The Lake Escape
By Jamie Day
Publish Date July 15, 2025
4.00

Description:

JULIA, DAVID, AND ERIKA grew up together spending summers at their idyllic Vermont lake homes for as long as they can remember. Now adults— with their own sullen teens, endless mortgages, and low-voltage sex lives— the three friends have amassed secrets over the years.

This summer, David is eager to show off his newly renovated home—which now blocks his friends’ cherished lake views—and his much-younger girlfriend. He also, unwittingly, brings a nanny with a hidden agenda. What could possibly go wrong?

When David’s girlfriend mysteriously vanishes after a shouting match, Julia and Erika wonder just how well they know their lifelong friend. The lake harbors a harrowing past: two young women, with no known connection, vanished without a trace thirty years ago. Did the lake take another?

As a search is mounted, an intricate web of lies, deceits, and betrayals spanning generations starts to surface, and everyone finds themselves in danger of becoming the next victim. Of the lake, or something darker.

Review:


The Lake Escape is something we would all love to have, a summer home to go and relax at. This is what Julia, David, and Erika have had since they were little. They are all too well with drama and it starts when Julia shows up to see how big the rebuild is that David did. What they didn’t expect was David’s girlfriend disappears and it brings up the past… where two other women disappeared without a trace 30 years ago. 30 years to be exact!

Jamie Day doesn’t disappoint with anything! I really enjoyed all the different point of views and the twist that happen.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advance reader.

I thought this was a great summer thriller beach read! I liked how three generations were tied together by tragedy at the Lake. I liked the dual alternating viewpoints. It kept the book interesting providing two entirely different perspectives and timelines.

We all have places that hold a special kind of nostalgia, those small towns filled with childhood memories and sometimes it is a cabin by the lake. But what happens when that charming lakeside town harbors a dark pattern, and every 30 years, a woman vanishes without a trace, and locals whisper that “the lake takes them”? In The Lake Escape, history seems to be repeating itself, and one has to wonder, is this idyllic place truly safe?

The Lake Escape is the perfect summer read, blending the eerie atmosphere of a classic mystery with a modern twist. While most of the characters are flawed and not always likeable, they’re written in a way that still feels relatable. I'll be adding Day's next novel to my TBR list for sure!

While this novel does have an interesting mystery at its heart, it didn't work super well for me.
The author tried to include too many elements, resulting in a clunky second half of the book as she tried to weave those threads together.
I also found the resolutions for the two main characters to be very heavy handed, as they each had a chapter were they summarized what they learned through the story.

OMG! This is definitely one of those books I won't easily forget and will have me ruminating for quite some time! It's a tale of three childhood friends who decide to get together and spend the summer at David's lake house getting reacquainted. There is a disappearance and questions about where she went and many more questions about how well they all actually know these 'friends' who are truly strangers because of the passage of time!

Usually I am a huge Jamie Day fan, but this one didn't quite hit for me. I thought the twists at the end with the nanny was nicely done, but it was anti-climatic for me.

Jamie Day’s The Lake Escape is thriller that masterfully blends each character’s story with nostalgic moments. The story follows Julia, Erika, and David—longtime friends who return to their lakeside homes each summer. But this year, their retreat take a sinister turn when David’s girlfriend vanishes.

For me, multiple perspectives of the characters helped to solve this thriller layer by layer.The tension is incredibly intense, packed with jaw-dropping twists that will leave you on edge.

But overall, when I was reading the second part of the book I felt like a few relationships and backstories could have been better but Still, it was kinda enjoyable. The Lake Escape is a slow-burning mystery that delivers plenty of intrigue, deception, and eerie vibes.

The Lake Escape is like your favorite summer getaway—if that getaway came with shady secrets, a missing girlfriend, and enough drama to keep you hooked all night. Jamie Day nails the slow-burn suspense, weaving multiple perspectives that slowly peel back layers of lies, jealousy, and old wounds. The vibe is moody and atmospheric, perfect for anyone who loves a lakeside mystery with a dark twist.

Sure, the cast can feel a bit crowded at times, and I wanted to know more about some of the characters’ backstories, but honestly, the tension and jaw-dropping turns more than make up for it. If you want a thriller that’s equal parts creepy and captivating, this one’s a must-read for your summer TBR.

4.5/5

I have been lucky enough to be an ARC reader for all three of Jamie Day's books, and I have loved every one of them. There are so many intertwining story lines here, and I was interested in every one of them. Each character has something different pulling you in. There is enough going on that I didn't have time to try and come up with a theory of my own. I did not want to put this down, and I highly recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 Stars, Rounded up to 4.

Three best friends since childhood arrive at their lakeside homes for their annual reunion. Two receive the shock of their lives when they find their third friend has expanded his home--and blocked their view of the lake. He's cavalier about the addition, claiming the glass walls won't impede his friends' view too much. All they have to do is peer through the glass walls of his living room to view the lake.

