Not having read the first 3 books in this series, but definitely a Gregg Olsen fan, I was eager to read this one and it did not disappoint me. Megan Carpenter was an interesting character to me. Olsen provided many insights into the horrors of her earlier life that helped explain what had shaped her as a person. I found Ronnie to be both more interesting and more intuitive as a detective. Bennie and Marlena stole my sympathy from the beginning. Ben wins the award for the most likely suspect. The star of the book was Sissy. What a force to be reckoned with!
The psychological scenarios surrounding most of these characters were the stars of the book for me. Olsen gave me just enough insight to begin to make predictions in my mind of what their actions were going to be and also to anticipate another’s reaction. Definitely a job well done Gregg Olsen! I will certainly read the next book in the series.
Many many thanks to Gregg Olsen, Bookouture, and NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to read an arc of this recently published book.

I always enjoy a Gregg Olsen book, but you could definitely follow along without having read any others. This is a thrilling read and one I recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Stillwater Island by Gregg Olsen.
Detective Megan Carpenter Book 4.
At 2 a.m. one icy winter morning, in the smart suburbs of Jefferson County, local father Ben Parker reports his wife Marlena and their little boy missing.
Rushing to the impressive family home, Detective Megan Carpenter finds the halls adorned with pictures of the beautiful, stay-at-home mom and their bright-eyed son. But that’s not all she finds…
A really enjoyable read. I loved the story and characters. 4*.

Marlena and little Bennie are missing. The number one suspect, Ben Parker, Marlena’s husband and Bennie’s dad. But no need to fear Detective Megan Carpenter is on the case. The more Megan digs the worse things look for Ben. Will Marlena and Bennie make it home or is it too late for them?

I have not read the other books in this series. I was able to follow along without a problem as Gregg Olsen did a great job explaining Megan’s past without it taking over the story. That being said, this is just your typical detective series. Full of drama and the main character has a very unrealistic background. Im also not really a big fan detective novels. If that’s your kind of read then you should definitely give this series a try. Wasn’t for me though.

A mundane Police procedural with a solid yet predictable plot, Stillwater Island is just a little better that the last instalment in the rocky existence of Detective Megan Carpenter. Gregg Olsen seems to be running on his name these days. When she first appeared with her tattered beginnings, Carpenter promised to be a stand-out operator.

I'm just not buying it anymore. Let's see more of this elusive boyfriend and less of the sooky brother Hadyn, who quite frankly, needs a slap about to wake him up.

Stillwater Island is the Fourth installment in author Gregg Olsen's Detective Megan Carpenter's series. When Marlena Parker and her 4-year-old son Bennie go missing, Jefferson County Police Department gets the call. With partner Ronnie Marsh, who is a woman who has shown the depths to her character and her abilities, has become like family for Megan. Especially since her brother Hayden hasn't exactly been open to forgiving her for what she did in the past.

Ben Parker is the husband and father of Marlena and Bennie. The husband is the one to call it in, but turns out the parents are separated and there's a history of domestic violence and accusations of cheating. I have heard of a whole lot of grumblings when it comes to Megan's laser focus on Ben being the villain of the story. In real life, the husband, or boyfriend of the missing area almost always considered primary suspects until the evidence proves other wise. To make matters more twisted, Sheriff Tony Gray, Megan's boss, is Marlena's uncle.

Ben's not especially a good person. Almost no one likes Ben, including his filthy rich father, who literally owns an entire island. When Ben's girlfriend turns up dead, the case against Ben grows even stronger. Who else would have the means and opportunity to pull of this sort of operation? One of the saddest parts of this story is that Bennie is an innocent, and he has asthma. To top things off, Megan finds out that Marlena is expecting another child and time is of the essence to find Marlena and Bennie before it's too late.

As police procedurals, nothing is what it seems, and it is an adventure to find out who has abducted a mother and her young son. Is Ben really the abductor, or has someone done a great job of setting him up? There are so many enjoyable twists and turns and interesting characters. They dynamics between Megan and Ronnie have grown leaps and bounds over the course of the past 3 installments. I am looking forward to knowing more about Hayden and his past since the author drops hints about what he was doing in the military.

*On a side note, the publisher changed the title of this book from Vanishing Point to Stillwater Island which makes zero sense. Literally no part of this book takes place anywhere near Stillwater Island.

Marlena and her little son Bennie go missing. First on the suspect’s list is her husband Ben. It’s great to see how Megan begins to slowly changing in her behavior and feelings. She no longer is the ice cold person she was in the beginning of the series. Ronnie is definitely making an impact on her. And, of course, I love to see her brother Hayden getting closer to her.

This is the 4th book in this series but it’s my first and also the first by this author and WOW!!
It started with a bang- with the first page being right there with the kidnapped victims and her son.

