A very Nordic mystery set in Iceland - what is there not to love?

Agnes’ grandfather left Iceland after the brutal murder of his wife and baby. The entire community thought he was guilty and he took his pre-teen son to California to start again. Agnes grows up knowing the story of her family but forges a close and loving relationship with her grandfather. After his death Agnes is approached by a podcaster who wants to re-investigate the murders. Agnes ventures to Iceland and begins to discover what really happened forty years ago.

Agnes, still recovering from a devastating injury, travels to icy cold Bifrost, Iceland, in the hopes that she can clear her beloved grandfather's name, by working with Norah, a true crime podcaster. A chilling story, both atmospherically and metaphorically, there are two mysteries to be solved, and a small town that doesn't like controversy. I enjoyed the various characters, and the twists and turns to both mysteries.

"Forty years ago, a young woman and her infant daughter were found buried in the cold Icelandic snow, lying together as peacefully as though sleeping. Except the mother’s throat had been slashed and the infant drowned. The case was never solved. There were no arrests, no conviction. Just a suspicion turned into a the husband did it. When he took his son and fled halfway across the world to California, it was proof enough of his guilt.

Now, nearly half a century later and a year after his death, his granddaughter, Agnes, is ready to clear her grandfather’s name once and for all. Still recovering from his death and a devastating injury, Agnes wants nothing more than an excuse to escape the shambles of her once-stable life—which is why she so readily accepts true crime expert Nora Carver’s invitation to be interviewed for her popular podcast. Agnes packs a bag and hops on a last-minute flight to the remote town of Bifröst, Iceland, where Nora is staying, where Agnes’s father grew up, and where, supposedly, her grandfather slaughtered his wife and infant daughter.

Is it merely coincidence that a local girl goes missing the very same weekend Agnes arrives? Suddenly, Agnes and Nora’s investigation is turned upside down, and everyone in the small Icelandic town is once again a suspect. Seeking to unearth old and new truths alike, Agnes finds herself drawn into a web of secrets that threaten the redemption she is hell-bent on delivering, and even her life—discovering how far a person will go to protect their family, their safety, and their secrets."

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

Melissa Larsen’s THE LOST HOUSE is a well crafted and emotionally driven thriller that weaves together mystery, suspense, and an exploration of the complexities of familial relationships impacted by unspeakable horrors and long-buried secrets. At its heart, it is a poignant story about tremendous loss and the lasting impact inflicted by shadows of the past.

The story unfolds as our protagonist, Agnes, travels to the home abandoned by her father and grandfather in Iceland, a world away from where she herself grew up in California. She is determined to uncover the truth behind the murders that shattered her family nearly 40 years ago, when the bodies of her grandmother and aunt were found hidden in the snow. Everyone accused her grandfather of killing his wife and baby daughter, but Agnes is determined to prove her grandfather’s innocence and find out what really happened. To do that, she’s agreed to be interviewed by true-crime podcaster, Nora, whose interest in this decades-long murder mystery may be the key to uncovering the truth.

Larson’s prose, set against the backdrop of an Icelandic winter, is atmospheric and evocative, fully immersing the reader in Agnes’s journey and search for the truth. In the beginning, Agnes appears to be broken and fragile, yet as the story progresses, we see someone who is strong and courageous, making a difficult journey for her family, for closure, and for redemption.

I want to thank NetGalley, Melissa Larsen, and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for gifting me the ARC of THE LOST HOUSE! It was such a privilege to read this before publication. And I appreciate you trusting me with an honest review!

This story sucked me in right from the start and I read most of it in one setting. It is winter in the northeast, and I certainly identified with the cold, bleak, and snowy setting. I liked the slow unwinding of the background details of the crime and the characters' backgrounds. The characters felt fully developed and the conflict Agnes felt between the grandfather she grew up with and knew and the town's belief that he murdered his wife and daughter, along with her other struggles related to her injury, relationship with her father and the end of her relationship with Emi felt authentic and well explored. I guessed the wrong murderer, but it would have been disappointing if my theory had been correct.

