The Lake
A haunting Nordic crime thriller where long-buried secrets resurface and justice comes at a deadly cost
Published on 20. November 2025
384 pages
978-0-241-53387-1 (ISBN)
Description
The lake has held its secrets for decades. But nothing stays hidden forever...
THE THRILLING INSTALMENT IN THE WISTING SERIES, FROM THE NO. 1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER
'Compelling, original and suspenseful' KATHY REICHS
--
Following a harsh winter, the dam gates at Farris Lake have been badly damaged, and as summer approaches the lake must be drained for repairs.
Under the intense summer sun, the idyllic lake transforms into a barren wasteland - until the secrets that have long been buried beneath the surface are uncovered...
On both sides of the lakebed, new evidence relating to unsolved cold cases is discovered - the remains of a young man who went missing eight years ago, and the belongings of a girl who disappeared four years later.
Detective William Wisting is certain these crimes are linked. The lake has long hidden its secrets - but can Wisting now bring the truth to light?
--
Why readers LOVE the Detective William Wisting series
'Characters, plot, execution, pacing, conclusion...all quality. And it kept me guessing all the way through' 5***** reader review
'One word for this series. BRILLIANT' 5***** reader review
'Wisting goes from strength to strength...an excellent read' 5***** reader review
'The very best of everything I love abotu the genre...I gulped it down whole in one tasty, page-turning bite' 5***** reader review
'Quality writing and superb characterisation throughout, absorbing and riveting from the first to last page' 5***** reader review
THE THRILLING INSTALMENT IN THE WISTING SERIES, FROM THE NO. 1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER
'Compelling, original and suspenseful' KATHY REICHS
--
Following a harsh winter, the dam gates at Farris Lake have been badly damaged, and as summer approaches the lake must be drained for repairs.
Under the intense summer sun, the idyllic lake transforms into a barren wasteland - until the secrets that have long been buried beneath the surface are uncovered...
On both sides of the lakebed, new evidence relating to unsolved cold cases is discovered - the remains of a young man who went missing eight years ago, and the belongings of a girl who disappeared four years later.
Detective William Wisting is certain these crimes are linked. The lake has long hidden its secrets - but can Wisting now bring the truth to light?
--
Why readers LOVE the Detective William Wisting series
'Characters, plot, execution, pacing, conclusion...all quality. And it kept me guessing all the way through' 5***** reader review
'One word for this series. BRILLIANT' 5***** reader review
'Wisting goes from strength to strength...an excellent read' 5***** reader review
'The very best of everything I love abotu the genre...I gulped it down whole in one tasty, page-turning bite' 5***** reader review
'Quality writing and superb characterisation throughout, absorbing and riveting from the first to last page' 5***** reader review
Reviews / Votes
Calm , methodical, and quietly gripping - classic Nordic noir precision * i * Praise for Jorn Lier Horst -- : Compelling, original and suspenseful -- Kathy Reichs Relentlessly exciting...creates a real sense of menace * The Times * Tense, fast-paced...compelling * Sunday Times * A spare, sparse thriller that slips down very easily. Perfect weekend reading * Herald * Spare prose, elegant structure, and a masterful layering of secrets and suspense. Brilliant! -- Daniel KallaMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Penguin Books Ltd
File size
2,02 MB
ISBN-13
978-0-241-53387-1 (9780241533871)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Persons
Jorn Lier Horst (Author)
Jorn Lier Horst worked as a police officer and head of investigations before becoming a full-time writer, and has established himself as one of the most successful authors to come out of Scandinavia. His books have sold over eight million copies in his native Norway alone, been No. 1 international bestsellers, and he's published in more than forty countries around the world. In 2024, he was awarded the prestigious Finnish Whodunnit Society's Honorary Award for excellence in foreign crime fiction.
The Wisting TV adaptation, produced by the team behind Wallander and The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, is a hit series. The first five series are available to stream on BBC4.
Anne Bruce (Translator)
Anne Bruce studied Norwegian and English at the University of Glasgow and now lives on the Isle of Arran, Scotland. She has translated a number of crime novels by Anne Holt and Jorn Lier Horst, including the Petrona-Prize-winning The Caveman and When It Grows Dark, which was longlisted for the CWA International Dagger in 2017.
Jorn Lier Horst worked as a police officer and head of investigations before becoming a full-time writer, and has established himself as one of the most successful authors to come out of Scandinavia. His books have sold over eight million copies in his native Norway alone, been No. 1 international bestsellers, and he's published in more than forty countries around the world. In 2024, he was awarded the prestigious Finnish Whodunnit Society's Honorary Award for excellence in foreign crime fiction.
The Wisting TV adaptation, produced by the team behind Wallander and The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, is a hit series. The first five series are available to stream on BBC4.
Anne Bruce (Translator)
Anne Bruce studied Norwegian and English at the University of Glasgow and now lives on the Isle of Arran, Scotland. She has translated a number of crime novels by Anne Holt and Jorn Lier Horst, including the Petrona-Prize-winning The Caveman and When It Grows Dark, which was longlisted for the CWA International Dagger in 2017.
