Here's the thing about the Stillhouse Lake books: At some point, they should stop working. They should become ludicrous, downright preposterous. The fact that we are now five books deep and these things keep happening to Gwen should make readers roll their eyes and sigh.

But they don't.

They don't, because not only has Rachel Caine given us sufficient background and a believable reason for Gwen's misfortunes, but she has built these characters in such a way that you can't help but care for them, hope for them, turn page after page <i>praying</i> for the to make it through.

Heartbreak Bay does this as well as, if not better than, the rest of the books. Here, we see Gwen finally settling into life with Sam and her kids. For about a single page, everything is really wonderful for them, and it's beautiful to see.

Unfortunately, Gwen's past being what it is, things get tense fast, and we are immediately plunged into two problems - a case being worked by Gwen's detective best friend, Kezia, and her own dark past rearing its ugly head once again.

I loved that we got so much Kezia in this book. She is a strong Black woman living in the rural south, and she has so much presence. She deserved some POV chapters in a book, and I love her arc here. I also loved to see the growth of Lanie and Connor, who have come <i>so far</i> since the first book. And the relationship between Gwen and Sam remains one of my favorite things.

I was on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading this; even though I figured out a few of the twists early on, that didn't stop the tension from creeping through every page and into my bones. It was worth every harrowing moment.

I also want to say: I've been following Rachel Caine on twitter for some time, and her journey this year has been so hard to watch. The fact that she was able to write this book, and give it such life, while going through her own trials, speaks to her dedication to her craft, and to the strength of her character. Reading her note at the end left me in tears.

I pray this is not the end of Gwen Proctor's journey, but if it is, it's a hell of a send-off. The author has done so right by her, every step of the way.

Different feel in this installment of the series. Detective Kezia Claremont is called to scene that is almost to much for her take emotionally. Two little girls still strapped into their car seats drowned in the car that was put into a pond. Kez calls in Gwen to help her try and find the mother who wasn't with the car when found and to figure out what really happened. This time around the story switched equally between Gwen, Sam and Kez's POV which I really enjoyed.

Neither of them know that the actual killer they are hunting is tied to Gwen's past in a way. The killer is like no other they have come across and it almost to late for them both when they realize his diabolicalness.

Gwen has come such a long way from being the wife of a serial killer. Yes there are still those that think she is as guilty of the crimes as he was but for the most part she has moved on with her life. Now married to Sam and both her kids older and starting over in new town they are trying to live as normal of a life as they can.

This was a good mystery and suspenseful and if its the last book in the series a good ending point. I am heartbroken at the author's note at the end of the book for something personal she is going through and I wish her healing vibes. I hope this isnt the last we will see of you but know you have enriched many readers lives with your stories. I can see you now in the resilience of Gwen/Gina and hope you can prevail as she has.

I wavered so hard on whether to round my 4.5 up or down, that I might end up changing it by the end of the review. But once again, Rachel Caine has written a book that I really, really enjoyed; with some minor bumps in the road that didn't interfere too hard with having a great time.

All the books in the Stillhouse Lake series stand alone, but it's worth reading the whole series for context - and because, if this sounds like something you'd enjoy, there's not many series out there that are as well-considered and entertaining. The research is sound, the writing is good, and the tone manages to straddle the very narrow line between horrifying and life-affirming. This book also pulled up out of what was almost becoming a wallow in the last book; this time, the connection to Gwen's past felt much more organic, and there's a definite sense of moving forward from it.

There can be a tendancy for Rachel Caine's protagonists to make just terrible decisions in the name of protecting or saving the people they love. There's a bit of that here, as well as a reveal that fizzled. The book is strong enough to work without the big drama of a surprise revelation, but it felt like I was supposed to be more surprised; at the same time, it was telegraphed pretty clearly.

Overall though, this is a step up from the slight dip of the last book - I'm really looking forward to more in this series. Thanks too, to Netgalley and the publisher for a free review copy.

Heartbreak Bay by Rachel Caine is told from various points of view, which didn't distract from the story or my reading. The story is packed with action and has some good twists. The characters are solid. Even though this is book 5 in the Stillhouse Lake series, I did not feel that I missed too much by not reading the previous books. I felt the story was written well.

#HeartbreakBay #NetGalley

Saving space to return for review bc I acc accidentally put a different one here. So sorry!! I promise to return ASAP and edit it.

Rachel Caine's Heartbreak Bay is the latest addition to a series that has had me totally hooked since the first one. I have loved reading how her characters have grown from story to story. Wish I could given it 10 gold stars.

I was stunned and excited when I noticed Heartbreak Bay, the fifth book in the Stillhouse Lake series in the Read Now section of NetGalley. Although I already had several books lined up to read, I signed up for this one pronto as I am a recent convert to this series and Rachel Caine's books in particular, and couldn’t wait for this next installment.

For those who haven’t read any of these books, they are about Gwen Proctor FKA Gina Royal, unsuspecting wife of serial killer Melvin Royal. She has had a hard road proving she knew nothing of her ex-husband’s proclivities, and the first four books are full of her unpleasant experiences navigating the world taking care of herself and children. Please don’t mistake this very simplistic synopsis as dull as this series is nowhere near that; it is one of the best suspense-thriller series I have ever read. Gwen is a badass, and she never lets you down.

This fifth book did not disappoint and was full of mystery, intrigue, and spine-chilling suspense. I read through it so fast because it was so, so good, and then I was devastated because it was over. Rachel Caine is simply the queen of suspense. This one is narrated through multiple viewpoints, Gwen’s the main one, but her friend, Detective Kezia Claremont’s is second in importance. While this book was excellent, I am left almost bereft after reading the author’s note at the end. I won’t say any more; if you are a fan, you must read it yourself. I gave this book five fantastical stars, and dearly hope to read book six. Thank you so much, NetGalley and the publisher, for the opportunity to read this book. It was an honor.

It was a very twisted story.. it started off slow and I recommend that you read the other books in the series first. The reason is you will have a better understanding of history of the characters.

An absolute heart stopping thriller! This mystery is even more dark and dangerous that anything gwen has come across.