When the twist ending has you like what?????

I was actually enjoying this book - the premise seemed really promising and it didn't
take me long to get invested in the story as the main character wakes up with memory loss
and tries to piece together how she's ended up at a lake house with no recollection of who she is and what she's doing here.

Gregg - a stranger who takes her in is not what he seems and as we get flashbacks into the past of a character called Adria, the pieces start to come together, although as it turns out, those pieces are completely irrelevant.

That twist ending really annoyed me to be honest. I get the whole red herring thing but this was so farfetched that it doesn't make sense and felt like a last minute re-write. It was a copout and left a sour taste in my mouth after investing the time to read this and push through during some lulls in the story.

Thank you Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for the eARC copy of this book!

Gravewater Lake by A.M. Strong, Sonya Sargent
🌟🌟🌟🌟
This is an exciting and mysterious psychological thriller!
This story has lots of twists, turns and suspense! There wasn’t any dull moments in the book! I was drawn in from start to finish!
A woman wakes up next to a lake, wet, in the freezing cold and has no memory of how she got there and who she is. This character “Anna” is able to make her way to a house for help. There she meets Gregg and quickly suspects that he’s hiding secrets.
The ending had good surprises too!
This is my first book from these authors and I think they did a great job!

Thank you to NetGalley for an arc of this great book!
*This book comes out March 3rd!!*

There is nothing better than reading a book set during a blizzard when there is an actual blizzard going on. The wind moaning through every crack and crevice, the snow coming down in sheets, piling up and making travel hazardous. Tucked up cozy and warm on the couch, diving deep into the next read. That is set in Vermont, written by a woman who was raised in Vermont. I mean come on now! This is the perfect read for me. Throw in an ending that I did not see coming and that is a winning book.

The achingly cold snow slowly brings her back to here and now. The snow softly piling up on her. Where is she? Better question, who is she? Her headaches intensely, she is not dressed for the outside, she is missing a slipper, and all is dark. As she stumbles to the closest house she sees and pounds on the door she is hoping to have any glimmer of recognition of who she is. The tall man answers as she collapses into his arms. The door closes on the whirling snow. Who is he? Will she be able to find out where she came from and who she is? The only clue is a small bracelet with the letter A.

I thought I had this book figured out from the get-go. Of course, I was too cocky, and I was way off base. I loved the surprise ending. The sprawling lakeside mansion that took on a life of its own. The lights that turn on and off by themselves, the footsteps that are a figment of her imagination...right? All of this leads to one fantastic, fast paced read. Thank you to A.M. Strong, Sonya Sargent, Amazon Publishing, and Thriller Book Lovers The Pulse for my gifted copy.

Gravewater Lake by A.M. Strong; Sonya Sargent is a wonderfully written story of suspense.
I was so intrigued from that first chapter so I literally couldn't put this down.

A woman wakes up at the edge of a lake and doesn't remember who she is or how she got there. This is how this gripping thriller begins and the twists and turns kept me engaged throughout. The characters are believable and realistic. the plot was original and thrilling. I would recommend this book I received an advance copy of this book via Netgalley and I am voluntarily leaving my review.

I literally devoured this book. I've read several psychological thrillers before and always enjoyed them but this one went down an entirely new path. The ending blew me away. I absolutely was not expecting that. There are so many twists and turns in this one that I almost passed out from the spinning.
The authors did a good job of describing what it is like to have amnesia. The protagonist suffers from it throughout most of the book. This adds another level of thrills to the story. A very good read.

📚ARC REVIEW 📚

Gravewater Lake ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When “Anna” wakes up on the shore of a remote lake in the middle of the night, freezing and afraid, she doesn’t know what has happened. She has no memory of where she is or who she is. When she stumbles upon a house, the handsome owner is shocked to see her but takes her in. Now trapped in a winter storm with no cell service, she has nowhere else to go. She’s thankful this man has offered to let her stay with him but something isn’t right. There are whispers in the night, and phantom footsteps pace the halls. Is Gregg hiding a dark secret, or is she losing her mind?

