From my blog: Always With a Book:

Kimberly Belle is an author that has been on my radar for quite some time. I've read and loved one of her books, The Marriage Lie, and have the rest of her books on my to-read list, but just have not gotten around to them. After reading this latest one, I am definitely going to be getting to them sooner rather than later.

Right from the start, I found myself pulled into this book. I loved that every time I thought I had this one figured out, a new twist would come out and I was left scratching my head trying to fit the pieces together yet again. And it was completely atmospheric, with the lake almost another character itself.

This story is not just about who killed the mystery woman, but also about secrets and the lengths people will go to keep them buried. It is filled with such deeply flawed characters, many of whom are not quite the most likeable, but you can't help but want to find out just what they are hiding, because you know they are not quite are true as they are wanting you to think they are.

I found myself glued to these pages, not sure who I could trust, but desperate to find out just what was going on here. I liked that the further into the book I got, the more sinister it became...it really is the perfect summer thriller to add to your summer reading list!

3.5 stars
Stranger in the Lake is one of those suspenseful stories with just enough twists to keep me guessing. Charlotte is an interesting character, and there were times my heart went out to her, but there were others when I felt like I didn't know enough about her. Even by the end, I felt like we needed more depth with Charlotte. I suppose that technically, this is a psychological thriller, but the pacing was a little too slow for my tastes. It's not so slow that I was bored - not by any means. It's just slower than I prefer in a psychological thriller. One area that I felt like Kimberly Belle really excelled on was the atmosphere. She certainly knows her stuff when setting a scene and giving the reader a feel for the atmosphere of the setting. All in all, the book in well written and it is an entertaining mystery.

Charlotte and her husband, Paul, live in a small lake town. But their marriage has caused gossip and rumors, when poor Charlotte, who grew up in a trailer park, marries the rich and older Paul. Then Charlotte discovers a body floating in the lake beside their house--in the exact spot where Paul's first wife died. Even worse, Charlotte saw Paul talking to the woman the day before, but he lied to the police about it. Then he disappears into the woods, leaving her to deal with the aftermath. As Charlotte begins digging into her husband's past, she starts wondering how much she can trust him.

"Something very bad has happened, right outside our door. Again."

This was an excellent and easy-to-read book with a compelling plot. I was drawn in by the story from the start and flew through the pages. Belle creates an atmospheric read, with the snow and lake basically appearing as extra characters. We find Charlotte (once "Charlie") pitted against her old best friend, Sam, who is on the police force and believes Paul killed his first wife. And we learn that Paul had a high school friendship with Micah, the son of the police chief, and Jax, who is now homeless and known as the town kook. It is Jax who asked to see Paul the day before the woman is found--and Jax who is lurking around Charlotte's house. Is he threatening her, or trying to warn her of something? And is there truly a chance that Paul killed his first wife? I loved how much this one kept me guessing.

What I found amazing is that Belle is able to take a familiar plot--a younger woman marrying an older guy with a past--and transform it into such a spellbinding thriller. What could come across as trite and stale is instead fascinating and intriguing. Charlotte is an easy-to-like protagonist who didn't seem to make dumb decisions. This can't be said of her husband, who was, frankly, an idiot. I had an inkling early about who might be responsible, but it did nothing to diminish my enjoyment of the story.

If you like your thrillers filled with secrets and lies, the power of family, and featuring a fascinating plot, this one is for you. 4+ stars.

Twice. That’s how often a woman has turned up dead in the lake behind his house. Once is bad. Twice is an emerging pattern.

Charlotte dismissed the many rumors floating around her small town about her husband’s possible involvement in the death of the first stranger in the lake. When the second body is discovered in the same spot as the first, those rumors become significantly more difficult to ignore.

Charlotte’s once firm foundations begin to crumble beneath her and everything she thought she knew about the man she loves is clouded with doubt.

I loved The Stranger in the Lake! The writing style had me hooked from the start, and kept me intrigued until the very end.

The overall direction of the story was somewhat predictable, but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the book as a whole. Plus, the frigid lake setting in the dead of winter was the perfect backdrop for such a chilling mystery and made me want to cozy up next to the fire in the middle of May.

The Stranger in the Lake felt like the perfect “intro-thriller” to me. If you’re thinking about easing your way into the world of mystery/crime thrillers, this is definitely one to try.

Thanks so much to Park Row Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, and for including me on this summer’s blog tour!

