This was a pleasant surprise. If you liked The Lost Village by Camilla Sten, I think you will like the similar atmosphere that this story possess.

In a small town in Iceland, a brutal murder of a woman and her baby girl was committed in winter of 1979. The baby was frozen and the mother's throat was slit. Everyone suspected the husband did it. With mounting tensions in the town, he took their son and left.

In 2019, the man's granddaughter Agnes goes back to Iceland to meet a podcaster, Nora, who is investigating the deaths of Agnes's grandmother and aunt. Coincidentally, a local girl who was interested her grandmother's case vanishes into thin air.

Are the cases related? Agnes can't rest until she finds out the truth.

This was overall enjoyable, and I would recommend the audio version. Excited to read more from this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This mesmerizing novel features Agnes, who while at home in California recovering from serious injuries to her legs, accepts an invitation from podcaster Nora Carver to join her in a remote town in Iceland, where Agnes' grandmother and infant aunt were murdered four decades before. Agnes' beloved grandfather, Eainar, who was widely accepted to have been the murderer, fled to the US with his son Magnus, Agnes' father, shortly after the incident. Agnes and Nora set about to prove Einar's innocence. Shortly after Agnes arrives, a local young woman goes missing and is presumed dead. Nora and Agnes take up that case, too. The two cases become inextricably linked and the action in this cold and icy country intensify as the book nears its conclusion. Larsen does a good job of building tension as well as developing the major characters, although Nora and her backstory are shunted into the background, perhaps a little prematurely. The audio book was enhanced greatly by Saskia Maarleveld's excellent narration. Unlike some of her peers, Maarleveld does a good job of distinguishing characters by voice when necessary and not overdoing or exaggerating them. Readers and listeners will enjoy The Lost House.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for granting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was very well-written, and even though mysteries like this aren't usually my thing, I did like it.

This book pleasantly surprised me! I went in not really expecting much, as most mystery/thriller novels feel the same to me (and I normally love them either way, but count on them being average). This was a really great story that was excellently planned out.

Agnes was a great character to read about! She's frustrating enough that you want to shake her sometimes, but she has a backstory that makes you pity her a bit AND understand where she's coming from. She's not perfect, nor does she try to be, but she is human and she's doing her best (especially now that she is either temporarily or permanently disabled from an accident and also dealing with someone doing a podcast about her grandfather who may or may not have killed his wife and child).

Nora is also an interesting character, and I wish we had learned a little bit more about her and her sister's backstory. It was thrown in there very quickly and then not addressed again, even though it would have made for some more interest.

This story has some great twists and turns, most pieces are thought out well, and I think this is a perfect story for this time of year when things feel a bit cold and gloomy, as the setting fits that perfectly. If you like mysteries that are also a bit of a thriller, give this one a chance!

This is my first book by this author. I look forward to reading more.

I enjoyed the narration very much.

This book was slow to start for me but it did pick up and the ending was great. The author definitely wrapped it up great.

A murder was committed in 1979 in a small town in Iceland. A woman and her baby girl. The baby was frozen and the mother's throat was slit. Everyone suspected the husband did it. He took their son and left.

In 2019 Agnes goes to Iceland to meet a podcaster, Nora, who is investigating the deaths of Agnes's grandmother and aunt all those years ago. A girl has gone missing and of course there has been a search for her now. The house that Agnes's grandfather and father lived in has become a place for people to hang out and gawk about what happened back in 1979. That is where the other girl went missing from too.

You get a lot with this story. A murder or two. A missing young woman. A drug addiction. A kidnapping. You uncover the truth as you read but that last part is the best. When most of the actual action and the reveal happens.

The setting of this story is great and the timeframes. It goes back to what happened in 1979 only a few times to keep you knowing what happened and then who did it. You meet several of the townspeople and most are very likable. This book was good but not great. I do say it's worth reading, You may love it more than I did. I did like it. It kept me guessing for sure. Parts kept me on edge too. I believe it was well written. It was a quick read for me.

Thank you #NetGalley, #StMartinsPress, #MacmillanAudio, for this ARC. This is my true thoughts about this book.

