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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 Stars - rounding down
In "The Lost House," family secrets and the treacherous, frozen landscapes of Iceland serve as a captivating story where the past has a way of lingering in the present. Einar Palssen left pieces of his history when he moved to California with his son. Still, he never imagined that his beloved granddaughter would someday return to uncover those hidden truths.
In "The Lost House," family secrets and the treacherous, frozen landscapes of Iceland serve as a captivating story where the past has a way of lingering in the present. Einar Palssen left pieces of his history when he moved to California with his son. Still, he never imagined that his beloved granddaughter would someday return to uncover those hidden truths.
Agnes is entangled in the silence that surrounds her family's mysterious legacy. The weight of her grandfather's notorious past, a past that remains a mystery to her, looms over her. Years ago, his wife and infant daughter were found buried in the Icelandic snow, resting together as if they were simply asleep. Einar was never charged, and the case remains unsolved. This stigma pushed him away from Iceland with his son, Agnes' father. After Einar's passing, Agnes fears that her chance to unravel the truth about her family has vanished, buried with him.
When Agnes feels all hope is lost, a spark of excitement ignites! A true-crime podcaster reaches out, eager to investigate the chilling case in Iceland, and Agnes eagerly accepts the opportunity to join her. As they delve into her grandparents' past, Agnes is resolute about unearthing the truth and honoring the memory of the grandfather she cherished. However, as they dig deeper, the story becomes increasingly complex. Can she truly believe that the kind man she loved could be capable of such unimaginable acts?
This story is as bleak as the frigid terrain of Iceland. While the premise is intriguing, the pace is slow. The narrative prompts us to question what we truly know about our loved ones. None of the characters are particularly likable, with Agnes becoming especially overwhelming early on. The author may have given her too much to handle. This book may appeal to those who appreciate a deeply woven, slow-paced mystery. Still, I found myself longing for more momentum.
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“He killed her. We all knew.” The Lost House by Melissa Larsen
The premise of this story was so interesting. A cold case murder in Iceland is being highlighted by a podcaster named Nora. She has contacted the granddaughter of the suspected murderer, Agnes to see if she would participate in being on the podcast and part of Nora’s personal investigation. Agnes agrees to be on the podcast and travel to Iceland. When she arrives, she finds out a young woman has gone missing, and the town is having flashbacks of the gruesome murder. I thought this was going to be such an interesting thriller, and I was excited to read it. However, I had a very hard time getting into the story. The pace was very, very slow, and I had a hard time staying focused on what was going on. I was about 30% of the way through and seriously contemplated DNFing. However, I felt guilty and decided to push through after seeing other say that the pace picked up towards the middle of the book. I think, for me, it picked up about 70% of the way through and that’s when I started really getting into how it was going to end. I honestly had no idea if we were going to find out who killed Agnes’s grandmother and aunt, but I was surprised with how everything turned out. Overall, I would say slow pace is what made this a hard read for me but I think others could enjoy it.
The premise of this story was so interesting. A cold case murder in Iceland is being highlighted by a podcaster named Nora. She has contacted the granddaughter of the suspected murderer, Agnes to see if she would participate in being on the podcast and part of Nora’s personal investigation. Agnes agrees to be on the podcast and travel to Iceland. When she arrives, she finds out a young woman has gone missing, and the town is having flashbacks of the gruesome murder. I thought this was going to be such an interesting thriller, and I was excited to read it. However, I had a very hard time getting into the story. The pace was very, very slow, and I had a hard time staying focused on what was going on. I was about 30% of the way through and seriously contemplated DNFing. However, I felt guilty and decided to push through after seeing other say that the pace picked up towards the middle of the book. I think, for me, it picked up about 70% of the way through and that’s when I started really getting into how it was going to end. I honestly had no idea if we were going to find out who killed Agnes’s grandmother and aunt, but I was surprised with how everything turned out. Overall, I would say slow pace is what made this a hard read for me but I think others could enjoy it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Murder
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Two books about solving a murder, decades after it happens, thanks to the investigation of a young woman. One, We Keep the Dead Close, follows a student at Harvard who decides to take a crack at solving the death of an anthropology major in the 50s at the college (and is a true story!!) while the other, The Lost House, involves a woman going to her family homeland of Iceland with a true crime podcaster to find out, once and for all if her grandfather killed her grandmother (and is fiction).
The Lost House was my favorite of these two by far. First, I loved the cold winter setting of Iceland. Agnes, after suffering a devastating accident that has made walking painful and opioids her drug of choice and the death of her beloved grandfather, has come to rural Iceland to work with a podcaster in solving her grandmother’s murder. A task made more complicated by the recent disappearance of another young woman who looks almost identical to Agnes. This is the perfect isolation thriller, and it truly seems like so many people could be guilty of both or either murder throughout the book. It’s also an absolute coming of age story for Agnes, who is trying to find her place in two worlds that don’t seem to want her as a gay woman, someone with chronic pain, and a woman who doesn’t really know her place in her family. Towards the end I did figure out some of the twists, but not all and all in all I really loved this brand new thriller!
