Nice story, building piece by piece. complicated enough for a small town and having enough action for the same reasons.

70% in and I just couldn’t keep going with this book. This pace is slow, story telling repetitive, and the narration monotone. Unfortunately, as much as I tried, I could not get invested in the plot at all.

This book was well-written, and the overall mystery was decent. It was not ground-breaking, but it was interesting. I think I expected more or at least something a little different, which is why it didn't resonate with me as much.

Thank you Netgalley, Tanor audio and Linda Norlander for the audio Arc of And The Lake Will Take Them.
Narrated by Elisabeth Ashby

This book is the first Ive ever read of Linda Norlander and And The lake will Take Them is the first book in Book 1 of Sheriff Red Mysteries, The synopsis had me intrigued and I found that this narrative gripped me. The whole book flowed well and is a slow burn mystery following a case of a missing teen that digs up cold cases of the past. I really enjoyed the characters in this book, Red, in particular was very well built and believably flawed which kept me engaged as well as the plot direction. I am looking forward to reading the next instalment of the Sheriff Red Mysteries.

Elisabeth Ashby did a fantastic job in narrating this book.

4 stars

I’ve always been a sucker for a cold, isolated mystery, and this one delivered exactly what I was hoping for—and then some. The atmosphere was tense, the stakes were real, and I honestly couldn’t stop turning the pages.

What really stood out to me was how vividly Linda Norlander brings rural Minnesota to life. I could feel the snowstorm pressing in around me as I read. The isolation, the cold, the sense that something dangerous is lurking just outside the sheriff’s reach—it all added such a delicious layer of suspense.

I connected with Sheriff Red Hammergren more than I expected to. She’s smart, grounded, and quietly relentless, and I really appreciated that the story let her be human—flawed, but capable. The blend of cold cases resurfacing alongside a current missing persons case kept the story tight and compelling the whole way through.

This wasn’t just a small-town mystery. It dug into real issues—drug trafficking, buried trauma, and how pain can echo through generations. And still, it managed to keep me completely entertained while doing it.

By the time I reached the end, I felt like I’d been through the storm with Red. Definitely picking up the next book in the series. If you like a little frostbite with your fiction, this one’s for you.

I originally had some technically difficulties with accessing the downloaded audiobook on the NetGalley app, but I was able to actually listen to this chilling thriller. I think this was more of a slow burn, suspense rather than fast-paced thriller. I enjoyed it overall, I think the story was interesting and there were some interesting twists in plot. I found Sheriff Red to be an entertaining narrator. It was a little slow for me because the character development and backstory took a while to unfold. It was a great, compelling read (listen) and I enjoyed following along.

Set in rural Minnesota during the winter, there were a lot of elements and heart pounding moments as we listened along. An isolated cabin goes up in flames, missing teenagers, white-out conditions, drug deals gone awry and unsolved cold cases. There is a lot going on in And the Lake Will Take Them. Linda Norlander paints a vivid and detailed picture of crime and rural Minnesota. The imagery was well written and the narration was phenomenal. Some of the characters, aside from Sheriff Red were a little hard to relate to, but I think that it was well put together as a whole. I can't wait to see what happens next for Sheriff Red Hammergen!

Thank you to NetGalley, Tantor Audio and Linda Norlander for the audio ARC of And the Lake Will Take Them in exchange for an honest review. Publication date for And the Lake Will Take Them was 25 March 2025, there were some technical difficulties, but I was able to listen on the NetGalley App after all!

This thriller was enticing and really had me on edge at certain parts wanting to know how it was going to end. The setting with the water and the snow/ice added even more to the gripping nature. I think the narrator was great for the story and was easy to listen to. I really enjoyed this one!

I was excited to get an ARC of 'And the Lake Will Take Them' for the beginning of a new series and for the cold blizzard vibes, which are my weakness. Something about being stuck in the snow or frozen lake is very appealing to me.

I found the characters a bit hard to connect with as there were so many introduced in a short period of time and the story a bit on the slow end. I did enjoy the main character's development, with some detail given on her background and charming qualities like her small dog.

The mystery itself was a bit choppy and didn't really draw me in, I found myself not caring much if it was solved or not and how it tied into the past cold case. I found myself a little lost on the case and how it was resolved, but I might have just checked out too early. I did enjoy the lake scene and felt the tension from both people involved.

Thank you NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the ARC of 'And the Lake Will Take Them'!

An enjoyable but slow burn mystery novel. Easy to listen to with a good narrator. I liked the setting.

