I was looking forward to reading this mystery about a string of girls who went missing from the same college. Unfortunately I didn’t like it very much. I did not like any of the characters in the book. Two dimensional, and Lindsey is 30 but seems more like a 15 year old girl. Just so naive (okay, she’s more dumb than naive). The plot line of her and Ryan’s attraction was creepy and made no sense. And no surprises when we find out who Ryan actually is. When we find out what happened to the missing girls, again no surprises. The motive is bizarre. I don’t want to say much more in case anyone decides to read this. But that’s the big mystery of the book. WHY is that your motive? Maybe a little unhinged.
I would skip this book and try for something else.
2.75 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced e arc of this book!

Thanks to NetGalley, publishers and author for an ARC of The Lake of Lost Girls.

This book drew me in abd blew me away. Following the dual timeline 24 years apart we discover what happened in the lead up to the disappearance of Jess, and what is happening now when the cold case is reopened.
The author does a great job of making the reader believe it could be several people who were involved in case, and there's a great twist thrown in too.
Highly recommend. 4.5 stars.

Thank you so much to Crooked Lane for the ARC!

Title: The Lake of Lost Girls
Author: Katherine Green
Pub date: November 5, 2024

WOW! This one totally blew me away!

I am STILL reeeeeling over the ending! Most books, especially thrillers don't stay with me for long, but I'll be remembering the ending of this one for a LONG time!

This book has all my favorite things:

- Gorgeous cover
- Unsolved mystery
- Podcast element
- Shocking ending
- Family drama

Out of desperation, Lindsey agrees to go on a podcast about missing people in an effort to learn the truth about her sister's disappearance 24 years ago. Then all of a sudden, bodies start being discovered left and right as the truth comes out little by little leading to to an ending you will NEVER see coming! I'm going to be shook about this one for a long time!

This would be the perfect thriller to read with a bookclub, because you're going to want to discuss it with someone when you're done!

⭐️: 3.5/5

I have to include the requisite warning that my most read genre is thrillers, and because I’ve read so many, I’m a thriller snob, and certain tropes can really ruin my enjoyment of an otherwise pretty decent book. That being said, this book ended up being a lot more entertaining than I initially thought it was going to be from my first impression of the first 10 or so percent.

It’s kind of hard for me to put into eloquent words that feeling when you’re reading a book and you just know that the writing isn’t as finessed as it could be, but it immediately clues you as the reader in to the fact that this is going to be an amateur-ish thriller (or book in general, sometimes). In this one, it was hard to exactly put my finger on, but the writing was just off enough that it had those hallmarks of like, a college essay, and the dialogue (including that of the big reveal at the end) had some big cringe moments where characters said thing that real people just don’t say in conversations. This book also had that irritating thriller trope where the main character experiences inappropriate sexual attraction that she just cAn’T cOnTrOl to a suspect, which is always a huge WTF plot point.

*** MILD SPOILER (I don’t consider it one, but you may) ***

Like I said though, I was entertained throughout the book, and the dual timeline, multiple POV story helped keep me invested. I will say, a lot of the ending was absolutely given away in the second chapter, which was just a strange decision in my opinion. The rest of the twists were also fairly obvious after guessing the first one, and with the knowledge of the way that your average thriller flows. Not sure what there is to say about this other than, it didn’t totally ruin the book? Anyway, overall this was a pretty average thriller that was a quick, popcorn read.

Thank you to @netgalley and @crookedlanebooks for this eARC for my review!

The Lake of Lost Girls was a great thriller! Using true crime podcasts for a setting of a murder mystery seems to be a new trope, so when I started reading this and saw Rachel and Stella's conversation, I sighed and was like, oh fine. But then I realized the podcast is simply one tool of several that Katherine Greene uses to effectively tell her story.

\When Lindsay was 6 years old, her older sister Jess disappeared and was never found. Now, at thirty years old, Lindsay still lives at home and works at nearby hotel when a body is found at a nearby lake. Is it Jess? Or is it one of the other three young women from the same college who disappeared that same year? When a journalist comes asking questions and true crime podcasters start bantering about the case, Lindsay starts wondering what's true and what really happened.

The Lake of Lost Girls is a fantastic thriller with multiple POVs and angles. I thought the story was going one way, but I was wrong (which is always welcome). Several feasible leads, an inept police chief, and the background of Jess's life in college all come together to a shocking ending. I'll be reading more of Katherine Greene's books and look forward to them all.

Katherine Greene's The Lake of Lost Girls blows the majority of missing girl thrillers out of the water. When a journalist seeks Lindsey out and tries to enlist her help in finding out what really happened to her sister Jess, she's hesitant about dredging up painful memories. She ultimately agrees to help Ryan but quickly realizes that he has secrets of his own. Lindsey also learns that all four missing girls were connected not only by their sorority but by the boy that they all dated at different times and a shady professor with a thing for young girls.

