I really enjoy Jamie Day's thrillers! I thought this one was great and while it was a teeny bit predictable it still kept me hooked to the end. I finished it in two days :)

Thank you to Netgalley for this e-ARC.

​The Lake Escape by Jamie Day is about the complexities of lifelong friendships, family secrets, and the eerie lore surrounding a lake. Taking place in Lake Timmeny, Vermont, the story follows Julia, David, and Erika—three childhood friends who reunite each summer at their neighboring lake houses. This year, however, their vacation takes a turn when David's girlfriend, Fiona, disappears just like two other women in the past.

We hear perspectives from Julia, a longtime friend of David's, and Izzy, a college student who David hired to be a nanny for the trip. Nobody knows who to trust, and everyone is very suspicious of David. Are they jumping to the wrong conclusions, or are their instincts right?

I loved the suspense of the story, however, the plot became a bit chaotic when random themes were introduced. I did enjoy the book and would recommend to friends.

Another great read from Jamie Day. I love Day's stories, set in picturesque New England locations, with something dark always simmering just below the surface. I didn't see the ending coming, which is always the best praise I can give a mystery. I liked the characters, whether it's despite of or because of their flaws, I can't tell. A quick, fast-paced read perfect for poolside and beach reading, maybe you'll be lucky enough to bring this one along on your lake vacation...

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my advanced reader's copy.

Rating: 4/5 Stars
Pub Date: 7/15
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This is my third Jamie Day book, and I will always read her work, it's that simple. She writes such multilayered stories that will just entrance you from the first page. The Lake Escape is a story involving a decent number of characters. But don't worry, they are easily distinguished, hard to forget and sometimes even harder to love.
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I was immediately hooked to the drama of this one. Told in a dual POV this story is told between Julia, one of the house owners and Izzy, one of the college students nannying for one of the other house owners. Like I said, I never once wasn't sure who was who, it is very easy to follow. The pacing was fast right from the start, and it maintained that pacing throughout. There was the perfect amount of ick, of deceit, drama, suspense and mystery. I love how I thought that I had everything figured out but I, in fact, did not and Jamie Day managed to pull the rug out from under me.
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This is the perfect beach read for the summer. Thriller / mystery fans - you do not want to miss out on this one!! Huge thank you to NetGalley, Jamie Day and St. Martins Press for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I read this in close to one sitting. It was simply unputdownable. Strong pacing and character building. Izzy is a fan favorite, and I found myself enjoying spending time in her company. She was interesting and relatable. The twists keep happening, and made the read a thrilling ride.
I also enjoyed some of the heavier topics explored in the book, though trigger warnings helped prepare.

This is my second book by Jamie Day and I'll definitely read more. She's now on my autobuy/autoread list.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my early read of this gem.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Just as Day’s previous books, this one was twisty, engaging, and suspenseful. I really didn’t have a clue where this one would take me.

Erika, Julia, and David have been spending summers together at their families’ respective lake houses for as long as they can remember. Now adults, they arrive one summer with tensions already high, and many secrets amassed. When David’s new girlfriend goes missing all of their lives turn upside down.

The intricacies of each of the three friend’s family drama and secrets, along with Izzy the nanny’s, were entertaining and kept a fast pace. It made me think back to the innocence of annual childhood vacations and the friends you met there each year; it made me think about what web of secrets they may keep today.

With the dual POV rotating between two FMCs, one told in first person the other in third, kept the pages turning. Izzy, the nanny, was likeable and relatable; she had flaws and was able to move forward and achieve personal growth through her journey to uncover the truth about what happened to the missing girls from the lake’s present and past.

The middle was a bit meh for me, but the final few chapters and epilogue were equal parts satisfying and chilling, and truly had my jaw on the floor. The juxtaposition of the cold case plot and serene, beautiful Vermont lake setting really worked here.

