Member Reviews
Calling all those readers who love thrillers, tense drama, family love, and chills down your spine. This was a book that had it all. The action, the motivation, the characters kept pushing themselves forth in your mind until you felt exactly what it was they were feeling and doing. While you may think that this could never happen, just remember too that " A psychopath is born every 47 seconds.” (Kent A. Kiehl)
Gwen was married to a killer, a psychopath, a father to her children,, and a man who has just escaped from prison. Gwen knows she and her family are his target and she also knows that she will do everything she can to keep the monster her husband is away from all who are loved by her. However, Melvin Royal, her ex husband, the serial killer of nightmares, is hell bent on finding her and extracting his hours of macabre pleasure from her demise. Melvin has a following and yes, here shades of that TV series, The Following, will definitely come to mind. He has what seems likes limitless resources to accomplish his goal. Will success be his? Will he find Gwen or will she and her friend Sam, find him? Will what Gwen and Sam uncover ever be put to right? Will they and her family ever be right again?
The action never lets up in this novel. There is never a dull moment as we see Gwen's bravery, toughness, and family love come to the forefront as she eventually confronts the demon that is her ex husband. For those who love novels that keep the pages turning, mind game playing, and the midnight oil burning this is certainly a book for you. It was quite a harrowing experience!
Thanks to Rachel Cain, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Gwen/Gina Royal has been on the run with her 2 children since her ex-husband escaped from death row. Melvin Royal is a psychopath who gets pleasure out of torturing and murdering women. He has terrorized Gwen even from behind prison bars. Gwen is tired of running.
This book is full of suspense that will have you hanging on every word. There are some really diabolical characters in this book. I’m not sure I’d want to meet the author on a dark lonely street after dark, lol. This is one of the best psychological thrillers I’ve read I quite awhile. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.
I was a huge fan of Stillhouse Lake and have been recommending it as my top suspense read this year! Now, thanks to Netgalley, I was able to read her upcoming sequel!
Gina’s serial killer ex-husband has escaped from prison and back on the trail to hunt her down. This time, she is determined to become the predator in his game and find him before he finds her or their children. He has his entourage to help him. While her children are in hiding, she is accompanied by Sam, who happens to be a brother of one of her ex’s victims. Both have an agenda of murder, so the game of cat and mouse is on with full force. Will his plans to break her down succeed, or has she learned enough from him to outwit him at his own game?
I love Rachel Caine’s writing! There is just something about it that sucks me in and keeps me reading! I enjoyed Killman Creek just as much as Stillhouse Lake! Both novels in this series read like an intense episode of Criminal Minds or The Following! I hope that she continues to write suspense novels, as I’ll be the first to read any that she publishes!
4.5/5 stars
Killman Creek is the sequel (and seemingly the conclusion) to Stillhouse Lake.
This book is a mystery/thriller.
In the first book the mystery was solved. However there was another part of the story that was left open. And Stillhouse Lake ended with a bang. So I absolutely could not wait to get my hands on Killman Creek.
The author does recap what happened in book one. However it is very clear that before reading Killman Creek that you are supposed to read Stillhouse Lake. The story is one big story divided into two books. And I would strongly recommend reading Stillhouse Lake first so that you can follow the story.
This book has four first person narrators: Gwen, Sam (Gwen's friend/neighbor/love interest), Lanny (Gwen's daughter) and Connor (Gwen's son).
This book was much more haunting and chilling than the first book. This book was a real thriller. I was on the edge of my seat for the entire book.
Killman Creek was so creepy. I could not wait to see what would happen and how the story would end.
In Stillhouse Lake we only got Gwen's POV. But the different POVs in Killman Creek were interesting. With the narrators being separated from each other at various points of the story this made it possible for the reader to find out what was happening at each location.
In this book various people were hunting various other people. So it made the story that much scarier.
Overall this was an exciting and riveting book. The story was full of suspense and the mystery was very strong. If you are looking for a good thriller this two book series is fantastic. I really enjoyed this series!
