Rachel Caine

Gina Royal is the definition of average--a shy Midwestern housewife with a happy marriage and two adorable children. But when a car accident reveals her husband's secret life as a serial killer, she must remake herself as Gwen Proctor--the ultimate warrior mom. With her ex now in prison, Gwen has finally found refuge in a new home on remote Stillhouse Lake. Though still the target of stalkers and Internet trolls who think she had something to do with her husband's crimes, Gwen dares to think her kids can finally grow up in peace. But just when she's starting to feel at ease in her new identity, a body turns up in the lake--and threatening letters start arriving from an all-too-familiar address. Gwen Proctor must keep friends close and enemies at bay to avoid being exposed--or watch her kids fall victim to a killer who takes pleasure in tormenting her. One thing is certain: she's learned how to fight evil. And she'll never stop.

Stillhouse Lake

Literally Literature Nerd

Normal life. Comfortable life. Not perfect, of course. Nobody had a perfect marriage, did they? But Gina was satisfied, at least most of the time.

brie

the amount of happiness i experience whenever a mystery thriller is done  right  is simply unparalleled. 


starting this, i knew it had a pretty high rating and raving reviews, so of course going into this, i was automatically skeptical. 


but right from jump, this book had me SEATED okay?! the pace was so good i can’t stop thinking about how there was not one boring moment in this which i appreciated so much because the majority of mystery thrillers i’ve read almost always fall off when it comes to pace, and just the ability to “thrill” in itself. 


i loved that gwen (gina) was so badass omg. i loved her character so much and how after the trauma she and her kids went through, she really stepped up to become the ultimate terminator parent (she truly could give sarah connor a run for her money). even though i guessed whodunit even before theydunit or when they were introduced, it still was all set up so well that i didn’t even mind that. 


this was also really well written and i will definitely be continuing the series to find out what happens next!!!

Oliver Magnanimous

Wow super scary. Totally got pulled into the paranoia. Stayed up till three in the morning finishing this. Good thing my friend’s snoring reminded me I wasn’t alone, otherwise I might not have been able to get up to have a wee.

Ciel Zero

[ BOOK IG: @clumsyciel ]

overall rating: 4/5 ⭐️
time taken to read: ~2 days

" 'You'll look guilty if we run away now,' she tells me. And of course she's right. But I can't stop this train; it's well beyond any control I can exert. If we stay, I risk the storm descending from both sides. Running may make me look guilty, but at least I can get them away from this, get my kids safe, and come back to clear myself." (page 155)

in a world where you constantly have to prove yourself not only to the law, but to the entire world that you're innocent - that's where Gwen Proctor is. previously known as Gina Royal, she has erased her sullied past and run away time and time again, just to keep her and her kids safe.
finding out that her ex-husband was a serial killer has put her and her family as the targets of many; internet trolls, angry families of victims and most importantly, the law. Gwen can't run away forever, and the truth will reveal itself in time. 

personally, i had no prior expectations for this book. i picked it up at the library out of interest as it was recommended as 'books similar to' The Butterfly Garden (by Dot Hutchison) on Goodreads.
however, i was pleasantly surprised. i really loved the somewhat 'rough' writing style in Gwen's perspective. it shows the raw emotion that she's feeling, not only as a mother (that is constantly worrying over her kids' safety), but also as a person still scarred from her ex-husband. i also loved the slight character growth in Gwen from the middle of the book; she slowly begins to trust more in her kids and subtly lets go of her paranoia. she decides to make Stillhouse Lake her and her kids' home, no more running away. 

if you're a fan of crime and thriller/horror, this is definitely one you should read. i actually stayed up until 2am to finish the second half of the book in one sitting.. oops. 
needless to say, the many plot-twists in the book had me gasping in surprise and yelling profanities. (one could hear my constant "WHAT THE-" through my bedroom door at 2am). 

would i read the sequel and maybe the remaining books in the series? most definitely. <3

Geoffrey Froggatt

First book in a thriller series. I liked it. Wasn't what I was looking for but ultimately gave a strong story about motherhood and what one woman would do to protect her children. I'll definitely check out the second book in the series after the cliffhanger ending in this one. I can see this series getting better as each book progresses.

Melissa Palmer

Book #74 Read in 2017
Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine

This is the first book in a creepy thriller series. Melvin seemed to be a good man, a good husband to Gina, a good father to Brady and Lily. Then a car drives into their garage, uncovering Melvin's murder den and a dead body of a skinned woman--not his first victim. The police cannot understand how Gina did not know what her husband was up to and charge her as an accessory. She is innocent, and found to be legally, and she packs up her children, creates new identities for herself and her children, and move them as needed. She hopes to be able to put some roots down at Stillhouse Lake but Melvin has, from jail, seemingly found out where they are....will they get out alive? This book had good twists and turns and will keep readers guessing until the end. The sequel comes out in December and I have already ordered it. I borrowed this book from the public library.

