This was a great thriller! I was hooked from the start and it checked all the boxes for a great mystery! Highly recommend

Sixteen year old Marshall finds himself at the centre of one of his towns most intriguing crimes; a woman has disappered, last seen in a police car with a man impersonating a cop. When Marshall is offered a summer internship with a private investigator, he is thrilled to be even more involved in the case. Then a shocking event happens, that calls into question Marshall's honesty, and Marshall starts to realize that something much darker is going on in his town.

This is a horror book that is not going to be for everyone. This is a very, very slow burn horror novel that focuses mostly on the coming of age elements until the last fourth of the book or so, and then the horror really gets moving. While I don't think everyone will love this one, I really did. I loved Marshall, his mom, his best friend and all the supporting characters, all of whom felt like real people. I also really enjoyed the small town, 90's vibes, and what a vivid picture of this setting the author created. When the horror elements come in to play, they are definitely creepy, and really make you cringe, especially if you aren't a fan of snakes. I think this is a great book to read if you're looking for a coming of age book with horror elements. and are prepared to roll with the slow roll out of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

So...thanks for making me cry!

I generally don't love coming-of-age novels and this is definitely that - but I simply loved this book. It was heartfelt, eerie, heart-breaking and epic.

It's reminiscent of Stephen King or Robert McCammon, but has a style all its own.

I love the author's work and will happily read him again and again!

Absolutely the best of the Scott Carson books and among the best by Carson's alter ego, Michael Koryta. Koryta/Carson has a gift for character development, and it was well-used in Lost Man's Lane. There is a paranormal element, but it is used to move the story along instead of being the story. I also appreciate the 1999 setting, allowing some nostalgia to complement the characters.

I loved the atmosphere and the world-building in this book. Even though it's a real place, Carson made Indiana come alive. Also, he combined the paranormal elements with the real elements in a thoroughly convincing way. I was intrigued from start to finish.

There were a few things that kept me from giving this five stars. The big twist about Marshall's dad was pretty obvious, and it didn't surprise me in the least. Secondly, the battle in the climax felt a little too fast. I wanted it to last longer and have a little more tension, and I kept expecting something that would hint at the fact that it had not ended even though Marshall thought everything was square. Lastly, while it helped to know of the national events happening during that time, after the fourth or fifth one I felt like the book was a little too didactic. Knowing that the book was set in 1999 was key to the plot because of the Y2K scare, and including Columbine also made sense along with a few other tragedies. But after a while, those sections felt less like an organic part of the story and more like short Cliffs Notes version of history. They didn't keep me from reading the book to the end, but they just kind of stuck out like a sore thumb.

Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed this one and would absolutely read more fiction by Scott Carson.

Wow! It’s a must-read for Stephen King and Stranger Things fans. I’m a sucker for great coming-of-age horror, and boy, this book delivered. This is the first I’ve read from Carson, but I’m definitely going to check his backlist and keep an eye out for his new stuff!

And this one is a bit different… set in the Y2K era, Marshall is a teen in Bloomington that is stopped by a cop on his 16th birthday. As a result of this stop, he gets a summer job as an assistant to a private investigator that is searching for a missing girl. His single parent mother is doing her very best to raise a well rounded self sufficient young man in a rather turbulent time. The Weller plays a key role in Marshall’s development which surprises them both. Thanks to NetGalley and Atria for the supernatural creepfest.

Lost Man's Lane (ARC)
Scott Carson
4⭐️

Pub Date: 3/26/2024

This is such a unique concept (well for me, since I haven't really read lots of horror). This book, to sum it up, is a supernatural thriller! It's pretty twisted! The premise was so intriguing. There was a major hint at the beginning of the story but I totally missed it *ahem, word play*. But I think the beauty of this book is not just the supernatural aspect of it, but also the coming-of-age of the MMC and how he navigates through it. Granted, I am a plot-based reader and some of the details came off as slow to me. Other parts even felt somewhat irrelevant until it later on, when these seemingly insignificant parts all pull through and actually holds a solid spot in the plot. So, it's definitely worth it to read every bit even the slower parts of the book. And when the rush came, the actual supernatural events, they came and landed hard. I couldn't stop reading. There's humor (cause teenagers are funny -ish), relationships, conspiracy (1999, Y2K topics), murders, rattlesnakes and the sinister thing that surrounds everything. Definitely expect the unexpected.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for a gifted e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Atria for the review copy! This is a good read, kind of stealthy in the way it grabbed my attention and the small town, dark history themes with supernatural elements really worked for me, I needed a change up and as a fan of Stephen King and Michael Kortya and Chuck Wendig, this book worked for me.
Standouts
1. A strong coming of age theme with a well developed teenage main character, the kind of youthful strength needed to uncover darkness because they are not yet jaded though you can sense the pull of small town life secrets and darkness creeping in.
2. A long book that holds up, the pacing did not wane for me despite a long story. The length worked to let the journey and story have strong developed points.
3. Engaging themes, effective but not distracting supernatural themes but a better, and needed, focus on the human themes and mystery, the journey of the main character is the story itself.

