A psychological thriller that had me locked in from page 1 to the epilogue. Lust, betrayal, suspense and emotional depth. Everybody was on my suspect list until proven innocent. This is a great book to pull you out of a reading slump.

I really enjoyed reading this book, kept me interested and guessing until the very end.i would read more books by this author.

Shanora Williams is one of my favorite authors and an automatic buy. No matter the genre, I'm going to read it. Whispers of the Lake did not disappoint and replaced The Perfect Ruin as my favorite thriller by this author. Whispers of the Lake is another fast paced and action packed thriller.
I liked getting to know Eve through her journal entries and it felt like I was sneaking and reading someone's diary in the best way.
It was an enjoyable experience to put the mystery of what happened to Eve together alongside Rose.
Overall, I would highly recommend this book, it is definitely worth the read.

What did I just read?😳😳

Shanora Williams has a way of playing with readers' minds with her writing... Whispers of the Lake has to be one of the most psychological thrillers I've read of hers and it was worth every single twist and turn!!!! Every character, every twist and turn, every mysterious piece of the puzzle was needed and fit together perfectly.

First off Thank you, NetGalley and Kensington Publishing, for the digital ARC.

This is my first book by Shanora Williams, and I very much enjoyed it since I'm a huge thriller/mystery fan!

The Whispers of the Lake was a fast-paced drama-filled mystery/thriller. Rose, the FMC, is an investigative journalist who is now set on a mission to find her best friend Eve, who was last seen or heard from at a cozy lakefront cottage. The book is filled with drama and secrets from both Rose's and Eve's lives. Why search for someone who has caused her so much pain, and what does this say about her capacity for forgiveness and growth?

This is the first book that I have read by this author...and I could not recommend her enough! I could not wait to turn the pages of this one!
Eve is missing and Rose is looking for her. Rose and Eve are best friends who aren't as close as they once were. This book will have you guessing about your own personal friendships, who can be trusted, and the lengths some will go to betray. The secrets, twists, and turns were all that I could want in a thriller and kept my pages turning. I thought this book flowed really well and was the type of ending that I wanted. It is not predictable and highly recommended.

This book was 10 out of 10! Not only was it an amazing thriller but it was so emotionally charged. We're instantly thrown in and able to relate to Rose and her feelings of resentment toward her bestfriend. I loved the journal entries because it also allowed us to understand Eve. This book was action-packed, heartbreaking , and intriguing. Shanora, you know how to write a compelling read!!

Whispers of The Lake is told from the FMC Rose Howard’s POV. As an investigative journalist, she’s at the peak of her career while things in her personal life are falling apart. In the midst of holding herself together, Rose discovers that her former best friend, Eve Castillo, is missing and decides to investigate her disappearance.

This was a fast-paced thriller that kept me guessing. I had to stop myself from flipping ahead because I needed to know who was behind Eve’s disappearance. The last half of the book picked up, and I was hit with a plot twist that I wasn’t expecting!

Thank you, NetGalley and Kensington Publishing, for the digital ARC.


Whispers Of The Lake by Shanora Williams
Rating: 4⭐️
Pub Date: Jun 24, 2025

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this eARC. All opinions are my own and this review is written voluntarily.

Whispers of the Lake is a drama/mystery book that revolves around our main character, Rose, who is reeling from her recent separation from her husband since she found him cheating with her best friend Eve. Not only that, but she soon finds that Eve has mysteriously gone missing after staying at a secluded lake house in Spring Valley. Despite the heartache she has suffered and her conflicting feelings, Rose tries to uncover the truth by retracing Eve’s steps. She soon learns nothing is as it seems, and this seemingly beautiful small town seems to hold even more dark secrets that go even deeper than just Eve’s disappearance.

Overall, I give this book 3.5 stars. This was the first book I have read by this author and I was pleasantly surprised with her writing! The plot was paced well, and I found myself captivated in solving the mystery alongside the characters. This was a solid read and I’m looking forward to reading this author’s other books!

This book was pretty fast paced and it kept me engaged from start to finish. The plot isn’t overly twisted or convoluted which I really appreciated. It had just enough turns to keep me wondering what would happen next, even if I did end up figuring things out before the final reveal. It only took me a couple of hours to finish this one.

I did wonder a lot about why the characters didn’t seem more worried about Eve. Some of them (Diana, Ben, etc) felt a bit detached from the gravity of the situation. At the same time, the writing makes it clear - Eve is toxic, intense and emotionally exhausting, which seems to complicate how the characters respond to her. It’s messy in a very human way.

Whispers of the Lake was a page turner!

"A marriage on the rocks, a missing friend, an investigative journalist, a tangle of shocking lies, and a peaceful North Carolina lakefront cottage converge in this irresistibly twisty new psychological thriller".

The story is told from Rose's POV and her best friend Eve's journal entries.
While Eve is on vacation she stops responding to her sister Zoey's calls & texts. Zoey reaches out to Rose for help. Rose is an investigative journalist, so she books the same cottage Eve was staying in and the story begins to unfold.
This was a fast paced, tense thriller that made you question ALL the characters. The plot was well-written & the twists surprised me. I enjoyed how the story highlighted the psychological behavior behind some people's self-destructive behavior. I wanted to hate Eve but I didnt.
This was my second thriller I've read by this author and it did not disappoint.

Thank you to Netgalley & Kensington Publishing for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley & Kensington for an eARC of Whispers of the Lake by Shanora Williams. Williams is one of my favorite auto-buy authors, so I automatically pushed this one up to the top of my TBR! Twisty, sexy and funny - This book is nothing new (except totally is).

