Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of The Lake Escape by Jamie Day

Three childhood friends are grown and with families still meet up every summer at their lake houses. There is a folk lore that every 30 years the Lake takes someone. When a girl friend goes missing will they find her or has the lake taken another?

This book was so clever and made me keep wanting to read just one more page before putting it down. The characters were so well developed and the plot kept you on the edge of your seat. There were twists and turns without being gimmicky and the ending was satisfying without all being tied up in a bow. Truly a stand out for a genre that usually seems a bit repetitive!

I wanted to love this, I really did, and I took a chance on it even though I have come to not be able to tolerate books with amateur sleuths investigating crimes. I should have known better. I just could not stand any of the characters. 2 stars.

This was fine. I wanted it to be good with a tight ending and multi-dimensional characters and something plausible. But the entire time I kept reading it, I was like, wait, what?

A teenager lies to her mom, becomes a last-minute replacement nanny for a set of twins, and her only experience is watching Mary Poppins, and no one's the wiser? Oh, but she's also trying to investigate a decades-long mystery and start a true crime podcast. Naturally. Not far-fetched at all.

Three friends meet up every year at their respective lake houses in New England. One is a divorced dad of twins who brings his much-younger girlfriend that he knows nothing about. He also apparently spent the winter in between lake visits building a giant house (I'd love to know who his builder is considering it's incredibly hard to build in the winter when the ground is frozen). Another of the friends is a lawyer married to a hunting/fishing guide (who gets a lap dance from the young girlfriend) and their teenage son. I couldn't really tell you anything about them because the author declined to develop their characters very much. And then there's the last couple with their teenage daughter, who are alternatively moody, paranoid, and irresponsible.

I've read Day's other books and really enjoyed them. This was not nearly as good as her past thrillers. This was all over the place with absolutely ridiculous storylines (who forgives a spouse who ruins their family financially?!?), the Irish mob (that the teenagers were unfamiliar with -- come on, The Departed is a great movie and Whitey Bulger was all over the news not too long ago), and of course, a secretive old woman who lives in the forest and knows things about herbs. And my biggest pet peeve in all fiction: a pregnancy that doesn't fit into the lives of the people in the story, but who decide against termination for some unknown reason.

And none of this covers the amount of TELLING the reader what was happening. No. Show me, don't tell me.

Just disappointing. I'll give Jamie Day another go because I enjoyed her previous books.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC.
To begin with I loved this book; getting to know, like and dislike all the characters. I really liked Izzy and was rooting for her all the way. The twins and dog were adorable - the grownups not so much!
I got mad at Julia for being such a wimp about her husband and towards the end I had to suspend my belief a bit. But on the whole it was an absorbing read.

𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ★ ★ ★ ★
𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: July 15, 2025
𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪:

Block Party was a HUGE WIN for me and when I saw Jamie had a new book coming out I was elated! I just KNEW it was going to be another banger. Fast paced, thrilling edge of your seat and I will admit I read this into the wee hours of the morning because I refused to put it down until I was finished with that last page.

We have a group of friends, lake homes and what is supposed to be peaceful retreats and relaxation that turns focus to vanishing women along with secrets buried deep…one of their OWN goes missing…things are not what they seem. GRIPPING THE SEATS moments!

I loved the world we are in, the characters were well developed and I was loving the twists and turns up to that very last page. TBR must have!

Huge thank you to our Author, NetGalley as well St. Martins Press

𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦: Fast paced, Twisty, Multiple POV

I absolutely love the lake setting. Interesting characters and interesting plot. Definitely kept me guessing. I thought I had it figured out, but the twists kept coming! Definitely will be reading more books from this author.

Interesting….very interesting how this story played out. Enjoyed this read, not because of any particular attachment to the characters, which I found dry and just lacking, but for the twists and turns of whodunnit. I chose correctly, but my reasoning was not on point. Lots going on in this book and all was ….interesting.

I've read all of Jamie Day's books. I could't wait to read more to find out what was going on.
I thought I had it all figured out but it was an interesting twisty ride and I was wrong with my guesses. I spent my summers at a cottage at a lake in CT and have spent some time in VT at a lake near my cousins home so this was a fun read.

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martins Press and Jamie Day for offering me the ARC to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martin’s Press for the ARC of this book.