3 stars

Agnes is the granddaughter of the infamous Icelandic Dahlia. Her grandmother and infant child were found frozen in the snow 40 years ago. It almost looked like an accident, but her throat was slashed. Everyone believes that Agnes's grandfather did it, but as someone who adored him, she can't believe it's true. So she ends up in Iceland working alongside true crime podcaster, Nora in the hopes that they'll uncover the true killer once and for all. But the podcast is put on hold when a woman goes missing, and the only thing more dangerous than the arctic temperatures is the town's inhabitants.

As somone who considers herself a Mary Shelley fan, she loves a good atmospheric book, and that's exactly what you get here. You are immediately plunged into this frightening and frozen small town full of suspicious residents. This book focuses more on Agnes than Nora which is fine with me because I liked Agnes better as a character. While this book had a few issues (for example Nora just vanished at the end), it was a compelling read, and I'd certainly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ALC. As always, Saskia Maarleveld was an enjoyable narrator.

The Lost House by Melissa Larsen is the story of Agnus, the American born grand daughter of an Icelandic family infamous for the murder of her grandmother and baby aunt. The murder known as the Frozen Madonna, is now the subject of a true crime podcast hosted by Nora Carver. Agnus, suffering from a painkiller addition agrees to go to Iceland indefinitely to be interviewed and help Nora. Her grandfather was the only suspect in the murders, and Agnus desperately wants to prove he is innocent. Upon arrival to Iceland, Nora shares the news that a Girl has gone missing after attending an anniversary party “at the murder house.” Together Nora and Agnus interview distant relatives, friends and neighbors to try and find the missing girl, and who killed “The Frozen Madonna.”

I enjoyed this book, and looked forward to listening. It has a steady pace, good narration and sounds quality. It can get confusing at times with the many people who are introduced, all with Icelandic names. People who love psychology thrillers and mysteries will enjoy this book.

Thank you to MacMillan Audio for the advanced audiobook through NetGallery in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was a solid book. A small town mystery is uncovered by a podcaster and a young woman who has connection to the mystery. While uncovering secrets of the past mystery, this duo find themselves in the middle of a new mystery. You get two mysteries in one! Some of the book was slow for me, still a good listen. Thank you, NetGalley.

I loved the setting of this book, the harsh weather and remote town in Iceland made for a spooky atmospheric read. It was too much of a slow burn for me. I was dying to know what happened and wish we had gotten there sooner.


Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I tried. I did finish the book but it took a lot of back and forth between the book and the audiobook. Usually, I get a sense of darkness and tension rom this setting. This time I found myself fighting boredom. There was an old and a new mystery. Neither were approached in a way that had any real tension. No one seemed terribly concerned with the presently missing woman and no one even seemed a little reliable when discussing the past. I pushed through.

This one was a good mystery, but not super suspenseful or thrilling. It did cover some sensitive subjects (addiction & suicide). Overall it was a nice story, just not suspenseful enough for me. It was well written, a good story.

The audio version did not improve my initial thoughts on the book from when I had previously read it. I found it easier to read than listen. The narrator was well spoken and had a good pace, this one’s just not for me.

While we just celebrated the Winter Solstice, there is still time to enjoy this Nordic noir slow burn thriller this winter. There’s 3 stories to follow:

1. Forty years ago, a woman and her infant are found frozen and suspicious landed on the husband, who then fled Iceland to California with his surviving son. // 2. Agnes, the granddaughter of the suspected murderer, leaves California and heads to Iceland for the first time to find once and for all who was really responsible. Agnes has troubles of her own that gives character development. // 3. Coincidentally during Agnes’ visit, a local girl goes missing. Is there a connection?

Each character played a part, exuding Icelandic approach. You feel the winter darkness throughout the novel... solid twist towards the end!

The Lost House takes place in Iceland and I loved how Larsen truly transported me. The scenery she created was astonishing and a character in and of itself. It's also a mystery that's a two for one - Agnes' family tragedy from forty years ago implicating her grandfather as a murderer and the current mystery of a missing local girl.

