2 Book Lovers Reviews

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The Lost House

​By Melissa Larsen

I’m a sucker for Nordic Noir. For some reason I really enjoy curling up with a book set in the frigid cold of Scandinavia. There is a real influx of these books set in Iceland; the backdrop of fire and ice adds a little something extra to the genre.

Larsen goes a bit outside of the norm of the genre by bringing in an American protagonist (albeit with Nordic heritage). The Lost House is a who-done-it, cold case trope. As with any trope, the author has to make it stand out; the story needs to be unique. Larsen does a good job of this by bringing in a true crime podcast aspect.

The cast of characters was at a good level. As a reader, I felt like I got to know them all. The “who” of the who-done-it pool was large enough to keep me wondering and the protagonist Agnes, was developed to the point where she was the prototype damaged protagonist of Nordic Noir.

I enjoyed The Lost House; it was time well spent in Iceland.  I think that my enjoyment revolved around the fact that Larsen followed the Nordic Noir rules. She made some good efforts to separate her book from the pack, but it could have used a bit more to stand out amongst the classics of the genre.

If you are looking for a good story with some interesting characters, then The Lost House could be a great choice. If you’re looking for something to push your limits and expand your horizons, it’s missing the little something special.

*4 Stars

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