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.

While I was drawn into the well-drawn Icelandic setting, as well as the realistic view into a life of someone struggling with an opioid addiction and dealing with a serious injury, the book had a slower pace. I also wound up skimming parts of it due to some romance trajectories I am not interested in reading. Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy of this book--all opinions are my own.

I read this one over winter break and it brought the perfect vibes for this time of year. Agnes is still in recovery from an accident of her own when she decides to return to the childhood home of her father in Iceland. Her father and grandfather moved from Iceland to the US when he was just a boy after the mysterious death of her father's mother and infant sister. They were found dead in the snow and the only suspect was Agnes's grandfather. Even though there was never any proof, the whole town assumed he did it. Agnes is now traveling to Iceland to see what truths she can uncover only to find on her arrival that another woman has gone missing.

This was a good mystery, both present and past. It was interesting to have a relative of the suspect be the one to look into the events that occurred. Agnes is an unreliable narrator of sorts which adds to the ambiguity of everything going on. The setting has a small-town, locked room feel due to the remote location of the town and the severe winter weather.

Overall, I enjoyed this book for the atmosphere and the vibes. It was a quick read perfect for an afternoon of escape during break. If you are looking for a mystery/thriller with wintery vibes, you may want to pick this one up.

This book follows Agnes, who sets out to Iceland in order to try and solve a 40 year old case in which her grandfather is known to have killed her grandmother. She wants to clear the family name, and while she’s there, gets mixed up in a new missing persons case that some locals believe is tied to the case of her grandmother.

The story started out really strong, but at some point felt very repetitive to me. I was intrigued to find out the answers, and everything was laid out neatly at the end with no unknown answers, but I still felt it was lacking something. I wouldn’t discourage the read, but it wasn’t a story that will stick with me.

3⭐️

Pub date 01.14.25

Thanks to NetGalley, Minotaur Books for my e-arc and Macmillan Audio for my ALC. #MacAudio2024

The Lost House is a perfect winter mystery. Set in Iceland, Agnes arrives from California to participate in a podcast about her grandmother’s unsolved crime from 40 years ago. Many in the small Icelandic town believed her grandfather was the murderer, but Agnes refused to believe it.

Agnes went to Iceland with the hopes of proving his innocence. She also felt the need to get away from California and try for a fresh start. After a devastating injury, Agnes has become dependent on pain killers.

Between the harsh atmosphere of Iceland and her attempt to get off the drugs, Agnes has a difficult time during her stay. In spite of that, she manages to find small clues while working with Nora, the producer of the podcast.

One day, with Nora gone, Agnes goes for a walk to her empty ancestral home and while there she discovers something that sends her reeling and reveals who murdered her grandmother.

I felt the story moved a bit too slow at times, but I did enjoy trying to solve the mystery.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am happy to give my honest review and recommend this to other readers.

Agnes flees the grief of her grandfather's passing and breakup to the unforgiving climate of Iceland in Winter, to where her family secrets began. Her grandfather accused of murdering his wife and child fled to America where Agnes grew up. Now she connects with a podcast host to discover the secrets of the Lost House, only to be embroiled in another mystery; the disappearance of a young girl.

While the setting was exciting to read about, the main character was so unlikeable. In fact, not many of the characters were very likeable. However, Agnes is hooked on pain pills due to a leg injury, and the story just droned on and on about it. There is very little suspense, and the story dragged. It was not a very enjoyable read for me.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

The Lost House by Melissa Larsen is an atmospheric mystery set in Bifrost, Iceland.

American Agnes Glin is still grieving the loss of her grandfather and recovering from a severe leg injury. Against her father’s wishes, she travels to Iceland to assist true crime podcaster Nora Carver. Nora is working on the unsolved murders of Agnes’ grandmother and aunt in which the only suspect has always been Agnes' grandfather. Agnes cannot believe the man whom she loves deeply is a murderer. Will she or Nora uncover the truth about the murderer’s identity?

Agnes is initially not an easy person to like. She is exhausted and finds it difficult to focus on, well, anything. She has had a lot thrown at her in the past year and she is not exactly in the best mental state. Agnes tends to make spontaneous decisions that do not always end as she expects.

In addition to the investigation into her family members' long ago deaths, a current search for a missing student is underway. The circumstances around the young woman’s disappearance are eerily similar to what happened to Agnes’ grandmother but can there possibly be a link between the two events?

The Lost House is an intriguing mystery. The bitter cold, snow storms and dark winter are unrelenting and add a layer of unease to Agnes and Nora’s search for answers. During her time in Bifrost, Agnes begins to undergo much needed character growth. She does not know whom to trust and this sometimes leads to poor decision making. The storyline is a bit slow at first but the pacing picks up about a quarter of the way into the unfolding story. Melissa Larsen brings this suspense-laden mystery to an adrenaline-laced conclusion.

