The story opens when three friends, Julia, Erika, and David, return to their Vermont retreat that has been in their families for quite some time. Within that main plot, each family has their own drama. But over all of these individual juicy, suspenseful plots is the "lake effect" of the killings of two women 30 years apart. Then, add in a nanny, who has never been a nanny before, with an ulterior motive. The multiple different plots amps up the suspense as well as the reader's interest. Great book that you will have trouble putting down!

This was a really fun little summer thriller. I actually liked a lot of the characters which is rare for me in domestic thrillers where everyone has a hidden agenda.

Thank you to the publishers for the e arc.

3.5 rounded up.

Thank you for an advance copy of this book..this is a great summer thriller that is scary, suspenseful and yet touching at times and nostalgic. I loved the serene Vermont lake setting, and it follows 3 longtime friends who return to their lakeside houses each summer. But when David's longtime girlfriend vanishes one summer, the summer takes a turn. This is a great summer mystery with a touch of nostalgia. A good friend story.

Your huge new house is blocking my lake view.

The house started off the not-so-good summer for the life long friends, and it wasn't the worst thing that happened or that was discovered.

Julia, David, and Erika have spent summers at the lake all their lives.

Everyone has changed and everyone has secrets as we meet two new characters this year - David's young girlfriend, Fiona, and the nanny, Izzy, for David's four-year-old twins.

When David's girlfriend goes missing the first night she is there, everyone wonders if the lake claimed her like it did two other girls more than thirty years ago.

And who deleted the security footage from the exact time Fiona went missing.

How is this summer going to turn out?

Will there be another victim?

What other information will surface?

Find out in this slow moving read with a lot of characters to keep track of and characters with secrets and agendas of their own. 4/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Jamie Day is back and I absolutely loved this new novel. I didn't see the twist coming, and will be recommending this to everyone for a great beach read this summer!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book to review.

This was a twisty thriller novel, and I enjoyed it a lot. I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

Like always, Jamie Day did not disappoint with this novel. The characters were easy to relate to and I found myself caring about their stories and challenges. The suspense was perfect and the ending left me satisfied. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

This is a perfect twisty summer read. I love domestic suspense, and Jamie Day is such a talented author. This book had well developed characters and twists I didn’t see coming. The setting was so detailed and the lake itself was so integral to the story.

For decades, Julia, Erika and David have been spending summers together at the same lake in Vermont. This lake has a history. Women have disappeared in this lake, thirty years apart, never to be seen again. When David’s girlfriend goes missing exactly thirty years after the previous woman, his friends (and nanny) start to ask questions.

4.5 stars rounded up.

I didn't really care for this mystery from Jamie Day. Even though it was only told from two characters' points of view, there were far too many storylines. And the 'twists' were so ridiculous and unbelievable. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the arc copy of this book!

Slow burn for sure! Not in the way that makes you not want to read it, but in the buidling of the story, you need all of the information given. The end really picked up and I could not stop reading because I had to find out what happened.

Very good book! I would definetly recommend this read!!

Thank you again for allowing me to read an advanced copy! I am glad I got to experience this book!

3.5⭐️

This was another enjoyable thriller by Jamie Day! I really liked Izzy’s character and the lakeside Vermont setting. A couple of twists that I didn’t see coming and a couple predictable plot points.

ARC/ ALC REVIEW:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

For as long as they can remember, David, Julia, and Erika have spent their summers vacationing at their family lake houses. While their memories contain fond times, the lake itself has a dark past. Over the course of a few decades, several women have mysteriously gone missing. With the investigations stalling out, the cases go cold. That is until recent home renovations unearth human remains. Will the trio be able to enjoy their summer lake escape, or will they unwillingly be brought into the investigation?

Jamie Day is my go to author if I am looking to read a mystery/suspense/thriller. Despite enjoying the genre, I tend to read very little of it. The reason being, most books in this category are too disturbing. Thankfully, this is not the case for Day’s work.

I had the pleasure of both physically reading and listening to the audiobook of The Lake Escape. While I found both formats be enjoyable, the voice acting elevated the story to a whole new level.

Day’s decision to tell the story through Julia and Izzy made it ideal for dual narration. Not only were they the two most reliable narrators, but getting to hear their POVs brought the story to life. Props to the producers and voice actors!

Without giving away the plot, this book also contains:
-deep seeded secrets
-hidden identities
-daring investigations

I highly recommend picking up a copy of The Lake Escape. It is the perfect summer read that will keep you guessing without compromising your desire to vacation.

Special thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and Jamie Day for allowing me to read/ listen to this book in exchange for my honest review.

