The Lost House was a pretty good mystery-thriller. The story follows, Agnes, who travels to Iceland to be interviewed for a true crime podcast about the murders in her family that occurred decades ago. Agnes’s grandfather was suspected of murdering his wife and baby daughter, 40 years prior, but was never convicted.

I loved the mystery and the podcast element. I love when a book features a podcast, even though it has been done a lot lately.

The main character in this book acted strange. She’s supposed to be trying to clear her grandfather’s name, but then she gets all caught up in this romance that seemed rushed and awkward.

The writing was good and it was a pretty fast read, even though it seemed a little too long for a mystery-thriller. I enjoyed the ending, even though parts of it were predictable.

I loved the Iceland setting. It was the perfect setting for this story. If you’re looking for a book to read in the winter, then this is definitely a good one to choose.

Overall, this was an intriguing read that I would recommend to thriller and mystery fans.

3.5⭐️

A great mystery - set in the winter in Iceland in the midst of a true crime podcast and a year's old murder cold case.

Agnes has left little behind and has come to Iceland to be a part of a podcast about her family. Long ago, her grandfather was accused of murdering his young wife after his wife killed their young daughter. He fled to America with his son and never spoke of it again. Now, Agnes has been called by a true crime podcaster, Nora. She's been invited to stay in a very nice house, near to both Agnes's families old property and the murder scene.

But Agnes must contend with the whole town believing her grandfather, someone beloved to her, had committed the most terrible crime. They don't believe it was anyone else. After landing from her many hours flight, Agnes learns another girls has gone missing. Are they connected, somehow?

Iceland was the perfect setting - I felt like the cold dripped off the pages. The near constant snow, the need to layer clothes and tighten boots, it all helped to bring the outside into the story as an actual character. I liked that I questioned everything and everyone - even Agnes. I had to wonder who was unreliable and who was lying. And, if someone was lying, the question was always 'why'.

It was fun to wonder how it would all turn out and the ultimate twists surprised me. This was a great mystery to finish 2024 out with. I really liked it!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

I was really looking forward to this book. It started out so strong then little by little it was losing my interest…
I loved that it was set in Iceland, that was the main reason I picked it up. The pace was just too slow, and ended up being quite repetitive.

I love a good cold themed thriller in the wintertime. This is a dark and brooding thriller, perfect for winter, but the pacing is a bit on the slow side.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Melissa Larsen, and Penguin Group Putnam for the ebook! This thrilling story is full of twists and set in the captivating landscape of Iceland. I loved how the past intertwined with the present, and the outcome completely blew me away!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this memorable mystery set in the darkness of a frigid Icelandic winter. It is due to be published on January 14th, 2025.

Agnes was raised in California by Einar, her beloved Icelandic grandfather. Her father (also from Iceland) was cordial but distant. She is grieving her grandfather's death a year earlier and is unhappy about a failed relationship. While visiting a place where she remembered joyful times with her grandfather, she was overcome with despair and hurled herself off a cliff, hoping for death. She does not die as intended and now lives with overwhelming grief and severe pain due to shattered bone fragments in her knee.

Forty years earlier, her grandmother and infant daughter, who would have been her aunt, were found frozen in deep snow in Befrost, Iceland. The case became known as the Madonna and Child. It became apparent that the woman's throat had been slashed, and the infant had died by drowning. In a place with few serious crimes and in the small, isolated town of Befrost, the murders are still remembered. Rumours were spread at the time, and the townspeople considered the dead woman's husband, Einar, guilty. He fled with his young son to California. This confirmed him in their minds as the killer. Agnes never believed her kindly grandfather could be guilty of such a crime.

Agnes is mainly defined by her lingering, severe pain. She is mentally, emotionally, and physically fragile and addicted to strong painkillers. She is invited to Befrost to be interviewed by Nora Carver, a true-crime podcaster. She is planning a documentary about the long-ago murders and will interview anyone who knew the woman and her husband. Nora wants Agnes's impressions of Einar. Agnes is determined to prove her grandfather innocent and regards the trip as a chance to escape her dismal life. When she arrives in Iceland, Asa, a local girl, has gone missing. It seems that there can be no connection between her disappearance and the murder decades ago. Search parties are looking for her but with futile results. Nora's interviews are interrupted by people speculating about the newest crime and the failure to find Asa alive or dead. Several men could have been involved with Asa, with one responsible for her disappearance and possibly the death of Agnes's grandmother.

The harsh, dark winter, the frozen ground, the biting cold, and the icy conditions should have been expected by Agnes. She takes impulsive risks bound to worsen her pain. She tends to go outside without gloves and insufficient warm clothing while determined to exonerate Einar. She is staying at a modern home rented by Nora, who disapproves of a developing love interest for Agnes. Not far away is the crumbling ancestral home that belonged to Einar's family, and she is tempted to walk there in treacherous winter conditions and explore.

During the interviews for Nora's documentary, Agnes becomes convinced that rumours of Einar's guilt are probably correct. Agnes manages to solve or stumble upon the solution to the past and present mysteries.
The book is divided into three sections. I found it slow-paced and repetitive in its first two parts and struggled to keep reading. Wow! The last section was fast-paced, tension-filled, containing action and danger. The conclusion was twisty and surprising.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and Melissa Larsen for this ARC.

