I have enjoyed this series immensely. This books feels to be setting Gwen up for a different phase. Gwen is such a strong, independent character and I look forward to further installments.
Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I read the first two books of this series and found them interesting, this one had too many convuluted plots, too much violence and less emphasis on the emotional impact of what was happening, that got swept under the rug with all the violence taking over. How to survive being an unwitting spouse of a serial killer and how to have relationships and raise your children has interesting enough questions in and of itself.

Wolfhunter River by Rachel Caine is the perfect addition to the Stillhouse Lake series. After the events of book two, you would think things would begin to calm down for Gwen Proctor. You thought wrong! I won’t go into too many details about the plot of the book, but I will say that I finished this book in about a day and a half. Even though the issue with Melvin was wrapped up in book two, there was no lack of action in this book. It kept me interested the entire time. I do wonder how the series would go on with the conclusion of Melvin’s story line. I hope we do not veer too far off course. I do not recommend reading this as a standalone.
Book one- Stillhouse Lake
Book Two- Killman Creek

I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Although I love Gwen's character and her family, I think this novel was unnecessary. The pacing was a little slower than the other two books. And I think Gwen made mistakes, like going to Wolfhunter, that she would not normally make. Overall, like others are saying this is a connecter book to continue the series. I am not sure if I will continue on with the series though. I will have to wait and see if the premise of the next book peeks my interest.

Wolfhunter River by Rachel Caine is the third in the Stillhouse Lake thriller series.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Thomas & Mercer, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Series Background: (Warning – May contain spoilers from previous books)
Melvin Royal was a serial killer who was brutally murdering women in the family garage/workshop, while his wife and children played board games just a few rooms away. Although the family knew nothing of his actions, his wife became known as Melvin’s Little Helper. Gwen took her kids and ran, trying to escape both the crazy fans of her ex-husband, and those that thought she deserved to be dead. When Melvin escaped prison, Gwen decided to make a stand. Now Melvin is dead, but those that want her dead are still out there. Gwen is determined to make a safe home for her family, preferably in Stillhouse Lake.


My Synopsis: (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
It doesn’t seem to matter that her psycho killer ex-husband is dead. He set things up so that his presence is still known. Threatening letters still appear in Gwen’s mailbox, as well as other unpleasant things.

From one disaster to the next, Gwen is now being followed by a television crew lead by Miranda Tidewell, a very wealthy woman who has had it in for Gwen from the beginning. Miranda’s daughter was the second victim of Melvin Royal, and Miranda is out for revenge. Melvin may be dead, but Gwen and her kids are still alive, and Miranda plans to make them suffer for eternity.

When a woman reaches out to Gwen from the nearby town of Wolfhunter River, it is hard to refuse her. Gwen has been trying to help women who are in bad situations. Sometimes it’s just by listening. Sometimes it is by pointing them toward the right government body that can help. This time the woman doesn’t give her enough information. But a second call has Gwen packing up her family and headed to Wolfhunter River. She is going to find much more than she bargained for.

Then there is the matter of Sam. Their relationship has always been complicated, but they might not survive the events that unfold.



My Opinions:
This is a great series. A lot of suspense, action, and twists. Please, read these books in order, or you will miss out on a lot of the back-story.

I like how Rachel Caine tells the story from different perspectives, thereby continuing to add depth to each of her characters. I also feel that these individual stories run true. Things aren’t always perfect in relationships, whether they are between friends, family, or lovers, and Caine shows the issues instead of sugar-coating things.

There is a lot of action in this book, and the pace is fast. There are definitely a couple of unexpected twists that I did not see coming, but I am beginning to expect this from the author.

I thought the last book was good, but this one definitely added another level to the intrigue. The author continues to surprise, and it looks like she is going in a good direction with her characters. I am looking forward to more!

I really enjoyed this book but it did take a while for me to get into this one. Once it hooked me though, I couldn't put it down. I was a little disappointed that it seemed to stray so far from the first 2 books though.

