Loss Lake by Amber Cowie is an atmospheric drama set in the Northern mountains of British Columbia. Mallory Dent, recently widowed, has relocated from the big city and bought a house in a small town, in the hope of leaving her grief behind. The house is on the shore of Loss Lake, a body of water which the townspeople seem to fear and respect because several people have suspiciously lost their lives there. There is a feeling of dread which increases chapter after chapter. Just when you think you have figured out what is going on, the story changes direction and creates more tension. Nothing is as it seems. Loss Lake is one of those books that takes the reader for a quiet yet frightening ride, revealing glimpses here and there and leaving you holding your breath as you turn the pages. You will never guess what will come next. Amber Cowie has written an outstanding thriller and I look forward to reading more of her books. Highly recommended. Thank you to Lake Union Publishing, NetGalley and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

There was much to enjoy here, but I found I couldn't connect with it. I'd read more from this author in the future though.

I was looking for a good, winter mystery to read and this book did not disappoint. The title is Loss Lake and its there for a reason. Mallory is forty years old and recently widowed when she moves to small town Canada. Her very first day at Loss Lake, a body turns up on her property making Mallory the number one suspect. It turns out there have been several deaths around the lake, creating a legend of a so-called "lake monster." But is there truth behind the legend, or something far more sinister going on?

This book was like a comfort read for me. It was just the right pacing and length for me. Not too long, not too short. Things weren't too drawn out and I really enjoyed the characters, and the fact that there weren't too many (I don't enjoy books with too many characters--it just confuses me and draws away from the plot for me). I definitely recommend this one if you enjoy mysteries!

This book was creepy, atmospheric, suspenseful, and a page turner. I loved it.
Many thanks to Lake Union Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Well-crafted fiction from the talented Amber Cowie. Another delightful read, with lots of heart. She's one to watch.

This book wasn’t what I expected. It moved a lot slower and I didn’t feel like there were any revealing or shocking moments.

I just finished reading Loss Lake by author Amber Cowie. This is the third book I’ve read of hers and this is definitely my favorite. I think her writing gets better with each book. This particular story was a little on the creepy side. It’s about a recent widow who moves to the small town of McNamara to start her life afresh after having to nurse her dying husband. Although the residents of this small town seem to be on the friendly side, they all were a little peculiar acting to me. There seemed to be a lot of secrets and death surrounding the residents of this town and they all believed it had something to do with a monster of sorts that was in Loss Lake. The story really had an eerie feel to it but it was one I really enjoyed reading. I’m looking forward to seeing what this author will come up with next. I’d like to thank NetGalley for the arc to read and review. I’m rating this at 4 stars.

3.5★s

Loss Lake is the third novel by American author Amber Cowie. Barely two months after the death of her husband, and against the well-meaning advice of friends and family, Mallory makes the long trek from Vancouver to the lakeside cottage she has bought in a small north-western Canada town. A nurse, Mallory gave up work to nurse her ailing husband for the year preceding his passing, and once Graham had gone, she couldn’t stay in the house associated with so many painful memories.

Everything about McNamara seemed welcoming from the photos the realtor sent, and this is reinforced when she arrives, even moreso when she finds her cottage: it feels right. But she’s not even unpacked a box before Sergeant Joel Benson is at her door telling her of a drowning: an unknown woman has accessed Loss Lake from her shore and perished.

Loss Lake formed incidentally when the wall of the Turner dam failed one October forty-six years earlier and filled the valley, killing one resident at the time, and since then, several October deaths have led to a local “monster of the lake” legend. Benson warns Mallory the waters can be deceptive.

Despite learning that one of those deaths occurred inside her own cottage, Mallory is made so welcome that she quickly begins to feel part of the town, even if not all of those she meets are quite sincere. Several of the townsfolk seem to be quite convinced of the monster’s existence, believing “something like ‘a reckoning’ from the water itself, a judgment and condemnation…. Could the monster below be serving as the executor of the unjust?”

