9 Lake House Thrillers That Will Make You Rethink Your Summer Plans
You wanted a peaceful escape to the lake. Instead? Murder. Secrets. A missing person. Maybe even a ghost.
Lake house thrillers have a special kind of energy, isolated settings, eerie reflections in the water, and secrets buried as deep as the lake itself. Whether it’s a summer reunion gone wrong, a haunting from decades past, or a body that shouldn’t be there… these twisty reads deliver the perfect dose of suspense.
Grab your bug spray and your binoculars, here are some of the best lake house thrillers to ruin your next lakeside getaway (in the best way).
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Best Lake House Thrillers To Read Right Now
The Lake Escape by Jamie Day
Three lifelong friends reunite at their lake houses… and someone goes missing. Again. With a haunting local history and messy modern secrets, this one’s all about that slow-burn paranoia and Big Little Lies energy, plus a nanny with a hidden agenda.
Key themes: found family gone sour, missing women, generational secrets
Grab The Lake Escape on Amazon
Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine
She thought she was just a suburban mom, until her husband turned out to be a serial killer. Now Gwen Proctor is trying to start fresh at Stillhouse Lake, but someone doesn’t want her to forget the past. The tension? Nonstop.
Key themes: serial killer ex, single mom survival, anonymous threats
Grab Stillhouse Lake on Amazon
Read our full Stillhouse Lake series guide
The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager
Widowed actress. Binoculars. A lakeside mystery couple. You know where this is going, until the story yanks you somewhere completely unexpected. It’s Rear Window with bourbon, secrets, and a big ol’ twist that only Riley Sager could pull off.
Key themes: voyeurism, unreliable narrator, messy marriages
Grab The House Across the Lake on Amazon
The Woman by the Lake by Kristen Ashley
Nadia needs peace after tragedy. Instead, she gets a creepy lakeside cabin, a ghostly legend, and a gruff neighbor who knows way more than he lets on. Atmospheric with a sprinkle of paranormal and a slow-burn connection you’ll root for.
Key themes: haunted cabin, grumpy neighbor, small-town secrets
Grab The Woman by the Lake on Amazon
The Lake House by Kate Morton
A baby disappeared during a glamorous garden party in 1930s England. Decades later, a detective on leave stumbles upon the abandoned estate and digs up secrets no one wants found. A beautifully written, time-hopping mystery with all the vibes.
Key themes: cold case, dual timelines, family secrets
Lakeview House by Helen Phifer
Maddy takes a caretaker job at a spooky lakeside mansion and immediately regrets it. Strange noises, drowned legends, and a wedding dress that fits way too well. If you like ghostly chills and possible gaslighting, this one’s for you.
Key themes: eerie atmosphere, unreliable memory, stalker vibes
The Last Party by Clare Mackintosh
A splashy New Year’s Eve bash turns deadly when the host washes up dead. Detective Ffion Morgan has to untangle a web of lies involving her own neighbors, all while keeping her own secrets hidden. Smart, sharp, and incredibly fun.
Key themes: murder at a party, tight-knit town drama, dual POV
I’ll Never Tell by Catherine McKenzie
Before it was just a family-run camp. Then Amanda was found bloodied in a boat. Now the siblings have returned to settle the estate, but they’ll need to solve the mystery before they can cash out. Good luck with that.
Key themes: dark summer camp past, family dysfunction, inheritance drama
Grab I’ll Never Tell on Amazon
Daughters of the Lake by Wendy Webb
A woman finds a body in Lake Superior, one she swears she’s seen in her dreams. As folklore and history collide, the past demands to be heard. Northern gothic atmosphere, otherworldly connections, and a mystery spanning generations.
Key themes: gothic mystery, ghostly women, lake legends
Grab Daughters of the Lake on Amazon
Love a Locked-Room Vibe with a View?
Some of these lake house thrillers dip into closed-circle mysteries and classic “everyone’s a suspect” energy. If that’s your thing, check out our other lists:
Final Thoughts
There’s something about still water and remote houses that practically begs for secrets, screams, and skeletons in the boat shed. These lake house thrillers bring it all, and then some. Which one are you reading next? Drop your fave (or your lake house horror story) in the comments.
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