Charlotte is living with her new husband Paul in his lakeside house when she discovers a body in the lake, mirroring how his first wife’s body was found. As the story of the stranger in the lake unravels, so too does everything Charlotte thought she knew about her husband. I was hooked on this one from the start and binged it in just 24 hours. I loved the writing style and although I guessed some of the twists I was still taken aback by others. A really fantastic bingeworthy read!

If you follow me, you know I love a good, suspenseful read and I’m always particularly excited if I don’t “figure it all out” in the first half of the book! I did not figure this one out early and I enjoyed Ms. Belle’s writing, pacing, and plot-line.

Highly recommended for a fast, suspenseful read that is great for poolside!
Thank you for my review copy and for making part of the Harlequin blog tour!

Charlotte, a small town girl raised by an abusive, drug-addicted mother, marries Paul, the local millionaire. Instantly the talk of the town, Charlotte faces backlash for marrying the town's favorite It-Man, but helplessly in love, she tries not to let the gold-digging rumors bother her. She has more important things to worry about, like how Paul's previous wife mysteriously drowned and how more bodies are starting to rise to the pristine surface.

An immersive and mesmerizing slow-burn mystery, Stranger in the Lake has everything suspense readers are looking for in a great read: a protagonist you both love and root for; an atmospheric, lakeside setting; eerie vibes; and sinister motives. It's all beautifully wrapped up in a cleverly-plotted bow. I highly recommend this one!

Thank you to the publisher, Park Row, for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Gist

Two words: murder mystery! I’m weird in the sense that murder mysteries calm me down. When I have had a stressful day, I put on an episode of some murder show and I feel better. When I’m anxious and feeling on edge: murder mystery.

Here is the thing, though. It has been very hit and miss for me when it comes to murder mystery books. Some of them are so good, I clutch them until my knuckles turn white, refusing to let go. Others, well, it just wasn’t meant to be for the both of us.

<i>Stranger In The Lake</i> belongs to the second category, which is unfortunate, because it did not live up to the potential of its premise. It was atmospheric, but lacked that certain something to make it truly bone chilling.

The Details

The main character, also the narrator, had me confused. She was a woman in her late twenties, from a broken and poor family, and knew how to survive on her own.

Yet, she was immature and very self-absorbed. I kind of understood where she was coming from, but she kept repeating the same statements over and over. I began to lose my patience with her.

It was all about her. How she felt. What she thought. What she did or mostly did not do, because the majority of the narration was just that: a narration of her thoughts; there wasn’t much going on at all.

The secondary characters were just kind of there, hovering on the outskirts of the story, being annoyingly elusive and not very detailed.

Everyone was either dirt poor or incredibly successful and wealthy, but neither social classes were ever properly explored, because the reader was stuck reading the protagonist’s tenth rendition of how rich her husband is and how poor she still feels.

I get it. we all got it. Let’s move on the murder mystery part, please.

No such luck, though. The narration was stuck on her artful description of the slate grey skies and whatever else she would ramble on about. That’s exactly what most of the book felt like, rambling.

Once in a while we got to read tiny chapters that flashback to the year 1999, but they were so short and left more questions unanswered than before that I’m still not sure what the point of them were.

With that I’m coming to my next point: the plot. Yup, in theory, it was excellent. We got the murder mystery, the suspicion of a murderous husband, isolated house, secrets and an atmosphere that was to die for (in the murder mystery sense, of course).

Sadly, that’s where it came to a screeching halt. Nothing came together and the possibility of a slow-burn type of mystery turned into me asking the question of what the point of this story was more times than I’m willing to admit.

I wonder, if it would have worked a little better, had the point of view shifted between various characters and the flashback chapters been a little longer.

The Verdict

Overall, I love a good murder mystery story and if anyone is ever looking for a good show to put on, I have about a dozen to recommend. However, I’m still struggling to find interesting and captivating murder mystery books.

When it comes to <i>Stranger In The Lake</i>, I will give it extra credit for the atmosphere the author created, but the story itself just wasn’t for me.

I would probably suggest it for a slow-burn type of read.

STRANGER IN THE LAKE by Kimberly Belle is a suspense/thriller/mystery mash-up that kept me completely engrossed from start to finish. The majority of the story is told in the first person by the protagonist except for intermittent flashbacks that slowly reveal the mystery from the past that has been responsible for all the choices made by the other main characters into the present.

