I’ve enjoyed Jamie Day’s previous books so I was excited for this one. I loved the idea of creepy Lake Timmery. The characters were interesting even if they were a little bit exaggerated. I did predict all of the twists, but I still enjoyed the ride. Izzy exaggerates her skills as a nanny in order to get a job as a temporary nanny for a family vacationing on Lake Timmery. The twins are a handful but she is desperate to do some investigating while she is there. Three old friends all vacation together but when the father she’s working for’s girlfriend disappears on the first night it becomes apparent that secrets are hidden at the lake, starting with the fact that three women have gone missing exactly 30 years apart. I listened to the audiobook and liked the narration a lot. I also really enjoyed that this book was told in the perspective of a couple of characters which is always more interesting to me. I gave this one 3.5 stars rounded up because it was a fun summer read.

"The Lake Takes Them"
Is that just a scary story people tell each other around the campfire or is the lake indeed hungry for souls?
Every thirty years, a woman has went missing. Maybe taken by the lake or maybe taken by something even more sinister.
As three groups of friends meet for a peaceful summer vacation at their lake homes, they start to realize it's been thirty years and one of them just might be in danger of disappearing.

This was a quick and fun read that's perfect for the summer.
There's plenty of drama, both petty (being mad that the lake view has been compromised by a larger house) and serious (marital trouble, financial woes, and infidelity). And mired in all this turmoil is the Lake and her secrets.
I was engaged in the mystery and the setting. The narrators did a great job with the various characters and, even though there were multiple POVs, it was easy to keep everybody straight.

If you're looking for a thrilling beach (or lake) read, give this one was a listen.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Erika, Julia and David all grew up spending summers together at their respective Vermont lake houses. Now as adults, they are meeting up to share another summer together with teenage children included. David has a new young girlfriend, and a nanny he has added to the mix, as well as all the secrets that this trio has built up over the years. Things start to unravel when David's girlfriend goes missing, and leaves them wondering if the lake has claimed another victim. Thirty years ago, two other women disappeared from the same lake, is it happening again? I enjoyed both of Day's previous novels, and I really enjoyed this one, as well. The narrators did a great job, and the characters are well-developed. There are several great twists that I did not see coming, and this keeps you on the edge of your seat right up until the very end!

TW/CW: Cheating, language, drinking, alcoholism, underage drinking, animal death (not graphic), blood, violence, toxic friendships, rape

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
JULIA, DAVID, AND ERIKA grew up together spending summers at their idyllic Vermont lake homes for as long as they can remember. Now adults—with their own sullen teens, endless mortgages, and low-voltage sex lives—the three friends have amassed secrets over the years.This summer, David is eager to show off his newly renovated home—which now blocks his friends’ cherished lake views—and his much-younger girlfriend. He also, unwittingly, brings a nanny with a hidden agenda. What could possibly go wrong?When David’s girlfriend mysteriously vanishes after a shouting match, Julia and Erika wonder just how well they know their lifelong friend. The lake harbors a harrowing two young women, with no known connection, vanished without a trace thirty years ago. Did the lake take another?
Release Date: July 15th, 2025
Genre: Thriller
Pages: 368
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

What I Liked:
1. Summer lake atmosphere
2. Rich messed up people vibes
3. Writing style was good

What I Didn't Like:
1. Too many characters intersecting in confusing ways
2. Ridiculous ending

Overall Thoughts:
{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}

Wait wait wait we aren't holding Lukas responsible for leaving Izzy behind in the woods, but blames the dad instead. Lucas isn't a child. He is 18 years old and knows that young women are disappearing here but he leaves her. Apparently according to his story he did indeed look for her but it's Izzy's fault she got lost because she walked away from where they were. She was so lost that she never heard Lucas yelling her name. Yeah, right. I don't trust him.

Izzy didn't do anything. Her mother says she's thankful for her help in catching him but she really didn't do anything. It was all luck. Luck that Julia went to a bar and ran into a bartender that told her everything she needed to know.

