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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I enjoyed the originality of this book and the setting in a small town in Iceland. I always enjoy podcast elements in a book, so I am wondering if I would have enjoyed this more as an audiobook. I also really enjoyed the backstory of the main character and her challenges. I think the pacing was off in this book in my opinion. The way the reader receives information in the beginning is a bit disjointed, which could be in part due to Agnes as a character, but it wasn't as enjoyable to read that way. I will say, I didn't see the main culprit coming, which is always a plus in a mystery, but this book was a bit slow for me up until the last 25%. I think if you enjoy more detective like mysteries rather than a mystery/thriller, you will really enjoy this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an advanced copy of The Lost House in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an advanced copy of The Lost House in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to the publisher for a free Netgalley of this one.
Ok. Let me start by saying overall I enjoyed this story. The plot was interesting and I flew through this.
What I really liked:
- The setting-- winter in small town Iceland... hooked
- The plot-- the back story of the main family was interesting
- The ending-- some called it a twist, I did not think it was a twist so much. But it was extremely well done. I was happy with how the mystery ended.
What I did not like:
- Too many side stories-- there were quite a few small stories on the side that just felt unnecessary. Even the mystery portion with Asa felt unnecessary. Though I liked how it ended, I felt there could have been other ways to get to the same ending.
- Nora-- her character felt off and honestly immature for someone who runs a hugely popular true crime podcast. I felt like she never fully fit into the prompt.
Overall, I recommend this mystery novel. Worth picking up and reading. Def will read the author's backlist book and look forward to future releases.
Ok. Let me start by saying overall I enjoyed this story. The plot was interesting and I flew through this.
What I really liked:
- The setting-- winter in small town Iceland... hooked
- The plot-- the back story of the main family was interesting
- The ending-- some called it a twist, I did not think it was a twist so much. But it was extremely well done. I was happy with how the mystery ended.
What I did not like:
- Too many side stories-- there were quite a few small stories on the side that just felt unnecessary. Even the mystery portion with Asa felt unnecessary. Though I liked how it ended, I felt there could have been other ways to get to the same ending.
- Nora-- her character felt off and honestly immature for someone who runs a hugely popular true crime podcast. I felt like she never fully fit into the prompt.
Overall, I recommend this mystery novel. Worth picking up and reading. Def will read the author's backlist book and look forward to future releases.
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Thank you to Minotaur Books and Melissa Larsen for this ARC.
I love reading books set in super isolated, wintery settings during the colder months, so “The Lost House” by Melissa Larsen seemed like the perfect January book. The plot centers on Agnes as she returns to her ancestral home in Iceland to investigate a 40-year-old murder that centers on her family.
❄️What did you love the most?
Cozy up with your favorite blanket while you read this one because the atmopshere is chilly and eerie. Set in a small Icelandic town where the daylight is getting shorter and the snow is thicker, the atmospheric vibes play a big role in this plot.
I also loved how we are knee-deep in the mystery with Agnes as she tries to reconcile the grandfather she knew with the man that this small town believes killed his only wife and daughter forty years prior. You never know what to believe, and the truth is very rewarding in the end.
❄️What to expect:
🎙️Nordic noir thriller vibes
🎙️Icy, wintery setting
🎙️True crime podcast
🎙️Everyone is hiding something
❄️How was the pace?
Larsen proves to be an expert storyteller. She somehow keeps the reader in the action while connecting the narrative to the larger plot point of the unsolved cold case. I never was confused or bored, and I loved how the suspense kept building. It is certainly a slow burn, but the payoff is well worth it.
❄️Do you recommend this book?
If you are a thriller junkie, you need to read this book. It is the perfect winter read that will have you wondering who to believe as Agnes uncovers the truth about her family’s past.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was an ok thriller. I liked it in concept: a woman goes back to Iceland to explore more about what happened in the unsolved case of her grandmother and infant aunt's deaths. She meets up with a true crime podcaster who is covering the mystery and meanwhile another woman goes missing in the winter cold. I like the true crime podcaster trope, even though I'm not that into podcasts and I don't follow true crime. The podcaster here was weirdly gleeful, which I found jarring. The bigger problem was that while the mystery was compelling, the tension never quite built up, and, as a result, I was never fully immersed in the story. I was expecting the winter to be more a character in the story than it really was.
A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
I counted this as read but I mostly skimmed it and barely cared about anything going on in the story or the characters. And I normally LOVE an Icelandic story! Sorry but this wasn't for me.
slow-paced
In 2019 Agnes is recovering from an accident where she shattered her leg and now is dependent on opioids. Her grandfather, who she is close to, has passed away. He came to the States from Iceland with his son after his wife and young daughter are found murdered and he is a person of interest. Nora has a popular true crime podcast and she has asked Agnes to come to Iceland to help her investigate the 40 year old murder. Upon her arrival another girl who looks very similar to Agnes's grandmother is missing and the question is are the two connected.
I found the story dark, broody, cold and slow. Not a lot happens except a bunch of mind games and the author does a good job in depicting the bleakness of the area and the intense cold. I didn't find any of the characters likeable. There were some heart pounding moments near the end and then I was back to being confused. I can't say I really enjoyed it. There were many times when I just wanted to shake Agnes.
I am giving it 4* rounded up from 3.75.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a digital copy.
I found the story dark, broody, cold and slow. Not a lot happens except a bunch of mind games and the author does a good job in depicting the bleakness of the area and the intense cold. I didn't find any of the characters likeable. There were some heart pounding moments near the end and then I was back to being confused. I can't say I really enjoyed it. There were many times when I just wanted to shake Agnes.
I am giving it 4* rounded up from 3.75.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a digital copy.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Lost House has a fabulous plot but ultimately didn’t have enough substance to keep me interested. It feels much more character based and I just didn’t feel the connection to the FMC enough to care.
What I liked:
•Atmospheric
•Two separate mysteries
•Locked room aspect
•Answer to the secondary mystery was a great twist.
What I didn’t like:
•The characters
•The pacing was extremely slow
•The answer to the main mystery was anticlimactic and lackluster
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes