Amazing! this book is so well written, it has it all! a lot of suspicion, sadness, intrigue, but the ending was the piece de resistance! i did not see that coming! i was trying to guess all the way through but was way off- amazing book please write more!

Woah.

🤯

Thank you to Katherine Greene, NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing this ARC as an ebook. I read this one in 2 sittings.

Jess has disappeared. It only took a few seconds for her to vanish. Her little sister Lindsey was waiting impatiently at the window for her much older sister to return with her surprise from the trunk of her car. Something distracted her 6 year old self and when she returned to the window, Jessica was gone. Her trunk was wide open and no one was to be seen.

The police did such a shoddy job trying to find her kidnapper. They never tied together that the 3 other girls that went missing from Southern State were connected. Or were they?

Throughout the read I think the mom was the only person I didn’t suspect of getting rid of Jess. And yet, the ending was still a shock.

The story is told with different timelines and multiple media sources, including new articles, Instagram posts, and a podcast that quickly goes viral with its rehashing of the crime. Those additions really bring you into the story, making it seem as though you are living through it also.

Holy cow! I was not expecting that and I absolutely loved it so much. I need it for myself. I love me some thriller that keeps you on your toes the whole book and this is that.

Set in the past and present, The Lake of the Lost Girls takes us through Jessica's last days along with the present search to find her. She attends Southern State University just up the hill from her childhood home. While attending, Jessica along with three other girls who seem to all have relations to each other go missing! New evidence and remains found prompt law enforcement to reevaluate everything. With her younger sister stating she only looked away for 10 seconds, we find her, Lindsay, in the midst of the search.

I truly did enjoy this book and it kept me on the edge of my seat! I raced to finish this book and I am so glad I was able to read it! I will say there are a lot of twists and turns, sometimes getting me a little confused. However, I was thoroughly surprised by the ending (which I love in a physiological thriller btw!!!). The different aspects of the story were interesting, including the past and present aspect and the podcast being included!

Just honestly losing one star because of the confusion at times and how frustrated I got with some of the characters lol.

Anyway, thank you so so so much to NetGalley and Katherine Greene for allowing me to read an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for my unbiased review in exchange for my copy.

"The Lake of Lost Girls" by Katherine Greene is a mystery told in the past and in the present. In 1998, Southern State University freshman, Jessica Fadley, is a once golden girl struggling through her first year of college and independence. Along with three other female students, Jessica disappears. Over two decades later, remains are found prompting the search for Jessica and the three other missing girls to begin anew and Jessica's younger sister, Lindsey, gets caught up in the momentum.

This was an overall enjoyable read. There is, as with mysteries, a twist and while I did end up guessing the twist like 40% in, I still thought it was enjoyable. I did kind of find Lindsey's perspective to be grating. Despite all of her traumas, I just found her so arrested and annoying to read. I felt kind of similarly when reading Jessica's perspective as well, but I felt more sympathy considering she is supposed to still be a teenager for the most part. I think for a quick summer read, this is a good one to have on hand. It's quick, it isn't too complicated, and for the most part, I think that people will enjoy connecting the dots. You will however, find yourself frustrated with the ineptitude of practically everybody in this. I mean, everyone just seemed comically obtuse. It was wild. Despite that, I pushed through and had a fine time reading.

This isn't a work of art or a masterpiece, but again, it's fairly enjoyable. Just middle of the road as far as mysteries go.

It’s 1998, and female students are going missing at Southern State University in North Carolina, but freshman Jessica Fadley, once a bright and responsible student, is going through her own struggles. Just as her life seems to be careening dangerously out of control, she suddenly disappears.

Twenty-four years later, Jessica’s sister Lindsey is desperately searching for answers and uses the momentum of a new chart-topping true crime podcast that focuses on cold cases to guide her own investigation.

It would seem I’m reading a few stories at the moment that use the true crime podcast premise to explore and unravel stories. And I don’t hate it!

This is a great psychological thriller that unpacks a rang of different stories. While I actually found the podcast sections somewhat irrelevant to what was happening in the story (I skimmed these sections by the end), I found the writing style and the way each murder was unpacked really interesting. With a few characters bought in as potential suspects, you did find yourself unsure who it would be, which I always enjoy!

