This novel involves the granddaughter of a man who fled to America with his son ( her dad) after standing accused of killing his wife and and infant daughter many years ago.
She goes to the old homestead in the original country.to be interviewed by a podcaster that is investigating the story. Some folks believe the guilt of her grandfather is evident, others do not. He was never charged even after interviews with the police.
Whilst there she finds herself in the midst of another disappearance, a yo7nd woman goes missing after a party.
Eventually our heroine resolves her past, solves a disappearance, and uncovers a murderer.
Slow moving but pretty well written, this a good novel. If you are paying attention, you will see the clues.

T(and you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me this ARC

Forty years ago a young mother and her infant daughter were found buried in the snow in the small village of Bifrost, Iceland. The mother's throat was slashed and the baby had drowned. The case remains unsolved, though after the husband took their son and left for California, that seems to be enough proof for the villagers that he'd murdered his wife and daughter, but escaped justice for lack of evidence.

Fast forward to the present, Agnes is determined to clear her gradfather's name. He passed away a year prior, and Agnes needs a distraction from her own life as she recovers from a serious leg injury and the recent break-up with her girlfriends, while dealing with an addiction to painkillers because of said injury. Agnes accepts an invitation from Nora Carver, a true crime expert, to be interviewed for her podcast on the topic. Agnes heads off to Iceland to figure out what happened to part of her family all those years ago.

Upon Agnes's arrival, she learns that a local girl has been reported missing. She had last been seen at a party at Agnes's old family home where her grandparents, father, and aunt once lived. The home has a new owner who kept the home much the same as it had been forty years earlier. Now the outsiders, Agnes and Nora, have two investigations on their hands, as it couldn't possibly be a coincidence, could it? Nora's focus is drawn to the current case and Agnes must get to the bottom of her family story, no matter what revelations come to light. Either her grandfather was a murderer, or not. One way or another, she will find out what people are willing to do to protect themselves, their families, and their secrets.

The landscape of Iceland is practically a character in itself and I enjoyed that immensely. Iceland in the winter is not for the faint of heart and seeing Agnes struggle with this as she tries to understand what happened to her family was an important part of this well-written mystery. The author sets the scene brilliantly, and you really feel like you are there with Agnes every step of the way.

The build-up of suspense was incredible, as Agnes tracks down every last person she can who knew her grandparents. The clues unfold slowly and we hear most of the stories from friends and neighbors, but not in a way that felt like an info-dump. We also know going in that obviously someone is not telling the whole truth, and Agnes must figure out whose recollection is purposely not accurate. We get to know the characters really well in this way and the author did a wonderful job keeping voices distinct. Through Agnes the reader can determine viable suspects, though nothing felt obvious or out of place, like it was thrown in to make the answer clear. It was hard to know who to trust as more and more was revealed.

I really loved this book quite a lot. The author masterfully told a compelling story that kept me reading; I had to know the answer. Agnes has to overcome so much to find the truth, given her own difficulties with the injury and addiction on top of thinking about what it could possibly mean for her if her much-loved grandfather turns out to be the murderer.

Highly recommended

Agnes travels to her family’s hometown in Iceland to help a true-crime podcaster investigate a murder linked to her grandfather, Suddenly, past and present mysteries collide.

I really enjoyed this book! I loved the moody setting, the secrets, and felt like I was right in the middle of it with Agnes. This was a one sitting read for me, very hard to put down! Highly recommend for mystery and thriller readers.

Thanks for the opportunity to read!

The Lost House is about a young women that has an unresolved past and ends up returning to her birthplace in Iceland all to investigate the horrible murder in her family in this captivating read. The book will keep you guessing until the end and have you turning the pages. It was written well and every character in this one was good. I enjoyed the winter setting of this book a lot. This one has a past crime, mysterious house and more in this thrilling read. Overall, I highly enjoyed this read and would recommend it to any reader who likes mysteries or thrillers. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/ Minotaur Books for this read in exchange of my honest review of The Lost House by Melissa Larsen.

The Lost House was just as unsettling and atmospheric as I’d hoped it would be with a snowy Iceland setting.

The story was haunting and told in dual timelines with an eerily presence of mystery. I listened to the audio format and enjoyed this narration so much.

*many thanks to Minotaur Books, Macmillan audio and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

This book, I’m not really sure how I really felt about it. It was a decent read. It wasn’t a horrible read, but I felt I got lost in so much of it that I wasn’t really sure what all was going on.

There were some things I really enjoyed about this one. I loved getting to see Iceland through the main character's eyes, especially since she'd never been there before. Author Melissa Larsen did a fantastic job of introducing the country to her readers with a fresh gaze. A lot of the writing was incredibly beautiful too. Yet at times, I felt like we were losing the main plot of whether Agnes would find out whether her grandfather was guilty of the murders, because there was so much time spent on her ruminating on life and whether she needed those painkillers or not. I know this is the challenge with literary fiction in trying to balance plot elements with character growth and development. Sometimes it worked in this book; sometimes it didn't.

I do appreciate the climax when Agnes is literally fighting to survive and that the author didn't make it easy for or on her. That part was incredibly well done, and the way Agnes discovers the answer to her question about her grandfather's involvement with the murders was also fully earned by the end. The author did a great job in those parts.

I’m not sure how I feel about this book. On one hand main characters (mostly female) who struggle with drugs or alcohol as a way to deal with pain aren’t something I typically enjoy. And I thought Agnes was going down this path, but ithe author pulled it off. The atmosphere was great, but the storyline was slower than it could have been. There were a lot of underdeveloped characters and the “twist” at the end didn’t have me gasping or pulling the covers up over my head. Also the love interest more than halfway through seemed forced.