Wait. Full stop. If this reviewer was a character in The Lake Escape, the book would be one short chapter and the mystery solved by page three, because I would have murdered my so-called best friend David for ruining my property and its value. Perhaps he falls into the lake and drowns? The End. However, readers are offered additional plot lines as the story continues. The disappearance of David's unlikable new girlfriend adds a layer of intrigue, and the family interactions among the best friends become interesting supporting characters. Jamie Day writes well, and the story pacing kept this reviewer engaged. The plot points all come together by the end of the book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for providing an advance copy of the book to read and review. This review will post to Bayside Book Reviews.com at https://baysidebookreviews.com and its Instagram page on release day. Follow us! *NetGalley Top Reviewer*

I had high hopes for The Lake Escape by Jamie Day, especially after enjoying her previous work, but this one just didn’t hit the mark for me. I’m giving it 3 stars— the plot felt a bit too far-fetched at times.

The story centers around three longtime friends, Julia, David, and Erika, who’ve spent summers together at their lake homes since childhood. Now adults, they reunite at the lake for what’s supposed to be a relaxing getaway. But when David shows up with his much-younger girlfriend and she suddenly vanishes after an argument, things get messy fast.

What threw me off was how casually her disappearance was treated. It just didn’t feel realistic that no one seemed truly concerned at first. Especially when you add in the fact that two other women vanished from the same lake decades ago… it just felt like too many convenient twists stacked on top of each other.

I listened to the audiobook and also read the ebook, and I will say the narration was great, definitely helped me stay more engaged than I might’ve been with just the text.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillion Audio for the eARC and audiobook in exchange for an honest review! The Lake Escape by Jamie Day comes out on July 15, 2025.

Unfortunately this wasn’t for me and I was tempted to DNF but I did finish it . I found there were too many characters to keep track of and too much going on that was getting confusing . Found the pace too slow and rhe ending for me was quite silly .

I really enjoyed the red herrings and twists in this story. I had no idea where it was going to end up, and I loved the turn it took with Fiona (don’t want to spoil it but trust me, it’s shocking!) This felt like a lot of storylines all at once, but they came together perfectly.

Set against a gorgeous lake backdrop, this twisty mystery unravels a 60+ year old cold case in just a matter of days — and everyone has something to hide. 👀

We’ve got Fiona who vanishes, Izzy with her secret agenda, Julia who's mad at the world, Christian being shady, David—ugh, the worst—and Taylor acting sketchy AF. The drama is delicious.

Told through multiple POVs, the character work is so sharp and layered. Lies, secrets, emotional landmines… it's all there, tangled up in the kind of tension that makes you second-guess everyone.

Jamie Day has the best summer suspense books! The lake setting of this one is the ideal summer getaway location. I was intrigued by the mystery and couldn't figure out who was to blame. Jamie always has a great web of characters. It unfolded really well!

This is my 2nd Jamie Day book and I REALLY like her books!

I enjoy all the different characters, both likable and not, as I feel I get to know them. I did NOT see the ending coming. I thought I had an idea of where this was headed, and I did (somewhat) but was completely wrong about who, what, why, etc. with the situations.

Can’t wait to get on to the next book by her! Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC.

The lake vibes are strong with this one, which was something I was craving. I think this will appeal to readers who want a mystery thriller with a chill lake atmosphere, no matter the season.

The other element I was craving was a more supernatural spooky vibe, and this book did not deliver that. I also had a minor dissatisfaction with the slow pacing and the cramming of characters and storylines that made for a bit of a jumble. However, I think this checks off boxed for being atmospheric and it kept me engaged. I have a feeling that where I liked this book many readers will enjoy it even more than I did.

I received an ARC from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

I really liked Jamie Days last book One Big Happy Family but was not a fan of The Lake Escape. The story could’ve been told in a different way that would’ve been more captivating like with flashbacks but it just felt bland.

There was too much going on, too many side stories that somehow managed to come together in a very convoluted silly conclusion. I was bored 90% of the book sadly.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

Intricately woven plot of murders at a lake 30 years apart up until the current day. Told from 2 alternating points of view. Characters are a bit undeveloped and long descriptive passages did have me skimming quite a bit. However, I stayed with it until the end and the author wrapped everything up.

Summer is the perfect time for slow burn mystery thrillers and The Lake Escape perfectly fits the bill! Its got an eery, remote setting and a mystery spanning three generations.

I loved the duality between Izzy’s and Julia’s perspectives - while Izzy holds her secrets close to her chest, Julia’s problems are on full display. Although the pacing of the plot was slow at times, there’s so many twists and betrayals to keep the reader engaged and guessing, all leading up to some big reveals. If you love true crime, mysteries full of tension and suspense, and relatable POV characters, I highly recommend adding The Lake Escape to your summer reading list!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.