Slow to start with, but once you get past 30% or so, it goes rapid fire. I am ready for the next installment of the story by this great author

Killman Creek is the 2nd book in the Stillhouse Lake series. This is an amazing series so far! I'm kicking myself for putting it off for so long. Just like the first book, this is another heart-pounding, edge-of-your-seat, fast-paced psychological thriller. This book is a continuation from the first book so you must read the first book before reading this. But unlike the first book where Gina was being hunted, she is now the hunter. Great writing with believable characters that you can relate to. Can’t wait to start the next one.

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and Rachel Caine for an ARC of 'Killman Creek'.

I love Rachel Caine’s writing style. This is the second book in the Stillhouse Lake series. It was an enjoyable read and looking forward to reading the next in the series

I wish I would of read the first one because I would of probably enjoyed it a bit more but overall it was a good read and very well-written

With no surprise at all, Killman Creek was an incredible continuation of the Stillhouse Lake series! I can't wait to continue on and see what happens next with Gwen!

Great book, love this author and how they can keep my attention to the end! The plot is well developed, characters are believable and they obviously paid attention to detail to make the story worth your time to read.

Terrific tense thriller. Don't worry if you didn't read the first one- Caines gives you the backstory. You're going to root for Gwen. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

as always rachel caine knocks it out of the park with her series. it always is a quick page turner that makes you not want to put it down. I always recommend her books when people are in a slump and need something that they won't want to fall asleep they're so engaged.

Killman Creek was even better than Stillhouse Lake - which I didn't think was possible! It was creepier. The stakes were higher. And I absolutely loved the different points of view. It was a deeply disturbing read - but at the same time, it was very fulfilling. And I loved Gwen so much! The way she was always willing to give more than she had in reserve to keep the people she loved safe. She would sacrifice herself in order to make things right.

I flew through this book! One that I couldn’t put down even though I needed to do other things like laundry and dinner. It kept me on the edge of my seat. Wonderful mystery.

Killman Creek is the second novel in Rachel Caine’s Stillhouse Lake series and what a novel it is! I was shocked, hooked and amazed by Stillhouse Lake as a novel so could not wait to revisit the series since the first book ended on such a cliffhanger.



Book 2 starts where book 1 ended which is helpful and there are some recaps of the plot of the first book very early on which serves as a reminder if its been awhile since you read Stillhouse Lake and will help you get more background to the key parts of what went on in book 1 if you are starting the series with book 2.



Killman Creek catches up with Gina/ Gwen Royal and her kids Lily/ Atlanta “Lannie” and Brady/ Connor after Mel, husbmd and father committed some terrible atrocities at their house in Wichita, Kansas. After time fleeing, and with new identities, they find themselves at Killman Creek, another lakeside place they do not know how long they will be able to settle in for. Despite the shelter, it still feels temporary and everyone is feeling this, a longing for their lost home at Stillhouse Lake. This hits Lannie especially hard.



Gwen finds some solace and normality in Sam, a neighbour who also has a cabin on the lake. Sam gives Lannie and Connor some sense of peace too, but the threat and memories of Mel are never far away…..



Protection is in the form of policewoman Kezia and I thought she was professional and through in her work. At times, she seemed almost motherly to Lannie and Connor, especially when Gwen was in trouble.



Throughout the novel, Rachel Caine has such skill at maintaining the tension and the bond between Commor and Lannie and their mother although at times this is more fragile than others to create a thrill ride of a book that will shock you, make you feel sad, worried scared fearful and hopeful for the characters.



Be warned that there are some gory parts but they are dealt with with care to create an impression on the reader and the story is propelled forward. There’s always action at every turn and also someone to trust or doubt which really keeps the tension and suspense going.



A subplot is Sam’s relationship with Gwen and her kids which is a breath of fresh air at times and gets us away from the horrors of the past which was a part I felt was done very well, it was good to see that they did have some moments of normality. I did find myself wanting to see more development in this but as it’s not a romance novel, it was good to see Sam was a support. There was part of me that was going “will they won’t they?” as in get together. Maybe that will be something for book 3…….I really hope Gwen finds another partner, someone who was much much better than Mel.



The end of book 2 says calm and closure to me. But the Stillhouse Lake series so far has proved that things could go either way……

The book shows the lengths some people go to to escape from a period of hell in life but also shows how fragile life can he and that in the end family is important and while some family members



Thank you thank you thank you to Rachel Caine for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

I am looking forward to seeing how book 3 develops.