Overall decent and I know some people who will love it! But for me a solid 3 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

This book had an interesting premise, a great setting, and decent writing. I also found it a bit dull and ended up skimming a lot. It was the kind of book that's all about the atmosphere and overall vibes. I enjoyed those, but never really felt connected to the characters or the plot. I wouldn't say it was a bad book though. It works well if you're in the mood for a moody thriller with a slow but solid build.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

Agnes is lured to Iceland by Nora a crime podcaster digging into the murders of her Grandmother and Aunt many years ago. Everyone in town blames her Grandfather, but she doesn’t want to believe he is responsible.
The writing is so descriptive you feel the cold and pain Agnes carries from an injury, you hear the snow crunching and the wind howling and see the vivid landscape.
When Nora’s interest changes to a missing women, things get very complicated.
Locals from her Fathers past complicate her angst, what really happened all those years ago and who is responsible for the missing woman.
Pager turner with great twists!
I received a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the early read. The book has some strengths, but its slow pace and repetitive nature detracted from the overall reading experience. There were moments when I felt impatient and wished the story would progress more quickly. Despite these issues, it is a decent read for those who enjoy atmospheric mysteries and are willing to be patient as the plot unfolds.

Agnes has lived with the story of her grandfather killing his wife and his infant daughter all of her life, even though she grew up her entire life getting to know and idolizing a completely different person. Her father has withdrawn entirely from the conversation her whole life, and she has been left questioning whether the man she has grown to love is truly a killer at heart.

A year after her tragic accident that left her addicted to pain meds and walking with a limp, Agnes travels to Bifrost, Iceland, to get the answers she so desperately needs. A podcaster, Nora, who traveled to Bifrost on the anniversary of “The Frozen Madonna” case, has invited her along to uncover the truth finally. On first arrival, news hit that another local girl had gone missing and could be linked to her grandfather’s case.
Nora and Agnes do not waste any time finding answers, and Agnes, even though she hesitates at first, does not hold back from uncovering the secrets of the past.

We have Ingvar, the neighbor boy who found the bodies and was considered a second son.

Ingvar’s mother, a neighbor who Marie considered a confidant when she was having issues with Einar, who now has dementia, and disclosed some of the secrets no one seemed to ask before.

Finally, we have Thor Thorsen and Thor Senior, relatives to whom Einar sold his property to after the murder of his family, and hold so much truth to the mysteries of the past.

Thank you, Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books, for this advanced reading copy. The book is a mix of mystery/suspense with added family dynamics. I haven’t read any books set in Iceland, but this one was a refreshing take on what I’ve read before. The story was good, but it was also sad. The background being placed in Iceland provided the reader with a dark sense of suspense and added much detail to the mystery and thrill regarding the murder. If you’re looking for something quick to read and are interested, this will not disappoint.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

@netgalley
@stmartinspress

My Rating: 3.5 stars

It’s a chilling layered mystery that takes place in an Icelandic setting. I really liked the dual timelines and the psychological elements of the story. I feel that it dragged on a bit in some parts, but overall a good read! I recommend to those looking for a thriller or enjoy slow burn thrillers.

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I don't believe I have read anything that takes place in the Icelandic landscape, so it was interesting to see how this was played out. Agnes and a podcaster named Nora plan on trying to figure out what happened to Agnes's grandmother and her baby over forty years ago. She believes her grandfather is innocent, yet what will she uncover, and can she even handle the truth? When a missing person's case pops up at the same time that Agnes and Nora are there does it tie into what happened forty years ago? At times, the book was a bit slow, but nothing too bad.
Agnes was dealing with being an addict, and you can tell it was affecting her at times. There wasn't a lot of action, and if you're okay with that, then jump into the book. You will appreciate the scenery that the author writes about.

Very emotional and well driven thriller. The setting in this book is absolute perfection. The descriptions made me picture everything so perfectly. It made me feel like I was in a snow covered landscape. It also made me want to be in Iceland. So atmospheric! The setting was just so good it was my main focus of the book. However the story was good.

The Lost House is atmospheric and well-written, with a chilling Icelandic setting and a layered mystery. While the premise is strong, the pacing drags in places and some characters feel underdeveloped. A solid read, but not unforgettable.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review "The Lost House." I loved the premise of the story. A girl returning to her ancestral home to solve an old murder mystery that affects her family. The author gives very detailed descriptions and the reader can almost feel the bitter coldness of Iceland. What it lacked was a fast pace. The story moved too slowly, which is why I gave it 3 stars.

The description of this book had me looking forward to reading it. However, the execution fell flat for me. I did not like any of the characters except for Nora, the podcaster. The MC kept saying her mind wandered off. The people in the town came off as being very short with everyone. I think if this had been dual POV with Nora, it would have been more interesting. The story dragged on with no real thrills, just trying to solve a cold case and a current missing person. The writing style itself was good and the descriptions of Iceland made you feel like you were there. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book.

A moody, atmospheric story that blends psychological suspense with slow-burning tension. The premise is interesting and the author does a good job creating an eerie, almost cinematic tone, and her prose is often vivid and immersive.
The pacing tends to drag in the middle, and the story felt somewhat repetitive. Some of the character motivations felt murky or underdeveloped. The main character’s choices were frustratingly passive, which made it harder to stay invested.
It's a decent read for those that are fans of an atmospheric mystery and slow burn, character driven mysteries.