This is the third book in this series and I highly recommend that you read this one in order. There is a continuing story as well ad a lot of character development that you should know to truly appreciate this story.

Gwen Proctor aka. Gina Royal, thinks she can finally relax after the death of her serial killer husband and the breakdown of his group of loyal fans and followers, but that is not to be. Because of the recent death, she is once again in the limelight, being hounded, especially by the group comprised of families of Melvin Royal's victims. This group is spearheaded by the rich, Marlene Crockett, who spared no expense in her harassment of Gwen and her family. When Gwen received a call from Marlene Crockett, a woman from Wolfhunter River asking for her help, she had no plans on getting involved. When she receives a second call from Vera Crockett, her daughter asking for her help, she decides to head to Wolfhunter River to see what she can do to help Vera, who has now been arrested fro the murder of her own mother.

This story grabs the reader right from the start and never lets up. There’s so much happening that I am surprised that Gwen is able to hold it all together, especially when her kids are in danger. Gwen is once again a target, but is it because of her dead, ex-husband, or because of what is happening in Wolfhunter River. Who can Gwen trust? Law enforcement seems to be dirty, Vee's lawyer flip-flops on whether he is going to represent her and Sam ends up arrested. When Marlene Crockett shows up in town and threatens Gwen and her children, she just wants to get them all out of there and back home. Throw in a kidnapped child that has TBI and FBI agents showing up, and the pressure seems to be on and the action escalates. There’s something wrong in Wolfhunter River and figuring that out means paying close attention to who the good guys really are.

This story didn’t disappoint. It was a great conclusion to the series with its suspense, emotion and action. There were some surprises along the way and some twists that had me on the edge of my seat as I put aside many household jobs and tasks. I enjoyed some of the confidences shared that further developed the characters. All four of the main characters are strong, smart and tenacious. They make decisions that I would never be able to make, but were necessary at the time. Gwen is one amazing mama, who will do whatever she needs to do to protect her kids, but as they are growing, they sometimes need to protect her. Sam and Gwen continue to have an up and down relationship and they are tested in this book, but I am glad things turned out the way they did. I was very satisfied with the ending and if the author decides to continue this series, I would be happy to see what is next for Gwen, Sam and the kids.

3.5 stars

A mysterious phone call brings Gwen Proctor to Wolfhunter River, a small Tennessee town filled with dark secrets and f*cked up creepy people.

This is the third installment in the Stillhouse Lake series, and I would recommend reading this series in order.

This is a dark, gritty and suspenseful read. My favorite element of this book was trying to figure out what in the world was going on in Wolfhunter River. This part of the book kept me on my toes, as I never knew who or what was coming. There are some scenes filled with graphic violence and a lot of sickos; part of me wishes I could erase what I read and get some of these scenes out of my head.

This also my least favorite book in the series. With that being said, I still enjoyed it but I found that it was missing some of the tension that fueled the earlier books in the series. Even though there is a lot of crazy sh*t going on, this book moved at a bit of a slower pace than the other books in the series. I think I am also getting a little sick of Gwen being chased by trolls who believe her to have assisted in her husband’s crimes. With that being said, I still have some questions concerning some elements of her relationship with Melvin.

My main gripe with this book involves Gwen’s decision to take her children to Wolfhunter, a town she knew something wasn’t right with. For a woman who is so hell-bent on protecting her children, why would she bring them to Wolfhunter River? I had trouble looking past this decision.

In spite of the issues I had, I still love this series and these characters. This book works to transition to a new narrative thread that will be used to frame future storylines--I look forward to seeing what kind of craziness comes next!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer in exchange for an honest review.

**If you plan on reading the first two books in the “Stillhouse Lake” series, you might want to hold off on reading this review.

I will tell you that this is a series that I highly recommend.

I have been looking forward to reading this since finishing "Killman Creek", the previous book in the series.

The book starts with the shocking kidnapping of a six-year-old girl. I was pulled right in.

The story then turns to Gwen Proctor. Gwen is staring into the dark eye of a TV camera. The camera reminds her of very bad things. It reminds her of her ex-husband, serial killer Melvin Royal. “I see my ex and his horrible smile. I see blood.”

