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.
EXTRACTGina never asked about the garage.
WHAT I THOUGHTI thought Stillhouse Lake was an excellent read, a top notch psychological thriller. I liked the concept, not something I've really come across in the thriller genre before. The book opens with a bang with the skinned body of a woman being found as a result of a drunk driver crashing into the side of a garage unleashing terrible dark secrets. I knew I had to read on when I read this corker of an opener. I liked the characters. Gwen has had to become tough to take care of her kids in the fallout from her husband's crimes and distance herself as much as possible from gullible, easily duped Gina Royal. I enjoyed the way the tension really builds in the novel from the moment the first body is found and Gwen struggles to hold onto the fragile life she's built. Stillhouse Lake is the definition of a page turner. What spoiled it for me was the cliff-hanger ending. I'm not opposed to them as long as they work and there are enough unknowns to make a second or third book work. This isn't the case with Stillhouse Lake. I felt the story concludes and there's no need to drag the plot out for a second book. If there will be one otherwise a cliff-hanger is pointless. Stillhouse Lake is good and recommended but I wasn't completely satisfied with the ending.