Thanks to NegGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The Lost House by Melissa Larson, I love books set in Iceland and so couldn’t wait to die into this one. From the beginning, there was something about Agnes. I just didn’t like not that I liked Nora that much better but to say the mystery wasn’t a good one would be a lie and with the events that unfurl while she’s visiting Nora for the interview made the book that much better. I do want to say at no point did I want to DNF the book it is interesting, but I was looking for more of an Icelandictone to the book If you know what I’m saying. either way if you love a good mystery, especially a dual POV of a historical mystery. Then you may like this book. I liked it, but didn’t love it. #NetGalley, #MelissaLarson, #TheLostHouse,

After an injury and losing what feels like everything, Agnes returns to the homeland of her family where her grandmother and aunt were murdered to be featured on a podcast delving into the case. Everyone thinks her grandfather was the culprit, but Agnes isn't so sure. When she arrives, she finds out someone who resembles her grandmother has recently gone missing. The more time she spends in her father's home town the more she gets to know the people around her and the connections between them and what the actual truth is.

This was an interesting story, while a bit slow burning, it was enough to keep me interested. The characters were well developed and the relationships between the characters were layered. I liked the multiple story lines happening at the same time and how Agnes is delving into her last while also intrigued by and helping with the current disappearance of someone who looks so much like herself and her murdered family members. The reason for 3 stars is that it was a bit drawn out, and there were also some loose ends that never got tied up. The whole novel is based on the premise that Agnes is going to be on Norah's podcast, but by the end of the novel this is almost forgotten about other than one tiny mention of Norah. I felt the book could have been more well rounded if it circled back to that concept at the end especially given the advances in the historic case.

With that said, this was a decent read and I would still recommend it for those who like a slower paced novel and getting lost in the depths of a story.

The Lost House by Melissa Larsen ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

There’s something special about Icelandic settings on snowy days. I couldn’t have read this one at a better time as we had another snow storm roll through. The setting was atmospheric and really brought the chill to this read.

The plot, a slow burn, was interesting. I enjoyed the dual mysteries being looked into and found the ending to be twisty and satisfying. The characters were a good mix of insiders vs outsiders. While I didn’t think they were deep, I did find them successful in this story.

Fans of slow burns, small town secrets, and cold, Icelandic settings will enjoy this one.

Forty years ago, a woman and her infant were found brutally murdered in the middle of a harsh Icelandic winter. Agnes Glin grew up in the shadow of these unsolved murders— the victims were her grandmother and aunt, after all. It doesn’t help that despite her father and grandfather’s best efforts to avoid talking about the case or their lives back in Iceland, Agnes knows her beloved grandfather has always been the prime suspect.

When famous crime podcaster Nora Carver invites Agnes to Iceland for her new podcast covering the “Frozen Madonna” case, she can’t help but go and discover what her father and grandfather left behind and why. But when a local woman goes missing just before Agnes arrives, the focus shifts from the old murders to a potential new murder. The answers to these mysteries may destroy the quiet town… and Agnes.

I was really drawn in by the premise of The Lost House, which explores history, family, and community all within the confines of an intriguing bit of mystery. Agnes’ longing to learn the truth of her family’s past come hell or high water feels very real and substantial. I wasn't as invested in the disappearance of Aja as I was in the original cold case, but adding a real-time mystery also raised the stakes while creating parallels between past and present.

Agnes is a capable main character, but I do wish Larsen took her characterization a little further. She's only familiar with Icelandic culture at-a-glance, but that doesn't have a ton of effect. Agnes has an intriguing character flaw, but doesn't complicate the story in any palpable way. She never really has that moment of “maybe taking things too far” in her search for the truth, and I think those moments are part of what truly makes a novel a thriller. The other part is moments that invoke a true sense of danger, and I don't feel like that really happened until the climax. I didn't dislike Agnes, but I wanted her to feel a little less passive prior to the big end scene.

