I was so excited to return to Gwen Proctor and her family for the 4th book in the Stillhouse Lake series. While you could read this as a standalone - I strongly recommend reading the series in order. I think what I like most about this series is getting to see the ways that Gwen has grown and changed since we met her in the first book.

I really enjoyed this read - but not sure I would have liked it as much without that background. Gwen has a lot going on at once - for work she's investigating a cold case of a young man who went missing 3 years ago, he walked into a bar and was never seen coming back out. In her personal life - the neighbors are making it clear that they don't want the type of attention that Gwen and her family bring - so they want them gone immediately. Lanny and Connor are teenagers and have their own issues. I really enjoy how these books don't lose sight of the family dynamic.

The first two books in the series are still my favorite - but if you've come to think of these characters as friends like I have, you'll enjoy this opportunity to check back in on them and see how they are doing and root for them. I hope there will be another book in the series - if so, I'll definitely be returning to see what happens for them next!

I listened to most of this on the audiobook while on some long drives. I thought the audio production was great - a different narrator for each of the perspectives told through the story. It was always easy to know exactly who was talking and I thought all the narrators were great.

Thank you to Brilliance Audio, Thomas and Mercer and Netgalley for the advance ebook and audiobook copies.

Another impressive instalment in this series and as usual this family are up against it but come out fighting. Gwen and Sam might be having problems with some of their neighbours but that doesn't stop Gwen taking on a case about a missing young man. Turns out he tried to help a young woman escape a Cult and its a barbaric organization that has heinous plans to make an army of Saints ! Gwen will always fight for her family and those who need protection but this time she's going to need all the help she can get because she's a pawn in someone else's game.
I love this series and heartily recommend it to those who enjoy a thriller that chills you to the bone. Yes there's lighter moments and real love here but it's the truly nasty and vile characters who get introduced along the way that keep me glued to every page because nothing is ever simple or straightforward but always exciting and unpredictable.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

Bitter Falls is the fourth book of the Stillhouse Lake series by Rachel Caine. I was under the assumption that Killman Creek (book #3) was the last book, so boy, I was surprised when I saw there was a new release.

The book continues from where book #3 left off. Gwen and her family continues life in Stillhouse Lake, but face struggles. Neighbors are wary of having them in town after they've sparked the media's attention once again. Gwen works for a private investigation company and takes on a case of a missing man. Her further investigation case leads her tangled in the mess of a dark cult. Her determination to solve the case causes her and her family to be in greater danger than she thinks.

Rachel Caine does it again -- I thoroughly enjoyed this book. We're seeing more character development as Gwen's kids struggle with their identity and growing pains. However, I do wonder when this series will come to a conclusion. Gwen is constantly moving her family towards danger, whether it be her intention or not. I'm starting to wonder if there is a final book in which the family settles somewhere safe and trouble-free.

I recommend reading this book if you're already read the rest of the series. If not, please start from the first book!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

If you haven't read this series yet your missing out! Gwen Proctor is back and what did she get into this time?! What started out as a simple missing persons case turns into much more! This series always has such twists and turns just when the suspense quiets down the author makes sure you stay on for the ride. Love this series it has so many mysteries and I love Gwen, Sam, Connor and Lanney such a great family that you just keep wanting to read about book after book. Read this series if your looking for something different to read then your typical who is the serial killer thriller. Great writing, great characters and lots of twists .How can you not want to read this book and series? You will love it!

“Bitter Falls” by Rachel Caine available January 21, 2020.

Another great book in the Stillhouse Lake series. Gwen is facing trouble from neighbors who want her to leave town, from the families of her ex-husband.s victims, from new enemies she has encountered in her new job, all while her kids struggle to fit in at school. Gwen, Sam, Lanny, and Conor must band together to protect their family from enemies past and present.

I have enjoyed each book in this series and this one is no different. It is a little far fetched at times but it doesn’t bother me. I like the action and the strong female lead character, I will continue to read this series and recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer Publishing for the free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was beyond happy to discover that Rachel Caine had carried on with her amazing Stillhouse Lake series, and in Bitter Falls, we once again peek into the life of our badass heroine, Gwen Proctor, her partner Sam and two children, Lanny and Connor. The ex-wife of a serial killer, Gwen is used to dealing with adversity and even though Melvin Royal is long gone (killed by her own hand), she's still being hunted by people who don't believe that she, or her kids, were innocent victims. Adding to the outside trolls, a TV interview has brought extra scrutiny to the town, and now people want Gwen and her family out.

In the midst of her smalltown drama, Gwen now works as a private investigator and her latest case is that of a missing college student. It's soon obvious that the company who hired her has an ulterior motive, and it's not finding out what happened to Remy Landry. When Connor and Sam are abducted by an extreme religious cult, Gwen must pull out all the stops to save them, even if it means getting into bed with her enemy.

Bitter Falls is told from the perspectives of all four members of the family. While Gwen will always be my favorite, the other perspectives are timely and help keep you in the thick of the story as well as giving insight into other aspects of the family's life. Rachel Caine doesn't falter with any of the voices. She writes a love-struck teen, or a young boy suffering from PTSD as easily as she writes their mother.

Bitter Falls can be read as a standalone - recaps and explanations are giving to help you understand a little of what's gone on in the past - but I would highly recommend reading the entire series in order.

What I Loved:
Rachel Caine gives us yet another fast-paced, action-packed and twisty thriller with Bitter Falls. There are a lot of threads, but each one ties together nicely.