Why is Izzy's only choice to tell the police that David killed Susie? She could throw them all under the bus. Erica and Rick both got to live a life of privageb too! Oh thank God Izzy actually said something and told the police about who killed her aunt. Honestly though are we even sure that Erika and Rick didn't kill Fiona? She just happen to disappear so well that no one can find her... I know it's not the real ending but I like to believe they really killed her to frame David.

I am so mad that Julia forgave Christian for the cheating and now for him losing her Lake house. There is zero way I'd be letting this guy back again to ruin more things. I am so annoyed. She has to go figure out everything and get back into the corporate world (which in movies and books they make look so easy - yeah you haven't worked in 15 years but here's this CEO position) to somehow pay off her house. I have no idea how that will work.

Erika and Rick get no real punishment and for some reason the family forgives them for covering up a murder and also murdering Susie. They claim that because of David raping Susie it put into motion her getting herself killed which dare I say it is ridiculous. There can be more than one person here responsible for the murder of Susie. Oh and David just disappeared. No one knows what happened to him other than his shoes just being next to the lake.

Final Thoughts:
Gosh, I'll be honest with you I thought we had a Gone Girl moment here. David was a terrible boyfriend so who would blame her. He did admit to sleeping with the other nanny so I was shocked to think back on why Fiona would agree to let David hire another nanny. David doesn't even remind me of someone that would want to take his kids to the lake house.

This book was fine. I found the characters on the annoying side. I got to the ending only to find everything before it was pointless feeling. Julia forgives Christian. Susie's murderers go free. David just disappears. All these moments just added up to nothing. I found it just meh and just there.

There was a scene in the book where Izzy goes into David's office and he catches her. I get she's scared and doesn't know if David killed Fiona but the way the scene is written felt so much like a soap opera. She's staring at him he's staring at her and they keep staring at each other. She's thinking he's going to kill her and she keeps staring at him. It went on like this for a while. I laughed.

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Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Three families look forward to their annual summer vacation at their respective lake houses. The adults grew up spending summers there and are happy to have their children grow up with the same experiences. Julia is furious though this year, because David has replaced his family’s modest cottage with a huge modern structure she considers an eyesore, not to mention it blocks her view. Julia is sure that when her friend Erika arrives, she will be furious with David as well. Erika and her husband, a professional guide and hunter, arrive with their musically inclined teenage son. Julia’s daughter seems upset and withdrawn and Julia is becoming increasingly distressed about their financial situation. Her husband has been handling the finances for their struggling business and she is just becoming aware of their dire financial situation. In addition, David shows up with his 5 year old twins, their inept nanny, and latest much-younger, not-at-all-shy girlfriend.

The summer quickly gets off to a disastrous start when David’s new girlfriend disappears without a trace. Residents quickly compare her disappearance to the disappearances of two other young women in the past—one when Julia, Erika, and David were teens and one many years in the past. Are the disappearances connected? Have all the young women been murdered? Author Jamie Day throws in enough connections and twists to keep readers guessing.

I enjoyed the book’s plot and the narration though I didn’t really root for any of the characters.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Lake Escape
By: Jamie Day
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Pub Date: 7/15/25
Three childhood best friends, Julia, David and Erica now own the lake homes their parents once did and return for vacation with their children every year. Being close as children was easy but as they have aged they hide more and more secrets from each other and those secrets are going to be exposed.
When David’s Izzy has a connection to the lake she isn’t sharing. 30 years ago her aunt went missing at this lake. She’s determined to give her mom peace by trying to solve the case. But will she, just a teenager, be able to figure out what happened and what these people are hiding?
I really enjoyed the two part narrative for this one. Izzy tells her store and Julia tells the adult side. The settings for this book were on point; you could almost put yourself in the environment that was described.
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I love a Jamie Day book! A thriller on the lake in the summer, count me in. I enjoyed all the different story lines and seeing how they converge in the end, nothing felt it was left unsettled.

Very entertaining. Likeable characters, or maybe some we just like to hate. The plot just kept thickening, twisting and turning. A great read.