My feelings on the secondary characters are pretty similar. Some were more charming or more suspicious than others, but no one really stood out as super memorable. The cast of characters was also fairly small, so once a red herring or two was cast aside, there was really only one person who could have been the answer to the Frozen Madonna mystery. I didn't guess EVERY detail, certainly, but I got the general gist very early on. Missing Aja's story reveal was a little more surprising, but the motivations felt forced.

It may not totally sound like it, but I liked The Lost House. However, I do read a fair amount of mysteries and thrillers, and this does feel very practical and routine comparatively. If you prefer your mysteries on the simpler side (not to be confused with cozy mystery, but this is definitely not that,) then there's still plenty to enjoy.

She is compelled to discover the truth about her family's past

Forty years ago a violent murder ripped apart the fabric of a small Icelandic town, The bodies of a young mother, beloved local teacher Marie, and her infant daughter Agnes were discovered in the fields outside of Bifröst four days after they went missing. It was clear that Marie was murdered; her throat was cut wide open. Suspicion immediately fell upon her husband Einar, a professor at the local university, and although he was never charged with the crime he was quickly branded a murderer in the court of public opinion, ultimately having no choice but to take his remaining child, a nine year old boy named Magnús, and leave Iceland to start a new life in California. Nora Carver, a true crime podcaster who has recently had success in contributing to a cold case being solved, has been fascinated by the crime which became known as "the Frozen Madonna and Child" for years and has chosen it as the subject for the upcoming season of her show. She is in Iceland, in Bifröst, to begin her investigation and has reached out unsuccessfully to Magnús for an interview. Magnús's daughter Agnes, however, has agreed to travel to Iceland to spend time there and be interviewed by Nora, much to her father's chagrin. Agnes is at a very low point in her life. The grandfather whom she loved deeply and who lived most of his adult life under a cloud of suspicion, died a year ago; shortly thereafter, she had an accident which shattered a leg and which led to multiple surgeries and PT but from which she still suffers from significant pain. She is out of work, addicted to pain pills, and her girlfriend Emi and she broke up three months earlier. Growing up, it was her grandfather Einar to whom she was closest (her parents divorced, her mother remarried and moved across the country and her father is emotionally distant). Agnes believes that he was innocent of having murdered his wife and child (her grandmother and aunt), but it is a subject which neither Einar nor Magnús would ever discuss. She arrives in Bifröst to discover that a new drama has arisen there, the disappearance of university student Ása from a party held at the farmhouse where Einar and his young family had lived decades earlier. Nora is looking into that crime as well as the one involving Agnes' family, and there does seem to be a connection between the two. Emotionally fragile and out of her depth in a town which still believe in her grandfather's guilt, can Agnes find out the truth of what happened forty years earlier? Could the grandfather she loved deeply and who was the main source of warmth and love in her life actually be guilty after all?
Set primarily in the bleak winter landscape of a small Icelandic town, where everyone knows everyone else (and their family stories as well), there is an element of Nordic Noir to this latest novel by Melissa Larsen. The main character, Agnes, is a bit of a mess; in near constant pain unless she takes the pain pills to which she is clearly addicted, adrift after the loss first of her grandfather and more recently Emi, and at odds with her father over her decision to travel to Iceland and participate in Nora's podcast. Magnús does not feel that anything good will come of the investigation (he has always believed his father to be guilty of killing his mother and baby sister), and continues to be a disapproving figure to Agnes as he has been for years. As Agnes meets the locals....Thor, a distant relation who owns the house where Nora and now Agnes are staying; Ingvar, the man who as a young boy was a student of Marie and was the one who discovered her body; Óskar and Lilja, friends of the missing Ása who have not been entirely candid with the police...she becomes caught up in the current mystery even as she tries to make sense of what she is learning about Einar from those who knew him and have judged him guilty. As much a search for identity as it is an intriguing puzzle, my attention was grabbed at the very beginning and did not waver until the end. Possible villains in both the past and present are revealed and the damage left behind on a community years ago by one crime even as they struggle to deal with another in the present is explored, as the plot gradually unfolds. Readers of Larsen's previous book Shutter (which I also enjoyed and highly recommend) and authors like Hannah Morrissey, Vanessa Lillie and Carol Goodman as well as those who enjoy Nordic Noir should pick up a copy of this haunting story. Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for allowing me access to The Lost House in exchange for my honest review.

