Rose was better than me cause Eve would have stayed lost. Rose the investigative journalist with a flaky best friend but has deeper problems and childhood trauma goes missing. Eve does one the most unthinkable things to her bestie but Rose puts that to the side to find her. Rose was a great FMC leading with her gut instinct and intuition. There was a twist I didn’t expect at the end. Overall I rated this 3 star while it was action packed and good it didn’t give me something to rave about it. Still enjoyable and would be a soft recommend. The narrators were great. This is my first read/listen to by Shanora Williams. Thank you #netgalley for the ARC audiobook #netgalleyreader #whisperofthelake

Rose was certainly a better human/friend than I would've been... She was relentless in her pursuit of the whereabouts of her best friend, Eve. Almost TOO relentless IMO... and maybe that's where some of the disconnect was for me. I just couldn't fully put myself in Rose's shoes after such a significant betrayal. WOULDN'T be me!

While this Mystery/Thriller wasn't as fast-paced as I expected, I didn’t predict who the villian was, and it came together well in the end.

I really enjoyed the narrators for this book. Great selections!

I've been enjoying diving into more of Shanora's books. Thank you, Netgalley, for this ARC + audio in exchange for an honest review.

𝙰𝚞𝚍𝚒𝚘𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Whisper of the Lakes was easily a 5-star read. I was hooked from the first page! At this point, Shanora Williams has made it to my top 5 thriller authors. This was a great read, with betrayal, lies, dual POVs, and unreliable characters!
In this story, we have a marriage that is now turning to a divorce, a missing friend, and a lot of secrets and lies.
Rosa's character was the type of character I loved, but at the same time, I wanted to shake her and say, "Stop trying to be Captain Save-a-Hoe." She is one of those loyal friends that will stand beside you even when you do her wrong. She still has your back. Then enters her former best friend, Eve, who is unreliable, deals with past trauma in an unhealthy way, and is very selfish.
I love that we get both POVs: Rose as she is looking for her friend, and Eve's diary.

The audiobook is dual narration; Jasmin Walker and Dominique Franceschi both did an amazing job. They were easy to listen to and understand. I listened at 2x speed.

Thank you to NetGalley, and RB Media for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

𝗤𝗨𝗜𝗖𝗞 𝗣𝗟𝗢𝗧 𝗣𝗘𝗘𝗞
Rose’s former best friend, Eve, has gone radio silent. Even though their friendship ended, Rose travels to the last place Eve was seen - a small, secretive town. But what she finds turns dangerous fast.

𝗛𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗢𝗣𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗢𝗡
This is a fairly straightforward missing person story, with a town full of closed-minded, super sketchy people and a determined investigative reporter.

I really liked how the story was told from two perspectives - Rose, in the present day, and Eve, through her diary entries - so that I empathized with both, even when Eve’s being self-destructive.

The audiobook does a great job with both women, bringing an extra layer of emotion and clarity with the dual POVs.

The twists aren’t particularly shocking - Rose discovers what happened to Eve in a satisfying but not jaw dropping way. But I did enjoy the drama and action-packed end.

𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗛 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗?
This is a perfect listen or read for summer. It has such a good pace and builds up tension just enough. There’s some really sad parts and references to child abuse in it, but nongraphic and still quite mystery-focused.

Thanks to @RBmedia and @Netgalley for access to this advance listening copy

What would you do if your best friend committed the ultimate betrayal and then went missing? Would you look for her or just let it go? That’s what Rose must decide in this thriller. I wish it were a bit more suspenseful but it kept me interested the whole time and I enjoyed the listen.

While I did enjoy the fast pace of the story, I found most of the characters unlikeable which was a bit of a distraction for me. Overall, this was a straightforward suspense that I enjoyed.

The narration for the character of Rose was really well done. I really did not enjoy the narration for the character of Eve, i'm sorry to say. It was very stilted and difficult to listen to.

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

A Missing Woman
A Small Town
One Determined Reporter

When Rose learns that her former best friend has mysteriously vanished without a trace, she knows she can't sit idly by. Fueled by concern and a fierce determination, she journeys to the last place her friend was seen, ready to uncover the truth.