This story hooks you from the beginning with the prologue. It’s fast paced and suspenseful. It was told in a past and present timeline, which kept me guessing how these would fit together. The short chapters make it easy to binge because you just want to keep going to see what happens next. The tropes and twist were good. However, I did find the ending left me hanging a little so I wished that was a little different. Overall, it was really good and kept me guessing the whole time.

This book will publish on March 1, 2025. Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for my advanced readers copy. This is my honest and voluntary opinion.

This one was really interesting- though a bit confusing.
There was a lot going on and the twist was a little outlandish. Really enjoyed the writing style and the characters!

My oh my! With the amount of suspense books I read, it’s not easy to blindside me and, yet, this one did. It takes a very common trope, a woman with amnesia, and makes it its own. She wakes up at the verge of hypothermia and finds shelter in a fancy house where a handsome man takes her in. He tells her they’re isolated by a snowstorm and they have no way to contact the outside world. She believes him even if she notices things that don’t make sense. Other chapters tell the story of Adria, a wealthy woman whose husband is up to no good and possibly trying to murder her. I thought I knew where this was going, but I was still engrossed and couldn’t put it down. But then there is a big twist that really surprised me and that made perfect sense. This is also linked to the writing, but I can’t say more for fear of spoilers. The main character (let’s call her by the name she chooses, “Anna”) is not perfect, but I sympathized enough with her to make me worry about what was going to happen. The man who helps her becomes more or less suspicious depending on what “Anna” learns. A truly suspenseful book and, again, I great twist. If anyone here saw it coming, you win!
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Thomas & Mercer.

This one started off strong I was so intrigued. The middle dragged and got a little boring and repetitive. The twist was definitely unexpected but I felt like it could've been revealed a little earlier. There was a lot of unnecessary stuff in the book that could've been cut out and it would've made it a much faster paced read.

3/5 stars for the amazing premise but flawed execution.

A woman wakes up wet and freezing next to a lake with no memory of who she is or how her life brought her here. She finds her way to a nearby lake house where she meets a sketchy man named Gregg. Will we be able to discover the truth in this past and present dual pov mystery?

I really did enjoy the beginning of this book, though slow at times it felt very suspenseful and life or death. We were led to believe we knew the characters and their motives and I found myself almost becoming bored because I thought I had everything figured out. The twist came from nowhere and I have a love hate relationship with how it was executed. I loved the surprise and how shocked I was but it was slightly disappointing that it wasn’t hinted at during the rest of the book.

I also found our unreliable main character to be insufferable at times. She chose to make the worst possible decisions even though in her mind she knew it was wrong. She doubted herself every step of the way and I found this very frustrating. There were also a few discrepancies between the middle of the novel and the end.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer for the arc through NetGalley! All opinions are my own honest opinions.

An intense thriller. Well written with good characters. The storyline is excellent and kept me second guessing. I thought I had it all worked out, but the twists kept coming right up until the unexpected ending. Highly recommended.

When one of your favorite horror authors decides to dip a toe into a new genre there is that awful moment of "what if I don't like it". Well, this is the second book this duo has written in the psychological/mystery/thriller genre and I loved both. The writing is tight and suspenseful and leads the reader along at a good pace. The end twist though, my my my. I was feeling smug and then WHAM, not what I thought at all. Excellent twist. Loved the ending.
I received a copy of this book through Net Gallery and this is my voluntary opinion of the tale.

The title alone sold me on this one! I also previously read and enjoyed The Last Girl Left from this author so there was that also. This story was nicely done. Very creepy and a cool twist at the end! Anna wakes up in the middle of a snowstorm on the shore of Gravewater Lake with no memory of who she is or how she got there. She finds a house and the owner Gregg takes her in. But can she trust him? I loved all the little clues and red flags throughout and I was pretty sure I had it figured out. NOPE! If you are a fan of locked room and/or domestic suspense or just creepy thrillers in general, this is for you! I did have a few unanswered questions at the end, but nothing too big. I recommend this and will read more from this guy.

Thank you to #NetGalley, A.M. Strong and Sonya Sargent and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC. All Opinions are my own.