The newspapers are still reporting what happened months earlier. “Shootout in murder house!” The newspaper always mentions that Gwen was once arrested as Melvin Royal’s accomplice, but they almost never remember to say that she was acquitted. She has decided she wants to set the record straight. She chose “The Howie Hamlin Show” because Howie appeared to have a good reputation.

Unfortunately, the interview does NOT go as planned. It's more like an interrogation. Then Howie asks Gwen if she knows about the documentary…

What documentary?

When he introduces his next guest, things go from bad to worse.

All Gwen wants is for her family to be happy and safe. But the normal life she craves seems so far out of reach. Then there’s Sam. There’s so much they need to talk about.

When the landline rings one night, Gwen is hesitant to pick it up. Most of the calls she gets are people making threats and yelling abuse. But she also gets calls from people asking for advice or help.

“Please, I’m begging you. Please answer me. I don’t know where else I’m supposed to turn.”

Gwen listens as the woman leaves a message. Just as the woman is about to hang up, Gwen picks up. The woman, Marlene Crockett is from a small town called Wolfhunter. She sounds terrified but she's vague when answering Gwen’s questions. When Marlene suddenly hangs up, Gwen wonders if she was trying to lure her to Wolfhunter.

Gwen tries to put the call out of her mind. But a few days later, the phone rings again. What Gwen hears shocks her. Soon she's heading for Wolfhunter. She wants to help.

“You can’t take on trouble in a strange town. You don’t know the players or the people. And you’ve got no stake in this thing”

Will Gwen be able to help and keep herself and her family safe?

I really enjoyed this book! It has a great plot with a lot of excellent characters (old and new). Quite a few of the characters from books one and two make an appearance.

The majority of the storyline is told from Gwen’s point of view but there are also a few chapters from other characters. I thought that the multiple storylines were interesting. Some very intense moments had me holding my breath.

I think the book could be read as a standalone. However, a lot happened in books one and two so readers might enjoy it more if they read the entire series.

This was another great chapter in the "Stillhouse Lake" series. I can't wait to read more!

I'd like to thank Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.

This book was ok...seemed to be YA. It wasn't on an adult reading level. I couldn't get into it. Quit after page 50.

Have I mentioned lately that I'm obsessed with this series?

Book one (Stillhouse Lake {review}) introduced us to Gwen Proctor and her kids who were trying to escape public scrutiny (and voilent threats) after Gwen's husband was discovered to be a serial killer. (< Not a spoiler.) Book two was a bit of a departure in some ways but also a fun installment. I feel like Wolfhunter River brought us full circle back to book one which made me extra happy.

Rachel Caine knows how to keep me turning the pages. I love the characters, and I need to know what is going to happen to them next throughout the entire book.

I kind of assumed the Stillhouse Lake series was going to be a trilogy. After book one I wondered how Rachel Caine was going to manage to pull a trilogy out of this particular story/family. Let me just say that Rachel Caine is brilliant because now I see how this series has the potential to go forever. I hope someday I'll be happily sharing my review of Stillhouse Lake #14 because I'm here for it!

This was my first introduction to this series, and I really should have read the first two books in the series first. I had a hard time getting into this one, because the first half of the book was heavy with references to events that happened previously. About halfway through, the actual story began and I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of it, which is why I'm giving this one four stars (but I would probably give only 1-2 stars to the first half of the book).

* I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I was really looking forward to the third book in the Stillhouse Lake series. I did enjoy this one, but it definitely pulled away from the main story line of the other two. I felt the author tried to keep the storyline intact but about 1/2 way through it kind of dropped off. It was a good book, that kept me intrigued, I just didn’t feel the cohesiveness in the series with this novel. 3.5 stars for me. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me the chance to review.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, “Stillhouse Lake”, and simply couldn’t get through it fast enough. I liked this and the second book fine enough, but neither recaptured the magic of the first book to me. I just found this one to have too many subplots going on which added little to Gwen and her family’s story IMHO. I enjoyed getting more backstory on Sam and seeing how the past events continue to shape the development of all the characters, but the cult storyline in a small town did nothing for me. Solid sequel and a fast read, but did not love it, so 3/5 stars for me.

