One of the most terrifyingly realistic books I've read in a long time. I can't even try to imagine what the main character went through. I couldn't put the book down. I hope there's a second one. The ending was satisfyingly without closure, if that makes sense. It has left me wanting more while at the same time happy with the way it ended.
This was my Kindle First pick for June, and it is exactly what it claims to be - a psychological thriller. Gwen (or Gina) has moved her family several times trying to escape the people (and her husband-in prison) who want to hurt them. She's gone from naive wife of a serial killer to a gun toting, over-protective mother running for her life. The story is very realistic, you can feel their fear and worry for their safety. There are a lot of twists and turns- love the suspense- love the book.
Gina Royal, the stay-at-home mom to Lily and Brady and wife of Melvin, arrives home after picking the kids up from school to find that someone has drunkenly missed a curve and crashed into her house – into Melvin’s woodshop sanctuary, actually. When the police handcuff Gina, she is furious, after all, she didn’t cause the accident. She is then led to the workshop where the lifeless body of a woman hangs, having been brutally murdered by Melvin.
Gina knew nothing of Melvin’s crimes and gets an acquittal at her trial, but just because 12 people on a jury believed her doesn’t mean everyone else does. Stalkers constantly torment her with vicious and vile emails threatening her and her children’s lives so she goes on the run with her children using fake backstories and aliases for all three of them with the help of an anonymous computer whiz. She manages to keep them safe by discreetly moving them around, changing their identities and always keeping track of the stalkers or Sicko Patrol, as she calls it.
Four years after her acquittal Gina, who is now Gwen Proctor and her children Atlanta (Lanny) and Connor have grown tired of running and are living in Tennessee in an area called Stillhouse Lake. Finally feeling somewhat safe, Gwen buys a house that is beginning to feel like home for all of them. Even though encountering a few rough patches starting out, the kids are settling in and hope to stay, though Gwen is still trying to overcome the near-paralyzing fear that some of the stalkers will find them and act on their threats.
Realizing how much her kids have suffered both because of their father and because of all the moving and hiding, Gwen decides to stay. Both Lanny and Connor are starting to make friends and there are actually a couple of people Gwen has somewhat befriended, even though extremely cautiously and not fully trusting anyone, and she is feeling a bit more grounded.
After being at Stillhouse Lake for several months, the body of a young woman is found with wounds much like those inflicted by Melvin on his victims and Gwen is once again terrified that her true identity will come out and that she might be accused of the crime. But her alias and background are solid, so how would anyone ever find out? Unless someone she trusts betrays her and none of them know her secret either.
Gwen diligently tries to convince herself that they are safe, but she cannot shake the feeling that someone is watching her. And if they are, neither she nor her children are safe and there is no way she can protect them by herself and she knows there is no one she can trust with her secrets.
I heard about this book for a while from Lindsey @ Reading Between the Wines, the Criminally Good Book Club, Janel @ Keeper of the Pages, and Janelle @ She Reads with Cats (These are Instagram links and these folks are great resources for book suggestions!) and after I finally broke down and signed up for Kindle Unlimited (more on that later) and this was the first book that I checked out and read. And oh my goodness, am I glad that I did!
This book was really, really good! In fact, I have already pre-ordered the sequel, Killman Creek, due out December 12, 2017. Stillhouse Lake does have a few gruesome details that may not be for the faint of heart, but if you can gloss over those parts, or just get through them, this book is well-worth reading. There is the perfect amount of detail in what Gwen went through to keep them safe with the identity changes and moving, but not so much that it bogs down the story.
While this is a somewhat dark novel, it is so well-written that, even though I might have been biting my nails, it wasn’t scary as much as it was unsettling to think about the depravity of some serial killers and what they have done. However, it also made me think many times about the aftermath that the innocent family of a serial killer leaves behind and wonder if there are as many cruel and depraved people stalking them as this novel portrays. I am sorry to say that I believe that there probably are.