But satisfying her interest in the history of the lake, and this remote, socially-cohesive community, as well revealing to Mallory the tangled web of the townspeople’s convoluted connections and their secrets, puts her at odds with some. She realises that a shooting ruled as accidental may in fact be murder. And when the identity of the drowned woman is revealed, though, Mallory’s reasons for coming to McNamara come under scrutiny. Mallory, too, has secrets.

This starts as a sort of cosy, kind of locked-room, mystery, then morphs into a psychological thriller. Even if Mallory’s somewhat erratic behaviour doesn't initially suggest it, it becomes apparent that she is, perhaps due to grief or other factors, a not-entirely-reliable narrator. The “monster” aspect was unconvincing.

The support characters may strike the reader as a little stereotypical: lots of quirky types in this little tight-knit, insular little place; there seem to be some plot holes; various unresolved aspects as well as a quite bizarre ending give this novel a bit of an unfinished feel. An intriguing premise that doesn’t quite deliver.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing.

Loss Lake by Amber Cowie is a thriller about a widow who moved to a isolated small town. I really wanted to like this book, it sounded right up my ally, but I did not like it very much. First of all, the beginning is so slow, I had to force myself to keep reading. Most people seem to really enjoy this book, so don't take my word for it. I hated Gone Girl, if that tells you anything.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Solid but slow. I wanted to really like this book but I found it just so plodding in its pace that I just didn't really care how it all ended up. It really dragged. The characters were fairly interesting but not deeply engaging to me, unfortunately.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amber Cowie for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

I really always enjoy Cowie's work and was so excited to be able to have a copy in my hands! I may be late to the party - but man this one doesn't disappoint. The creepy small town vibes are amazing and I loved how she tries to change her life and ends up in danger. I flew through this one as the writing was so compelling that I just had to get to the ending to know what was going to happen. There are so many unexpected moments and I loved the bit of romance we get. I did have a love/hate relationship with the ending, but only because I wanted MORE! I love a good cliffhanger ending - but I really needed to know what happens to our heroine!

Atmospheric and haunting. Claustrophobic and tense. Amber Cowie’s descriptive storytelling completely immersed me in this chilling and isolating tale. Mallery is a fourty-year-old recent widow who needs a new start. So she packs up her belongings and heads to an isolated small town in nowhere Canada. On her first day in town a body is found on her property in the lake. The timing makes Mallory the number one suspect, but come to find out this is not the lake’s first victim. There have been several deaths on the lake throughout the years and there is a legend in the town that there is a monster in the lake. So is there some truth behind the legend? Or is something even more sinister going on in this small town?

This book kept me on edge and reading through the night. It is a slower paced character driven story, but wow was it tense! Mallery is an unreliable narrator which made the story even more chilling. The small town was quirky and erie as well as its residence. Everyone in the town was so friendly, but I trusted nobody. The ending took me completely by surprise... and that Final sentence... wow!

This book in emojis ❄️ 🌨 🥶 😨 👺

*** Big thank you to Lake Union for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

A new town, a new life, and a new home—with an absolutely chilling lakefront view.

From the author of Rapid Falls comes another totally engrossing novel of suspense and whodunit.

Mallory moved to Loss Lake after the death of her husband. She needed a new beginning. A new start to the rest of her life. How was she to know what awaited in this quaint town. It seemed everyone in McNamara knew her before she even spoke. Before she even got settled completely. Then there was the drowning on her newly bought property. Was Mallory hiding something or was she innocent. Did she know more than she told. Or was this something way more sinister.

This book will grab you from the start and won't let go. From the first time you meet these people you will wonder about them. What kind of secrets are they keeping and what really happens in Loss Lake. Is it really a monster or is someone causing things to happen.

The people in this town are likable. They seem to be there for each other no matter what and even if they dislike you they are there. So many strange things happen and so much is going on. From a blizzard to some truths being told you will wonder who is doing what. And is Mallory the innocent person she appears to be. Is she a grieving wife or something more. I liked Mallory regardless of what you may find out. I just did. I liked all the characters in this story.

