The Dead Lake (Detective Rebecca Ellis Book 3) by Robin Mahle
Publisher: Inkubator Books
General Fiction (Adult), Mystery & Thrillers
Published: June 25, 2023 Finished 7/12/23

The Dead Lake is the third book in the Detective Rebecca Ellis series by Robin Mahle. I have not read the previous books (but I will be!) and found this book can be enjoyed as a standalone mystery or as part of the series.
Wow, just Wow! This book was incredible! I thought the characters were interesting and the story was intense. I loved watching this story unravel, it was so intense!

I look forward to reading the other books in this series (thanks to Kindle Unlimited I can!). I have a feeling they will be totally binge-worthy!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. I highly recommend reading the other books in the series first. This was confusing at times because it focuses alot on the life of the MC that we would've learned about in the other books. The story was kinda blah to me. Didn't connect as much as I was hoping.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is book 3 of a series and I recommend reading books number 1 and 2 first to understand the relationships of the characters. This was a DNF for me for these reasons. I found myself confused and couldn’t get into it. #TheDeadLake #NetGalley

I ended up not finishing this book… mainly because I thought “the secret game” was stupid….can’t see kids doing this EVER! And couldn’t get the connection with the drug dealers and the big secret. So stopped.

Detective Rebecca Ellis Book 3

The bodies of two high school students are found floating in an icy lake, both showing signs that these were no accidental drownings. The school is the first place to start asking questions, but Bangor Police Detective Rebecca Ellis and her partner Detective Bryce Pelletier hit a wall of silence when they try talking to the victims' classmates. Then a cryptic post on social media helps Ellis uncover the truth about a dangerous Spring Break tradition and what the kids were really up to on that fateful night.

This is the first book in this series that I've read. It did read well as a standalone, but I would have preferred to have read the series from the beginning. Detective Rebecca Ellis is a complex character. Two high school students have been found dead floating in an icy lake. Rebecca Ellis and her team are called in to investigate. There's lots of suspects in this twist filled read. There's also an unrelated investigation that takes up a big chunk of this book.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #InkubatorBooks and the author #RobinMahle for my ARC of #TheDeaddLake inexchange for an honest review.

The suspenseful mystery thriller "The Dead Lake" by Robin Mahle will have readers on the edge of their seats. This novel offers a thrilling and fascinating reading experience because of its atmospheric atmosphere and intricate network of secrets. The finding of two bodies in an icy lake, which reveals that these deaths weren't an accident, serves as the story's focal point.

As Detective Ellis continues her investigation, she discovers a deadly Spring Break custom and the truth about what the students were doing on that fateful night thanks to a cryptic social media post that serves as a critical clue. When it is discovered that the victims were intimately engaged following recent breakups, the case takes an intriguing turn by raising the prospect of a vindictive ex. But as more suspects come forward, it becomes obvious that resentment is not the only factor at play. To find the heart of a cold-blooded killer, Detective Ellis must negotiate a perilous path as tensions rise and secrets start to come to light.

The small village where the narrative takes place is rendered in dramatic and ominous detail by the writing. Readers are drawn into the place and its unsettling secrets and unseen threats thanks to the excellent descriptions. The pace is kept steady, and there are plenty of surprises that will keep readers on their toes and anxious to get the truth about the tenacious heroine. Detective Ellis is an interesting and sympathetic character. She serves as a powerful anchor for the story because of her tenacity, intellect, and emotional complexity. The relationships between her and Detective Pelletier provide the investigating team character depth and comradery, which strengthens the reader's commitment to the narrative.

Although the novel has a satisfying mystery and an interesting plot, some readers could find some of the details to be predictable or commonplace in the genre. There are also instances where a deeper examination of specific characters' motivations might be helpful for the story. Fans of the genre won't be able to put "The Dead Lake" down. This novel is a riveting read with a suspenseful atmosphere, well-developed characters, and an exciting plot. As Detective Rebecca Ellis races against time to discover the truth behind the terrifying killings in "The Dead Lake," get ready to be completely immersed in the secrets and dangers that lurk beneath the surface of a small village.

