Friday, November 29, 2024

The Lost House by Melissa Larsen

 I love murder mysteries set in Iceland. They are usually dark and atmospheric, and I love envisioning the landscape. THE LOST HOUSE is both of those things. Even though Melissa Larsen doesn't live in Iceland, she does an excellent job of taking the reader there.

Forty years ago, the unsolved murder of a woman and infant daughter cast doubt on the woman's husband. Although there was no proof, he was ostracized by the town and cemented their beliefs of his guilt by fleeing the country with his young son. Now, his granddaughter, Agnes, has joined a true-crime podcaster, Nora, in investigating the crime. Agnes hopes to clear her grandfather, while Nora wants a good story.

Coinciding with Agnes and Nora's arrival, a local girl, Asa, goes missing. Agnes and Nora get caught up in the search for Asa, and in doing so, they find that many of the people surrounding Asa have ties to that long-ago murder. By digging into what happened to Asa, Agnes and Nora uncover secrets that may help solve that old murder.

This is a slow-burn story rich in atmosphere and characters. I liked both Agnes and Nora, and their relationship was interesting, although I often couldn't believe Nora's patience-there were times I wanted to wring Agnes's neck. The pacing at the beginning was slow, but the story was interesting enough that I kept reading, and I'm glad I did. The ending was worth it. 

3.5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and Minotaur Books, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is January 14, 2025.

For more information:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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