Rachel Caine is an amazing writer. Killman Creek is a well written, well developed addition to the Stillhouse Lake Series. I would and have recommended this series to friends, family, and a book club I'm in.

Not as good as the first book. The plot was predictable and the characters were not developed in new ways. It had some suspenseful moments, but overall was not memorable.

After the events of book one, I was anxious to get back to Gwen and her children. Gwen used to be Gina Royal and had the seemly perfect life. Two children, a loving husband and a house in the burbs. At least it was until the dead tortured body of a young woman was found in her garage and she learned her husband Melvin was a serial killer. Gina was arrested, tried and released since she had no knowledge of her hubby's secret life. Now she and the children are the Proctors. Until Stillhouse Lake, they have been on the run, avoiding the crazed people who think she is guilty and seeking their own brand of justice. Events in book one leave Gwen and her children on the run and a serial killer on the loose.

I also listened to this on audio. I love that Brilliance cast four narrators for the story. The POVs were broken up by chapter, and the different narrations made changes easy to follow. Emily Sutton-Smith continued Gwen's narrative, Lauren Ezzo was the voice of Lanny. Will Ropp shared Sam's POV, and Dan John Miller portrayed young Conner.

Gwen hides the children with Javier and Kenzia, whom we met in the previous book. She and Sam begin to investigate the mysterious group that betrayed Gwen. They hope finding them will help them hunt down Melvin.

Killman Creek was darker than its predecessor as Caine took us on the hunt to catch a brilliant and twisted killer. OMG! I was biting my nails and clenching my fists with some of these realistic, terrifying scenes. The twists and deception along with the POVs of Conner and Lanny about killed me. I LOVED EVERY TERRIFYING MOMENT!

I love the author. I have read at least 2/3 of her books. This book is good but it is part of a series. Killman Creek is an continuation and second book in a trilogy. It's a good read but I wish I had waited for all the books to come out before starting the series. Will read next book.

I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

I read the first book in this series, and loved it, so I was excited to see there was going to be more to the story. When I started reading, I had all but forgotten about the intimate details, and I was worried I wasn’t going to remember the characters. However, the second I started reading, everything came pouring back. It was almost a subtle “Last time on...” but it didn’t feel forced.

I found myself sucked in, and constantly looking for more time to be able to read this story. It is incredibly fast paced, and keeps me wanting more! Is there going to be a third? I don’t know what else could happen to this family, but I am not ready for the story to end.

In the sequel to Stillhouse Lake, Gwen and Sam have set off to find Melvin Royal, her serial killer ex husband who has broken out of prison, before he finds her. The beginning of the book was slightly annoying. Lanny and Connor have their own point of view chapters filled with typical teenage angst. I was a little worried that the plot was getting side tracked by their POV chapters. However, as I kept reading I found myself just as entrenched in Gwen's struggles as I did in the first book. This is a fast paced read with plenty of fearful moments. I am somewhat a chicken and can not handle too much gore. And there was some gore in this book, but I found it to be minimal. If you like suspense thrillers, I highly recommend this series.

Poor Gwen, she just survived some crazy stuff from book one of this series and then there is the fact that she was married to a big old serial killer (and had no clue.) She just wants a calm life with her kids...and she knows that both of them are all kinds of mentally jacked up. But does she get that break? Nope. She is gonna have to don the cape again so that she and her kids will have even a chance of a normal life.


***sorta spoilery if you haven't read the first one**
Gwen's ex (the crazy serial killer) has escaped prison. Gwen knows it is just a matter of time before hubby dear makes an appearance at her door. Because he thinks Gwen is still the meek little church mouse that was married to him.


He is in for a big old surprise, because Gwen is not waiting for him. She is hunting him.


I flipping loved these books! I think this one is my favorite of the two but they still both qualify in the "it was goooood" category. I'd have handed out the full five stars on this one except for one thing that bugged me. (view spoiler)

Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.
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What a great sequel! I enjoyed Stillhouse Lake and thought the author did a good job, but I feel Killman Creek is even better. With the way Stillhouse Lake ended, you just knew things were going to get crazy. Caine definitely delivered.

After years of being on the run with her kids, the hunted becomes the huntress. While determined to put her serial killer ex-husband down like the sick bastard he is, she is swept up in something far more sinister and demented than she could’ve ever imagined. The depravity runs deep, taking us on a dark and thrilling ride.

I found myself enraged for Gwen’s sake and wanting to go all Wonder Woman for truth, justice, and to just plain kick ass. Gwen held it down though! Unlike the first book, this is told from four perspectives – Gwen, Sam, Lanny, and Connor. I wasn’t sure about this move at first, but it actually brought the story together really well and only added to the intensity.

Overall this is a wonderfully disturbing must-read!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me a free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review of this book.