There is a lot of history woven into the pages of The Lost House and it was important to keep names and timelines straight, which felt somewhat challenging at times with the audio. This may have been a better choice for a physical/ebook read rather than the audio, though I did think the narrator did a good job. It was just a complex story with a lot of moving pieces and characters and backstories. The audio was also fairly long, clocking in at 10 hours, which could give another push for reading rather than listening.

The writing was really well done with this one but it was a slower plot. There wasn't a ton of action - just researching and conversation and Agnes struggling with her pain and addiction.

Overall, I enjoyed this story but I'm not sure it will stick with me. Thank you to MacMillan Audio, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for the copy.

Settle in for an atmospheric, Scandi-noir mystery, with a menacing pall hanging over the protagonists, searching for answers from the past.

Agnes travels to Iceland in order to participate in a podcast concerning her family and hopes to answer questions about her grandfather's notorious past. Upon arrival in Bifröst, Agnes sees that a young woman has disappeared and that it may be connected to her family's unfortunate past.

This is definitely a neat read, especially if you like the icy atmosphere and seclusion of rural Iceland. The central mystery is intriguing enough on its own, but with the added mystery of the missing woman, the reader gets wrapped up in the connections between the two and the possibility that they're linked. Definitely a good read!

I received a free audiobook copy from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

Just couldn't get into this one... usually love Saskia Maarleveld and can get into anything she narrates, but this one just wasn't doing it for me. The writing wasn't working and I felt confused from the start. Not opposed to revisiting this one day but just wasn't working for me right now.

I really struggled to engage with this book. I switched between the audio and ebook and neither of them clicked. The book moved very slowly, too slowly for a mystery in my opinion. I started to get bored during many different parts of the book. It felt like nothing was actually happening through the majority of the book and I was able to guess the ending pretty early on. The book was very repetitive which only added to my frustration. All that being said, the setting of this story is CREEPY!! Seriously, the perfect setting for any thriller/mystery. A dark, snowy and remote town in Iceland gives the chill factor. The descriptions were incredibly well done, making me feel like I jumped right into the book. I feel like some of the pieces were there to make for a creepy read, but unfortunately other parts fell flat. Very mixed reviews on this one, so I would love to hear your different thoughts!

Agnes just lost her grandfather, who decades earlier fled from Iceland with his young son when his wife and daughter were murdered. When Nora, a podcast personality, wants to interview Agnes, she packs up and heads to Iceland, where a girl has coincidentally gone missing. Together they work to uncover secrets, both past and present, to help solve these cases.

Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copies.

This book was a slow build and took some time for me to get into, but the ending is absolutely worth sticking it out for! Initially this presents as more of a retelling of a cold case (though everyone knows who did it) but it turns into a huge active scene.
The audio was fantastic and especially helpful for the words/names in a language I don't speak.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author Melissa Larsen, and Macmillan audio for my advance copy of this audiobook.

This story is going to throw you in for a crazy ride. When Agnes goes to Iceland to be interviewed, she never expects her whole life to be turned upside down. I was a bit confused trying to keep track of the introduced characters. The storytelling was great, and I enjoyed learning little bits of the culture and how people did things in the small town. There were some pretty intense moments in the story where you don't know what direction things will go.

Thanks to the publisher, Net Galley, and Macmillan Audio for the ARC and ALC!!

3.5 / 5 stars. What a unique and interesting story. In the beginning I found it tricky to keep up with some characters having the same name, but after I got into the story it was easy to follow. This is a good mystery and I was surprised by the twist near the end. It had interesting characters and I liked that it took place in a cold place. It set the perfect scene for a winter read.

This was an ok thriller. I liked it in concept: a woman goes back to Iceland to explore more about what happened in the unsolved case of her grandmother and infant aunt's deaths. She meets up with a true crime podcaster who is covering the mystery and meanwhile another woman goes missing in the winter cold. I like the true crime podcaster trope, even though I'm not that into podcasts and I don't follow true crime. The podcaster here was weirdly gleeful, which I found jarring. The bigger problem was that while the mystery was compelling, the tension never quite built up, and, as a result, I was never fully immersed in the story. I was expecting the winter to be more a character in the story than it really was.


A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.