This is as much an adult coming of age as it is a mystery. Agnes is lost in life. She tries to understand her life after a serious accident and the death of her grandfather. Her adventure to Iceland to understand what happened years ago is the frame for her to come to understand herself and what she wants in life. The pace of the novel is methodical as the past is explored. There is some suspense near the end, however. For me, the best part of the book was the setting. I don't think I have ever read a novel set in Iceland and I really appreciated Larsen doing so. Larsen's writing style is good but the pace did have me skimming a bit to get to the suspenseful end. This is a good mystery for readers who like one focusing on the development of a character rather than action.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Thank you Netgalley & Minotaur Books for an eARC ♥️

This book is like a masterclass in suspense, weaving together a decades-old murder mystery, a missing person's case, and a healthy dose of family secrets.

So, the story centers around Agnes, the protagonist, who's driven by a desire to clear her grandfather's name. Her family's past is pretty dark - her grandfather was suspected of murdering his wife and infant daughter, and the case was never solved. Agnes is determined to get to the truth, even if it means uncovering secrets that her family has kept hidden for decades.

As Agnes digs deeper, she teams up with Nora, a true crime podcaster who's investigating the case. Together, they start to unravel the mystery, but things get complicated when a local girl goes missing. Suddenly, the whole town is on edge, and Agnes finds herself at the center of a very dark and very twisted mystery.

And can I just say... I absolutely LOVE that the book is set in Iceland! There's something about the rugged, icy landscape that just adds to the suspense and atmosphere of the story. Melissa Larsen’s descriptions of the Icelandic wilderness are so vivid and immersive - I felt like I was right there with Agnes, trudging through the snow and ice.

If you're a fan of slow-burning suspense, complex characters, and atmospheric settings, "The Lost House" is a must-read. And if you're an Iceland fanatic like me, you'll love the setting! ❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

Thank you to net galley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book as an ARC. This story follows a woman who agrees to go to Iceland to speak to a true crime podcaster regarding the murder of her grandmother and aunt. She is hoping to clear her grandfathers name as he is accused of the murders but was never convicted. Right before Agnes arrives a local college girl also goes missing. There seems to be some connection between the two events even though forty years separate them.

This book was really well done and held my attention the whole time. I thought it was perfect as a winter read given the snowy element to it. I thought it was a unique concept and really enjoyed the story line. This is my first book by this author and I look forward to reading more. I definitely would recommend reading this book.

A few pages into The Lost House, I was hooked. We're in Iceland. A young woman at a party sends an ominous text and subsequently disappears. Another woman, Agnes, is arriving from California to explore her family's legacy - her Icelandic grandfather, whom she adored, left Iceland after the death of his young wife and infant daughter. Well, after the murder of his young wife and infant daughter. A gruesome murder. And forty years later, a popular podcaster is going to try to solve the, ahem, COLD case with Agnes' participation.

The setting is perfect. The house is isolated. The neighbors are strange. Agnes feels alone, conflicted, The mystery from the past is layered, and somehow intertwined with the party girl that goes missing. What is happening, and whom can Agnes trust?

This suspenseful page turner had me guessing until the very end. I couldn't put it down.

My thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the digital ARC. The Lost House has a publication date of January 14, 2025.

One podcaster.
One "recovering" opioid addict.
One main suspect.
In the remote town of Bifrost, Iceland, two women come to learn the truth about who killed the Frozen Madonna and Child, as they are known.
Nora (the podcaster) just wants to uncover the truth, no matter what it may be.
Agnes Glin, granddaughter to the main suspect, is hoping to clear her late grandfather's name.
But will the truth give her peace?

On the surface, Agnes is your typical unreliable narrator. Not only is she still recovering from her injury, hobbling not so successfully in the icy terrain, but her battle to stop taking opioids for the pain, hasn't been an easy one. However, her persistence to find the truth, ultimately pays off. And uncovers the truth about another missing woman in town.