A great spring or summer read with the setting at a North Carolina lakefront cottage, we’re taken through the story of a rocky marriage, a missing friend, and so many lies that tangle between the two. Rose and Eve are best friends. Well, former best friends, and you’ll be shocked when you find out the details. Nothing is what it seems,

Thanks to netgalley for an arc of this book. Any Shanora Williams fans will want to read this when it is released as well. It was a nice easy read until the tension at the end that almost got me sitting up in bed.

what a fast pace, quick read. It kept my attention and drew me in. Rose, an investigative journalist with a crumbling marriage, while trying to gain a promotion has to try to find her former friend Eve. So Rose goes to the last place Eve was, which was a cottage by the lake in Sage Hill. While in Sage Hill Rose comes across a few people who raise Rose's suspicions. Rose would have been in her right to not help find Eve after what she did to Rose, but that is not who Rose is. This was a well written book, and just a solid mystery.

Whispers of the Lake
by: Shanora Williams
Pub Date: Jun 25, 2025

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, Shanora Williams, and Kensington Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest

Whispers of the Lake is a chaotic, psychological thriller that will leave you breathless and keep your mind racing! This fast paced novel is brimming with lies, shocking betrayals, and deeply flawed characters.

This story is told from Rose Howard’s point of view and her best friend, Eve Castillo’s journal entries. While on vacation, Eve stops responding to her sister Zoey’s calls and texts. Zoey contacts Rose hoping she can locate Eve. Rose, being the investigative journalist that she is, books the cottage where Eve vacationed and starts her own investigation.

Whispers of the Lake is an absolute page turner with unpredictable jaw dropping twists. The psychological tension, tantalizing plot, and complex characters woven throughout this mystery will offer a suspense-filled, unforgettable read!

Release: June 23, 2025
Author: Shanora Williams
Publisher: Kensington Publishing

Rating: 4 ★ 

Whispers of the Lake follows investigative reporter Rose Howard, who’s juggling a crumbling marriage and the pressure of chasing a career promotion when her already chaotic life gets even messier. Her former best friend, Eve Castillo, has gone missing while staying at a lakefront cottage in Sage Hill, North Carolina. Despite their friendship ending badly after a serious betrayal, Rose can’t shake the feeling that something is very wrong.

When she arrives in Sage Hill, what should have been a peaceful small town quickly reveals its darker side. Locals grow cold, the cabin owners’ stories don’t add up, and it’s clear Eve didn’t just leave willingly — especially since she abandoned her passport and purse. As Rose digs deeper, she uncovers layers of secrets connected to both Eve and the town itself.

The closer she gets to the truth, the more dangerous it becomes — and the secrets she unearths just might destroy everything she has left.

Whispers of the Lake was such a well-paced, addictive thriller with just the right mix of ghost-story vibes and real-life drama. I really enjoyed the small-town setting — it had that eerie, suspenseful feeling that immediately pulled me in. I loved following Rose and Eve’s story; both characters were interesting in their own ways, and while the character development wasn’t overly deep, it was enough to keep me emotionally invested without slowing the story down.

The friendship between Rose and Eve was messy and complicated — full of betrayal, guilt, and hurt — and it made the stakes feel even higher as Rose dug into Eve’s disappearance. Even though Eve did some things I didn’t agree with (and honestly, I never fully forgave her), I still found myself completely caught up in the mystery of what happened to her. Rose made some questionable choices too, but it felt believable considering her background as a reporter desperate for answers.

The pacing was perfect — fast enough that I never wanted to put the book down, but not rushed. New clues kept surfacing at the right times, and the twists had me second-guessing everything and everyone. I never felt like anything was left unresolved, and I loved how everything came together cleanly in the end.

There were some great dramatic moments too — from Rose standing her ground professionally, to the super juicy bathroom confrontation scene. And that revenge moment involving Rose’s ex-husband? Chef’s kiss. Also, Sage Hill was the perfect setting: moody, tense, and filled with secrets around every corner.

Overall, this was a quick, twisty, and thoroughly engaging mystery/thriller. Shanora Williams nailed the suspense, and I can’t wait to pick up another one of her books!


Favorite Quote:
"secrets have a way of swimming too the surface, no matter how hard you try to keep them buried."

My first read by Shanora and it was a page turner. The story kept me interested and guessing. The writing style and the ways the words helped the story flow was great. I finished this book in two days. Despite problems in her marriage and problems between her and her childhood friend’, Eve, she still found it in her heart to give her all to find out where Eve was and she does not give up until she finds the answers she is looking for. 4/5 stars!

I’ve been a fan of Shanora Williams’ books for a while, and Whisper of the Lake did not disappoint! This story pulls you in with its slow, eerie build-up and keeps you guessing the whole way through. The setting was so atmospheric — it felt like the lake was its own character, full of secrets and tension. I loved how Shanora blended mystery, emotion, and just the right amount of creepiness. Some parts moved a little slower than I expected, but the payoff was worth it. Another great, addictive read from an author I always trust to deliver a good twist!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing team for allowing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review. I was not compensated for this review and all opinions are my own.

This was my first Shanora Williams book and I wanted to love it more. It wasn’t terrible by any means but it didn’t amaze me or have me on the edge of my seat either. The story gave off 'Get Out' vibes and the setting was creepy and had me feeling on edge.
Some parts just felt unnecessary and slow paced. A lot of characters to keep track of and none of them likeable. Overall, would read from Williams from again.

I could not put this book down... I couldn't turn the pages fast enough...

Shanora Williams blows my mind. How can this woman execute so many different types of books in such an exceptional way?!

Whispers of the lake is my 6th book by Shanora and each time I am shocked at the ending.

Rose goes on a wild goose chase to find her former best friend who has gone missing. Eve has had a horrible life and just can't keep making the same make mistakes. When she gets mixed up with the wrong men, her sister and former friend do everything they can to figure out what happened to her.