I loved that we get dual timelines so we can read things how would happen in real time and after. I love how we thought things happen one way, but in the end the truth threw me for a loop. The story centers on missing girls and how they attended the same university. Could the professor be the length or something else? When the two things out you will be as shocked as I was.

Katherine Greene is new to me, but I have added the woods are waiting to my TBR.

I felt captivated from the beginning knowing something tragic had unfolded -but finding out the details is waiting to unfold. I found this a quick paced, page turner eager to find out what happened.

For those in their true crime era this book is for you!!

First of all, The Lake of Lost Girls was written by two people?!?! I had no idea that Katherine Greene was the pen name for writers A. Meredith Walters and Claire C. Riley, and the book certainly doesn't read like it was written by two people either. Everything was entirely seamless and now I am definitely keen to get to their debut together, The Woods are Waiting. The podcast element in here was top notch and integrated perfectly into the rest of the storyline. I love anything with a podcast, and this was probably one of my favorites to date! I also highly enjoyed the viewpoint shifts between Lindsey in the present and Jessica in the past before she went missing blended with the podcast.

The audiobook for The Lake of Lost Girls was pure perfection and definitely the route I would recommend for reading. Helen Laser, Frankie Corzo, Sara Young, Haley Taylor & David Bendena checked all the boxes with their narration and I was completely drawn in by the writing and narration alike. I also loved how the podcast was presented in the audio, and it’s the little things like that, that create a perfect audiobook experience. I was completely blown away by the ending, and while I do think you need to suspend disbelief to some extent, it was certainly explosive, and I didn’t see it coming. Read this if you are looking for an immersive whodunnit, characters who exude bad behavior, and twisty cold cases!

4.4 🎧
I’m SO glad this book didn’t go where I was afraid it was going to go…boy did it have me dreading the big reveal.

A string of disappearances from the 90’s start to unfold as bodies start popping up 2 decades later. A popular podcast sinks its teeth into the thrill, grabbing nationwide attention, as one of the victim’s sister’s is determined to finally solve this once and for all.

This was an easy binge that kept me engaged. From the addictive nature of True Crime Podcast style, to the alternate POV’s and the fear of who dunnit once you’ve developed your theory…but don’t want to be right 🥹 This was a ride!

In the end, I was slightly surprised as I did not guess the culprit. There were other parts that were easy to put together early-on, but it didn’t take away from the overall storyline. I was left with mixed emotions, begging the question, what would you have done? 🤔

I listened to the audio version and enjoyed everything except for the one of the podcaster’s voice that was a bit hard to understand at a faster speed. (I’m a 2X girl - too many books, too little time!) I love a good audio thriller when tasking around the house. 👏🏼

Thanks to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books, and Katherine Greene for providing me with a complimentary ARC to review!

I loved this book. It had just enough suspense and intrigue that it kept me guessing. It is hard for me not to guess the ending to most thrillers but this was not the case with this book.

Wow! One of my top reads of 2024. I LOVED this story, and as a fan of thrillers, I enjoyed every second of this book. The Lake of Lost Girls is perfect for any fan of true crime and is sure to leave you blindsided by its twists and turns.

In 1998 girls are going missing from Southern State University in North Carolina. The police and college have done little to nothing to find the girls. Jessica Fadley is a freshman in 1998 and has a connection to the missing girls. She has always been a bright young scholar, but starts to unravel in college. Something isn’t quite right in her life. When Jessica herself, goes missing the town is in an uproar, but the case becomes cold. Twenty four years later, the case takes on new life when it becomes a podcast. Greene does a great job of serving up the red herring, but this reader figured out where she was going long before she got there. That being said, it didn’t take anything away from the story. Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Thank you Net Galley for the advanced copy of this book. I enjoyed this book and the twists and turns that kept me guessing until the end.

Lindsay Fadley's life has been lived in the shadow of her older sister Jess's tragic disappearance from North Carolina's Southern State University twenty four years ago. Sadly three other coeds also went missing during the same time frame and were never found. When a dog walker finds a skeleton at Doll's Eye Lake interest revives and a popular true crime podcast arrives in town to roil the waters. . As more bodies are found in the lake Lindsay determines to find answers and her investigation takes her on a dark and disturbing journey into the past and her own family's dynamics. This chilling narrative was told from two points of view across two timelines and was suspenseful and compelling. The plot was suspenseful and complex giving the reader the sense that something unexpected was coming and boy did the author deliver.. This was not your typical run of the mill cold case investigation as everything the reader thinks they have figured out turned into turmoil. Featuring multiple suspicious persons of interest, dark academia and atmospheric small town skeletons in the closet this was definitely a memorable read. I have not read anything by the author before but based on the plotting and character devleopment of this entry I would definitely pick up anotht ine of her works.