I requested this book because I had read Stillhouse Lake #1 and really liked it. I knew there was going to be a sequel and I was looking forward to reading it. However, I just couldn't get into this book like I did the first one. I believe it was because of the alternating points of views between the main characters. I honestly stopped reading it around the 4th chapter because of the way it was set up.

This book is a continuation of Stillhouse Lake book.

The protagonist Gwen Proctor instead of running away from her psychopath husband and internet trollers, decides to face them and hunt her husband.

It is a fast-pacing book and it keeps you on toes. It is extremely well-written and absolutely thrilling book. As one read through the book, it makes them frustrated, angry and sad as the circumstance changes.

I really liked the story and it won't get boring.

The gripping sequel to “Stillhouse Lake”. What a follow up! Both books are packed with intensity. Both are page turners. Written excellently that made you feel like you were right there! Can’t wait for book 3!!!

I was given a copy of Killman Creek from the publishers via Netgalley for my honest review!!

From my blog: Always With a Book:

My thoughts: I think I might have a new favorite author and series...Rachel Caine has managed to blow things out of the water with her Stillhouse Lake series, and we're only on book 2 so far! But word of caution before reading any further in this review...if you haven't read book 1 of this series, Stillhouse Lake, I highly suggest not reading any further...Killman Creek is a sequel and picks up right where the previous books ends. This second book contains spoilers for what happens in that first book. Read this series in order...it's meant to be read that way!

When I say Stillhouse Lake was only the beginning, I am not kidding. But I loved that while these two books are both incredibly addicting, intense and twisty, they are also different. This time around, we have multiple characters telling the story - partly because the family isn't together the whole time. Now that Melvin has escaped from prison, Gwen is on the hunt to find him before he gets her, so she along with Sam Cade take off, leaving her children in the care of two people she most trusts. So we have Gwen, Sam and the two children narrating parts of the story - I loved this. I loved getting inside all their heads, hearing how they were all handling what was happening. It adds another element to the story.

This book is also more action-packed than the previous one. Again, I liked this distinction and I think it made sense given all that was going on. This story line moves fast - a lot is going on, a lot is thrown at us...it's intense! It really keeps you on your toes as you aren't quite sure what is going to come next.

I really enjoyed this thriller and liked that for the most part everything is tied up by the end. I'm quite curious to see where book 3 takes us...it's a bit of a wait, but I'll definitely be reading it!!!

Gwen Proctor is still hiding from Melvin Royal. She wants him dead now that he's broken out of jail, but keeping her kids safe is the most important thing on her mind.

When she discovers that the hacker she had trusted is not only working with serial killer Melvin--he's also putting out fake videos that show Gwen helped Melvin--she knows that hiding has gotten that much more difficult. This needs to end--now.

Follow up book in the Stillhouse Lake series, Killman Creek gives us the confrontations we've been waiting for. Entertaining and suspenseful, Caine keeps you turning pages all night like the experienced and skilled writer she is. Great book.

Killman Creek contains the major players from book 1, as well as introducing new figures. The breathlessness I experienced in Stillhouse Lake was back. Killman Creek made me nervous, as if someone was tracking ME! In this book, Caine uses alternating characters with each chapter, and sadly, that technique took away from the experience for me. I felt pulled in all directions. It seemed like more profanity was present in this title, which isn’t my favorite and truly didn’t feel necessary to emphasize the urgency of the situation. There were many things going on with the characters that made it hard for me to focus on the main thing – survival. It was still a great story, and I was excited to see that this is supposed to be a 3-book series. Count me in for book 3!

Thanks to Netgalley, Thomas and Mercer and Rachel Caine for this ARC. This book was a definite psychological thriller. I actually had to stop reading it three different times because it scared me, and I was scared to pick it back up. But I’m glad I did. My one piece of advice and reading this book do not read it at night. I read a lot of psychological thrillers so Kudos to the author for scaring the crap out of me!

What a great way to start off the new year! Wowza this book was so good, I honestly felt like I held my breathe from the beginning to the end the tension was so palpitate!

I don't want to give anything so i will say you need to read this series NOW!! Y'all are the lucky ones that can go right from Stillhouse Lake to this one without pause!

This had 4 narrators Emily Sutton-Smith, Lauren Ezzo, Will Ropp, and Dan John Miller each brought their character to life superbly and really conveyed the emotion and tension in this book!.

I highly recommend this series!!

Melvin Royal has escaped prison and he's got one thing on his mind: getting to his ex-wife, the woman who he still believes is his, his to control, his to torment. His to kill. Gwen is sick of being hunted, of moving around, moving her kids around, it's time for the hunter to become the hunted. Gwen is determined to track down Melvin and those aiding him before he gets to her. However, the people assisting Melvin are more dangerous and part of something far larger than she imagined, it seems like they may all be pawns in a larger game.

