I thought the book started off slow and it took me a min to get into it then at the end it felt rushed. I liked the book but it wasn't my favorite from her.

This was my first Shanora Williams novel—and it definitely won’t be my last. It had everything I love in a thriller: suspense, mystery, a slow unraveling of clues, a rotating cast of suspects, and just enough emotional tension to keep me on edge.

At the heart of the story is Rose Howard, a seasoned investigative reporter reeling from a recent breakup. When her former best friend, Eve Castillo—a travel vlogger and influencer—goes missing, Rose is pulled into a search that’s as personal as it is dangerous. The twist? Eve is the woman who slept with Rose’s husband and helped end her marriage. That betrayal hangs heavy, and Rose’s internal tug-of-war over whether Eve even deserves to be found adds emotional depth to the mystery.

There’s also a strong thread of mental health representation woven throughout the narrative, layered and nuanced, especially in how the characters cope with trauma, guilt, and identity. It made me think about how long we can stay angry at someone we once loved—and what happens if we wait too long to make peace.

My only critique: the final reveal didn’t completely shock me. I was hoping for a bigger twist, but even so, the tension stayed high and the story kept me turning pages.

Rose and Eve were friends until they weren't but now despite Eve's betrayal, Rose is concerned about her disappearance. Why did she book a trip but leave her documents behind at the house on the lake? Rose has had a tough few months so digging into this is a good distraction and she is legit worried. This is told from her perspective and, more interestingly, from Eve's journal entries. You think you know what's going to happen until you don't because there's a twist. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Short chapters and snappy writing make this a good popcorn read.

I featured Whisper of the Lake in my June 2025 new releases video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6q31xhbo1tE, and though I have not read it yet, I am so excited to and expect 5 stars! I will update here when I post a follow up review or vlog.

I really enjoyed the fast pace of this book and the short chapters. I always love a book when I can’t guess the ending and the ending of this one kind of came out of nowhere! Overall really enjoyable and can’t wait to read more by this author

4 star un-putdownable thriller. I was absolutely blown away by Whispers of the Lake. Shanora Williams builds suspense and tension in such a way that I felt my heart racing and my anxiety building with the turn of each page. I don't normally need to put a book down at night because I'm too scared to read it in the dark, but I had to with Whispers of the Lake! The suspense was juxtaposed with an interesting mystery that I genuinely wanted to figure out. I think the way the story was weaved together was absolutely brilliant. Highly recommend this book to thriller and suspense lovers.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)

Whewww—this one had me clutching my pearls and hollering “you did WHAT now?!” more than once. Shanora Williams crafted a twisty domestic thriller with messy secrets, betrayals that sting, and journal entries that chilled me to my core. The story follows Rose, a woman desperate to uncover the truth behind her missing best friend—even after finding out that friend was sleeping with her husband. She’s better than me because I would’ve let the lake have her.

The tension is layered perfectly: fast-paced, emotionally fraught, and unpredictable in all the right ways. I especially loved the use of Eve’s journal entries—they gave the dead girl a voice and added an eerie intimacy to the mystery. Even though we never “met” her in real time, I still felt like I knew her. The final twist? Yeah… didn’t see it coming.

Perfect for fans of domestic suspense with sharp edges and characters who don’t know when to quit. My only wish? A slightly longer ending to let everything breathe—but this was a wild ride I devoured in one sitting.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Whispers of the Lake by Shanora Williams.

This book pulled me in right away with its dark, moody setting and a slow-burning mystery that kept unraveling in chilling little pieces. The lakefront house, with its eerie stillness and haunting atmosphere, became almost a character itself—perfectly atmospheric for fans of suspense set in secluded, isolated locations.

The protagonist is complex and flawed, someone who has experienced deep trauma and is trying to piece her life back together. Williams does a wonderful job of blending psychological tension with emotional depth. While some reveals felt predictable, I appreciated how the story explored generational trauma and secrets without rushing the suspense. The pacing ebbed and flowed, keeping me on edge during key moments while also giving space for the emotional aspects to breathe.

I especially loved the way Shanora Williams layered the past and present—it gave the story a dreamy, unsettling tone, where you’re never quite sure what’s real and what’s hidden. The twists, while not completely shocking, still landed with emotional weight. And that final act? Satisfying and a bit heartbreaking.

If you love a gripping psychological thriller with eerie vibes, complex women, and secrets that refuse to stay buried, Whispers of the Lake is worth diving into.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this ARC.

(3.5/5.0)

I was excited to read this book because it was based in NC. I was pleasantly surprised a lot of it is in Charlotte, where I live, and referenced a lot of Charlotte icons throughout.

This was a pretty straightforward thriller and I did enjoy how fast paced it was. The authors writing style kept it engaging and I really enjoyed it.

I wish the town with it's creepy vibe and secretive people would have been a bit more fleshed out. It really could have played into a more horror vibe I was hoping for based on the cover.

The characters were my flaw. Eve was truly awful, Rose really should have cut off that friendship and never looked back. Rose was pretty insufferable too. She was wreckless and made a lot of questionable decisions throughout. Honestly I think the only character I liked was Nico and Rose 100% was overusing him for favors.

Overall this was an enjoyable read, I just found the characters a little too flawed and unrealistic. I didn't guess the final twist though until the very end so that was a nice surprise.

This was dark as hell, and it doesn’t take much to shock me. This shocked me to my core. And I want to read more from this author! I can’t wait to read more by this author in the future as I feel like she can write a thriller super well.

