This was a wild ride and hard to put down. I appreciated the critical take on journalist and podcast culture when it comes to true crime and the utterly shameless behaviour of all to many people who claim to be "searching for the truth" at the expense of those who've lost loved ones. At the same time, I was disappointed in how the lead was portrayed (ignoring all the red flags, the insta-love, the "God, had I really said that?" and the overwrought "His lies ripped away at my heart until all that was left was blood and pulp," etc.) and the "unreliable" narration, which was so disjointed from the facts and behaviour we discover in the end that it couldn't be believed in retrospect. I really thought something a little, you know, /more/ was going on with father and daughter, but the reveal was far more banal and unsatisfying. I was drawn in, but I was punted back out again in short order.

I just read The Lake of Lost Girls by Katherine Greene thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books. #TheLakeofLostGirls #NetGalley

HOLY CRAP THIS WAS SO GOOD! This book tells the story of how 4 girls go missing from one small college. It’s told in both present day and switches back to 1998-1999. The suspects were so good and I was SHOCKED to get to the end of this book. I would have read it in a day if I didn’t have to work. Highly recommend.

I can’t tell you this book is full of twists and turns, but I can tell you that I really enjoyed reading this book! I wasn’t surprised by the ending, but I also hadn’t guessed it. Between finishing this book and setting down to write this review, I’ve thought of things I’ve both loved and disliked. Overall, I have to say it’s much more in the “loved” category though because I couldn’t put it down!

What didn’t I like? Sometimes I felt like it was repetitive or repeating the same non-information in new words. For example, the main character complains about the same thing multiple times and it isn’t something that moves the book forward.

Told in a dual timeline and from multiple perspectives, the story of 4 missing girls who disappeared in 1998 is told through first hand experience from Jessica and Lindsey’s attempt to solve the mystery of what happened to Jessica 24 years prior. It’s a family torn apart by tragedy, a young woman discovering herself at college, and the love and protection of parents.

With nothing gory, scary, or vile, this is the perfect book for someone looking to stay up late reading a book that they struggle to put down. It’s perfect for someone trying thrillers for the first time.

The story is told from two points of view, Jess then and Lindsey’s now. It was very difficult to tell the difference between these two girls and I am glad that the author headed each chapter with their names. I’m not sure Jess’s POV was necessary as this information could have been found by those investigating if they looked hard enough and asked the right questions.

📚 Book Review 📚

Told through two timelines and different character POV, this is a fast paced and interesting thriller.

There are lots of red herrings, changes in direction and includes a contemporary podcast narration throughout. I really enjoyed this classic whodunnit!

Lindsey is loving her life in her hometown despite more than two decades after the disappearance of her much lived, older sister. Not only is the area still reeling from the disappearance of Jess but also three other girls who went to the local college with her. For many years people have muttered about links between the four missing girls; the fact they knew each other, the fact they were linked to the same college boy and seemed to have unhealthy relationships with the same professor. But these are just rumours and conjecture right? That is, until bones are discovered at the local lake …

The characters were mostly well defined, my only comment would be that although you know who is narrating, either Lindsey or Jess, their character voices are pretty much the same.

All in all, a great thriller, a great read and a great reveal!

I’d like to thank Crooked Lane Books, NetGalley and the author for the arc and the fantastic opportunity, in exchange for my honest feedback 😊

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy. This is my first book by this author, and I look forward to reading more from her.

I loved everything about this book! I was drawn in by Katherine Greene from beginning to end and could not put it down. Every time I believed I knew what happened another twist in the story would send me in a different direction. This was everything I love in a mystery and will bring you through a rollercooster of emotions.

My 6P review

In 1998, females are going missing from their university. One of them is Lindsey’s sister Jess. Twenty years later, Lindsey searches for answers using the interest in a podcast looking into cold cases. As the bodies begin turning up, Lindsey untangles a complicated web of lies.

The story is told from two points of view, Jess then and Lindsey’s now. It was very difficult to tell the difference between these two girls and I am glad that the author headed each chapter with their names. I’m not sure Jess’s POV was necessary as this information could have been found by those investigating if they looked hard enough and asked the right questions.

I also found it difficult to believe that Lindsey was thirty years old as she spoke and acted like a teenager. I couldn’t understand their decision making as they were portrayed as being intelligent women.

None of the characters seem to have any body or substance to them and I didn’t care for any of them either.

These characters also had very unhealthy relationships.

Was the podcast really necessary? I didn’t think it really added to the story. I would have liked it to have been more in the forefront.

I liked the campus setting which was so close to their home. It made a nice change for those leaving home and moving so far away.

The author used a great deal of suspense which kept me reading otherwise this would have been a DNF for me. It was sold as a mystery but I felt the writing was more YA Romance a lot of the time.

Not a bad read but not one I would necessarily recommend to others.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Lake of Lost Girls is an amazing, edge-of-you-seat book. From start to finish- it got me hooked. Time flew by and I did not even know I finished reading in a few hours. I like the author's writing technique- with podcasts, flashback scenes, different p.o.v's. It's a unique way of writing to not get the reader bored. The only downside of it is that there's no twist.- except for the killer reveal. This book Is a good, fast-paced, read. Thank you for the advance reader's copy.

I had a hard time getting into the book at first, but once I got in I wanted to keep going. This was a wonderful twisty thriller debut and I recommend it for anyone looking for a missing girl story. I bet fans of Megan Miranda and Jennifer McMahon would enjoy.