This might be my favorite Jamie Day book to date. I don't know if it was the idyllic setting or the way nothing was as it appeared almost immediately. I was hooked by Izzy's story right away and could not wait to find out her motives and the secrets she was keeping. There were a lot of unexpected twists and fascinating storylines to follow and I was completely captivated by the writing and storytelling. The lake went from a lovely holiday place to a dark dangerous place full of secrets. I love the way things were wrapped up in a unique format.

Note: I listened to the audiobook and the narration was perfect for enhancing the tense atmosphere.

The Lake Escape by Jamie Day is a tense, slow-burn thriller that unravels the secrets of lifelong friendships. Three women disappeared, each 30 years apart. Burried betrayals resurface at a lake house in Vermont, long-held lies come to light, and three connected disappearances must be solved. The idyllic setting is anything but peaceful as dark histories and shifting allegiances threaten to tear the group apart. With twists, tension, and an eerie sense of foreboding, this book keeps you guessing until the very end.

Three lifelong friends return to their families' Vermont lake houses, now bringing their own children, excited for a reunion but with some new developments and dark secrets in tow. Newly divorced David has built a brand new glass megamansion on his family's land--which right away flares tensions with his friends--and is accompainied by his young twins, a nanny, and a shiny new girlfriend. Julie and Erika also bring their share of family drama, including troubled teenagers, hidden financial woes, and rocky marriages. In the background loom two mysterious disappearances that happened thirty years apart; the most recent exactly thirty years ago. When David's girlfriend goes missing, history seems to be repeating itself as secrets are exposed, and everyone is a suspect. While the story sometimes feels cluttered with many characters, motives, and elements, the setting is appealing, the twists are unexpected and fun, and this is sure to be a popular summer beach read.

I have read all of Jamie Day's books and I got through this one so quickly. It had lots of twists and turns. I am a fan and will continue to read Jamie's books.

Thanks for Netgalley for an advanced copy of the book.

I enjoyed this book; it was a fun story with varied characters. The back and forth between Izzy and Julia gave very different viewpoints: someone who grew up at the lake and a newcomer working as a nanny for another family. The mystery of Fiona going missing and the other missing lake girls kept the story moving forward at a good pace. I had part of the mystery figured out before the ending but not all the parts. I thought the book was finished but then there was a twist and the last few chapters revealed most of the answers from the story. I didn’t love the epilogue but it mostly worked. I enjoyed the narrators and the back and forth between the two characters.

Thanks to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for a copy of this audiobook.

What truly sets this novel apart is the way character development drives the story forward. Rather than relying solely on external twists, Day skillfully reveals layers of his characters in ways that deepen the tension and emotional stakes. The protagonist’s arc is particularly compelling—a mix of vulnerability, resilience, and quiet determination that evolves naturally as the mystery unfolds. Supporting characters, too, are fully realized, with nuanced motivations and believable flaws that make even minor players feel vital to the story.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. 2 women disappeared from the lake. But families keep coming back... some with secrets.

The Lake Escape by Jamie Day was a fast-paced thriller that immediately pulls you into a tense reunion at THE lake, where we focus on three families with lake houses right next door to each other. Old friends come together for what's supposed to be a relaxing trip, but the calm quickly shatters. The cast includes David, a super-rich guy who's a bit of a player, and his girlfriend, Fiona. David has just built another expansion onto his house that now blocks the view from his neighbor Julia, who is also one of the friends present, along with Erica. The new addition becomes an instant point of contention for Julie, and she can't figure out why Erica doesn't seem as upset by the property blocking their beautiful lake view. Julia, meanwhile, is struggling financially, but her husband keeps evading clear answers and just reassures her everything will be okay... until it's not.

Things take a dark turn when Fiona goes missing, and it's believed she may have fallen victim to the lake. The lake itself has a chilling history, having previously claimed the lives of two other women, exactly 30 years apart. Adding to the mystery, David has hired a new nanny, Izzy, after his previous one mysteriously quit just days before the trip. It's clear that Izzy has some ulterior motives for being on the job and at this lake house. There's a lot going on here, and secrets are absolutely all over this lake and the people who enjoy it. These secrets run deep, stemming back years and years among this small group of lake-goers.

