I love a story where the environment is as much a part of the story as any of the characters. I read this book during the "big freeze" and snowstorm in early January 2025, and it was the perfect read.
40 years ago, outside a small quiet town in Iceland, a beautiful young mother and her infant daughter are found together, murdered, Their murder was never officially solved - but the townspeople collectively agreed it had been her husband. When he took their young son and moved to the United States, everyone assumed it was his guilt driving him.
Many years later, his granddaughter, Agnes, is recovering from a traumatic leg injury, an addiction to pain meds, and the death of her grandfather whom she loved. A well known true crime pod-caster has invited her to Iceland for the 40th anniversary of her grandmother and aunt's deaths, to research the case and possibly find the truth. Her father is angry she would engage with the pod-caster, but Agnes is determined to get the truth and clear her family's name. Just as she arrives, another local young woman has gone missing. Is there a connection?
I loved Agnes, and her strength - and weaknesses. The story lagged a tiny bit in the middle, but the suspense continued it's slow burn until the reveal.
I will absolutely suggest this book to anyone looking for a well written thriller.

The premise, plot line, and setting of this book spoke to me, and I was so excited to read it. The characters were vivid and varied, and there was enough action and suspense to draw any reader to keep going. But something about the writing just didn't do it for me. Books about True Crime podcasts are almost as ubiquitous as the podcasts themselves at this point, and it was hard not to compare this book to others that did that concept better. It might not be fair of me, but that's where I landed.

However, this book did make me really want to visit Iceland some day!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing the ARC for review.

There’s something about mysteries/thrillers that are set in the winter that makes the story so much better. Being set in Iceland adds to the ambiance. A thrilling, chilling, suspenseful read.

I received The Lost House as an ARC for a review.

I felt like this book was a slow burn. There was so much happening that I didn’t want to put the book down but it was a slow build. And then when the thing happened, I was like yes! I could feel so much emotion from the main character Agnes and I liked that. Definitely looking forward to reading more by this author.

This snowy mystery was such a good read while I rode out a winter storm! I loved the setting and atmosphere and the author did a great job describing the desolate, cold location. One of my favorite tropes in mysteries is when two mysteries, one past and one present, are being investigated at the same time. We got one scene from Marie’s perspective in the past and I would have loved to see more of this throughout the book. Another trope growing in popularity are podcasts in books. The podcast element here didn’t seem totally necessary to me, but it also didn’t distract from the story either. An aspect of the book I liked was the pacing. Although the pacing was slower, I believe this was the author’s intention. I am a fan of slow burns and I felt it added to the suspense and intrigue. I was able to predict what would happen in this story, but I read a ton of mysteries. I think this would be a great pick for newer mystery lovers who like or don’t mind a slow burn. Overall, I gave this one 3.5 stars and would consider reading more from this author.

I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery thriller set in Iceland.

Our main character Agnes goes to Iceland to be part of a true crime podcast that is doing a season on the "Frozen Madonna and Child" murder case. The young woman and child that were murdered are Agnes's grandmother and aunt. The main suspect is her beloved grandfather.
Then a local girl goes missing.

While I found this to be a slow burn I also loved all the Icelandic scenery and atmosphere. The story was enough to keep my interested and reading. It was great to read on a snowy day!

I received an arc copy from the publisher via NetGalley. Thank you to Minotaur books for sending this to me. Publication date is January 14, 2025

#TheLostHouse moved at a slow pace in the beginning, but finished like a blizzard. A broken girl goes to meet a Podcaster in Iceland to reopen her grandmother's murder. Everyone in town thinks her grandfather did it, including her own father. On the 40th anniversary, another young woman disappears. A novel on grief, trust issues, and family bonds. 4 stars.

Atmospheric, wintery, creepy, mysterious.

This creepy crime thriller is set in Iceland, with a podcast incorporated in, to investigate the murders that took place 40 years ago as well as the disappearance of another local woman while they’re there. I liked that Agnes, the granddaughter of the deceased, traveled to Iceland to be involved, learn more about her family, and pay homage to their home. While some people she meets there are cagey, rude, or accusatory, she also meets a few wonderful people.

Agnes is so relatable but sad, but I’m so glad to see where she ends up at the end of the book. I really enjoyed Nora the most, so I was a little disappointed when she basically disappears towards the end. As for the twist…I guessed early on what was happening, but I still enjoyed the journey to the reveal.

I traveled to Iceland this past year, so it was so fun to read a story taking place there! I could picture that gorgeous country the whole time (and I’m glad I didn’t go in winter 🤭).