Jamie Day delivers! The Lake Escape will sweep you away, the smell bonfires, the sound of waves lapping the shore and the wind rustling the trees. Rich , well developed characters (bravo for the strong, smart females!) tell the saga of missing women at Lake Timmeny and the three neighboring cabins and the dark secrets kept within. A quick read with twists and turns and a truly satisfying ending. Perfect for reading lakeside, beachside or pool side, just in time for summer vacay!

this book was just okay. I a good amount of it rather predictable and the characters uninteresting. the set up had such potential, but due to the factors just mentioned, it fell flat for me. the story is told from two perspectives: izzy’s and julia’s, which doesn’t really serve to strength the story in my opinion. overall, strong set up but weak execution.

Like Jamie Day’s previous books, this one is a thriller that keeps you hooked from start to finish. The pacing was on point, and I got into the story pretty quickly. It had just the right balance of suspense and intrigue, making it an enjoyable read that keeps you turning the pages. Definitely a solid pick for thriller lovers who want a quick and engaging story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I really enjoyed this thriller. It is set on a lake in Vermont with 3 families that have been going to the lake their whole lives and are now going with their families. Every 30 years a woman disappears without a trace at the lake and this year marks 30 years and another woman disappears. They start to question their long standing friendships and find out their friends aren’t who they thought they were.

What a great read. This book kept me engaged from the very beginning. I didn’t have a clue where it was going so every turn was unexpected. The storyline was multilayered and expertly woven. There were a variety of characters introduced but the main characters were not only relatable, but likeable as well. They had their own flaws and I enjoyed how the story helped them to move forward with their life choices and their personal growth as a result.

While this was not a nailbiter, it never drags and the question of who, why, and how are always lurking through each chapter and turn of the plot. I enjoyed the way the story wrapped up and everything was revealed. Not a lot of shock and awe but just the right amount of uncertainty that I found myself thinking, “So that’s what happened!” several times throughout the book.

I went back and forth between 3 and 4 stars on this one so settling on 3.5 and rounding down.

While the beginning of the story, with the lake lore and drama between childhood friends sucked me in, by 40% I had a hard time staying interested. Given the number of characters—three childhood friends and their respective significant others and Izzy, the nanny—and unique situation of each character, I would have loved to read from the POV of more than just Julia, one of the childhood friends, and Izzy. It became obvious that the story was being told only from these two POVs because they were the two who were not "in" on anything. That said, the poem about the lake at the beginning and end and the writing style deserves praise. I enjoy Jamie Day's descriptors and past books and look forward to any future stories!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in advance!

This one definitely captivated me the same way the author’s previous books have. It was twisty, suspenseful, the dual POVs (one written in first person and the other in third) was a good choice… but ultimately, it wasn’t my favorite. The premise was very interesting but getting down to the nitty gritty of what was actually going on left me somewhat unsatisfied and underwhelmed.

this was a summer thriller that takes you back to the good days of vacationing. i enjoy Jamie Day and her covers are so domestic. I love how mysterious this trip was

Set in lake Timmeny, a fictional town in the very rural northern Vermont. It follows three families that grew up together, spending summers at their family cabins. Now they have children of their own, and are heading into their annual lakeside retreat. Although this year, their much needed vacation is shrouded in ominous vibes.

A skeleton was recently unearthed at a nearby construction site. It conjures memories of the local women that vanished without a trace from the banks of the lake. 2 disappearances occurred exactly 30 years apart, with no apparent connection to each other, spawning homespun “Lake Lore” of the lake’s power to “take people”.

Despite the revived urban legends, Julia is especially excited to visit her family’s cabin— she desperately needs this vacation, as life has hit her hard this year. She just wants to relax and reconnect with her childhood best friend, Erika.

Erika is a ruthless NYC lawyer, also visiting the lake with her trail guide, hunter husband. They have nothing in common except for shared concern over their teenage son, and generational ties to the property.