This is my 3rd Jamie Day novel and I’m giving it 3 stars.
Three families that live on the lake shore in Vermont are all hiding something. 3 families— a lot of secrets, so many problems, and a lovable dog. Izzy, a Mary Poppins wannabe, gets hired to watch 5 year old twins for The Lake Escape. But, she has a mystery of her own to unravel, with a lot of quotes from the beloved film. As the storylines twist each page reveals another secret kept from everyone.

I wanted this story to be more like Day’s Block Party novel, although enjoyable the plot was slow to boil and a bit far fetched at times.

This is Jamie Day’s third book, and I’ve really enjoyed all of them so far. This book is told from multiple points of view, is based on suspense and secrets, and was easy to read. The characters were not easy to like, but that actually kept the story moving for me, and I enjoyed the way everything wrapped up at the end.

Two young women disappear 30 years apart at the lake. Now another young woman disappears 30 years after the last one. A riveting story line that will keep you guessing.

Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

Lake Timmeny has been a vacation spot for Julia Crawford, Erika Sullivan, and David Dunne since childhood. Now, it has become two weeks that offer a welcome break from everyday life.

But this year, something is different, something is wrong. And, in keeping with the lore of the lake, a young woman vanishes.

Is the lake claiming another victim or is there another, more sinister, explanation?

=========

This sometimes-predictable thriller/mystery is told alternately from Julia’s and Izzy’s viewpoints and keeps readers guessing. There’s a strong sense of place that anchors the narrative; as might be expected, all of the characters are keeping secrets. Unfortunately, most of the characters are unlikeable, but does that mean that one of them is a killer?

The unfolding story takes some unforeseen turns, building intrigue for readers. Unexpected revelations encourage readers to make some assumptions; plot twists keep the story from becoming predictable as the telling of the tale leads to a denouement that may surprise most readers.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley
#TheLakeEscape #NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! The Lake Escape by Jamie Day is a complex psychological thriller about three childhood friends who really don’t know each other as well as they think they do. When Jane, Erika and David returned back to the lake for their two week summer vacation they could never have imagined the swift turn of events they would be made to endure. Izzy, the newly hired nanny for David’s twin five-year-olds isn’t really who she says she is. She dreams of being a true crime podcaster but will her dream also become her fate. Find out for yourself by reading this slow burn extremely complex suspense novel that I highly recommend to others.

I have been a fan of Jamie Day ever since I read an ARC of The Block Party in 2023! I have been so excited to be invited to read all her books as ARCs!
The Lake Escape is about the mystery of missing women from Lake Timmeny in Vermont.
David, Erika, and Julia have been coming to the lake with their families since they were kids. Now all three friends have grown up and continue the tradition with their own families.
They were teenagers when, thirty years after the first mysterious disappearance, a second woman goes missing. Now 30 years later they are all back together at the lake with their families when another woman goes missing. Who is responsible? Is the lake taking the women? Or is it something more sinister?
The Lake Escape is a story that covers decades and many intricate characters.
I loved how all things were connected and discovered at the end.

The Lake Escape started off strong for me. Getting to know the characters, wondering how the mysteries of the lake would come into play. Unfortunately, I found it to drag quite a bit and I found myself not interested in most of the characters. Izzy and Taylor kept me going, because I needed to know what happened in the end. But the hard shift into a mob storyline was not what I expected, and kind of ruined it for me.

3.5 Definitely a quick read. Friends, traditions, secrets and murder - yep! I thought the Instagram internal commentary was a bit of a miss but I liked the characters and all of their secrets. If you like good beach reads, add this one to your list!

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC!

I found this book to be an enjoyable mystery. The storyline kept the reader waiting to see what happens next. This is a book which I would recommend to those who enjoy a good mystery.

The Lake Escape by Jamie Day is the ultimate feel-good getaway wrapped in a book! Set against a stunning lakeside backdrop, this story brings together a perfect mix of romance, friendship, and personal growth. The characters are refreshingly relatable, and the setting practically begs you to pack your bags for a lakeside retreat of your own. With heartfelt moments, a touch of drama, and plenty of laughs, it’s a perfect read for anyone looking to escape into a world of summer vibes and second chances. Grab this one for a cozy, heartwarming ride!

3.5 rounded up to 4.

This was a great thriller! I was drawn into the story right away and couldn't put this down! The suspense was great, and I really enjoyed reading this book. Definitely recommend. The story twisted and actually interwove in ways I didn't see coming!