I liked but didn’t love this book; I’ve really liked or loved all of Kimberly belle’s other books that I’ve read by her. It started off kind of slow and I didn’t really get invested in any of the storylines or characters. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for review.

3.5/5

This book just did not really capture my interest and seemed to have a pretty slow moving plot. There were not too many surprises in it and I was just generally disappointed in it. Perhaps I have read too many thrillers recently and I am now jaded, but this one never made my jaw drop and never made my pulse race. I certainly liked the premise, but the actually execution just left me wanting more. I sure do appreciate the access to this advanced copy, but it just was not for me.

A year ago, a gas station attendant named Charlotte met her knight in shining armor, Paul, a wealthy architect. Several years ago, Paul’s wife was found dead under the dock by his home. And now after only knowing Charlotte a year, they’re married and expecting their first child. But when another woman’s body is found in the same location as Paul’s first wife’s body was, Charlotte starts to question how well she truly knows her new husband.

Stranger in the Lake is Kimberly Belle’s latest mystery/thriller release. The title, cover and premise of this book intrigued me but compared to her previous releases, this one fell flat. Nothing in here shocked or surprised me. I wasn’t extremely gripped, even though it did read fairly quickly. The ending was kinda “meh” and too convenient for my liking. Not a bad book, just not this author’s best work. 3/5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley, Kimberly Belle and Park Row for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What if your new husband was from the genteel side of the tracks and you were were a gas station attendant; he grew up in privilege and your background was trailer park; he was eleven years older and very rich and you never aspired to much more than a steady job?

What if his first wife drowned under mysterious circumstances and many in the town believed that he may have been responsible?

Then if another young woman is discovered drowned under the dock of your magnificent house--how would you react and who would you trust?

Charlotte and Paul's marriage seems to be working despite the gossip about his first wife's death and Charlotte being designated a gold digger. But one lie opens up a number of lies and and secrets and questions about the past and the present.

I thought I had it worked out, and I was partly right, but there was another twist that I didn't expect.

Read in March. Review scheduled for May 31.

NetGalley/Harlequin
Mystery/Suspense. June 9, 2020. Print length: 352 pages.

Who doesn’t like a title that has “stranger” in it? Because I know that it’ll end up being an awesome novel. The characters were amazing and it definitely threw me for a loop at the end!

Thanks to NetGalley, author and publisher for letting me have a copy of this book to review. Charlotte grew up poor and marries Paul, an older rich man. Paul's previous wife died in a tragic accident but there are whispers of suspicion surrounding Paul. One night, Paul is nowhere to be found and then Charlotte sees him talking to a woman that she doesn't know. The next day, the same woman is found dead in their property. When police question the couple, they both deny ever seeing this woman before. Paul is hiding something, but so is Charlotte. This was an interesting and entertaining story.

This was alright. I can see it being a nice easy beach read for summer. I guess my problem was I didn’t really care about the characters and once the truth was revealed about the woman in the lake I didn’t really care about that either.

Stranger in the Lake is the second book by Kimberley Belle I’ve read, the first being The Marriage Lie. I really enjoyed that one and I’ve had Dear Wife on my tbr for some time now. When I read the synopsis for Stranger in the Lake on Netgalley, I knew I needed to read it!

Stranger in the Lake is a fun whodunit full of secrets, lies, and marital/familial drama. There are flashbacks scattered throughout that help paint a picture of the friendship between the three main men in the story. Our main character Charlotte “Charlie” is a likable character that I found myself rooting for and wanting things to work out in her favor.

Belle’s writing is smooth and captivating describing the lake side town of Lake Crosby. A lake known for its washed up bodies. The mystery behind who the “stranger” is and how she wound up there is a dark and convoluted story that I didn’t see coming. While I enjoyed the story, it wrapped up a little too nicely. That’s my only complaint. I like stories that end with a little more darkness. Totally a personal preference though.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one and recommend it if you’re looking for a quick whodunit mystery. The writing is easy to follow and the story unfolds at a good pace.

4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This novel follows married couple Charlotte and Paul. Charlotte and her younger brother grew up in poverty in a rough part of town. Years later, Charlotte meets the handsome and wealthy widower Paul, and despite the warnings of other in the community she falls in love with Paul and they get married. Charlotte and Paul are in love and are happy. One morning Charlotte walks down to their boat to retrieve something she had forgotten from the previous evening, only to find the body of a woman floating under their dock. Who is the woman in the water, and what happened to her?