I ran into this issue while reading Karin Slaughter - I hate picking up detective series and then their personal lives being a main focal point, especially if I need to read the previous books to understand it. There was too much focus on Becca/detectives lives. Also it's Bangor - I refuse to believe there are 4 detectives for a small town, I liked the premise but the motive was never clear and I highly doubt a high school ex would be that crazy that the detectives spent like 50% of the book focused on their exes. Also again, it's a small town and yet no one knows about the tradition or what a bunch of kids are doing in the woods?

"They were close, but close wasn't enough. Not when it came to murder"
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC as an exchange for an honest review.

The Dead Lake is the third book in Rebecca Ellis Series by Robin Mahle, where Detective Ellis and her team are investigating in a case about two teens found dead and floating in the icy Pushaw Lake.
Well this book was my first read in this series and I think it would be the last; to be honest I didn't like it that much to follow any upcoming parts. The plot was very slow and boring including many irrelevant incidents.I wasn't that much interested in the romance or the Death by Distribution case that McCallister ( one of the Detectives ) was investigating in.
Even though crime mystery is my favorite genre, I wasn't hooked to the crime in this book or even excited to know how the Detectives will solve the mystery.
Unfortunately this wasn't an enjoyable read for me.

What happened to Anthony and Carly....
There's a senior party and they have have a tradition 2 seniors go into the icy lake with their hands and feet bound together winner gets the money... During this senior party Anthony and his girlfriend Carly get picked she wins and they come out and get unbound... BUT what happened because both have been found dead in the lake...

Detectives ellis and pelletier start to investigate and come up with few people who could be potential suspects if this doesn't turn out to be an accidental drowning, As they question friends and look into previous senior who has made a suspicions post about them being sacrificed they find that there has been other supposed accidental drownings in the same lake but were thy accidental or did someone force them in....

Read to find out but you will be surprised last person thought it was..

there was a back story aswell between detectives Ellis and Mcallister but didnt realise this was 3rd book in detective ellis series havent read 1 and 2 so away to purchase and do that now

Book 3 in the Detective Rebecca Ellis series, Ellis and Detective Bryce Pelletier are assigned to investigate after the bodies of two high school seniors are found floating in a local lake. Both bodies show signs indicating the cause of death was not accidental drowning. The investigation uncovers a dangerous and secretive high school Spring Break tradition the victims participated in, resulting in Ellis and Pelletier being met with a wall of silence when they try talking to the victims’ classmates. Ellis discovers the victims were in a relationship, and the investigation reveals multiple possible suspects, including their exes. Ellis’ investigation into this case also uncovers more disturbing information about her estranged half-brother.

There is a secondary story in this book involving Ellis’ usual partner, Euan McAllister, who is partnered with Conner Blevin on a case involving street drugs.

The character development continues to evolve, and we learn more about the characters, including the love triangle involving Ellis, McAllister and Pelletier.

This series continues to be engaging and entertaining, and I look forward to reading the next installment. Thank you to Net Galley, author Robin Mahle and Inkubator Books for the opportunity to review the advance copy of this book.

An intriguing police procedural that will keep you guessing until the end. When the bodies of two teens are found floating face down in the lake, Detective Rebecca Ellis is called to the scene. Once she and her partner, Bryce Pelletier, identify the teens they learn that there had been a party at the lake the night before, but the students are not talking. They finally learn that there was a “game” played at the lake, but what kind of game and was it the game that cost the two teens their lives? Meanwhile Rebecca is still investigating how the person who tried to kill her father, retired Detective Hank Ellis, found out where he lived? Her love interest, Euan McCallister, is tracking down a drug dealer who is responsible for three deaths while bracing for the article that is to be printed about why he left Boston. Will he lose the trust of his fellow officers even though he was cleared of any wrong doing? As Rebecca and her partner move from suspect to suspect, will they finally track down the killer? I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

Robin Mahle (fav) returns following No Safe Place #1 and A Frozen Grave #2 with her popular Detective Rebecca Ellis series #3, THE DEAD LAKE (all five stars)—when a dangerous spring break game goes badly.

TWO BODIES. SPRING BREAK. BIG SECRETS. ONE DANGEROUS GAME.

Mahle reunites her most beloved characters—Det Rebecca Ellis, Det Euan McCallister, and Det. Connor Bevins and cameo appearances from past books —in a twisty new crime thriller with two cases that fans will devour.

