I really enjoyed this. I loved the Iceland setting. This was a fun ride figuring out who committed the crime. I also really liked the main character. Her non stop energy and unwillingness to give up was admirable.

I would read more by author again for sure. I will add some to my TBR.

Thanks you to NetGalley for providing me with the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A young woman travels to Iceland to discuss the brutal murders of her grandmother and aunt with a true crime podcaster hoping to shed new light on the cold case. Thirty years ago, Agnes's grandfather was accused, though never charged, with the crime, and he and Agnes's father fled Iceland to resettle in California. Now, her beloved grandfather has died, and Agnes decides it's time to find out what really happened all those years ago. Just maybe, Nora Carver and her podcast can help her, but when she arrives in Iceland, there's another girl missing, and Agnes can't help but get caught up in her disappearance as well.

I enjoyed the snowy, cloud-studded setting of this novel. It added an extra layer of suspense and hardship for our characters and made the whole thing that much more atmospheric. The contrast between Agnes's life in sunny California and her time in cold, wet Iceland seemed to be a metaphorical description of her life before and after her grandfather's death, and it worked really well here. I also like Agnes herself. She is written with all of her flaws in tact. We watch her make questionable decisions, deal with difficult circumstances, wrestle with her own demons, and much more; all against the backdrop of two mysteries, one current and one from decades earlier. It makes for a complex narrative that keeps the reader turning pages to find out what's around the next corner.

Thank you to @macmillan.audio for my gifted copy of The Lost House by Melissa Larsen.

I picked a wintry thriller for our impending winter storm this weekend and I'm was immediately hooked into the immersive, claustrophobic thriller about a women who returns to Iceland and the scene of her Grandmother's gruesome murder 40 years ago.

There is a crime podcaster slant which makes the audiobook even more engaging as I felt like I was on the podcast crew as they conducted interviews of local residents about their memories of the murders. There are true crime groupies, angry locals, and then another woman goes missing. Coincident or a killer copycat? The creepy vibes were high and my hackles were raised nearly the entire book. The author did a great job creating a protagonist who was flawed, and perhaps even misguided, yet I still was able to believe her and root for her as she delved deeper into the case and the disappearance of the local girl. I did not see the final twist, and really enjoyed the shocking conclusion. A solid winter thriller!
The audiobook narrator did a fantastic job with the Icelandic accents, and pronunciations of the local landmarks. It enriched my reading experience as they also slowly increased the suspense and fear the characters encountered.

The Lost House is some Nordic Noir from Melissa Larsen and read by Saskia Maarleveld.

"Agnes returns to the small village in Iceland where her grandfather was accused of killing his wife and child. He was never charged and fled to America with his young son. Agnes agrees to help a true-crime podcaster find the truth about what happened, but she desperately wants to find her grandfather was innocent. Another girl is abducted and people are afraid. Everyone is telling Agnes to leave but she is determined to find answers."

Agnes is a mess. She has some injuries she is still recovering from and is trying to beat an opioid addiction. Could figure out why she wouldn't go to the store and buy some gloves - It's winter in Iceland - brrrrr - GET SOME GLOVES. Agnes keeps giving different reasons for her injuries but when you find out, you understand her a little better.
This is a slow burn mystery. The last part is pretty intense. I like the resolution for Agnes. One of the difficulties with the audiobook was keeping the Icelandic names straight. I had to check the written copy to figure some out.
Saskia Maaeleveld does a great job with the audio. There are several characters - male and female - and she does a different voice for all.

A nice mystery from Larsen - wear your coat when you read or listen - AND SOME GLOVES

The book caught my attention because I’m a sucker for anything set in a Nordic country. Honestly, it took me a decent amount of time to get into the story, but then by about the 70% mark, I was very into it. I think that the pacing could have been a bit faster, but I feel like a lot of thrillers based around a crime podcast do tend to have that slower pace to build the ante. I thought that the ending was done well and the characters all had nice character arcs. Saskia Maarlaveld is the narrator, so you KNOW that the narration is top notch!

I recommend thriller. I would prefer to read this one due to the confusing names and accent the narrator was using. I listened to the audio version.

There were some good twists and turns I did not see coming. A heartfelt family drama. Some of the romance was unnecessary and distracting from the story. But maybe that was the authors intention to get you looking at the wrong person as a suspect.

I received this galley from NetGalley.

I really liked this narrator - something about their voice was almost hypnotizing, it was unique and easy to listen to. The story itself I had a hard time following and getting into, there were a lot of moving parts and I found it hard to connect with.

That being said, the setting/atmosphere was written really well. I enjoyed the snowy, cold setting that served as the perfect backdrop to the story.

