Harper's grandmother died suspiciously and then her boyfriend disappears.. just what is going on??

This is a really good, if not slow, thriller. There are lots of bodies and lots of suspects and is filled with drama.

I loved the descriptions of the huge house on the lake and it is the most perfect backdrop

This book has a Hitchcock style vibe and this is why I loved it so much.

#IHappenedOnTheLake #NetGalley
Lisa Jackson, the queen of atmospheric suspense, returns with It Happened on the Lake, a haunting and gripping thriller set against the eerie backdrop of a secluded Victorian estate on Lake Twilight. Harper Reed Prescott has tried to outrun her past for two decades. Her grandmother's mysterious death and her boyfriend’s sudden disappearance still cast a long, dark shadow over her life. Now, freshly divorced and emotionally estranged from her daughter, Harper returns to the lake house she’s always tried to forget—hoping to sell it and finally move on. But the moment she steps back onto the property, buried secrets start to rise. Locals still whisper, the house seems to hum with memories, and Harper can’t shake the feeling that someone is watching her. As old mysteries resurface and strange happenings occur, Harper is forced to confront a terrifying truth: the past never stays buried—and someone wants to make sure hers stays deadly.
What I Like:-
1 Creepy, Slow-Burn Suspense: The isolated lake setting is perfectly moody, steeped in dread and claustrophobia.
2 Family Secrets and Twisted Truths: Jackson explores how guilt, trauma, and unresolved mysteries can ripple through generations.
3 A Strong Yet Vulnerable Protagonist: Harper is flawed, haunted, and painfully real—making her journey both compelling and heartbreaking.
Overall, It Happened on the Lake is a masterfully written psychological thriller that weaves together past and present, grief and guilt, mystery and menace. Perfect for fans of Ruth Ware and Megan Miranda, this novel will keep you on edge until the final, chilling twist.
Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder Stoughton for giving me an advance copy.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I’d give this one a solid 3 stars…it was good, but not quite a standout for me.

The story is packed with small-town secrets, drama, and a dual timeline that’s easy to follow, which I appreciated. There’s always something happening, which kept things moving, but ironically, it also made the book feel longer than it needed to be. I think the pacing suffered a bit from trying to do too much at once. There were moments where I wasn’t sure what to focus on, and it left me feeling a little disconnected from the characters and the tension.

I usually enjoy thrillers that are a bit more concise, where the suspense can build gradually without getting lost in too many side plots. This had potential and some great ideas, but a tighter structure might have made it more impactful.

Overall, it was entertaining but didn’t quite hit the mark for me. Worth a try if you enjoy slower-burn, drama-heavy thrillers with lots of moving parts

Not for me. So many dead bodies, so many murderers... One star is for books I didn't finish, two for a book I did not enjoy reading :(

3.5⭐️ Where to start, where to start….

“It Happened on the Lake” is an eerie psychological thriller, with a little peppering of horror, packed full of suspense from the very first page and with a plethora of shady characters - WHO do we trust in this book????? Multiple pov and dual timeline allows us to really dig deep into the mystery of Lake Twilight and the spooky Gothic mansion which lies at its core.

The only thing that really marred this for me was that I thought it was a little bit long, which made it feel really slow at times.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy!