The Lake Escape
by Jamie Day
4/5 ⭐

The Lake Escape is an entertaining summer thriller that packs in all the right elements: nostalgia, suspense, and corruption. In true Day fashion, the story presents a full cast of characters—each one well-developed, layered, and just suspicious enough to keep readers on edge. The dual timelines weave together childhood memories with present-day tensions in a gripping way. The mystery builds steadily, constantly leaving you guessing about who can be trusted and what really happened.

The graphic audio version of the book adds an immersive quality, enhancing the plot, and the narrators make the characters come to life. Although I did feel like there were some holes in the present story, and some far-fetched details in the past. The Lake Escape is a perfect read for those who love thrillers that keep you turning pages on a summer night.

Thank you to @Macmillan.Audio and @netgalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review. All my opinions are my own.
Publication Date: July 15, 2025

At 360 some pages, this book felt entirely too long. It reads as if the author decided it was time to add yet another issue/problem every other page. It felt like entirely too much was going at the same time and the author decided to put one twist after another in the last few chapters, but it felt more unhinged than anything else. Overall it was a fine read, but there was nothing new or earth shattering in its pages. The dual narration was very well done.

I am not sure what is going on with me...I went into this one with low expctations, but whoa, this one was good! Previously I have read Jamie Day's other 2 novels "Block Party-4 stars" and "One Big Happy Family-2.5 stars" So I was totally iffy on requesting this book. The whole time I was reading I was waiting for something to crack. The ending was a total hodge podge of any and every book you have ever read --like literally all the "Twist" are things you have seen in other books, Jamie Day just chooses to put them all in the last 20% of this book, so be prepared.
The book is written from 2 POVs, Julia and Izzy. Julia is one of the three childhood friends (Erica and David the other two) who returns to the Lake each summer to her family's property. This summer however she shows up and David has built a 3 story home blocking her precious view of the lake, what is more puzzling is Erica seems to not care. Julia is hoping this summer she can reconnect with her daughter and repair her broken marriage. David meanwhile has hired Izzy to nanny his 4 year old twins, but Izzy has an different reason for accepting the job.....Just when things start to be setteling DAvid's newst fling Fiona disappears 30 years exactly since the last disappearance of a young woman......
The writing in this book was decent, whenever I was reading Julia's vantage point it was a bit cringey lots of little "cute sayings" use of metaphors and constantly trying to use #s...stop please. Izzy read more like a young high schooler instead of a 20 year old, she was pretty naive/immature and a bit deer in the headlights about things--That chapters I was in her head felt like a YA book for sure. However the pacing was great, nothing seemed to drag and I was entertained all the way through. Things did get a bit unhinged at the end with literally every plot device you could think of-it was honestly a bit much--however the ending was a bit of a surprise.
Jamie Day is back in my good graces and I look forward to her next publication.
Thank you netgalley for allowing me to review this advanced copy of "The Lake Escape". I was not influenced or paid for this honest review, all thoughts are my own.

This is a perfect twisty summer read. I love domestic suspense, and Jamie Day is such a talented author. This book had well developed characters and twists I didn’t see coming. The setting was so detailed and the lake itself was so integral to the story.

For decades, Julia, Erika and David have been spending summers together at the same lake in Vermont. This lake has a history. Women have disappeared in this lake, thirty years apart, never to be seen again. When David’s girlfriend goes missing exactly thirty years after the previous woman, his friends (and nanny) start to ask questions.

I listened to the audio and was really impressed. The dual perspectives really came alive with the different narrators.

4.5 stars rounded up.

3.5⭐️

This was another enjoyable thriller by Jamie Day! I really liked Izzy’s character and the lakeside Vermont setting. A couple of twists that I didn’t see coming and a couple predictable plot points. The narration was well done as well.

