Shanora Williams’ thriller/suspense books have the best kind of Lifetime Movie energy, and Whispers of the Lake sticks to that winning formula. This book was an all gas, no brakes ride that had me gasping, scratching my head, and clutching my pearls—sometimes all at once.

A wildly fun, twisty read that kept me hooked from start to finish!

#WhispersoftheLake #NetGalley

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Shanora is going to do what shanora is going to do every time. Her thrillers pull you in from the beginning with the messy goodness we all love. A page turner indeed. But when that plot twist hits...

Wow

Shanora Williams does it again. The queen of thrillers is back. This book did not disappoint, you need to pick it up!

Whispers of The Lake by @reallyshanora
This book will be published on June 24 2025. Thank you @netgalley for this ARC copy.

Whispers of The Lake is a riveting mystery novel that shines with a twisted plot with a pinch of horror air, alluring readers with a dash of salt and pepper kinda mixed feelings. It challenges questions about ethical thinking, something beyond the imagination, its' story line is compassionate exploration of mental health, childhood trauma, asking forgiveness for a betrayal that no one would be capable of forgetting. Shanora Williams narrated this with utmost care and love, a love that will melt your heart, moist your eyes with infused pain for a character that is normally we thought above of all forgiveness but ended up with molten tenderness.

Would you go on hunt for a disappeared friend who betrayed you in a most pathetic way? Maybe you won't but Rose did. This book is narrated by Rose, she is desperately searching for her childhood friend Eve who is missing from a lake front cottage.
Eve Castillo, isn't responding to attempts to contact her at the North Carolina cottage she's reviewing.

Rose soon discovers that Eve has vanished without her purse and passport—even after booking a trip abroad. The personable cabin owners’ accounts of Eve's stay just don’t add up, and most of the town's initially hospitable inhabitants become increasingly less helpful, and after Eve breaks the ultimate ethical friendship code and crosses boundaries to the point of no return, Rose wants nothing to do with her. Still, Rose heads to the small town of Sage Hill.

The narration combined with two perspectives, one is Rose telling us about her day to day life and another is Eve's diary, both narration goes hand in hand swiftly towards the unimaginable ending, it makes me guessing till the last.

Shanora creates twists at the every right corner in the plot making it a gripping story and the eerie atmospheric depiction icing the cake. Psychological background makes the characters grounded, more human and vivid to readers.

Rating 4/5⭐

Whew! This was a wild ride I couldn't put this book down and the short chapters made it so easy to fly through the book. Each chapter left me wanting to know what would happen next. I loved the twist in this one.

All I can say is Rose is better than me because I'm not sure I'd go out looking for my bestfriend after that kind of betrayal.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for a review. This is the first book by Shanora Williams that I have read. Whispers of the Lake wasn’t my favorite. It was a fast read and held my attention at times but ultimately I did not have a connection to Eve, or care what happened to her.

A best friend's betrayal and you need to save them? Small town vibes? Yes please! I feel this book, if it is like the others that Shanora Williams writes, has convinced me to read more from Williams. The pacing was fast and there were twists and turns along the way! I also have to mention that her character development is pretty fabulous. I did not like the FMC, Eve, however, as the story progresses, we see Eve changing for the better, and she becomes a lot more realistic and likable. This takes work from an author for me to go from despising a character to loving them. Such an amazing thriller!

If you were betrayed by your best friend in the worse way, and then they went missing would you search for them?

Rose, a Charlotte journalist finds herself in this exact predicament when her long term but now ex-best friend Eve disappears with a trace after renting a lake house. Despite their past Rose is drawn into this mystery and even with danger lurking will stop at nothing to find Eve, but will she die before reaching the truth.

I enjoyed the mix of journal entries and action as Rose pieces together the story while also simultaneously battling mixed emotions when it comes to Eve. Honestly I would have whooped everybody’s tail but Rose is a better woman. That’s probably the problem. As things escalate she goes a little off the rails and even with a detailed explanation I couldn’t come to terms with her actions as we reached the climax. Nonetheless this was fast paced and I finished it quickly.

This is my third read by this author (see my previous posts on The Wife Before and The Perfect Ruin) and I enjoyed it just as much as those reads. Whispers of the Lake will be available June 24th and I’d like to thank Netgalley, Kensington Publishing, and Shanora Williams for this ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review.

This was a solid thriller! I selfishly wanted more Eve. She was such an intriguing and complex character. The bits and pieces of her that we got through the digital diary entries were just enough to get me itching for more. Rose on the other hand was one determined SOB. I repeatedly admired her tenacity and ability to put her anger aside for the greater good. I assumed who the main villain was early on, but the twists we took to get there definitely caught me by surprise! The atmosphere was fun, but I wish we dove deeper into that and got more visuals. Overall, thriller lovers like myself will definitely be encouraged to pick this one up.

You know the book is good when it leaves you speechless.

So let me just say now…READ IT!

This is definitely one of my favorite reads from this year! Perfect for all of my thriller lovers out there!

this book was really good! I liked the way it was confusing and made you second guess a lot. I think it was well written, paced really well, and had a great build up of mystery and thrill. It was so good!!!

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

Shanora Williams delivers a captivating story that had me hooked from start to finish. The writing was immersive, and I truly enjoyed watching Rose unpack the complex layers of her friendship with Eve. Williams does a great job of weaving emotional depth into her storytelling, making it easy to connect with the characters.

While I appreciated the multiple storylines, some felt a bit unnecessary, which slightly pulled me out of the main plot. However, that final twist? I did not see it coming! It completely caught me off guard in the best way.