It is Spring break for the Pinedale High School, and there is an annual spring break tradition around Pushaw Lake's campground—only a select few seniors are invited to this dangerous game of Sink or Swim. They are bound with rope. Everyone is very secretive and must not pass on anything that happens at this event.

The water is freezing in Bangor, Maine this time of the year, and a person could die in these temperatures. Keegan Mills, president of the student council, is the leader, and two names are drawn, one female and one male. There is a cash prize. Who can stay under the water longer? There are rules.

Carly Stone and Anthony Mitchell are selected. They both come out of the water, and Carly wins. Then later, the two are found dead. A drowning. This was not an accident. Carly was a brilliant student with a scholarship to Tulane. Anthony was her ex-boyfriend, but they were back together as a couple. He had been accepted to UCLA on a baseball scholarship. With their whole lives in front of them. Now dead. MURDER. They were both excellent swimmers.

Bangor Police Detective Rebecca Ellis and her partner, Detective Bryce Pelletier, are assigned to the case and are getting nowhere. No classmates are talking. With their recent behavior, Carly's ex-boyfriend, Theo, is a suspect, as well as Anthony's ex-girlfriend, Megan. Carly's best friend, Ainsley, is also a suspect, but she knows her better than anyone.

The case becomes complex and leads them to past senior classes who have been involved that are older—also, an IG post. In addition, the lake borders two cities, and they must work with that department to find out about other possible drownings in the past and if they are associated with this dangerous senior game, and then the groundskeeper at the park.

In the meantime, as we left off from the last book in the series, sparks are flying between Detective Rebecca Ellis and Detective Euan McCallister. (I love these two together) Now that they are on separate cases, she is paired with Detective Bryce Pelletier, who also romantically likes her, but she thinks of him as a friend.

McCallister is paired with Det. Connor Bevins (age 25) and they are working on a dangerous high-profile drug trafficking case. McCallister, Ellis, and Bevins worked on the last case, Connex investigation, in the last book.

McCallister's Boston past is front and center in the media (which he confessed to Ellis the last book), with the latest Boston Globe article returning it to the surface. This is causing him and the department trouble, even though he was cleared of all charges—then a tragedy occurs. His boss does not want Rebecca dragged into this due to her past.

Rebecca knows this drowning was not an accident. Were they drugged? She must dive keep to determine the real killer since he/she may be involved in past killings and future ones. The case is complex and dangerous with many red herrings surfacing with interviews of parents, classmates, exes, past graduating classes, and the campground staff. Rebecca is determined. What is the motive of the killer?

We also get to catch up with her dad, Hank (retired cop), with a cameo appearance, and even her drug-addicted stepbrother is connected to this case.

A dangerous and chilling crime and an unstoppable detective! What a great series! I hope this series continues, as these characters are too good to end. I want more Rebecca/Euan—it appears we may get into the dark past of Connor in the next book.

First, I was a bit worried when I saw the description that Det Rebecca Ellis was partnered with Det Bryce Pelletier instead of Det Euan McCallister (a big fan). However, never fear; we find Euan at 5% into the book and I could breathe easier. Their boss has them working on two separate cases. McCallister is partnered with Det. Connor Bevins, we met in the last book on a drug case attempting to get drug dealers off the street.

I respected Connor much more in this series; less cocky, and it seemed Euan was a good mentor for him. I liked that he came clean and opened up about his past with Euan in light of what Euan is going through and had his back.

I was delighted to see there are still sparks between the two Rebecca/Euan. I only recently discovered the multi-talented author Robin Mahle and was delighted to get in on the ground level with the start of this exciting series.

The author always delivers twisty heart-stopping suspense in this clever cop procedural crime thriller series with a cast of well-developed compelling characters, well-paced, crisp writing, and a razor-sharp leading character, Rebecca, you will root for.

For fans of Jane Casey's Maeve Kerrigan and Lisa Gardner's DD Warren series. I cannot wait to see what comes next! This series is a great place to start if you have not read this author. However, I recommend you start with #1. I read this one in one sitting, and unputdownable!

Thanks to Inkubator Books for a gifted ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: June 25, 2023
My Rating: 5 Stars
Series: Detective Rebecca Ellis
June 2023 Must-Read Books

I did enjoy reading the book. The characters interesting. The plot evolved slowly but with some suspense. I guess my rating is based on being disappointed overall. I suspect that is all down to me! My threshold for being shocked or surprised is rising all the time.

