Coming at you again with another adult psychological thriller review! In Still Water by Amy Stuart, Sally and her son have disappeared, and Clare is tasked with helping find them. She travels to the town of High River and ends up in a home known for taking in women looking to escape their pasts, a home that Sally previously stayed in before her disappearance.

Unfortunately with this one, I felt that it started really strong and promising, then fell off as the book progressed. It was very gripping at the beginning, but then I had to struggle some to push through and finish. There also didn't appear to be any real effort involved in solving the mystery, Clare just kind of lucked out by happenstance.

I did very much like Clare as a character, however, and appreciate when characters are flawed and potentially unreliable. But I did have some questions.

Turns out, this was the second book in a series, and I didn't know that going in. While it was okay as a stand-alone, I think knowing the back stories of Clare and Malcolm would have really helped me understand their motivations and relationship more. There were multiple times that I just had no idea why things were happening, and I think that would have been alleviated if I read the first book, Still Mine, before this one.

This was just a middle of the road read for me, didn't love it and didn't hate it. I do think I would have rated it higher if I had known more of the backstory, and also if it wasn't so anticlimactic overall.

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars

Thanks so much to Touchstone/Simon & Schuster for a digital copy of this read! Still Water by Amy Stuart is out now, so be sure to pick up a copy if you love thrillers or are a fan of Still Mine!

Traveling With T’s Thoughts:

After reading Still Mine previously, I was delighted to see that Amy Stuart would be back with another book and absolutely loved the cover of Still Water.

I find Amy’s writing to be not exactly slow to start, but she takes a lot of time setting up scenes- sometimes setting up things for further down the bookish road. I appreciate that and I also kinda dislike it- mainly because I’m usually so eager to get to the SECRETS 🙂 Much like in Still Mine, the twists are subtle at times- not OMG twists, but ones that fit with the tone of the book.



What I liked:

The cover. I love covers that are atmospheric and this one is. It fits in with the whole tone of the book.

Discovering more about Clare. Clare is an enigma wrapped in a box. I still think we’re just scratching the surface of Clare.

The setting. Clare works best in a place where secrets are hiding and this setting worked for her character.



Bottom line: I enjoyed Still Water and can’t wait to hear more from Clare.



*This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.*

Gritty, unexpected and unpredictable!
I struggled a little to get into the story, but knowing how much I enjoyed the first novel I kept reading. The book picked up the pace relatively quickly. I like that the base characters stayed the same but the rest of the story line was new. It was a story with a creative plot and likeable characters. Normally I dislike when there are to many main players in the game but in this book it worked. I enjoyed Still Mine a little more because the character development was a little stronger and I was caught in the dark seedy story line. The heroine is not your typical clean cut straight laced gal, I like the depth she is given as well as the harsh past that tip toes in to her present. It’s that mix that creates the gritty unpredictable nature in the book. The fact that she is not “law” allows her to view and navigate the case from the inside without a police officers legal restrictions. The fact that she chooses what she shares with the police and what she keeps to herself is refreshing, a character with her own questionable morals. Well done. I anxiously await a 3rd book

I’ve been looking forward to reading Still Water since I finished the first book last year and I really enjoyed it. The story kept me hooked from the beginning and I liked that we got to learn more about Clare. I love the authors writing style and I think this book was better than her last. I can’t wait to read future books by this author.

Still Water by Amy Stuart: A dark thriller that holds your attention from page 1! This is an excellent read that explores the issues of domestic abuse in a non-preachy way. It’s a darker thriller with psychological suspense elements. Loved it, the narration, and narrator on the audiobook too.

This was a great book. Always kept me guessing with all the characters hiding secrets. Great ending that only leaves me anxious for the next novel.

This is one of my much anticipated books of the year. Thanks to the Publisher for this advanced copy.
Totally enjoyed a book. It has an unique plot and storyline. Though I felt the story being nagged on without a backdrop. It really makes you think.

This is Amy's second book -- and even though I had not read the first one (it's not a series but a lot of the same characters) I couldn't tell. Amy's first chapter was one of the best first chapters I've read in a long time. She had me begging for a third book!!