Overall, this listen provided mystery, sadness, and family ties. All things that go over well for me.

Thank you Macmillan for the ALC!

Melissa Larsen’s The Lost House is a masterful blend of chilling suspense and emotional depth that left me utterly spellbound. Set against the hauntingly beautiful but unforgiving Icelandic winter, the novel unravels decades-old secrets through Agnes’s desperate search for redemption and truth. Larsen’s atmospheric prose draws you into the icy grip of Bifröst, where every character brims with suspicion and every revelation feels like a punch to the gut. With its heart-stopping twists and deeply human exploration of guilt, family, and survival, this razor-sharp thriller grips you from the first page and doesn’t let go. A must-read for anyone craving a story as dark and gripping as the long Icelandic nights.

The audiobook narrator of The Lost House brings an added layer of immersion to an already captivating story. Her smooth, measured voice perfectly complements the haunting and atmospheric tone of the novel, drawing you effortlessly into Agnes’s journey. Each word is delivered with precision and care, her pacing calibrated to build tension at just the right moments without ever feeling rushed. The narrator’s ability to capture the emotional undercurrents of Agnes’s struggles and the chilling unease of the Icelandic setting makes the listening experience unforgettable, adding depth and richness to Melissa Larsen’s gripping thriller.

I had a lot of high hopes for this book since it was taking a true crime podcast point of view of a cold case in Iceland. But in the end, the podcast storyline became a side story the personal struggles of the main character, Agnes. Agnes's story was kind of boring to me and just dragged out! The twist was ok but kind of saw it coming.

I listened to the audiobook and the narration was well done.

This got my attention right away and was a decent read. The attention to detail and character development were on point. There were a lot of characters to keep track of though and I did find it difficult until I started writing everything down. I felt pretty certain I knew what was going to happen and I did end up being correct, but there were also so many twists though out, it did have me second guessing my first thought. After a while this did start to seem repetitive and drag a little, but towards the end it did pick up again. The narrator for the audio was a great fit for this book. All in all I thought this was an interesting mystery book. 3.5 stars rounded up
Thank you to Macmillan Audio, Melissa Larsen, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

ARC REVIEW (1/14): the lost house by melissa larsen ❄️ a mesmerizing story of a young woman with a haunting past who returns to her ancestral home in Iceland to investigate a gruesome murder in her family.

I loved the dark setting and how it added to the harsh iceland ambience! many dark themes were explored so check triggers before diving in! if you’re on the hunt for a mystery to read while snowed in, this is the one for you as it’s not too frightening.

there was a podcast element that hooks you right away but I think I would’ve enjoyed this mystery more if it was told from the podcast host, nora! I was never sure of her motives so diving a bit deeper into that element would’ve been interesting🧣

despite the captivating writing, it did get a bit slow at times which was a bummer. SO much time was lost listening to the fmc, agnes, abuse her body & pop pills that it took me out of the story.

I hope I haunt you 👀 thank you macmillan audio & st. martin's press for the early copies 🎧 3 stars!

💥 Pub Date: 1/14/2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

• Nordic noir mystery
• chilling atmosphere
• unique characters

I found this to be more of a slow burn. It was a little too repetitive in parts, but the ending definitely paid off. The audio narrator really brought the story to life, and it was nice to know how to pronounce some of those Icelandic words!

🗣 Thank you to netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and macmillan.audio for the opportunity to read and review this book via both gifted eARC and audio! All opinions are honest and my own.

Macmillan Audio ALC
What a perfect atmospheric mystery for winter. This story takes place in Iceland when there’s lots of snow storms. The story felt claustrophobic between the snow, Agnes’ injury, and not knowing who to trust. I always love a story with an old family mystery, and this one is dark. I also thought the exploration of the podcast trope was so well done here. I liked how it explored how dredging up traumatic history isn’t always a good thing. Saskia Maarleveld narrated, and she is perfect for these kinds of stories.

A riveting, well-paced murder mystery thriller. I connected with the main character, Agnes, with her flaws, chronic pain, and her family's dark backstory. Despite her pain from a bad injury to her knee and leg, and convinced of her grandfather's innocence, Agnes makes the trip from California to Bifröst, Iceland to meet with a podcaster digging into her grandmother and great aunt's cold case. She meets distant relatives and new friends, many of them holding pieces of the puzzle to solving the mystery. Her journey to the truth is difficult and riddled with obstacles, and I loved how the mystery unfolded. The narration of the audiobook was fantastic and engaging. I highly recommend this book for fans of Nordic thrillers and murder mysteries.

