able to put this book down. To beat you about the forehead some more with what an impressive feat that is, I'll tell you that I started reading mysteries with the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew in...well, let's just say people born that year are grandparents. Several times over.

No, I won't tell you what happens. I will tell you that, while I was satisfied that what ended the book ended the story, I was that smallest bit, that vague hint, disgruntled at how long it took to get there. That constitutes a quibble given how much enjoyment I'm going to get from exploring Author Romano-Lax's back catalog from Soho Crime. The synopsis writer gives you some very apt comps, and those should hint at the direction you can expect the story to take.

The Deepest Lake is a mystery. The main character’s daughter has disappeared near Lake Atitilán in Guatemala. But it’s much more intense than the traditional mystery form. It’s really an examination of self and relationships.

Most of the story is told in the voice of Rose, the mother who has gone looking for her daughter because she is not satisfied with what everyone else has done. She goes to Guatemala under the guise of registering for a workshop by a famous memoirist using her maiden name. Her daughter Jules worked for the memoirist, Eva, at least for a short time.

We're really learning about three women in this novel. Rose, the mother, is stuck in tradition. Jules, the daughter, is try to break out from convention but has t really found her voice yet. Eva, the writer, uses intimidation to cover her own insecurities. I'm finding it quite a fascinating study of human behavior. And I'm learning just a little bit about writing along the way. It's a well written novel.

2.5 ⭐️

This wasn’t a bad book but for me it felt to drag on a bit. I was only slightly attached to one character but that wasn’t enough to hold my attention for long and at times I had to force myself to pick it up which isn’t what I wanted. Again, it wasn’t bad. The writing style was good and the story seemed interesting so maybe it just wasn’t for me and that’s alright.

I've lost track of how many thrillers I've read where a family member travels to an isolated retreat to uncover what really happened to a loved one. It's a common plotline and one that I tend to enjoy. The Deepest Lake is one of the best. By the time that Rose applies for the memoir writing retreat under her maiden name, she's already done everything she could to find out what really happened to her daughter. There was a police investigation. She hired a private investigator. Chapters alternate between Rose's search for information and Jules' experiences when she was on the property a few months earlier. I love the way the author contrasts mother and daughter's approaches to travel in a foreign country. They're both likeable characters and as the plot unfolded I got more and more worried about them. It's a suspenseful, enjoyable read that I definitely recommend.

The Deepest Lake
by Andromeda Romano-Lax
Pub Date: May 07 2024

The story is told from two points of view, the mother and daughter's. The story is very quick to follow, I feel it is more of a mystery than a thriller. A story about a relationship between a mother and a daughter.

Book Synopsis: The Deepest Lake is about an atmospheric thriller set at a luxury memoir-writing workshop on the shores of Lake Atitlán, Guatemala, where a grieving mother goes undercover to investigate her daughter’s mysterious death.

Many thanks to #SohoPress, #NetGalley and #TheDeepestLake for providing me with an E-ARC of this book.

The Deepest Lake by Andromeda Romano-Lax was a crazy ride from beginning to end.
The author drew me into the story within the first few chapters and kept me hooked till the very end.
It was an exciting and suspenseful very well-written and thrilling story.
This was an easy, entertaining read, I really enjoyed this and found myself absorbed in the story.

Thank You NetGalley and Publisher for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

I was lead to this book by the mystery/thriller aspect of the story and in that regard I was disappointed. THE DEEPEST LAKE follows a mother's quest for answers regarding what happened to her daughter. Jules left home on an adventure to Guatemala hoping to link up with her favorite author who lives in a remote village there and offers writing seminars. As a budding author, Jules felt that would be more useful than seeking an advanced degree in writing. Partway through her adventure all communication ended between her and her mother Rose. When officials investigated the disappearance she was declared missing and presumed dead. She had last been seen swimming alone in a very deep lake near the writer's compound. When the case was closed, Rose decided to travel to the writer's compound herself, take the seminar, and use the time to do her own investigation.

