Loved reading about the jungle in Belize and a totally different way of life from that of the UK.
Lots of botany, family dynamics , big secrets and some gaslighting. A bit odd that the main character Laelia had hearing loss and tinnitus and I had expected this to have a biggr impact on the story than it did.
Ellis Wylde is a professor obsessed with orchids who ends up leaving his family to live in the jungle of Belize close to his beloved orchids and decides to stay there for good. But he takes a serious stroke and Laelia decides to stay in Belize in the hope that he may recover and get out of hospital. Laelia had lost her London Job because of her hearing and dreams of perhaps staying in Belize with its quiter pace of life and less noise which suits her. Surprisingly her two children from a first marriage take to life there and are much happier than when in the UK. Her partner Aid was not keen on staying but gets well paid work after a while but Laelia is suspicious of what he is doing to earn it especially as he spends a lot of time away and is drinking an awful lot. The nasty side of Belize comes to affect the family and Laelia feels she should get out of this relationship and head back to the uk but the children love it and would be devastated if she removed them. She dithers and keeps changing her mind despite her sister quite forcefully encouraging her to do it. Rather than see some of the characters take painfull decisions at the end of the book it is left to the Jungle to force the issue which is a bit against the flow of the book I thought. All the characters were very believable with all their flaws.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

I was a little disappointed with this title which promised more than it delivered. It’s a slow burn, packed with descriptions about Belize; perhaps overmuch. It’s supposed to be a thriller but because of the slow pace, I found it lacking in tension and overall, there’s not a lot of substance. I found it difficult to engage with the characters or the story and although well written, I just didn’t enjoy it.

Dr Ellis Wylde, an internationally renowned, academic expert on Orchids, is now lying in a coma in a hospital in Belize, not far from his home in the jungle, but over 5000 miles from Oxford University where he is an emeritus professor, and London where his daughters and their families live. To celebrate his birthday in 2023 all of the family had met on Caye Caulker Island in Belize, Laelia and her new boyfriend, Aid, Chloe and her husband Tom, and Laelia’s two children. After dinner and drinks Ellis is walking at the water’s edge with Aid when he apparently has a stroke. Aid pulls him from the water, but after whispering the enigmatic “lavender feels’ to Laelia he lapses into the aforementioned coma. Four months later he is still in it. Laelia, Aid and the kids move into Ellis’s house buried deep in the jungle, where things might kill you at any moment – including people – and wait hopefully. Aid gets work with an ex-pat Yank, and Laelia tries to establish a reputation as a chef (her job in London) while searching hopefully for her father’s papers and pondering on that the meaning of “lavender feels” – assuming that is what he actually said, for she is hearing impaired and her hearing aids are erratic.
On the face of it, this is really just a domestic drama set in a jungle, the only apparent mystery is the enigmatic message. In fact much of the text is taken up with descriptions of their surroundings, the dynamic (and energetic love-making) between Laelia and Aid, and the overarching role of Orchids. There is also an underlying feeling of suspense, but the plot is really quite easy to work out so there isn’t any real tension. Overall it is well written and a promising debut, an undemanding read for a lazy summer weekend.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

Firstly, the things I liked. The setting, especially for a summer beach read, the jungles and beaches of Belize were ideal. The drug dealing, gangster part was a good thriller aspect. And, the slow reveal of the true story was good.
Now for what I didn't like. The characters just dropping everything to stay in Belize. The foreshadowing was also a bit heavy handed. And, there were lots of repeated imagery which didn't seem to have a reason. Or, that passed me by. Why was the book mentioned so much?

I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher.

This is a thriller set in Belize where a woman has to move into her Dad’s lodge in the jungle after he falls ill. She was only visiting from the UK for his birthday party but this turns into a significantly extended stay, with her are her two children and her partner.

This was a bit of a slower burn but it benefitted from it. Because of the attention to detail and the fact this takes place over a period of weeks, by the time we get to the conclusion we’re really immersed making it pretty satisfying. I love reading books set in other countries, but sometimes with thrillers it can be superficial and you don’t really get a sense of that place. Not at all the case here. The author really gives you the detail on the location, both from beach and jungle and this did feel like it couldn’t have been set anywhere else. I loved that, it made it feel evocative and exciting. There were little details about the food, the landscape and the local fauna that gave this book such a richness.

