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BOOK INFO
Title: Heartbreak Bay
Author: Rachel Caine
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Publish Date: March 9, 2021
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Series: Stillhouse Lake #5
My Rating: 4/5
BOOK BLURB
They’re hunting a killer so silent, so invisible, that his unspeakable crimes are the only proof he exists.
A car submerged in a remote pond. The bodies of two girls strapped into their seats. The mystery of their mother, vanished without a trace, leads Gwen Proctor and Kezia Claremont into dangerous territory.
On the surface, Gwen’s life is good—two children approaching adulthood, a committed partner, and a harrowing past dead and gone. But that past is attracting the attention of someone invisible…and unstoppable. Trouble’s just beginning. So is the body count in this backwoods Tennessee town.
As threats mount and Gwen’s hunted by an enemy who pulls all the strings, Kezia has her back. But working to solve these vicious and unreasonable crimes will expose them both to a killer they can’t for the life of them see coming.
MY REVIEW
Heartbreak Bay is the fifth and final book in the Stillhouse Lake series by Rachel Caine. Gwen Proctor and friends are back to solve more gruesome crimes. In this book, Gwen and Kezia work together to catch a serial killer.
While Heartbreak Bay is an exciting book, it does start more slowly than the previous books in this series. This story is told using multiple points of view – Gwen, Kezia, and Sam. Gwen is still the primary character, but it was nice to get more of Kezia in this book. The characters continue to be easy to root for and likable. The story is once again grim and twisted. While this isn’t my favorite book in the series, it was an excellent read. For readers who enjoy dark and suspenseful thrillers, I highly recommend this series. Definitely read them in order though.
The Stillhouse Lake series has been captivating and suspenseful. The author, Rachel Caine, passed away in November of 2020, so this is her last book. This has been one of my favorite series in recent years, and this final book was an emotional read. I had the pleasure meeting Rachel (Roxanne Longstreet Conrad) at a library event a few years ago. It was a delight to meet her and hear her talk about this series and other books she had written.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Books in the Stillhouse Lake series:
- Stillhouse Lake
- Killman Creek
- Wolfhunter River
- Bitter Falls
- Heartbreak Bay
- Trapper Road
So bittersweet to read this one and know that there will be no more. We like to think that authors we enjoy will be there to write many books for our enjoyment, but life has it’s own trajectory. I still have this one to read and will savour it as I read it this summer. Great review Darinda, thanks for letting me know it starts slow, so I won’t get impatient.
Hope you enjoy it, Carla! ?
It just breaks my heart knowing the author has passed. This is a wonderful series.
It really is a great series. She was an amazing writer. ?