I love a good thriller, and having one set in Iceland got me really excited. The first half of the book was slow, and I put it down several times until I forced myself to keep reading. I am glad that I did. The second half of the book flew by, as it was very fast-paced. I would definitely read more by this author in the future.

This book came into my life at just the right time. Desperately in need of a distraction, I became fully immersed in this story, and the lives of the characters in it. A young woman with a haunting past returns to her ancestral home in Iceland to investigate a gruesome murder in her family. I was immediately transported to Iceland’s frozen landscape, and the small town of Bifröst. It’s rare I find a mystery that really grips me, but in this case I was captivated from start to finish. The story felt very character driven, and I cared about Agnus and her quest for the truth about her family’s dark past.

Traveling to her hometown to meet true crime podcaster, Nora, was an interesting angle, and allowed Agnes access to suspects she might not have had otherwise. I was intrigued by Agnes’s past—the murder of her grandmother and aunt—and the more recent missing young woman Asa. The character arcs were fascinating, specifically how they intertwined with Agnus’s family. I definitely had multiple theories about the murder, but had no clue how or if it connected to the more recent crime. The end twist caught me completely off guard but made perfect sense. One particular scene that still haunts me was when Angus fell through the barn floor, breaking her already shattered knee. The ending was very satisfying and there wasn’t one loose end or detail out of place. The pace and plot were perfectly executed, and held my attention throughout.

5/5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
For readers who enjoy suspense, immersive settings, and complex female protagonists.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Agnes is trying to solve a decades old murder that her grandfather was a suspect in. Shortly after her arrival, their is another murder in this quaint town. This book kept me interested from the start.

This book reminded me of Arnaldur Indriðason’s Erlendur Series, not only because it’s set in Iceland and deals with historical crime, but also the pace of the story. In this atmospheric slow boiler, Agnes returns to the country that her grandfather fled long ago, accused of murdering his wife and baby girl. Now Nora, a true crime podcaster, is on the case and Agnes is back to talk about the case. Agnes gets to meet all the people involved with her late grandmother’s murder, as well as their descendants. They all remember differently, and it will be up to her and Nora to try to make sense of it all. To complicate matters, a girl has recently disappeared and it’s not clear if it was a crime, suicide, or an accident, or if maybe she left and is fine somewhere far away. The resolution of the mystery is not that important, the biggest question is whether Anges’ beloved grandfather did it and how could he had been so good to her if he had been a monster. The big reveal was not as unexpected as I was hoping for. But my real problem was Agnes. I just didn’t like her, so it was hard to care about her problems, because most of them are of her own making. I was still interested in the mystery.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books.

This novel is an atmospheric Nordic Noir. Agnes Glin leaves her house in California to return to an ancestral home in Iceland that her grandfather fled after the horrific discovery of his wife and child buried together in the snow in 1979. The local authorities could never gather enough evidence to bring any official charges. In the eyes of the community, Einar Palsson was guilty and left town with his son and that blight firmly on his name. To Agnes, Einar was a gentle and loving grandfather who could never have committed such a brutal crime. Agnes returns to Bifrost with the hope of clearing her grandfather’s name along with the help of Nora, a true crime podcast journalist covering the 40-year-old murder. Upon her timely return, the small town is once again rocked by the mysterious disappearance of a local young woman, and a frantic search in the bitter cold ensues. Lock the doors and make yourself a hot cup of tea, the subsequent investigations are chilling in more ways than one.

I thank NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of The Lost House for my unbiased evaluation.  3 stars

Iceland!

An unsolved murder: a mother and child found, brutally murdered, in a shallow icy grave.

A granddaughter determined to clear her grandfather's name.

Another missing woman, in the same town.

Agnes was raised by her grandfather, who fled Iceland under suspicion of having murdered his younger wife and their newborn daughter. She is lured to Iceland when a podcaster invites her to join her investigation into this unsolved crime.

Agnes is recuperating from a serious fall which shattered one of her legs. She is in constant pain and is taking strong painkillers. So, you have to ask yourself: how reliable is Agnes?

We begin to doubt just about everyone's motives in this very well-written thriller.

Emotions apparently run high in Iceland in The Lost House, and although I did guess the culprit (I read waaay too many thrillers!) that action-packed ending had me glued to each page. The author does an excellent job of maintaining suspense and her writing is very visual. I could easily picture the frozen countryside and the derelict, vandalized ancestral home - now abandoned and soon to be demolished.