The storyline was great and I must admit I feel like I preferred Ronnie - Megan’s partner and up and coming detective protégée than Megan herself. Perhaps - and I’m only guessing here that I would be more empathetic to Megan if I had read the first 3 books but I think the author does a great job in giving us her back story succinctly here.

I felt the story got a little far fetched towards the end and lost its way. All in all a great read and I’m going to read the more by this author.

A big thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the ARC.

Wow, what a ride!
Marlena is a young mother married into one of the richest family in America. One night she disappeared and her estranged husband, Ben , is the one that makes the call of their disappearance.

As usual, the first suspect will be the husband especially after so many complaints and rumours that they were always fighting and never seem to be a happy family.

This fourth instalment in the Detective Megan Carpenter series is probably my favourite out of all. Mostly because we get so much closer to Megan and the wonderful character that the author has created here. She’s always driven to find the truth and finds time for herself as a normal person as well. I laughed so much at some interactions and I really enjoyed her way too work with her police colleagues and everyone around her.

It’s such a great, intriguing police procedural story with so many twists and turns that really kept me engaged until the final page.

Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy

Interesting but not really my cup of tea. Well written I just personally couldn’t get into the story. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I loved this suspenseful thriller. This is an author that I have loved reading from the first book I picked up of his. His writing style and attention to details make his story entertaining and engaging. I was pulled into the story from the beginning by the characters. They are relateable and kept me turning pages fast to the end. This is a well written story that has twists and turns that left me sitting on the edge of my seat just waiting to see what would happen next. This is a story that is full of action and hard to put down. Megan is a great character that makes the story for me, for sure. I enjoyed the growth of the plot as well as the characters throughout the story. I loved this book and I highly recommend it. This is a must read.

The Detective Megan Carpenter series is a police procedural that is always full of mystery. Stillwater Island is action packed with so much going on, you really need to think about where it may be going. And, even then you may not know or, guess correct.
As always, Megan takes you on a wild ride full of intrigue and suspenseful twists. Her unique sense of humor and quirky dialogue will make you smile.
I like Gregg Olsen’s writing style. His writing keeps you intrigued and engrossed throughout the book.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is not my favorite Megan Carpenter book. Going into the fourth book of the Det. Megan Carpenter series, I was expecting another interesting read.  Instead, the plot, not to mention Megan's character, felt inauthentic and contrived. The book starts with Megan and her partner Ronnie Marsh are called into a missing person investigation. The wife and son of a husband from a well-t-do family has reported them missing.  As Megan begins to investigate, she takes the most obvious suspect and focuses solely on him.  This is where the book becomes problematic.

Megan, and Ronnie, has been a great character to follow. Extremely understanding of human nature, Megan is able to combine that skill with her intelligence to see throw the red herrings and denials that various suspects in her investigations throw her way. For some reason, in this book Megan focuses solely on the most obvious suspect. To the point that she excludes all other explanations.  She also acts in bizarre and unprofessional ways in order to trap her suspect. Although in previous books Megan has skirted or even crossed unprofessional/illegal lines in her pursuit of justice, you always felt that there was a justification/reason for her actions.  And more importantly, that she struggled with the questions of : Is Justice more important than following the law? When is breaking the law justified? It's not until late in the book that she even considers that the case seems too easy. The final outcome of the mystery is a twist just for the sake of having a twist. (I really wish authors would stop doing this. Stop trying to be Gone Girl. Your twist should not appear out of nowhere without a trail throughout the book that would support the twist). 

While I love the character and world of Megan Carpenter, I was disappointed in this installment. Still this is a good addition to the series, but not one of my favorites.

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

3.5 Hearts This is the fourth in the series and a bit slower than the last three books. Megan is coming into her own and we are getting to know her partner, Ronnie.

The nice thing about this story is it felt true to life. Meaning Megan assumes it is the husband because of the history he and his wife had. It seems that is what happens sometimes especially when the neon arrows are pointing at the husband’s head.

I enjoyed the story except I wanted to speed it along.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Imagine waking up in darkness with your little boy not knowing where you are and how you got there.  It is damp and cold. Panic strikes and as a mother you step up to make sure your child isn't afraid, even though you're terrified.

Meanwhile, Sheriff Gray calls in Detective Megan Carpenter and her partner Ronnie to find a missing mother and son.  Sheriff Gray tells Meghan the woman is his niece Marlena and her son Bennie. So it's personal to him. 

Meghan and Ronnie question husband,  Ben. Does he know what really happened to his wife?  They find out about Ben's father who owns and lives on his own island.  Amd it seems Been has been having an affair.  Megan and Ronnie set off on the hunt for another killer before he or she strikes again.  You won't believe what happens!  Will they find Marlena and Bennie in time?

