Poor woman is constantly blamed by men and other women for all of the tragedies that occur throughout her life. No fun ensues.

***
I was over this book at 14%. Of course, all of these men blame a CHILD for simply existing. Couldn’t be their weird obsession that ended up screwing them over.

I normally have at least something of substance to say about the books I ask to review, but this book was so tragically frustrating while also being numbingly boring. Poor Harper is about all I've got. I'm glad she's getting some ending. But dump your boyfriend, please. He sucks.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC in exchange for this honest review. However, I cannot recommend.

As a major Lisa Jackson fan, I was beyond excited when I was approved for this ARC and she did not disappoint!
In this story, we meet our MFC Harper who after her grandmother’s passing is inheriting her lakeside home. Set in a small town full of secrets and tragedy, Harper is understandably hesitant to return.
When I say there is a lot going on in this book, I mean A LOT, it also circles back on things quite often which for some may seem repetitive. For myself, I did not mind this because it kept it fresh in my mind.
Also, when returning to your old hometown, there is usually an old love interest, so this book has some slow burn vibes.
Overall opinion: fast paced plot, easy read, kept me guessing, I’d recommend.

I was able to read this as an ebook ARC from NetGalley and Kensington Publishing. Thank you both!

3.5-3.75 this was a good book but it was so much longer than I was expecting it to be. I thought I had things figured out and for most of it I did, I did not see the real mastermind behind everything until it was right in front of my face. Several mysterious deaths, a cursed lake, a couple red herrings, a missing persons case, I had fun reading it.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington for the opportunity to read and review the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This is the first book I have read by Lisa Jackson. It started off slow but once you get into it, it was very enjoyable. I was surprised at the ending but really enjoyed it.

This book is a slow burn mysterious, dark, eerie, twisty thriller. I have always liked Lisa Jackson’s books. She was one of my first mystery authors back when I was a teen. I have read dozens of her books and this one did not disappoint. It is a bit lengthy, but I did enjoy the different time periods the story was told, especially the 80’s from my era. It was told from many different points of view. I really got to know every character. I kept reading to find out who the killer was. There’s a lot of twists and turns and it kept me guessing until the end. Lisa Jackson has done it again!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Harper has lots of secrets. She has inherited a mansion on Lake Twilight. She has brought her daughter's cat Jinx with her, and together, they will figure out what to do with the derelict mansion. Harper's visit it bringing up old memories and intimely deaths. She is also being stalked by her past and the deep dark secrets that she and her family hold.

First time reading Lisa Jackson and will continue to read her work. I like the slow pacing of the book, the very probable occurrences that happen, and all the traumas that come with people who don't tell the truth.

Thank you, Netgalley and Kensington Publishing, for this ARC. All opinions are entirely my own.

I've read several of Lisa Jackson's murder mysteries and have enjoyed them, so I was happy to see this new one. This one is billed as "a spin on <I>Rear Window<i/>."

Description:
The huge Victorian house on Lake Twilight belongs to Harper Reed Prescott, as does the private island on which it sits. Harper wants little to do with either. Twenty years ago, Harper’s grandmother died suspiciously while in her care, on the same night that Harper’s boyfriend disappeared. His body was never found, and no charges were filed. But the rumors haven’t faded. There have been other deaths, other accidents. All revolving around Harper and her family.

Now Harper’s marriage is over, her college-age daughter is estranged, and Harper just wants to sell the property and make a fresh start. Except returning to the lake has stirred everything up again. Whispers. Memories. And the persistent feeling that, as she gazes out at the houses across the water, she’s being watched in turn.

The whole town has always thought Harper has something to hide, and they’re right. But she might have even more to fear . . .

My Thoughts:
So many deaths with Harper at the center of all of them. That poor girl - I'm surprised she's not insane! Her grandfather, her brother, her mother, her grandmother, the boyfriend who is presumed dead. Way too many! This book was full of unfolding surprises. The tensions increase gradually as something is happening inside the house when Harper returns. Lots of twist here which kept my attention and then, well can't tell you that, you'll have to read it for yourself. Mystery lovers will enjoy this on

Thanks to Kensington through Netgalley for an advance copy.

This is a murder mystery set mainly in 1988 with little trips back to the past to explain how things happened. I had no idea who was behind the killings. There were a lot of suspects. Our poor heroine has had an unhappy life to a very rich girl. There still seems to be a few unanswered questions or more missing pieces.
A very complex story with lots of twists.
Interesting reading.

It Happened on the Lake by Lisa Jackson is a highly recommended atmospheric thriller with Gothic undertones.

It's 1988 and Harper Reed Prescott has just turned 37, the age her grandmother's will stipulated she would inherit her estate and the Victorian mansion located on a private island on Lake Twilight. Recently divorced with her daughter now in college, Harper, who never planned to return to the island, finds herself back living in the mansion while deciding what to do with it.

The island is the site of tragedies for her. Her mother died here when Harper was nine. Her brother died there. Her grandmother died and boyfriend Chase disappeared on the same night twenty years ago in 1968. Right after she entered the mansion, Harper sees Chase's mother on the lake, her boat on fire. She calls 911, swims out to save her, but fails and is injured in her attempt. And now that Harper is staying in the mansion, creepy things are happening.

As expected this is another well-written and twisty thriller from Jackson. The slow-burning narrative jumps back and forth between the past, in the 60's, mainly 1968 and the present year, 1988. It is easy to follow what time period the novel is following as dates are given at the opening of the chapters. Chapters are from multiple points of view, including Harper, Rand, a childhood friend and currently a police officer, and Levi, Chase's brother.