Charlotte “Charlie” grew up poor, raising her younger brother in a trailer park while their addicted mother continually abandoned them. While working as a gas station clerk, she falls in love with a wealthy widower, Paul Keller. Paul is the security and love she has always craved. She refuses to believe the rumors, but he has whispers that continually follow him. His first wife was found drowned in the lake that their property sits on while he was out jogging.

The suspicion increases when a young woman visiting Lake Crosby is found drowned on the lake exactly where his first wife was found four years previously. Paul lied to the police about talking to her the previous day and Charlotte covers for him, but suddenly the lies begin to multiply and Charlotte is even more suspicious of the stories her husband is telling her.

I loved how strong, determined and independent Charlotte “Charlie” was throughout the story. Even when in peril, she finds a way to help herself. Her whole journey she had dignity and morals that she was never willing to compromise. The intervals of the past where we learn of the families and friendships of Paul, Jax and Micah were compelling because you just knew that there was going to be a tragedy involved. Ms. Belle did an excellent job of smoothly intertwining the past and present throughout the story right up to the climax.

I can highly recommend this suspense/thriller/mystery mash-up. I will definitely be looking for more books by this new to me author.

It’s taken me a few days to write this review. I’m still not sure what I think (my process of picking a show on Netflix is similar). Did I enjoy it? Yes. But was I willing to fold laundry, empty the dishwasher and strip the bed linens instead of reading? Yes. It was good, but it didn’t suck me in. And I suspected the AH-HA moment fairly early on. ⁣
⁣
Charlotte was “raised” by a drug addicted mother in a trailer park.  So, when Paul Keller strolls into the gas station she works at and shows her some interest, she thinks she has it made in the shade.   Paul is handsome, smart, kind etc., BUT his first wife was found dead by the dock of their home a few years early.  People still whisper about Paul’s involvement, but Charlotte knows better.  She knows the real Paul and he would never hurt someone... and so she marries him.  ⁣
⁣
Charlotte’s unwavering support of her man is challenged when a second women’s body is found dead in the same spot as his first wife.  Paul denies knowing the victim, but Charlotte saw them chatting in town only a couple of days earlier.  Things are starting to smell fishy.  ⁣
⁣
As Charlotte starts to poke around, she begins to question everything she believed about her husband.  Is he her knight in shining armour who tragically lost his first wife or is he a master manipulator who has fooled her from the beginning? If he’s the latter, ol’ Charlie Girl is in a whole lot of hot water.  ⁣
⁣
Don’t get me wrong, this book had some twists and turns.  BUT, I want to love my book so much that it follows me wherever I go. I NEVER want to okay with trading reading time for chores.  ⁣
⁣
#thestrangerinthelake #kimberlybelle #netgalley #parkrowbooks #harlequinbooks #thriller #mystery #torontoreaders #sloane_reads #🇨🇦bookenablers #bookstagram #og🇨🇦bookenablers #bookreview #goodreads #bookstagramreviews #bookclub #bibliophile #bookrecs #canadareads #booksofinstagram  #newrelease #newbook #booksofig  #readersofinstagram #bookishlove #reading #bookworm

In Stranger in the Lake, Charlotte, who comes from nothing and grew up in a trailer, is expecting her first baby with her wealthy husband Paul and together they live in a beautiful home overlooking Lake Crosby. While Charlotte struggles with how she grew up, Paul has ghosts of his own, losing his first wife to a drowning incident- which left many people suspicious of Paul.
So when another woman's body is found in the lake in front of their home- rumors, speculation and accusations soar. At the height of suspicions is Paul and two friends from his teenage years, Jax and Micah- one now a homeless man and one a cop.
I was very much invested in the mystery but the flashbacks with Paul and his friends (which are connected to the story) left me a bit confused at times. However, the story was solid and I did not 100% guess the ending so that is a win in my book!
Thank you to the NetGalley, HarperCollins and the author for an E-ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

A new husband, Paul, a dead body in the lake, and Paul leaving on a hiking trip?

What should Charlotte think about all of this especially since she saw her husband talking to the dead woman yesterday, and he denies he knows her? And to top it all off, Paul tells her to lie to the police about where he went.

The body is in the same place that Paul's first wife was found four years ago.

Every time their neighbor, Micah, stops by Charlotte gets nervous because he is part of the police force. She is worried and angry at Paul because she might mess up and say something she shouldn’t. Why did he leave and make her deal with all of this alone?

There was a lot of gripping tension for Charlotte and for me as I read. I would have been pretty nervous about the lies, and I wondered why Paul asked her to lie if he had nothing to hide. What did Charlotte get herself into by marrying Paul?

