A beautiful, tense, sad, and dark tale set deep in the Belizean jungle, this novel was an unexpected gem, I loved every bit of it. Jo Morey tells the story of Laelia, a woman who moves her husband, son, and daughter to her father’s secluded cabin in the Belizean jungle after he falls into a coma. The narrative alternates between Laelia’s present-day experiences and Ellis’s account of moving to Belize in the 1980s and slowly falling in love with the place.

This is a family drama drama, though there’s a constant undercurrent of tension and intrigue, largely fueled by Laelia’s volatile and abusive relationship with Aid, a dynamic that takes up a significant part of the plot. One of my favorite aspects was how vividly the jungle was brought to life, it felt like a character in its own right. The pace is on the slower side, but it’s consistently immersive: the oppressive heat, the dense nature, the wildlife, the lurking dangers, all of it seeps into your mind in the best possible way. The author also excels at portraying complex relationships: Laelia’s troubled feelings towards her father, her sister, and Aid; the way love can be tangled, messy, and morally complicated; the subtle, creeping ways a relationship can turn toxic; and how love can persist despite hurt and betrayal.

Overall, this is a captivating, richly atmospheric, and unforgettable novel that deserves far more attention.

Thank you for approving me to read this book. Unfortunately I didn't manage to finish it but it wasn't an issue with the novel as such but more the themes within it were too difficult for me to read at the moment. I did enjoy the way the stifling heat and humidity of Belize was written, it felt like I was right there in that location which shows great writing. I just found some of the issues being dealt with in the novel increasingly difficult to read about so I couldn't continue. I may try and come back to this novel at a later date when I feel more able to read a heavier novel but I just can't read it right now.

The Night Lagoon by Jo Morey is a lush, slow-burn literary mystery set in the sweltering beauty of the Belizean jungle, where secrets twist like vines beneath the surface. Told in dual timelines from Laelia in the present day and her father Ellis back in 1986, it blends romance, danger, and buried truths that demand to be unearthed.

Morey’s atmospheric writing is exquisite, vividly transporting you to the oppressive heat, dense greenery, and ever-present hum of the jungle. The sense of foreboding simmers from the very first page, making the setting feel like a living, breathing character with its own dark agenda.

Beautifully crafted and deeply immersive, this is a story of love, lies, and the impossible choices that can change everything.

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Although a bit bit of slow burner, it is well worth sticking with this book. Beautifully written and truly a masterpiece.

I instantly loved the feel of the book and the writing style, it creates this atmosphere that just has this undercurrent of something uncomfortable, not quite right.

“There was a definite undertow, unease crackling somewhere beneath the surface.”

There is a lot about the storyline that I won’t explain as I think it would give away too much. But it’s a slow burn, literary thriller. Don’t expect fast paced action, it’s very much about the small details in this story. But I did race through those last 100 odd pages as I couldn’t put it down!

I liked the fact that our main character has a hearing problem. I found it really interesting to imagine what life is like for her and how that impacts on her and this story as well.

“Life dampened by my ears.”

Athmospheric, slow burn mystery thriller. Definitely how I like books best!

A good thriller, that had lots of twists and turns. It just fell short along the way for me.

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was an entertaining read, mostly due to how atmospheric the writing was. I really felt sticky And sweaty while reading about the jungles in Belize; and I loved this even more as I didn’t know much about the place beforehand.
I felt the characters were compelling and I was left with just enough breadcrumbs to keep me wanting to read more.
My only critique would be its length. I feel that parts were very repetitive, especially scenes concerning our main character Laelia, so I felt the book could have been condensed down a bit. It’s felt like I wasn’t getting much information for the first 2/3 of the book and then everything was revealed relatively quickly.
Regardless of this, I did enjoy it as it was a different kind of thriller to what I usually read.

A book unearthing secrets which leads to a riveting and engrossing read. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

Fantastic book. I loved the storyline line, & the characters . Kept me up all night as I couldn't put it down ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What a fantastic novel! So many twists and turns. Found it so hard to put it down. Don't want to give anything away hence the sort feedback. Amazing storyline highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley and publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this.

The Night Lagoon follows Laelia and her family as they visit Belize to celebrate her dad's birthday when he falls ill. She decides to stay in his cabin in the jungle so they can be there for him. She discovers her fathers diary in his office which contain details about the past she knew nothing about. However it is the secrets in her present that could cause the most damage.

