Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC. This book was a little predictable of who the killer was. It started as a podcast and then in the middle and towards the end, it was forgotten. I am not sure if the podcast ever got “published” to share Agnes’ grandfather’s story. I still recommend this book if you want to get into international thrillers.

The premise for this one absolutely hooked me and I wanted to read it. For me it fell flat and didn't hold my attention like I thought it would. The beginning starts off strong and then unfortunately the middle is so slow that it took everything in me to push through. The ending also felt very rushed and it left me underwhelmed.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.

Overall, The Lost House is an enjoyable mystery thriller with a few flaws/plot holes if you think too much about it. The strength of the book is the Iceland setting; Larsen’s writing is effectively immersive in creating the cold, dark atmosphere in the dead of an Icelandic winter, when most of the story takes place. I also loved how we had Agnes’s outsider view on the local culture and language pronunciations. (I thought that the device of Agnes frequently mispronouncing names and being corrected by locals was very effective and also taught me how to correctly pronounce things.) The conclusion of the mystery was logical and satisfying, given the premise. I feel like a lot of “thrillers” these days try to be edgy for the sake of edginess, and this wasn’t that. Larsen appropriately placed foreshadowing/breadcrumbs without it being super obvious who the killer was but not having it come out of left field. Most important, as a thriller should, it kept me turning pages and staying up later than I should.

My complaints are that I felt Nora was both kind of an annoying and pointless character. She’s in the book so much that I figured there’d be a payoff…but there isn’t really one. She also comes into a piece of “evidence” at one point that she stashes in a drawer instead of handing over to police, and the reasoning for this is never really explained. There’s also a “secret” relationship where there’s a pivotal plot point involving a burner phone…but given that both parties in the relationship are single, and there’s no particular reason to “hide” the relationship, I couldn’t figure out why the one party needed a burner phone. So yes, these are small nitpicks, but it overall gave the feeling that the book could have used some more time with an editor to smooth over some rough edged plot points, etc.

All that said, I’d still definitely read another book by Larsen, particularly if the setting/premise is interesting.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s for the ARC!

Agnes is in a bad place when she steps off of the plane Iceland. Not only is her leg, which she injured quite catastrophically a year earlier, causing her agony, but her reason for coming to the artic country is weighing heavily on her: she is coming to the land of her ancestors to dig into the brutal crime that killed her grandmother and infant aunt. Agnes has never talked publicly about the murders of her family and the now infamous crime haunts the small Icelandic town where it happened. What’s worse is the townspeople are convinced that her grandfather is responsible for the murders, a notion that Agnes can’t square with the loving man that was like a second father. She has finally decided to break her silence, agreeing to be interviewed by famous podcaster Nora Carter on the 40th anniversary of the murders.

Nora’s focus is fractured because another young woman is missing, could the disappearance have something to do with the crime that happened so many years ago? And will Agnes finally get some answers about the mystery that has haunted her family all her life?

I really enjoyed this book. It was creepy and the Icelandic setting added an extra element of cold, dark suspense. The mystery kept me guessing and I didn’t figure out the ending no matter how many guesses I made. Four stars. Curl up under the covers and enjoy this icy, dark thriller.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

Summary: Agnes Glin has left her home in California and travelled to Iceland – to be interviewed by true crime podcaster Nora Carver and see what is left of her grandfather’s homestead in the town of Bifrost. Years before, Agnes’ grandmother and infant daughter were brutally murdered and left in the snow in Bifrost. No one was ever charged with the murders. The townspeople all believed that her grandfather Einar was the killer, and when he left town with his son for the US they took that as proof of his guilt. After Agnes arrives, a local girl named Asa goes missing and suddenly all the old feelings surrounding the old murders is stirred up again. Agnes can’t help herself from investigating Asa’s disappearance while she is digging into the murders of her family…and she may be endangering herself as well.

Thoughts: This novel has a unique setting and a very Scandinavian feel with concise and direct dialogue. Agnes is a likeable protagonist – a woman who keeps her emotions carefully controlled and a tight lid on her secrets even while she is trying to pry secrets out of others. The author conveys the isolation of Bifrost and the ease with which dark deeds can be concealed in the icy remoteness. The novel is divided into three parts. I struggled to continue with parts one and two, which dragged and tended to dwell repetitively on Agnes’ knee injury. However, part three revealed all the secrets at a steady clip and renewed my interest. I can’t say that the resolution was a big surprise, but all the loose ends were tied up very cleanly with a satisfying conclusion. Unfortunately, I fear that many readers will give up on the novel before reaching part three.