Marshall Miller is sixteen and living in Bloomington Indiana with his single mother. He finally gets his driver's license and is pulled over by the police. Only the officer is a bit too threatening, the girl in the backseat of the police car looking a bit too scared. Later, Marshall finds out the girl is missing. He begins working with a local private investigator to try to solve a crime he finds himself at the center of. While trying to manage his growing and changing friendships and relationships, Marshall has to face one of Bloomington's darkest years.
The book is primarily a coming of age novel, with elements of a small town mystery and horror sprinkled in to propel the plot forward. Besides the central mystery, Marshall is dealing with going to parties, issues with his friend's family, rock climbing, and all of the classic issues of a teenager nearing adulthood. The 1999 setting leads to a lot of era-specific details in terms of the music and news of the day that surrounds Marshall throughout his journey. The book reminded me a lot of Richard Chizmar's Chasing the Boogeyman in the best ways, where both books involve the narrator as the author reflecting back on this time in their childhood when their towns were changed by the evil of a killer (though Chizmar's narrator was himself, this book has Marshall). The book slowly builds dread as Marshall can no longer ignore what he saw on the road that day he was pulled over, and it all led to a thrilling and emotional climax. However, for a 500 page book, it moves quickly because of the detailed and relatable scenes. I loved the main characters in the book and appreciated the level of detail the author put into fleshing out the town. The finale really worked for me because of the investment the book put into the characters surrounding Marshall. I highly recommend this to people who might be a little more horror averse because those spooky and supernatural aspects are mostly not at the forefront of the book, but are effective when they appear and all build towards the big finale.
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for a copy of Lost Man's Lane in exchange for an honest review.

Ghosts. Snakes. Missing girls. What is reality and what is not?

Incredibly creepy supernatural thriller/mystery that did not help my fear of snakes one little bit.

It took me a minute to get fully invested in the story, but I’m so glad I stuck this one out because I really enjoyed the twists and storyline, even though I’m going to be checking for snakes for the next few days…

I don’t think I’m the audience for this book. I found the narrator annoying so I had a hard time being interested.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC of this book!

Well. This book was a good old-fashioned coming-of-age tale with a bit of the supernatural thrown in for good measure. I really enjoyed this even though, if I'm being honest, the main character drove me a little nuts at times. However, I did get engrossed in this story and was curious to see how he would figure things out. The reader is kept guessing for a while until the final reveal which I liked. I do recommend!

A huge thank you to Atria books, Scott Carson and Netgalley.
I absolutely love the way this author tells a story. He somehow manages to scare the pooey outta me and still leaves me laughing uproariously!
I'm just saying that if you don't find that "the wall is all" funny as shit, then we probably will never be friends! Even half way through the book I found myself going back, just to re-read the climbing wall part. I was howling!
As for the rest? Please. Mr. Man writes some truly wonderful and compelling characters.
This story was at times just creepy as hell. Luckily I'm not afraid of snakes. Don't get me wrong, because every time I've ever come across a snake...be it a sidewinder, diamond back or even a garter snake 🐍 then I still run 🏃🏃like the hell hounds are after me. That's just common sense!
Anyhow, I loved this story, and I have now officially become a fan.
There were a few deaths that had me in years towards the end, but really it only added to the story.
This was a fantastic story.

I loved Carson’s writing style, the nostalgic vibes, likable characters, and humor mixed in with the creepy storyline. I just absolutely loved The Weller and the unlikely friendship with Marshall & I loved the character development and small town coming of age story. I feel like it was giving strong Stephen King vibes. Carson’s writing was bingable and eloquent even within a supernatural story. Thank you Net Galley for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Immensely readable, comparisons with Stephen King are earned. Carson spins a great yarn and creates believable, sympathetic characters you root for. He builds tension expertly (if occasionally a little too slowly) and the payoff is successful! I particularly loved the setting (1999) and the inclusion of noteworthy events from that time period. Carson (Koryta) writes with grace and empathy.

I love coming-of-age novels regardless of the genre. There is just something magical about the most challenging time in all our lives, growing up. I want to thank Netgalley and Atria Books for the e-arc of this fantastic title.

Scott Carson is Michael Koryta's pen name for those not in the know. This is the 3rd book under Scott Carson. Spoiler: it’s his best one yet!

This is a coming-of-age tale set in Bloomington, Indiana, in 1999, one year before the big Y2K freakout. Nostalgia is everywhere, and it takes you back. The writing is beautiful and immerses you in the story. You feel like you are partying in 1999.

The story finds our hero, High School student Marshall Miller, facing off against human and supernatural forces. This genre-blending masterpiece combines horror, mystery, thriller, and light romance into a book that will undoubtedly be one of my favorite reads of 2024.

Strong King vibes are present here, which long-time readers will find welcoming. Lost Man’s Lane is a solid 5 out of 5 stars.

As a horror novel this one lives up to the trope with a lot of creepy bits. Although that could just be me there was so many mentions of snakes and I find them so creepy. Outstanding writing and plot development with a dash of nostalgia for every one that grew up around the horrors of 9/11, Afghanistan, Y2K.

This is an underrated gem just waiting for people to discover it.

This one had me hooked from the beginning.

I think this one was advertised as horror, but I wouldn't go in expecting that. It was definitely horror-light, but I still enjoyed it. The book is more about the coming of age of Marshall, who is working as an intern in a PI firm for the summer. It certainly had some "IT" vibes.

I loved that it took place in the 1990's, so there were a lot of throwback references that triggered feelings for me, being from that generation.

The writing was very engaging, the character development was on point, and I loved how the story unfolded. Overall, I recommend this to people who like creepy/supernatural but not full on intense horror books.

<i>Lost Man's Lane</i> is a horror/supernatural story, much like those of Stephen King and his earlier works. I was drawn in to this book from the very beginning. The writing is wonderful and kept my focus. The story is set in 1999 and there are many historical references to help preface the tone of the world at that time. Not only that, but the chapters all began with lyrics from 90s music (mostly rap and r&b). I loved being taken back nd thinking about those times.
Marshall finds himself in some tricky situations, many of them unexplained. When he tries to, he ends up becoming someone who is very unreliable and even the police don't want to deal with him. Growing up in a home of just him and his mom, plus the family that lives across the street, he developed some important skills of independence that helps him handle his way through these unusual situations.
I admit that the start of the book when we were just learning about the potential for something spooky was a lot more interesting than the ending when more information is developing. I think that any fan of the supernatural will appreciate this story.