Considering that I started reading it one afternoon and stayed up until 2 a.m. reading and finished the next morning, I must say that this book was pretty unputdownable and I highly recommend it!
This book is hard for me to rate. It was very fast paced, but predictable, well written, but hokey at times, and loaded with contradictions and coincidences. The Prologue was an impressive opening filled with drama, intensity, interest, grisly shock value, and murder.
Then, paranoia strikes. Gina (soon to change her name to Gwen), the wife of Melvin the serial killer, is constantly moving, constantly changing identities for her and her kids, constantly trusting no one. I question what would be worse, confronting whomever she’s afraid of or living this life of looming, frightening doom. The author made such an attempt at anxiety and paranoia suspense that it got to be yada-yada-yada for me. No wonder her kids are messed up with their paranoid mother and her militant lifestyle. She had been a naïve mom, and now she’s GI Jane, albeit a frantically paranoid GI Jane. I, the reader, heard far too many times that she would do anything to protect her kids.
Some of this story wasn’t believable, like her never having been in her husband’s workshop/garage. Didn’t she or her kids ever wonder what Mel/dad was making/doing in his workshop all the time. Also, could she not figure out that the guy who was getting her all the new identities might – just might – know where she was and have something to do with passing that information along to devious characters.
Some of the writing is a little hokey, like Gwen going on and on about what an amazing cook Sam is. He made pancakes, for goodness sake, just pancakes. Gwen supposedly trusts no one easily, but here she is in their first visit, enjoying pancakes in Sam’s kitchen, comfortably cleaning up afterwards, hiring him to do home repairs, and then later having dinner with him in her kitchen. This contradicts that not-able-to-trust issue she has.
Gwen’s life was rife with dumb choices. One of them, for example, was in visiting her monster ex-husband in prison. Why in the world did she go to see Mel after years of not visiting. <shaking my head> What was she hoping to accomplish. And why would she take her phone with her into the prison, where she knew someone was helping Mel to get letters out, to make phone calls he wasn’t supposed to make, and to stay in touch with the outside world. Of course her phone would be available to anyone to obtain numbers and information.
I saw a lot of the developments coming. Regarding the bad guy: I think I was supposed to think Person-A is the bad guy and Person-B is the good guy, but of course that’s not the case. It actually was Person-C, just as I thought.
I suppose a lot of the loose ends will be tied up in the next book, like who were the bodies in the lake, what happened to the bad guy and many of the other characters. Sadly, I’ll never know.
The tempo and writing style was excellent and kept me wanting to continue reading. For this I easily give 5 stars. But there were too many flaws as I’ve cited above to give any more than 3 stars. I wish I could give it 3-1/2, but have decided on 4. There’s a lame cliffhanger in the last 100 words of the book. There was absolutely no need for this hokey ‘cliffhanger’. The author could have left this off in this book and just begin her next book with it.
Well, this wife of Melvin Royal packs up, takes her 2 kids, changes living locations like some people change clothes, and buys new identities. In short, the shamed and hounded family tries to escape those fanatics who are intent on tracking them down. They are constantly asking, "How could you NOT know?"
Melvin Royal (Mel) is on Death Row but Gina (now hiding in a house just outside of Norton, Tennnessee, at Stillhouse Lake) can't seem to ever feel safe. She, and her son and daughter, are hoping to be able to stay at this beautiful and peaceful place long enough for the kids to make some friends. Gina is now going by the name of Gwen Proctor -- she runs, she qualifies for a carry permit at the gun range, and she takes incredible precautions to make sure that she and the kids are off the radar and safe. But, she can't seem to stay hidden from the long reach of Mel who always manages to get to her despite the lengths she goes through. NO SPOILERS -- will Gwen finally find happiness here at Stillhouse Lake?
