Jamie Day has become one of my favorite authors, ever since I read his debut “The Block Party.” Having read an ARC of last year’s “One Big Happy Family” I was pleased to again be approved to read this year’s offering, entitled “The Lake Escape.”

Set in Vermont, the novel follows Julia, David, and Erika. They have been friends since childhood, who spent summers at their families’ side-by-side lake homes. They arrive this summer to spend two weeks at the lake. Julia is the first to arrive with her husband and daughter. She becomes upset immediately by renovations David made to his lake house over the winter. Among other things, his house now blocks the views she and Erika’s homes had of the lake. David arrives shortly after Julia with his twins and a newly hired nanny. David’s younger girlfriend arrives separately. Erika, her husband, and son are the last to arrive.

The first evening finds everyone sharing a meal, making snacks over the fire, and the adults drink a concoction that Erika invented years before. During the late hours, David and his girlfriend get into a fight. In hindsight the fight looks suspicious when the girlfriend has disappeared by the following morning, but her vehicle is still there.

The reader learns early on every character in this novel, except for David’s twins, has secrets. Some are larger than others, but they’re there and they get revealed. I also enjoyed the lake being a character of its own. Part of the storyline involves two women having disappeared from the lake over the past sixty years, but thirty years apart. David’s girlfriend being missing marks the third disappearance and is almost thirty years to the day since the second one.

Overall, I recommend this book. By the end, I only liked a few of the characters in this novel, but it was by design by the author. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC. This was ok, but it missed the mark. I loved Jamie Day’s first book so I was super excited about this, but was a bit disappointed. I enjoyed the premise and the alternating character POV chapters. I actually really liked the end- it surprised me more than once- but there were like 6 pieces to the epilogue which was about 5 too many.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC!

This is my third Jamie Day ARC. I’ve loved them all. This one made me nervous. The slow burn was SLOW. The first bit felt so predictable. Every reveal had me rolling my eyes… then I ate crow. The ending was so action packed, a winding adventure through anticipation and reveal.

If the setting is a lake, I’m immediately in. Throw in some found-family style drama, tangled webs of lies, secrets, and deceit? I’ll eat that shit up every. single. time.

This is a ride with some good twists. The characters were a bit uninteresting to me but overall I did really enjoy this. Big fan of Day’s writing style.

Title: The Lake Escape
Author: Jamie Day
Publisher: Saint Martin’s Press
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Pub Date: July 15, 2025
My Rating: 3.8 Stars
Pages: 368

Lake Timmeny in Vermont has been an annual summer vacation place for Julia Crawford, David Dunne, and Erika Sullivan’s parents since they were very young. Now the neighbors’ tradition of returning to the lakeside vacation is being passing down to the children.

This summer, David is eager to show off his newly renovated three story home which is almost entirely of glass additionally wants everyone to meet Fiona his new (much-younger girlfriend) Also, their new nanny Izzy to tend to David’s five year old twins-Becca and Brody.
(We are not sure of the nanny’s intentions (although I don’t have any details, I have my suspicious). Izzy got an actress friend to give her a stellar recommendation as she has never been a nanny. She is a nineteen year college student and although she doesn’t like kids she needs a job and has viewed Mary Poppins many times.)
However, the next thing David’s mysteriously girlfriend vanishes after there was a shouting exchange with David.
Julia and Erika wonder just how well they know their lifelong friend as they have never seen or heard this side of him. .
Story is told from the POV of Izzy Greene, the nanny, and Julia.

There is a mystery connected to Lake Timmeny. Thirty years ago two young women, with no known connection, vanished without a trace. Now has the lake take David’s girlfriend?

Story was somewhat slow but it did keep me curious. Then ¾ in it got VERY intertisting.
I was sure I knew what was going on - but I was wrong!
Story was Great ~ better than I expected!!

Want to thank NetGalley and Saint Martin’s Press for granting me this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for July 15, 2025.

At first I didn't understand who was talking but once I figured out who was who it got real good. Alot of twists. I definitely really enjoyed reading this and would want to listen to the Audiobook. I must read for sure.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reader copy! I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author.

This book was full of delicious twists and turns- some of which are crazy and some are predictable. Nonetheless they are all fun. As a New Englander myself I always appreciate seeing my local geography in a story. This is a wonderful vacation thriller- perfect for the summer or your own getaway.

The Lake Escape was the perfect entry thriller. It had so many twists and turns you never fully knew what was right around the corner! It keeps you very engaged. At the same time, sometimes there was too much going on at once. Overall an easy read! I really enjoyed it.

The Lake Escape by Jamie Day is a deliciously tense, twist-filled suspense novel that had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. I couldn’t stop reading to find out what the truth was, and with every twist, my suspicion grew, but the reveal completely took me by surprise. The writing is sharp, and the characters feel deeply real—flawed and complicated. The friendships, betrayals, and generational secrets make the story feel rich with layers, and the pacing never lets up. It’s the kind of book that makes you question everything, wondering just how well we really know those closest to us. With its gripping narrative and unexpected twists, The Lake Escape is a perfect blend of suspense, mystery and emotional depth.

The lake escape by Jamie Day

This summer thriller is set in Vermont, this novel will keep your head spinning by people missing and the secrets that others keep.

The story is told and dual point of view one of Izzy, who is babysitter and one is from Julia who has been coming to this vacation spot for years. Two worlds apart in perspectives but they join together beautifully in the end!