I love reading books set in super isolated, wintery settings during the colder months, so “The Lost House” by Melissa Larsen seemed like the perfect January book. The plot centers on Agnes as she returns to her ancestral home in Iceland to investigate a 40-year-old murder that centers on her family.

❄️What did you love the most?
Cozy up with your favorite blanket while you read this one because the atmopshere is chilly and eerie. Set in a small Icelandic town where the daylight is getting shorter and the snow is thicker, the atmospheric vibes play a big role in this plot.

I also loved how we are knee-deep in the mystery with Agnes as she tries to reconcile the grandfather she knew with the man that this small town believes killed his only wife and daughter forty years prior. You never know what to believe, and the truth is very rewarding in the end.

❄️What to expect:
Nordic noir thriller vibes
Icy, wintery setting
True crime podcast
Everyone is hiding something

❄️How was the pace?
Larsen proves to be an expert storyteller. She somehow keeps the reader in the action while connecting the narrative to the larger plot point of the unsolved cold case. I never was confused or bored, and I loved how the suspense kept building. It is certainly a slow burn, but the payoff is well worth it.

❄️Do you recommend this book?
If you are a thriller junkie, you need to read this book. It is the perfect winter read that will have you wondering who to believe as Agnes uncovers the truth about her family’s past.

A solid 4⭐️ for this story. It was fun, fast and held my interest. I'm always a sucker for a story set in a dark, cold, town. Rural Alaska? For sure. Iceland in winter? Yes. The setting was great. I almost wish there had been more scene building. The characters were likable. The main character, Agnes, is easy to identify with as a main character.

Agnes travels to Iceland to delve into to the depths of her family's tragedy. Agnes meets a popular podcaster there to try to unravel the mystery of her grandmother and aunt's death. They were both found dead in the snow . Marie 26 and her infant daughter. Up until now Agnes' grandfather has been to blame and for that reason he fled with his son to America. Agnes is back to try to prove the grandfather she loved all her life- was not a murderer. Even her own father believes he is.

I would definitely read more from this author.

If you want to be swept away to cold, dark, snow-covered Iceland in a twisty, emotional mystery, read THE LOST HOUSE. Melissa Larsen’s writing has an immersive quality that kept me glued to the page, needing to know how the story would end.

Agnes’s family never speaks of it, but forty years before, her grandmother and aunt were murdered. Her beloved grandfather was the prime suspect, but he was never charged and relocated from the small town of Bifröst, Iceland, to California.

Now Agnes is in Iceland to meet a podcaster who plans to focus on her family’s case. When she arrives, another young woman goes missing. Is her disappearance connected to Agnes’s family history?

The story is so much better because Agnes is not a cookie-cutter heroine. She’s battling an addiction to opiates and had a complicated childhood. Melissa Larsen really puts you in Agnes’s shoes and you see the world through her eyes.

I read THE LOST HOUSE while curled up in front of my warm fire while it snowed outside and it was the perfect read. I enjoyed this book a lot and highly recommend it to anyone who likes well-written thrillers with lots of twists.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur and NetGalley for the early digital ARC of THE LOST HOUSE in exchange for my honest feedback.

In 2019 Agnes is recovering from an accident where she shattered her leg and now is dependent on opioids. Her grandfather, who she is close to, has passed away. He came to the States from Iceland with his son after his wife and young daughter are found murdered and he is a person of interest. Nora has a popular true crime podcast and she has asked Agnes to come to Iceland to help her investigate the 40 year old murder. Upon her arrival another girl who looks very similar to Agnes's grandmother is missing and the question is are the two connected.

I found the story dark, broody, cold and slow. Not a lot happens except a bunch of mind games and the author does a good job in depicting the bleakness of the area and the intense cold. I didn't find any of the characters likeable. There were some heart pounding moments near the end and then I was back to being confused. I can't say I really enjoyed it. There were many times when I just wanted to shake Agnes.

I am giving it 4* rounded up from 3.75.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a digital copy.

[arc review]
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
The Lost House releases January 14, 2025

2.5

On the 40th anniversary of one of Iceland’s most notorious unsolved crimes, a true crime podcaster and the granddaughter of the suspected murderer take to the small town of Bifrost to try and prove his innocence.
But when a young college student goes missing that same weekend, everyone is convinced it’s connected to the grisly murders that took place 40 years ago.

I found this underwhelming in the sense that all of the residents were dead set on the same outcome and there was no shock factor at all.

cw: opioid addiction, dementia, infidelity, mention of suicide attempt and abortion

I loved the setting of this book; Iceland is always a place I have wanted to visit, and this book really painted a wonderful picture. This book kept my attention the whole time and made for a fast read. The story was chilling in all the right ways and character development was great as well. I just wish I would have read this on a cold snowy day to make it that much better. Thanks, Netgalley for the ARC.

The main character in this book is Agnes, a young woman who is the grandchild of a man who was believed to have murdered his wife and infant daughter in Iceland many years before. He was never charged, but "convicted"by the people I. The town in which he loved, so,he took his young son and fled to,the United States. Agnes is contacted by Nora, a true crime podcaster, who is traveling to I lend to investigate the murders and invites Agnes to come to Iceland to give her perspective.