This was a Bookclub pick, and while I enjoyed the narrator the story itself was just okay for me. The thrills didn’t really thrill, and the mystery kind of fell flat. I’m glad we got to the bottom of what happened and why, but the journey was pretty long and tedious. I even thought about not finishing it, but I hung in there for the bookclub. I think I’ll just stick to this author’s romances from now on.

I received an advance copy of the audio book for review. This was a very quick read. Some really messed up things happen, and it is difficult to find redeeming qualities in some of the characters, but that is really a result of tragic events in their past. In the end, this is a mystery, a thriller, and a story that will give you hope for friendships and new beginnings.

This exciting story is a great summer read. I listened to the audiobook and the narrators had a nice flow and different enough voices where you could feel their different characters' perspectives. The story is a classic missing girl thriller but instead of a purely romantic vibe, this story is more about a fractured female friendship. Eve has betrayed Rose, who wants nothing more to do with her, but when Eve goes missing Rose can't help but go looking for her. Rose's story takes place mostly in the present with alternating chapters told from Eve's diary. The ending was a bit too dramatic for my taste, but the end result was completely realistic. All in all, this a good read. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC audiobook

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – A twisty, atmospheric thriller that kept me turning the pages

Whispers of the Lake was such a fun ride! Shanora Williams really knows how to set the scene. Between the quiet lake town, the eerie sense that something’s not quite right, and a main character you can root for, I was hooked from the first chapter.

Rose, an investigative journalist who's basically running on fumes after a rough patch in both her career and marriage, heads to Sage Hill to check on her old friend Eve, who’s gone completely off the grid. Things spiral fast once she gets there. Eve’s missing, the locals are acting shady, and the more Rose digs, the more tangled things get.

What I loved most was the slow build of suspense. The small-town setting was so vivid, I could practically feel the fog rolling off the lake. Rose was a solid main character. Smart, stubborn, and definitely someone you'd want on your side in a mystery like this. I also really appreciated how the story dove into friendship, regret, and those “what really happened?” questions from the past.

The only reason this wasn’t a full 5 stars for me is that a couple of the twists near the end felt a bit rushed, and I wanted just a little more depth from some of the side characters. But honestly, I flew through it. It’s the kind of book you stay up too late reading because you have to know how it ends.

If you like psychological thrillers with strong women, long-buried secrets, and settings that practically become a character, this one should be on your radar. Definitely a great summer book!

This is the first book by this author for me and I was impressed. Rose is an investigative reporter. While career wise everything is going well, her personal life is going downhill. In the midst of investigating a huge case, her former best friend Eve has gone missing after an incident with Rose's. husband. In Rose’s mind she is done with Eve. Still she begrudgingly sets out to figure out where Eve This book was pretty fast paced and it kept me engaged from start to finish. The plot isn’t overly twisted or convoluted which I really appreciated. It had just enough turns to keep me wondering what would happen next. Easy Sumer day read while engaging not too complicated. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity.

In this thriller, Rose is told that her once best friend, Eve is missing. Rose attempts to find Eve by staying in her last known location and getting help from some of her friends along the way. This story is told with two POVs: one from Rose and the other from Eve's journal. This was my first Shanora Williams book, and I will absolutely read more from her going forward! I enjoyed how, as more of the story unfolded, you were able to possibly eliminate some people, but more people looked guilty of possibly doing something to Eve. I also felt this was a great atmospheric read, having it by a lake in a small town with very little cell service to increase the unease.

3.5 stars rounded up

This was a twisty, slow burn thriller with an atmospheric small town setting and a mystery that kept me guessing. I liked Rose’s determination and the way the story unraveled, though the pacing dragged a bit in the middle and some parts felt familiar within the genre. The ending didn’t quite pack the punch I had hoped for. Still, the writing kept me interested and I’ll continue to read books from this author.

Thank you RBMedia for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Okay… Whispers of the Lake had me shook. From the very first chapter, the creepy atmosphere settled around me like fog off a still, haunted lake. It’s eerie, tense, and full of “did I just hear that?” moments that had me side-eyeing every shadow in the room.