Wow! I was on edge anticipating the release of Rachel Kane's most recent book, Killman's Creek, but I must say the scenes in this book were so tense, emotional, frightening, and sometimes disgusting, that at times it was difficult to keep reading. I had to stop many times and take a break, go do something else and come back to the book later. Don't get me wrong, the book was very good. I was pleased that there was no cliffhanger at the end, no waiting to resolve things in another edition, but the violence was very visual and horrific, and that was hard to take without a bit of squirming. I love that Gwen/Gina remained a tough, determined, smart survivor throughout, even when faced with the worst possible situations. Thank you for a satisfying end to the evil of her ex husband and even a flavor of a happy ending for all at the conclusion.
Enjoyed the continuing story of this family. Dark and disturbing. ,fast paced and thoroughly enjoyable.
Things have gone from bad to worse for Gina and Co and it doesn't look as though life is going to get any easier for her and her children any time soon. Melvin Royal, the sadistic serial killer, is still on the loose but maybe he is not the worst of it...
Yes, this book is extremely far-fetched and totally unbelievable but who cares when the story is so engrossing and addictive? Not me. Highly recommended.
Killman Creek was one of my most anticipated releases of the winter. The end of Stillhouse Lake promised the mystery and suspense would go on. I couldn't wait to find out what was next for Gwen, her children, Sam and Melvin.
Tension ran high in Killman Creek. I was constantly on the edge of my seat, and slightly uncomfortable the entire time waiting for something horrible to happen. I feared for all of the characters. My fears didn't stop me from reading this gem of a thriller, though. I couldn't put Killman Creek down. It was just as fast paced as Stillhouse Lake, but the stakes were higher. Rachel Caine kept the twists and turns coming right up until the very end.
One of my favorite things about Killman Creek was how the relationships between the characters were constantly changing. No one was ever one hundred percent sure about anyone. The relationships really helped drive the story, especially the slightly awkward relationship between Sam and Gwen.
Killman Creek was the perfect follow-up, and a stand out thriller all on its own. I absolutely loved it. If you loved Stillhouse Lake, this book will exceed your expectations. Be ready for some surprises!
Great followup to Stillhouse Lake! I received Stillhouse Lake as a Kindle free book and I enjoyed the book so much I immediately looked to see what else Rachel Caine wrote. I saw she was writing a sequel to the book and couldn't wait to get my hands on it! Stillhouse Lake had lots of twists and the plot moved along at a quick pace. I feel this sequel is a bit redundant. It didn't stop me from reading it in two days but I found myself wishing the story line would move along. I got a bit tired of reading about how much Gwen, the main character, would move mountains to save her children. I did enjoy the book and if you enjoy a page turner then I don''t think you'll be disappointed by this series.
I thought it was clever of the author to name the serial killer "Melvin". It just doesn't seem to be a name associated with a evil guy. So, you just never know what is behind name. Not a bad story. It was a gritty and dark, and you always felt this fear of being watched from the shadows by the secret organization helping the killer. I felt sorry for the kids having to sacrifice so much and to feel abandoned by their mom as she hunted down their dad to give them a good safe life. The book definitely was able to show the story from everyone's viewpoint, which was enjoyable.
Excellent and fast-paced, this is a worthy sequel to Stillhouse Lake. A great gift for the thriller-lover in your life.
Pub date: Dec 2017
A great conclusion to this duology! This thriller never lets up, as Gwen, Sam, and her kids deal with her murderous ex-husband and a mysterious evil network helping him. Great edge of your seat, armchair anxiety that gets your blood pumping and you racing to the end to figure out how it'll end. Recommended for those non-squeamish thriller readers.
4.5 stars - I really enjoyed Stillhouse Lake so I had high hopes for this sequel. Sequels can definitely go either way and I personally felt this one was great. For those who liked Stillhouse Lake I would highly recommend reading this continuation of the story! Even though I technically would give both books in the series a 4.5 star rating, I rounded this rating up because I liked it even more than the first. It jumps right into the story (in fact only 2 weeks after book 1 ends) and it gives a short refresher to remind you what happened in book 1 (but not too much refresher to annoy you.) I enjoyed the writing style and the way the plot progressed. For those who enjoy dark, psychological thriller books I would recommend this series. It came to a good closure so not sure there will be another book but I would definitely keep reading if Caine continues the Procter's story. And I will be looking forward to any future books she writes in this similar genre.
