The Souls of Lost Lake

"We're all lost in our own ways. Some of us just hide when we shouldn't. We hide in our grief, in our minds, in our pain... in the woods... or in a story, like Ava Coons." Once again, Jaime Jo Wright beautifully brings to life a dual timeline story of mystery, murder, and intrigue wrapped around a timeless theme of grief, sense of displacement, and a hunger for belonging so central in our human experience. Though the story starts out with a scary campfire story, it's definitely less eerie and chilling than the author's previous books. The suspense and mystery components in both timelines are really powerful with twists and turns in the plot that will have the reader perplexed and absolutely invested in figuring out the villain. It will keep you up way past your bedtime. This book should be made into a movie! Told in third person perspective, but only in the women's voices, the narrative moves swiftly and pulls the reader in from the first page. Ava and Noah in 1930s are an interesting pair. Ava is uncouth in her backwoods ways and Noah is often conflicted regarding his feelings and actions toward Ava but they somehow complement each other. Wren and Eddie in the present time are best friends working at a Bible camp. Theirs is the story of a believer’s unfiltered grief and pain in losing a loved one even as they find each other in the midst of their suffering. Search and rescue for a lost little girl in the woods ties Ava and Wren’s stories together as the truth in the ghost stories of Ava Coons comes to light. I received the book from the publisher and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own.