Agnes is a flawed individual herself, still recovering from a serious accident in which her leg was shattered, addicted to prescription pain killers. But she adored her grandfather, now dead, and badly wants to clear his name. She travels to Iceland and an exciting tale follows.

Iceland itself is prominent in this story and I learned much about it. There are complex characters which are well-developed. And the ending will surprise you!

Thank you to Net Galley for an ARC of this book.

I found Melissa Larsen's "The Lost House" to be a haunting tale that unfolds in the atmospheric setting of a small Icelandic town, weaving together past and present mysteries with masterful intrigue. As I began reading, I was immediately drawn into its web of secrets and suspense by a gripping prologue that sets a foreboding tone.

At the heart of this atmospheric mystery, I discovered Agnes, a complex protagonist burdened by grief, family tension, and personal struggles. I was impressed by how Larsen skillfully portrays Agnes's journey to clear her grandfather's name of a decades-old murder suspicion, while simultaneously grappling with her fears and doubts. I was captivated by this dual narrative—the historical mystery of her grandmother and aunt's disappearance, coupled with a present-day missing person case—creating a rich tapestry of intrigue that kept me guessing throughout.

Larsen's strength lies in creating a palpable sense of place. I felt as if the Icelandic setting became a character in itself, its stark beauty and isolation amplifying the story's underlying tension. This atmospheric quality, combined with Agnes's internal turmoil, created a brooding, almost Gothic feel that I sensed permeating every page.

While I found the novel's premise undeniably captivating, I must admit that some readers, including myself at times, may find the pacing deliberately slow. I noticed that Larsen takes her time unraveling the mysteries, which might test the patience of those accustomed to more fast-paced mysteries.

When the resolution finally arrived, I was genuinely surprised by Larsen's unexpected culprit and motive.

While I wouldn't call it a pulse-pounding page-turner, it offers a thoughtful, introspective take on family secrets, personal redemption, and the long shadow cast by unresolved mysteries.

Thank you, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley, for my free ebook.

I received a free copy from NetGalley. The setting makes you wish for a warm coat and a glass of something hot. The plot keeps you guessing and on the edge of your seat. The amount that knee must have hurt in the cold. Unreliable narrator.

This was such a great, quick, twisty read. The story follows a young woman who travels to Iceland to learn about the history of her family. Her grandfather allegedly killed her grandmother and aunt, and is accompanying a podcaster to learn further about, and possibly solve, the murder. The book tackles a number of interesting things including addiction, family dynamics, and the impetus behind murder podcasting. The writing was fantastic and transported me to Iceland, and I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants a great, engaging, creepy read.

This ebook was provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley, Melissa Larsen, and St. Martin's Press for this e-ARC.

I enjoyed this book set in the snowy coldness of Iceland. I always love books that take place in isolated, dreary places. I feel like it adds so much to the thrill factor of a story.

The Lost House took me a long time to read, but not because it wasn't good. It's kind of a slow burn thriller and those always take me a while to get through.

Throughout the book, I could feel the pain of Agnes's leg injury, and the freezing cold feeling of a place like Iceland. Add to the coldness, the consistent darkness of the season, and you've got a creepy atmospheric thriller.

This was such a well written book about a murder that happened decades ago, and the granddaughter is trying to solve the mystery. While she stays in Iceland, which is where her family is from, she finds out that there is a missing woman that may or may not be dead. Little does she know that while trying to unravel her family's mystery, she helps find out what happened to the missing woman.

This book kept me guessing the entire time. I was never sure who the "murderer/kidnapper" was. I have to say that I did not guess correctly, which is a good thing because it means the author did a great job! It was not predictable but had the right amount of mystery and suspense.

I give it 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you @minotaurbooks for my complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

I was thrilled to receive a Nordic Noir novel that weaves a chilling atmosphere around a 40-year-old murder case as well as a missing person case in the present. The story has a strong plot and a complex main character, Agnes.

Agnes travels to Iceland to meet Nora Carver, the host a true crime podcast. Nora wants to explore the 40 year old murder of Agnes’s grandmother and infant aunt. The general belief is that Agnes’s grandfather murdered his wife and child, then escaped to America to avoid punishment. However, Agnes hopes to clear her grandfather’s name.

Despite the promising elements of a strong plot and main female character, the execution falls short in several areas. The pacing is notably slow, which detracts from the dark suspense that is characteristic of the Nordic Noir genre. Certain aspects, such as the protagonist's knee injury, are emphasized to the point of redundancy, making the story feel repetitive. Additionally, the late introduction of a love interest seems unnecessary, detracting from the core mystery and diluting the tension that the plot strives to build.

That being said. This novel provides a decent read for fans of Nordic Noir, but it may not fully satisfy those seeking a tightly woven thriller. A three-star rating reflects its potential and enjoyable moments, despite the flaws.

A little slow paced for my personal liking with thrillers, but overall it was a great read. The story was atmospheric, just enough twists to keep me wondering, and great character development.