NetGalley: The Lost House by Melissa Larsen
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Published: 1/14/2025
Pages: 352
Genre: thriller
Review: ARC from NetGalley and publisher
Forty years ago, a young woman and her infant daughter were found buried in the cold Icelandic snow, lying together as peacefully as though sleeping. Except the mother’s throat had been slashed and the infant drowned. The case was never solved. There were no arrests, no conviction. Just a suspicion turned into a the husband did it. When he took his son and fled halfway across the world to California, it was proof enough of his guilt.
Now, nearly half a century later and a year after his death, his granddaughter, Agnes, is ready to clear her grandfather’s name once and for all. Still recovering from his death and a devastating injury, Agnes wants nothing more than an excuse to escape the shambles of her once-stable life—which is why she so readily accepts true crime expert Nora Carver’s invitation to be interviewed for her popular podcast. Agnes packs a bag and hops on a last-minute flight to the remote town of Bifröst, Iceland, where Nora is staying, where Agnes’s father grew up, and where, supposedly, her grandfather slaughtered his wife and infant daughter.
Is it merely coincidence that a local girl goes missing the very same weekend Agnes arrives? Suddenly, Agnes and Nora’s investigation is turned upside down, and everyone in the small Icelandic town is once again a suspect. Seeking to unearth old and new truths alike, Agnes finds herself drawn into a web of secrets that threaten the redemption she is hell-bent on delivering, and even her life—discovering how far a person will go to protect their family, their safety, and their secrets.
Now, nearly half a century later and a year after his death, his granddaughter, Agnes, is ready to clear her grandfather’s name once and for all. Still recovering from his death and a devastating injury, Agnes wants nothing more than an excuse to escape the shambles of her once-stable life—which is why she so readily accepts true crime expert Nora Carver’s invitation to be interviewed for her popular podcast. Agnes packs a bag and hops on a last-minute flight to the remote town of Bifröst, Iceland, where Nora is staying, where Agnes’s father grew up, and where, supposedly, her grandfather slaughtered his wife and infant daughter.
Is it merely coincidence that a local girl goes missing the very same weekend Agnes arrives? Suddenly, Agnes and Nora’s investigation is turned upside down, and everyone in the small Icelandic town is once again a suspect. Seeking to unearth old and new truths alike, Agnes finds herself drawn into a web of secrets that threaten the redemption she is hell-bent on delivering, and even her life—discovering how far a person will go to protect their family, their safety, and their secrets.
I don't believe I have read anything that takes place in the Icelandic landscape, so it was interesting to see how this was played out. Agnes and a podcaster named Nora plan on trying to figure out what happened to Agnes's grandmother and her baby over forty years ago. She believes her grandfather is innocent, yet what will she uncover, and can she even handle the truth? When a missing person's case pops up at the same time that Agnes and Nora are there does it tie into what happened forty years ago? At times, the book was a bit slow, but nothing too bad.
Agnes was dealing with being an addict, and you can tell it was affecting her at times. There wasn't a lot of action, and if you're okay with that, then jump into the book. You will appreciate the scenery that the author writes about.
MELISSA LARSEN is the author of Shutter and The Lost House. She received her M.F.A. from Columbia University and her B.A. from New York University. When she isn’t traveling somewhere to research her next novel―and somehow hurting herself in the process―she lives in New York City and teaches creative writing.
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