It kept me wondering all the way through. Was it realistic that so many people had drowned in Loss Lake or was something on the unearthly side working here. You will have to read this book to find out. Believe me it is so well worth the read too. One of the best. I liked it even better than Rapid Falls and it was great.

This is one close knit community. You either fit in or move on I suppose. They do take care of their own. It seemed like almost everyone was related in some ways. There are a lot of secrets going on in McNamara but you'll find the answers in the pages of this book to all. It's very well written and makes you feel like you are right there. The descriptions are done so well you feel like you are in the house Mallory bought or the store Kylie owns. Even the cop, Joel, is one to wonder about though. Mallory questions everything and finally finds the answers she needed to move on with her life.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #AmberCowie, #LakeUnion for this ARC. This is my own true review.

5/5 stars and a high recommend. This book was great.

DNF at 30%. Mallory decides to move to a new town for a fresh start 2 months after her husband’s death. She buys a property on the lake in a small town where she’s never been. Shortly after her arrival she learns of a death in the lake and starts to hear rumors of a monster in the lake and mysterious deaths that always occur in October.

I love this premise but unfortunately it’s taking too long for me to get to the story. I’ve read 100 pages and literally summarized everything I’ve read in that paragraph. It is certainly a slow burn and setting the mood - but also feels repetitive and I wish it would get to the story already.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for the advance reading copy.

Thank you Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC. The book started off great. I was so interested in the slightly creepy story. I'm not sure what happened but then I was no longer as interested. I kept reading and the story picked up again. But then the reveal totally lost me. Maybe too many characters to keep track of? The end was intriguing though. (One thing that was annoying is the text was double-spaced on my Kindle. )

If you’re looking for an ideal fall read Loss Lake is it, this one was eerie and unsettling with such ominous undertones, seriously perfect for this time of year. ⁣
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Mallory is a recent widow who decides to move to Loss Lake for a fresh start. Almost as soon as she arrives a woman’s body is found in the lake and she soon discovers the small town is full of a dark history and the woman’s death is far from the first death in the lake. Creepy stuff, right?! This was a character driven story with such evocative, descriptive and rich writing. It was super atmospheric, the lake was a character of its own and I was truly immersed in the story. The suspense was tense and I just had a feeling of dread the whole time, I’ve read all of Amber Cowie’s books and I’m obsessed with her writing style, she gets better with each book

Review: 🏃🏻‍♀️🏃🏻‍♀️🏃🏻‍♀️🏃🏻‍♀️.5/5


This book had it all. It has a small town where everyone know everyone, where the secrets are less than secrets, an urban legend, a gripping thriller, AND a Sargent Benson (I’m not talking Olivia 😂)

The way Cowie introduced us to this small town, I was really hoping this was the first in a series. I became really invested in this community and it’s members. The writing was absolutely astonishing, and I felt like these were my hometown friends.

I loved the thrill/mystery of this book. Cowie dropped little breadcrumbs that I didn’t notice until the big reveal happened. It was genius. I’ve convinced I need a second book and absolutely devoured this slow burn.

Thank you to NetGalley for this copy! I absolutely loved Loss Lake and recommend this for the slow burn, surprise thriller lovers in my life.

a good mystery with a sinister feel, sometimes too much description and very complicated history between the characters got confusing. multiple unreliable narrators including a monster in the lake providing judgement on our guilt and sins. it left us with a cliff hanger and confusion about why she would do what she did. interesting read overall

Very atmospheric and well written. The characters are intriguing. The mystery is tense and keeps you guessing. I spent the entire book gripped by the evolving plot and the uncertainty about the characters. I absolutely did not expect things to go the way they did. The end was shocking and will stick with me for awhile.

I really enjoyed reading this book, it reminded me of a Hallmark movie with a sprinkle of thriller to it. With the setting of this book being fall, it is perfect timing for you to check it out! ⁣
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Thank you Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for this Advanced Reader Copy.⁣