I think Jamie Day gets better with each book. And with The Lake Escape she delivers another solid thriller. David, Julia, and Erika were lifelong friends with fond memories of their time on the lake. Now older, with families of their own, they still have a tradition of a week at the lake together. And while the time at the lake should be a time to reminisce and enjoy themselves, this year things are different. Of course they are older and people change, and they all have secrets. Perhaps none more so than David, who has comes into serious money, has renovated his family’s old lake house, tearing it down and constructing a multistory glass monstrosity that now blocks his friend’s view of the lake. He’s also arrived with his two kids, a nanny (who has secrets of her own, not the least of which she has never actually been a nanny!), and his new very young girlfriend. The lake itself has a secret as well. Over the years two women have gone missing there, thirty years apart…and now it’s been thirty years since the last woman went missing. When David’s girlfriend disappears is it just history repeating itself? And is now time for secrets to come to light? The audio narration is provided by Lisa Larsen and Phoebe Strole and both deliver solid performances. I’d like to thank Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review an advanced copy of the audio version of Jamie Day’s The Lake Escape.

This book has just the right mix of nostalgia, secrets, and slow-burning suspense. Told from a few different distinct, well-performed perspectives, the audiobook made it easy to keep track of who was who, even with a large cast. I appreciated how the first quarter set the stage (even though it was slooooow, the relationships, past tragedies, the unease beneath the surface were worthwhile) while the final stretch picked up speed and delivered real payoff. The mystery had me listening in, and the layered perspectives gave it depth. A solid summer thriller with a moody lakeside setting and just enough twists to keep me guessing until the end.

ARC/ ALC REVIEW:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

For as long as they can remember, David, Julia, and Erika have spent their summers vacationing at their family lake houses. While their memories contain fond times, the lake itself has a dark past. Over the course of a few decades, several women have mysteriously gone missing. With the investigations stalling out, the cases go cold. That is until recent home renovations unearth human remains. Will the trio be able to enjoy their summer lake escape, or will they unwillingly be brought into the investigation?

Jamie Day is my go to author if I am looking to read a mystery/suspense/thriller. Despite enjoying the genre, I tend to read very little of it. The reason being, most books in this category are too disturbing. Thankfully, this is not the case for Day’s work.

I had the pleasure of both physically reading and listening to the audiobook of The Lake Escape. While I found both formats be enjoyable, the voice acting elevated the story to a whole new level.

Day’s decision to tell the story through Julia and Izzy made it ideal for dual narration. Not only were they the two most reliable narrators, but getting to hear their POVs brought the story to life. Props to the producers and voice actors!

Without giving away the plot, this book also contains:
-deep seeded secrets
-hidden identities
-daring investigations

I highly recommend picking up a copy of The Lake Escape. It is the perfect summer read that will keep you guessing without compromising your desire to vacation.

Special thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and Jamie Day for allowing me to read/ listen to this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Lake Escape is a suspenseful summer thriller set against the eerie beauty of a Vermont lake. Lifelong friends Julia, Erika, and David find their annual retreat shattered when David’s girlfriend mysteriously disappears.

Expertly weaving secrets, tension, and multiple perspectives, Day builds an immersive mystery. The pacing is brisk, and the lake itself feels like a haunting presence. The emotional stakes and twists keep the reader engaged.

Thank you to NetGalley, Jamie Day, and Macmillan Audio for the ALC of this book.

The Lake Escape is a domestic thriller surrounding three families with long histories, vacationing at their lake houses. The story follows one of the family’s nanny as a main character who only took the job to uncover a secret from the past. Each family has a storyline, told throughout in both past and present-tense. When David’s new, younger girlfriend disappears, the friends are left wondering what they really know about each other.

The secrets, lies, and twists keep coming once you get past the first half of the book- a little heavy with filling in the blanks. No one is as they seem and discovering the secrets kept me glued to the pages. I enjoyed the history that was uncovered and the way it was presented. I loved the multiple twists and the ease of reading the book. Overall, 4 solid stars for this one! Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan audio for the ALC!

i enjoyed this book until the last 1/3. too many people too many storylines, I was getting confused and this wasn't a twist thriller, it was all out on the plate. Maybe Day isn't the author for me afterall.

This book was entertaining enough. I liked the lakeside setting and found the characters were interesting.