I highly recommend this atmospheric, action packed read: I'm rating this a 4.4 out of 5. My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARc of this novel in exchange for an honest review. (Scheduled publication date: January 14, 2025.)

Imagine growing up with the knowledge your grandmother and aunt were murdered in a foreign country and used as folklore around the country? Now add the fact they believe your grandfather did it. All the while you grew up with him as nothing but a kind a loving soul.
If given the option after his death to revisit and find answers for yourself would you? Well that’s exactly what Agnes did. She is a very flawed character trying to navigate her life by pushing through the pain of the past and how that shattered her current life to start a new. But the only way she can is to uncover and understand the sins of her families Past.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Agnes just landed in Iceland to visit the town her father is from. She’s never been here before, but an invitation to visit from a true crime podcaster was too good to pass up. The podcaster is investigating the unsolved murder of Agnes’ grandmother and aunt decades before – a crime her beloved grandfather was accused of before moving with his young son to America. Agnes is hoping to learn more about her roots and the history her father wouldn’t discuss while helping the podcaster investigate, but arrives to find a town engrossed in a search for another woman missing from the same home her family used to live it. Is it just a coincidence, or does her grandmother’s murder have a connection to this latest disappearance?

The Lost House is the sophomore release from acclaimed thriller author Melissa Larsen. With strong female characters, the author delivers a setting where both a language barrier and the weather also become characters in the plot. What starts as almost a coming-of-age story, turns into a domestic thriller with a story as powerful as some of the greats like the Marc Cameron or John Sandford. This is a book about trusting yourself and learning not to believe in first impressions.

I give The Lost House 5 out of 5 stars. Thrillers like this aren’t usually my first choice, but this was a fantastic read! Larsen knows how to make a scene leap off the page. The author built great characters and layered in plot points and relationships in a way that kept me guessing until the end! I appreciate the family dynamics throughout the novel and the way the author closed the loop with Agnes’ family journey at the end. I will say the romantic relationships in the novel felt slightly out of place and developed on too quick of a timeline. But given that the characters are part of a rave and drug scene, I can understand the quick hookup and development.

With themes of murder, assault, and sex, this book would be best directed to more mature readers over 16. While classed as a thriller or suspense novel, this book is suitable for readers of other genres. With the turn of cooler weather, this novel feels like a great fit for getting in the cold weather mood!

I was excited to be asked to review The Lost House by the publisher and NetGalley. This is not a book I would have selected on my own, but I’m so happy I took the chance to read this! The further I got into the book, the more I didn’t want to put it down. I found myself recommending this to friends before I had even finished it.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I thought that I had this storyline figured out numerous times. I was always wrong. I love the ending and the truthfulness of the brokenness in the character.

I am very glad I stuck with this book- the first 48% or so were very slow and tough to get into and I considered not finishing a few times, but once I hit 50% I became interested and had trouble putting it down! A great mystery thriller set in a great location. Would definitely read from this author again!

🥶 T H R I L L E R T H U R S D A Y review 🥶 featuring “The Lost House” by Melissa Larsen!

BOOK REVIEW: 🖤🖤🖤🖤/5

In 1979 the beloved Marie and her baby daughter Agnes were found buried in the snow in Bifrost, Iceland. What looked like a mother cradling her baby in the snow was actually a gruesome murder of near incapacitation and drowning! The case was never solved and was dubbed The Frozen Madonna and Child. The locals blamed the husband for murdering his wife and baby, but it could never be proven.

Now in present days, it is the 40th anniversary of the case and true crime podcast host Nora Carver has decided to travel to Iceland to investigate. There has been an annual party at the dubbed “murder house”, but this year a female student goes missing from the party. Nora figures the two cases are related and wants to help find the girl.

Nora invites Agnes (the granddaughter of the deceased woman) to join her. Agnes returns to her ancestral home in Iceland and the crime scene of the murders. She wants to fight for her now deceased grandfather’s innocence and learn more about her family’s history.

Together they dig deep to find answers … but it soon becomes obvious that everyone in Bifrost is a suspect and they may be digging their own graves 💀!

You all know my love for chilling Nordic Noirs and Melissa Larsen I SEE YOU! The bleak small town, frozen temperatures and gritty investigation into a sinister past is EXACTLY what I love about this genre! Toss in a true crime podcast, sketchy unreliable characters and spell binding twists & turns and wow was I ever hooked!