Throughout this cold case mystery your suspicions will move from one suspect to an, but nothing will prepare you for the final reveal. Thank you to NetGalley for the exciting, shocking, and often deeply disturbing ARC of The Lake of Lost Girls.

Told in alternating time frames by sisters Jess and Lindsay Fadley, this is the story of the disappearance of a few girls, Jess included, who go missing from a small college in North Carolina.

In 2014, a body is found in the lake. It’s quickly identified as one of the girls who disappeared. But it’s not Jess, Lindsay is disappointed to find out.

Approached by a reporter, Ryan McCay, looking for information, Lindsay finally allows herself to dig into the botched police case that not only led to no answers but ended with more questions.

In 1998, Jess is a college freshman, ready to break out of the confines of the complications of her family. But the freedom proves too much for Jess as she becomes involved with sorority sisters, stops going to class and turning in work, and starts seeing a guy with a difficult past.

It’s a complicated puzzle of deceit, and as Jess’ story falls deeper and deeper into darkness, Lindsay continues to try to put the pieces together in real time.

The multi-narrator audio works fantastically; from the different voices of the sisters, to the pair of true crime podcasters who separate the chapters, moving the plot forward with their real time answers they find as the case unravels, these voices propel the narrative. The rapid fire back and forth between the sisters as everything comes to a head was a terrific choice.

I loved the red herrings and the fact that I was never sure until the end who the culprit was - I had ideas but was surprised and happy that it kept me guessing as long as it did. Highly recommend!

Overall, the book was enjoyable. The pacing is great.

We learn of the disappearance of Jessica Farley from outside her parents house. She goes missing without a trace, as do three other girls from Southern State University. We're presented with several viable suspects, with clues stacked up against each of them. Near the end, the suspect became obvious to me, which I didn't mind. However, there were things that just didn't really sit right with me.

Once the suspect was made clear, the behavior seemed strange and not very believable. The story unravels further and is even more unbelievable, though perhaps, inline with the rest of the characters behavior?

The book was entertaining but there were enough parts that didn't sit right with me.

Advance reader copy provided by Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley but all opinions are my own.

The Lake of Lost Girls is the perfect thriller! The authors carefully planted seeds, but it was not until the very end that the entire picture fit together. The story follows Lindsey as she attempts to both distance herself and get entrenched in the mystery of her sister’s disappearance. A podcaster and a journalist both reach out to shed new light on Jessica’s disappearance and the multiple murders of coeds from a local college. The book combines podcast script, flashbacks, police interviews, and the investigations in a perfect manner. A handful of suspects are fleshed out and motivations are exposed in this fantastic thriller.

A crime mystery tale, The Lake of Lost Girls (2024) by Katherine Greene features two cold case podcasters investigating a case of missing students. Several female college students disappeared from Southern State University in North Carolina in 1998. Lindsey Fadley’s sister went missing twenty-four years ago and the podcast gives her cause to investigate what really happened to her sister. Told via flashbacks to 1998 and the podcast scripts, three men are identified as possible suspects. An interesting thriller with average suspense and obvious culprit, makes for a three stars rating. With thanks to Crooked Lane Books for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without any inducement.

"Told in alternating timelines, The Lake of Lost Girls is a haunting novel that will thrill fans of All Good People Here and We Are All the Same in the Dark.

Using suspenseful podcast clips to weave a twisty tale of a missing student and her sister who is desperate for answers, The Lake of Lost Girls is perfect for fans of I Have Some Questions for You.

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. Soon, interest reaches fever pitch when the bodies of the long-missing women begin turning up at a local lake, which leads Lindsey down a disturbing road of discovery.

In the present, one sister searches to untangle a complicated web of lies.

In the past, the other descends ever deeper into a darkness that will lead to her ultimate fate.

This propulsive and chilling suspense is a sharp examination of sisterhood and the culture of true crime."

I really love this trend of books set now but investigating crimes that were at seminal years in my life. Here it's my freshman and sophomore year of college.

The Lake of Lost Girls by Katherine Greene (pen name for A. Meredith Walters and Claire C. Riley) has one of the most chilling covers I've ever seen... and it was this cover that initially drew me in.

This book starts off with a podcast episode, and from that initial instant, I was absolutely hooked! As the book progressed, these podcast vignettes helped balance the grittiness of what was happening and added a bit of lightness to the book.

This was one wild ride as I was pointing my finger at each and every suspect presented! Although the outcome wasn't surprising, that end twist certainly was! My jaw dropped open, I paused, and took a second to soak it all in. It was a doozy, managing to be incomprehensible while making complete sense for the characters and this book! I was happy that one of my suspicions didn't ring true, but I enjoyed the possibility of it hanging in the air.

