Agnes leaves her California home after a year long recovery from a tragic accident to go to Iceland and talk with a podcaster, Nora about her grandfather. Her grandfather was claimed to have killed his wife and their baby on a cold night 40 years ago, but he was never convicted and he fled to California to start a new life. Now Agnes wants to see if Nora can tell her if her grandfather was really innocent,,,,,or was he the murderer that everyone claims him to be.

This book was not my favorite to be honest. It had a good plot and the characters were well written, but the story line just seemed to drag for me. It definitely had some eerie aspects with the ice/snow storms and the far distance Agnes was from the next town and kind of isolated. The last quarter of the book was by far the best and I did enjoy the ending and how the author was able to wrap everything up. Even if I predicted the ending pretty early on in the book, the why was a surprise.

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an ARC in return for an honest review.

This was a very unique story. It was a slow burn but it did all come together. You just have to be patient! The whole book was atmospheric and it wasn’t scary but it definitely gave me chills.

Agnes grew up in California with her Icelandic father and grandfather. Her mother is not in the picture, and her Grandmother Marie died 40 years ago. Marie and her infant child were murdered in Iceland. Everyone thought Agnes grandfather was to blame, especially since he sold his home and land to live in America after the murders. After Agnes' grandfather passed away, she was contacted by Nora, a true crime podcaster, who invited her to Iceland to interview her about the murder of her grandmother, as the 40th anniversary date was coming up. Against her father's wishes, Agnes agrees. She meets her father and grandfather's old neighbors and friends, who still believe he was at fault. She makes new friends in the process...and enemies. She puts herself in harms way in assisting Nora with uncovering the murder from so long ago. I enjoyed reading this book, the author paints a vivid picture of Iceland. I felt that I was there freezing in the snow.

The Lost House is an atmospheric read that slowly draws you in and then doesn't let go.

The setting Iceland: you can feel the winds and the snow pelting against your face like you are right there with Agnes.

Agnes is trying to prove to the world that her grandfather did not kill his wife and child over 40 years ago.

Secrets and lies prevail in this small town and Agnes along with Nora a true crime podcaster have their work cut out for them.

Melissa Larsen does a remarkable job paving the path with twists and turns that have you guessing to the end.

Grab a blanket along with your copy of The Lost House and settle in for a chillingly good story.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for the privilege of reading and reviewing The Lost House.

Forty years ago, Agnes's grandmother and infant aunt were found murdered in the ice fields of Iceland. Blamed for the murder, her grandfather and father flee Iceland to start over in America. Agnes is returning to the crime scene to prove her beloved grandfather innocent. With the help of podcaster Nora, Agnes hopes she can change public opinion about her grandfather and help the world see the loving man she knew, not the monster they believe him to be.
Things aren't quite what they seem, though; a new woman has gone missing from the very house that her grandparents lived in. Is it a strange coincidence or something else? New friendships will be tested, truths from the past will be unearthed, and Agnes will finally have to face what happened to herself a year ago and choose the future she wants. Plus, she will have to deal with the consequences of what she discovers, whether it's what she wants to believe in or not.
Reminiscent of an Agatha Christi novel, you don't know who to trust in this novel! With flashes of the past intermingled with the presence, it is a mystery you can't help but want to solve. Who killed Marie and baby Agnes? Where is Asa? Who can you trust? Why are people so sure Einar killed his wife? Did he do it? I was haunted by questions until the very end of the novel, when all the answers were finally revealed.

If you love a good Icelandic thriller you will enjoy The Lost House!Agnes goes to the former home of her father and grandfather to try to prove her grandfathers innocence in a murder that took place forty years before.Her grandfather was accused of murdering his wife and infant daughter and then fleeing Iceland with his son-her father.Agnes goes to Iceland to help a podcaster.She is recovering from a devastating surfing accident and fighting to break an addiction to opioids..While she is there a young woman disappears.The twists and turns in this thriller especially at the end will keep you reading!Thank you St Martins Press/Minotaur Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC!

Wow what a thrill ride this was! The Lost House is the story of Agnes who goes to Iceland, where here father and grandfather lived before immigrating to the US after the brutal unsolved murder of her grandmother and aunt 40 years earlier, hoping for answers to all the questions she's never had answered. Upon arriving, another young woman goes missing.
This was such an intriguing story line, filled with emotional trauma, unsolved mysteries, family drama, and an unbelievably beautiful and rugged setting. Great characters that kept me glued to the pages. I loved it!

I found the premise of this book so intriguing!! A young woman, Agnus, returns to her ancestral home in Iceland to investigate a gruesome murder in her family. Her grandfather was accused of murdering his wife and baby although never charged.

Him and his young son flee to America for a new start. Agnus is desperate to know the truth of what happened. As she participates in a podcast to uncover the truth, another young woman goes missing!

This book was a slow burn and I truly didn’t see the ending coming. It was a bit slow for me in the middle but ended in such an unexpected way. Overall a good story with an atmospheric vibe.

This book is definitely for those (like me) that live a good cold case. This book fast forward 40 years to the grand daughter trying to clear her grandpas name. This book has so many twists and turns. It definitely kept me on my toes. And was a very quick read for me.