This was good storytelling from the point of view of the "other" victims of a mass murderer -- his family. Calls into question how she could possibly be blissfully unaware of his activities in the garage right next to their house. Gwen is a fighter and a fiercely protective mom, and her kids have grown up socially isolated because of their constant moves. They do their best to understand about their father, but they only knew him as "daddy" and not as "Monster." Fast-paced and lots of action, though there is some dithering and angst as Gwen's thoughts are often in the repeat mode. Gwen is emotionally tough after all she has been through, but struggles with self-esteem from the constant vigilance and not being able to trust herself or anyone else.
I'm lucky in that I have the second in the series to read immediately after the end of this one and I am looking forward to see where this plot is going next. Good drama and suspense!
Feature Product
Description
An Amazon Charts and USA Today bestseller.
Gina Royal is the definition of average—a shy Midwestern housewife with a happy marriage and two adorable children. But when a car accident reveals her husband’s secret life as a serial killer, she must remake herself as Gwen Proctor—the ultimate warrior mom.
With her ex now in prison, Gwen has finally found refuge in a new home on remote Stillhouse Lake. Though still the target of stalkers and Internet trolls who think she had something to do with her husband’s crimes, Gwen dares to think her kids can finally grow up in peace.
But just when she’s starting to feel at ease in her new identity, a body turns up in the lake—and threatening letters start arriving from an all-too-familiar address. Gwen Proctor must keep friends close and enemies at bay to avoid being exposed—or watch her kids fall victim to a killer who takes pleasure in tormenting her. One thing is certain: she’s learned how to fight evil. And she’ll never stop.
The Kindle First selections have been really good in the last few months and this book continues the trend. Stillhouse Lake is a suspenseful, quick read; a real page turner. I could not put the book down and read it in one setting.
Gina learned that her husband was a serial killer when a drunk driver crashed through their house into her husband’s locked workshop. She changed her name, moved (4 times) and learned how to shoot. Her kids changed their names as well. She lives in constant fear that her husband, currently locked up and awaiting the death penalty will somehow find her. No matter where she moves, and what identity she assumes, her husband always seems to somehow know where she is and threatens to kill her and take the kids.
Additionally, she worries about internet trolls who are convinced that she aided her husband, and want her and her kids to suffer and die. She knows that most of these people are just talk, but there are some psychos out there who really want to harm her and the kids.
There is a thrilling climax but the last several paragraphs introduce a whole new threat. I do not know if a sequel is planned, but would love to continue the story.
"Everyone runs from the monster. Everyone except the monster slayer..."
Yes!!! Our heroine is facing the unexpected consequences of her ex-husband's actions and they aren't pretty. In fact, they put her and her children at significant risk which means she is always in a proactive defense mode. Like she can't even breathe. She always has to stay one step ahead of any possible threat and her exhaustion is palpable. But her passion for her responsibility as a parent is even more tangible. I absolutely loved this book.
Stillhouse Lake was a super fast-paced thriller with a strong villain that is oh so easy to hate, characters who aren't who they say they are, a bad-@ss mother justified in her paranoia, a deadly mystery that puts this family in a spotlight they do not need... all of this culminating into a psychological/suspense/thriller/mystery that will knock your socks off. Beware, this story continues in the form of a series so while I feel there is enough closure for the main mystery of this particular book, there is a cliffhanger that perfectly sets up the next. In my opinion, Stillhouse Lake is excellent and I cannot wait to continue the story. Highly recommend.
My favorite quote:
"...a gun can’t protect you unless you protect yourself mentally, emotionally, and logically. It’s the punctuation at the end, not the paragraph."
Note: Rachel Caine's Stillhouse Lake series includes the following installments as of December 2017. Please note this series is an ongoing story and should be read in order.
