Thank you so much to NetGalley and Jamie Day for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for The Lake Escape coming out July 15, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. It’s cool she lives in an idyllic New England town. I really wanted to love the story. I really enjoy psychological thrillers. The characters just didn’t do it for me. I would check out other books by this author.

This is the perfect book to read this summer! I love a summer thriller and this one did not disappoint. I loved that this took place in Vermont, as a New Yorker, I have visited Vermont many times and loved it. I really liked the authors writing, they were able to switch perspectives without any confusion. The author also did a great job explaining the backstory so I was able to understand the whole picture. I think this is a must read this summer!

A good summer thrill when someone else goes missing at the lake. Three old friends still return to the lake every summer but this time someone goes missing. Who’s to blame and why? I found this book entertaining. The ending does get a little wacky and wild but it’s a good easy to read thrill you could devour at the beach…..or the lake.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the free copy of this book.

Three childhood best friends have grown up and reunited for their annual summer at the lake. When one of the women goes missing, friendships are divided amidst rising suspicions and unburied secrets.

This book initially intrigued me, the concept sounded good and like a fantastic summer thriller. I also loved that it was told in dual POV between the nanny and one of the women. However, this book was suuuuuch a slow burn, I almost DNF’ed at 80% because basically nothing had happened. I wish I had, because the last 20% made my head spin and not in a good way. It was like the author threw literally every trope in at the end to make it wild. It was way too complicated and ridiculous to be believable.

I’m also honestly not sure how I made it 80% in. The people were horrible, rich, and entitled which really bothered me. Overall, this book was not my cup of tea.

This is a thrilling summer suspense that follows childhood friends Julia, David, Erika and their families on a two week long summer vacation at their families lake homes. Along with them, they bring secrets, drama and some animosity which all comes to a head when David’s girlfriend mysteriously vanishes...similarly to two other women who had disappeared exactly 30 years apart.
I predicted some of the twists, but definitely not all of them. Overall I found the story to be very entertaining and I really enjoyed the audiobook. I thought the narrators did a great job bringing the story to life.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and all opinions expressed are mine.

I did not expect this read.The book follows Julia ,Erika and David who are childhood friends who grew up spending summers together. This summer it's different as they are older and they all have secrets. Intriguing ,fast paced and well written.A perfect summer read.

Julia, Erika and David are now adults, but have been friends since childhood, and have spent summer vacations at the lake all these years. This year is no different, except it is. The three houses are in a row all with a beautiful view of the lake. Except this year David has remodeled his to a three story house with more glass than you can imagine and most of the view you see is thru his glass house. While all three think they know each others lives and secrets, there are so many secrets that they are all keeping from each other. And this summer all those secrets are spilled. And they go back more years than they have been alive. And they involve more than just their immediate families. They include murders, rape, and the mob. How could all this be happening and each of them keep their part secret for the others...when all is done, none of their lives will ever be the same.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were rich with backstory and the twists were all enjoyable.

I liked Day's two previous books, The Block Party and One Big Happy Family, and was looking forward to this book. Unfortunately, it didn't measure up to her earlier books. While good, it didn't have the "oh, wow!" ending of the other two.

The cabins at a Vermont lake have been in their families for generations, so when Erika, Julia, and David get together with their families for a two-week vacation, they are expecting fun and relaxation. But when David's girlfriend goes missing, it brings up similar disappearances of two women from the lake fifteen years apart. Add in the strained relations in Julia's marriage, and the tension created by David having renovated his home, which now blocks the views of the other homes and the lake, and not all is idyllic.

The book started slowly, and as more characters and subplots were introduced, it became increasingly confusing. I think the last straw for me was when mobsters were added--the mob in Vermont? Really? None of the characters were particularly likable, and each had their own agenda. I do give credit for Day not taking the obvious path to an ending, however. For once, a character faced a moral dilemma and did the right thing. I admit that I was sucked into the story, and couldn't put it down, despite the gripes mentioned above. 3/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is July 15, 2025.

A perfect lakeside read - a summer getaway to the family lake house. 3 families always come back - even though a girl goes missing every so often.

David arrives with his new girlfriend, nanny and twins. Erik and Rick arrive with their teenage son, Lucas. Julia arrives with her husband Christen and her daughter Taylor. David, Julia and Erika have been vacationing on this lake since they were kids. So it's nice to come every year and bring their families together too.

But over the years, there's been a lot of secrets between them but never fully shared. This trip, people are avoiding each other, avoiding eye contact, and you can tell - there is a lot to unpack here.