Interesting premise, but predictable. There was a TON of repeated phrases and thoughts and reiterating of plot which was distracting.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

It has been forty years since the horrific death of a mother and her newborn baby, known as the frozen madonna murders. Agnes is going to Iceland to find out the truth about her grandmother's tragic death. She needs answers about her grandfather, father and herself. A good book to read in the winter months, enough of a mystery to finish.
Thanks to Netgalley and publishers for the advanced book, in return for my honest opinion.

Forty years after the tragic murders of her grandmother and aunt, Agnes travels to her family's homeland in Iceland. She joins forces with Nora, a podcaster determined to solve the cold case. Agnes is driven by a desire to clear her grandfather's name and to take a break from her life in California. However, her plans are disrupted when a local girl goes missing the same weekend she arrives. Is this merely a coincidence, or is there a deeper connection? How far will Agnes go to protect her family and uncover the truth?

This book is a chilling and well-crafted murder mystery that true crime enthusiasts will love. It kept me hooked, and I genuinely had no idea who actually committed the murder, until the reveal. Although the pacing was a bit slow, it built up to a satisfying conclusion. The dual storylines were engaging and wrapped up nicely by the end.

Agnes' character development was outstanding. Her emotions felt incredibly real, making it easy to connect with her and enhancing the overall enjoyment of the story.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Melissa Larsen for a chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5

This book started out really promising, I was hooked immediately and excited to read. As it went on, the story started to feel repetitive and wasn’t fully keeping my interest.

Agnes has a tragic family past, her grandmother was killed when she was only in her twenties, along with her baby daughter. Agnes agrees to return to her families home country and work with a podcaster investigating the cold case. The town has said for years it is Agnes grandfather who is responsible, but Agnes can’t accept that her loving grandfather is behind the heinous crime.

Overall, not a bad read. But it didn’t keep me as captivated as I was hoping for.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC

A big thanks to St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books and NetGalley for providing me with an early copy to read and review.

It’s been awhile since a thriller captured my attention so quickly and it was difficult to put down! The generational mystery, the location and tying it all in with a modern true crime podcast was a fantastic idea.

Definitely atmospheric. A release in January will be great!

This if the first book I’ve read by this author and WOW! I loved the setting in Iceland - the description of the mountains, rivers and cold and I felt like I was there. There were many twists in the last 20 percent of the book that I didn’t see coming. So so good!

First off, Melissa Larsen does a masterful job of taking us to Iceland. From the beginning, we feel the cold and the picture the snow and ice. It helps so much to get wrapped up in a book when you feel like you are there.

Agnus Glin travels to Iceland to be interviewed by a podcaster, Nora, who is researching the deaths of Agnus' grandmother and Aunt 40 years ago. She believes that her loving grandfather who helped raise her in California was not involved in his wife's murder but everyone she meets in Bifrost, Iceland thinks he did it.

And, shortly before she arrives, another young woman has gone missing, Nora and Agnus want to help find her also. Agnus is a flawed character, but one you root for and hope she can get her life together. That goal is looking pretty hard when she questions her entire 26 years, believing her grandfather a good man.

There are twists and turns near the end that make this a thriller, one I recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I loved the atmosphere and setting, which I could practically see and feel.

Beyond that, I got bored quickly.

Pacing drags with lots of tedium.

We were told about Agnes’s leg injury over and over… and over. Yet she continued to stubbornly abuse her body, then acted shocked when the pain exploded.

And we have an instalove subplot, which is never my favorite.

I knew the whodunit part early on.

The ending felt unsatisfying to me. I wanted to know the reason for certain actions (and inaction), which I can’t list because of spoilers. But I felt that a little communication between certain people would have prevented this entire story from happening. And I don’t understand why that communication never took place.

*Thanks to Minotaur Books for the free eARC, provided via NetGalley.*

A perfect winter read, The Lost House is an atmospheric read about a woman named Anges who returns to her ancestral home to get the the bottom of a decades old family mystery. This was a slow burn that kept me interested the entire time as we get to the bottom of whether or not Anges grandfather was the man she knew and loved or the brutal murderer of his wife and daughter.
For a more indepth review check out my spoiler free youtube review here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OU3G7KLWRBw

This book is perfect for a cold winter evening, ideally enjoyed in front of a cozy fire. We meet Agnes as she travels to Iceland for an interview with a true crime podcaster. Living in California, Agnes is recovering from an injury to her leg, with details of the injury revealed later in the story. The book has a slow pace and an atmospheric quality that truly immerses the reader in the small town of Bifrost, complete with its biases, prejudices, and secrets.

I really enjoyed this book. Having been to Iceland, the imagery was spot on and I could really see the strange, black, rocky landscape.
The character development was great and I got a good sense of who everyone was. It was interesting to see how adamant the town members were about who killed Marie and infant Agnes forty years prior.It even got Agnes questioning her long held conviction of her grandfather, Einar’s innocence. A gripping thriller full of physical and emotional pain that left me wishing for more.