**Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for a digital ARC of this book.

Oh. Em. Gee. Y’all!
I have enjoyed books by Shanora Williams before, but this one is by far her best! Easily 5 out of 5 stars from me, and y’all know how greedy I am with my 5 stars. I reserve those for the books I wish I could read for the first time all over again.

Hang with me just a minute… I’m going to try my best not to overshare here. This book follows Rose Howard. She is in the middle of a failing marriage and her best friend goes missing. Did I mention she’s an investigative reporter? So obviously she’s going to go investigate her best friend’s disappearance. Rose’s best friend (or should I say “former” best friend), Eve, is a travel vlogger and disappeared while staying at a place in Sage Hill, North Carolina. Rose wants nothing to do with Eve anymore but she heads to Sage Hill to figure out what happened to her. While she’s there, she finds evidence that Eve had definitely been at the place. But the guy who rented the place out to her, Alex, as well as his family and the Sheriff, are all acting strange anytime Rose asks them about her. They act as if she was never there. She is sure they and the sheriff are covering up what happened to Eve. Will she figure out what happened before she goes missing too?

This book is full of drama, betrayal, heartbreak, anger, suspense, mystery, and a twisty ending. There were times I was on the edge of my seat gritting my teeth and there was even a moment I shed a few tears. This is a perfect example of what I look for in a psychological thriller. I 100% recommend this book to anybody who loves a good suspenseful/psychological thriller.

ARC - Review
Whispers of the Lake by Shanora Williams
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)

Shanora Williams is an auto read author for me, so I was happy to receive an advanced copy of her latest thriller. Whispers of the Lake is a gripping, fast paced book perfect for cozying up with at the lake, beach, or pool this summer.

Compared to some of her other thrillers, this one felt more straightforward, and while I anticipated the ending, the journey there was still thoroughly enjoyable. The plot kicks off when Eve betrays her childhood best friend, Rose, and mysteriously vanishes. Rose, an investigative journalist, can’t ignore her instincts and dives headfirst into uncovering the truth behind Eve’s disappearance. Personally, I admired Rose’s determination because after what Eve did, I’m not sure I would’ve gone looking!

Eve is known for pulling disappearing acts, but this time something feels off. The inclusion of her digital journals gave a layered perspective that made me both empathize with and question Eve. It added a unique voice that heightened the tension and emotional complexity.

The supporting characters throughout the story added richness to the setting and overall suspense. Each brought something meaningful to the unfolding mystery.

Thank you to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this digital ARC.

Shanora Williams 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 a go-to author and this book did not disappoint at all.. If you are looking for a thriller to kick off the summer, well, 𝐈 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮! It is filled with suspense, twists and turns and very dramatic!!! Add this to your TBR!!!

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review!!!

I am such a huge fan of Shanora Williams, I've read all of her thrillers and all have been 5 stars for me. This one may be my favorite yet! Major Get Out vibes. It sucks you in from the very first page and I never see her plot twists coming. Love her writing style and can't wait for whatever she comes out with next!!

Oh my goodness. This author is quickly becoming one of my favorite thriller writers. She really has a way of writing that is really addictive and just all around amazing. I loved every part of this book.

This was a good book; however, I was expecting more. I enjoyed the journal entries, but honestly, I didn't care for Eve, even when we were able to read her inner thoughts. Those journal entries were supposed to make you sympathize with her, and in some ways, they did, based on her upbringing, but I still didn't like her and therefore didn't really care what happened to her. I was really excited for this book; however, I was a little disappointed.

3.5 overall!

This was definitely a twisty, page turner, summer thriller for sure! The short chapters absolutely made me fly through this book and why I finished it in two days. I really enjoyed the journal entries by Eve sprinkled throughout the story so you could get a glimpse into Eve’s thoughts and days leading up to her disappearance. I do wish there was kinda more from this story and the ending with the reason why was kinda meh.

Overall, this was definitely a fast paced, popcorn thriller that will be perfect to read pool side this summer!

Whispers of the Lake wasn’t quite as exciting as I was hoping for, but it was still a solid read. The story moved at a slower pace, but it had a nice atmosphere and some well-written characters that kept me interested.

Honestly, I think this would be even better as an audiobook. With the right narrator, the mood and tone could really come to life and make it more engaging.

Even though it didn’t totally wow me, I’d still recommend it to my friends and fellow book lovers—especially those who enjoy slower, more character-focused stories with a bit of mystery.

Shanora is a heavy hitter in the suspense thriller world and Whispers of the Lake was no exception. Although this was a slow burn, I was left on the edge of my seat the entire time trying to figure out what happens next!
Rose’s role as an investigative reporter came in handy even when she wasn’t thrilled about a new assignment that became painfully close. I could read this story over and over again!

