10 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

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 this pick from Lake Books. 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. This haunted house book is such a great pick from our ultimate beach reads 2023 and is a perfect pick from paranormal books.

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 this summer camp book.

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 popular thriller and a perfect pick for lake books.

You can also find it on our list of books set at camp. And if you love to read Riley Sager, check out our post The Best Riley Sager Books Ranked by Super Fans.

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. This book about thieves 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 adult fantasy book is wonderful too and well worth the watch! It’s perfect for our list of Cornwall Books. If you love witch books, you will love this pick.

Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez

April 2024 GMA Book Club Pick

The premise of this story is rather straightforward and sweet – Justin and Emma discover they both have a “curse” where people immediately find their soul mate AFTER dating them. To find their own happily ever afters, they decide to date each other and then break up.

Sounds fun and light, right? But it’s so much more! Each of them is going through some very serious family drama which adds intimacy and drama immediately to their relationship. Their relationships with the secondary characters also made my heart soar. The representations of friendship, family bonds, and found family really tugged at my heart.

Why I Loved it: The romance!! Omg the butterflies this story gave me. Justin and Emma’s relationship may be my favorite romance ever. The way they supported each other, cared for one another, and loved each other was perfection.

Find this book in Beach Reads 2024 / Lake Books

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!

This is a must-read if you are looking for the best summer reads for 2023.