I’ll be honest—I almost DNFed this. Not because it wasn’t good, but because the psychological unraveling paired with the claustrophobic setting was that intense. Shanora Williams pulls you into a web of secrets, unreliable memories, and eerie happenings that mess with your head. There were scenes that left my skin crawling and my heart racing, especially with the chilling narration that brought everything to life in the worst (aka best) way.

But I’m so glad I pushed through. The payoff is worth it. That twist? I did not see it coming. It’s one of those audiobooks that worms its way into your mind and lingers long after the final chapter.

If you’re into slow-burning psychological suspense with a disturbing edge, this one’s for you. Just… maybe don’t listen to it alone at night. 😳💀

2.5 stars. Very forgettable. The writing is fine, but the story is pretty bland and the characters — especially Eve, who seems designed to elicit sympathy — are weirdly unlikable.

3.5 stars!

This is my first book by Shanora Williams, and I loved her writing! Whispers on the Lake is fast-paced and captivating! I was very engaged throughout the entire book and I enjoyed the creativity of the dual POV. Williams also writes very diverse characters and I think it brought a lot to the story!

Rose was a strong FMC who showed great dedication to those she loved. I liked the emphasis on mental health and watching Rose work through the things she had been through. On the other hand, Eve was not my favorite and I feel like she walked straight into danger. I don’t blame her for what happened and I know her self-destructive tendencies were recognized and explained, but I did find it quite frustrating throughout the book. There were also a lot of characters, and I did find myself getting confused while reading as characters would pop in and out throughout the book.

Overall, this was an enjoyable thriller and I would recommend it! Whispers on the Lake is definitely binge-worthy!

Thank you Shanora Williams, RBMedia, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Whispers of the Lake by Shanora Williams has a gripping premise—an investigative journalist caught in a web of secrets and lies when her estranged friend goes missing in a quiet North Carolina town. The backdrop of small-town mystery and personal betrayal offers a lot of potential, and the suspense keeps you turning the pages in the beginning. However, as the story progresses, I found myself somewhat disappointed. The pacing is uneven, with slow stretches that drag, and the plot twists, while surprising, felt forced or exaggerated. Rose’s journey to uncover the truth quickly turns into a series of improbable events, making it hard to fully buy into her accumulating danger. The town's residents, initially hospitable, become frustratingly unhelpful and suspicious—something that felt somewhat clichéd and overdone. That said, Williams does craft some tense moments and does a decent job of maintaining intrigue, but overall, the story didn’t quite reach the compelling or memorable heights I was hoping for. It’s a decent read for those who enjoy small-town mysteries with a dose of danger, but it falls into some familiar tropes and pacing issues that keep it from being a great thriller.

When Rose catches her best friend since they were kids, in the act with her husband- it seems unforgivable. after blocking both her husband and Eve she is trying to move on with her life. It isn't until Eve's sister contacts her saying she's missing. Still caring for her she is sent on a hunt to find her. This leads her to an odd small town and a cottage on a lake with strange owners. Rose must get to the bottom of what happened to Eve- this means putting her life in danger as well.

Shanora Williams is a completely new to me author, and what a way to discover her with this title.

Very tricky not to spoiler, but essentially Rose has caught her husband in the act with her best friend Eve. Eve has gone AWOL and Rose (who is a far better person than I’ll ever be, because I’d have left her awol got on with my life and there would’ve been no book) is searching for her, the story from there is jam packed action, suspense and mystery. Neither woman is particularly easy to like, but the character development is solid, because I ended up really feeling for both women.

A fairly short novel with a runtime of around 6 hours, this is a great piece of work, and I really enjoyed it. I’m keen to read more from the author.


The dual narration by Jasmin Walker and Dominique Franceschi was excellent both made the characters real and kept up with the fast pace of the story.

Huge thanks to RBmedia and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ALC 🎧

Bingeable thriller that I read in less than a day. This definitely hooks you and could not put this down. There were a couple twists that I did not see coming. I enjoyed the audio narration and one of the reasons that I listened to this so fast.

Thanks to NetGalley and RBmedia | Recorded Books for the ALC! I enjoyed this listen.