I enjoyed the atmosphere of this one. Snowy, isolated. A mystery in the past, one in the present. A stuffing narrator. It makes for a good story.

One thing that bugs me is about the phone. We never got an answer about why someone still had it.

I would have liked to see more between Agnes and Nora at the end. Sometimes it feels like once the mystery is solved, there’s a rush to end things.

Closer to 3.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this as an ARC. I wanted to love it, but wound up more liking it. Agnes has been haunted by a crime in her family that her beloved grandfather was accused of doing. She accepts a trip to Iceland (where he grew up) with a well known true crime podcaster. Her goal is to prove her grandfather innocent of this crime that has hung over her family for so long.
I enjoyed the atmospheric setting of Iceland- the snow, cold, ice, and other worldliness of it contributes to a good experience for the reader. Agnes seemed to run around like a chicken with her head cut off a little too much for me. The continual experience of her winding up woefully unprepared while out in the cold was mildly vexing. The plot was a little long throughout much of the book, and then seemed rushed towards the end.
However, I liked the idea of the story, and I enjoyed how the time moved from modern day to back when the crime happened- letting us see things through Mia’s grandmother’s point of view too. The inclusion of a podcaster, Nora Carver, who isn’t there for the same goals as Agnes was a nice wrinkle too.
I think it is a suspenseful read, but I wouldn’t call it a must read.

Thank you, Minotaur Books and NetGalley, for my eARC of The Lost House by Melissa Larsen. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

3.5-3.75
This book was a ride, that's for sure. I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about it. I wouldn't necessarily call this a thriller; this was more of a family drama exploring a cold case of a double murder and in the meantime they're also looking into a disappearance.

This book was very atmospheric and that added to the read. At parts it was slow and I wasn't feeling it. But then as the mystery kicked up and I got more invested again. There were a number of twists in this that kept me wondering where this was going to go, and I can say I didn't see the ending coming.

I recommend this one if you're into slow-burn mysteries, atmospheric reads, Nordic Noir, or family sagas.
Thanks Minotaur!

The Lost House is not a psychological thriller, but it contains earmarks of one. The writing is very atmospheric – the story takes place in Iceland in the winter months, and the author very much sets the stage for cold and dark so that a dark chill is ever present as you read. There are secrets within secrets in this little Icelandic town. Almost no one is exactly as they seem, including protagonist Agnes.

I will admit that I found Agnes wholly self-absorbed and difficult to like. It’s a struggle to warm up to this character, but that feels deliberate on the author’s part. The reader gains some insight into Agnes as the book goes along, and events that transpire in the book itself do set her on a path that seems, by the book’s conclusion, to be leading toward greater maturity. Of the entire cast of characters, the most sympathetic is Nora, who is a pivotal character but not the main protagonist. The remainder are much like the land itself – unfamiliar and vaguely threatening, even when not actively hostile – which, again, feels deliberate on the author’s part.

I can’t say that there are a lot of unexpected twists here, but I’m not sure there are supposed to be. The entire book feels as though the reader is supposed to know something the characters themselves have yet to learn, so it is entirely unsurprising when you’ve figured out what actually happened well before Agnes does.Not everything is revealed to the reader; enough is left unclear that as the story nears the end and the climax unfolds, it keeps your interest.

I’m not generally a fan of atmospheric thrillers. It’s for this reason that authors like Jo Nesbo leave me cold (pun fully intended). But The Lost House combines fast pacing and a noir atmosphere that manages to hook and keep your attention and it’s an absorbing read.

3.8⭐️

Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and am leaving a voluntary review.

When you read THE LOST HOUSE, set in the harsh Icelandic winter, you'll feel like you're right there in the chilling landscape. Make sure you have a cup of hot chocolate right next to you for this one!

The book is about Agnes Glin and her trip to Bifröst to take part in Nora Carver’s true crime podcast; she is working on a 40-year-old cold case involving the murder of Agnes’ grandmother and newborn aunt. At the time, suspicion fell on her grandfather committed the murders, and Agnes hopes this is not true.

