Book Review Rewind: Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine
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Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons!
The works of Rachel Caine have kept readers happy for many years. From young adult to adult thriller, Caine has dazzled. Sadly, Rachel lost her battle with a devastating illness that she chronicled on her Twitter page. She was as brave as her heroines in her fight. And I feel that in keeping her fans on top of her own battles, she will always be remembered as a warrior. She will be missed by the literary community.
I began to read and review her Stillhouse Lake series in 2018. She read my reviews and even retweeted my review links. I had a few short conversations with her that I enjoyed. She was a kind woman with a passion for writing. That passion is on full display with this series of crime thrillers.
Flash forward four years and we find that Gina is now Gwen Proctor. Her children have also taken new names and are now Atlanta, fourteen, and Connor, eleven. They have relocated further south to Tennessee where they share a home in an old gated community on Stillhouse Lake. Long after the trial ended with her exhortation and her husband's incarceration, Gwen is on the run from Melvin’s internet followers who wish to do them harm. Having taken to learning self-defense and taking gun courses, Gwen is always planning for the day that either Mel or his crazy followers find her and her children. After some time life is good in their location and she may not feel completely safe, but at least she has found a home that she can call her own.
Atlanta is constantly acting out; having been old enough to understand what was going on with her father. She is growing tired of being in isolation and wishes for more freedom. But in a pinch, she is ready to aid in the defense of her mother and brother. Connor is kept to himself, only having a fraction of the truth as to what happened to his father. He knows that his mother uses her encrypted computer to survey the internet for dangerous internet trolls who wish them harm. He is willing to follow her orders, which helps Gwen, who sees the damage she is causing them by constantly running and changing names. Gwen wants a better life for her kids.
As their lives begin to show some semblance of order, a body is found in the lake outside of their home. Soon the police are on Gwen's doorstep, and her family is drawn into the investigation. The woman who was killed was dropped in the lake, weighted down...just like Melvin's victims. To make matters worse Gwen's real identity becomes public knowledge, sending the small Tennessee town into a frenzy. Death threats, vandalism, and a chilling message from Mel arrive in the aftermath as another woman is found dead in the lake outside Gwen's house. Now it is a desperate attempt for Gwen to weed out those who wish her family harm from those who truly wish to help. No one can be trusted, leaving the question: Has Mel escaped from custody to make Gwen his latest victim?
Stillhouse Lake is a tension-filled escape into the mind of a maniac, and a woman who will stop at nothing to protect her children. Rachel Caine has crafted a taut thriller that had me on edge trying to fit the pieces together. Her sharp and atmospheric writing shadows her characters in a dim and often terrifying light. I never felt that Gwen or any of the characters were safe from Melvin Royal and his influence. This all built up to a very satisfying ending to this novel, while setting the stage for the next book in the series.
Stillhouse Lake is written by Rachel Caine and is published by Thomas and Mercer Publishers, an Amazon.com imprint. In it, we are introduced to Gina Royal, a suburban housewife in Kansas that would never hurt a fly. Her family is her everything. Her husband, Mel, asks her never to go into the garage after he makes it into a workshop, of course, she does not enter. Then one day Gina returns to her neighborhood and discovers that her home has become a crime scene. A drunk driver with an SUV has plowed into her home, knocking into part of the garage. In her vehicle with her children at the time, Gina is stopped by police and arrested. Gina does not realize that her husband was actually a serial killer, and his "workshop" was the torture chamber he had created for his numerous victims.
Flash forward four years and we find that Gina is now Gwen Proctor. Her children have also taken new names and are now Atlanta, fourteen, and Connor, eleven. They have relocated further south to Tennessee where they share a home in an old gated community on Stillhouse Lake. Long after the trial ended with her exhortation and her husband's incarceration, Gwen is on the run from Melvin’s internet followers who wish to do them harm. Having taken to learning self-defense and taking gun courses, Gwen is always planning for the day that either Mel or his crazy followers find her and her children. After some time life is good in their location and she may not feel completely safe, but at least she has found a home that she can call her own.
Atlanta is constantly acting out; having been old enough to understand what was going on with her father. She is growing tired of being in isolation and wishes for more freedom. But in a pinch, she is ready to aid in the defense of her mother and brother. Connor is kept to himself, only having a fraction of the truth as to what happened to his father. He knows that his mother uses her encrypted computer to survey the internet for dangerous internet trolls who wish them harm. He is willing to follow her orders, which helps Gwen, who sees the damage she is causing them by constantly running and changing names. Gwen wants a better life for her kids.
As their lives begin to show some semblance of order, a body is found in the lake outside of their home. Soon the police are on Gwen's doorstep, and her family is drawn into the investigation. The woman who was killed was dropped in the lake, weighted down...just like Melvin's victims. To make matters worse Gwen's real identity becomes public knowledge, sending the small Tennessee town into a frenzy. Death threats, vandalism, and a chilling message from Mel arrive in the aftermath as another woman is found dead in the lake outside Gwen's house. Now it is a desperate attempt for Gwen to weed out those who wish her family harm from those who truly wish to help. No one can be trusted, leaving the question: Has Mel escaped from custody to make Gwen his latest victim?
Stillhouse Lake is a tension-filled escape into the mind of a maniac, and a woman who will stop at nothing to protect her children. Rachel Caine has crafted a taut thriller that had me on edge trying to fit the pieces together. Her sharp and atmospheric writing shadows her characters in a dim and often terrifying light. I never felt that Gwen or any of the characters were safe from Melvin Royal and his influence. This all built up to a very satisfying ending to this novel, while setting the stage for the next book in the series.
I read this in part with the audiobook narrated by Emily-Sutton Smith. The narrator did a wonderful job setting the pace of terror, thrills, and adventure. She was Gwen for the novel's duration and brought a new dimension to Caine's writing.
I gave Stillhouse Lake five stars. The creepy atmosphere and breathtaking moments of fear made this a book I will talk about for a long time. Also, check out Caine's playlist of songs that she used to inspire this story. The list is provided at the end of the book.
Have fun reading this week. Let me know in the comments below what you are reading.
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