The author is clearly competent and created a book that was enjoyable - fair play there!

A high school tradition turns deadly during Spring Break. Two Seniors’ bodies are found in a still ice cold lake. Was it an accident or is something more going on? Bangor PD Detective Rebecca Ellis is on the case, and the students are definitely not talking.

With several possible suspects, it’s a twisty turn to figure out who exactly is behind the deaths. Will the wrong person be arrested?

It’s a good police procedural, but there’s also an unrelated investigation that takes up a lot of the storyline, and I felt like it was competing too much with the main plot.

Part of a series I haven’t read before, it still works mostly as a standalone, but reading the previous books would give the reader better background.

Solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2

I feel bad for giving such a low rating but I can't find anything positive about this book.

half of it was about an unrelated investigation, at first I read some of it in case it ended up related to the murder but nope we just needed to have useless insights on the MC's """love interest""".

the romance subplot was awwwful felt so forced and unnecessary. the guy was boring AND a cop who killed a kid with a fake gun. lots to think about🧎‍♀️

nothing about the murder was riveting or revolutionary or shocking enough to warrant a story about it.

after this read I'm losing faith in thrillers I really am

Robin Mahle did it again with the third book in the detective Rebecca Ellis series!!! I’m so hooked on this series and I can’t wait for there to be more I’ll definitely be waiting.
The Dead Lake by Robin Mahle is due to be published June 25th 2023 by Inkubater Books.

Two bodies. One Spring Break. And a school full of kids who won't talk. Detective Rebecca Ellis of Bangor Pd is now on the case with her partner Bryce. Will they be able to solve the case without arresting the wrong guy? You must read on to find out!

Great writing, great characters and great story overall. I absolutely am invested in the Rebecca and Mccallister relationship and can’t wait to find out more.

Thank you NetGalley, Robin Mahle and Inkubater Books for allowing me to read the ARC of Dead Lake.

The Dead Lake by Robin Mahle

Characters: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Pace: 5/5
Suspense: 5/5
Overall Enjoyment: 5/5

I am so happy that I got a chance to read and review this police procedural thriller. Although this is the third in the series, I have not read the others and decided to buy them to catch up. This can be read as a stand-alone though.

An icy lake reveals two bodies that are high school students, both showing multiple signs that their deaths were no accident. Bangor Police Detictive Rebecca Ellis and her partner interview students at the school where the two attended but no luck. No one wanted to talk. Then a post on social media shares a spring break tradition that in and of itself. Is very dangerous and serves as a critical clue. There are so many secrets and surprises that it captivates you and you have to keep going to see what happens. The two dead were romantically involved after recent break ups with others. Which causes the police to investigate their exes. Can they find the killer before it’s too late?

The author provides the reader with intrigue and suspense that grips the reader and ensures that you will not put it down. The descriptive nature of the authors writings take you to a place that will immediately enthrall and engross you. This one will keep you up at night trying to figure it out…..the ending… oh the ending is explosive. You will not expect this nor will you be able to predict it. Just wait….


Release date June 25 2023

Thank you to NetGalley as well as the author and publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.

This is my favorite series by this author. It's full of tension and surprises. I am invested in the characters. Becca and McCallister have me hooked! I didn't see the reveal coming. I read in one sitting. Couldn't put it down!

A new writer to me and I really enjoyed it. This is the third in a police series and I shall look into the other two. Two students are found dead in a lake, its no accident and the police need to find out what happened. Their classmates seem to be keeping secrets because of a tradition that happens at the same time every year.
Really good police drama with jealousy and intrigue

This is a really great read full of intrigue and excitement. The secrecy that surrounds the high school senior party at the lake really grips the reader's attention and ensures that no matter how many times you say "just one more chapter" there is no way you'll put the book down until you've read the last line. This is a great series with some really strong characters and it is such a pleasure to read about a main character who is not a maverick, continually fighting with her superiors. There is even a little bit of romance. So why have I only given it 4 stars? I know this is a series and that the books are being released quickly but I was left with too many unanswered questions. Admittedly these make me keenly anticipate the next book but they also left me frustrated. I can only hope Ms Mahle has the next in the series ready for publication
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book