I enjoyed this book. The narrator was good and had a calming voice. The story itself was good. It wasn’t an overall mystery but did have a plot twist I wasn’t quite expecting, so that was nice. I like being surprised.
I did have a question or 2 that still lingered and didn’t seem to be answered. But still was able to enjoy.

The characters were pretty good. I wish there was more backstory about some of them but maybe they will at another book.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy

The title and name really made me want to read this book. However it was slow, the plot wasnt really there and ot felt very unfinished . It was clear it was setting us up for future books. It could be so much more.

What a compelling read! This thrilling book was utterly impossible to put down and as the conclusion reached a crescendo.
Such a well paced and suspenseful book! The twists were believable and not predictable.
It had excellent writing and a fascinating plot.
And the Lake Will Take Them by Linda Norlander is a book which kept me thoroughly engaged from beginning to end.

This audiobook had an excellent narrator whose voices did not take me out of the story, which is something that I have an issue with with a lot of audiobooks. I found the plot to be very interesting with this novel, and the reveal was not one that I predicted, but I did find the characterization to be flat, and the ending to be rushed,

100% a me problem
This is the first book in what's going to be a new series. I found the writing redundant and the investigation juvenile. Also, with being the first in a series, a lot of groundwork was being laid for future arcs, like her next sheriff campaign and I wasn't interested in her enough to want to know more about her. I wanted the mystery

Title: And the Lake will Take Them
Series: Book #1 Sheriff Red Mysteries
Author: Linda Norlander
Format: 🎧
Narrator: Elizabeth Ashby
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date was: March 25, 2025
My Rating: 3 Stars
Pages: 318

This is Book #1 in the Sheriff Red Mysteries series, set in rural Minnesota.
The story begins in isolated cabin on Hammer Lake during a Minnesota snowstorm when the where cabin is destroyed by fire leaving a high school drug dealer injured and a teenage girl, Missy Klein, missing.
Sheriff Red Hammergren, is determined to find Missy. As she investigates the case, she uncovers connections to cold cases, including the murder of Missy’s father.
It appears drug trafficking has been happening in this small community.

Want to thank NetGalley and Tantor Audio for this audiobook.
Publishing Release Day was March 25, 2025.

This was a fast-moving story. I quite enjoyed meeting Sheriff Red and getting to a great twist! I hope there are more stories of Sheriff Red to come.

Thank you NetGalley and Tantor Audio for this audiobook.

I just finished a good thriller that is available now. And the Lake Will Take Them by Linda Norlander is one to listen to.

First I’ve read of this author, but a great start…apparently to a new series!

Sheriff Red Hammergren is a tough cookie!! But then again, I guess she HAS to be! Being as several of the heavy hitting men in town have it in for her! 😮

We open up with an explosion at a remote cabin, in the middle of one of many heavy snowstorms in Minnesota. A teenage boy is critically injured, and a teenage girl is missing….
Is she dead? Is her body amid the debris in the flaming cabin?
What caused the explosion? Did it have something to do with drugs??
Because as the Sheriff investigates, it seems like all options are pointing to the boy being a drug dealer….

So now she is in pursuit of finding Missy, the missing girl…

But as she’s trying to track her down, she keeps coming across stuff from other murders/crimes that have been committed in this smallish town! Are they all connected somehow??

It’s refreshing to see a Sheriff take such a keen interest in EVERYONE in her town! She seems to have a pretty close handle on all things going on there… and if she finds something she is not all that invested in, well, she’ll get more invested!!

So as time goes on, more and more twists/details come out, and they all seem to be leading her somewhere…
But just where will this lead her, and when will it end?

And… can they find and save Missy in time???

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!

#AndTheLakeWillTakeThem by #LindaNorlander and narrated nicely by #ElisabethAshby.

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #TantorAudio for an ARC of the audiobook, in exchange for an honest review.
*** Release date is today, 3/25/25, so look 👀 for it on shelves now !! ***

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And The Lake Will Take Them gets straight to the action. The author wastes no time introducing the reader to Sheriff Red and the mysterious disappearance of Missy. There are several persons of interest, and it was hard to guess where the story would go. A note for audio specifically: it was sometimes difficult to keep track of all of the characters and I found that I had to relisten to refresh myself with who the author was referring to. I felt like the ending came together very quickly and would have enjoyed a little more build-up. I enjoyed the character of Sheriff Red and would read other novels that feature her. It was an especially good thriller for readers who prefer less graphic content. I would highly recommend this book!

This book had me invested from the very beginning to the end. There was mystery, missing an old love, drama. The characters were believable, and she gave a nod to Winterpeg. Such a great story. I listened to the audio and the narrator was good.