Thanks for my ARC copy.
Hit and miss for Miss for me.
Liked the alternating timelines and different points of view. Podcast stories are becoming bigger and bigger also, so nice to see that in there too.
Unfortunately that’s where the hits stop.
The red herrings were predictable and lots of twists to try and throw you down different lines, that actually didn’t add to the “mystery”.
The reveal was also expected.
Good try, just missed the mark.

A cold case mystery, alternating timelines/POVs, and an atmosphere that will make you want to curl up under a blanket and hide? THE LAKE OF LOST GIRLS has everything I want. This book felt perfect for the fall weather as the leaves start to change and the air starts to crisp up here in Denver.

This book was an exhilarating journey; I adored the mystery, the shifting timelines, the inclusion of podcast enthusiasts, and a narrative that kept you on your toes. I thoroughly enjoyed "The Woods are Waiting," but Katherine Greene surpassed herself with "The Lake of Lost Girls." If you're a crime aficionado like me, this one is a must-read.
When female students disappear from a university in North Carolina, the police and everyone else presume they've just run off. However, Jessica's family is certain that isn't what happened to their daughter, who disappeared while fetching her sister's birthday cake from the car, leaving the trunk open.
Twenty-four years on, Jessica's younger sister Lindsey is desperate for answers. When a podcast named "Ten Seconds to Vanish" spotlights her sister's disappearance, Lindsey finds herself compelled to listen, despite it feeling like a violation of her family's privacy. As bodies start to surface in a nearby lake, each discovery sends the family into a state of dread, fearing it might be their beloved Jessica. This tale will leave you suspecting everyone and pondering the depths of human malevolence.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Well that was unexpected! This story had so many twisty sidelines that felt blatantly misleading, I really thought I knew where this story was going. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The Lake of Lost Girls really pulled me in. The dual points of view along with the transcript of an ongoing podcast kept me engaged from beginning to end. Each flip from one to the other was clearly defined. I have to admit that as a true crime junkie, the addition of the podcast and the survivor’s response to it gave me a different perspective than one I’d ever thought of before.

I really enjoyed this book and found myself feeling a little on edge at times and had to remind myself it was just a book. The characters were all well developed and while I wasn’t a huge fan of most of them, I felt connected to those that mattered. Definitely one I’d recommend to anyone who could enjoy a fictional story written to give it the feel of a true crime drama.

This book kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. The authors did such a great job making me suspicious of everything and everybody. Some clues are left throughout the book though, if you know to look for them. This thriller was so much darker then I thought it would be and I liked the ending, but was actually hoping for a different one. A great read!!

Unfortunately, this was a miss for me. I love thrillers, so the premise sounded intriguing, but there were several things that bothered me about the story.

1. The inclusion of the true crime podcast felt underdeveloped. At first I thought it would offer social commentary, juxtaposing the wine-guzzling girls with the devastated victims of the family, to highlight how disturbing our society's obsession with true crime is. Instead, the podcast seemed to offer absolutely nothing to the story. It was lazily written, corny, and did not advance the plot. I felt the same way about the random social media posts at the end of the chapters - instead of affecting the story at all, they were merely props to "age" the book to this exact decade.

2. The twists were too predictable. Ryan being Jess' boyfriend was immediately obvious, and I am not usually able to figure out thriller plots in advance. The identity 0f the killer was also too predictable for me. Ryan and Dr. Daniels felt like clear red herrings, whereas the entire time I knew that the story would end with Jess and her dad and their twisted relationship.

3. I don't think we need any more books about creepy adult men preying on pretty college girls. It's been done - too many times. And the only thing that made this one different, is that we are somehow supposed to see Jess (a victim) as the "monster" in the end? And feel some amount of empathy for her disgusting father? For a book written by women, I was shocked to find the tone so misogynistic.

I do genuinely appreciate the chance to review this book, and I apologize for writing such a negative review. I felt the need to be honest, because it is just so EASY to write a thriller these days that echoes exactly what is happening in the real world, with no added creativity or nuance or social reflection.

I loved Greene's The Woods are Waiting with its creepy, atmospheric vibe, so I had high hopes for The Lake of Lost Girls. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite match that same eerie feeling, but I did enjoy the way it captured some aspects of university life. It’s a solid thriller that revolves around Jessica, a college freshman who vanished without a trace in 1999, and her sister Lindsey, who’s determined to uncover what really happened.

