3.5 stars

This was a fun and twisty thriller with dual timelines and true crime podcast scripts, which I always love. We're following Lindsey in the present, as her older sister Jessica's missing persons case is re-opened after a podcast starts to cover it and new evidence surfaces. We also get flashbacks to 1998, when Jessica is starting her freshman year at college, her first time away from home, and girls start to disappear from campus.

I figured out who killed Jessica at around 6% into the book, and the other big twist around 30% in. This was kind of disappointing, but I ended up convincing myself it couldn't be that obvious and they must be red herrings. Alas. I did have fun reading and binged the book in a few hours, but the characters and their choices annoyed me. I enjoyed the setting and the premise, but I wanted a little more from the ending. I think if you don't pinpoint the reveals early you'd have a lot of fun with this, but overall it's not a standout thriller for me, despite being a fun read. Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley- thank you.

Wow, this was definitely dark and twisted. The twist was unexpected, though I don't know if I can say I appreciated this one. The story itself was intriguing and kept me interested, though I didn't really like the podcast part (and I usually do). 3.75 stars rounded up to 4.

I thought the dual timelines were told very concisely and in a way that kept me questioning what was happening as more information was revealed. I felt like the connection between Jessica and the other girls that went missing flowed very well.

I had issues with the podcast, as honestly it didn’t really fit into this story at all (and I have loved podcast elements in other books). The ending didn’t quite come together like I had hoped either as there were some things missing from the plot. Overall, it was a quick read and is great for the fall season!

Read if you like:
- Dual timelines
- Dysfunctional families
- Whodunnit stories

Thank you @netgalley and @crookedlanebooks for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

✅ Psychological Thriller ✅Dual timelines ✅True Crime Obsessed Podcasts ✅Missing COEDS. This book has been getting a lot of 🐝🐝🐝 and if you like the checkboxes above, you will see why! New buzz surrounding a true crime podcast, brings the cases of some small town missing girls to light again when a body is found in the notorious Doll’s Eye Lake. Lindsay’s older sister is one of these missing girls, throwing the story’s timeline between her perspective in present day life and the perspective of her sister who was a college freshman in 1998 when she disappeared without a trace. Lindsay’s unresolved family trauma bubbles up to the surface as she connects with a reporter working on her sister’s case, who seems to have an unnatural vested interest in this particular case. As Lindsay finds out more and more of her sister’s past, she starts to wonder if she can actual trust her memories of the past and finally put her sister’s legacy to rest. This one had me questioning and guessing right until the end. The characters were well developed and relatable, and the lake seemed to take on a presence of its own. Great imagery throughout really made me feel like I could be in this small town with the characters. Thank you to @netgalley and @crookedlanebooks for the e-arc of this title in exchange for my honest review. #katherinegreeneauthor #lakeoflostgirls #thrillerbooks #mysterybooks #suspensebooks #readerlife #thrillerbooksaddict #bookstagram

I love a good true crime story and The Lake of Lost Girls seemed promising. I liked the use of mixed media to tell the story so readers can try to solve the mystery alongside the characters. I enjoyed the dual timeline and the chapter cliffhangers kept me reading.

The true definition of a great mystery with twists! I wasn't expecting much from this book, having not read the author before. But I was blown away by her ability to spread guilt on so many characters at once that you couldn't predict the ending. It was an easy read, thoroughly enjoyable and engrossing, and I will be looking at the author's backlist and anticipating more great books in the future. My thanks to Crooked Lane Books for providing a review copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

It took me an incredibly long time to finish this book. It didn’t have me on the edge of my seat. I found myself just wanting to be done with this book. I’m not really into podcasts so podcast elements did nothing for me. This book unfortunately wasn’t for me. I’d definitely like to read some of books by the author.
Thank you NetGalley, Katherine, and crooked lane books for the ARC!

I was never one for podcast/true crime centered stories until Holly Jackson sucked me into that type of story, so when I saw this one was similarly centered, I immediately knew I would like it. I loved the alternate timelines and I thought they worked well for this story. The university setting was also a bonus, as I work for a university currently, and I like seeing more stories centered around that as YA novels will always have my heart. This book had just the right amount of suspense to keep me hooked, and I devoured it!