Denaiir

I really enjoyed this book, the premise is quite interesting and I love serial killer stories so it was totally engrossing for me. 
I only give it a 4-star rating because at some points I was annoyed by the main character, who I think had extreme reactions that I did not agree with. Also, the mystery element and side story were not completely riveting so I enjoyed the story very much but it did not get all the way to becoming one of my favorites of the year.

Lara Engle

Stillhouse Lake isn't particularly well written, but it's a page-turner anyway. The characters are pretty flat, the mystery was easy to figure out, but it was still tense and somewhat suspenseful. I feel like I could identify with the Gwen character, having experienced those feelings of betrayal and just being blindsided, although obviously on a smaller scale. Overall, it was a quick summer junk food kind of read. I'll give the next one in the series a try.

Wynter

DNF at 20%. This did nothing to capture my attention. I am just not into a "mommy thriller" at this point. I can't do the first-person narrative, the annoying characters, the lack of plot progression, etc. The prologue is gripping enough, but then it kind of just goes... bleh. I can see how some people might enjoy it, but I have to say, no thanks.

Cheri Fuller

I struggled with rating 2 or 3 stars but decided to round up because I did really enjoy a good chunk of the book. The premise is interesting and laid out well. The author ramped up the tension and kept me engaged up until around 170 pages in. After that, I had a mess of problems with what was going on. I'll be vague so I don't give anything away...

My biggest problems were with how blind Gwen seems to be and the insanity that was the local police/detective investigation and treatment of Gwen and her family. 

I was screaming at Gwen for two of the big things that end up being pretty dang important and felt fairly obvious. So either the author laid the foreshadowing on too heavily for the reader, made her protagonist intentionally dense, or I'm incredibly smart. I don't think it's the third option.

As for the investigation, the way the detective in charge dealt with Gwen and the investigation had me yelling BS. I won't even go into the holes in situation with Kez. There's about 50 or so pages between the 170 and the end of the book that made me want to toss my kindle in the trash. But that's ridiculous because it's my kindle... But I held on, cursing internally. 

The exciting climax was good and calmed me down a bit but, ultimately, I don't care enough to keep going with the sequel.

Alexa M

3.5 

the first 50% of this was honestly  so  boring but once that halfway mark hit? SHIT y'all this was off and running! my heart was beating so fast during certain parts. there was definitely some stuff i saw coming but some stuff i deeefinitely did not. i will definitely be continuing on with the series!

Gina is een introverte huisvrouw met een gelukkig huwelijk en twee leuke kinderen. Maar dan wordt door een auto-ongeluk het geheime leven van haar man als seriemoordenaar onthuld. Gina’s voormalige leven is voorbij, ze begint opnieuw, neemt een nieuwe naam aan, Gwen Proctor, die zich ontpopt als een moeder die door het vuur gaat voor haar kinderen. Nu haar ex in de gevangenis zit, heeft de nieuwe Gwen een toevluchtsoord gevonden in een huis in het afgelegen Stillhouse Lake. Toch blijft ze doelwit van stalkers en internettrollen die denken dat ze iets te maken heeft met de misdaden van haar man. Voorlopig blijft ze erop vertrouwen dat haar kinderen eindelijk rustig kunnen opgroeien. Maar net als ze zich op haar gemak begint te voelen met haar nieuwe identiteit, wordt er een lichaam gevonden in het meer – en komen er dreigende brieven van een maar al te bekend adres. Gwen moet voorkomen dat ze wordt ontdekt – of toekijken hoe haar kinderen het slachtoffer worden van een moordenaar die haar wil kwellen. Eén ding is zeker: ze heeft geleerd hoe ze het kwaad moet bestrijden. En ze zal nooit stoppen.

Sally Salinas

That was a GOOD read. Sad & Frustrating....but keeps you on your toes. Some parts I kinda figured out before the reveal but there were some good surprises. Very fast paced read. there is a good ending however it can be open for a part II.

Janice Hopper

I am not the target audience for this book. Yes, it's got a lot of suspense and is a thriller. BUT...

It has a bunch of things I hate:

a serial killer
stalkers
a woman in danger
a woman with a story men won't believe
children traumatized and in danger
children corrupted
internet trolls

This book was free through Prime Reading. I picked it up because of that, and because I'd seen it around over and over.