This wasn't for me. Several of my friends really enjoyed this but I just couldn't connect. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

This chilling book was exactly what I have been looking for. If only the weather where I live was colder (and snowing), this book would have been perfection (and trust me, it was pretty close to it). This book was atmospheric, as it takes place in Bifrost, Iceland. Not only could I picture the snow falling, the ice covered roads, the knee-deep walkways filled with snow, but I could also feel the cold temperatures going through my skin- making me need just one more blanket to keep warm. ☕️ The suspense also sent chills down my spine, and I was so sorry when this book ended. I also personally resonated with our main character of Agnes, as she suffered a leg injury. The healing journey of a shattered kneecap/ leg injury is a painful one, and there is the before version of yourself and the after version of yourself…

This story is about Agnes Glin, who goes on a trip to Iceland alone to take part in a podcast. The podcast is run by Nora Carver, and Nora is digging up a case from 40 years ago which involves the murders of Agnes’s late grandmother and aunt. Agnes’s grandfather, Einar Palsson, is suspected of those murders, and Agnes would like to hopefully prove his innocence.

As soon as Agnes arrives in Iceland, another young girl goes missing. So along with trying to interview people from her grandparents past, Agnes and Nora are also on a hunt for the missing girl. In search of the missing girl and through Agnes’s travels, she braves through the cold temperatures and the blizzard-like snow taking place. Agnes deals with the flashbacks of her leg injury, and her current pain and loss that she is going through. The grief, trauma, and suspense kept me turning these pages faster and faster.

This book was a pleasant surprise, and I definitely recommend reading this book. I also found a new author to read, because I enjoyed her writing very much!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Minotaur Books/St. Martin’s Press, and the author for an ARC of this book which I had the pleasure to read. Publication date: January 14, 2025.

The Lost House by Melissa Larsen

During Agnes’ search into what really happened when her grandmother and aunt were murdered, she also deals with her addiction to oxycodone (a result of an accident that destroyed her leg a year ago, when her beloved grandfather died) and during this time, learns about herself.

Did her grandfather really kill her grandmother and aunt, her namesake? Was it believed that he was guilty because the community believed he did it? And his departure confirmed their belief? Or was it something else? She was brought to Iceland by Nora, a podcaster, investigating “The Frozen Madonna”, Agnes’ grandmother and aunt.

A few days before her arrival, a college student, Asa, disappears after partying at “The Murder House”, Agnes’ grandparents, fathers’ home. Nora, believing there may be a link to “The Frozen Madonna”, gets involved with the search and investigation, along with Agnes.

I was surprised to find that the author isn’t from Iceland, but from New York. I enjoyed the atmosphere of the story – dark Iceland, cold, snow….setting the scene.

Thank you to NetGalley, Melissa Larsen, St. Martin’s Press and Minotaur Books for an advanced copy of this book.

Will add review to Amazon on Publication day - 1/14/25

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the opportunity to review this ARC.
The setting of Iceland was perfect for this mystery which centers around Agnes, the granddaughter of a woman that was murdered along with her infant. Agnes travels to Iceland to work on a popular podcast looking into those murders on the 40th anniversary of their deaths. While there a young woman disappears from the property where the murders occurred.
Although it was a slow burn, the action does pick up at about the halfway mark. The characters were well created, developing throughout the book.

A mystery long buried, secrets, biases, betrayals - uncovering one truth may cause everything to crash. The wonderfully dark and alien landscape of Iceland holds the secrets that eventually emerge, many twists along the way. Taut and addictive to the very end, highly recommended!

Can Agnes really find out who killed her grandmother and niece forty years ago in Iceland?

Agnes is asked to come to Iceland for an interview by a podcaster who is intent on finding the truth.

The podcaster wants to rehash the story that Agnes's grandfather was accused of killing his wife and baby daughter. He left for the United States not long after, and everyone agreed he left because he was the murderer.

There are no clues then or now, but when Agnes meets an older woman who thinks she is her grandmother, something she says has Agnes re-thinking everything.

And...along with the resurfacing of the old murder, a teenager goes missing on the same exact day.

Could this be planned to coincide with the brutal murder from years ago?

A lot of what if's and things happening, but the book really didn't hold my interest, but I kept reading. I knew something had to happen.

What happened was a lot of revelations, and ending tension that was the best part of the book, but it still wasn't a favorite. It was too vague and dragged out even though the story ended up being good. 3/4

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.

Agnes travels to the land of fire and ice (Iceland) to clear her grandfather's name from a murder of a young mother and her infant daughter 40 years earlier. True crime expert and podcaster Nora Carver is staying in Iceland to solve the mystery of the unsolved case. Agnes agrees to meet her there to help with the investigation. Despite her father not wanting her to explore the case, Agnes so desperately wants to clear her family's name.

The strongest aspect of this story is the setting. Iceland is no force to be reckoned with and the author does an excellent job setting the scene. I'm always a fan of a snowed in locked room type mystery. Perhaps it's because I don't like snow or cold myself, but love the idea of seeing snow from warm interior window. Or maybe it's because when I visited Iceland I got stuck in a snow bank out in the wilderness. Either way, I absolutely loved this setting.

The beginning is a bit of a slow burn and moved a little slower paced than I typically enjoy. However, because I loved the setting so much it didn't bother me too much. The author seemed to really want to relay that the MC has an opioid pill addiction. I felt like the times this was mentioned was a bit excessive.