Jamie Day always does a great job tying the characters together in the end, and this book was no exception. I found I was able to follow along with just seeing us, despite the complexity. This was a fun read that revealed many secrets among this small group. It's a quick, fun thriller! Loved the audiobook narration, especially "The Lake" chapters.

Star Rating: 4 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review. Release date 7/1/25.

This audiobook is an excellent listening experience. I liked the dual narrations and the podcast touch (though I wish there’d been more of that).
The bad guys in The Lake Escape were a little too cartoon villain for me. And, honestly, some of the drama was SO big but not really addressed or handled as intensely as I’d expect. I love a group of childhood friends and traditions, but these friends didn’t seem good to each other from the get go and the runaway mom, deceased dad, inheritances, and mob connections all seemed a little too convenient to mix together with just one group of 3 people.
Plus I couldn’t really get a handle on the age of this group? They had grown kids but one of the adults was obsessed with Instagram captions (yet also missed her work in non-profits?)… it felt like a bunch of sticky notes for ideas all got thrown at one book but didn’t necessarily always blend.
That said, the spooky vibes of the “lake lore” insinuating that the lake had to take a girl every 30 years was interesting and there were a lot of mysteries both big & small going on throughout that kept me on my toes and wanting to listen.
I really loved Jamie Day’s first book, really didn’t love her second, and this third is right in the middle of the road for me. I’d recommend it for domestic thriller fans for sure.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc and alc.

This book may very well be the best thriller to come out of summer 2025! I finished this book in under a day, it was that addictive, Jamie Day's books have been a mixed bag for me, if I am being honest, but this one may very well be my new favorite. If you enjoyed The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager, then this book is a must-read for you!

The audiobook is Narrated by Lisa Larsen and Phoebe Strole and both voice actresses did a great job with their respective roles. I spent some parts of the book wishing more characters in the story were featured as narrators, but in the end, I think everything wrapped up nicely like a chef's kiss if you will...

If you want to hear more about this story you are just going to have to trust me and pick up this book because it is JUST that good, and I think it is best to go into this one knowing as little as possible...

This book is told from two POVs; Izzy and Julia. Julia grew up with a lake house, and two close friends who had adjacent lake houses. The story opens with Julia arriving to her annual summer trip to the lake, and finding out that one of her friends, David, has redone his house and completely destroyed her view. Honestly, this could be this entire book, her life will never be the same because of that.

However, of course there is the lake lore. Two women went missing, exactly 60 and 90 years ago. And now, who will go missing this time.

Enter Izzy, whose perspective takes over a large part of the narrative and gives it a very YA feel, which I was not expecting and did not enjoy. She is a journalist who is obsessed with true crime, has lied to get a nanny job for David, and is at the lake to finally solve the unsolved disappearances. Spoiler, she has no idea what she is doing.

David has a girlfriend, Fiona, who goes missing promptly after the first night. There is also the third neighbor/bestie, Erika, who is very much a filler character, until the very end.

This book started slow but toward the end the author just threw the entire kitchen sink at us. The sister of the first missing woman still lives at the lake, she had a box that belong to her sister and somehow also the second missing person, which was the key to the entire dang mystery, which Izzy stumbles upon when she twists her ankle in the woods. Julia also does some amateur sleuthing of her own, and we end up with a very tense ending in which we get both a mob revelation and a full confession, monologue style. It was just so ridiculous. And then everything is tied up in a neat bow at the end, podcast style.

I liked The Block Party, but this was a lacklaster attempt at making real life and cold cases come alive. I appreciate the ARC, the narration was okay, I didn't like the voice for Izzy which also made it very YA. It's a quick read and if you like ridiculous mob references, have at it!

This was a light, entertaining read overall.

Izzy’s POV was definitely the standout. I’m getting a little tired of the true crime fanatic trope, though.

The narrator for Izzy’s chapters was great and really helped bring her to life. Julia’s POV, on the other hand, didn’t do much for me. The narration felt flat, almost robotic at times.

It wasn’t the most thrilling book, it was honestly a slow burn, but it had just the right amount of ridiculousness to make it a fun, escapist summer read.