#1-Stillhouse Lake (July 2017)
#2-Killman Creek (December 2017)
#3-Wolfhunter River (expected October 2018)
Best psychological thriller I have read this year! An exceptionally gifted writer tosses plot twists at you that you didn't seen coming. To make Gina Royal plausible, you have to read the book...would she do these things? Would she do anything and everything to protect her children? The premise of being married to a serial killer, a deeply pathological liar as well, seems hard to believe until you read this story. Excellent research went into creating a new identity for Gina, the trauma of moving from place to place, the inability to trust anyone, to be constantly paranoid and scared because your husband's twisted fans and followers are still out there, and worst of all, trolls and evil people not only hate you as an pre-ordained accomplice, ludicrious as it may be, they send you death threats and worse. There is no place you feel safe. Gwen Procter's new identity took a lot of work emotionally to grow into a stronger woman. Rachel's writing had me reading book long into the night, and it was the first thing I picked up in the morning, biting my nails, shaking in bed. She is a master at suspense!
WOW! STILLHOUSE LAKE by Rachel Caine is A riveting heart-pounding psychological thriller . . . My first book by the author and anxiously awaiting #2! What an incredible writer - an addictive, deliciously evil new series. I can see this playing out on Amazon Video.
Meet Gina Royal from Wichita, Kansas. Gina never asked about the garage. That thought would keep her awake every night for years. “I should have asked. Should have known. But she had never asked. She didn’t know. In the end, that was what destroyed her.
Her husband, Mel was charming. Their children Brady and Lily. That day, her husband called with an emergency. She needed to pick up the kids. Mel loved their family life. His second-favorite thing: wood-working in his shop. More than wood-working going down in the garage.
“Normal life. Comfortable life. Not perfect, of course. Nobody had a perfect marriage, did they? But Gina was satisfied at least most of the time.”
However, that day when she arrived home there were police cars, an ambulance, and a fire truck. Their mailbox. Their lawn. Their house. An SUV had crashed into their garage. (Mel’s workshop). Before she knew what was happening Detective Salazar was arresting her.
They were victims. Someone had crashed into their home. Why were the cops mistreating her in front of her own children? This had to be a mistake. Embarrassing. The neighbors were taking videos. They would be uploaded to the internet.
Handcuffs. This could not be happening. She could not understand why someone was driving drunk and now she is being arrested.
The garage. The cops wondered if she knew about the garage. She does not park in the garage. Her husband was going to be upset.
However, the detective wants her to explain the life-size naked doll hanging from a hook in the center of the garage. Except, it was not a doll. It was real.
The day her life changed forever. Her husband was a serial killer.
Fast forward four years later.
Gwen Proctor and her children are living at Stillhouse Lake in Tennessee. Since leaving Wichita, they have changed their identity four times. The weak creature she had left behind. One who had aided and abetted; however, unconsciously. That woman is long dead and she does not mourn her.
Her kids are now Connor and Atlanta (Lanny for short). She has tried to keep them safe from predators and all the hate mail. Their father was a monster. The “good” father with a mask.
If it had not been for the drunk driver, their lives would have gone on the same. It was her fault his true depth of evil had been finally unmasked. He had taken out a storage locker in the name of her long-dead brother. The journal. Each victim had a section.
From abduction, torture, murder. The man will kill again.
There had been a trial. All the women. Mel had infected her like a virus. Then there was the hacker which goes by the name of Absalom. But he helped with the false identities. Finding them safe havens. He controls the online harassment. Strictly business. She pays him.
Ugly, cruel things about her and her children online. Like they had known was a monster Mel was. She keeps a gun. She will not let anyone hurt her kids or her ever again. Alarms, computers, security systems, burner phones. Their lives are spent looking over their shoulders. She is committed to their survival.
Absalom communicates with them (computer guy). Her husband writes letters. There is a mailing address elsewhere. How does he know where she is?
He writes from prison. He describes what he will do to her if given the chance. He’s inventive. Descriptive. Repellently direct. Mel is a contagious, fatal disease.
People think she is guilty. His hobby. The garage. Little did she know what he was doing in the garage and what he was hiding. She knew he used bleach, but it was always a logical reason. She had believed every word.
Then there is a murder at Stillhouse Lake.