Thank you kindly to @melissalarsenauthor @minotaur_books @stmartinspress @netgalley for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review! This book releases on January 14, 2025!

Well charactered and twisty enough to keep me both engaged and guessing. There was enough exposition and doubt built into each character that I was unsure how any of the books mysteries were going to end, either the old case or the new. Agnes’ story wraps up and interacts meaningfully but not overbearingly with the narrative and countries family left behind.

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

Overall, an enjoyable thriller! We follow the story of this young woman leaving the US to head to Iceland to try to learn the truth regarding her family’s dark history involving a murder. I appreciated the descriptive writing regarding landscape and Icelandic phrases that kept true to the storytelling. There were several twists and turns in the story that kept me intrigued and invested as well as threw me off until the end. Toward the 70% mark things started to feel a bit drawn out, but picked back up again rather quickly. I’d recommend this one!

I just finished the Lost House by Melissa Larsen which comes out January 14th 2025! This takes place in Iceland which I loved since I just visited there this past summer. I could actually picture the places and imagery they were talking about.

Agnes is asked to come out to Iceland to be on a podcast. Why you may ask? Because her grandmother and aunt were murdered 40 years ago and the suspect… her beloved grandfather. The case was never solved, Agnes family has never talked about it, and Agnes also has never visited her family home in Iceland where it took place. But when Agnes goes to Iceland, another woman goes missing. Is this somehow related to the cold case?

This is a great book to read in the winter snuggled up by the fire! I loved the concept of it and kept wanting to read more. Unfortunately I couldn’t connect with some of the characters and the ending came up a little short for me. 4✨

This is a good mystery.

I will warn that the pace might be slow for some, but it’s an atmospheric build up and it has a very satisfying conclusion.

I liked our Main Character very much and found myself invested in what had happened so many years ago – and in what’s happening now.

While I wasn’t entirely surprised by the *who* or *why* of things, I still found myself interested.

It does slow down a little toward the middle, but it picks up pace and I really enjoyed it.

• ARC via Publisher

The book had a good start-the scenery and moodiness of Finland was well drawn, the frame of a true crime podcast reasonated, and Agnes was an interesting character. Unfortunately, it got progressively as muddled as the myriad snowstorms and blizzards. I got irritated with the heroine's busted leg described over and over and over-yeah we get it...it's fragile, can we move on? It got so annoying that I was reaching for the pill bottle. The solid character of Nora was minimized and finally completely pushed to the side. I had no idea at the end why her grandfather left Finland for California, but I'm sure that he had a logical reason for doing it., The subplot of the missing girl was intriguing in the beginning, but was also brushed aside when the mystery was revealed. The book read like an outline for a novel-would be quite interested to read the completed edition.

In the Lost House, Agnes returns to her ancestral home in Iceland to clear her grandfather's name, decades after her grandmother and infant aunt were murdered brutally. As the investigation with a true crime pod caster begins, a local girl goes missing, turning the small town into a hive of suspicion. The story is set against the Icelandic winter making the setting even more harsh. This is a chilling mystery which uncovers family secrets and provides unexpected twists.

Agnes's memories of her grandfather are nothing like what the folks in this small town think of him. As the story slowly peels back the layers, it's clear there were a bunch of secrets that kept the case unsolved for years. The cold and dreary weather really amps up the tension. The story moves at a snail's pace, and it feels like the truth will never come out. But the ending is worth it and answers all my questions.

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

Thai was such a good book! I loved how descriptive she was without being wordy and the characters. They were done vividly and fully fleshed out. I felt like I was in Iceland with Agnes, experiencing everything beside her. I suspected basically everyone at some point, but didn’t see the twist coming. That’s just the way I like it! Great story!

The Lost House was a bit slow throughout most of the book, but when the story kicked in it was great. My turnoff was that I thought Agnes, the main character, was too weak and oftentimes pathetic. I liked some of the supporting characters more than I did Agnes. The ending was great and was very much like I hoped it would be.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review The Lost House.

I love the setting of this book! Iceland is one of my favorite places to visit!

The first half of this book was very slow and I struggled to get into it, then the last part of the book everything moved so quickly. I really wish that intensity would have been through out the book versus rushed through at the end.

I struggled to attach myself to the characters. So many pieces seemed forced and didn’t seem to add any substance to the story. The MC Agnes is addicted to pills and this is brought up several times through out the book, but it is honestly not necessary. It felt very forced and repetitive since it has nothing to do with the murder mystery.

Thanks NetGalley and publisher for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review!