The apprehension mounts as you turn the pages and find out the secrets everyone has been keeping for years in this town.

STRANGER IN THE LAKE is about more than the stranger in the lake. It is about the lengths people go to in order to keep themselves out of trouble.

Hang on to your hats - Ms. Belle has done it again!!

You won’t be able to put down this twisty, surprise-filled, keeping-you-guessing-until-the-end book.

ENJOY!! 5/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NETGALLEY in exchange for an honest review.

Charlie finally has the life she has always wanted. The perfect husband, a big house, money in the bank and a baby on the way. She grew up in less than ideal circumstances, so she is secure and happy despite all the rumors about her husband Paul.

One day Charlie is out at the dock and finds a body floating in the water. Surely this could not happen twice to Paul. His first wife was also found floating in the bay.
As clues become uncovered, everyone is a suspect. Charlie soon calls on her brother Chet to stay with her as Paul has gone off to find his friend Jax.

Paul, Jax and Micah were all friends growing up until an unfortunate incident forced the friends apart. Paul and Micah stayed close, but Jax became a recluse and he now seems to be the number one suspect in the case.

Things quickly heat up as more clues are uncovered and Charlie starts questioning her marriage and who is telling the truth. Who is she going to be safe with?

This was a very interesting book. I loved all the back stories and the character development. You begin questioning each character as the story unfolds. Just as you think you have it all figured out, another twist occurs, and you are left doubting once again. A definite page turner and a fabulous mystery. Thank you so much to the author Kimberly Belle, Harlequin and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book to review. It was fabulous! All opinions expressed for this review are unbiased and entirely my own.

After a brutal childhood, and years of living from paycheck to paycheck, Charlotte Keller is now living the dream. Paul Keller, millionaire, and owner of an architectural firm was smitten with Charlotte from the moment he saw her at her job as a cashier. He kept buying items, paying for them one at a time, just so he could continue to talk to her. After being a couple for less than a year, the girl from the wrong side of the tracks and the wealthy socialite marry. They are passionately in love and very happy. Well, except for his mother. And except for the fact that her old friends no longer speak to her, believing she just married for money. And except for the fact that she’s now pregnant with an unplanned baby…

Paul is over a decade older than Charlotte, and a widower. His first wife, Katherine, whom he was madly in love with, died tragically in a swimming accident four years ago. Meeting Charlotte has brought Paul back to life, and much to her delight and relief, he’s ecstatic about the upcoming baby. Then another woman is found dead in the lake, in the same spot where Katherine’s body was found. There were whispers when Katherine died that Paul was responsible, but it was ruled accidental. Two bodies found in the same place seems a bit hard to believe. As the police investigate, Paul tells them that he never saw this woman before. Yet, Charlotte saw him talking to her in town just yesterday. When Charlotte questions him, Paul puts her off, promising an explanation later, and disappears for a couple of days.

As the story unfolds, it’s told from two viewpoints – the present and twenty years ago. Back then, a teenaged Paul, along with his two best friends, Micah and Jax, embarked on what was to be a night of innocent fun and drinking. As often happens, things got off track, and a tragedy occurred, one which has ties to the latest dead woman found in the lake. One night of careless behavior leads to decades of far reaching consequences which not only involve the three boys, but an ever expanding web of victims and conspirators.

STRANGER IN THE LAKE is an intriguing and compelling read. I was hooked into the mystery right from the beginning, not able to stop reading until I had completed the book. Charlotte’s background has helped her to be a strong person, and a likeable and sympathetic heroine. I admire her ability to analyze and admit her mistakes, and to determinedly move forward from adversity. Paul is a combination of being a kind, loving man, but one who is somewhat weak in many ways. His intelligence in matters of business is not matched by some poor life decisions he made, greatly affecting his and Charlotte’s future. There are obvious suspects, but just as I thought I started to figure things out, there was another twist. The reality of what happened is truly a sad story, one that involves recklessness, betrayal, cover-ups, lies, deception, and, of course, murder. This well written page turner held me captive as I furiously zipped through the pages to discover the fate of those three boys today, and whether Charlotte’s and Paul’s marriage was able to withstand the impact of truth revealed.

Distrust Threatens to Destroy a Marriage

Charlotte or Charlie, a girl from the wrong side of the tracks, marries Paul, a millionaire architect. She was warned that Paul’s first wife drowned under mysterious circumstances, but Charlie’s in love. Things are going well, she even finds she’s pregnant to Paul’s delight, but then things begin to unravel.