I adore a podcast centered story, so I snapped this one up as soon as I saw it.

The Lake of Lost Girls is told in alternating timelines and centers on Lindsey Fadley in the present, and her older sister Jessica who disappeared 24 years ago. In 1998, women are beginning to disappear from North Carolina's South State University. Jessica, a freshman, is not having an easy go of her first year away from home, despite the fact that she chose a local school. Nothing in her new life is going well, and then she suddenly disappears, leaving a mystery that haunts all who knew her. In the present, a popular true crime podcast begins investigating Jessica's disappearance, prompting Lindsey to begin her own investigation.

I wasn't expecting this to be as good as it was! The alternating timelines worked perfectly for this story. It was addictive, propulsive, and completely consuming. Once I started I just couldn't put it down. And the ending just blew me away! Amazing. I can't wait to read more from this author.

Alternating timeline, a podcast storyline, and missing college students? Sign me up.

It's 1998, and female students are going missing at Southern State University in North Carolina, but freshman Jessica Fadley, once a bright and responsible student, is going through her own struggles. Just as her life seems to be careening dangerously out of control, she suddenly disappears.
Twenty-four years later, Jessica's sister Lindsey is desperately searching for answers and uses the momentum of a new chart-topping true crime podcast that focuses on cold cases to guide her own investigation. Soon, interest reaches fever pitch when the bodies of the long-missing women begin turning up at a local lake, which leads Lindsey down a disturbing road of discovery.

Loved loved loved this book. Hooked immediately and read in 2 sittings. Highly recommend.

Thank you to @crookedlanebooks for the@netgalley widget!

This fun and twisty story was told in alternating timelines which also included a current true crime podcast hosted by characters Stella and Rachel. In 1998, several college girls went missing without a trace. Each of the girl had multiple connections that had people wondering who was actually involved.

Years later, Jessica’s sister Lindsey is searching for answers and crossing paths that are more dangerous than they appear. When bodies start to appear, more and more questions are asked and it leads you right down the road to the unimaginable.

This book was suspenseful and full of twists and turns. It had me guessing from the beginning. I kind of had a feeling how it would end up, but there were many possibilities that kept me questioning my theories. In the end, the truth makes perfect sense.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an advanced copy of this fun and engaging read!

"The Lake of Lost Girls” by Katherine Greene is a 4-star whodunit! Set against the backdrop of Southern State University in North Carolina, this story weaves a dual timeline mystery. In 1998, Jessica is a college student caught up in the party scene and sorority life. However, a shadow looms as students begin disappearing, leaving the police struggling to uncover the truth. Fast forward to the present, where Jessica’s sister Lindsey grapples with her sister’s disappearance and sifts through layers of lies in a desperate search for answers.

The story alternates between Jessica and Lindsey's perspectives, giving readers insight into both past and present events. Jessica’s college boyfriend and their tumultuous relationship felt like a weak point, adding unnecessary drama that occasionally dragged the narrative. Additionally, the podcast excerpts interspersed at the end of many chapters were a creative touch but didn’t contribute much to the plot; some readers might find them unnecessary. While the book features a few twists, the author reveals too many details along the way, making the surprises less impactful. Overall, The Lake of Lost Girls is an enjoyable mystery that keeps you turning the pages, even if some elements fall short of their full potential. I look forward to what this author has to offer next!

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books, Katherine Greene, and NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read this ARC and share my honest review.

3-1/2 stars, rounded up. I listened to The Lake of Lost Girls rather than reading it in print after I realized it's partly in podcast format, with multiple narrators. The narration was excellent and the plot and characters intriguing. The novel opens with two young women podcasters describing their new series, covering the recently reopened investigation into the disappearance of four female college students some twenty-four years earlier. A major character in the novel is the younger sister of one of those students, who was only six years old when her sister disappeared inexplicably after returning home for the little sister's birthday party. The narration moves back and forth in time, recreating events at the college around the time the girls disappeared and then moving into the present day investigation. The end caught me completely by surprise, but made sense for the characters we readers come to know over the course of the story. Well done!