There is a plethora of backstory for all of the characters, showcasing their personalities and past interactions. They are all portrayed as complex, fully realized individuals who all have secrets from the past and the present that they want to keep. The setting on the lake and in the mansion loom large in the plot, bringing up memories and creating a moody, Gothic atmosphere. The police, Rand and his partner, begin looking at some of the past deaths centered around the lake and the Reed Mansion, which is interesting and provides further insight into all the characters.

However, the pace slows down in the middle. At almost 600 pages some more editing would have helped to tighten this up and remove some of the repetitious and extraneous bits. The pace picks up along with the twists and surprise reveals toward the end and reaches a very satisfying conclusion.

It Happened on the Lake is a good choice for those who enjoy character driven Gothic thrillers and don't mind a big book. Thanks to Kensington for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Edelweiss, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

I am usually a big Lisa Jackson fan, but unfortunately It Happened on the Lake is not one of her best efforts. The premise of the story was fine, even though the ending was not exactly unexpected. There were too many rambling thoughts and musings by Harper. Much of it was unnecessary, especially in the first one third of the book. It almost was enough to make you stop reading. More succinct and to the point writing would have made this a 4 or 5 star review.

Technically I didn’t even finish it, so that says enough.

Honestly? A miss. The premise sounded like classic eerie-small-town-mystery with old-money secrets and creepy lake vibes. But 30% in, and I was already zoning out.

The writing drags. There’s just too much—too many threads, too many meandering moments, and somehow still not enough tension. It needed a serious trim. Also, things were so vague and unclear, I kept rereading sections thinking I missed something, but no—it’s just muddled.

I had hopes for an atmospheric slow-burn, but this just felt slow. DNF.

Lisa Jackson's books can be a bit hit or miss for me. This one was a hit, despite being slow going in a few places.

What kept me reading were a couple of twists and turns when I least expected them. I had no idea who the baddy was, and that, for me, is the sign of a great book. I also really liked the main character, Harper, and that the book was set in the 80s, before so much of the tech that we take for granted today.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for an advanced reader e-copy.

In this slow burn mystery, we meet Harper. Who has returned to her small town, to inherit her grandmother's home on the lake. A town filled with secrets, mysteries and tragedies. Harper can't seem to escape her past and now the present wants a piece of her too.

I want to emphasize that this is a SLOW BURN mystery. It is in 3rd person, with multiple POVs. The book takes you between past and present. There were moments where it felt repetitive and I got uninterested with certain chapters. Was it enough to steer me away ... No, it still had me wanting to unravel the secrets and mysteries in the end.

I want to thank Netgalley and Kensington for the ARC. In exchange for my honest review.

This book was too long for me. I felt like a good chunk would have been cut out and the book still be good. The lake setting was a good summer read.

he huge Victorian house on Lake Twilight belongs to Harper Reed Prescott, as does the private island on which it sits. Harper wants little to do with either. Twenty years ago, Harper’s grandmother died suspiciously while in her care, on the same night that Harper’s boyfriend disappeared. His body was never found, and no charges were filed. But the rumors haven’t faded. There have been other deaths, other accidents. All revolving around Harper and her family.

Now Harper’s marriage is over, her college-age daughter is estranged, and Harper just wants to sell the property and make a fresh start. Except returning to the lake has stirred everything up again. Whispers. Memories. And the persistent feeling that, as she gazes out at the houses across the water, she’s being watched in turn.

The whole town has always thought Harper has something to hide, and they’re right. But she might have even more to fear

I found this book to be way too long , things were getting repeated . The beginning was slow and it was hard to keep interest. The premise was interesting and would be better book shorter and to the point.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the eARC.

Lisa Jackson writes reliable twisty mysteries I always enjoy. The problem with this is it’s at least 150 pages too long. Shortened this would’ve been stellar

It Happened on the Lake by Lisa Jackson – ★★★☆☆

This one had all the ingredients for a great thriller—family secrets, a creepy mansion on a secluded island, and a main character haunted by her past—but it didn’t fully deliver.

Harper returns to her family's private island on Lake Twilight to claim her inheritance, twenty years after her grandmother’s sudden death and her boyfriend’s mysterious disappearance—both on the same night. Suspicion has followed her ever since, and now the past is bubbling back to the surface.

The atmosphere is definitely moody and eerie (hello, creepy ceramic dolls and way too many telescopes), but the story is bloated. At nearly 600 pages, it drags. The pacing is slow, the mystery is easy to figure out early on, and the repetition doesn’t help. The romantic subplot felt unnecessary, and the constant spying on neighbors just got weird after a while.

Harper starts off as a sympathetic character, but as the story goes on, she becomes harder to root for. Most of the cast is unlikable, and the tension never quite hits the way it should.

That said, Lisa Jackson can still set a scene, and there were flashes of her usual suspenseful style. If this had been about 200 pages shorter with a tighter plot, it could’ve been a much stronger read. Not her best, but worth a read if you’re a die-hard fan—with some patience.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing | Kensington for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Harper returns to her family’s eerie Victorian home on Lake Twilight, the site of her boyfriend’s mysterious disappearance and her grandmother’s suspicious death 20 years ago. Now divorced and estranged from her daughter, Harper wants to sell the property and start fresh. But the past won’t stay buried. Whispers, memories, and watchful eyes stir up old fears.

The atmosphere was set for a twisty thriller. The POVs switch between the 60s and the 80s in order to Get the past and present perspectives. The story itself seemed long and sometimes repetitive, but the end of the book was worth it.

Thank you to Lisa Jackson, Keningston Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really struggled to get through It Happened at the Lake. The pacing felt overly drawn out, and I found myself far more invested in the fate of Harper’s cat than the actual plot. Honestly, if anything bad had happened to the cat, I was ready to put the book down entirely. Unfortunately, this one just didn’t work for me—I was more relieved to reach the end than engaged along the way.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for allowing me to read this book before release.