5 stars.

a good gripping crime book that has very brutal scenes and moments in it.

for me this second installment wasn’t as good as the first, mostly because the themes i enjoyed and found so gripping in the first one -how scary the internet can be, how it can be used against you and without your knowledge always be a way to were you are at any given moment- felt a bit recycled since they appeared yet again in this one.


i also did not appreciate how the kids behaved in this book.
at all!

they where not babies when their dad was discovered as a mass murderer! the youngest was 7 or 8! you remember from that age what happened and that your dad is a horrible person!
so i have a really hard time that a kid would really start to question if the dad is really that bad.
after living through bringen stalked and more or less chased out of places by crazy people wanting to kill your sibling and mother because of your dad and then that kid is supposed to suddenly be like “mhm... maybe it was all blown out of proportion! how bad can my dad be?”

that was just utterly stupid to me!!

i also didn’t like the yet again doubts against gwen were yet again raised with things that should have been cleared up and done with long before this book and even before the second half in the first book at the latest!
but still it was yet again brought up over and over again.

in a way i get what the author tries with this.
that people have a really hard time trusting you if your chosen partner is a bad person.

which for me is utterly stupid and makes absolutely no sense!
if you have nothing to do with something bad that is happening and don’t even know about it, you are not responsible!!
if you know about it and don’t do anything? you are responsible!
if you know about it and help in any way? you are responsible!
but if you don’t know anything?? how can it be your fault??

it just drives me a bit mad especially if it being kept brought up and i just want to shake and scream at everyone to stop being stupid!

so in one hand the author clearly manages to create a good amount of emotions with me, at the other hand not the best way to draw a reader in if they want to become violent with the characters?


overall this is a good enough crime book but not exactly a great one.

i hope the next one will be actually a different story and plot line instead of a recap of the first book again.

This is a thrilling, edge of your seat book. I really enjoyed the main character's strength, Gwen is a strong and capable woman doing what she must to protect her children. The characters are well drawn, vivid and unique. The story is thrillingly believable, the setting is incredible and as the plot unfolds, you find yourself fully immersed in this drama! I couldn't wait to get the third book of this series!

I didn't like it as much as the first book. All the main characters seemed to be making bad decisions from the handbook of what not to do when your husband/father is a serial killer. Obviously the mom and kids are stronger when they stick together but the entire story they were at odds because that's exactly what the bad guys wanted to happen.

I really liked the first book in the series but I loved this book! The plot twists and pacing kept me on the edge of my seat. I think the first book was longer than it needed to be. There was a lot of repetition and redundancy in the writing. This book, however, lacked the same repetitive feel and captured my attention completely. I'm looking forward to the next installment.

Killman Creek
(Stillhouse Lake #2)
by Rachel Caine

Kindle Edition, 333 pages
Published December 12th 2017 by Thomas & Mercer





Goodreads synopsis:
Every time Gwen closed her eyes, she saw him in her nightmares. Now her eyes are open, and he’s not going away.

Gwen Proctor won the battle to save her kids from her ex-husband, serial killer Melvin Royal, and his league of psychotic accomplices. But the war isn’t over. Not since Melvin broke out of prison. Not since she received a chilling text…

You’re not safe anywhere now.

Her refuge at Stillhouse Lake has become a trap. Gwen leaves her children in the protective custody of a fortified, well-armed neighbor. Now, with the help of Sam Cade, brother of one of Melvin’s victims, Gwen is going hunting. She’s learned how from one of the sickest killers alive.

But what she’s up against is beyond anything she feared—a sophisticated and savage mind game calculated to destroy her. As trust beyond her small circle of friends begins to vanish, Gwen has only fury and vengeance to believe in as she closes in on her prey. And sure as the night, one of them will die.


***

5 Stars

Have a box of kleenex handy when you dive into this book. You are going to need it.

Everything Gina/Gwen knows gets tested. Her kids get tested. It is so awful that you can’t take your eyes off of any second of it. It is a thrilling second book to the Stillhouse Lake series. If it is possible this is more unputdownable than the first.

All the characters are so real. You feel Javi’s uncertainty as a video about Gwen is revealed showing she helped Melvin. What thoughts must go through one’s mind when something like this is revealed. And that is only one of many revelations. This whole book is one constant OMG moment until the jolting conclusion.

Just a great book. Thrilling is a good world for it but even that seems to pale to what it truly is. Stellar. Awesome. Amazing. I can’t say enough good things.

On to book three. I am hooked.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

I received this ARC through Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Netgalley.com, to Thomas and Mercer, and to Rachel Caine for this amazing opportunity.

When Gwen finds out that her serial killer ex-husband has escaped from prison, the safety of Stillhouse Lake disappears completely. Gwen must leave to protect her children from this monster. But she's not going to hide. She's going hunting. With her kids in the safe hands of people that she trusts, Gwen and Sam Cade decide to end this forever. They are going to hunt down Melvin and take care of him themselves...no matter what.

This book was amazing and I'm starting book 3 immediately because I can't possibly wait. I was so frustrated and angry with Connor at some points in this story that I realized what amazing writing this is. Rachel Caine ramps up the suspense, the horror, the emotion, and the gore (just a bit) in this book. It's terrific and I highly recommend it!!

My Thoughts:
Earlier this month, I read Stillhouse Lake. I loved it. So far, it's one of my favorite books that I've read in 2019. As soon as I read that crazy cliffhanger ending, I knew I needed the next book immediately. After finishing Killman Creek, I really enjoyed it, although not as much as the first book.