I didn't vet it properly for ME, or I'd've known it was something I shouldn't read. My bad. :(

I didn't really READ it because honestly, I just can't with books like this. I skimmed through to see how it came out. It ends with (view spoiler)[ a huge cliffhanger, and everyone still in danger, though maybe with more allies now. (hide spoiler)]

The book's fine, I guess, if you like this sort of book. I don't. I shouldn't have read it, and won't be reading any of the sequels. It was ugly and made me feel bad.

Vanessa Arenas

Amazing

Fast paced, thrilling, suspenseful and gripping. You won't be able to put this book down, it is that good, absolutely recommend

Julia

Gina Royal is the definition of average—a shy Midwestern housewife with a happy marriage and two adorable children. But when a car accident reveals her husband’s secret life as a serial killer, she must remake herself as Gwen Proctor—the ultimate warrior mom.

With her ex now in prison, Gwen has finally found refuge in a new home on remote Stillhouse Lake. Though still the target of stalkers and Internet trolls who think she had something to do with her husband’s crimes, Gwen dares to think her kids can finally grow up in peace.

But just when she’s starting to feel at ease in her new identity, a body turns up in the lake—and threatening letters start arriving from an all-too-familiar address. Gwen Proctor must keep friends close and enemies at bay to avoid being exposed—or watch her kids fall victim to a killer who takes pleasure in tormenting her. One thing is certain: she’s learned how to fight evil. And she’ll never stop.

TYLER

Becky

I almost dnfed this one half way through. It was totally addictive and I couldn’t put it down but for a brief time in the middle I thought it was going a direction I wasn’t in the mood for. I won’t spoil it but I managed to push through my doubts and I’m so glad I kept reading. This book kept me hooked and I didn’t want to stop reading. I will definitely be continuing the series and I cannot wait for more. Hopefully the next one is just as good as the first. There’s definitely some big stuff left to resolve. 

Nash

“And that was when she had one single, awful realization. It’s not a doll. And against all her best intentions, she began to scream and couldn’t stop.”

Repeat after me: IT'S NEVER A MANNEQUEIN!!!!

Oh boy, this one is a must read for all thriller lovers out there. Gina Royal is one bad ass woman. Her world is turned upside down when on a dreadful evening she finds herself being accused of being an accessory to the murder of 12 young women. Her husband was arrested at work when a drunk driver crashed the car on her garage and the police found the dead body of a young female. She was married to a serial killer and she had no freaking idea. After the case against her fell she was released and was forced to pack everything, including her two kids, get new identities for everyone, move and start over in a new place. Repeat. Always feeling like she was being watched everywhere they went. While trying to maintain a normal life in a new town, a body is found floating in the lake behind her house. Nothing will ever be the same again. He found them. 



I was hooked from the get go. This is an absolutely amazing book. I am adding Rachel Caine to the list of favorite authors. This is a DTA (don’t trust anyone) type of story that has you wondering who is in it, who can you trust, who do you need to stay away from. Even while reading the gruesome details, it’s like watching Dr. Pimple Popper… Disgusting but you HAVE to keep watching. This is the first book of the Stillhouse Lake series and I am dying to read the next one.

Salwa Mohamed

I need Netflix to pick these series up ASAP.

Madhuri Sridhara

3.5- Great pace, likeable characters and very much a page turner. It's very easy to get lost in Rachel Caine's world especially because of Emily Sutton's narration. My issue is that this is a series. I like stand alone books and I thought that this one was just 2 books at most going in, not a 5 parter (and more). Might read the rest at a later point.

Cindy

Review:

This is by far one of the best psychological thrillers that I have read so far this year! Gina Royal, now Gwen Proctor, was a meek mild housewife turned kick-ass survivalist due to the fact her husband was discovered to be a serial killer. Now Gina/Gwen has one focus, to hide and protect her 2 children from her haters that think she knew what her husband was up to. Just when you think you have this one figured out it goes down a whole different path, in other words this will keep you om the edge of your seat.

Books like this seem to be few and far between and this had all my criteria for a good suspense/thriller; creepy, gripping with lots  lots of twists. I loved how Gwen became a tough survivalist and taught her children as well. I look forward to the second book because there was a bit of a cliffhanger in this one.

Grab a copy of this book and enjoy !

Fellowes Cynthia

This was the first book I have read by Rachel Caine, but it won't be my last. The characters were fully fleshed out and the plot was enticing and held my attention. Those are assets - good characters, exciting story. 

The lead character discovers that her husband is a serial killer and what follows is a woman on the edge, attempting to keep herself and her family safe.

Really enjoyed.

Amy Maddess

I took off one star because there were a lot of times that I had to suspend my disbelief at how convenient the twists were, but it was still a super enthralling, fast-paced page-turner! Still debating whether I want to read the rest of the series...

Stillhouse Lake

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