The rustic retreat. Upper-middle-class families. Second homes. A woman weighed down. The description sounds familiar to Mel’s victims. Does it have anything to do with Mel’s crimes? Murder practically at her front door?
She owes her children a stable upbringing and safety. From trading cars to houses, always on the move.
Mel had liked his stupid games. “Breath Play.” Cords around her neck. She hated it. She had seen something dark. She had refused. He had never choked her hard enough to pass out, but close. Little did she know while he was starving her for oxygen during sex, he was imagining his women in the garage, fighting the noose as he raised and lowered them off the ground.
He was using her to play out his murders. Chilling and sickening.
Now she had to protect her family with more than a gun. Mentally, emotionally, and logically. She cannot trust anyone. She must break the trail.
Sam Cade. He is new to town. He is supposed to do some work on the house. They both have secrets.
She has money that was Mel’s escape money. The inheritance from his parents’ estate; in the storage shed. It had been a year before she was acquitted. She had spent it on their safety, shelter, and identities before Stillhouse Lake. For their new life.
Slowly she learns to trust Sam Cade and her son likes him. Even Lanny (with her goth and edge). Her son wants to be an architect so he and Sam hit it off. She wants to fall for this guy, but she is cautious. However, does he have a hidden agenda?
Gina has a mailing service. Mel writes her. He has seen her and Sam at the lake house. How is this possible?
She must go to the prison and confront the monster.
From Javier, Sam, Absalom, Lance Graham, Detective Prester— whom can she trust? Enemy or ally?
“Mel is worse than a monster. He’s a smart monster. Mel disposed of women in the water. Now, one trusts her.
Another dead girl found floating in the lake.
People are learning about her past. She will be arrested and she will lose her kids. Her murdering ex-husband. Who is doing this? Who else is keeping secrets? Does Gwen (Gina) have a stalker?Has she fallen for a serial killer twice?
Now there are horrible words on their windows. A life she cannot escape. She has to fix it. But how. The safe room. Threats. Has Mel broken out of death row and someone made his way to Stillhouse Lake without a soul seeing him?
Someone has her kids. . . She needs help, but whom can she trust?
The suspense is riveting! Nerve-racking, heart-pounding! Does Mel have followers? (Mel reminds me of Joe Carroll - The Following - when watching I have to keep one eye closed)
Highly recommend the audiobook narrated by Emily Sutton-Smith (Narrator) for an outstanding and entertaining performance. I purchased the book and audio version.
I can see why STILLHOUSE LAKE has received rave reviews and included in the Goodreads Opening Round of Best Mystery and Thriller as well as climbing the Amazon charts.
So excited to receive an ARC of #2 Stillhouse Lake, Killman Creek (currently reading), coming Dec 12, 2017. For fans of psychological thrillers—compelling, well-written, and twisty plots. Love the covers and titles. With #2, we catch up with Gwen. Mel has escaped from prison with the warning: “You’re not safe anywhere now.” JDCMustReadBooks
I have never read a book by this author before. Quite frankly, I hadn't even heard of this author. I'm a Prime member and this was one of the "freebies" for June. I read the synopsis, it instantly had me intrigued. I figured I had nothing to lose, as it was "free" = (not counting the $99 annual membership fee for Prime). I am glad that I chose this book!
It was a really good book - the type of book that keeps you up until 2:30 a.m. "turning the pages" of my Kindle, fighting to stay awake because I HAD to finish the chapter, but then I had to keep reading because it (the chapter) had ended as a "cliff hanger." I will admit, I could very easily see this as a Lifetime Movie, which I am not sure is a good thing or not. The price is right. I do recommend it and I will be reading some more books by this author, for sure.
After thinking about this book for two days, yes I think that is another sign it was a good book, I am inclined to agree with the others that the ending felt a little rushed - it had a conclusion, but I am wondering if there will be a new story (if her new book that is set for release in 2018).
0 Komentar