What. The. Heck.
I truly didn’t see that coming at all. This book kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I was convinced I knew who did it. Even being partially right, I was somehow still completely off. Loved the mixed media aspect.

I love that this book had both podcast transcripts, interviews, and two timelines. It was wonderfully layered and kept me entertained and guessing until the end. This is my first book from Katherine Greene and it will not be my last book that I read.

This is great for anyone that enjoy true crime and true crime podcasts

The Lake of Lost Girls was a letdown. The timeline, bouncing back and forth between the past and the present, felt redundant at times. The podcast element seemed unnecessary and did nothing to advance the story. The character development was lacking, making the big reveal unbelievable. I struggled to get through this book and considered not finishing it multiple times. While the premise of the story seemed interesting, the final result was lackluster.

This was a fast paced story line with a mysterious series of events plaguing a small town. The reader is constantly running through potential scenarios as they seek answers to their local mysteries, but can never quite put their finger on the true outcome. It is a good story, enjoyable, with the potential to build in the future through more novels from the author.

The Lake of Lost Girls is about several female students who have gone missing at Southern State University in NC. Jess, a SSU student who is also a member of the small town’s community, is the focus of a true crime podcast. The podcast takes its name from a quote from Lindsey, Jess’ sister, who had been watching out the window and had just gotten distracted and looked away for 10 seconds. Lindsey, who was celebrating her 6th birthday at the time, is now a 30 year old woman whose life has been overshadowed by being the sister of a missing girl. She still lives at home with an incredibly overprotective mother and a distant father.

The story is told from multiple POVs, including the past tense of Jess. It also has transcripts of the podcast and snips of their social media postings. I like this format as you got a bit of the story from the podcast and then it would focus on a POV to get you the story of what was happening at that time as well as Lindsey working to put together what had happened. There are a lot of people lying as to be expected in a story about murder. I went back and forth on my suspicions for a great deal of the book. I did find Lindsey to be a very flat character, but I also believe, based on the author’s early description of her, that was intentional. It was an easy read and I had a hard time putting it down because I wanted to know what happened.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I needed to sit with this for a minute before rating it, because I read it in a single sitting! It was super fast paced, and I liked the multimedia aspect of it a lot. If anything I wish that this book had a bit more room to breathe!
I like the main character and the flickering between all of the different POVs. The slow reveal of what's happening fills the reader with a huge sense of dread. I really enjoyed reading about the main character and I feel like her internal dialogue was really well written. Jessie's point of view is integral to the plot, but I still think I preferred Lindsey's point of view. There's a huge swell of emotion and the very end of the story hammered this home for me.
Anyone looking for a quick, thrilling read would love to see this cold case mystery unfold!

First, thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this story.

This was a super fast-paced thriller, with twists at every turn. I lost count how many times I thought I'd figured it out.

4 college girls go missing until a body is discovered 24 years later. This discovery kicks this cold case back into the forefront. It's made news, podcasts are being recorded, and the past is making itself heard.

You won't want to put this book down. I was driven to finish the last 60% of this book as soon as I woke this morning. I hadn't figured it out fully, but I did partially, but not until 95% way through. If you love true crime or mysteries, you will want to give this one a read. You won't be disappointed.

Das war einfach unglaublich.
Ich gebe zu, dass ich erst skeptisch war,aber ich bin so froh, dass ich dem Buch doch noch eine Chance gegeben habe.
Ich bin ein Krimi-Mädchen, ich liebe Dokumentarfilme, man denkt immer, man wisse Bescheid, und das tat ich auch, ich war überzeugt. Ich lag so FALSCH. Niemals in einer Million Jahren hätte ich das vermutet, die Enthüllung war absolut brillant, sie hat meine Theorie in den Wind geschossen. Ich habe jede Seite dieses Buches geliebt, die gesteigerten Emotionen, das Grauen in meiner Magengrube, alles davon.

I enjoyed the premise of this a lot, I found the cover and plot really intriguing but I definitely felt the plot felt unfinished.