I read the first book in this series, Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine, when it was released in July this year. The first book ends with a cliffhanger that left me anxiously waiting to see how the story would progress. Needless to say, I was super excited when this book showed up on Netgalley.
Killman Creek begins exactly where the last book ended. Gwen Proctor is hiding again with her kids. Her ex-husband, convicted serial killer, Melvin Royal has escaped jail. In the first book, Gwen was in mostly in hiding, working hard to conceal her family’s new identities and protect the new life that they had. However, in this book, she takes a completely different approach to deal with Melvin.
The story is definitely suspenseful from the first page. It feels like Melvin is hunting Gwen and of course, she is not just sitting around waiting for him to find her. I was nervous especially reading some of the sections narrated by the kids. I thought someone was bound to say or do something that would reveal the family’s location and jeopardize the kids’ safety. In addition, the hackers and online bullies are back and more intimidating. So many different things were happening hence keeping me at the edge of my seat.
I really enjoyed the character development. Each of the characters, even the kids, changed so much from book one. The depiction of personality growth was so well-done and realistic. In addition, the author used multiple narrators hence helping readers get to know the characters even better. Gwen and Sam’s narrations had the most action. However, I really liked the kids’ narrations best. Connor and Lanny are both struggling with different issues which the author tackled masterfully while still maintaining the main storyline. Connor’s narrations were so tense but addictive to read.
This book is definitely different from the first one. I feel like Stillhouse Lake was more of a psychological thriller. Killman Creek is filled with non-stop action. Honestly, I have never been a fan of action, gun-fights, explosives, kicks and punches just don’t work for me. However, Caine still managed to ensure that the action was intertwined with the mystery hence it was well-balanced. What bugged me a bit is how darker the themes of this book were as compared with the first one. There was more violence too. I think all this ties with the increased action.
If you are looking for an addictive thriller series, then I definitely recommend this one. This is one case where I absolutely insist that you have to read the books in order. Stillhouse Lake is the first book in the series and Killman Creek is the final one. Of the two, I prefer the first one. Nevertheless, this is definitely a great series perfect for readers who enjoy fast-paced thrillers.
Many thanks to to the author, publisher and Netgalley for an ARC of this book. I went and bought the first in this series and loved it so when this came up on Netgalley I just had to have it.
I really liked this book. It's dark and edgy and who doesn't like a good serial killer story!
Gwen Proctor and her kids are on the run from her ex-husband Melvin who has escaped from death row. Melvin's a seriously nasty piece of work and toys with Gwen and the kids in order to get his revenge. I'm not going to say too much as I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't read the first yet but go buy it!
All of the characters are fab (even Melvin in a bad way) and I just couldn't put it down and read it one go. Definitely a worth to buy book and I highly recommend it.
The battle may have been won at Stillhouse Creek but the war is still to come and Gwen may loose it all, against the monster she was married to, at Killman Creek.
Holy angst. I thought everything Gina (Gwen) had gone through in the first book was horrible but her ex, serial killer Melvin Royal, and the Absalom put her through hell in this book.
Gina's sanity is put on line when she loses the trust of everyone close to her including her children. Will she be able to find and kill the man that has ruined her life or will she sacrifice herself to keep them safe??
I hope this isn't the last we see of Gina, Sam and her kids but if so it's a satisfying ending for all...
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. I was in no way compensated for this review.
Killman Creek is Rachel Caine’s conclusion to Stillhouse Lake that brings about a most satisfying conclusion to the trials that Gwen and her kids and Sam had to endure. Melvin, her murderous ex-husband has broken out of jail and in his sick and demented ways, he is determined to kill Gwen for turning his children against him and all that jazz. But before he does that, he wants to completely ruin her life.
Gwen and Sam are determined more than ever to put an end to Melvin Royal. It’s not going to be easy though since they have no idea where Melvin is. He continues to use the people who make up Absalom, as we’ve learned that Absalom is not one person but many. While Gwen thought that this person was always trying to help hide her and her kids for a price, she learned that she was very, very wrong. If they can track down a member of Absalom, they can hopefully, track down Melvin himself.
This was quite the suspenseful read! The heroes trying to chase down the psychopath murderer, not knowing who they can trust, because Absalom members can be anywhere, be anyone! It’s positively insane!
