Katherine Greene’s “The Lake of Lost Girls” is a fast-paced novel set in North Carolina. It involves multiple college-aged female students who go missing in the late 1990s, as well as the search for answers 24 years later. One of the girls who goes missing is Jessica Fadley, a local girl whose parents and sister, Lindsey, still reside in the town where Southern State University is located.

When the book begins, a new podcast has been started and its purpose is to talk about the missing girls, the police investigation back then, and explore new pieces of information. One of those new pieces of information involves the discovery of multiple bodies at a nearby lake. As Lindsey begins listening to the podcast, she also begins reexamining the disappearance of her sister and tries to discover the answers.

There were a few red herrings and I must admit I, sadly, had the bulk of what happened figured out by the end. It was still an enjoyable read, though.

Overall, I recommend this book. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC.

Lindsey lives her life behind the shadow of her sister Jessica, who has been missing for 24 years. A podcast dedicated to her missing sister and other college acquaintances of Jessica has surfaced and is bringing back old memories and unwanted attention to her family, friends and people from their town. The story goes back and forth between the present and the past and both situations bring a lot of thrill and angst because everyone is a suspect but no one has ever been able to find the killer of these young college women. Reader, know that you are in for a huge and rude awakening, because you will never guess who the killer was.

I honestly think I love Katharine Green a little bit. I fell head over heels in love with their debut novel The Woods are waiting. And they were able to solidify my love with The Lake of Drowned Girls. Honestly they are going to be an instant buy for me from now on.

Of course this book had one of my biggest pet peeves, what make me love it even more. Mixed media, I love it when it is well executed. And in this case, it is just wonderfully done! Podcast episodes, flashback chapters from alternating perspectives, news articles and social media post are scattered throughout the chapters. It doesn’t break up the story line but adds little puzzle pieces that you as a reader need to put together. I loved this concept, but then again I love true crime podcasts and youtube channels. So this was right up my alley.

This is a slow burn thriller, not an adrenaline rush. I come to think that this is a signature move of the authors. Creating a scene, creating a feeling, creating an atmosphere… it was important in their first novel and once again in this one. It takes away some of the speed of the storytelling, but it adds so much information for the reader. It felt like I was on campus or in the town while reading this novel.
I loved it and I cant wait to see what is next!
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC.

Alternating between 1998 and the present day, the novel tells the story of Jessica and Lindsey Fadley, two sisters whose lives are forever changed by a series of mysterious disappearances at Southern State University. As Jessica vanishes amidst the turmoil, Lindsey is left grappling with unanswered questions and a relentless desire for the truth.

The use of podcast clips adds an intriguing layer to the narrative, drawing readers deeper into the investigation alongside Lindsey as she unravels the dark secrets surrounding her sister’s disappearance. The tension builds steadily as the sisters’ stories unfold, leading to a shocking revelation that will leave readers breathless.

With its well-crafted plot, complex characters, and atmospheric setting, “The Lake of Lost Girls” is a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers and true crime mysteries. Katherine Greene skillfully blends suspense and emotion, delivering a captivating tale of sisterhood, resilience, and the search for justice.

Jessica Fadley is so excited to start college! Even though she’ll still be close to home, she can’t wait to escape her stifling relationship with her parents and to start her journey into adulthood. Once there, she pledges at her Moms sorority and becomes friends with her roommate and her new sisters. Life is good, until some fellow female students start to mysteriously disappear.

I’m a huge sucker for novels focused on the missing. I just can’t seem to get enough. With multiple missing women and a huge whodunnit forming around them, this novel had major promise. It started out really well and I was immediately intrigued by the story. However, some aspects fell a little flat. The character building was ok, but even the main characters felt a little weak. The story was good and kept me guessing for the most part, but it felt slightly like more of a young adult novel.

Those two things aside, I still enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the twists and turns and couldn’t get to the conclusion fast enough! I also really loved the addition of podcast transcripts, blog posts, and Facebook posts scattered throughout. This was a unique touch!

Overall, I liked this book a lot and feel it’s absolutely worth the read if you love a good mystery or true crime! Many thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for gifting me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A classic thriller, who-dunit, so many clues as to who the perpetrator could be - but I’ve got to say very satisfied with the ending.

This is a great summer read, following the disappearance of 4 young women from South State University in the late 1990’s. We follow one of the missing women (narrated in her voice in flashbacks), her sister (narrated now in her voice) and a true crime podcast trying to solve it. Misogyny, grooming, the bonds of family and friendship.

A solid 3.5 stars, rounded up and a worthwhile read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Crooked Lane Books for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.* My goodness, what a story. I devoured this in a weekend and did not see the twist coming. There have been quite a few books published recently based around the concept of a 'cold case' podcast, but Greene's 'The Lake of Lost Girls' does not read like the others, but is instead a fresh take on the sub-genre. The story shift between the present and the late 1990s and deals with the disappearance of four young women from Southern State University in North Carolina. Lindsey was just six years old when her beloved older sister, Jessica, a freshman at the university disappeared. In the present day, she is a thirty year old woman (still living at home with her parents), looking for some answers. A thrilling and intense read.