Whispers of the lake is such an easy read. Every chapter has you wanting to know more. The plot twist was totally unexpected, which is rare when it comes to thriller books at times. The main characters' thoughts and commentary are relatable. Reading this book feels like a movie. It's a 3.75-to-4-star rating for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book to review.

This was a fun mystery novel, and I enjoyed it a lot. I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

Thank you, Kensington Publishing, for my copy of "Whispers of the Lake." Ms.Shanora Williams did it again with this book. I love all her books, and this is one of my favorites so far.

The way the drama is dropped in the beginning of this one with journalist Rose had me immediately all in. Throughout the entire book I wanted to know what would happen next. When Rose starts her investigation to find her social media influencer friend Eve, the small town did feel like a faint “whisper” you can’t shake off with the sketchy side characters. I loved how I could feel the atmospheric tension I need in a psycho thriller. I found myself questioning what I would do if I were in Rose’s shoes. How would I handle the betrayal, the secrets, the lies? Would I go all out for someone who hurt me? Nahh… 😮‍💨

This one had its perfect blend of suspense, emotional depth, mystery/thriller, and twists that’ll keep you turning pages to find out all the answers. Am I being vague, a tad bit because, no spoilers from me!

Another thing, I did not guess the who! That right there is going to always be a win for me! If you’re into books that make you think about trust and loyalty, gives you the atmospheric tone to match the plot all while keeping you engaged, Whispers on the Lake is definitely worth adding to your TBR or better yet, preorder! 😉

Shanora has done it again! Whispers of the lake was a book that I just could not put down. What a suspenseful story full of love, friendship, and forgiveness.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)
Whispers of the Lake by Shanora Williams is a slow-burn suspense that grips you tighter with every chapter—layered with betrayal, secrets, and just the right amount of creep factor to keep you up at night flipping pages.

We follow Rose, a woman watching her marriage fall apart. As if that isn’t enough, her best friend Eve—who she's currently on the outs with—suddenly goes silent. No texts, no calls, nothing. So Rose heads out to Lake Aquilla, a place already wrapped in its own eerie energy, to figure out what’s really going on. What she finds isn’t comfort… it’s a web of disturbing clues, unsettling neighbors, and secrets buried so deep they nearly drown her.

And let’s talk about Eve. Through scattered journal entries, we get glimpses into her mind and her past—but instead of answers, those pages bring even more questions. The emotional tug-of-war this book creates had me constantly asking: Do I even forgive Eve? Like… girl. You did a lot.

The strength of this book lies in its atmosphere and emotional unraveling. The lake house setting was peak creepy, and the neighbors? Yeah, they deserve their own thriller. The pacing was slow at first, but it pays off big time—delivering a strong and satisfying finale full of gasp-worthy reveals.

If you're into twisted friendships, dark secrets, and slow-building tension that explodes at just the right moment, add Whispers of the Lake to your TBR.

Thanks to Kensington Publishing, Dafina, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange with my honest review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for an early copy of Whispers of the Lake!

I’ve been looking forward to a new Shanora Williams release for way too long. She is an auto buy author for me and her thrillers just hit different.

Whispers of the Lake is more of a 3.5 stars for me, but I still had such a good time with it nonetheless. You can always count on Shanora to deliver a super messy, dramatic, dark thriller! This one was little less dramatic/messy than her others, it was a bit more straight forward of a thriller/less twisty than I’d expect - which is why I gave it a 3.5! But I still had such a fun time and will read whatever Miss Williams puts out next.

Shanora Williams knows how to write a thriller. This one was no exception of thrilling, roller coaster of emotion, kept you guessing. I loved how she writes and and she keeps you captivated throughout the whole story. Check this one out when it releases!

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

Whispers of the Lake was a true page turner for me… I finished it in basically one sitting!! I enjoyed the fast paced nature of the story, the back drop, the writing and overall, think it was a solid 4 star story. I was a tad disappointed in the ending but would still recommend this one to any thriller fans.

Thank you NetGalley! I love Shanora Williams and so enjoyed this book. The characters were amazing and really helped set up the story. I was in awe of how selfless Rose was despite what her friend did to her. I was definitely shocked by the twists and turns in this book

"When the smile vanished, he pointed the gun at my face."

Shanora has a way of pouring into her characters and setting the scene to give us everything we need as a reader.

I was so invested in this story!

If your best friend betrayed you in the worst possible way would you still search for her? At the beginning of the book I was yelling at Rose telling her, "Girl you better than me!"

As the story progressed and I was yelling at Rose to find Eve!!

This is a fast past, thrilling "Who Dunnit" that will keep you guessing until the end!