This is the third book in the Stillhouse Lake series and the third I’ve read and, while the first one will probably always be my favourite because it felt new and fresh, I have to say from a writing and plotting point of view, this one is probably the best yet. It takes the story of Gwen in a new direction (in the first two books she’d been on the run from a psychotic ex-husband), with women in similar situations to her own reaching out to her and asking her for help.

One of these calls comes at just the right time as a camera crew arrives in Stillhouse Lake determined to dig up her past and that of her husbands. There isn’t a better time to get away, though there are probably better places that Wolfhunter River which is full of people who seem to want Gwen dead more than her ex-husband did. In the middle of all this, is a young girl that Gwen is determined to help. The question is, can she and keep her own family safe at the same time.

For the answer, you’ll need to read the book, which I can highly recommend if you’re a fan of crime fiction. It’s fast-paced, well written and has great characters that I – for one – connect with, even if they aren’t perfect.

Enjoyed this! But not so much the gory gruesome parts. That said, Rachel Caine is still one of my favorite authors.

This is the third book in a series so if you haven’t read the first two yet don’t read this review because there will be spoilers for the first two books! I obviously won’t spoil anything in this installment but just wanted to give you guys a heads up just in case.

After the way the last book ended I wasn’t sure exactly what would be next for Gina and her family, there was no big cliffhanger ending or a bunch of loose ends, which meant that this one could go in basically any direction. Well, I loved the direction that Caine went here, and while this had a slightly different feeling than the previous books, I still enjoyed it immensely. Gwen still finds herself and her kids in danger, maybe not as imminent as in the past, but being stalked and threatened by people online is no walk in the park. So while things aren’t quite as tense as usual, there is definitely still an element of danger lurking and that great tension that the author is so good at creating.

Per usual I won’t be diving too deep into plot details because it’s best for it to all unfold for you, but I was really pleased by how things ended and also the journey to get there. There is something exciting about the possibilities ahead for these characters that I’ve come to really like and care about that makes me super anxious to see play out in book four and yes, there will be a fourth book! So far it just has a title, Bitter Falls and no synopsis but who cares?! I’m in! I can totally recommend this series thus far, it’s fun, fast paced and entertaining and I can also vouch for the audiobooks, they’re excellent!

Wolfhunter River in three words: Entertaining, Fast and Exciting

This was the weakest of the three books for me. It was an okay story, but it is clearly a bridge between the first 2 books and a new storyline. Not as enjoyable as the others, but not bad

I'm not going to lie, when I read the description for this book, I wasn't as excited as I was for the last two. It's just not the same as a good cat-and-mouse-chase-type of a thriller. But, I was pleasantly surprised that I did actually quite enjoy this book just in a different way.

I did knock this one down to 4 stars instead of 5 because of this, but I think it does well in its' own way! I do like that this is more of a stand-alone (kinda) - meaning that it's not dragged on from the first two. *SPOILER* If we know the outcome from the second book, you'll know Melvin can't continue his reign completely (see the third book, lol) so I liked that we finally get to see the family in a different light.

I will say I didn't see the final twist coming. That's always nice. I read a lot of thrillers, so to have a book that surprises me fully is few and far between. I do recommend this book, but it just wasn't my fave in comparison to the first two. But, it definitely deserves its' spot with an above average rating from me.

NUMBER OF HEARTS: 3
Wolfhunter River is the third installment in the Stillhouse lake series. I would recommend reading these books in order as there is a lot of history that gets brought up in the books. I really enjoyed the first two books but this third book was a little slow for me. It wasn’t until about 3/4 of the way done that I felt the story picked up and was exciting. I am not sure if I will pick up the next book in this series. I will have to wait to see what the blurb is about and go from there.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley & Thomas & Mercer in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.