The main character is sympathetic but frustrating at times. She is experiencing hearing loss and this can make it difficult for her to follow conversations, particularly in noisy environments. However this is exacerbated by her not wanting people to know and her embarrassment around wearing her hearing aids. We see the challenges she faces and how she perseveres. She does make some choices in this book which were frustrating, where she knows something is a bad idea but does it anyway. She’s very human. There’s an added layer to this book of her two children being with her and her conflict around what’s best for them.

I was pretty impressed with this book, it had a depth to it. It felt detailed and evocative. The main character was hard to predict and information was dropped in a way that it wasn’t always obvious what people were going to do. There was a subtle but growing menace in this book that became deeply disturbing at the end. I would recommend this and I would read more from this author.

This book was a little slow which prevented me from giving it five stars however the luscious descriptions were really impressive and definitely gave a sense of place

I found this story to be rather slow for over half of it. The abundance of bad language spoilt it too. Not for me.

A debut novel full of vivid description, perhaps to much as the pace for me was a little slow. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

I enjoyed the vivid descriptions of Belize, the lush jungle and tropical heat formed a great backdrop to the claustrophobic story and disturbing relationships between the characters,. I particularly enjoyed the past storyline of the father. But I must admit I have conflicted feelings about the main character, especially the ending. Don't want to give any spoilers but she could have been more proactive rather than 'letting' things happen...

The Night Lagoon is a haunting and atmospheric novel that blends mystery with lyrical storytelling. Jo Morey crafts a compelling tale set against an eerie, evocative backdrop, where secrets simmer beneath the surface and nothing is quite as it seems. With beautifully drawn characters and a slow-burning sense of suspense, this is a captivating read that lingers long after the final page.

The Night Lagoon is an immersive debut set deep in the jungle and it is filled with secrets and buried truths. Author has analysed family dynamics and complexities that tangles the relationships. Along with that, author has shared their dark sides too. I must tell you that this is a heavy and flowery read. To be able to completely understand the complex family dynamics, you must pay attention to every detail. I felt all kind of emotions in this book. Author has combined psychological aspect with family dynamics so well. With family drama, expect secrets, truth, and suspense.

Thanks to the Publisher.

This is an interesting debut novel. I nearly didn't finish it as found the writing so slow and while I love rich description it was almost over the top. The characters were not a particularly pleasant bunch and I didn't really warm to any of them! Having said all that, the story did get going and I wanted to find out what happened. Quite a satisfying ending which is always good! Would recommend.

A good mystery book but way too descriptive for me. I nearly stopped reading at the very beginning as I was overwhelmed by the writing.
Once I got into the story though I liked it, I liked the way the author wrote the words how a deaf person might hear them. There’s a lot of characters in this book that aren’t nice people and I couldn’t take to them at all.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Very descriptive, almost too descriptive, the Belize jungle features heavily. I didn't really warm to the characters but liked the way we get a sense of being deaf in a hearing world. There are family secrets and lies to uncover.

The Night Lagoon is a very slow burn that takes a long time to get to the heart of the story. While the early descriptions of the Belizean jungle are vivid, they do begin to feel indulgent. The heavy focus on atmosphere comes at the expense of pace and plot. Ultimately, it leans too much on style over substance and for me I struggled to keep going. However once you do get to a story it does start to gather a bit of pace.

Good debut novel.

Set in the jungle a perfect ideal some would say. But the jungle holds secrets, both from years ago and more recent ones. Story about a family that had been bought up with secrets from their father. The academic life he led that took him away from home for long spells of time and the repercussions that it led to.

Who can be trusted to be telling the truth?

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this book.

Located in a lush natural habitat at a lodge owned by the protagonist Laelia's father, this story examines the occasional complexity of family dynamics and deeply buried secrets, as well as the darker side of romantic relationships. Nothing in life comes free, and this story is a reminder of that!

The mysterious and mythic jungle setting in Belize is used to great effect, with these surroundings almost acting as an additional character in the story.

Immersive and atmospheric, this novel will appeal to many readers, especially those who like stories set in in exotic location.

The Night Lagoon is an immersive experience of a novel, the setting comes to wonderful life around you and the story is both intriguing and emotionally resonant.

It is a very human story and a very intuitive one, it's kind of a psychological thriller and family drama mash up, written really well and heightened by the nature inherent in the telling

I loved it. Would definitely recommend.