If you read because you want to chill out with your latest book and relax, then I wouldn't bother picking up Killman Creek. It's not something you sit back and relax with. It's the kind of book you clutch a little to hard as you stare, barely blinking, at the pages dying to know what the hell is going to happen next. It's not ideal for chilling out. I loved it. Caine has created a tense and at times gut wrenching read that is truly addictive.

Stillhouse Lake did a fantastic job of setting the characters and the story up, in this book Caine utilises this to unleash the hell that is Melvin Royal on Gwen and her family. It was intense and creepy as, even from afar, he manages to play mind games on every member of the family. We get to see how it affects them all in different ways as we get this story from not just Gwen's POV but from Lanny, Connor and Sam as well. This all combines to give us an emotional book, there were times when I wanted to cry right along with them as the odds stack up and there seems to be no way out.

I continue to love this series, Rachel Caine has offered a thriller that isn't just dry and dusty police procedure, but an intense experience of ups and downs. The terror of not knowing who your friends are and who you can trust. So if you like your thrillers with an edge and you aren't looking to relax, I highly recommend you pick this one up.

I had trepidation before going into this book. I'd liked but not loved the previous novel 'Stillhouse Lake', but was intrigued enough to know more. I'm glad I did. This was a great dramatic thriller with some excellent characters and plot.

This follows almost directly from where Stillhouse Lake finished. Gwen Proctor, ex-wife of serial killer Melvin Royal, is trying desperately to keep her children safe while playing the hunter and the hunted to Mel and his followers games. With the help of Sam, neighbour, sometimes lover and brother of one of Mel's last victim, she's determined to get one step ahead of the race and kill or be killed in the attempt to track Mel down.

This felt a lot more polished than its predecessor. The characters are more refined and intelligent. Gwen, far from playing the victim or merely trying to hide her children from harm, takes front seat and centre stage here. She's proactive, self assured and just so much better than before. The character development is excellent. Sam is also a strong lead. He's pragmatic, yet suffers internally with what happened to his sister and his guilt I've whether he can trust Gwen or not. It was also a masterstroke to have chapters from his POV. One of my faults with Stillhouse Lake were that is was all from Gwen's perspective, and often her internal monologue got a little grating. To have another view point kept the story fresher.

That said, I was less enamoured with Lanny and Connor's storyline. I often found myself skipping chunks of their story arc so I can return to the faster paced action involving Sam and Gwen. Unfortunately I just found them both slightly irritating and gullible. I got annoyed at their lack of trust in their mother, and the easy way Connor is manipulated- although I can understand why he is. Melvin's looming presence over all the Proctor family is still abundantly clear, and keeping him largely out of the storyline other than through phone calls and texts keeps him as an enigma.

The plot itself, as mentioned, is well paced and entertaining throughout. There are plenty of twists, some which took me by surprise, and I really enjoyed the ending. Again, as with Stillhouse Lake, the use of technology in crime and blackmail was unique and very well done, taking things even further than they were previously. The whole novel had a sort of 'Black Mirror' feel to it, especially the episode 'Shut Up and Dance' where people are blackmailed via anonymous hackers into doing various misdemeanours.

One of the best thrillers I've read in a while.

Killman Creek was the perfect addition to Stillhouse Lake. The only time I put this book down was when I NEEDED to in order to keep my sanity in check. It was disturbing and gripping all at the same time. I love it at every turn, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I don't read about serial killers very often, but when I do, this is what I'm looking for. I can't wait for the next book to come out and I'm super excited to see where Rachel takes the characters.

Killman Creek is the second novel in the Stillwater Lake series, and it did not disappoint. The end of Stillwater Lake left readers with a major cliffhanger. Gwen's estranged ex-husband, notorious serial killer Melvin, has escaped from prison. Revenge is his ultimate goal, and he has Gwen and his children in his sights. Gwen and her comrade Sam immediately begin a furtive escape with the children in tow. However, it becomes very obvious that the problem is far more sinister than even Melvin. There is a dark and ominous presence that is alive and well, and it is up to Gwen and Sam to locate the evil and eliminate it, before it encompasses them all. Gwen and Sam embark on a mission to find Melvin and his cohorts. This leads them to an underground circle of evil and carnage, where murder and death are glorified. Gwen and Sam also struggle with their trust of one another. Can Sam really be entrusted to keep Gwen and her children safe? Was Gwen simply an innocent bystander of Melvin's, or could she secretly have been an accomplice? The answers will all be revealed in a final showdown at Killman Creek.

Wow, this book was awesome! I thought Stillwater Lake was pretty amazing, but Killman Creek had me hooked from page one. I found myself questioning Gwen's intentions more than once during the novel. The idea of a secret enclave of murder and mayhem existing on the internet was also pretty chilling. I flew through this book in a couple of days. I will warn readers that the final scenes at Killman Creek were not for the faint of heart. The culmination of the novel was rather graphic, so if you find it difficult to read about violence or torture, you may need to skip over those scenes. For readers that love a suspenseful and chilling tale, this book is not to be missed.