Thank you NetGalley. This whodunnit was crazy! Greene did an amazing job keeping the details obscure until the last minute. The dysfunction of the Fadley family thoroughly fleshed out and Greene made sure to show Jessica slowly spiraling. Her relationship with her parents were equal parts weird and sad. And Lindsey was put in an awkward position as the second child and as the sister of the unsolved mystery regarding Jessica. This was really good.

The lake of lost girls is a brilliantly written edge of your seat thriller. The book is told in alternating perspectives between two sisters, Lindsey in the present and her sister Jess 24 years earlier in the lead up to her disappearance.

In 1998 four women from the same college go missing and the case remains cold until 24 years later, a popular crime podcast tells the girls stories and shakes up the investigation, it's not long before the missing womens bodies turn up at a nearby lake. The clips from the podcasts, the social media posts and police transcripts in each chapter were a great addition to the book.

The story is gripping and has a jaw-dropping ending that is heartbreaking but also brilliant. It kept me guessing right up until the end.

Thank you @netgalley @katherinegreeneauthor
and @crookedlanebooks for the ARC.

This novel is told in alternating POVs from present day and 1999, and with additional information like podcast transcripts, social media posts, and news articles. I really enjoy when books bring this aspect in and it adds an additional layer to the story telling. I really enjoyed this murder mystery and it kept you guessing right up until the end. I was a little creeped out by Jessica and her dad’s relationship and felt like there was more going on than what was revealed. Definitely gave me the ick.

The Lake of Lost Girls is a thriller set in two time scales and also has pod cast clips throughout. The more you read the book the more you want to know about Jessica who previously was a sensible well educated student until she went to university and everything changed. She was an unusual relationship with her father. Whilst at university girls she was close to her go went missing and eventually she goes missing also. There is a twist into the story about who did it.

The Lake of Lost Girls is a stunning, refreshing thriller in a sea of books that are all the same these days. It has twists you just won't see coming and by the end of it, you'll be surprised that you hadn't caught on to what was happening all along. Everyone's a suspect and no one is safe. It's a fabulous whodunnit.

This book was fairly easy to get through. It was interesting and it kept me guessing. Although it was a bit predictable, it was an enjoyable read & definitely a good quick read for the summer.

A podcast really shook up searching for the killer of four young girls all from the same college. It had been twenty four years and no real suspect.
The podcasters took it on as they felt the police had not given the case justice.
It was Lindsay’s birthday and Jesse her sister had come home from college to celebrate it and get away from the stress of college life, and her boyfriend whom she had just told she no longer wanted.
She went out to her car to get the birthday cake from the trunk of her car……and ten seconds later she had disappeared. She was the 4th girl to go missing.
The story will keep you guessing the “who done it”, so it is hard to put down. A well written mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me a free eARC of this book to read in exchange for my review!

The premise was extremely interesting. But I found the actual plot hard to get through. The sections with the podcast were interesting, but Lindsey’s POV just didn’t do it for me. While I appreciated the insight of the family left behind after someone goes missing, her narrative voice was difficult for me to get into.

This book was really good! I did guess the real killer before the end but there were still some surprises. Good read.

This one kept me guessing! This was a fun whodunnit with a peppering of critique on the media farm that is the true crime genre. I thought the use of media-tie-in like passages throughout the book to reveal pieces of information was fun. Probably a 7/10 for me, but would certainly recommend this to friends.

This was the twisty story of a cold case centered around four girls who go missing from their southern university campus in 1998. Twenty-four years later, Lindsey, the sister of one of those missing girls, has to grapple with her painful past all over again when “true crime” investigators start looking into this long forgotten case.

I enjoyed the multiple points of view and shifting between past and present, and the alternating perspectives of sisters Jessica and Lindsey. The novel also covered family grief well, showing how a tragedy like this plays out for an individual family left waiting and hoping. It also touched upon the vulture-type nature of many true crime programs, and their lack of regard for the suffering families. Some aspects, like the overwhelming police incompetence, required readers to suspend disbelief in an extreme fashion.

Still, it was a fast-paced read, perfect for the long plane trip I was on.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy - all thoughts are my own.

The Lake of Lost Girls is an easy read and well-written novel. In alternating storylines, it covers the disappearance of four women from the same college and the reopening of the unsolved case 24 years later. Capturing the vicim's storyline and the current day relatives' and investigators we follow the activities that led up to each disappearance and the investigations that occurred at the time. I thought I had this one figured out a few times, I had it narrowed down to 2 or 3 culprits, so I am glad to tell you that this book does not disappoint - it keeps the reader engaged until the end! Highly recommend.

I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. thank you netgalley and the publishers!

while this book was entertaining and I loved the dual timeline/pov and a mix in of different media I do think this also had some flaws. like I said, I enjoyed the mixed media but I think it could have played a bigger role or be left out completely. it didn’t add much to the actual plot except to be a commentary on how true crime is viewed and almost praised in our society. the characters were one dimensional and you’ll guess the twist by the halfway point. not my favorite read but I had fun