Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine is the first book in the Stillhouse Lake series. Gina Royal arrives home with her two kids to find the police in her home. The police discovered a body hanging in her husband’s workshop after a car accidentally ran into it. Gina’s husband, Melvin is a serial killer and Gina had no clue. Gina has changed her name to Gwen Proctor and moved her kids to Norton, Tennessee. They have a home on Stillhouse Lake and Gwen is hoping to get their lives back on track. They have had a rough time with stalkers and internet trolls who do not believe in Gina’s innocence. One morning a jogger finds a body in the lake and it was disposed of in the same manner as Melvin’s other victims. Then she receives a threatening letter from Melvin. Gwen, Lanny, and Connor are plunged into another nightmare and it is up to Gwen to save them from a deadly killer.

Stillhouse Lake starts off with an intriguing beginning. I was captured by the body in the garage. Would you never go into your husband’s workshop? With my curiosity, I would have been inside in no time (and then gone before the guy returned home from work). Then it moves to Stillhouse Lake and the pace slows down considerably. The action only ramps up in the last 10% of the book. I wanted a novel full of twists and turns with an outcome that would surprise me. Figuring out who is behind the killings is child’s play. There was no suspense (for me). We are subjected to many pages of how Gina/Gwen is protecting her family (she made one glaring mistake). The internal dialogue gets monotonous after a while. The numerous precautions she has put into place, her hypervigilance, and multiple identities. It is shame that we do live in such a cruel world. I can imagine people posting horrible things online believing themselves to be anonymous. The book ends with a cliffhanger ending leaving readers to wait until Killman Creek is released. I am not interested enough to continue with the series.

I was pleasantly surprised. I was very hesitant of this book since it is put of the usual for me.

My biggest complaint was the chapter length. I hate having to stop in the middle of a chapter that could have easily been broke up (I know I am spoiled).While I felt that it was lacking in a few aspects, just as far as keeping my interest. This book overall was exactly what a mystery should have been. It kept you guessing. It kept you off the scent...and left you on others. I would definitely recommend this to a mystery lover. I can't wait to read the next one.

Loved it! Twist and turns with a creepy feel to keep you on your toes!

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC for my Kindle.
The book started out very interesting and kept me reading at one sitting but then about 1/2 way through, it was a little bit tedious for me to read- too many details about the dead girls' bodies and the poor use of language Would have given it at least 3 stars, but I didn't like the ending!

This book was one of the best books of the year!! I was a little hesitant to read it because of some of the reviews, but I am so glad that I did!! This book was everything and more than I expected, but I ended wanting more, more, more. I couldn't help but want to make the book last as long as I could because it was just that good. I wanted to finish so that I could know what happened but I kept wanting it to end.

I loved how you were always kept in the loop with what was happening but always left guessing, and who you think it is, isn't who it is. I ABSOLUTELY loved every minute of it!! I CANNOT wait for the second book!!!

I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

I’ve always been very interested in mystery. All kinds, but later in life true crime. When a crime happens locally, I can find myself reading article after article about the story. Little do I think of the other people involved in the life of the suspect. This story gave an interesting prospective into the family of a serial killer. It made me think a lot about how people behave with the feeling of anonymity of the internet, and how people’s lives can change, simply from knowing someone who does something heinous.

I found myself lost in this book. You know you are reading something good when you can almost exactly picture the surroundings.

I can’t wait until the second book in this series!

This one truly grabs your attention from the very first page - and refuses to let go until you make it to the end.

I loved this book!!! It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time and I can't wait to read the next book in the series! Is it December yet? Thank you so very much to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an ARC in return for an honest review.

After discovering in a dramatic and public way that her seemingly perfect husband was a serial killer, then Gina Royal now, Gwen Proctor and her two children are constantly moving and trying to escape the hate mail and threats from all the people who falsely believe that Gwen assisted him. After so many years, Gwen finally believes that she has left her old self behind and is safe and has finally found a home by Stillhouse Lake. Until the bodies of young women, her ex-husbands preferred victims, start appearing. But, it can’t be her ex-husband, he’s in prison, could he have orchestrated this from behind bars? And how does he know where she is? Or is it all just coincidence?

Despite Rachel Caine’s popularity with her vampire and weather warden series, both of which are probably on my TBR shelf, this book is my first read of her. Stillhouse Lake is a drastic genre change from the PNR/UF series she has written before, instead what we have is a tense thriller. But despite having never read anything from her previously it has definitely made me more eager to try out her other books. I really enjoyed this book, it was nail biting stuff.

There were a number of things I really liked about this book and that got me hooked early on. One of those things is that Caine builds up the tension really well. Gwen is fairly,and justifiably, paranoid after her experiences so at first you don’t know if this is her hyper vigilance or if something really is happening. This build of tension has you stuck to the pages, trying to find out what is going on. I also really liked the familial relationships that Caine builds between Gwen and her two young teenage kids. They have all been through a horrible experience, first finding out about their father and then their treatment by the press and police and now this life on the run. As well as a thriller you get a story about a family trying to hold themselves together.