Overall, this was an engaging read that kept me turning the pages, and Williams’ writing made the journey worthwhile. If you love a book with unexpected turns and deep character exploration, this one is worth picking up!

Shanora Williams is a must-read author for me. I always get excited when she publishes a new book! While I enjoyed this book and didn't guess the big twist, I was quite annoyed with the main character. Every idiotic thing she could do, she did. It was like she was the main character in a horror movie!

I enjoy Shanora's domestic thrillers the most, but this was still a quick read. I hope her next book goes back to the vibes of The Other Mistress. 3.5 stars rounded up!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for an ARC of this novel.

Whispers of the Lake is the first time I have encountered author Shanora Williams and it is gripping enough that I will definitely seek out more of her novels to read. It is also my first advanced readers copy (ARC) received through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to them and to Kensington Publishing for providing a book.

The novel centers around the relationship between Rose Howard, an experienced investigative reporter three months out of a relationship, and her former best friend, travel vlogger and influencer Eve Castillo, who caused the end of Howard's marriage by sleeping with her husband. The rift between the ex-friends is greater than that of the marriage with Rose struggling to come to terms with both.

Throughout much of the novel, Rose criticizes her friend's actions as being "just like Eve" -- irresponsible and inconsiderate of others -- while wondering why she even cares at this point. Even after being contacted by Eve's younger sister who has not heard from her in some time, Rose finds herself torn between helping or just chalking it up to one of Eve's little stunts. Of course, being the investigative reporter she is, Rose does try to determine the cause of her former friend's disappearance.

Eve's last known location is a booking in a tiny lakeside cottage deep in the woods of North Carolina. In her efforts to find her, Rose books a stay at the same cottage and ultimately discovers much more than she ever bargained for.

The novel is rich in characterization. The reader comes to distrust Rose's neighbors around the lake as well as the residents of the nearby town of Sage Hill as much as she does. Nobody is above suspicion. The descriptions of the cabin and the area surrounding the lake evoked my own memories of vacations in heavily wooded areas when I was much younger.

The reader is left with admiration for Rose's determination to find her ex-friend despite the growing realization that Eve is an even worse person than Rose is willing to admit. This comes about through several entries from Eve's digital journal sprinkled throughout the book. This is not a nice person and yet her former friend puts her life on the line to find out answers. Is there a deeper reason that we don't know about?

I give this book four stars as it kept me intrigued from start to finish, packing in plenty of thrills in under 300 pages. It will not be the last Shanora Williams novel that I read.

Synopsis

At the height of her career, investigative journalist Rose Howard is feeling the weight of her seemingly flawless life. With her marriage crumbling, she finds herself in dire need of a break to recharge and figure out her next steps. Clarity strikes when she realizes her old best friend, Eve Castillo, isn’t answering her calls while on vacation at a cottage in North Carolina. Despite knowing Eve's tendency to be unreliable—one of the reasons their friendship fell apart—Rose decides to make the trip to the peaceful town of Sage Hill. Upon arrival, Rose is shocked to find that Eve has disappeared, leaving behind her purse and passport, even though she had plans to travel abroad. The friendly cabin owners' stories about Eve's stay don’t quite add up, and the once-welcoming locals start to become less cooperative. Rose can’t shake the feeling that something is off, and she’s determined to uncover the truth behind Eve’s sudden disappearance.

My Thoughts
I just finished my first book from this author, and I’m pretty sure it won’t be the last. I was totally into it the whole time! The pacing was fast, and the plot twists were really well done without being too easy to guess. The way the author writes made it easy to connect with the characters. I kept asking myself what Rose, the main character, was thinking, but overall, it was a fantastic read. If you like drama and thriller/mystery, you should definitely check this book out when it comes out on June 24, 2025.

Thank you @Netgalley and @Kensington.parties for allowing me to review this ARC.

“Whispers of the Lake" may be shorter than the longer novels some readers are accustomed to, including myself, but it packs a satisfying punch with its rich atmosphere, layered storytelling, and emotional depth. The novel masterfully weaves suspense and introspection, drawing the reader into its quiet yet haunting world. Every word feels deliberate, making the pacing tight and impactful without sacrificing character development. It’s a story that lingers long after the final page, proving that brevity doesn’t mean a lack of substance—if anything, it enhances the experience.

Thank You NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Your best friend betrayed you. But now it appears she’s missing and you are desperate for answers.

This book is packed with suspense and unanswered questions. My favorite chapters were the ones of Eve’s journal. She has such a mysterious and chaotic vibe about her. I was very invested in the story and really had no idea how things were going to play out. The unknowns just kept piling up and left my head spinning.


Thank you so much NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the arc!

I thought the story was really interesting. It held my attention the whole time. Highly recommended!

For a book just over 220 pages long, it sure packed a lot in! Rose, jilted by her best friend and soon to be ex husband, is frustrated when her ex best friend's sister won't stop calling. When she answers and hears her former best friend Eve is MIA, out of love for Zoey, Eve's sister, she starts looking into it. Would it have been better to just brush her off? That's for you to unravel as you journey with Rose with tidbits from Eve's journal sprinkled in. It's mysterious, it's suspenseful, it's heartbreakingly frustrating. I don't envy Rose, but I feel for her!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for a review. This is the second book by Shanora Williams that I have read. This book definitely held my attention and I didn’t know what to expect. We got to know the missing best friend through various journal entries and I found her to be very unlikable - even with the added context of her past. Rose still trying to find her despite Eve’s transgressions was admirable but Eve did not deserve the privacy of their close friends and family not knowing why they fell out.