The Lost House was my favorite of these two by far. First, I loved the cold winter setting of Iceland. Agnes, after suffering a devastating accident that has made walking painful and opioids her drug of choice and the death of her beloved grandfather, has come to rural Iceland to work with a podcaster in solving her grandmother’s murder. A task made more complicated by the recent disappearance of another young woman who looks almost identical to Agnes. This is the perfect isolation thriller, and it truly seems like so many people could be guilty of both or either murder throughout the book. It’s also an absolute coming of age story for Agnes, who is trying to find her place in two worlds that don’t seem to want her as a gay woman, someone with chronic pain, and a woman who doesn’t really know her place in her family. Towards the end I did figure out some of the twists, but not all and all in all I really loved this brand new thriller!
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
In the snowy cold of rural Iceland, Agnes’ grandmother and aunt were found murdered and frozen with the moniker of the Icelandic Madonna and Child. Now, thirty years later Agnes has returned when a true crime podcaster has picked up the case to prove once and for all who murdered them. Was it Agnes’ grandfather like everyone thinks, or was it someone else? To complicate things, when Agnes arrives she hears that another young woman had gone missing. This thriller will give you all the chills, just like that cold snow.
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@netgalley
#netgalley
#readmorebooks
#readmorebooksbywomen
#netgalleyreader
#netgalleyreviewer
#netgalleyarc
#readersofinstagram
#bookstagram
#bookstagrammer
#bookish
#mybookishlife
#wearebookish
#lovereading
#alwaysreading
#readinggoals
#readin2025
#goodreads
#audiobook
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
The Lost House by Melissa Larsen is a mystery set against Iceland's breathtaking, otherworldly backdrop—at first, I thought, sign me up! But while the premise was intriguing and the writing was good, the story itself didn't quite pull me in the way I'd hoped.
The plot follows Agnes, who travels to Iceland to meet with a true crime podcaster about her grandfather, who is suspected of murdering her aunt and cousin. Agnes is determined to clear his name. But things take a turn when, during her stay in the small town where her father and grandfather once lived, a girl goes missing. Everyone becomes a suspect, and Agnes is tasked with uncovering her family's past and a new mystery.
The setup is fantastic: a podcaster revisiting a cold case, family secrets, and suspicious small-town locals. Plus, the beautiful Icelandic landscape is the story's backdrop. I've been drawn to Iceland for years and was thrilled at the idea of losing myself in a story set in its unique landscape. Larsen did a solid job describing the scenery—it felt icy, remote, and mysterious, a perfect match for the book's tone.
But for reasons I can't put my finger on, the book never quite sucked me in. The writing is well-crafted, and the plot is clearly thought out, but it lacks the kind of magnetism that makes it impossible to put the book down. It's not bad by any means—just not my favorite.
That said, I wouldn't discourage anyone from reading it. If you're a fan of Iceland or enjoy slow-burn mysteries, this might be the book for you.
Would I recommend it? Sure, especially if you're a mystery lover with a soft spot for Iceland. Even though it didn't quite hit the mark for me, that doesn't mean it won't for you. Sometimes, it's all about the right book at the right time—and for all its atmosphere and intrigue, The Lost House still deserves a shot.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced reader's copy; all opinions expressed in this review are my own.
The plot follows Agnes, who travels to Iceland to meet with a true crime podcaster about her grandfather, who is suspected of murdering her aunt and cousin. Agnes is determined to clear his name. But things take a turn when, during her stay in the small town where her father and grandfather once lived, a girl goes missing. Everyone becomes a suspect, and Agnes is tasked with uncovering her family's past and a new mystery.
The setup is fantastic: a podcaster revisiting a cold case, family secrets, and suspicious small-town locals. Plus, the beautiful Icelandic landscape is the story's backdrop. I've been drawn to Iceland for years and was thrilled at the idea of losing myself in a story set in its unique landscape. Larsen did a solid job describing the scenery—it felt icy, remote, and mysterious, a perfect match for the book's tone.
But for reasons I can't put my finger on, the book never quite sucked me in. The writing is well-crafted, and the plot is clearly thought out, but it lacks the kind of magnetism that makes it impossible to put the book down. It's not bad by any means—just not my favorite.
That said, I wouldn't discourage anyone from reading it. If you're a fan of Iceland or enjoy slow-burn mysteries, this might be the book for you.
Would I recommend it? Sure, especially if you're a mystery lover with a soft spot for Iceland. Even though it didn't quite hit the mark for me, that doesn't mean it won't for you. Sometimes, it's all about the right book at the right time—and for all its atmosphere and intrigue, The Lost House still deserves a shot.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced reader's copy; all opinions expressed in this review are my own.
The Lost House follows Agnes as she travels to Iceland to help true crime podcaster, Nora, uncover what really happened with the death of her grandmother. Everyone believes her grandfather did it but Agnes knows a gentle, loving man who could've never done such a thing. A young woman with an uncanny resemblance to Agnes goes missing a day before Agnes arrives. How are the two mysteries connected and can Agnes handle the truth?
The story moved at a great pace with short chapters. Agnes was one of the most unlikeable main characters I've read in a while. I found her very frustrating and although she was dealing with a lot, I was exasperated with her actions and way of thinking throughout most of the book. That said, it was an atmospheric and immersive experience that kept me reading to the end and I liked that there was two mysteries intertwined.
(Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.)
The story moved at a great pace with short chapters. Agnes was one of the most unlikeable main characters I've read in a while. I found her very frustrating and although she was dealing with a lot, I was exasperated with her actions and way of thinking throughout most of the book. That said, it was an atmospheric and immersive experience that kept me reading to the end and I liked that there was two mysteries intertwined.
(Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.)