I liked the mystery of this one. They unwrapped slowly and I appreciated the drama and high stakes of it all. The person going missing happens very quick and keeps the story and the reader on their toes. However, the ending was a bit chaotic and I really had to unsort all the lines to fully wrap my mind around it. Perfect, easy, quick summer read. I enjoyed it.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book

3.5⭐️
This one was pretty good, but I just couldn't get sucked into it.

There was a lot going on, perhaps too much. Even in the book one of the characters summarizes what's going on...sketchy adult website, 2 different ties to mobs, revenge porn, 3 missing women, a secret letter and photograph and that's not even everything by the end.

Be prepared to be pulled in lots of different directions!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC in an exchange for an honest review.

I was approved for this book right before vacation and boy was I happy. I love how Jamie Day writes and with each character a little more of the puzzle is revealed. It never makes you know who to trust as it goes along. This book had a ton of characters, and it can seem overwhelming at times. But even with that said, the story keeps you guessing the whole way through. this was a great slow-burn thriller/mystery to read on vacation. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

Jamie Day did not disappoint in her newest mystery, crime-who-done-what-to-who book! A yearly summer-lake holiday of three friends who grew up together turns into drama for the three families from the moment of arrival as one of the friends, David Dunne, has built a monstrosity of a house that blocks the lake view of the other two - Julia Crawford and Erika Sullivan The story unfolds in chapters told in the perspective of Julia and Izzy Greene - the hired for the summer nanny for David's twin children, who is not really a nanny but a young woman on her own mission. Everyone has a secret and the unraveling of them all starts with David's girlfriend who has gone missing. Is this related to two murders from the past involving this very lakeside area?? There is never a dull moment as secrets slowly start to surface, leading to a frenzy of discoveries which, while complicated in the overall story going back decades, are finally exposed. Izzy finally gets the answers she needs, and all is explained in her crime-solving podcast in the last pages of the book. The characters in the book have been so well characterized throughout the book, the reader can't help but draw their own conclusions about who they like and who they don't like, who may have done what to who, and who ultimately is the villain in all that has happened! Some answers won't come until the very last page, which is how a good crime-solving-mystery should be. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this advance reader copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #NetGalley #TheLakeEscape

Jamie Day’s The Lake Escape is a suspenseful summer thriller set on a seemingly peaceful Vermont lake with a dark past. The story follows longtime friends Julia, Erika, and David, whose annual retreat is upended when David’s young girlfriend mysteriously disappears. As old secrets resurface and suspicions rise, the quiet getaway turns ominous and dangerous.

Told through multiple perspectives, the narrative gradually builds tension, revealing complex relationships and hidden motives. Though the large cast can be a bit overwhelming and some character depth is lacking, the second half delivers compelling twists and high-stakes suspense.

This slow-burn mystery stands out for its atmospheric setting and layered storytelling—earning a rounded-up 4-star rating for its expertly crafted intrigue.

A big thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this gripping novel!

David, Julia and Erika have been friends since they were kids and vacationed each year at Lake Timmeny. They continue this tradition into their adulthood. Well.... this year David is showing off his newly renovated home which blocks the views from both Julia and Erika's houses! But wait! That's not all! David has also brought his much younger girlfriend, Fiona, who may have her own reasons for being at the lake and a nanny with an agenda of her own. Then Fiona disappears and the secrets start coming out. Did Julia and Erika ever really know David at all? For that matter, did any of them really know each other? This is my third book from Jamie Day, and he has proven to be a consistently good author. All three of his stories are well written and fun reads. This one in particular is a perfect Summer/beach or lake read!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Jamie Day and St. Martin's Press for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I will post my review to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Instagram and other retail and social media sites upon publication day of July 15, 2025.

I’ve really taken to Jamie Day’s writing and was very grateful to be offered an advanced copy of his latest from St. Martin’s Press! He delivers another twisty, character-driven suspense novel with ‘The Lake Escape’, staying true to his signature storytelling style: the first 60-ish% is a slow simmer, layering tension, secrets, and interpersonal drama, before everything explodes in the final act with a rush of twists, action, and reveals.

Day draws you in by first anchoring you to the characters, and his latest book is no exception. Everyone has something to hide, and you spend much of the book peeling back layers, becoming invested in their dynamics before the plot kicks into high gear. This slow-burn approach works well, although in this one the sheer number of new characters introduced as the story progresses can make things a bit hard to track at times.