Overall, this was a great thriller and one worth checking out!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Clear your schedule and pack your metaphorical bags. This mystery captures your attention from the first line and the setting is so good you’ll feel like you’ve actually taken a trip to Iceland.
The setting is so well described, the reader is more than transported, more the quiet, insular village is as much a character. Icelandic names and pronunciations added to the realism. The reader can very nearly feel the cold clean air of Bifrost.
The mystery is well built and keeps the reader wondering to the end. Nearly none of the characters are flawless, so you don’t know who to trust. However, I did leave the read with favorite ❤️ character. I also loved that this book is filled with strong, complicated women! Bravo!
I was offered an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review due to my interest in Ragnor Jonasson’s books. If you’re a fan of his, definitely put this on your TBR list. I suspect this is an author and title to watch. I’ll be shocked if it’s not a top read of 2025. Absolutely had me on the edge of my seat.

Hard to follow. Character development rather sparse. found it hard to retain interest.. Not the most enjoyable book. Hope to see a better product from this author in the future.

Agnes is on a plane to Iceland. A place where her grandmother and aunt were murdered before she was born. She has had an unbelievably bad year. Still in pain from an accident and missing her relationship that just didn’t survive her trauma. Agnes says yes to Nora Carver, a podcast who is going to try to unravel the cold case that changed her grandfather and father’s lives, and ultimately her own.
The unrelenting darkness and cold in Iceland is taking a toll on Agnes. The people who knew her family believe her grandfather committed murder and fled to California. Agnes doesn’t know what to believe, and the thought that her beloved, though now deceased grandfather was a killer, has her shaky hold on her physical and mental well-being stretched to the breaking point.
Many many secrets and lies are revealed throughout The Lost House. No spoilers, but Agnes had more answers than all the questions she headed to Iceland with. There were so many potential suspects, and I did not wind up guessing the correct one. A very enjoyable mystery and I was glad to imagine after the end that Agnes and her father might finally have some much-needed peace.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC.
This is such a good book, what a great story.
Agnes is in Iceland to try and clear her grandfather's name. He recently died, leaving her heartbroken. He was thought to have killed his wife and daughter, fleeing to the States with his son, Grace's father. Shevgrew up in California and thi is her first time in Iceland, where she's taking part in a podcast hoping to clear his name. The whole situation takes a huge toll on her mentally and physically.
Towards the end when the truth is finally coming out, the tension ratchets up... I couldn't stop reading for the life of me! Wow, what a terrific ending!

Iceland, family-history, cold-case, suspense, inheritance, survival, small-town, local-gossip, local-history, secrets, grim, grieving, dark, rural, greed, twisted, podcaster, thriller, investigations, murders, local-law-enforcement, drugs-issues****

Forty years ago, a mother and baby were murdered, and it was assumed that the husband who disappeared to California was the killer. Now his physically damaged granddaughter has come to Iceland to meet with a podcaster to try to clear her grandfather's name now that he has died and won't be hurt by whatever happens. In the stark reality of rural Iceland a grim and all too realistic tale unfolds even as another unexplained murder comes to light in the present day.
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected digital galley from St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books Books via NetGalley. Thank you. Avail Jan 14 2025
#TheLostHouse by Melissa Larsen #SuspenseThriller

The Lost House is a very good atmospheric mystery set in snowy, freezing Iceland. A young woman and her baby were found buried in the snow forty years ago. The case was never solved, however all the locals blamed her husband. He left Iceland for California with his surviving son. In the present, a year following the man’s death, a podcaster (Nora Carver) is investigating the case and reaches out to the surviving granddaughter, Agnes. Agnes is trying to recover from a horrific accident, she deeply loved her grandfather and she flies to Iceland in an effort to prove his innocence. The weekend she arrives another girl goes missing, with clues possibly relating to the original murder. The cast of characters are complex and interesting, combining well with the cold and unforgiving landscape. The reader will be swept into the story and be faced with many twists and turns. The writing is wonderful and richly layered. I highly recommend this book!

Agnes travels from her sunny life in California to the frigid landscape of Iceland to meet with podcast host, Nora Carver, to talk about The Frozen Madonna and Child murders.

Agnes is staying in a vacation home with Nora that is built close to where her father grew up and near the icy tomb of her murdered grandmother and aunt. The small town blamed her grandfather for the murders and he was run out of Iceland clutching his son, Magnus, and disappearing forever.

Her grandfather recently passed away and Agnes came back to her ancestral land to clear his name and find out what really happened. For your own safety, it’s better to keep the secrets entombed in the snow.

This story captured my attention from the start with the podcast introduction, The Madonna and Child Mystery, and the disappearance of a woman when Agnes arrived. Midway through, it started slowing down and it took everything in me not to DNF but I powered through and felt like after the build up of the landscape and Agnes’ story, the ending felt rushed…but a little part of me was relieved that it was finally over.

This is a twisted read. Suspense, tragedy, righting of wrongs. The characters are interesting. Storyline is compelling. Good read. I was given an advanced reader copy of this book by NetGalley and I am freely sharing my review.