Brilliant Read !
Told from the perspective of 2 sisters - Jessica and Lindsay -24 years apart .
Jessica went missing in 1998 along with other female students from the local university .
24 yrs later there has been a podcast about the disappearances which has created a new wave of interest .
Lindsay becomes embroiled in the investigations hoping to solve the mystery -then bodies are found in the local lake ...

Thankyou NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review

Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for an Arc in exchange for an honest review!

Pub Date: November 5, 2024
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


"Katherine Green: The Lake of Lost Girls" is a fast-paced thriller that keeps readers hooked from the first page to the last. Green's skillful storytelling and rich character development immerse readers in a world of mystery and suspense. With unexpected twists and turns, Green masterfully weaves a tale that will leave readers guessing until the very end. A must-read for fans of psychological thrillers!

I enjoyed reading The Lake of Lost Girls! I was surprised by the twist at the ending, but it felt like a stretch. There wasn't a strong enough motive for the murders of anyone - the girls or Jess. That being said, it was still an entertaining read!

Thank you to Netgalley and the author/publisher for a copy of this ARC ebook!

This book had me hooked from the first chapter. I honestly couldn't put it down and ended up reading it super fast. There were a few things that were easy to guess but they were perfectly incorporated into the storyline and not dead giveaways. The twist at the end was perfect! I saw some other reviews about people not liking the true crime podcast in between some chapters but although it didn't add much to the story I found it summarized when a lot of stuff/information had just been presented kind of helping the reader along to remember major things that were being revealed which I enjoyed. I can't wait for this book to come out and for others to get a chance to read it!

Thank you again!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced e-book in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first book by this author and I was absolutely blown away. I kept thinking I knew what happened and then I would be second guessing my predictions. That being said, one part of the ending I did guess when I was 5% into the book. But, there was the biggest twist that threw me for a loop at the end and left me with my jaw on the floor.

Told in alternating perspectives, this is the story of a small town girl who starts college up on the hill at the campus in her hometown. But, when she starts school she uncovers a secret that rips her world apart. She starts to change to deal with her conflict and multiple paths cross leaving you guessing as to what happened. But, girls keep disappearing from the college campus and they are all connected in more ways than one. 24 years later bodies start being recovered and secrets are revealed. I don't want to give any spoilers, but this is a must read!

24 years ago Lindsey’s sister, Jessica disappeared without a trace. Now because of a podcast, interest in what really happened has peaked. Was it related to the three other girls that vanished from her university? Why did the investigation fizzled out all those years ago?

Told in multiple POV’s across timelines we get Instagram posts (with pictures), tweets, podcast transcripts, newspaper articles to propel the mystery.

I thought this was such well thought out creative story telling. My only gripe was the long chapters- they seemed to go on forever.

The final few reveals literally had me putting my kindle down and saying WTF over and over again because W. T. F. 😩

Thank you to netgalley and crooked lane books for letting me read this early!

A podcast, a journalist, two timelines (past and present), social media posts, new articles- lots of fun stuff going on.
I however DNF at 22%.. I can see people really liking but it just didn’t personally hook me. Excited to see people’s reviews when it comes out, I think worth the read for whodunit fans.

I’m honestly a little disappointed with The Lake of Lost Girls. The cover and title are both spectacular and the description is captivating. The two authors behind Katherine Greene are coming off of big success with their first novel, The Woods are Waiting, which was an easy five star read for me, so I had high hopes. Unfortunately this didn’t do it for me.

The Lake of Lost Girls lacked character depth and dimension. I don’t feel like I actually understood any of the characters and I felt like there were large chunks of information missing that was really needed to connect. I feel like the authors tried so hard to keep the storyline suspenseful that they sacrificed making a complete story and ended up making it confusing and left things unexplained. I also felt like it was way too predictable. I figured out the ending very quickly. I’m curious what other readers felt about the ending.

Overall, it’s an easy enough read and has a fun 90’s college setting in one POV but don’t expect it to be nearly as good as their last novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the access to this ARC before its intended release of November 5, 2024.

Excellent 👌 very interesting thriller with lots of twists and mystery. Unreliable characters and twisted minds created an engrossing read. Excellent idea of a podcast shining light on missing girls' case. The multiple points of view provide insight into the story. Love that the story keeps you guessing and second-guessing all the time. Fast-paced and suspenseful, with gripping plot. Highly recommended. Thanks a lot to the author, Netgalley, and the publisher for the eARC.

Thank you to Netgallery and Crooked Lane Books for an early release copy of The Lake of Lost Girls by Katherine Greene, this book will be available for purchase on November fifth of 2024.

I have mixed feelings about The Lake of Lost Girls, I really liked the pod cast bits and the mixed media types of pictures that we would get during the chapters. It’s something that I wish more books would use since both are really interesting! I also really liked the different perspectives between past and present!

I however wasn’t fond of the writing style here, I feel that the writing could have been a bit more descriptive and described character emotions better. Everything was told literally and I would have liked to see the emotions rather then constantly be told this characters is mad/sad/ect.

The characters I found to be rather bland, I didn’t like our main character at all. The little romance that we got between Ryan and Lindsey I’m glad didn’t go anywhere. (If you know you know). I feel that the story had a good start but the mystery/thrilling bits just didn’t come off as thrilling to me. I was more invested in the podcast and mixed media parts rather than the full story/main character. Overall I think I would read from this author again, I just think the writing style needs a little more work.