Then there’s David, recently divorced with a set of unruly twins and a hot new girlfriend. He’s hired an even younger nanny, Izzy lied heavily to get the job and is up to something.

The whole vacation is off to an awkward start, and long buried tension simmers when the human remains are found nearby. Then one of them goes missing— exactly 30 years after the last disappearance, reigniting fears of the lake lore, or something more nefarious. The neighbors launch a search and learn way more than they bargained to, about the lake, about each other and about themselves.

It’s a fun summer thriller with an intriguing plot line using cold cases, made even more interesting with the beautiful natural setting.
It balances the serene lakeside getaway with sinister circumstances, and the dreamy warm nostalgia of their idyllic childhood with this nightmarish new version of their future. It feels like a true crime documentary in every way.
It was easy to get absorbed into the storyline, from the mystique of the lake lore, the intricate family dramas and the unlikely disappearance of one of their own. A compulsively readable summer thriller just perfect for a beach day.

Julia, David, and Erika grew up spending vacations and summers at their family lake homes--hence The Lake Escape. As adults with their own families, they continue to meet yearly and forget abut their worldly troubles.

This summer is different. When Julia, her husband, and her daughter arrive, David's familiar lake house has been replaced. Expecting Erika to be equally horrified, Julia is disappointed with her lackluster reaction. David is a divorced father of young twins, and he brings a nanny hired at the last minute as well as his new girlfriend. The surroundings and the people are different, but they still try to recreate the magic and the lore of the lake by discussing the women that have gone missing from the lake exactly 3o years apart.

When David's new girlfriend goes missing, the group bands together to search for her and they soon realize that they don't really know each other or the new additions to the group for the summer. Told from multiple viewpoints, the connections to each other and the missing woman as well as long buried secrets are revealed.

Slow burn domestic thriller with some side plots that all ties together in the end.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Lake Escape was a good summer thriller that quickly got my attention! Julia, David, and Erika grew up at the lake at the Vermont, where two girls disappeared thirty years apart. They have been bringing their families to the lake every year and then this year, there is another disappearance.

There are quite a few names and characters in this book so that took me a while. I liked the changing narration of the plot that happened throughout the book. It was an interesting ending that I was not expecting.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

This is a good multi-layered thriller by a good storyteller. Three lifelong friends gather at their neighboring lake houses in Vermont for their annual two week summer vacations. Julia, David, and Erika have been going since they were small, first with their parents and now with families of their own. I have read Jamie Day’s previous books and enjoyed them. Her characters are relatable. I look forward to reading more by Day.

I tore through this book! It’s an entertaining page-turner that I recommend to anyone who enjoys a mystery.

Erika, Julia, and David have been spending summers together at their families’ respective lake houses for as long as they can remember. Now adults, they arrive one summer with tensions already high. When David’s new girlfriend goes missing, the tension can only climb as their whole lives get turned upside down.

The book moves quickly and the characters are intriguing. During a busy week, I made time to read it and finished it quickly. I’ll admit that I had a pretty good hunch about it would end up, but it still kept my interest throughout. 4.5 stars rounded up!

Thank you to the author, publishers, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC.

Loved the multiple person storyline which is complicated, but interesting as I love trying to figure out whodunnit and it be super obvious. I also liked the past to present timelines that tie the present storyline to the history of the lake and the people who are attached to it. Julia loves the lake and her family’s home there. Her fondness for the place and the friends that she made there. They’ve been keeping up their summer tradition for their entire lives and although the friends, Julia, Erika and David have their own challenges, another summer vacation is now upon them. Trouble starts almost immediately as David has built a monstrosity of a house which now blocks both Julia and Erika’s view. Beyond that, David’s nanny is related to a woman who went missing 30 years ago and is intent on solving that mystery. Who is cheating? What is the teenagers’ story and their new distance? What is going on with Erika and her hunter husband? So many mysteries to unravel. Thoroughly enjoyed this story.