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danaslitlist's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
This is a fast paced, rather predictable crime thriller that follows our main character Gwen and her two children as they try to settle down with new aliases in a small town while hiding from their past lives.
I finished this book in an afternoon so when I say this was a quick read, I mean it. I also mean when I say this was very predictable for me, I figured out who the bad guy was as soon as he was introduced to us. However I was still entertained enough to speed read it and that’s mainly because of the main character. Caine is a good writer and the book is well written. It doesn’t feel cheap even if it is predictable
This book also has a bit of a pacing problem where we get stuck in the monotony of the author detailing daily life. It would be a stretch to say that she was trying to show us how tiring that monotony is and I think it was just filler that could’ve been cut out.
The ending also endured an eye roll from me because this does not need to be a series and absolutely relies on the reader distancing themselves from reality to make certain plot points make sense. I won’t be reading any more of the series and I wish the author would’ve stopped while she was ahead.
(Spoilers under the cut explaining the plot point I have an issue with).
My original theory was that Graham was trying to get to something in the safe room and to do so was framing Gwen for murder due to convenience. Instead it’s revealed that he’s just a copy cat obsessed with her husband’s murders…which feels very cookie cutter. Which to me is worse than being predictable. It all ends with the news that said ex husband has escape prison in an attempt to entice the reader to continue the series.
I think the idea of the bad guy being a copycat killer just to impress the original is….dull and in this situation there were so many other reasons why Gwen could’ve been targeted to make the book more thrilling. A lot of reasons are given earlier are given in the book itself. So having Graham just be….a weaker version of her husband was a let down and ultimately removed all tension that had built up.
I mean I get that the husband has people who are helping him and one is helping from the inside the prison supposedly but he’s in a high security prison and on death row…..how the hell did he escape?? It just ridiculous.
At this point I feel like this is take a good concept and turning it into a soap opera crime novel.
If you’re looking for a fast read and a plot that feels reminiscent of an episode of Law and Order or Criminal Minds (though not that dark) I think you’d probably like this one.
I finished this book in an afternoon so when I say this was a quick read, I mean it. I also mean when I say this was very predictable for me, I figured out who the bad guy was as soon as he was introduced to us. However I was still entertained enough to speed read it and that’s mainly because of the main character. Caine is a good writer and the book is well written. It doesn’t feel cheap even if it is predictable
This book also has a bit of a pacing problem where we get stuck in the monotony of the author detailing daily life. It would be a stretch to say that she was trying to show us how tiring that monotony is and I think it was just filler that could’ve been cut out.
The ending also endured an eye roll from me because this does not need to be a series and absolutely relies on the reader distancing themselves from reality to make certain plot points make sense. I won’t be reading any more of the series and I wish the author would’ve stopped while she was ahead.
(Spoilers under the cut explaining the plot point I have an issue with).
My original theory was that Graham was trying to get to something in the safe room and to do so was framing Gwen for murder due to convenience. Instead it’s revealed that he’s just a copy cat obsessed with her husband’s murders…which feels very cookie cutter. Which to me is worse than being predictable. It all ends with the news that said ex husband has escape prison in an attempt to entice the reader to continue the series.
I think the idea of the bad guy being a copycat killer just to impress the original is….dull and in this situation there were so many other reasons why Gwen could’ve been targeted to make the book more thrilling. A lot of reasons are given earlier are given in the book itself. So having Graham just be….a weaker version of her husband was a let down and ultimately removed all tension that had built up.
I mean I get that the husband has people who are helping him and one is helping from the inside the prison supposedly but he’s in a high security prison and on death row…..how the hell did he escape?? It just ridiculous.
At this point I feel like this is take a good concept and turning it into a soap opera crime novel.
If you’re looking for a fast read and a plot that feels reminiscent of an episode of Law and Order or Criminal Minds (though not that dark) I think you’d probably like this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking, Murder, and Torture
dalmavatai's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This was disappointing - boring and repetitive until the end at which point it kind of devolves into an action movie with a reveal that I didn't predict only because I thought that it would be too obvious. The cliffhanger was kind of interesting though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Stalking, Torture, Violence, Blood, Body horror, Gun violence, and Murder
Moderate: Cannibalism
marleens's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
The atmosphere in this book was so tense that I had to stop reading every once in a while because it really got to me. Really well done! I loved the main character’s voice and really felt like I was inside her head. All her decisions made sense and I was as scared and paranoid as she was. You could say I guessed some twists but that was mostly because I didn’t trust anybody we met along the way, so of course some of those ‘this person is bad’ guesses were going to be correct… The last few chapters really made my heart race. I listened to this on audio and the audio was well done too. Definitely continuing this series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Rape, Gore, and Stalking
greatestheights's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
4.5 stars and PHEW what a ride. This was exactly the kind of thriller I've been craving — well-written, good character development, tension, and a satisfying conclusion. I immediately found the next book in the series and will be starting it immediately.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Stalking, Torture, Gaslighting, Murder, Racial slurs, Grief, and Misogyny
day_dreaming_vampire's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I liked this opener to the series. The characters felt real and there were many tense moments. Would have liked more of an explanation into why the culprit did what they did but I guess that will come from reading more of the series. I will definitely continue :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Torture, Stalking, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Murder, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Bullying, Car accident, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Cannibalism and Emotional abuse
hopelessromanticbookworm's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This is my first ever crime related book I have ever read and I have to say it is the best! It keeps you gripping from start to finish. It keeps you thinking of so many possibilities, making you wonder who the character can trust. Believe me, there was a couple of times I was wrong. I can’t wait to read the next book! 😍 x
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Hate crime
Minor: Death, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Torture, and Stalking
redstringraven's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, and Stalking
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Kidnapping
Minor: Misogyny, Torture, and Gore
mendthecat's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
So far I've only seen positive reviews for Stillhouse Lake, unfortunately I seem to be in the minority. There are two reasons:
- I've read this story before. As in, I've previosly read this one book (to be fair, I think it may have been published after this one, but I read it first, so...) where the main character (female) is taking care of her brother and has moved to this new place. There, she meets this guy who becomes her love interest. Some murdery thing happens, she becomes a suspect, etc. In Stillhouse Lake, our MC is also female and is now a single parent to two kids. They too change to a new place - stillhouse lake -, trying to escape people who threaten her and her family and want to make her pay for her husband's crimes. In this new place, she meets a guy, who also becomes a love interest. Even the endings have similarities, specifically
the kidnapping of someone close to the MCs . All in all, there were way too many plot resemblances for me to be able to enjoy this.
- As you can tell by the synopsys, there's a killer, who seems to be imitating our MC's husband crimes. Rachel Caine is not subtle about who it is since you can guess it from the first time they show up. I mean, it was pretty obvious from their first lines that they're up to something. As such, when the reveal time came I wasn't surprised. Some people don't necessarily need an unpredictable plot to appreciate a mystery/thriller, and I agree to a certain extent. But between this and the fact that I have read another book with an identical plot...
In sum, I was pretty disappointed, even though I would have, probably, enjoyed this book more if it wasn't for the fact that the story - plot and characters - are nothing new to me. It was, all things considered, too predictable and familiar.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Stalking
Minor: Kidnapping
coffeebreath27's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Stalking, Physical abuse, and Murder
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