I really enjoyed this book. From the beginning I was locked into the story , yes at times I was side-eyeing Rose because of her doing so much to help someone who betrayed her.
I was not expecting the plot twist , I was trying to solve the mystery the whole time and was sitting up in my seat when the truth was revealed.
I loved the life gems that were dropped throughout the story especially at the end.
I do wish the journal entries were dated just to see how timeline better of Eves thoughts. Overall a great read !

From the very first scenes, this book had me thinking of iconic movie moments, like Bernadine torching her husband’s car in Waiting to Exhale, or that explosive family scene in Soul Food where everything comes out at once. Shanora Williams hooks you fast, but then she pulls you deeper into a story about betrayal, trauma, and the hard choices we face in love and family.

At its core, Whispers of the Lake asks: would you risk your own life for someone who betrayed you in the worst way? Especially after you’ve survived your own brush with danger? That moral tension sits at the heart of this story, and the way it unfolds is completely unpredictable.

When the twist finally comes, and trust me, you won’t see it coming, the pacing shifts into high gear. It’s vivid and cinematic. I could picture everything as if it were playing out on screen.

Shanora Williams is a new author to me this year, but this is already my third read from her, and she’s officially a must-read. Her ability to blend fast-paced suspense with layered emotional storytelling is impressive, and I’m excited to keep going through her backlist.

Highly recommend if you like thrillers with depth, drama, and a plot that keeps you guessing.

Overall, this book was pretty good. It was an entertaining book for sure, but I had a little bit of difficulty connecting with the main character because I thought some of her actions were just totally unbelievable. There were some good elements of surprise and it was a thriller for sure But I prefer some of other some of Shanora’s other books over this one.

I did however enjoy the complexity of the friendship and Eve’s unlikeable-at-times character.

3.5 stars

I enjoyed this story to some extent. I loved the writing and how fast paced it was. I did enjoy some of the twist and turns too. However, i just don't think i like any of these characters.

I could not stand the missing friend Eve. The more the story revealed about her, the more i disliked her. I'm not going to say she deserved what happened to her in the end but i'm also not going to say she didn't. But at least she had the "grew up in abusive household" crotch to fall on. The FMC Rose on the other hand, well...

Rose really got on my nerves a lot. I don't know if that was the author's intention. If it was, kudos to her because it worked. Rose had no sense of preservation and whatsoever and lacked self love. Old girl was doing the most for a raggedy ass friend

"Why was I breaking into houses and sneaking onto people's property for a woman who'd betrayed me? For a friend who likely wouldn't have been doing the same for me if she suspected my life was in danger"

"Even though Eve hurt me, deceived me, made me feel lower than I'd ever felt in my life, I never wished death upon he"

Rose was better than me because I was wishing worse than death on Eve the entire time.

Overall, this was good fast paced mystery read with great twist and turns.

Thanks to Kensington Publishing | Dafina and Netgalley for the ARC

Thank you Kensington Publishing for the arc copy.

Quick and easy read that I was able to finish in a day. I was a bit unsure if I would like it in the beginning but it grew on me. There were a few moments that had me bit spooked.. but that’s just me being a scaredy cat lol. I kept thinking “oh no oh no I don’t want to turn the page if this is about to happen.”

I loved the journal entries from Eve’s perspective. Seeing the story only through Rose’s POV at first had me looking at Eve one way, but the journals completely shifted that. I do wish Eve had taken the time to get help for what she was battling instead of just accepting the “this is just who I am” mindset.

I appreciated the vulnerable sessions between Rose and her therapist. The power of therapy is real.

•You truly never know what a person is going through

•We’re all out here battling something daily

•People hide their pain and avoid help because of the fear of being judged by folks who can’t see beyond their own bubble.

•We all need therapy

Oh. Also, Rose was a little crazy but also a real one! I don't think I would’ve done half the things she did. Doesn’t make me a bad friend, but it’s just not me. Overall, pretty good psychological thriller! I didn’t see the plot twists coming until it hit me right dead in the face.

Eve !!! Honestly wasn’t worth it but I love how the story unfolded definitely would recommend to friends and other readers

Whew, this one had me hooked from the jump. Whispers of the Lake was emotional, eerie, and had just the right amount of suspense. Shanora really knows how to build tension and keep you flipping pages late into the night. I didn’t know who to trust, and I loved every minute of it. That ending? Yeah, I’m still thinking about it.

Thank you Dafina for the gifted digital ARC (and Shanora for the gifted physical ARC!)

Shanora Williams strikes again! I read this book in less than 12 hours, it is an absolute banger. I have to start by saying our female MC, Rose, is a MUCH better person than me. I won't say more than that so it doesn't spoil anything.

I loved the pacing of the story, and the fact that you were never fully confident about who you could trust. The big twist totally threw me for a loop, and I really enjoyed how everything wrapped up.

I will continue to devour everything Shanora writes! I am so grateful to be on her ARC team, she does not get enough hype!

Whispers of the Lake pub date is June 24.

I devoured the first 35% ish in one sitting, then it gets a bit over the top but overall it’s an easy and fast read thriller! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC, what a ride!

Whispers of the Lake by Shanora Williams. An easy book to get hooked into, Rose’s ex best friend, Eve, goes missing, and Rose (despite her complicated feelings) drops everything to find out what on earth has happened to her. This leads her to a cottage on a lake which travel reviewer Eve was meant to be reviewing when she disappeared. I liked the tail end of this book, when it ramps up abit. There were definitely unlikeable characters, and I did struggle abit with them.
Thankyou NetGalley, the author and publisher for early access to this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5