First Line: I hope I haunt you.
Forty years ago, Iceland was rocked by two deaths: a woman, throat slashed, was found out in the snow with her drowned infant daughter nestled beside her. The case was never solved, but people were convinced that the woman's husband was the killer. When the man took his son and moved half a world away to California, it just proved that the gossip was right.
Almost fifty years later and a year after his death, Agnes wants to clear her beloved grandfather's name once and for all. Recovering from his death and a devastating injury, Agnes' life has been turned upside down, so she quickly agrees to true crime podcaster Nora Carver's invitation to come to Iceland to be interviewed.
The very same weekend that Agnes joins Nora in the remote town where her grandfather and father lived, a local girl goes missing. Is this a coincidence? Even if it isn't, it only fuels Agnes' determination to clear her grandfather's name.
~
Iceland in winter. A derelict house where a murderer allegedly lived. A young woman determined to clear her grandfather's name. Everything stacked up in Melissa Larsen's The Lost House to make it a book that I should really enjoy.
The creepy, ramshackle house and the brutal Icelandic winter weather did draw me in, but those were the only two things that did. The whodunit was not surprising, and the story moved very slowly-- sometimes with too much description.
The nail in the coffin of The Lost House was its characters. This is a book where you must care for the main character, and Agnes never did grow on me. She was a lonely addict riddled with angst-- definitely not my kind of character. Moreover, none of the others could fill in the gap. No, I'm sorry to say that this character-driven reader never did warm up to Agnes, but your mileage can certainly vary.
The Lost House by Melissa Larsen
eISBN: 9781250332882
St. Martin's Press © 2025
eBook, 352 pages
Thriller
Rating: D+
Source: Net Galley
I'm sorry to hear this one didn't do it for you, Cathy. It has such a good premise (and promise), and the setting is a great choice. But as you say, if you can't warm to the characters, it's hard to be drawn in to the story. And I know what you mean about too much description, too. When that happens to me, I always feel like I'm not reading, but wading through words...
ReplyDeleteYes, I kept wanting to skip pages.
DeleteOK, Lesa was not a fan of this one either. Think I can pass it by. Others may like it, but I have way too many on my list. It did sound like one that would work for all of us. Ah well.
ReplyDeleteYou win some, you lose some.
DeleteThe description does make it sound like a good Nordic noir entry, so I'm not surprised you found this one. It's not usually one of my subgenre choices, so your review lets me know to bypass this entry the next time the mood strikes.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think it's best to let your mood strike elsewhere.
DeleteThe storyline sounds good so sorry it did not quite work for you.
ReplyDeleteAt least it doesn't happen often.
DeleteI've read a number of books set in Iceland that I have greatly enjoyed. Guess I'll give this one a pass. Thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome.
DeleteI do love that Icelandic setting, but all the negatives you mention make me think it's better to pass on this one. I'm sorry it wasn't better.
ReplyDeleteOh well. I did have better luck with the next book I opened. ;-)
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