This time around I was surprised to see that there were many more points of view in the story. Nearly positively the first one was just straight up Gwen’s point of view. This time we get Gwen, Sam, and even Connor and Lanny. I found it most interesting to read from the kids’ points of view, as they were staying safely secluded with Javier while Gwen and Sam went hunting for Melvin. I feel like they went through just as much pain and sorrow as Gwen did. Theirs was a different sort of pain though. They each have a lot to deal with and there was some pretty surprising things to come out of it for both of them! I’m still left in shock over Connor’s ordeal!
Without giving too much away, I will also mention that something happens in this one that basically leaves Gwen on her own entirely. And ironically, it sort of reminded me of one of Rachel’s Weather Warden novels where everyone thought that the “bad guy” was the real Joanna and that the real Joanna was the bad guy! It was mindboggling! It had me sympathizing for poor Gwen since they all believed what they thought was true.
I almost sort of wonder, what things would’ve been like if Rachel had included chapters from Melvin’s point of view. Though he is one seriously evil dude, I don’t know if I could’ve handled such a thing! But, as I said, it makes you wonder when things are all said and done.
I am nearly positive that this series has now concluded based on the ending. It was a very satisfying conclusion. One that I think readers will enjoy and be content with! No cliffhangers or unanswered questions for the most part. All the loose-ends were wrapped up in some way or another. Could there be more books to come? Anything’s possible, but I do truly believe that this journey with Gwen is done!
If you’re looking for an edge-of-your-seat thriller than this is definitely one you will want to check out! It’s definitely different in some ways from your average thriller as in this one, we have the ex-wife of a serial killer and how she does everything within her power to keep her children safe from the people who would do them harm, as well as their murderous father! Rachel Caine is a name to remember for many books, but now we can add in the thriller genre as well!
Overall Rating 4.5/5 stars
Killman Creek releases December 12, 2017
Killman Creek is the latest book by Rachel Caine and a follow up to Stonehouse Lake. Killhouse Creek can read as a stand alone. Ms Caine doesn't linger on the past but gives the reader enough information to completely follow the story. But Stonehouse Lake was such a great novel you will have wished you read it first. Some edge of your seat moments (and I confess to some tears!) make Killhouse Creek another difficult to put down read. I was given an early copy to review.
Killman Creek is an edge of your seat thriller that gets the adrenaline flowing. Non-stop action that thrills and chills, I could put the book down. Gwen has a new name and a new backbone. No longer scared of her psychotic, serial killing ex husband, Gwen has decided its time to be the hunter instead of the hunted. But there is more than one adversary on the field, a group of hackers try to bring Gwen to her knees with their tricks. Gwen is made of tougher stuff and refuses to just lay down. Told from alternating points of view, the plot in this book is so complex and enthralling and the characters so engaging to make this one of the best thrillers of the year. My voluntary and unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.
Gwen and her two children are once again on the run. This time not only are they hiding from the crazy people that are seeking revenge for Gwen and her children's relationship to serial killer Melvin Royal, but they are also running from newly escaped Mel. Gwen knows that his contacts reach far and wide. Leaving the children with someone she can trust to protect them Sam and Gwen go hunting for Melvin. What they find is a network of evil that becomes their worst nightmare. Knowing that Melvin will stop at nothing to get to Gwen and his children, Gwen becomes bait to lure Melvin out of hiding.
Killman Creek is the sequel to Stillhouse Lake and is just as scary and creepy as the first book! I tried not to read too much of it at night before bed because it was that scary! The writing was gritty, gory and definitely made for nightmares! I love that even though Gwen's character was a victim she didn't have the characteristics of a victim. She became stronger the more she was pressed and the more people that were against her. Her goal was to protect her children and she would do that at all costs to herself. The shaky alliance between her and Sam was frustrating but yet understandable, they both had one end in mind, to kill Melvin Royal. The sense throughout the book of the evil that human beings are capable of was perfectly portrayed in Melvin's character. The ending was just as exciting and heart-pounding as watching an action thriller movie. If you love the scary, or serial killer-type stories then this is definitely one you should pick up.
Notes: This review will post on my blog on release day 12/12/17 http://myfavoritepastime.blogspot.com
I will also post it to Amazon
It is currently posted on my Goodreads
All reviews will post to my facebook pages