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Lost House by Melissa Larsen was a challenging book to wade through (it did help my insomnia). The author brought the setting to life with her vivid depictions. Unfortunately, that is the best part of the book. The writing was awkward, and the story was convoluted. The characters were unlikeable. Agnes has a leg injury which we get to hear about frequently. Yet, Agnes continued to abuse her body, which caused more pain which seemed to surprise her (I wanted to tell her to stop whining). I did not like her continual pill popping (Agnes is hooked on pain pills too). The story moved at a glacial pace (ice freezes faster). The mystery is one that can be solved early on in the book which was disappointing. There is minimal suspense and action (the story needed action desperately). The insta-love relationship was unnecessary. It did not add anything to the story (just had me rolling my eyes). The reveal (when we finally got there) was lackluster (talk about a letdown) and bland (I believe a certain shows slop has more flavor). I was very happy to turn the last page, but I was left with unanswered questions. The Lost House felt like a rough draft instead of a completed novel.

A dark winter in Iceland is a great setting for a thriller and a perfect read for cold January (we even got our first snow the day I read it!)

The Lost House has an interesting premise with two mysteries tied in one. While I felt invested in the story, I did find it to be a slower reader and felt anxious to get to the action. Revelations happen sporadically until the final chapters when all is explained. I had a guess in my mind for the twist about 3/4 through, but still enjoyed reading how it all played out.

If you are a fan of Nordic noir or just looking for an icy read this winter, The Lost House is available 1-14-25.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

Melissa Larsen’s The Lost House is a masterful blend of chilling suspense and emotional depth that left me utterly spellbound. Set against the hauntingly beautiful but unforgiving Icelandic winter, the novel unravels decades-old secrets through Agnes’s desperate search for redemption and truth. Larsen’s atmospheric prose draws you into the icy grip of Bifröst, where every character brims with suspicion and every revelation feels like a punch to the gut. With its heart-stopping twists and deeply human exploration of guilt, family, and survival, this razor-sharp thriller grips you from the first page and doesn’t let go. A must-read for anyone craving a story as dark and gripping as the long Icelandic nights.

This was advertised as a atmospheric, chilling thriller. 40 years in Bifrost, Norway ago a mother and baby are found murdered and buried in the snow. It was assumed that the husband did it, but he was never arrested. He fled to California with his son. His son eventually marries and has a daughter named Agnes. Agnes is very close to her grandfather, and when he passes, she decides to look into the case to clear his name. She goes to Bifrost to meet Nora Carver, a successful true crime podcaster who wants to discuss the case with Agnes. As soon as Agnes arrives a local girl goes missing.

This sounded right up my alley! There is a dual timeline, and the atmosphere really did add "chill" to the story. However, that is where it ended for me. It was a very slow start, and I did not feel that it ever really picked up. I usually like slow burn, dark Nordic mysteries but this fell flat for me. It didn't help that I figured out the killer right away. And the "twist" was not unexpected or surprising. There was so much going on with Agnes- between her love life, the new love interest, the accident she was recovering from (which the author presents very vague in the beginning, and it felt like it would tie into the plot- but it did not), and her amateur investigation. It all got rather jumbled, and I felt if the focus had been the investigation it would have been a better story. There was not a lot of tension or suspense in the story which added to the slow pace.

I enjoyed the character of Nora, and felt the podcast angle was a fun angle. There are other characters in the story that I wish I knew what happened to them- but the story seems to end abruptly and a little disjarred. I still don't know what the lost house is, or what it refers to!!

This is only my opinion. Many others truly enjoyed this story, so please check out those reviews!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I read this entire book cover to cover yesterday while sitting in my apartment in Los Angeles waiting to hear if I'd have to evacuate due to the fires raging in the city so first of all I have to say thank you, Melissa Larsen, for taking my mind off of that for a little while. In fact it was especially appreciated to be able to lose myself in the frozen wonderland of Iceland while the smoke blotted out the sun outside. Now that's escapist fiction, baby.

But outside of my particular reasons for appreciating it this was just a good thriller, and one of the surprisingly rare ones built around a central conceit of a podcast in progress that actually make good use of the concept. I have a couple of quibbles with the Big Reveal, but nothing really bugged me enough to bother laying them out here. Neat idea, neat setting, capably written. Four stars, baby.

My thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the ARC, and to Melissa Larsen again for the distraction on a tough day.

Thanks to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for a chance to read this one early.