THE LOST HOUSE is a small-town drama with decades-old rumors and secrets exposed. Despite its slow pace, the storyline is designed to keep you guessing, captivated by the mystery surrounding the unsolved murder and the current missing girl from the same area. All the loose ends tie up very cleanly at the end, leaving you with a sense of satisfaction. I highly recommend it to anybody who likes to read Nordic Noir.

I thank NetGalley and St Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for providing me with an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review. And, of course, a big thank you to Melissa Larsen for writing a delightful read!

The Lost House is a family driven mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat. As we follow Agnes on the journey to clear her grandfather's name, we are taken on a journey of self discovery and mystery. Agnes finds herself questioning what she knows about herself, her family and it's history. The journey we go on in Iceland has many twists and turns, bringing readers layers of mystery. I also enjoyed reading this one with my own Thor (my dog) since there was a character named Thor too!

The Lost House is a thriller that tells about a haunting family Legacy with the chilling backdrop of Iceland's unforgiving winter landscape. The book follows Agnes, who is struggling with the death of her grandfather along with his controversial past and the unresolved murder that has cast a shadow over her family for decades. the beginning starts with the gruesome historical mystery, forty years ago, a mother and her infant daughter were found buried in the snow, their deaths were surround in suspension and unanswered questions. The husband was excelled from Iceland when he became the main suspected so he fled to California with his son, however the case was never solved. Now after the death of her grandfather Agnes returns to Iceland with the intentions of clearing her grandfather's name and confronting the dark legacy that has haunted her family. So with the help of a true crime podcaster, Nora, they will be delve deep into the mystery in order to dig up clues about what happened that tragic dark day. However, with the sudden disappearance of a local girl from the house of the past mudered duo it adds a sense of urgency to solve their crime and find the missing girl. While the pacing of the book is strong in area there are moments where the book feels extremely drawn out. Melissa Larsen has crafted a story that is both haunting and thought-provoking, so if you are looking for a book that keeps you guessing this is the book for you.

Forty years ago, almost to the day, Agnes's grandmother and aunt were found dead in Iceland. For the last four decades, the entire world has been convinced that her grandfather was the killer. Now that he's dead, Agnes is ready to join podcaster Nora Carver in Iceland and clear her grandfather's name - for good. Coincidentally, days before Agnes arrives in Bifrost, a local girl goes missing. The case hits too close to home for Agnes - and is oddly timed with the 40th anniversary. Quickly, Agnes and Nora get wrapped up in finding out where this girl is and if it's connected to what happened all those years ago. With everyone a suspect once again, dark secrets are soon uncovered; including some that may change Agnes's perspective of her family members - both living and not. Who can Agnes trust? Will the truth of her grandfather's innocence come out? Or has everyone been lying to Agnes all along?

I'll be honest, I was a little bored with this one. The plot had so much potential but it fell flat more than once. The majority of the twists and tension took place in the last 30% of the book. If some of these aspects happened sooner, I definitely would be giving this a higher rating. If you don't mind some odd pacing, you may like this one! A few twists were easy to figure out from the start, but not enough to keep me from finishing the novel. The blurb does not do the story justice!

3.5 ⭐️ rounded to 4 ⭐️

I really enjoyed this Nordic noir thriller! The author did an excellent job building the atmosphere - I could feel the icy cold and snowy conditions of Iceland while reading it! Not a super twisty read, but it still kept my interest. 🙌

The FMC was not one of my favorites though…not a very likable character to me. There also were a couple of things that I felt weren’t answered. 🤔 Not saying any more, because that would be a spoiler! 🙅🏼‍♀️

Overall I would still recommend checking this one out, especially if you enjoy Nordic noir!! 👏

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for my honest review! ❤️

’ve been on a magical reading streak lately, riding high through tales that had me under their spell from the first word. And then this one came along…yeah it happens to us all.