This is Book 4 in Gregg Olsen's latest psychological thriller called Stillwater Island.  Gregg's books always have that element of surprise at the end. 

Pick up your copy today!

Thank you to Bookouture for letting me take part in this tour. This is the 4th book in the series but all can be read as standalones.

Megan has grown so much since the first book. When we first met Megan she was very closed off and isolated. As the series has progressed she has opened up and let people in. Megan is still an excellent detective. She is very quick and incredibly smart. She picks up on the smallest thing.

I've loved seeing Ronnie grow too. Ronnie has really come into her own as the books have progressed. She has gone from a nervy trainee to a steely detective who everyone underestimates. I think she has a lot of potential.

This case was very tense. Cases that involve children are always harder, they just pull on the heartstrings a bit more. I was reading long into the night because I needed to know how this was all going to unfold. this case is very complex with a lot of layers. At first, it all seems relatively simple but as the case unfolds it's much more complicated than thought.

Gregg has done an excellent job if keeping me hooked for the whole book and I can't wait for the next one.

I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Stillwater Island by Gregg Olson
This is the fourth book in the Detective Megan Carpenter series but can be read as a stand alone.
Megan is called out to a missing persons Marlena Parker and her four year old son have disappeared. Marlena is separated from her husband Ben who has called the police in but is unsure when they left.
It is a good story but there are some holes in it and some parts just don’t add up.
Overall it is a good read but I have read many better.

This is the fourth book in the Detective Megan Carpenter series by Gregg Olsen.

Detective Megan Carpenter from Jefferson County Sheriff's Office is called to the home of Ben Parker when he reports the disappearances of his wife Marlena and little boy, Bennie. Upon arrival, she discovers two things; Marlena is pregnant, revealed by the prenatal vitamins in the bathroom; the Parkers are separated. Who is a young woman believed to be Ben’s secret girlfriend, discovered lifeless in a secluded wood? With Deputy Ronnie Marsh as her sidekick, Megan begins to unravel the clues that will lead them to the killer, the task a little less clear-cut and far more high-risk than she could ever have expected.

The characters are compelling as well as memorable and Megan is definitely someone to cheer for. Her character feels genuine, though flawed and I like her for her determination and gutsiness. The supporting characters are all well-rounded, their relationships very believable. Stillwater Island is a fast-paced, action-packed, page-turner and the tension is ratcheted up constantly in this race against time. Gregg Olsen's writing skill shines through as he deftly negotiates a guileful storyline around a beat the clock crime investigation. Although Stillwater Island is the fourth instalment in the series, it was easily read as a standalone. Full of little gems that refine a solid plot, the story grabbed me and held on till the very end. I am inspired to read the series opener, Snow Creek, as well as excitedly anticipating book five.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

This is another riveting police crime thriller
More of a mystery than a search for a killer.
It starts when a pregnant Mum and her son disappear
When her husband, Ben, reports it things aren't so clear.

After many loud rows, the couple are parted,
With rumours of affairs that have been started.
But now they want to know where are his wife and their son?
Megan Carpenter is determined to find them before she's done.

I really enjoyed the developing rapport
Between Megan and Ronnie as they explore
The families involved and what they all know
Who would benefit from making them go?

With a wealthy family and many clues,
And memories from her past that Megan wants to lose,
Can Megan find the Mum and son in time
And bring the perpetrator to justice for this crime?

It is another fascinating read
That crime thriller readers really need.
For my complementary copy of this book, I say thank you,
I throughly enjoyed reading it and this is my honest review.

Detective Megan Carpenter has kept her job despite a rather murky past. Often triggered by childhood memories, Megan still manages to fully invest herself into her latest case - that of missing mother Marlena and her little boy. Megan and her team were made aware of the disturbing situation by Marlena's husband Ben. Despite his apparently grave concern, per normal, he is the prime suspect until and if facts prove otherwise.

Megan is worried from the outset. For one thing, the child has asthma. Also, when going through their home, Megan spots prenatal vitamins. A sick child and a pregnant mother. Time is definitely of the essence.

The more Megan talks to Ben, the more she is sure of his guilt. How to prove it is another thing entirely. When it is discovered that Ben has not been living at home with is family, and in fact, has a girlfriend, Megan is even more sure of his guilt. Other disturbing facts start to be made clear along the way.

Stillwater Island is the exciting and equally thrilling fourth book in the Detective Megan Carpenter series. Megan is a complex character, and readers are often privy to her dark thoughts while she works her difficult cases. However, despite a rather difficult and impossible to forget past, Megan proves that she is worthy of being a detective and works hard at her job. I love her grit and her attitude. This book was definitely a page-turner and I was on tenterhooks from the very first page. I cannot wait for the next book in the series.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.