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.

⭐️⭐️ – Not Quite the Escape I Hoped For

The Lake Escape by Jamie Day definitely had potential. The storyline was unique, and the narration was solid—those were the highlights for me and kept me hanging on in parts.

That said, I was expecting more of a thriller, and this ended up feeling more like a slow-burn mystery. I wanted that fast-paced, edge-of-my-seat vibe, but the pacing just didn’t deliver. The book dragged in quite a few spots, and when the big plot twist hit, it kind of took over the whole story—but not in a good way. It felt more jarring than clever and pulled me out of the experience.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and Jamie Day for the ARC! While this one wasn’t quite for me, I can see how fans of slower, twisty mysteries might enjoy it more.

Most think: a summer vacation is just what we’ve been waiting for – just what we need.

Three families were eager to get together at their lakeside cottages right next to each other in Vermont. David, Julia and Erika had known each other since their teenage years and this was an all-time favorite gathering.

Julia was excited being the first to arrive with her family but her mood quickly changed. David’s lakeside home, since her last visit, was bulldozed and reconstructed into a monster glass structure -- now blocking her lovely view.

David arrived with his nanny, Izzy, and two adorable twins in his new Mercedes. Soon after that, Fiona, his young girlfriend, showed up in a sleek Porsche. Erika told Julia not to be so bothered by David’s new display of wealth.

There was the fun rehash of the good-old times with the couples. Then about a third of the way, this story moved into a series of knock-out twisty discoveries. My eyes couldn’t move fast enough to keep up.

The checklist of issues was large. This author cleverly crammed into the story a number of critical concerns including financial hardships, alcoholism, police corruption and women who had vanished. It moved right along with characters holding on tight to their dark secrets.

There was nothing calm about this annual summer getaway. Yet, it surely would be one that would be talked about for years to come. This book was a constant flow of unexpected turns as I raced to get to the end.

My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of July 15, 2025.

I always enjoy Jamie Day's books. This was no exception. The plot twists through this were numerous. The author sets the scene for lifelong friends vacationing together at their homes every year. There is mystery twisted into this which will keep you turning the pages.

An insidiously delicious mystery thriller! There are three childhood friends who still vacation at the same lake where they grew up together and where there are two unsolved disappearances thirty years apart. Full of red herrings and lots of twisty and tantalizing crumbs along the way.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC!

The lake takes them…

Three lifelong friends and their significant others reunite at their family lake homes for their annual escape. This cluster of waterfront homes once belonged to their parents, but now the fun of those long endless summers of youth need to fit into the one seven day stretch a year they can all commit to returning and spending with each other . This year should be an idyllic week of celebration, catching up, sun- except looming over everyone’s heads is the lakes dark history. Three decades ago to the day, a young woman went missing from that same shore when our friend group was just coming of age, and what is even stranger is that she wasn’t the first one. Two women disappeared exactly thirty years apart, so naturally our story opens with our trio reuniting their families at this lake full of secrets on the 60th anniversary of these mysterious disappearances beginning.

Will the story that unfolds unravel the mystery before a third woman goes missing, or will the lake take another before the sun rises?

I greatly enjoyed the first 60% or so. The book was atmospheric and made the location feel so real, and the writing was immersive. Unfortunately the pacing of the back third felt a bit off, like the story was quite rushed at the end. There were lots of big exposition dumps, and all I could think of was my college writing professor writing SHOW DONT TELL in giant red letters at the top of a submission of mine.

Overall it was a decent read for people this summer to enjoy pool, or, erm, lakeside. If they dare.

"The next riveting summer suspense by the author of The Block Party and One Big Happy Family, Jamie Day.

Will this be the best week of their lives...or the last?

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."

David deserves to die for his new house.

Really good mystery about women who go missing from the lake all 30 years apart. Now another is missing exactly 30 years since the last. It gets more interesting towards the middle/end end. secrets start to be revealed and we see how the characters are connected. Unexpected twist at the end!

Rating: 3.5⭐️
Pub Date: July 15, 2025
How I Read It: 📱🎧

Synopsis
Julia, David, and Erika are three friends who spent their summers together at a Vermont lake. As adults, they still visit their family homes every summer. Julia returns to her lake house only to find that David has built a hideous monstrosity of a home blocking her lake view, at least partially, the house is made of glass. David arrives to his home with a new younger girlfriend in tow, as well as a nanny who has her own reason for wanting to be at the lake. When David’s younger girlfriend mysteriously vanishes after a fight the night before, that the whole lake overheard, Julia and Erika wonder just how well they know their lifelong friend. She’s not the first girl to go missing from the lake though; two young women, with no known connection, vanished without a trace thirty years ago. The search is on for Fiona, David’s girlfriend, and lies, secrets, and betrayals start surfacing with the situation taking an unexpected turn. Are the women putting themselves in danger digging into Fiona’s disappearance?

My Thoughts
This book is the perfect summer read if you’re by the lake or pool. It has all those summer vibes with mystery and suspense thrown in. And who knew there could be so much drama at the lake! The story is a dual narration with Julia and Izzy, David’s nanny. I liked how we had both perspectives because it kept the story flowing nicely. I alternated between reading and listening to the audiobook, and I liked both formats.
The audiobook had two narrators, and they did such a great job portraying Julia and Issy.

This book kept me guessing. At one point, I thought Izzy was a goner, and that was really where the book got suspenseful for me, and I started becoming worried that there may be another victim because I had a hard time trusting characters. Then things started getting weird when Izzy was doing her own detective work, and I didn’t anticipate what happened next. If you’re looking for a summer thriller with some twists and suspense, pick this one up!

Themes
🫣 Suspense
🤫 Secrets
🌪️ Twists
👧🏻👱🏻‍♀️Multiple POVs

Ratings
Characters: 4 ⭐️
Pace: 3.5 ⭐️
Enjoyability: 3.5 ⭐️

Thank you Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book!

3 ⭐️
Expected publication date - July 15, 2025

WHAT I LOVED - The present-day mystery wrapped up in past mysteries.

WHAT I LIKED - A couple of twists I wasn't expecting.

WHAT I DISLIKED - The story was a little slow at times, but it was still a quick read.

WOULD I RECOMMEND? Probably, it depends on the readers' preference for mysteries.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this eARC for review. All opinions are my own.