What a killer read and it kept my mind guessing where the author would take it next. Thank you NetGalley and St Martins press.

This was such a fun, twisty read—the kind of summer thriller you fly through while side-eyeing everyone around you. Jamie Day nails the "secrets among friends" trope and brings just the right mix of scandal, suspense, and dark humor.

I really enjoyed how the story slowly peeled back layers of tension and betrayal. It kept me guessing without ever feeling like it was trying too hard. Also, the setting? So vivid. I felt like I was right there by the lake, watching everything unravel. Perfect for fans of domestic suspense who like their thrillers with bite and a little gossip on the side.

3rd book, cemented Jaime Day as a new found favourite author. Did not disappoint!

—Set on a quiet lake in Vermont, The Lake Escape is a tense, atmospheric thriller that unravels when a young woman disappears during a reunion among old friends. Newcomer Izzy, the nanny, is thrust into the drama, offering a fresh perspective on the group’s secrets and tensions. Jaime Day delivers a slow-burn mystery full of suspicion and sharp twists. Perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty, Megan Miranda, and Lucy Foley

Lake Timmeny hold lots of fun, memories, and questionable disappearances for the people, Julia Crawford, David Dunne, and Erika Miller who have vacation residences there. It's been a pace where they return yearly for some fun, frolic, and sunny days.

However the lake holds some mystery as well since two women have vanished thirty years apart in the lake's region. It lends an air of foreboding to the area and then something awful happens again that sets these friends against one another and provides a story filled with old passions, deceit, envy, and mystery.

Their struggles to keep their precious place in tact is for naught as all of them nurse secrets and lies. Will they be able to get back to where they once were or will the lake break them apart into unimaginable pieces.

I enjoyed the story but will say the ending was somewhat questionable.
3.5 stars.

The Lake Escape by Jamie Day is a suspenseful and atmospheric summer read that blends nostalgia, mystery, and a hint of sinister. Set by a quiet Vermont lake with a history that lingers beneath the surface, the story centers on longtime friends Julia, Erika, and David, who return each year to their lakeside homes. But this summer is anything but routine, when David’s much younger girlfriend disappears without a trace, the cracks in their seemingly peaceful lives begin to show.
One of the book’s strengths is how it’s told through multiple perspectives. The shifting viewpoints keep the story dynamic and give readers insight into the tangled web of relationships and secrets. The pacing builds steadily, with a second half full of twists and turns that kept me HOOKED.
I absolutely love Day’s writing, I’ve been a huge fan of every book I’ve read from her and this one was no different. The large cast of characters can feel a bit hard to keep track of, but she writes in such a skillful way that you don’t lose engagement with the overall plot of the story.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this one in exchange for an honest review.

I was initially drawn to this book by the eerie lore of Lake Timmeny and the promise of dark secrets surfacing among lifelong friends. I found the premise fascinating, and I was excited to see how the mystery would unfold. I enjoyed the atmospheric descriptions of the lake and its surroundings; I could almost feel the tension creeping in with every chapter. I appreciated how the relationships between Julia, David, and Erika were layered with years of shared history and hidden betrayals. I felt invested in their personal dramas and was eager to see how their individual secrets would unravel. The disappearance of David’s girlfriend added an extra layer of suspense that kept me intrigued. That said, I struggled with some of the pacing. I felt that certain parts dragged on, with too much focus on the characters’ internal struggles instead of advancing the mystery. At times, I was frustrated by the way the plot seemed to stall, and I wished for a more consistent sense of urgency. While I was intrigued by the complex web of lies and deceit, I found the ending a bit underwhelming. I expected a bigger twist or revelation, but instead, I felt like the resolution left too many questions unanswered. I appreciated the effort to delve into generational secrets, but I thought some threads could have been explored more deeply.

Overall, I had a mix of feelings about this book. I loved the setting and the premise, and I found myself hooked on the mystery at times.

Three families head to Lake Timmeny for two weeks every summer. This summer though, everything has changed. David, Julia, and Erika grew up together out there on the lake. As they’re back with their families, and David’s new girlfriend Fiona, tensions are high. When Fiona goes missing, the cracks in their friendship really begin to deepen.

I wanted to like this book way more than I did. The first 70% was so slow I don’t think you could even call it a thriller. The last 20% was where it all came together at once and it was a pretty good twist. Overall, the writing just wasn’t there and the plot lacked a lot.

This book has it all! The story between these best friends is long and winding. There’s history, relationships, and deception that is very deep. I really enjoyed this book and I think you will too!

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars.

I enjoyed this, but it just seemed to drag on a bit by the end. The author can write, clearly, and knows how to construct a good story which keeps the reader involved.

Good cover. Would I read more from the author? Yes.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.

This was another great book by Jamie Day; the author is worthy of being on any psychological book lover's list!

My favorite character was definitely Izzy and a good bit of the book is told from her point of view. I won't tell you why she took a job working as a nanny, when she didn't particularly like children, you'll find out by reading this. But she manages to become quite fond of the children she is watching along the way, and ended up in the middle of more than she bargained for.

This is another of those books where your thoughts are sent on a roller coaster ride because it's hard to say who killed 2 women 30 years apart and now a third one is missing at a time when it is once again 30 years from the last disappearances.

This was well done and neatly wraps up by the end.