You know how sometimes the magic just isn’t there? Like no spark, no intrigue, no connection—nothing brewing the way you hoped. That’s exactly how this one felt for me. I kept flipping pages, waiting for something to ignite, but it never happened. Eventually, I decided it was time to grab my broomstick and fly off to another book—one that’s witchy and, hopefully, packed with the magic I’m craving.

The lost house is about a cold case murder in Iceland 4o years after the murder of the woman and her infant daughter were found. Her granddaughter Agnes returns to the scene of the crime at the request of Nora ,a podcaster who sets out to discover the killer. Agnes’ grandfather was suspected of the murders and sold his land and fled to America with his son Agnes’ father. There are many twists and turns in this story. Who you think is the murderer may not be correct. I enjoyed this book. Many emotions that were felt for 40 years come to a head before they are resolved..things are not what they seem and this author uses this skillfully.

This book starts out slow and never really gets going enough to interest me. I was looking forward to it based on the description and thought it would be the perfect chilling read for a cold winter night but I was bored from the prologue on.

Happy Publication Day to THE LOST HOUSE by Melissa Larsen—January 14, 2025

Sometimes, a book just doesn’t find its rhythm with you, and that’s okay. I wanted to love this one—I could tell the author poured so much care and effort into the story. The premise sounded fascinating, and the writing itself had some lovely moments.

Unfortunately, I found my mind wandering, and I kept having to reread paragraphs, struggling to stay connected. I couldn’t quite latch onto the characters or feel fully immersed in their world. On top of that, some of the subject matter was triggering for me. I’ve learned to recognize when I need to be kind to myself and step away, and this was one of those times.

That said, I know this book has resonated with so many other readers, and I’m glad it’s found its audience. It just wasn’t the right fit for me this time.

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley. Thank you!

This book was cold, cold, cold. Everything about it is cold. The atmosphere - cold and snowy. The air - cold. The setting - Iceland - cold. The main character - cold.

This was the perfect story for winter and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Agnes is seriously struggling, not only with family grief and hidden secrets, but she has a prescription pill addiction that is not making things so much harder for her and her damaged knee.

While there were a lot of twists and turns, I did think there were parts that were predictable. However, I just loved the setting and this was a good first book for 2025.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an e-copy of THE LOST HOUSE to review.

I rate THE LOST HOUSE four out of five stars.

Trying to give the author grace as this is a debt novel. For most of the story, I didn’t care for our main character. Then I read the author's note and wondered if some of the pain journey was coming from her own story. It doesn’t make the character more likable in how she interacted with others but it does add a new layer to my thoughts.
The main character is Agnes Glin. She is an interesting person to follow. For most of the book, I was torn between feeling bad for her and being frustrated with her. She seems to be a very lonely person who is stuck at this point in her life. After losing the person closest to her Agnes also suffered a terrible accident. This has led her to be somewhat addicted to pain meds. However, she is making steps away from that self-destructiveness on her trip to Iceland. The way she approaches almost everything though is somewhat rude.
A good portion of the story is Agnes talking with people to piece together what happened in 1979. However, another portion is her “searching” for a college student who went missing, Asa, at the old farmhouse. Things swirl together as to what is connected until everything is revealed in the final chapters.
Overall, I didn’t feel that the mystery aspect really fit with this book. It wasn’t bad but it really read more of fiction with self-growth and solving family trauma mixed in.

This book was really different from what I normally read, but I really enjoyed it. The setting is in Iceland. This was so descriptive that I felt like I was there experiencing the beauty and harshness of the land and the people for myself.

This is a mystery/thriller. A woman, Agnes, who's grandfather was accused of murdering his wife and baby girl decades before agrees to go meet a podcaster exploring the case in Iceland. She is dealing with recovery from a somewhat destroyed leg and the resulting addiction to painkillers. Literally, everything is a struggle for her, both physically and emotionally. She meets very interesting people and while she is there, another young woman that somehow looks like her grandmother disappears. This turns into a hunt for her and adds to the drama.

Very interesting book!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press/ Minotaur Books for the copy. All thoughts ae my own.