Returning to their boat moored to the dock in front of their house, Charlie finds a woman’s body under the dock. It’s the same place they found Kate, Paul’s first wife. Charlie recognizes the woman as someone Paul was talking to when she picked him up in town. But when the police question them, he lies about knowing her. Then he disappears leaving Charlie to face the investigation alone.

This is an atmospheric novel. The lake on which the house sits is magnificent during the day, but at night it becomes dark and creepy. Charlie wonders if there’s something bad hidden under the water. The descriptions of the town and the area were well done. However, the story itself left something to be desired.

The pace was rather slow. At points the narrative dragged. I think the problem is that Charlie was left to carry too much of the action. Paul and his friends are rather stereotyped. They are held together by actions from their teen years and never seemed to get beyond that stage. Diana, Paul’s mother, is no fan of Charlie and a character you can love to hate.

If you enjoy atmospheric mysteries, you may enjoy this one.

I received this book from Harlequin for this review.

Charlotte’s life should be perfect. She’s married to a wealthy, loving man and she’s just discovered she’s pregnant. Her husband Paul is overjoyed to hear the news. They celebrate, go to bed… and the following morning, Charlotte wakes to an empty bed and the most horrifying possible surprise, a dead woman floating underneath their boat dock.

Secrets, lies and alibis: Charlotte wants to believe in Paul, but something doesn’t add up. Fiercely loyal, when the police start looking at her brother Chet for the murder, there’s no way Charlotte’s going to sit back quietly and let her brother take the fall, no matter what she discovers.

The suspense builds slowly, and it’s really never quite certain until the end who has done what, little pieces of the mystery being doled out sparingly. Though I had my suspicions, there was still enough doubt up until the end to keep things interesting. The problem I had was that things are just too slow. I liked Charlotte, felt a great deal of sympathy for her, especially as her tough upbringing was revealed, but I never really felt like we got to know the person she was now. We don’t know her likes and dislikes beyond the big things. She’s a cipher, one who sets herself up as judge of right and wrong, and we don’t see deep enough into her heart to know if she’s righteous enough to do that.

I enjoyed this but honestly, as a psychological thriller it’s just a little too slow. I’ll give it four stars.

Charlotte discovers a woman's body in the lake. It brings up questions about Charlotte's husband's first wife, who drowned in the same lake. It seems like an unfortunate coincidence, but Charlotte soon realizes the woman isn't really a stranger. Charlotte is no longer sure who she can trust, but she suspects the recent drowning was not an accident.

Alternating points of view tell the story in two timelines. The current timeline is from Charlotte, and deals with the drama in her marriage to Paul and the mysterious drowning of the stranger. The other point of view is Jax, a friend of Paul. Jax's story takes place in 1999, and involves Paul and their friend Micah. The men are still in contact with one another, and Charlotte is unsure about Jax.

A slow-burning psychological thriller. This one moved a little too slowly for me, but I enjoyed the twists. A good read for fans of Kimberly Belle and domestic thrillers.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Stranger in the Lake by Kimberly Belle

Synopsis: Charlotte married a wealthy widower, Paul, and it caused gossip in their small lakeside town. Everything begins to unravel when she discovers a young woman's body floating in the exact same place where Paul's first wife tragically drowned. At first it seems like a coincidence but Charlotte saw Paul talking to this stranger the day before. Charlotte begins to uncover mysteries about the man she married and doesn't know who to trust.

Review: I'm a big fan of Dear Wife and was so excited for this one. But, unfortunately it fell a little flat for me and this one wasn't for me - but, I can see how others would really enjoy this!

Things I liked: Fast paced, strong sibling relationship, twisty, atmospheric read, dual timelines that connected well

Things that didn't work for me:
I never felt invested in the story or characters, the plot dragged at some points, predictable ending

Carefully plotted and intricately woven this tale of long-buried secrets was a definite page-turner. Everybody loves a good Cinderella story, and the author wisely uses both Charlie’s background and current situation to explore how the grass isn’t always greener…and to be careful what you wish for because it’s not always the right thing. The overall plot was extremely well thought out, as was the mystery/investigation. Mostly I liked how the author spaced the clues and pertinent plot points evenly throughout the book. It’s tense, intelligent, and realistic. For a full review, please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks. Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for a digital ARC of the book.

Stranger in the Lake was a fast-paced, fun read. It drove the message home about the destruction that keeping secrets can cause. There was also a strong theme of family and how far they will go to protect and support each other.