I will post my review to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Facebook and other social media and retail sites upon publication day of March 1st, 2025.

Twisty thriller/suspense with an unreliable narrator who has amnesia and wakes up on the side of a lake in Vermont in the winter. This book did not go the way I expected at all, there were a lot of last minute twists. I didn't love the way it ended it felt a little forced and I didn't really agree with the main characters actions all the time. Was an enjoyable and quick read would recommend, 3 stars. I want to thank NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Gravewater Lake is a psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish!
When I thought I had figured out where this book is going, it completely surprised me with a twist!

Told in a dual timeline, the past and present timeline had me constantly guessing the connection of the two timelines.
The amnesia trope can be a hit or miss for me, but the authors executed it very well.
They expertly combine the amnesia trope with themes of isolation, memory, and trust, which heightens the eerie atmosphere.

Following Anna’s journey as she tries to regain her memories and piece together the truth of what happened to her was thoroughly enjoyable.
The short chapters kept me flipping the pages even after I promised myself ‘just one more chapter’.

The ending was wrapped up quite nicely, although it felt slightly too far-fetched. It left me guessing about the main character’s final choice.

Overall, Gravewater Lake is a page turner, thrilling and addictive, constantly making me guess the direction of the plot!
This is my first book by these authors, and it won’t be the last. I’ve heard great things about their other works, so I will definitely keep an eye out for future books after this one.

⚠️ 𝐓𝐖: murder, domestic violence, drug use, death, gaslighting

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of Gravewater Lake. This novel thrives on an eerie, almost hypnotic atmosphere, pulling readers into the unsettling mysteries surrounding the lake and its dark past. The writing is immersive, rich with haunting imagery that lingers long after you turn the page. The tension builds steadily, though the pacing wavers at times—some moments feel stretched out while others, particularly key reveals, feel a bit rushed. The protagonist is compelling, but I wanted more depth from the supporting cast to elevate the emotional stakes. Still, Gravewater Lake is an intriguing blend of psychological suspense and supernatural unease, perfect for those who love a slow-burning, atmospheric mystery.

It’s not often that I force myself to finish a book I am not enjoying but as this was an arc I felt an obligation to see it through. The story started out strong and I was intrigued by the mystery and my perceived theory of what was happening. However it quickly devolved into a mess of repetitive occurrences and a protagonist who time and time again acted against her own self interest. While there is room for understanding A’s actions due to her memory loss, the number of times she ignores the voice in her head telling her something isn’t right was astounding. It was hard to care about her or the story when it relied so heavily on her just being dumb.

The ending did redeem the story a little bit but I wish it hadn’t felt like such a chore to get there.

Loved, loved, loved this novel. Everything from the pacing to the characters to the plot was great. I honestly don’t think I could have asked for a better book. I’m excited to read other books by this author as I have never read anything by them before.

4,5 stars

From the very first chapter, this book completely captivated me! The story begins with a chilling scene: a woman suffers a devastating blow to her head near a frozen lake in Vermont during a brutal blizzard. Seeking refuge, she stumbles into the grand yet isolated home of Gregg, setting the stage for an enthralling tale that weaves together two gripping storylines.

On one side, we follow Adria, whose growing suspicions about her husband's true identity and sinister intentions create a tense and unsettling atmosphere. On the other, we meet this mysterious, nameless woman, without a memory wearing a bracelet marked with the letter "A." In a fateful decision, Gregg decides to call her Anna.

Adding to the story’s eerie tension are chilling moments in the house, where Anna becomes convinced they’re not alone. The way these scenes are written—fleeting shadows, lights that go off behind a closed door—infuses the narrative with a spine-tingling sense of dread.

The chapters are expertly woven, drawing me further into a web of psychological suspense and mystery. The ambiguity surrounding the true identities of Gregg, Adria, and Anna keeps the tension high, while the blizzard's isolation intensifies the chilling atmosphere.

The twists and turns were breathtaking, with the final revelation leaving me utterly stunned.

This is my second book by this husband-and-wife duo, and just as the first one this delivers a clever and suspenseful tale with unpredictable twists!