Was approved for this book at the right time, we don't get snow here much but when we do it's an all day blizzard, so I set out to read this so I could get a "little" taste of the setting of the book! Thank god it's not as cold as it is there but it just just enough so when i got chills i had no idea if it was from the book or the atmosphere! This was a really good read, spent about half a day on it, felt like it was a bit of a slower read at first but not in a bad way. More because I didn't wanna miss anything with all the facts about the two cases. Really enjoyed the FMC's POV, thought i would be more annoyed with her with the drug abuse but thankfully it didn't take up too much of the book, loved her joining the interviews with Nora, it really came through with the suspense not knowing what she was going to find out next and having her distracting the characters with looking just like Marie. I did NOT guess the plot So that's a plus, if you can get one passed me, I always have a little more respect for you in the end! I will be looking out for more from this Author in the future!

Agnes had a tragic family history. When her grandmother was young she was murdered along with her baby girl. Agnes has gone to her home country of Iceland to work with a podcaster who is using the story for a podcast of unsolved mysteries. At the time of the murders it was believed by many in the community to have been the grandfather of Agnes who killed his wife and baby. Agnes is out to disprove this theory. This story entwines with a girl who has recently gone missing in the town. Very atmospheric and draws you in with it's descriptions of the all engulfing cold and snow.
The book is slow paced with a lot of history and characters to sift through, overall not a bad read but somewhat predictable.

I really enjoyed this mystery from Melissa Larsen. It was very well-written and she did a great job of making you feel like you were in Iceland. The characters were interesting and held my attention from the beginning. I look forward to reading more by Her.

A man is accused of brutally murdering his wife and small daughter. Many years later, Agnes travels to Iceland to clear her grandfather's name after his death. Shortly after she arrives, a local girl goes missing. What is the connection?

I do not like to read stories about children dying, but this book did not focus heavily on this aspect. Instead, it focused on the past and present investigation and how much a person will do to protect their family. This is more of a slow burn mystery, and the who done it was pretty obvious to me, but the cold and ice setting of Iceland was very atmospheric. The setting, along with the unreliable narrator, made for a great read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is the perfect mystery to read in the winter as it takes place in Iceland during the winter. Agnes, our main character's grandmother and aunt were found murdered forty years ago and her grandfather was accused of their murders. Her grandfather and father, who was just nine at the time, fled to the United States. Forty years later, Agnes is contacted by Nora, who is a true crime podcaster doing a story on the murders and Agnes agrees to be interviewed for the podcast and flies to Iceland for the podcast. A few days before she arrives, another young woman, Asa, disappears from a party and people are searching for her. The story focuses on trying to find Asa while Agnes also tries to prove her grandfather innocent of the murders. I really enjoyed the mystery, and I think it is the perfect winter read.

Melissa Larsen’s The Lost House is an atmospheric and gripping thriller that masterfully blends family secrets, true crime, and a chilling murder mystery set against the stark and unforgiving backdrop of Iceland. With its icy terrain and razor-sharp twists, this novel delivers an enthralling tale of redemption, deception, and survival.

At the center of the story is Agnes, a young woman haunted by her family’s dark legacy. Her journey to clear her grandfather’s name brings her to the eerie and isolated town of Bifröst, where old wounds and suspicions fester. Larsen weaves a compelling narrative that not only explores the gruesome, unsolved murders from forty years ago but also throws in the mysterious disappearance of a local girl to keep readers guessing. The tension builds steadily, with each revelation more shocking than the last, as Agnes and true crime podcaster Nora uncover secrets that threaten to upend everything they thought they knew.

The novel’s greatest strength lies in its setting. Larsen paints a vivid portrait of the Icelandic winter, a stark and merciless landscape that mirrors the cold, sinister secrets buried within the town. The writing is immersive, and the twists are relentless, making it nearly impossible to put the book down. Agnes is a flawed yet relatable protagonist whose determination and vulnerability anchor the story, even as the layers of her family’s dark history unfold.

While the pacing is strong for the most part, the book occasionally falters under the weight of its many threads, leaving some subplots less developed than others. However, the immersive setting and jaw-dropping twists more than make up for these minor shortcomings.

The Lost House is a chilling, well-crafted thriller that will appeal to fans of atmospheric mysteries and complex family sagas. With its vivid descriptions, layered characters, and pulse-pounding suspense, Larsen delivers a story that lingers long after the final page.

The Lost House by Melissa Larsen is about a woman, Agnes, who visits the scene of her grandmother and aunt’s murders forty years ago in order to find the truth about her grandfather. Did he murder them as everyone thinks? The incentive for the visit is a true crime podcaster visiting the area for a new series who wants the point of view of a relative of the case- Agnes.

This book moved quickly and had several twists throughout. I would have liked more details and wrap up at the end. I think fans of Listen for the Lie or None of This is True would enjoy this for the podcasting theme.