I thought it had great twists and excellent red herrings and thought it was twisty and kept my interested but I felt the characters and the finer details needed more work.

I did love the social media and podcast elements but I almost wanted more of that to maybe fill out the story. I also would have liked more of an epilouge to get closure especially for Jessie’s family.

Buckle up ladies and gents because we are going on a roller coaster ride.

This book pulled me in right away and kept me guessing but the truth is so much worse than I imagined. This book is told in alternating timelines, which I love in this type of book because it really keeps you guessing. I love that details are revealed a bit at a time, and the suspect list changes frequently with the facts that are unveiled.

I also liked the podcast portion of this book because I'm a sucker for a true crime podcast and I can see this playing out exactly like the book.

I requested access to this ARC a while ago and I'm kicking myself for waiting so long to read it. Can't wait for the pub date so I can see everyone else's reviews. I loved this one so much!

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Pub Date: 11/5/24

Four young women go missing over a short period of time at a small town university in the USA, including Jessica, one of two narrators in this book, the protagonist being her younger sister, Lindsey, who is investigating the mystery many years later.
I'm not gettting into the plot as don't want to give away any spoilers but this is a very solid and compelling page turner of a thriller. There are times when hardly credible things happen but the quality and pace of the writing is such that it's easy to forget that and keep reading to find out what happens at the end and who did it.
A good read that I didn't want to put down.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advance reader copy of this novel.

WOW!! This book was incredible!

The story is centered around a 24-year old cold case about 4 college girls that go missing from Southern State University in North Carolina in 1998/1999. The book begins with a popular true crime podcast discussing this case as new developments have come to light. The plot then flips between present day and the late 90s, alternating POVs from Lindsey, who is desperate to find out what happened to her sister Jessica, and Jessica herself. As the story unfolds it becomes so gripping you wont be able to turn the pages fast enough.

There were so many elements to this book that I loved. I prefer a story with dual/multiple POVs and timelines, and this had both. The Podcast element and the newspaper clippings and pictures in between chapters were unique additions to the book that enhanced the reading experience. I’m also a 90s girl at heart, so I loved that we kept being transported back to that time. Finally, the ending was so, so good! Not only was I completely shocked, but it took me on a mini-roller coaster ride of emotions. And as an added bonus, isn’t the book cover gorgeous?

I don’t give 5-star ratings too often, but hands down this is absolutely a 5-star masterpiece that I highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

The story revolves around a 24 year old cold case file of a missing college girl in a small town. The case has been revived by the attention from a cold case podcast. What they discovered in their research, was that she wasn't the only missing girl.
    We follow the central character as she grows up, her relationship with her father, the little sister who lives in her shadow, and the constant scrutiny of her mother.  The story is presented in two voices .........a retrospect to the college days and the younger sister in the present .
    It's a driving story that leaves the reader with many options of who was behind these mysterious disappearances. Every time a new piece of evidence appeared, the reader questioned who the real assailant was.
   The author opened several avenues of thought in the book: the questionable relationship of the character with the father, how victims were all caught up in the charms of older men, how  these same older men need their egos boosted and took advantage of needy young women. She demonstrated that institutions of learning would look the other way at indiscretions by their professors rather than come under scrutiny by the public, and how shoddy policework can influence the outcome of a case. 
    All provocative subjects on their own but all blended together in this book to make for an exciting read with a finale you don't expect.

I know you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover and all but sometimes, five-star books have a certain look, yknow?

I tend to go a little more in-depth with my netgalley reviews since these books are mostly unreleased but I have to say, I am almost speechless over this book. There is simultaneously so much to say and nothing at all.

Firstly, I find that the characters (even the ones I didn't like) grew on me throughout the story for a multitude of reasons. Also, I love interactive books like this where there are transcripts and news clippings between chapters because I feel like it makes for a more immersive reading experience.

Crazy that I finished the book in one sitting, if that doesn't tell you how addictive it is I don't know what will. Also as much as I want to say that I saw the twist coming, I did not.

I literally can't wait for the release of this book to see what everyone else thinks. Personally, I would put this at Riley Sager level thriller.