A good read to kick off the summer. Lake Escape brings together an idyllic lakeside setting, three longtime friends and their families, a couple of newcomers, and—of course—a boatload of secrets. From the start, you can feel the tension simmering beneath the surface, and there are a lot of secrets to unpack.

Some characters are easy to like for, while others you develop a strong dislike for. The plot weaves in past tragedies from 30 and 60 years ago, adding a layer of intrigue and atmosphere. I found myself especially curious about the older mystery, which I thought was brushed over at the end.

The book is a quick, engaging read with a steady pace. That said, the ending felt a little chaotic and didn’t quite tie everything together as strongly as I’d hoped. I also would have liked to see Grace play a larger role—her character had a lot of potential.

Overall, a solid, suspenseful read that keeps you guessing, even if the final stretch falls a bit short. Great for fans of twisty lake-side dramas with secrets to uncover.

Thank you St Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Lake Escape is a domestic thriller surrounding three families with long histories, vacationing at their lake houses. The story follows one of the family’s nanny as a main character who only took the job to uncover a secret from the past. Each family has a storyline, told throughout in both past and present-tense. When David’s new, younger girlfriend disappears, the friends are left wondering what they really know about each other.

The secrets, lies, and twists keep coming once you get past the first half of the book- a little heavy with filling in the blanks. No one is as they seem and discovering the secrets kept me glued to the pages. I enjoyed the history that was uncovered and the way it was presented. I loved the multiple twists and the ease of reading the book. Overall, 4 solid stars for this one! Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for this arc!

This will be a great beach read for this summer! What an amazingly twisted, tangled story (easy to follow, though). I had my suspect pegged, but I did not get it quite right. This has just enough edge to keep you up at night reading!
Thank you #Netgalley and #StMartinsPress for allowing me an ARC of this book. It is great!

This book took me longer than it should have to read but because of the time it took me I realized a few things. This story sticks with you. Even though life didn’t give me a lot of time to dive into this book the way I’d like to it was not hard to remember the characters and the feelings and the situations of this story. I also realized that this author was able to give each character their own voice through the writing. The story itself was captivating. The twists and turns confirmed suspicions in some aspects but then totally blew my mind in other aspects. It’s definitely a must read.

Jamie Day proves once again, why she is the queen of the unexpected. Not your typical beach read- this novel is entertaining and thought provoking.

THE LAKE ESCAPE • pub day 07.15.25

ALC review
Natrators: Lisa Larsen & Phoebe Strole
Length: 12h 41 min
ARC pages: 384

David, Julia, and Erika have been friends since childhood - and now as adults they return to the Lake they spent time together when they were kids. Told in the POV of Julia, and David’s new nanny Izzy - secrets start to come out one morning when David’s new girlfriend vanishes. The lake has a history of missing girls in the past and everyone is haunted by the fact that it could have happened again.

I didn’t really connect to any characters in this story but I liked the setting of summertime at the lake with the eery feeling of suspense near the lake. I did the audio and the ebook for this one and think either way is a good option. I liked Izzy’s POV as it was told in first person and you could get more of a feel of her personality and intentions. If the book focused more on the mystery of the people that went missing I think I would have liked it a bit better but it was mostly focused on the family drama and suspense of the ones at the lake house. The narrators for the audiobook were great.

3.5 ⭐️

Thanks to MacMillan Audio for my ALC + NetGalley & St Martin’s Press for my ARC

I was expecting the typical vacation thriller, but this was not it! This was a well-plotted mystery with many layers and characters that was, honestly, difficult to navigate at times. The murder mysteries made sense and went well with the eerie setting. However, the domestic drama going on within and between the couples was a bit much and hard to keep up with. The domestic elements kept this from being a more serious type of literary fiction, which would have been an improvement. Too much was just…too much. I have read all of Day’s thrillers and she showed her literary chops here! It’s time she heads away from the more cushy desperate housewives vibe and into serious fiction since she is clearly able. Great job on this book. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest and humble review: here it is!

The Lake Escape sounds idyllic for a summer retreat but it turns out to be anything but.

I was quickly drawn into the story of Julia, David and Erika long time friends who traditionally spent their summers together on the beautiful serene lake.

When David's younger girlfriend disappears everyone suspects everyone else and piece by piece secrets and lies are revealed.

The story is told from mulitple POV's and this works very well as you get to know each one's story.

Twists and turns add to the suspense and I just had to know what happened.

The Lake Escape is well worth picking up and clearing your schedule and will make the perfect summer read.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review and The Lake Escape.