This book includes an array of interesting characters but the story is told through just two POVs, which was an interesting choice. Each character comes with tons of family drama (and trauma)...which made for a few too many dynamics, IMO. But they came together nicely toward the end.

The pacing was a little off for me. A few parts dragged but I was never bored.

I'm a Jamie Day fan but this definitely isn't one of her best. All that said, if you're looking for an easy beach read, this will hit the spot.

3.7 rounded up to 4.

Solid read. Murder Mystery, Who-done-it.
Childhood friends grow up next to each other and eventually Inherit the Family homes. The mystery of the disappearing women has plagued the tiny community for 60 years. Every 30 years the lake claims another Woman. A years long mystery unfolds and the pieces start to fall into place.
I found the story hard to follow towards the end. I had to listen to parts of the chapter again to understand what was going on. A few characters were not mentioned until the very end and it was a bit confusing. Felt like the story was thrown together in the end.
Overall entertaining, kept me wondering.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Macmillan Audio so much for this Advanced Listener Copy. Wow, definitely lots of twists and turns - that this brilliant author somehow tied up perfectly in the end. I did think the first half-ish of the book dragged a bit, but by the end I was hooked and didn’t want to stop listening. This book gave me vibes of a mix between “Listen for the Lie” and “A good girls guide to murder”.
I definitely recommend, you’ll love it! 3.5⭐️

I’m not sure why I keep coming back and reading this author. My thoughts are always these are so drawn out. This book was a few hundred pages too long.

THE LAKE ESCAPE • pub day 07.15.25

ALC review
Natrators: Lisa Larsen & Phoebe Strole
Length: 12h 41 min
ARC pages: 384

David, Julia, and Erika have been friends since childhood - and now as adults they return to the Lake they spent time together when they were kids. Told in the POV of Julia, and David’s new nanny Izzy - secrets start to come out one morning when David’s new girlfriend vanishes. The lake has a history of missing girls in the past and everyone is haunted by the fact that it could have happened again.

I didn’t really connect to any characters in this story but I liked the setting of summertime at the lake with the eery feeling of suspense near the lake. I did the audio and the ebook for this one and think either way is a good option. I liked Izzy’s POV as it was told in first person and you could get more of a feel of her personality and intentions. If the book focused more on the mystery of the people that went missing I think I would have liked it a bit better but it was mostly focused on the family drama and suspense of the ones at the lake house. The narrators for the audiobook were great.

3.5 ⭐️

Thanks to MacMillan Audio for my ALC + NetGalley & St Martin’s Press for my ARC

3 childhood friends vacation at their respective vacation homes, left to them by their families. Each one keeping various secrets. Women have disappeared by this lake. Each one 30 years apart. Twists and turns galore. Enjoyed this one very much.

3.5 stars
This was an enjoyable read, and I was entertained. I did feel that the first half was a bit meandering at times with all of the action packed into the last part of the book. I would have liked to have seen more mystery and suspense throughout the story instead of only at the end. Some of the final scenes strained credibility. Still, this was a fun read – and I think it would be a nice read for summer vacation.

I will say I did really enjoy the narration for the audiobook.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

An summer thriller set in Vermont cottage country. The setting reminds me of cottage country in Eastern Ontario, and I was excited to get an ARC copy!

Izzy is a journalism student moonlighting as a nanny for a wealthy man who owns a house on a lake. She knows nothing about nannying, but that's not why she is there. The story unfolds with plot twist after plot twist... some of them are predictable, and some are just outright ridiculous.

This book took me a while to get into. A lot of characters are introduced quickly, and not a single one of them is likeable. Every single person is hiding something, or lying about something, or is just a terrible person in general. It makes it hard to care much about the plot line, when you don't really care about the characters.

I love a good summer mystery, but I'm not sure this one hits the mark for me.

I really struggled to get into this story. I didn’t really feel pulled in and it seemed really slow to start. Not much happening. I think there was just too many characters and storylines and unnecessary things that kept me from enjoying it. I previously loved the authors first two books but this was sadly a miss. The narrations were good tho. They were easily distinguishable and help track the different characters.