Even though I enjoyed Killman Creek, there was just something missing from it that the first book had to keep me captivated throughout. It felt like the plot dragged in parts, and got repetitive and boring at times. There were times where I was listening to the audiobook, and I'd find myself tuning out because nothing was happening. It just wasn't as action packed. There were a few moments that shocked me, but it just didn't get get that emotional response from me that Stillhouse Lake did.

One thing I really did love about Killman Creek was that the reader also got sime additional point of views in this book, including the kids. I thought it was so interesting to get their side of the story, and finally see why they did the things they did. I especially loved Lanny's point of view. I loved a certain aspect of her story line, and I can't wait to see where the author takes that next. I thought it was also interesting to see from Sam's point of view. In the first book, I was kind of iffy about how I felt about him. Now, what he does makes much more sense to me. I loved seeing this different, protective side of him. I like him a lot better now.

Although Killman Creek wasn't as good as Stillhouse Lake, I still found myself enjoying the book. Killman Creek wrapped up in such a closed ending that I'm not sure where the author is going with the story line next. It should be interesting to see where Rachel Caine goes from here, and what trials and tribulations the characters go through next. I will definitely be reading Wolfhunter River, the third book in the series, as soon as it is released.

I give Killman Creek: 3.5/5.

Gwen Proctor and her children, are on the run. When her husband escaped from prison,she receives a message that has her running again. Her new identity has been leaked and she decides it is time to go on the offensive. With the help of Sam, she leaves her two children with two people she can trust and goes hunting Melvin. But Melvin isn't the only danger. Someone is playing a very intricate game designed to destroy her entire life and make those closest to her believe she is guilty. The big question is, Who is Absolom?

Killman Creek is the second book in the Stillhouse Lake series. The first book is excellent and ends in a cliff hanger, so I really wanted to find out what happened next. This story was different, it was told from various points of view (Gwen, Sam, Lanny, Connor and Sam Cade) and did not have the same suspense feel to it. I enjoyed the story, but not as much as the first in the series. Gwen's POV makes up the majority of the story, but you get to see how the people closest to her feel about the situation. I liked this difference as it helped develop the plot for me. I also listened to this book and the various voice actors used for each POV added to the enjoyment of the story. The story was well-paced, with the suspense building until the satisfying end. It was nice to have some closure regarding Melvin, he was such a terrible person. There were a lot of issues involving the kids and others who seemed to turn on Gwen during this story that were not really dealt with, but there were reasons about why they did what they did given in the story. I am looking forward to the next book in this series to see where the author is going to take this story. If you enjoy suspense, thrillers, some creepy characters and a strong female character, pick up the Stillhouse Lake series.

Gripping, intense & unputdownable!

This was an absolutely fabulous follow up to Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine!

This wasn’t my first reading experience with this author as I have read all of her Weather Warden Series. So when I seen that she had a thriller genre book out I quickly grabbed this one from NetGalley. I just knew that I had to read this book and oh my goodness I forgot how much I love this authors writing style. Although at the time I didn’t realize that it was a sequel so I purchased myself a copy of Stillhouse Lake right away but unfortunately didn’t read it right away. Well I absolutely don’t know what I was waiting for because these two books were absolutely gripping edge-of-your-seat thrill rides!

KILLMAN CREEK (Stillhouse Lake #2) by RACHEL CAINE is a dark, thrilling, and action-packed thriller that was quite the nerve-wracking and adrenaline-inducing read. This book was highly suspenseful and had my heart-pounding every step of the way. The tension was top-notch and didn’t let go once.

RACHEL CAINE has this quality of writing that I find so entertaining and appealing. She has this ability to totally immerse me into the plot, narrative of the story and into the care and well-being of all the characters involved. Whether that be that I’m rooting for them or that I’m hoping that justice will be served.

Although this story would work as a stand-alone, I think it would be that much more entertaining and enjoyable if you were to read Stillhouse Lake first. I never read series out of order though as I am definitely a reader that needs to have the background info from the previous books and the characters to fully enjoy the story.

I am so looking forward to receiving the third book in this series, Wolfhunter River and once I do there is no way it’s going to be sitting on my shelf for any length of time.

Cautionary Warning: There is some graphic scenes that might be a little disturbing to some readers.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Rachel Caine and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read a free, electronic ARC of this novel in exchange for a review.

Norma’s Stats:
Cover: Sinister, eerie, appealing and a fitting representation to storyline.
Title: Intriguing, suspenseful, scary and fitting.
Writing/Prose: Well-written, appealing, gripping, emotive and suspenseful. Love Rachel Caine’s writing style!
Plot: Thought-provoking, nerve-wracking, intense, suspenseful, action-packed, gripping, fast-paced, held my attention fully and highly entertaining.
Ending: Very pleasing and satisfying. Even though there wasn’t a cliffhanger per se there was definitely something that happened in the end that has me eagerly waiting to read, Wolfhunter River.
Overall: I was thoroughly entertained with the non-stop action right from the very beginning and could not put this book down. Would highly recommend!