The story alternates between different POVs and timelines, with little breaks for podcast transcripts, Instagram posts, and news releases about the case. I didn't particularly like the structure, and some of the twists felt too obvious— I saw parts of the final twist coming within the first couple of chapters.

Greene does call out how some true crime podcasts can sometimes be more about the drama and less about respecting the victims and their families. It’s a quick read, and it’s set to drop on November 5. Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC.

I loved the setting of the book! I love a good campus mystery. I really loved everything about this book!

This was so good! Only problem for me was that it was pretty predictable, but I did still enjoy the elements and the twist and the turns. The writing was good too. I would recommend it!

Dang, Jess! What a mess!

It’s the first year of college for typically straight A Jess but something is making her cuckoo! Her drinking is out of hand and her grades are gone. And now three girls from her campus are missing.

20 years later and they are still playing whodunnit. Who could it be? The creepy older professor? The ex?

This book hinted at creepy supernaturalness but didn’t deliver. Makes you think about all those cold cases we will never solve because we weren’t there thanks to handy alternating timelines.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

This was good. Not perfect and not a favorite of the year but the storytelling was good and it deserves a good rating for that.
I loved the use of mixed media elements including the podcast transcript, newspaper articles and police interviews.
The mystery did not bring anything new to the genre and was definitely predictable but as I said the journey and storytelling was good.
The writing did at times feel choppy and only after reading did I find out that this is authored by two people.

Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy!

This was a twisty, engaging book to read. The suspects were very obvious from the beginning, but it kept you guessing between them the entire time. There was a twist at the end that didn’t surprise me, but was still well done. Definitely recommend!

An interesting & exciting whodunnit. I loved the addition of the podcast element.

Twisty & fast-paced this will grab your attention & hold on to it.

I received this book from NetGalley in return for a honest review.


Overall I liked this book. I thought the way that the different types of media were incorporated into the book was really inventive and overall I liked the plot. Toward the end I was able to guess the ending so unfortunately the big twist didn't really twist for me.

It's 1998 and at a small college in North Carolina, female students are going missing. First, Tammy, then Phoebe, and then Meagan. Jessica Fadley doesn't know it, but she's next.

Now, Jessica's younger sister, Lindsay is still living in the town, working at a high-end boutique hotel. When a new podcast releases coverage of her missing sister's case, Lindsay's life turns upside down as the truth comes out and the bodies start being found.

Lindsay isn't the only person concerned about the podcast and the renewed interest it brings to the case. Ryan, an award-winning journalist, comes into town to start his own investigation.

The two timelines start to catch up, and the details start emerging. Was it the handsome boyfriend? Was it the pervy professor? Was it someone entirely unknown?

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The Lake of Lost Girls by Katherine Greene is a thriller about missing women, terrible men, true-crime podcasts and the burden of secrets. I enjoyed it, for the MOST part, however it did feel a little long and drawn out.

I really enjoyed the various media aspects - old police reports, news articles, podcast transcripts - it added a bit of movement to the story. Some of the back and forth felt unnecessary, I wanted more of Jess's deterioration/secrets as the conclusion felt rushed and completely unexpected.

Still, this was something I couldn't put down, reading during lunch times and on the commute.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Holy cow! What an amazing mystery. This is such a twisty story that would make such a great movie. At one point I actually yelled out loud “WHAT???” when a particularly shocking event happened. Can’t wait to promote this one!

I love alternative timelines and this one was well done. I was looking forward to the podcast aspect, but it didn't bring much to the story; it was almost only filler. It dragged on at times, and should've been edited better (how many time must I read that "he dug his fingers in her arm"). It's still a pretty solid read and even though I feel like the twist should've been predictable, I didn't clock it.

I love an alternating time line and whodunnit story. The story felt immersive with its use of different outlets such as social media, news articles etc to blend in with the narrative. It’s a sad, gripping story where most of the characters are unlikeable but you still want to read and find out what happened

I enjoyed the podcast element and the eerie atmosphere but I struggled through this at times, as the characters felt flat.

I love multimedia uses in books. It really spices them up and makes them feel fresh. Sadly, i found this book to be pretty predictable and it dragged until about 75%.