Lost to the Lake by Anna Willett | Review

“She knew a smile like that would have been elicited by the veterinary nurse telling him he was a good boy…”
I rarely pick up thrillers, especially any I consider to be domestic. So why did I pick this up, and how much did I love it?

Overall

Lost to the Lake follows Beth who is awoken one night to a home invasion. Held at knife point, her faithful dog is injured trying to protect her. Thinking this was the worse that could happen, Beth finds her seemly perfect live completely shattered as her husband reveals they can’t go to the police.

Beth and husband Marty find themselves travelling to White Mist, a secluded lake retreat. Perfect for a couples getaway, Beth realises things are quickly going from bad to worse!

Beth as a whole person

Something that really stood out to me, and drew me into the story quickly, was the character of Beth. Heavily flawed, and full of poor choices, with another author I would have put this book down. However, Anna Willett managed to make Beth likeable, meaning I didn’t want to leave her story without finding out more. This is a great example of a female unreliable narrator that male authors often can’t quite capture.

Beth discovers a lot about herself despite her heavy drinking, realising she has become complacent in her life and marriage, and stopped questioning things that matter. We learn about Beth, and her marriage to Marty through flashbacks, that worked well within the story, offering a greater insight into the choices she makes.

Final Thoughts

I’m the first to complain that domestic thrillers follow the same pattern, and rarely offer anything new. Whilst the storyline could potentially fall into that bracket, the way Anna Willett approaches the story, combined with her writing style, it was a breath of fresh air to what I consider to be a stale genre!

Pick up your own copy (also on KU)*

I was given an E-ARC of this book for the Lost to the Lake tour by Blackthorn tours.

*This is an affiliate link. If you buy through this link, you pay the same,
but I may receive a small percentage of the sale