As someone fascinated by true crime, I loved this book, I liked that it showed this from the point of view of the “collateral damage”, which is the family the killer leaves behind. A family that had nothing to do with his heinous actions, but seem to be punished as much as he is. This was an emotional and tense thriller and the way Caine leaves it…I will be grabbing the next book as soon as I can.After discovering in a dramatic and public way that her seemingly perfect husband was a serial killer, then Gina Royal now, Gwen Proctor and her two children are constantly moving and trying to escape the hate mail and threats from all the people who falsely believe that Gwen assisted him. After so many years, Gwen finally believes that she has left her old self behind and is safe and has finally found a home by Stillhouse Lake. Until the bodies of young women, her ex-husbands preferred victims, start appearing. But, it can’t be her ex-husband, he’s in prison, could he have orchestrated this from behind bars? And how does he know where she is? Or is it all just coincidence?

Despite Rachel Caine’s popularity with her vampire and weather warden series, both of which are probably on my TBR shelf, this book is my first read of her. Stillhouse Lake is a drastic genre change from the PNR/UF series she has written before, instead what we have is a tense thriller. But despite having never read anything from her previously it has definitely made me more eager to try out her other books. I really enjoyed this book, it was nail biting stuff.

There were a number of things I really liked about this book and that got me hooked early on. One of those things is that Caine builds up the tension really well. Gwen is fairly,and justifiably, paranoid after her experiences so at first you don’t know if this is her hyper vigilance or if something really is happening. This build of tension has you stuck to the pages, trying to find out what is going on. I also really liked the familial relationships that Caine builds between Gwen and her two young teenage kids. They have all been through a horrible experience, first finding out about their father and then their treatment by the press and police and now this life on the run. As well as a thriller you get a story about a family trying to hold themselves together.

As someone fascinated by true crime, I loved this book, I liked that it showed this from the point of view of the “collateral damage”, which is the family the killer leaves behind. A family that had nothing to do with his heinous actions, but seem to be punished as much as he is. This was an emotional and tense thriller and the way Caine leaves it…I will be grabbing the next book as soon as I can.

I loved the idea of this book but felt like it took forever to get to the main point! The writing was wonderful and story line was great, just too much dragging on for the most part. The ending was incredible and action packed though!!

Oh I didn't see that coming on this book. What an amazing psychological suspense novel I've read so far. Really addicted !!!

Your ex-husband turns out, to be a serial killer, went to jail to death row but...still without knowledge his past crimes and defending herself and her kids innocence, decided to change IDs, run from everyone to get some safety. After awhile all the chaos and dark secrets who was buried for some time has been submerged again as crime has occurred in Stillhouse Lake, the site where she decides to settle with her kids....

5 ⭐️ and I recommend it ! Thank You Netgalley, Rachel Caine and the publisher Thomas & Mercer for accepting me to read this book.

One of the best mystery thrillers I’ve read this year! I’m a fan of Caine’s work on The Great Library series and it was a pleasant surprise to read something so far from the fantasy world!

Gina Royal had it all: the house, the husband and her two children, completely unaware of the deadly secrets hidden behind a perfect family picture. When a car accident brings to light that her husband is a serial killer, Gina becomes Gwen Proctor, a woman on the run from accusations and internet stalkers that find her guilty of helping her husband. In desperate need to settle down, Gwen moves to the remote house of Stillhouse Lake where she thinks her children and herself will finally have some peace. That is until the body of a woman is found floating in the lake, killed with the same method Gwen’s husband used.

It’s a horrific, thrilling and suspenseful novel that had me glued to its pages, right from the first chapter. The style of writing and the very well thought plot made this novel very addictive and compelling. The feeling of paranoia is always present and the characters will share that feeling with the reader. The atmosphere builds up perfectly and every event just adds to a great climax. The novel works perfectly on the dangers of the internet and how “internet is forever”. The author describes very well the social dilemma of how the family of a criminal is easily put in the same bag even though they had nothing to do with the acts committed by that individual. People tend to forget that there is a chance they might be victims too. Also, beware: if your husband doesn’t show you his garage, maybe it’s not just his workshop after all…

The characters are well developed and very well described. Gwen is a great main character and a warrior; I was proud to read about her deeds and the demonstration of her courage. Her first priority is always her children and if she has to break the rules and moral codes to do it, so be it. It takes a lot of courage and a strong spirit to be able to do what she does in the novel. Overall, the relationships in the novel are solid, especially between Gwen and her children and Gwen and her neighbour.

A great psychological thriller that I recommend to all the fans of these genres.

An exciting and tense story told well and leaving me longing for more. I was impressed with the issues that the book made me think about regarding families of criminals as well as those of the victims not to mention the way the internet gives us such anonymity. . There didn't seem to be any resolution that would be satisfactory but Rachel Caine is obviously much cleverer than I am at plots!

