Lost Man's Lane by Scott Carson was an entertaining story.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel with its setting, intriguing characters and compelling writing.
The writing was good and the story was clever.
This book is extremely well written with vivid descriptions that will have up flipping the pages quickly.

Thank You NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Bloomington, Indiana, February 11, 1999. Marshall Miller has received his driver's license just today. But he's already being pulled over by a cop for speeding. The encounter is unnerving, especially the crying girl sitting in the back of the squad car. And when Marshall learns that girl has been reported missing, the mystery goes so much deeper than he ever could have imagined. Lost Man's Lane is an exciting supernatural horror mystery about fathers, family, stones, and snakes.

I loved this book. The author does an excellent job blending a coming of age story with the mystery and horror genres. I think the fact that I was also a high school junior in the spring of 1999 made the novel especially resonant for me. I understood so much about the time that Carson works to evoke: the young internet and relative lack of social media, the anxiety about Y2K, and the unnerving shift in one's worldview following the Columbine tragedy.

The narrative style was a little jarring at times, and I found the first few pages hard to get into. And while rock-climbing does become an important plot point, the chapter where Marshall initially learns to climb feels a bit like the author attempting to showcase how much lingo he knows. The biggest disappointment for me is that Kerri seems to fade from the narrative towards the end of the book. She turns into a bit of a distressed damsel, which felt like a missed opportunity.

All in all, this was a very strong book and a 4.5/5 stars for me. The kid sleuth trope works nicely since Marshall is given an actual PI to learn from. There are so many emotional ups and downs, and I really came to love the main characters. I've heard good things about the author's other books, so I plan to check those out as well!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an advanced reader's copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Additional review to be posted to Instagram on March 25, 2024 at @goodquietkitty.

I rarely give 5 star ratings but this one deserves at least 4.5. I'm a big fan of Michael Koryta and will read anything by him regardless of what pen name he uses. I especially like this one written as Scott Carson for the supernatural aspect as I think he really excels there. Lost Man's Lane is a thrilling tale of horror, family drama, mystery, and supernatural suspense. What more could you ask for? I would highly recommend it to fans of King, McCammon, Koontz etc. since Carson (Koryta) writes in a similar vein. My thanks to the publisher for providing a galley via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I really wanted to like this one after hearing it being compared to a Stephen King but it just didn’t do it for me. Alternating the most mundane descriptions with very little action made for a very slow read and this is a BIG book. I still like this author and will continue to read others by him but this wasn’t for me. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this early copy for review

Teenager Marshall Miller is a witness to a missing girl investigation. Dealing with police and media is new, but nothing he can’t handle. Until something happens to kill his credibility. Now he bands together with some unlikely allies as he learns secrets behind his town’s history.

New favorite book alert! Once every couple years I find a book I devour page by page and absolutely love. This is the first since Fairy Tale. It puts me in the mind of my favorite book, Boy’s Life, which is funny because that book is actually mentioned as a book the main character reads. We have a great coming of age story, with some stereotypical, but necessary, characters (town bully, dense but affable and loyal jock) that really help to build a realistic journey. There are some strong supernatural components to the story, but nothing complicated or too wild. This was such a great read and worth every page (it is a long one)!

“Things that should have stayed dead in Bloomington had uncanny resilience lately.”

Lost Man’s Lane comes out 3/26.

Honestly, if I could give this book ten stars I would. It was that good. Fast paced and exciting from start to finish. I found myself unable to put this book down and as a result was up until 2 am reading it before I finally reluctantly passed out. The next day I picked it back up and lost hours of my time again

The story and writing are very reminiscent of 80s McCammon, which is fantastic for a reader with my tastes. The perspective of the lead character felt natural and not forced at all. 1999 doesn’t seem that long ago until you realize it was…25 years ago. The story has everything. Creepiness, adventure, great family support, friendships and first loves. All of it written beautifully.

For those of us climbers it was nice to read about so much climbing in a book like this. Really enjoyed all the climbing descriptions and it felt like the author likely has climbed or does climb. The wall is all.

This would have been an enjoyable audiobook but I found it to be just kind of a fine read. Nothing spectacular but definitely an interesting genre bend, it was very coming of age

Not what I expected all…in a good way! This is a coming of age novel (first crushes, friendships, parents) with a side of horror (:snakes, curses, ghosts). Wonderful characters that I become heavily invested in. Pretty much read in one sitting! Looking forward to the next one by this author! Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book.

This was a great compelling read. It kept me on my toes and wasn't like anything I've read before. I love a story that keeps me guessing from the beginning to the end, and I definitley was doing that all throughout this one. Overall this was a great read.

This was a really interesting, terrifying story. I don’t want to spoil any of this but just know that you will not be expecting what is going to happen. I found his writing to be very affecting and it really drew me in. I’m excited to read more of Carson’s work.

"Lost Man's Lane" was my second book of Scott Carson and while I remember enjoying "While They Wait", I don't recall the details of it. This thought was incredibly memorable and will be sure to stay with me for a long time,

What makes it such a rich story is the details and the characters. Apart from Marshall, I loved Noah Storm, Monica, The Weller, Maddox and even Jake Crane. While this is marketed as a horror/supernatural thriller book, I think this is more of the coming-of-age tale of Marshall Miller with a mystery at its core.