Iceland is on my Bucket List, so I grab any thriller that is set there and devour it. This turned out to be a quite worthy find! As an American, I loved the combination of both American and Icelandic characters and settings. It is also great fun to me to Google the terms I don't know. But ANYWAY..... the story was very interesting. American Agnes, who has Icelandic roots returns to the home of her grandfather who fled after being accused of killing his wife and child. Agnes has her own secrets and is recovering from a major injury. She is invited by Nora, a true-crime podcaster (love this trope) who is looking into Agnes' Grandfather's case. Almost as soon as she arrives, local girl, Asa disappears from a party. The story was fast-paced and suspenseful. I loved the characters of both Agnes and Nora, and the atmosphere was amazing! It is the heat of Summer here in Texas so that made it even better! Some parts were a bit predictable, but overall, this one was right up my alley!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Melissa Larsen and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I will post my review to Amazon, Instagram and other social media and retail sites upon publication day of January 14th, 2025.

This story is told from Agnes's point of view and mostly takes place in February 2019 when Agnes arrives in Iceland from California to meet with Nora Carver, host of a popular podcast. Coincidentally a young woman has gone missing in the small town of Bifrost and at first Agnes is a bit put out by the fact that Nora seems more interested in pursuing that story than in helping Agnes unravel the truth behind her grandmother's death 40 years previously but she soon becomes involved in the search for the missing girl. Agnes is recovering from a serious accident after which she went through a lot of surgery and rehabilitation and has become addicted to painkillers. Descriptions of her pain were so excruciating I could hardly stand it at times. There are quite a few characters in this story and I found it difficult to decide who to trust. Although slow at times, overall I was totally engrossed in the story and was satisfied with the ending. I'd definitely read another book by this author. 4.5 stars rounded down.

TW: Addiction, mention of abortion, mention of suicide.

My thanks to St. Martin's Publishing Group and Minotaur Books, via Netgalley, for inviting me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: January 14, 2025

I could not have read this book at a better time! It came off the heels of me DNF’ing two books in a row, which is discouraging and slump-inducing. But the frigid and snowy weekend in Old Town seemed like the perfect backdrop for reading about frigid and snowy Iceland. Also, I’ve been behind on my NetGalley queue and really wanted to get back on track with a pub day review. So I picked it up, and I am so glad I did! This was the perfect thriller- atmospheric, moody, set in an inhospitable place that you just know going into it is going to factor into the climax (nothing like fighting a murderer and subzero conditions at the same time!).

The story follows Agnes, who is headed to her ancestral homeland of Iceland for the first time. It is the 40th anniversary of the brutal murder of her grandmother and infant aunt, a crime made famous by the horrible way they were found and the supposed (but never proven) perpetrator- Agnes’ beloved grandfather. Now, a true crime podcaster is attempting to find out the truth, and after a horrible year and the loss of her grandfather, Agnes feels like she needs to help. When she arrives, she learns of the recent disappearance of a local girl, which feels related to tragedy of Agnes’ family. But after 40 years, how could that possibly be true? I loved how the unrelated psychological trauma of the main character, Agnes, makes her unreliable in a unique way. We know she’s not involved in the crime, but we also know that her issues are impacting the way she’s experiencing the investigation and relating to others. I was cheering her on the entire time.

I was really proud of myself because I did figure out the twist right before the main character did- I am a very gullible thriller reader and almost always shocked. And I was in this book too, but convinced I figured it out and impressed at how masterfully the author led me there! When the pieces clicked together, I raced to the end of the book at the edge of my seat, and I think it really made the book such a fun experience. January is the perfect month to get lost in a thriller, and this one was excellent! Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the eARC!

The Lost House by Melissa Larsen was high on my anticipated list!
I was excited when I seen this approval on my shelf!
TLH was an enthralling Icelandic mystery.
The story was well written and engrossing. The suspense is also fantastic.
The characters in this book were well-drawn. This was such a great story. I was totally engrossed all the all the way from start to finish. I loved everything about this book.