The Lost House is a dramatic yet heartfelt story that still maintains a dark and mysterious vibe. I applaud the complexity that the author attempted…and pulled off brilliantly! The book mixes: a woman lost without the answers she craves about her family, a 30-year-old cold case, and a current day missing person. If not executed correctly, this could be one gigantic mess of a book, but it was really well done.

All the plot lines blended together seamlessly and the emotions of the main character added depth and a human connection that is refreshing for this genre of book! A very engaging and hard to put down crime fiction novel! I recommend to fans of the genre!

So this was a fantastic ARC. I really enjoyed the wintery feels while reading this during such frigid weather outside!
I have many praises for this book, starting with the plot.
I felt like it was never a story where I knew 100% who did what. There were always speculations, like I have with any book but you truly can’t figure out the ‘whodunnit’ part until the end. That was fantastic.

I would also like to say the audiobook version was great. I enjoyed the accents used and the overall tempo.
I think one area I wasn’t huge on was that the main character had a few moments where I was becoming a bit frustrated. The book lingered on her issues a bit too often I think- in parts, not all.
For this reason it’s a 4.5star for me. I needed a bit of a switch on the main character and I would’ve thrown a solid 5star it ‘er.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

The Lost House, by Melissa Larsen, was brought to thrilling life by one of my fave narrators, Saskia Maarelveld. I mostly listened to it while in the car, but I would have preferred to be sitting beside a crackling fire, glass of red wine in hand. Set in Iceland, this book has snow in just about every seen. Part mystery, part emotional excavation, I was relieved to get to the end and feel like Agnes will be okay. Whatever life throws at her, her journey in The Lost House has revealed her strength and she can handle it. But what a journey!

This story is a bonus that offers two mysteries in one book. I really enjoyed the setting in a small Icelandic village. While the plot and mysteries were the focus of the book, I wished for more description of the setting and better development of the characters since this is a place that I have never visited. That being said, the plot and the solving of both the decades-old murders and the current disappearance of a young woman was very well written. The story was fast-paced and entertaining and kept me searching for connections. The protagonist, Agnes was to be admired in her convictions and determination but she was one of those characters that made me want to admonish her to stop putting herself in stupid dangerous situations. I found the character of the podcaster, Nora to be very unlikable and I really think that the inclusion of a podcaster as a means to “set the stage” and get the protagonist involved has been overdone. I’m looking for something more creative now to get everyone in place. And I found Nora’s motives to be confusing and some of the things that she did were never explained (no spoilers). But as for the big picture, these criticisms are minor compared to the overall enjoyment of story and I would definitely recommend this book to lovers of the mystery genre and especially for the unique setting.
I listened to the audio version of this book and the narrator was excellent overall, her accents seemed very believable and she made Nora sound as annoying as her character. Her voice inflections were perfect for the drama.

This dark noir Icelandic thriller did not disappoint. Agnes, a young woman who has suffered a serious leg injury a year previously travels to Iceland to participate in a True Crime Podcast where she hopes to help prove the grandfather who raised her innocent of a famous double murder. The pace is a bit slow at the beginning but towards the end absolutely kept me listening for an exciting climactic ending. Highly recommended for lovers of true crime and psychological thrillers, you will not be disappointed. The narrator was excellent with her accents and brought the scenes to life for me. 4.5 stars.
Many thanks to Net Galley and the author Melissa Larsen for a chance to read/ listen to an ARC audio version of this book.

This dark and atmospheric audiobook for The Lost House perfectly fits my winter vibes. I absolutely love Saskia Maarleveld's narration. I will listen to any book that she narrates; she is so good.

The Lost House takes place in a remote frigid part of Iceland. Where the community is small and knows everything about each other's business. Agnes’s grandfather is suspected of killing her grandmother and her infant aunt in the early 70s. Agnes believes that her grandfather didn't commit these murders and flies to Iceland to help Nora, an American podcaster, with her show about their murders. While she is there another girl goes missing from the old house who looks like her grandmother. Agnes jumps at the opportunity to help find the missing girl while also trying to prove her grandfather's innocence.

I really loved how strong Agnes was throughout the whole story. Yeah, she has her faults like being addicted to painkillers. But, she is trying to overcome her addiction while also grieving her injury and her grandfather's recent death. I loved how she dealt with the fact that her grandfather was probably the one who killed her grandmother even though she wanted so much for him to be innocent.

As the story went on, quite a few suspects jumped out at me. I liked the mix of past descendants and current students when it came to suspects. In the end, I was surprised to find out the connection between Agnes's murdered family members and the missing girl. I found the ending quite shocking.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press - Minotaur Books through Netgalley for an advance listening copy.