Thank you for the advance copy! I enjoyed this so much! I have being loving the trope of crime journalist and someone closed to the victims solve the unsolved murders.. anyone who has liked Listen for the Lie, what lies in the wood would love this book.

This arc was amazing. I was hooked from the start and obsessed with the characters. It was such a great read, I'd definitely recommend reading it and I would rate this a 5 stars.

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝑳𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝑮𝒊𝒓𝒍𝒔

| Thank you to @crookedlanebooks for the #free listening access! |

📖 (𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥):
𝙨𝙪𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙚 • 𝙢𝙞𝙭𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙖 • 𝙢𝙪𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙮 • 𝙞𝙣𝙛𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 • 𝙙𝙪𝙖𝙡 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚 • 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙭 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙙𝙮𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙘𝙨 • 𝙨𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙙 • 𝙞𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙜𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙧 • 𝙛𝙖𝙨𝙩-𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙙 • 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙘𝙖𝙨𝙚 • 𝙢𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙞𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙋𝙤𝙑𝙨 • 𝙬𝙝𝙤𝙙𝙪𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙩 • 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙪𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧 • 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙜𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 •

🎧:
I really liked this one on audio, it kept me interested throughout. I found that the pacing of the story was perfect.

📖:
I didn’t predict the exact twist at the end, but I wasn’t too far off, so the shock value was minimal.

The story is told with alternating timelines and multiple characters which allows the author to keep the reader guessing throughout.

Meh 🫤:
I wasn’t too fond of the “insta-love” aspect of the story.

For example, the likelihood of the MC Lindsey falling head over heels (almost immediately) over a man that she meets in the most SUS way is just a bit cringe. 😬 Especially learning about his character in the book.

I won’t say much more about this to avoid any spoilers, but I will end by saying if it weren’t for the cringe nature of the relationships between these characters, I’d have rated the book a bit higher.

🎵: I enjoyed the narrators and the dialogue!

Wowww such a thriller! I flew through the pages. I bet this one ends up popular! Highly recommend for someone looking for a quick, intriguing read.

Multiple timelines, a podcast, and missing students are right up my alley and this book had all of those. The podcast element had me hooked from the beginning. I had my suspicions about the mystery in the book, and while I predicted parts of it correctly and I didn't guess all of it and was blown away by some the twists. This is an easy book to just sit and binge in a few sittings if you have the time. It has lots of suspense, twists, and the multiple timelines and podcast really add to the book.

I liked this one. I kept picking it up and would put it down for a bit. So it took longer to read ( great book- just super busy). Wish I could go back and reread when not so distracted. Great storyline and loved the characters.

I really, really wanted to like this more than I did. The plot sounded really interesting, but the varying timelines and multitude of characters between them muddied everything. The twist was spotted a mile away, too.

Wow! This was great one for me. In addition to the alternating chapters of timeline/character perspectives, I love the dynamic of podcast episode chapters being weaved through. It keeps me engaged.

While I did make a prediction, I wasn’t entirely fully correct, which makes it all very satisfying! Not everything was too obvious. The characters were teed up to get you thinking. You can see the setting. You are there with them all seeing it.

It’s twisted. You’ll get a gasp moment or two. It’s dark. It’s very realistic. The pace was on point. I binged within a day. Well done!

Loved this book! The only think that I would have changed was I would have liked more of the podcast part throughout the book. Other than that this was perfect. I thought I had it figured out multiple times and I was wrong!

This book is perfect for anyone who loves true crime and solving cold cases years old. In 1998 a few female college students go missing without any answers. There are never any arrests or suspects, 20 years after the case is still cold and one of the families is still searching for answers. A popular true crime podcast is highlighting this cold case hoping to bring some answers to the families.
This is a quick read that will keep you guessing

It is 1998 at a small university in North Caroliina. Girls are mysteriously disappearing, and our narrator Jessica is the next to disappear. The whole atmosphere is eerie and feels fraught with danger. Is it the mysterious professor who seems to have a pull over some of the girls? Or the handsome but pushy frat boy?

Fast forward twenty years and Jessica's little sister, Lindsey, is intrigued when a popular podcast begins airing about Jessica's disappearance. Lindsey decides she must discover what happened to her sister all those years ago.

I really liked the various angles we approached the story. We are in the past with Jessica, in the present with Lindsey, then the podcast adds a modern spin on the telling.

I did see the end coming before it was revealed, but it was deep into the story so not a big disappointment. Overall I found this to be an enthralling mystery and I liked the writing and the format.

Thank you to NetGalley, Katheriine Greene, and Crooked Lane Books for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.