Book Review: Killman Creek by Rachel Caine

Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons!

 What is the truth? What is a lie?

   To many Gina Royal was serial killer Melvin Royal's happy little helper. A husband and wife team that slaughtered innocent women for fun. But Melvin was put on Death Row. Gina was set free, leaving many convinced that the Wichita, Kansas housewife was just as much of a monster as her husband. But Gina was innocent, a fact that many chose to ignore as they hunted her and her children down. Some blamed her for the deaths of the women. While others in the world who relished torture and murder saw Melvin as their leader. Settling in Tennessee under new names, Gina Royal became Gwen Proctor. And her children became Lanny and Connor. They were happy on Stillhouse Lake until they had to fight for survival against a deadly cult of Melvin's followers. But that was to only be the first chapter in a nightmare that Gwen will have to face.

 
   Killman Creek is the second book in the Stillhouse Lake trilogy. It is written by Rachel Caine and is published by Thomas and Mercer Publishers, an Amazon.com imprint. The story picks up days after the events of Stillhouse Lake. Gwen and her children are once again running from Melvin Royal, who was revealed to have escaped prison at the end of book one. Gwen decides to leave Connor and Lanny with her allies Javier Esparza and Kezia Claremont, who are more than capable of protecting them, being ex-military and a detective respectively. With the help of Sam Cade, brother of one of Mel's victims, Gwen sets out to find more information that will lead her to her ex-husband. But the road to finding Melvin is paved with digital landmines set by her hacker rival, Absalom, that leave Gwen more devastated than she could ever have imagined.  New evidence arises that implicates Gwen in Melvin's crimes, sending Gwen on a rocket spiral downward. She begins losing the faith of those who believe in her, and soon Gwen is alone. Alone against the most dangerous man she has ever met. Can this new evidence be corroborated? Who is Absalom? What dangerous secret does Gwen's son, Connor, hold? And what horrors await Gwen at Killman Creek?  It’s a race against the clock to answer these questions.

  Rachel Caine has not lost any steam with this series. Presenting the second part in the form of four narratives, she delivers a winding story that puts her characters into constant peril. And Caine's narrative often tests our sanity, throwing us neck-deep into her characters' endless quicksand of danger. Just when you have solved a certain plot point, Caine casually tells you just how wrong you are. No one is safe from being a suspect in this thriller, which elevates the tension to higher heights. Killman Creek takes the suspense and jeopardy of the first novel and cranks it up to a boiling point. I often wondered just how much pain and suffering that these characters could take, and how evil Melvin Royal could get.

  I read this in part with the audiobook narrated by Emily-Sutton Smith (returning as Gwen), Lauren Ezzo (debuting as Lanny), Will Ropp (delivering Connor's story), and Dan John Miller (bringing Sam Cade to life). The foursome integrates seamlessly bringing the listener a very distinct and cohesive presentation. Even when I did not use the physical novel, I knew exactly which character was being represented. The narrators all did a wonderful job setting the pace of terror, thrills, and adventure. 

  I have to give Killman Creek five out of five stars. This novel was a terrifying journey that had me reading any chance I could get. Rachel Caine has definitely etched her name in the stone of suspense writers. And when book three, Wolfhunter River, arrives later this year, you can bet that I will not be answering any calls as I delve into this final chapter. If you have not read this series, please pick it up. You will not be disappointed.

Have fun reading this week. Let me know in the comments below what you are reading.

 
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  Because there is always time to read,
   Xepherus3 



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