Additionally, the ending stretches believability in a few places, but not so much that it derails the whole plot. It’s still entertaining and delivers a payoff that makes the earlier pacing worthwhile.

Overall, ‘The Lake Escape’ is a solidly fun thriller that is perfect for your summer reading list!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Such a juicy thrilling book that centers around a woman’s disappearance, marital lies, and a whodunnit. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen next at each twist and turn in this book, which kept me guessing and made me struggle to take a break from reading. The characters are all so relatable in one way or another. Packed with twists and mysteries, this is a must read for summer!

4 1/4 stars
This summer mystery/thriller is told from two different points-of-view. One of the narrators is Julia who always looks forward to her family's yearly vacation at Vermont's Lake Timmeny. Her lake house has been in her family for years and now her childhood playmates David and Erika have the neighboring homes and spend their vacations today. Something is off this year, though, and the easy camaraderie between the three friends has been replaced by secrets and suspicions.

The other point-of-view is nineteen-year-old Izzy Greene. Izzy has reasons of her own for accepting a temporary job as nanny for David's young twins. She beefed up her credentials to get the job when most of what she knows about being a nanny comes from watching Mary Poppins! I wasn't sure what to think of her at first, but she definitely became my favorite character. She's smart and brave, and I love her honest, funny observations. I couldn't connect with most of the other characters, but I'd love to read more books featuring Izzy!

Izzy, Julia, and the rest of the families find themselves in the middle of a mystery when David's young girlfriend goes missing. Could this be connected to two other women who disappeared from the area? This intriguing set-up was so promising and suspenseful. There were a couple of interesting twists that got my attention and made the story even more engaging. But then for me, the plot became overly complicated and over-the-top which disappointed me. I still enjoyed the book but wish some of the final twists would have been more relatable.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and SMP Early Readers for the advance review copy. My review is voluntary and unbiased.

THIS IS THE JUICIEST SUMMER SNACK I'VE EVER DEVOURED. It was the perfect mid-summer escape with all of the ominous storytelling checkpoints I needed. And yet...I found myself evaluating answers to questions like "How much should a person exhaust themselves for financial security?" and "Should boundary lines be altered in friendships once we've grown up and changed?" "How far should we go to protect those tried and true relationships before enough is enough?"

For as long as they can remember, Julia, Ericka, and David have spent every single summer as neighbors at Lake Timmeny in Vermont. Their friendships have withstood the test of time through thick and thin. Now that they are adults, their kids have even become friends. But this idyllic lake has become a keeper of secrets. Every thirty years, a teenage girl has gone missing, never to be found again. The superstition in the area is "the lake takes them." But now, thirty years after the last abduction, when David's new young girlfriend vanishes after a heated argument, the lake is not to blame. David has also hired a new nanny to watch his twin toddlers, and she seems to have a hidden agenda. As the search for his missing girlfriend launches, these three friends find themselves highly suspicious of one another. After all, secrets can't stay buried forever.

This book has two well-crafted POVs - Julia and Izzy (the nanny). Each POV brings about just the right tilt in perspective for the PERFECT mystery. And it is a RABBIT HOLE of discovery as the book goes on and on. There is no typical structure to be seen in this novel. I know I gasped several times while reading this. I was so engulfed that I felt like I was sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch of my lake cabin, observing this drama firsthand. Get ready for some iced tea, y'all!

A special thank you to Jamie Day, NetGalley, and St. Martin's Press for this delectable summer read in exchange for my honest review.

This was an enjoyable thriller set on a lake in Vermont. I listened to this book and it was the perfect summer read.

This is a two person POV, Izzy, the nanny and Julia, a mom who has been going to the lake for years. I loved both of these characters and they had very different perspectives. Both were strong females who went through a lot. I loved Izzy's attempt at being a nanny. She wants to be a nanny for these kids, because she wants to investigate Lake Timmery and this is her only way to get there. The father (David) that she is working for along with his two friends all vacation at Lake Timmery every year. While at the lake David's girlfriend goes missing. It is apparent that there are secrets at the lake because this is the third women to go missing at Lake Timmery and they all happened 30 years apart.

I really liked the narrators Lisa Larsen and Phoebe Strole. They did a really good job and I didn't get confused with all the characters.

This was a fun read and definitely kept me on my toes. I would definitely recommend this for a good summer read on the water!

Read if you like:
-Lake setting
-Sinister vibes
-Slow-burn mystery
-Childhood friends

Thank you @macmillan.audio and @netgalley for the #gifted ALC