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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
sad
In Iceland forty years ago a woman and a baby went missing. They are later found frozen in the snow. The husband is the prime suspect to the townspeople. He fled to America with his nine year old son. After his death his granddaughter is contacted by a true crime podcaster to find the truth.
This book had me quickly turning the pages because I needed to know the truth. The writing was captivating. I had a really hard time putting it down. A fantastic twisty winter thriller.
This book had me quickly turning the pages because I needed to know the truth. The writing was captivating. I had a really hard time putting it down. A fantastic twisty winter thriller.
Thanks to NetGalley and the author for granting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was very well-written, and even though mysteries like this aren't usually my thing, I did like it.
This was very well-written, and even though mysteries like this aren't usually my thing, I did like it.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-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:
Yes
Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
In Melissa Larsen’s atmospheric Nordic noir, The Lost House, main character Agnes travels to a small village in Iceland to solve the 40-year-old murder of her grandmother and infant aunt. Did her grandfather do it, as the townspeople believe? Is the recent disappearance of a college student from her family’s abandoned house related?
This story was a slow burn, but kept me interested the whole time. While Agnes isn’t exactly an unreliable narrator, she’s not entirely reliable either, for reasons the reader discovers along the way. I felt deeply for her, even as I cringed at the mistakes and bad decisions. There is a lot of generational trauma and trigger warnings abound.
I did think the podcast element wasn’t used to its potential; that was one of the big draws for me from the blurb I read. Also, the pacing was a little uneven, dragging in a few places when the author got bogged down in too much description or got too deep in Agnes’ feelings.
Overall, though, I thought this was a decent mystery and I rated it 3.75 stars. It’s a good read for a cold winter’s day.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Grief, Suicide attempt
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Kidnapping
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Overall, this book was entertaining. The pacing was a little slow for me which made it harder to stay engaged. However, the atmosphere of Iceland and Agnes’s story kept me wanting to read more. The ending was a bit of a surprise for me, making me enjoy this book a bit more.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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:
Yes