Julie and Christen look forward to their annual getaway with best friends David and Erika—until they arrive to find David’s new lake house blocking their beloved view. Tensions rise further with the introduction of David’s new nanny, Izzy, and his recent girlfriend, Fiona. When Fiona suddenly disappears, dark secrets unravel. One secret is that Izzy took the nanny job to investigate the discovery of her aunt’s bones nearby. As the mystery deepens, the two women’s fates intertwine. Is Fiona dead, and what really happened to Izzy’s aunt?

Throughly enjoyed it even though I caught on to who did it half way. Pleased with the ending. Thank you netgalley for letting me read this ARC

A good thriller. I would say that the last 20% felt a little over the top and unbelievable, but I did enjoy it nonetheless.

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

i read this in one day without even realizing it. Jamie Day has been on my TBR for a while now and im so glad i was able to read the newest book.
i love the lake atmosphere, and the relationship of the characters.
Maybe a little predictable but still worth the read if you want something quick and fun!.

The Lake Escape is a killer thriller and mystery novel, but unfortunately falls short due to uninteresting characters, an obvious motive and killer that’s far too easy to figure out.

Childhood friends return to Lake Timmeny for their annual retreat, but when Fiona, David’s new girlfriend goes missing, their hopes at a easy going escape disappear and instead turn into chaos.

The set up was for the first ~100 or so pages, or roughly ~30% of the book. I wasn’t attached to any of the characters. Nothing grabbed my attention, or truly made me want to keep reading. Julie, who feels entitled to a lake view, and is suspicious of her husband’s financials. Izzy, the sophomore college student who lied about her nanny credentials. David, who came into new money and has his girlfriend, Fiona mysteriously disappear the night after an argument. Erika and her husband were forgettable. Even more suspiciously so, the night before – Fiona and Lucas (Erika’s 18 year old son) were found kissing. Fiona is also in her 30’s! Ew. It felt unnecessary to include that, especially as it did nothing to push the plot forward.

Christian especially irked me from the beginning. While Julie herself was no saint either, he had an affair previously, blew all of their money, and she can somehow STILL forgive him? Girl, please. I’m big on the “if he wanted to, he would.” He’s definitely not giving that vibe. Case in point:

“I changed all the passwords as a precaution. It’s not big deal. Please, just get some sleep, or at least let me sleep. You’re worrying too much.”

Honestly, Izzy’s involvement was predictable. Julie mostly served as a narrator for her growing suspicions of those around her. There were some minor “plot points” that were quickly forgotten and shoved to the side as well.

I’m typically a sucker for thrillers, but I don’t care for stilted, awkward conversations. Plus, to make it worse – Day kept trying to stack up the “oohs” and “ahhs” with incredulous reveal after reveal that made NO sense, nor was it even briefly mentioned previously, but was instead brought up out of nowhere.

When the big mystery of who the killer was is revealed, I wasn’t surprised. They weren’t given much dialogue or any actions until the way end of the book. My suggestion for future books would be to include the suspicious characters more often. The less you talk about them, the more (I, as a reader!) am thinking that they’re the killer.

Then, the last ~10% or so was absolutely ridiculous. The MOB?? Come on. That’s just an easy out at that point, a last-ditch effort to make things more “thrilling.” I didn’t care for this at all and I’m quite surprised at all the positive reviews surrounding it.

Overall, not something that I’d be happy to recommend to anyone.

*I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review. *

This was soooo good. I couldn't put it down because I just HAD to figure out how it ended!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

This is Jamie Day’s third book, and I’ve enjoyed all of them. This one simmers with suspense and secrets, and was so easily readable. The last 20% is a little over the top, but I enjoyed the way everything was wrapped up in the end.

Day does it again. She gives us a heart-pounding novel about family, friends deception and secrets.
Lake Timmeny in Vermont has been a summer vacation spot for Julia, David and Erika since they were babies. A family tradition they are passing down to their children.
However, it has a dark past of women vanishing and no one has been charged. This time David owning his family home and a renovation creates havoc with his friends/neighbors.
Get ready for all the deceit, blackmail, and more. Grab your favorite beverage because you won’t want to put this book down!