There is also some laugh-out-loud hilarity in the books along with plenty of nostalgia. The is set in 1999 so there are plenty of references to Y2K (I had no idea that it was such a big deal) and mentions of Columbine,

All in all, I would love to read this intricately woven story once again a few years down the lane because I'm sure this is the kind of story you'll be able to appreciate more when you reread it.

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria for the e-copy!

4.5/5

When you know, you know. This will easily slot into my favorite books of 2024. It is one of the best books I've read of the past few years. Carson does a masterful job of building characters and relationships and I got instantly invested. He took me right back into the late 90's, with nostalgia that I was expecting, but also with these special characters that reminded me of people I knew.

This book has horror elements, coming of age, thriller, mystery and more. It had all the things I'm looking for and it was an instant classic. As the story progresses, the pace picks up and by the end there were heart-poundingly tense moments. I LOVED it.

Lost Man's Lane is coiled and ready to strike at the hearts of readers on 3/26. This one comes with my highest recommendation.

Thank you to the Atria Books and NetGalley for providing an eArc. All opinions are my own.

I heard Joe Hill recommend LOST MAN'S LANE several times during a weekend convention, and knew I had to check it out. To no surprise, LOST MAN'S LANE does not disappoint. A coming of age thriller that quickly turns to horror, LOST MAN'S LANE is one of those books that you have to recommend by saying "I can't explain it, but trust me, you want to read it". There are parts of this book that are so tense you feel as though you are there, and there are genuinely scary and unnerving parts. But, Carson has also built in a lot of heart - I laughed and cried while reading.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy.

I am going to be thinking about this book for a very long time.
Slow burn coming of age story with some horror elements.

The day Marshall gets his license he gets pulled over by a cop and the experience absolutely changes everything. He is thrown into an investigation of a missing girl and becomes an intern for a PI to help figure out all the nonsensical clues they stumble upon.

I really liked the paranormal horror bits even though they took a while to really get going. The coming of age was really centered with in depth character development- Marshall starts out with making some decisions that stressed me out but over the course of the book he really matures almost too quickly (thanks trauma). The investigation twists and turns are not easy to figure out-which I found enjoyable.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an eARC.

Set in 1999 in Bloomington, Indiana, anyone familiar with Btown and IU will enjoy the many (maybe too many) references to restaurants, local businesses, and locales. A thriller for sure but also a supernatural tale of a local teen dealing with weird occurrences during the Y2K craze, Columbine, the Twin Towers era. Great story with a, literally, explosive ending and great character development. Of all the characters The Weller caught my heart and almost broke it.

I devoured this. Propelling and a gripping story. Couldn’t put it down. Thank you Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Atria Thrillers for this copy of "Lost Man's Lane."

I've added this to my list of all-time favorite books - it was captivating, addicting, creepy, heart-pounding, and pulled me in with the promise of a ghost story and a crypt that must stay buried.

It was also a tender coming-of-age story where "part of being 16 is laughing at things that hurt."

Weaving the historical site of the Stepp Cemetery, the Crabbites, and other aspects of Bloomington, IN to make them integral parts of the story made it feel very real to me.

And sorry for those who don't like snakes, but there is a supernatural one in the book.

I am so thankful to Atria Books, Scott Carson, and Netgalley for granting me advanced audio and digital access to this title before it hits shelves on March 26, 2024. I really enjoyed the dialogue and narratives of this book and look forward to more of this artist's work to come.

4.5 stars—Lost Man’s Lane by Scott Carson is one of those books that I will think about for years and years to come. It takes place in 1999 in Bloomington Indiana. The main character, Marshall, is 16 years old, and some weird things are going on in his town. Marshall sets out to find the answers and may find some answers that he does not want.
What follows is a mystery and coming of age story that was so much fun to read! The nostalgia was off the charts for me. Although I was in my early 20s in 1999 the current events and music that are mentioned in this book brought me back. The fear of Y2K, Columbine, just to name a couple of them. The character of Marshall was so relatable and likable to me. The friendships portrayed in this book were amazing and made me feel sentimental for the friendships of my youth. This style of story reminded me of a Stephen King or Richard Chizmar novel. I laughed and cried during this book. Do yourself a favor and read this!
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Marshall is a 17-year-old making his way through school with all of the pressures and angst that only that age can conjure. His mother is a single mom doing the best she can. Marshall is harassed continually by the bullies in his school. His primary problem is that he has seen a ghost who threatens his life.

A series of mishaps and life-threatening events are thwarted by the one person who might dislike him the most. He then befriends Noah who hires him for the summer and works to train him as a private investigator. He keeps seeing the ghost who continues to make his life miserable. Add a repeating history of young girls mysteriously going missing and the entire story takes on a terrible and foreboding patina.

I remember reading Edgar Allen Poe during my high school years and marveling at the twists employed in his books. Scott Carson has employed some of that style and the result is a myriad of unexplained deaths. Can Scott save his girlfriend and solve some of these questions? I could not put this book down and the twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat until the end. Enjoy! 4.5 stars – CE Williams