Reviews

Bitter Falls by Rachel Caine

darkpsychereads's review against another edition

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4.0

4 Stars - Badass action thriller

Survival is our deepest instinct, and we must fight like hell to protect what or who we love.

If you're after some badass warrior momma energy, and a s*itstorm of action, look no further. Rachel Caine writes her characters so well that I often forgot the four differing perspectives (all family members) are written by one person. The main protagonist, Gwen Proctor, is constantly in a state of escaping her connection to her late husband's dark past, and outsmarting the onslaught of hatred received from strangers. Locking her house, filtering her violent hate mail, having back up plans and never ever letting her guard down. She has quick wits and can think her way out of almost any situation. All the while grappling the complexities of motherhood to two teens with struggles of their own as their lives take on more autonomy and unpredictability, and also savouring the little time she has with her new beloved partner.

The fourth in the Stillhouse Lake series, the story is rich with heartfelt emotion and nail-biting action; which coalesces with complex twists and unexpected turns after Gwen takes on a cold missing person case.. only to find a disturbing secret that now threatens her family. Once again, she must act, and invoke enough trust to risk everything to protect her family.

What I liked: I really liked all the main characters, surprisingly so as some are seemingly unlikeable. But man do they turn it up! Those kids are smart! Loved listening to each characters thoughts as they would puzzle their way out of a situation. Also, differing perspectives allow the reader to relate to different moral grounds which ties in with good reference to modern problems (eg. discussing how the internet "enables and organizes hate very effectively; it lets people believe they're righteous warriors for justice when in reality they're just clicking keys" ). Random mention of Estonia (my birth country and such a small little corner of the world..hah). And of course, last but not least, that I knew I could expect a horde of trouble !

What I struggled with: I think my enjoyment peaked at the first in the series, and I may have just been overexposed to the same dynamic but different enemies by the fourth instalment. I'm also more of a sucker for the psychological over the action thrillers - so keep that in mind. I also can't tell if it's a bit formulaic or if I've just read too many thrillers.. The story is all still very rich and complex, and it probably doesn't help that I read a book on a very similar topic not too long ago, so some of the behaviour that would have surprised me, didn't this time. I also think four perspectives probably suits a slightly shorter story, as having to constantly adjust between contexts and personalities and emotional extremity or lack of can be just that bit taxing.

Regardless, I was supporting Gwen & co. every step of the way and I could feel a solidarity during those hard-hitting decisions and emotions.

Bitter Falls is available in stores now !

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and Rachel Caine for this free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

andrea903's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense

4.0

casuallycolorado's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced

3.0

abi24's review against another edition

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fast-paced

3.75

tsquare345's review against another edition

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4.0

What a wild ride! So glad that Gwen, Sam, the kids, even V, all get a happy ending. I'm diving right into book 5!
Part of the Kindle Unlimited catalog.

devonalexandrah's review

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challenging dark hopeful tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

telercoi's review against another edition

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4.0

The tension in this book isn’t quite as high as those previous in the series, but the climax was awesome as ever and I’m always down to spend more time with these characters!

mfilipski's review against another edition

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5.0

I love this series! I finish one and immediately purchase the next! Great reads!

rmarcin's review against another edition

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5.0

Gwen has a job as a PI in the latest installment of this series. She is hired to find a young man, Remy Landry, who vanished 3 years ago. What Gwen uncovers is a cult, and the stakes are higher than she can imagine.
This book has a lot of tension, not only for the danger m, but also for the mindset of the cult. Cults are a frightening problem, and their brainwashing and subordination is truly scary.
While the ending scenes of the rescue are hard to believe, it was still exciting to read.
#BitterFalls #RachelCaine

zombimomi's review against another edition

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5.0

completely wonderful

I was absolutely thrilled with this book. The emotions were so raw and endearing despite dealing with such an ugly and real topic. Such a great book! I am never disappointed by a Rachel Caine series !!