Agnes has been in contact with true crime podcaster Nora Carver who is planning on doing her next season on the forty year old unsolved murders of Agnes' grandmother and infant aunt. The suspected murderer has always been Agnes' grandfather Einar. With no evidence to convict him her grandfather took his son, Agnes' father, to California to start over. Now Einar has died and Agnes wants answers to finally find the truth of what her family will never talk about. Traveling to Iceland to meet Nora nothing goes as planned. Not a simple trip for answers. Answers are finally found but at what cost to all involved. Will Agnes and her father ever be the same after the frightening truth is finally revealed.

Pick this book up if you love all things wintry and murder mysteries. I always enjoy when there’s a true crime podcast angle to a story and this was a very unique take on that theme. There were plenty of twists and turns to keep me interested!

Agnes travels to Iceland to unravel the story behind the death of her grandmother and infant aunt. There was never an arrest, but her grandfather and father fled Iceland for California and never spoke of it again. Now that her beloved grandfather has died, Agnes agrees to participate in a podcast delving into her family's story. Grieving her grandfather and still recuperating from a terrible injury, Agnes isn't perhaps in the best state of mind to bring all this up, but she is determined to uncover the truth once and for all.

There are a lot of characters to keep straight in this book, both from current times and those in the past, and it got confusing for me occasionally. But the idea behind this is so compelling and the setting is a character itself so I couldn't help but keep reading. I read this over a rainy and cold weekend and it definitely tied me more to the story! Agnes is troubled for sure and her lack of knowledge of the area and the language made her more of an outsider to her own story.

This started a little slow for me, but once it gets going, it goes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Melissa Larsen’s "The Lost House" is a gripping and atmospheric thriller set in the sleepy Icelandic town of Bifröst, where two horrific crimes, fifty years apart, intertwine in a web of mystery and obsession.

Agnes Glin feels trapped in her current existence, so when the chance to uncover her family's dark past arises in the form of a true crime podcast, she jumps at the opportunity. Agnes' grandfather was the chief suspect in one of Iceland's most notorious unsolved cases: the murder of his wife and infant daughter, which was immortalized in a haunting photograph. As Agnes and podcaster Nora Carver adjust to the eerie, isolated environment, the town is rocked by another mysterious disappearance resembling the 1974 crime.

Larsen expertly weaves psychological depth and vivid character portraits into the narrative, creating a sense of foreboding that grips the reader. The dynamic between the driven Nora and the hesitant Agnes adds tension and intrigue, making for a compelling read. With its measured pace and intricate plot, "The Lost House" delivers a twisty tale full of surprises and effective undertones of menace, resembling the best of Nordic noir.

In "The Lost House," Larsen has crafted a haunting whodunit that keeps readers on edge, delving into the complexities of family secrets and the dark shadows of the past. It's a smart, engaging, and unforgettable novel that will leave a lasting impression.

I was graciously given an advanced copy of the Lost House by Melissa Larsen from Netgalley and Minotaur books.
This book made me cold. The premise of the book is that there were two murders that happened in Iceland 50 years ago and the murderer was never convicted. A woman who believes that her grandfather was the killer makes a trip back to Iceland to essentially prove whether or not he did it. However, when she gets there, a college student goes missing at a party at the ‘murder house’ so everyone starts to wonder if the two incidents are related. Did I mention she goes up there in the middle of winter? That my friends is why it made me so cold.
One of my favorite parts about this book is that it is set in Iceland. My husband and I went there last year, so when the author was explaining Reykjavik I could picture it. She also accurately described the landscape and just the sense of ‘nothingness’ you get when you get out of the city.
As a mom I was not sure if I could read a book all about a murdered mother and child, but the book is not graphic, and it more talks about the people and relationships surrounding the incident instead of the murder itself. It was a good mystery that kept you guessing.

This intriguing Icelandic mystery involves two Americans—a podcaster and the granddaughter of a supposed murderer—interacting with the people in a small Icelandic community.

Everyone but the MC has believed for 40 years that her grandfather murdered her grandmother and aunt. Did he really do it, though? This book has several twists and turns, and it ends in a satisfying conclusion.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

3.5 stars, rounded up for the setting. I wanted to read this thriller primarily because it’s set in Iceland, the most amazing place I have ever been. And the setting and sense of the people and place was very well done and I really enjoyed that part. The mystery here was less successful for me, prolly cause I disliked the FMC, Agnes, so very much (she was hooked on pain pills, her motivations felt off to me and she was not the brightest tool in the shed). I found it hard to like ANY character, actually, so that made parts of this a bit of a slog. However, the ending and resolution was decent though, so a mixed review from me. My thanks to Net Galley & the publisher for my advanced readers copy, I sincerely appreciate it.