I picked this book and didn't set it back down until I had read it cover to cover!

I really like this author's writing style and found the storyline to be really interesting and engaging. It's fast-paced and there is enough tension and suspense to keep you turning pages.

The setting was really atmospheric and I loved that the story centered around a lake with a dark history, it set the tone early on.

I'll definitely be recommending this one and look forward to reading more from this author in the future!

Thank you oh Jamie Day, Net Galley and St Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Woah! What a whirlwind of a thriller. First off, Jamie Day is fully established as a must-buy author for me. The plot and storylines are easy to follow and grab your attention immediately, making it impossible to put the book down before finishing it! This book tells the story of 3 longtime friends gathering at their respective lake houses for a summer getaway, hoping to put away all of their own troubles and focus on relaxation and friendship. There is absolutely zero chance of that happening, it becomes quickly apparent, with one dramatic event after another unfolding.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC, all opinions are my own

Three childhood friends have each managed to keep their families summer cottages on Lake Timmeny in Vermont. Erika, David, and Julia and their families expect to relax, catch up, and have another glorious vacation. Until Julia sees the renovation that David has completed on his cottage. When Julia sees the size of it, and that it blocks her view, she is not a happy camper.
New to the group is David’s latest girlfriend, Fiona, and Izzy, his twins' nanny, who is hiding secrets of her own. The story is told by Julia and Izzy in the past and in the present. There is the mystery surrounding two women who disappeared 30 years apart, as well as another woman who is missing now. Everything is revealed as the story progressed, and while I guessed one part early on, there were a lot of other revelations that had me furiously flipping the pages to see what would happen next. The Lake Escape publishes in July, and this is just the kind of book that to me would make a perfect beach read.

Having absolutely loved Jamie Day’s previous novels, I knew this one was going to be an absolute winner and I was right! If you are looking for a good mystery, look no further!!!

Here’s a polished version of your review:

It’s here—the next gripping summer suspense novel by Jamie Day, the bestselling author of The Block Party and One Big Happy Family!

The Lake Escape transports readers to the idyllic Vermont lake house that siblings Julia, Erika, and David once treasured as their childhood retreat. Now, as adults, they return each summer with their own families. But this year, tensions are high. David’s extravagant renovations have blocked cherished views and stirred resentment, adding to the unease surrounding the lake’s dark history.

Two women have gone missing at the lake—30 years apart—and when David’s glamorous new girlfriend suddenly disappears, the question on everyone’s mind is: has it happened again?

As secrets unravel, the lines between past and present blur. With everyone hiding something, it’s hard to tell who might hold the key to the mystery—or who might be next.

While the story juggles a few too many plotlines, it still delivers as a fun, fast-paced summer read. Perfect for fans of suspenseful family drama and lakeside mysteries, The Lake Escape is sure to keep readers guessing until the very last page.

#JamieDay #TheLakeEscape #StMartinsPress

[arc review]
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
The Lake Escape releases July 15, 2025

Julia, David, and Erika are longtime friends who share neighbouring lakefront homes in which they take annual retreats to in the summer.
This year, David’s newly renovated property has obstructed Julia’s view of the lake, and she’s not too pleased about it.

Alternating with Julia’s pov is Izzy: a college student majoring in journalism who has just secured a job as a nanny for David’s five-year-old twins, even though she has no experience with childcare.

When two women went missing exactly thirty years apart, their disappearances were attributed to the lore of the lake. Now that another thirty years have passed, will the lake take another person?
Will Izzy’s ulterior motives for coming to Lake Timmeny put her life in danger?

I loved the setting, the many secrets, and how we got to view the story from two generations of characters.
While the identity of the suspects were predictable early on, I still enjoyed the way the story unravelled.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this book!

This was a good one! I really enjoyed this book. I had a hard time putting this one down. I really enjoyed the writing style and the characters chemistry was great. This was a first for me by this author but will not be my last!