7 Sensational Lake Books You Will Love

The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager

Casey Fletcher is an actress who is fleeing bad press after the death of her beloved husband. She retreats to the family’s lake house, despite the fact that this is where he husband drowned.

Casey spends her days drinking and spying on the house across the lake. When she saves former supermodel, Katherine Royce from drowning, the two strike up a friendship. It becomes clear that Katherine and her husband are having some serious issues- after all, you find out a lot of things when watching the neighbors all day through binoculars.

Some points in the story moved slowly for me and at one point, the story nearly lost me. But, I am so glad that I kept reading. There were definitely surprises that I did not see coming. We LOVE Riley Sager. Be sure to check out The Best Riley Sager Books Ranked by Super Fans

Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James

The Lady Killer murders have haunted Clare Lake Oregon since 1977 when two men with no connection to each other were murdered. They had no enemies, were murdered with the same gun, and the only witness saw a woman’s hair under the cloak. Beth Greer seemed to fit the bill- rich and beautiful- but she was acquitted.

Years later, Shea Collins, a survivor of an attempted abduction as a child spends her days as a receptionist and her nights running a website called the Book of Cold Cases. When she meets Beth and asks for an interview, everything changes.

There is so much to this story- it is unexpected, scary and unputdownable. What is it about lake books being perfect thrillers?

The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager

I did not see this ending coming. I was so freaked out that I finished this thriller in 2 days, maybe because I visited my own overnight camp while reading it.

I just needed to know how it ended! Other people have told me they were shocked at the twists and turns too. It’s a truly excellent thriller and a perfect pick for lake books. You can also find it on our list of books set at camp.

Pretty Things by Janelle Brown

I love a good thriller, but I’ve found that they become predictable after a while. I adored Pretty Things because it kept me on my toes!

I loved that it is a dual narrative that switches between the grifter and the heiress she is trying to rob. The twists kept coming until I wasn’t sure what was going to happen or who was the person actually being conned.

I listened to this one, so I can tell you that the audiobook was one of my favorites of the year. The book takes place on the shores of Lake Tahoe which made it a perfect pick for our lake books post.

The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

This is a fairy tale retelling of the story of King Arthur, featuring the Lady of the Lake, Paganism vs. Christianity, and an epic struggle for power.

Merlin and the Lady of the Lake practice pagan witchcraft, as they try to keep the old ways alive against the new religion gaining popularity, the choices they make for Arthur’s kingdom inspire the tale we know so well.

The mini-series adaptation of this book is wonderful too and well worth the watch!

Every Summer After by Carley Fortune

I absolutely adored this charming second-chance romance set at a lake house. It was one of the most popular books on Instagram this summer, and for good reason.

Sam is the teenage boy we all needed in our lives growing up, and he gets better with age! Meanwhile, I was rooting for Percy to get her happily ever after with Sam the whole time. I was swept away by their summer love story and you will be too!