Fingers are quickly pointed towards her husband Paul. Afterall, his previous wife was found drowned in the same spot some years before, But Paul was found innocent then, but is he innocent now? Determined to prove he is innocent, and determined to believe her husband's innocence, Paul and Charlotte are on a path to find out what truly happened that fateful day and to determine just who the stranger in the lake is found just outside their property.

What unfolds is an addictive, thrilling story that will have you guessing and second guessing just about everyone in this novel, and when the truth comes out it will rock you with revelations that you won't see coming!

This earns a very solid 3 stars from me. I enjoyed the setting, the build up, and the ending. I thought the plot was fine, but it felt like a lot of other thrillers. It was hard to feel any sympathy for the main character, Charlotte - there was a lot of telling and little showing. For example, we are told like 4-5 times that Charlotte wants security. Okay. We get it. But show us! I was disappointed with the character development because usually this author nails it. It was fine. Just not my favorite.

I had been anxiously awaiting Stranger in the Lake and I have to say I was not disappointed. Kimberly Belle did an amazing job with this book. It grabbed me from the very beginning and didn’t let up.

Thank you to NetGalley, Park Row and Kimberly Belle for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my review.

Secrets are like a slow-moving poison eating up everything in their wake. Charlotte has no idea how many secrets surround her, but when she discovers a drowned woman by her home she starts to realize her husband and friends haven’t exactly been honest. A great read that is very well written and entertaining!

Stranger in the Lake by Kimberley Belle Reviewed March 31, 2020 4 Stars
My first Kimberly Belle novel was “Dear Wife”, which I really liked it and gave it 4+ stars. I since have been looking forward to reading another novel by Ms. Belle.
I am a big psychological thriller fan. This one DID NOT disappoint.

Story is told in from the POV of Charlie aka Charlotte in present day but also Jax in June 1999.

Charlie grows up from wrong side of the tracks; her mother is trailer park trash.
Charlotte at 25 marries Paul 37, the richest man in town. People, of course, believe she married for his money but they have no idea why Paul would marry Charlie the gas station clerk.

Story starts off when a stranger washes up dead under the dock of Charlotte and Paul’s beautiful lake front home. Same spot where Paul’s first wife was found dead 4 years ago.

Story is clever with more than the usual twists and turns. Kept me guessing but before it all unraveled I did get my “Ah Ha” moment! But certainly didn’t figure out everything!!!

Want to thank NetGalley and Harlequin Press for this early release granted in exchange for an honest review. Publishing Release Date scheduled for June 9, 2020

This is an entirely atmospheric, suspenseful book. I was truly perplexed until a clue that gave it away for me. Others may be pleasantly surprised but I found it to be a bit too obvious. I enjoyed the slow unraveling of the story and sat in anticipation of what was going to happen once the truth was revealed. I enjoyed the big reveal, even more so afterwards when more twists presented. I had a hard time connecting with the characters but overall, this was a suspenseful read and I thoroughly enjoyed the setting details the author provided. It added a dark, chilling tone to the book that brought it to another level. 3.5⭐️ My thanks to the publisher for the advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

I was anticipating this book as I have enjoyed this author's previous novels. However, I found this book kind of uneven. The premise is good and the details are solid. A body washes up underneath a couple's dock. And this isn't the first time that a body has washed up there. The story moves along at kind of an uneven pace and the flashbacks were not used in a positive way, in my opinion.

I did like the ending. I think. Again, kind of murky. But I guess that's how a lake is. I will keep reading Ms. Belle's novels, Although I don't think this one is anywhere near the caliber of Dear Wife.. which I thought was brilliantly plotted.

Another great book by Kimberly Belle. I really enjoyed the mystery, especially how it wasn't told completely from a police investigation point of view. I've read alot of those lately so this was a nice change. I would have loved to hear a bit more about Charlie's life growing up in the trailer park, but really that could be a whole other book!
If you enjoy mysteries with a bit of an edge to them then you'll enjoy this one!

Amazing read! I read this one in less than a day, it was THAT good! Twists and turns abound along with mystery and murder. Kimberly Belle has done it again, you won’t be disappointed.

This was the first Kimberly Belle novel I’ve read and wow! She knocked it out of the park!! I couldn’t put it down! I love when I’m reading a murder mystery and I can’t figure it out. Highly recommend this book!

Kimberly Belle does it again! The twists and turns in this novel keep getting better and better. This rivals The Marriage Lie and Dear Wife as her best work yet!

This is the first book I've read by Kimberly Belle and I enjoyed it very much. Stranger in the Lake has a brilliant story line with exciting twists and turns that lead to a wonderful ending. I am very interested in reading more from this author.