For me, neither the mystery nor the suspense aspect of the story panned out. Instead, the first half of the book seemed to drag with little to move the story other than to display the mother's angst. Along the way, the story split into two narratives. The first was Rose's journey and fears for her daughter. The second tells the tale of Jules's trip to Guatemala and what happened to her--good and bad. The book did display more of the mystery element as the book worked its way to the conclusion with a very mild thriller at the very end.

I appreciated the opportunity to read and review this book, though I must say that it did not live up to my hopes and expectations.

The book was told from two POV and honestly, the Rose parts didn't inspire me at all. Jules... Her POV was better. There was urgency and excitement there. Rose... boring.

The ending was good which earned it a half star extra. 3.5 stars

I loved this thrilling and twist filled read! Eva, Rose and Jules were such complex and fascinating characters. The isolation of the setting really helped to increase suspense. This is a book that you won't be able to put down.

Rose's twentysomething daughter Jules went missing in Lake Atitlan, Guatemala while traveling alone. Rose's ex went to investigate and came up with nothing more than that Jules drowned. Rose doesn't believe it, and since Jules was working as a Girl Friday for a famous memoirist, Rose decides to sign up for one of the memoirist's writing retreats to do some digging. With no investigative background, Rose is somewhat out of her depth navigating a small tourist town with secrets of its own and a group of women at a writer's retreat struggling with their own issues.

About midway through the book, we start reading Jules's POV from when she arrived in Guatemala which answers some questions but leaves the reader with more. As we continue reading, we find out what drew her to the memoirist and tension builds. It took a turn toward the end that was a little odd, but very reminiscent of Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarity.

Overall, a solid, psychologically tense story about a mother's love for her daughter. Thanks to Netgalley and Soho Press for the ARC.

The book opens with a tragic prologue and we later learn what it means. We move forward three months though to Rose's arrival in Guatemala to attend a writing retreat with well-known memoirist Eva Marshall. She introduces us to some of her fellow wannabe writers - so I expected some nefarious characters whose motivation later becomes obvious - but we soon discover Rose is there under false pretences as her daughter Jules had been working for Eva when she disappeared.

Rose has too many questions about her daughter's disappearance that haven't been answered - local police believing she drowned with rumours of alcohol and drugs being involved. Eva's seemingly indifferent to Jules's fate stating the pair had barely spoken but Rose learns that's not the case and tries to unpick Jules' brief time in Eva's employ.

Part-way through chapters are also told from Jules' point of view following her arrival in Guatemala. She's idolised Eva but starts to realise her potential mentor is far from the woman she'd wanted her to be. Tension builds in the past which finally takes us back to the prologue.... and into the final third of the book.

I can't say much more without giving away major spoilers but I was initially quite intrigued by the unfolding story. Possibly because I'm also interested in the craft of writing. (And psychology.)

Where Romano-Lax however takes this however, felt a little too far-fetched. Too unhinged... which perhaps is the point but it became less of a mystery or edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller and a bit more fantastical which just didn't gel with me. That being said, others might be more convinced.

This was an unexpected read. Set in Guatemala on the shores of Lake Atitlán, the story follows the drowning death of young Jules. The way into the story is through her mother, Rose’s, unfathomable grief at the loss of her daughter. The lake is deeper than Lake Michigan (to put it in context) and Jules’ body has not been found. Her father went first to search, and with his military training and willingness to work with local law enforcement he gets a certain number of facts, but Rose wants to somehow live into the place where her daughter was last seen and feel her way into a solution. It’s almost a perfect split of the stereotypical male and female ways of approaching a problem.

Jules was working for her writing idol at her exclusive Guatemalan writing retreat where women pay $6000 for a 10 day stay of workshopping their possible future memoirs with the writer, Eva, whose most famous book was about losing a much longed for child borne in late middle age. Rose signs up for a workshop, using her maiden name – she’s been emailing questions to Eva with little response – and assumes the mantle of an aspiring memoirist. The women in her group come many backgrounds and many of them are traumatized in some way and see writing a memoir as a way to move through their trauma and hopefully, past it.