I love the premise of this one, the idea that a woman is married to a sadistic serial killer and has no idea. Yes, it does seem a little far fetched that she never once went into the garage where he tortured and killed young women, but just go with me here, it’s worth it. Why is it worth it? Because Caine sure knows how to write one hell of a thrilling roller coaster ride, this was highly entertaining and super intense!

Gwen and her kids have been on the run for years but they’ve finally settled in Stillhouse Lake and are actually starting to get comfortable. I loved this setting, it was a creepy little small lakeside town and the perfect backdrop for the story. The isolation added to the mounting tension and sense of uneasiness, I feared for the Royal families safety the entire time. Gwen doesn’t trust anyone and I found myself questioning everyone as well, the residents of Stillhouse Lake are a tight knit community that are wary of outsiders, so there was a mutual feeling of distrust and paranoia.

This is steadily paced until the last ten percent or so when everything comes to a head in an exhilarating conclusion. There was a killer twist in the end that sets things up perfectly for the next book in the series and I can’t wait to read it!

I have been a huge fan of Rachel Caine's work for years now and when I saw she was writing something that didn't look paranormal, well I was a little upset. There are enough thrillers, mysteries and dramas out there and I wondered why she would even bother going over to another genre when she is obviously so good at the one she already writes in. However after only the first chapter of Stillhouse Lake I had my answer.

Within pages of the book I realised that Rachel Caine isn't just a great Paranormal Urban Fantasy writer but she is a bloody amazing writer. I was hooked within a few minutes of reading and didn't want to put the book down at all. However the way the story was written made sure that I had a chance to take a break because a break was needed. The combination of information, graphic scenes and emotions that were tied into the story really made me sit back and process everything before continuing.

The story was believable, well written and somewhat scary. I wanted to give Gwen a hug and take her children somewhere safe. I kept wondering what was going to happen to the all, I kept suspecting everyone of anything and most of all I was worried that it was all going to end in so much blood and tears.

I don't think a review can find the words to explain how amazingly raw and wonderful this book was. I thought it was just a one off story but when the end pointed to a second part I was extremely happy. While this is the kind of reading you don't want to do in the dark all alone it is eye-opening and really gets your heart bumping.

A huge amount of kudos to the author for writing something so real and for the obvious amount of research and though put into this great read. I can't wait for the second installment.

Wow!!!

It is an extremely well-written book. From the first chapter to last, the story never bored me.
It is a perfect thriller.As I was reading through the book, I was guessing which character could be shady or which character want to do harm.But all my guesses turned futile at the end.

Gina Royal/Gwen Proctor, the protagonist of the book is a well-written character. She struggles to identify her friends and her enemy.She is a cautious and strong woman.Her past, her present and the things she does to protect her children is very engaging.

I like the character of Lanny, she is one of Gwen's children.She is a smart girl.The other child, Connor is a nerdy guy.

The story is well written.The emotions of each character, their life, and the trauma they have gone through and their indifference with each other are written nicely.

This is one of the best thriller books I have read this year.

3 1/2 Stars

If you can get past the unbelievable aspects and sink into the fiction, this book will grab you and keep your interest until the VERY unsatisfactory ending! It wasn't hard to figure out the killer early on, but the red herrings will keep some guessing. My biggest complaint is the fact that this is NOT a stand alone novel. It ends abruptly and the story continues in book 2. I always feel duped when that happens. Just know that you need to read both books to finish the story.

Gina Royal had an average, but a happy life. A mother to two children and a happy marriage, until the illusion of her life comes crumbling around her when a car plows into her garage and reveals her husband as a serial killer.

Now Gina Royal is Gwen Proctor, a warrior mom who will go the distance to protect her innocent children from the savage world of stalkers and internet trolls that hold her somehow responsible for her husband’s activities.

This book you guys. It was my first Rachel Caine read (I know what, right?) but I have to say it will not be my last.

Stillhouse Lake was everything I ever wanted in a thriller. A great storyline that keeps you constantly on the edge of your seat that is equally captivating and even a bit realistic. Character growth and development. Gwen/Gina was especially fascinating as I loved watching her transform from a helpless housewife into a strong and independent woman through a series of some really unfortunate events.

As Gwen was originally accused of being an accomplice, she has been the victim of being wrongfully accused and what the horror of such a public case can do to her and her family. The amount of hate she received due to that was unfathomable. Mel also has a ton of fans, people who are fixated on his works and who approve of it. The whole thing where they end up attacking Gwen and her children online though, that was really dark and twisted. It really makes your blood run cold thinking that something like this could happen to someone.

When a copycat killer shows up in her little town, Gwen is afraid that somehow she had been found and that her husband has a lot more influence than she had ever prepared herself for.

This was quite a ride. Well written, fleshed out characters that are totally believable. A quiet town with its own dark secrets and trouble that follows Gwen no matter how much she is trying to escape.

The ending thought you guys.. Oh my god. Is the next book out soon?

Thrilled to have a wish granted with this novel. Really thrilling plot, fast paced and characters that leap off the page. Fantastic!!