In 1998, Mt. Randall, North Carolina is plagued with a spate of missing girls. All three students at the college in town - Southern State University. One of the missing co-eds, Jessica Fadley, becomes the center of a True Crime podcast that brings the cases back to the forefront of everyone's minds. Of course, she's never left the mind of her little sister, Lindsey, now 30 and the last one to see her alive. When remains are found at the local lake, everyone's emotions are on edge and tensions are high in the little town. What happened to the four missing girls?

What I Liked:
-The dual narration was excellent. Flipping back and forth between Jessica and Lindsey's POVs was very effective.
-The isolated location. It's a small, almost Mayberry-esque town (if Mayberry had a college and had fallen on a bit of rough times) so what could possibly go wrong? It highlighted that there are creeps, pervs, and deranged people literally everywhere and you never know who is or isn't depraved.
-Apparently the audiobook is fantastic. I'm almost sad I read it vs. listened to it but I was able to read it in less than two days (would have been shorter if I hadn't been busy) and I know it would have taken far longer to get the payoff if I had listened to it!

What I didn't Love:
-The end was a bit convoluted and confusing. It took a few minutes of putting it together in my mind before I fully understood where all the chips lay.
-The notion that four different girls at the same school would be involved with two different men at the same time was...weird. Not totally unbelievable, and I get why it was done for the whodunnit element, but it just felt forced occasionally.
-I wish there had been more to Lindsey and Jess's mom. She felt like a shell of a character.

That being said, none of the above took away from my enjoyment of the book. Fast paced, twisty, and even though I predicted MOST of the ending it still took me a bit off guard.

This was such a good dark and twisty cold case audiobook!!! I loved the alternate timelines and podcast elements!! I was hooked from the beginning and couldn’t stop listening.
Jessica was in college in 1998 when she went missing. Twenty four years later her younger sister Lindsey starts digging to try to uncover the mystery of what happened to her sister. Even though I knew earlier on who the suspect was…I was shocked at the twisted ending!!!! Also I think the author does a good job of making you question everyone! We read this for @thrillersbythebookclub.mke and it led to some great discussions!

Thank you @netgalley @crookedlanebooks and @katherinegreeneauthor for this eARC and ALC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Crooked Lane Books for the gifted e-copy.

What a fun and twisty read this was! I had a lot of fun with this one and trying to figure out what happened to these girls and "whodunnit". There are a few red herrings, and a few good twists.

I don't want to give anything away, but definitely check this one out if you like the podcast/dual POV and timeline mystery.

Katherine Greene has given us much food for thought in her latest offering The Lake of Lost Girls. Podcasts are extremely popular at present and weaving them in the narrative of a story makes for riveting reading. With lots of mind bending twist and a supercharged plot line this book will having you reading long into the night. Fours stars from me with thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this early reading copy.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a little backlogged with my ARCs but working diligently to get caught up. This book kept me guessing until the very end! There were so many characters that were suspects in the disappearance of three college girls years prior. I liked how they used the element of a podcast to revisit the cold case, with new details coming to light the deeper they got into the case. I would recommend to anyone who likes mysteries, psychological thrillers, and past/present alternating storylines!

2.5 Stars
Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What did I actually read? I really had high hopes for this novel but it dwindled fast! At times it felt like a 5th grader wrote a jumbled book report.

Katherine Greene submerges readers into a newly reopened cold-case about four missing college girls from the nineties with the promise of a thrilling, suspenseful, and intriguing outcome.
Where? What book is that in? It sure wasn't in this one!

Where was the character development? The main character Lindsay was a total ding-bat. Jess was shallow. Ryan lacked depth as a human being...And the father was creepy af!
OMG the plot was everywhere.
There were so many stereotypes through out the book.
The unhealthy relationships - the mom had Lindsay because she was jealous of the relationship between Jess and her father? Seriously?
The police were idiots that couldn't piece the murders together? Again. Seriously?
The Podcast part of the storyline was ridiculous.
At about chapter 4 I saw the ending from a mile away then just wasted my time reading to the end.
And the author couldn't even tie up the loose ends in the predictable ending?

My 'Thriller' patrons are going to eat me alive for ordering this adolescent garbage.

A really enjoyable, dark, fast paced, true crime thriller! I did guess one of the twists but the other one totally caught me off guard. I love the use of the podcast and other mixed media, as well as the alternating timelines! Definitely recommend!