The Lost House is Melissa Larsen’s latest book set to release in January of next year. I received an arc copy in advance to read, and I was pretty excited because the story sounded interesting. 

Agnes returns to her grandfather’s homeland in Iceland to find out the truth on the murder of his wife who was slashed by the throat and their child drowned in a river. Together they were found frozen along the river.  Her grandfather fled with his son (Agnes father) to California where he was never convicted of the murders. Agnes has only known her grandfather as a loving person and believes he is innocent. Her return takes place 40 years later, and upon her arrival another woman has gone missing. A party that took place on the property of the original murders, is where the missing woman is believed to have disappeared from. Are these two cases related? 

Agnes meets up with Nora Carver who is doing a podcast to find out the truth on what happened 40 years ago. Agnes was originally there to discuss what she knew of her family, but with the disappearance of the Asa, the woman missing from the party, they investigate together to find out what happened to Asa. 

This book is broken up into three parts. I’m going to be honest. I found the first part extremely slow and not much happening. I’m not one to DNF a book but I really struggled with reading this part of the book. That being said, when I got to part two things started to get interesting.  We get some good character development and understand a little more about the past. By part three I was all in. I found myself wanting to finish it to see how it would end. I just really wish the first part had the same excitement. 

Two things I did really like about The Lost House is the closure Agnes gave her father by finding out the truth for their family, and I feel like Agnes found herself too during all the investigations. She felt a little lost throughout the story. 

I want to thank NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Minotaur Books for this advance copy for my honest review.

The Lost House by Melissa Larsen 

Pub date: January 14, 2025