This audiobook is expertly narrated by Helen Laser, Frankie Corzo, Sara Young, Haley Taylor, and David Bendena. This is a multi-perspective thriller, and the full cast of narrators added to the suspense and my connection to the characters. While listening, I often relied on the narrator, rather than chapter heading, to tell me which characters perspective I was reading. When one of the narrators initially spoke, I had a huge smile on my face, as they added an extra layer to this already amazing audiobook! The interspersed podcasts are so impeccably seamless that it sounds like listening to a real true crime podcast; the splicing between hosts is perfectly done! All this adds up to another amazing audiobook!

The more I sit with my thoughts after finishing, the more I love this book! It will leave you guessing and wondering what exactly a healthy relationship looks like... questioning what is acceptable and what isn't. It twisted the narrative, making everyone a suspect and everyone innocent. This execution really reminded me a lot of my feelings towards The Quiet Tenant!

Thank you NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books and Dreamscape Media for the complimentary copies to read and review.

Review published to Instagram (@book.ishjulie) October 10, 2024

First and foremost, Holy Shit! I think this might just be one of my favorite reads of the year. The dual timelines were so well executed I didn’t want to put the book down. I feel like sometimes with dual timelines, one can get boring and you rush through it to get to the other but not here. Each timeline was equally important and equally enthralling. I also really liked the use of different types of media in between the chapters such as social media posts or podcast dialogue. I thought the addition of a true crime podcast following along with the story was an interesting way to commentate on the way that the true crime genre can at times prey on the real life tragedies people are facing. I love the perspective of a victims family member listening to a true crime podcast about them. There’s a very fine line when it comes to those podcasts and the way in which the hosts share the story.

The entire time I was reading there were points I genuinely thought each possible suspect was guilty. The ending was such a shocking plot twist I never saw coming yet once it was said, you could piece together the little bread crumbs the author left you along the way. The last couple of chapters were perfectly written. The quick jumps between timelines and POV added so much and gave so much insight into the main character’s last moments. I will definitely be thinking about this book for a long time.

When I got to the acknowledgments and realized this book was co-written by two authors, I was in shock! The writing is so seamless! I will definitely be reading more by this author. I think this book has made me add them to my auto-buy list.

Thank you so much to Crooked Lane Books / Alcove Press and Katherine Greene for the gifted copy! I truly loved this book and this review is my honest opinion.

A fun-to-read mystery full to the brim with intrigue, exciting characters and twists that will make you want to read twice. This is my second book by this author and certainly an author that I’ll continue to come back to. The book is easy-to-read and quickly sucks you into its central mystery and you can easily relate to the characters and their motivations to find the truth no matter what. An enjoyable read that will certainly please mystery and crime fans.

Definitely a good thriller by an author I have not read before! Can't say I remember much a few weeks later though, so I'd say a solid 3.5-4 stars.

Lake of Lost Girls is an ideal thriller to dive into during spooky season. It masterfully combines a captivating blend of elements, from the integration of a true crime podcast and cleverly crafted social media posts, to its alternating timelines that will leave you eager for more. The multiple points of view are brilliantly written, keeping you constantly on edge and second-guessing each character’s role in the mystery. Just when you think you have it figured out, the plot takes a jaw-dropping turn that you’ll never see coming. This book is a must-read, and I highly recommend it for anyone who loves a suspenseful, twist-filled story.

This one had me scratching my head for the first 75%. Then I slowly started putting some pieces together. Definitely a dramatic ending that demands you suspend some reality, but still fun and thrilling!

This book was SO GOOD. I was immediately drawn in. Give me murder in the 99s and I am IN! The twists and turns in this book were so addicting I did not want to put this one down! I’m so glad I randomly picked this one to read and I just sped right through it! I really enjoyed all the character’s struggles and realizations there was just so much going on with this story! An absolute binge-worthy thriller!

My favorite Katherine Greene so far! This was TWISTED!

Almost 25 years ago Lindsey’s big sister Jessica went missing and it set in motion a change so fundamental in her life. At six the time of her disappearance, she has spent her whole life searching for answers. When bodies begin to be uncovered in the lake, Lindsey needs to find the truth more than ever.

In the late 90s, Jessica is in college, finding herself in a tailspin as her life is beginning to crumble. We get a great dual timeline from both sisters, as well as interspersed podcast segments throughout, working on uncovering the truth as well.

This went deeper than I was expecting. I really enjoyed the timelines and the tenacity in which Lindsey seeks the truth. This was fabulous!

Four college girls go missing 24 years ago. A mourning sister looking for answers to the mysterious disappearance of her older sister from their driveway on her sixth birthday. Three viable suspects who are connected to the victims or is there a serial killer on the loose?

Read this if you like;
-dual timelines
-multiple POVs
-dark academia
-small town college setting
-atmospheric and eerie
-mixed media (podcasts, articles, instagram posts) to add dimension to story
-twists and turns with red herrings and clues slowly revealed
-deceiving appearances, people who are not who they seem to be hiding secrets and lies
-troubled dysfunctional families
-satisfying ending

My rating 4 out of 5
Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this eARC that will be published Nov 5 2024.