Eva turns out to be imperious, fascinating, charismatic and a bit dangerous. Her personality infects the story like a tea bag in a mug of hot water – it spreads and darkens throughout the book. The narrative also goes back to Jules’ time with Eva. She’d been hired as a sort of personal assistant, and though she’d hoped to find a writing mentor, she finds instead a capricious boss who is affectionate one moment and dismissive the next. Eva’s personality is really the crux of the mystery.

Rose, desperate for clues, trues to ask around as best she can, and luckily she’s fluent in Spanish. Like Miss Marple before her, she’s a somewhat overlooked woman of a certain age who can question a cook or a maid and not really be noticed. She’s having a hard time finding employees who knew Jules, however, and Eva herself has insisted Jules was fired as she has too many distractions outside of work.
The setting, like all Soho Crime novels, is as much a character as anything else in the novel, with the lake, beautiful and mysterious, sitting alongside all of the action. Jules met her death in the lake, and her mother is both fascinated and repelled by it. Both mother and daughter disliked/dislike the water. The village is a character as well, as Rose makes her forays to town from the exclusive camp.

The writer’s workshop is part of the narrative, and it sounds like a painful and unpleasant experience, but the love for Eva on the part of the would be writers is cult-like. Rose is not part of the cult and perceives something off from the start. The only clues she has are Jules’s beat up, much underlined copy of Eva’s memoir, found in the backpack of a German hiker, and a mysterious drug dealer who is presently in jail. There’s a twist in the story which I had figured out but is still very effective. I wasn’t won over by the ending of the novel, but it wasn’t unsatisfying from a mystery point of view, it was unsatisfying from an emotional one.

Romano-Lax has certainly created memorable and resonant characters, and I couldn’t stop turning the pages. The story is simple and complex at the same time. It’s a book I won’t soon forget, even as I revise parts of it in my mind.

As well as there were loved parts in this book, some were equally worth of eyerolls.

The beginning is heartbreaking. Rose's daughter Jules is full of life, happy she's gotten her favorite author/idol to be her mentor while she's struggling to find what to write for her own memoir. And then she drowns in the lake, never to be found. Rose is compelled to visit the place, learn more of the last days of her daughter, and for that, she disguises herself as one of the students that same author takes once in a while.

Usually I can tell with books around where they went wrong, but I'm not even sure if this book went wrong, or if it wasn't that good and somehow it saved itself? It is an okay read. But some parts are much more than just okay. And other parts were weird, when they weren't cringe-worthy. My verdict is that I liked it after all, despite how it unrolled.

Both Rose's and Jules's parts were pleasing to read, although they tended to have a similar voice. However, I did like how those characters built, the drama part of this thriller was probably what made it good. Meanwhile, the actual events, not so much.

That said, I do want to read more of this author. There's something gripping about the way she writes that makes me want more. This book was a case of, I had a good time, but I'm aware of many reasons I wouldn't normally.


Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.

Right from the start, this book sucked me in and held me captivated. I couldn’t put it down.

Jules, a young, carefree, world traveler is excited to work for her beloved author, Eva Marshall, at a memoir workshop in Guatemala. This is her dream job! Her parents, however, want her to finish college, so she keeps them in dark about the specifics of the job.

Rose, Jules mother is devastated when she learns her daughter has drowned in Guatemala’s Lake Aititlán. The authorities have informed her that it’s unlikely Jules’ body will be found because the lake is the deepest in Central America. Rose decides to go there and learn how this could have happened to her daughter.

The story is told from two points of view; Jules’ and Rose’s. I liked that we get to read Jules’ first person account of what happened leading up to the drowning. Her story is slowly unraveled alternating with chapters from her Mother’s investigation.

The story quickly picks up like a roller coaster and everything comes to a hair-raising ending!!

I would have given it 5 stars but the ending seemed implausible. I have so many questions! But other readers may understand it better than I did. Overall, I really liked this book and would highly recommend it!

Many thanks to Andromeda Romano-Lax and Soho Press for the ARC via NetGalley!!!

The Deepest Lake was a captivating, intense, spooky thriller! I enjoyed reading this spiraling story as the various layers revealed the twists and turns through the two POVs. Felt it gets a bit unbelievable and unraveled at the end but is a solid story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Soho Press for the opportunity to read this ARC.