While there are two storylines involving the possible crimes, they ultimately come together. I won't say I was entirely shocked by the truth, but I was pleasantly surprised the strength of some made a difference.

If you are looking for a thriller with cold winter vibes, look no further.

This was good, not great. I liked the setting and the writing. It was a good wintery read. I also liked the characters and their backstories. I do wish we got more about Nora especially at the end. What happened with the podcast? It felt like the podcast should’ve been a bigger part of the story. It was a little slow, it could be cut down a bit. The ending was good. I liked the twists and that Asa was alive, I didn’t see that coming!

Thank You NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for a complimentary copy of this novel! Forty years ago, Agnes’ grandfather, Einar, was accused of murdering his wife and baby daughter in Iceland; but there was never enough evidence to prove it. So, he took his only remaining child, Agnes’ father, and moved to California. Agnes’ grandfather has now passed away and Nora, a true crime podcaster, wants to do her next podcast on Agnes’ grandfather. Nora invites Agnes to Bifrost, Iceland; where the murders took place, to interview people and maybe find out the truth. Coincidentally, another young woman has gone missing, Asa. Could her disappearance be related to the past? So many secrets and lies, it’s hard to tell who is telling the truth and who is lying!!! Will Agnes be able to clear her grandfather’s name, or will she find evidence that proves he murdered his wife and daughter 40 years ago? Look for this winter mystery thriller AVAILABLE January 14, 2025!!!

There is a lot going on in this story and I admit to wondering where it was going and how long it would take to make some sense. So much is predicated on the backstory of a mystery that was never truly solved years ago and I thought it muddied the waters at certain points. The characters, while some were mildly interesting, were mostly troubled and flawed, and I had trouble connecting any positive regard for them. The story went off in too many unrelated tangents that were unnecessary and did not add value. The story had great potential but it left me wanting more.

Many thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for a copy

I love Nordic Noir and really enjoyed this story of Agnes, an American woman who travels to a small town in Iceland to be interviewed by a podcaster who is looking into a tragedy in Agnes's family. Diving back into this case stirs up the small town along with secrets and even danger. With its chilling winter setting and growing suspense, The Lost House is perfect for fans of Nordic Noir fiction!

Thank you to @minotaur_books and @macmillan.audio for my gifted copies of The Lost House by Melissa Larsen.

I picked a wintry thriller for our impending winter storm this weekend and I'm was immediately hooked into the immersive, claustrophobic thriller about a women who returns to Iceland and the scene of her Grandmother's gruesome murder 40 years ago.

There is a crime podcaster slant which makes the audiobook even more engaging as I feel like I'm on the podcast crew as they conduct interviews of local residents about their memories of the murders. There are true crime groupies, angry locals, and then another woman goes missing. Coincident or a killer copycat? The creepy vibes were high and my hackles were raised nearly the entire book. The author did a great job creating a protagonist who was flawed, and perhaps even misguided, yet I still was able to believe her and root for her as she delved deeper into the case and the disappearance of the local girl. I did not see the final twist, and really enjoyed the shocking conclusion. A solid winter thriller!

The Lost House is some Nordic Noir from Melissa Larsen.

"Agnes returns to the small village in Iceland where her grandfather was accused of killing his wife and child. He was never charged and fled to America with his young son. Agnes agrees to help a true-crime podcaster find the truth about what happened, but she desperately wants to find her grandfather was innocent. Another girl is abducted and people are afraid. Everyone is telling Agnes to leave but she is determined to find answers."

Agnes is a mess. She has some injuries she is still recovering from and is trying to beat an opioid addiction. Could figure out why she wouldn't go to the store and buy some gloves - It's winter in Iceland - brrrrr - GET SOME GLOVES. Agnes keeps giving different reasons for her injuries but when you find out, you understand her a little better.
This is a slow burn mystery. The last part is pretty intense. I like the resolution for Agnes. Lots of Icelandic names - best to listen to the audiobook to know how to pronounce them.

A nice mystery from Larsen - wear your coat when you read or listen - AND SOME GLOVES