The authors sets the scene really well and the book is well written.

This was a great story with so many twists and turns through out, thoroughly enjoyed it and found it hard to put down!

The tropical beach paradise of Belize fraught with underlying tensions, captivating characters and some links to other countries that gradually get unravelled – there is nothing not to like about this book which was a well-awaited crime debut this summer. At first sight, this is the story of a birthday party gone wrong – but gradually so much more is revealed that you cannot stop turning the pages faster and faster. When Dr Ellis Wylde, an Oxford professor and specialists on orchids, invites his daughter Laelia, her two children, and both her new partner and former husband, for his birthday celebrations in Belize, nobody could have foreseen the tragic events that would follow. But four months later, Ellis is in a coma, Laela and her partner are trying to look after his beachside house while establishing some fledgling careers in Belize while they await news of her father – but what family secrets will come to the fore?
Unlike other crime novels, this one is lighter on dialogue and heavier on descriptions of the characters’ backstories – but it still all adds up to a captivating read that is highly recommended for these heady summer months. Thank you to NetGalley and to the publishers for the free digital ARC that allowed me to review this debut novel.

Laelia is visiting Belize to meet with her father, an emeritus professor of botany, whose passion and life's work is finding and studying orchids. Unfortunately, during his birthday celebration he has a stroke and is admitted to hospital where he is in a coma. Laelia decides to stay on - she recently gave up her job as a chef in London_ and moves into her Dad's lodge in the jungle; she starts to fall in love with the people there and starts to dream of opening a restaurant. Her two children love it and make friends, but Laelia@ boyfriend Aid is drinking more and doing drugs. The longer she has to look through her father's old journals the more she wonders about her family story - he mother committed suicide when she was a small child. And Aid - there are hints that he may have something in common with her abusive ex-husband. Its a clever plot, with plenty of action - a good read.

A real strange one this, I did thoroughly enjoy this but it was a slow burn thriller that built up the tension very, very well.
I found the Belizean setting picturesque and thought the well described characters interesting.
I wanted to know the ending, I was satisfied with it too - no real loose ends, all tied up.
Triggering for some but I loved it.

The Night Lagoon started well but I found it repetitive and rather boring. The main character puts up with a ridiculous amount of bullying and gaslighting and it's infeasible that anyone would stay with a drug raddled. Alcoholic for that amount of time. It also needs a damn good edit. Quite often things didn't make sense or were repeated differently a few sentences later. Disappointing.

Loved the scene setting and the heat of the jungle. Less enamoured with the missing text that was said to represent the character having tinnitus? And the fact the bulk of the novel was squashed into the final part.

I thoroughly enjoyed this gripping suspense novel. Set in the jungle of Belize Laelia Wylde, her two children and partner Aid have to adapt to living in her father’s run down lodge as he lays in a coma in hospital. Laelia is faced with family secrets, strange events all while being aware of the dangers that the jungle hold. She is really tested as she suffers from tinnitus and her trusted hearing aids become unreliable.
This story is pacey and a great page turner that I was happy to pick up at every opportunity. My thanks to Net Galley and publishers Harper Collins UK & Harper Fi too. For the eARC

The Night Lagoon takes us into the hot, humid jungle of Belize following Orchid expert Ellis Wylde who is documenting Orchid species.

His daughters fly out to celebrate his birthday but things take a drastic turn.

I loved this book, the characters were well formed and it really felt like you were in the jungle!

Having finished this book I turned back to page 1 to read the first few pages again - and realised that I had forgotten how this story had begun! The descriptions of the jungle, the orchids, the danger had filled my mind. This is definitely a book that should be read twice to pick up the nuances of the actual plot
Laelia suffers from tinnitus and hearing loss which is essential to the story. The doctors have told her this can lead to memory loss eventually too.She misses so much of the conversation which is relevant to the story. Her hearing aids are her lifeline and they are not always working. Add to this that Laelia has always been 'protected' - first by her father and Chloe and now still Chloe and Aid - although Aid is perhaps more controlling than protecting. Their relationship is a strange one that is not particularly healthy.
Everyone in this book has their secrets. Ellis's story as a botanist which takes him away from his family is interspersed with the present story.
There are the orchids and the jungle beauty on one side and the violence - drugs, alcohol, smuggling, blackmail on the other.
This is a complex story beautifully written.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Jo Morey/HarperCollins UK for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.