What I Didn't Love:
The ending felt a little rushed, though not drastically so. And while not a complaint, I have to say that as much as I look forward to reading about Gwen Proctor, that woman has been through some stuff. Couldn't we just take a chapter out and send her on a nice wee holiday in the Bahamas or somewhere? :-)

Conclusion:
An absolute gem of a book with the same well-written characters and fast-paced action that we've come to expect from Rachel Caine. Fans of the Stillhouse Lake series will not be disappointed.

4.5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read and review Bitter Falls.

A big thank you to @netgalley for an ARC of Bitter Falls. Book 4 in the Stillhouse Lake series by @rachelcainewriter
I love this series so much and I was super excited to get a copy for review! This book comes out Jan 21st so be sure to snatch it up!
This book continues the investigation into the cult discovered in Wolfhunter River and the dangers presented to Gwen Proctor, Sam Cade, and their children. As always, the repercussions of their past come back to haunt them. The notoriety of Melvin Royal always hangs over Gwen’s head while the PTSD from everything impacts them all in every way.
The only thing I didn’t like about this book was the relationship/ tension between Lanny and Vee. I felt like it was completely irrelevant to the story and wasn’t needed.

https://instagram.com/p/B7PCXizAs5G/

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3105730619

I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

This was probably my favorite of the Stillhouse Lake series since the first.

After three books with a heavy emphasis on Gwen's past, this one was refreshing. Of course it still played a part, but a much smaller part. I enjoyed having Connor's POV for much of the story as it helped the readers get to know him a little better. I also enjoyed the return of Vera - she's such an interesting character! I hope she stays in the story line moving forward.

I enjoyed this book, and I hope future books in this series continue to move away from Gwen's past as the sole focus and spend more time digging deeper into the characters that the readers have grown to love.

After I read book 3 of this series, I swore to myself I was not going to keep going. THEN I saw the cover here on Netgalley, and I guess FOMO just took over as I found myself hitting the download button. However, I ended up being glad that I did. And it just seems like I can't bring myself to let these characters go.

The plot of this was way more interesting than the third book IMO. It involved cults, which is always going to sucker me in, but you really got to go deep into the cult and see how things worked. I really liked that aspect of it.

There were still a few times when the writing felt a bit robotic, but that didn't keep me from enjoying it overall. I will probably keep reading if the series expands to book 5.

And - THE COVER!!! So pretty!!! It would've been even more awesome if the book was published in the fall though.

With each book in the Stillhouse Lake series, I wonder what more Rachel Caine can put Gwen, Sam, and her kids through, and with each book Caine is able to GO THERE and find fresh hell for them to experience. Bitter Falls is an intense ride with multiple components and threats that come from varied sources to Gwen's family. Caine excels at keeping the tension going straight through to the end while somehow making the ending feel satisfactory and not too rushed. Twisted, dark, and unputdownable.

I love Rachel Caine’s writing and I love this series but while Bitter Falls, the fourth book in the series had a very promising start I have to confess I found my attention begin to wander partway through and I was left feeling somewhat unsatisfied by the ending.

There is a lot to like about it and overall this is definitely an enjoyable read. The prologue at the start for example makes for some truly chilling reading and I loved the way it introduced the reader to the cult at the centre of the story. I was intrigued by the case Gwen is investigating of a missing young man and I was impressed by the way Gwen goes about getting the information she needs.

Gwen herself remains one of my favourite characters, she’s so resilient and so fiercely protective of her family. I love her determination and her fight but also how she keeps trying to do the best for her children. Her development over the series has been wonderful to watch. I also liked the new characters the author introduced in this story, the Belldene family, Gwen’s new boss and co workers and even relatively minor characters such as the parents of the missing boy. Each and every one felt believable and well rounded and there are a few I hope will pop up again in future books.

I do feel however like the story took a bit of a wrong turn and an opportunity was missed to take things into new territory and really develop the characters. Instead of allowing the characters to do their own thing, the whole family is pulled into the case Gwen’s investigating and it becomes a repeat of the previous books.

What makes it so frustrating is that there are some intriguing routes the story could have gone down. Yes, the cult side is fascinating but I wanted to see the family dealing with every day life now that they have decided to stop running and hiding. I mean they have some serious issues, Sam is carrying a lot of guilt and being targeted by the group he started up to get revenge on Gwen, Connor is understandably suffering from PTSD and Lanny is struggling to figure out where she fits. Add to that the local Hillbilly mafia (paramilitary, criminals & drug dealers) who are trying to run the family out of town and I feel like there was plenty of other material for the story to work with.

I did love the links with the previous books and how certain storylines carry across books, it would be unrealistic if they didn’t, but sometimes there do seem to be too many coincidences and there are only so many times the same things can keep happening to this family. I also felt like there wasn’t really much character development in this story. Sam in particular feels like he’s pushed to the background, he does have an important role in the story and there are a few chapters from his pov but I didn’t feel like there was any real development or that we got to know and understand him any better which is a pity as I find him the most intriguing.

It seemed too as if there were certain threads that were left hanging and the ending felt a little bit rushed to me with many things unresolved. I don’t expect all loose ends to be tied up when reading a series but it just kind of stopped.

Overall this is by no means a bad read and there is a lots to like about it. I’m just a little disappointed that the story fell back into the familiar rather than going in the new direction I hoped for. If you’ve read and enjoyed the other books in the series I’m fairly certain you’ll enjoy this one too.

I’ve loved the first books of this series and this one was no exception. This psychological thriller is about a dangerous cult and the mysteries behind it’s “saintly” members. As the previous ones in the Stillhouse Lake series this is a page turner and fast paced triller that is as most impossible to put down.. Looking forward to the next book from the author.

Bitter Falls by Rachel Caine is the fourth in the Stillhouse Lake thriller series.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Thomas & Mercer, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


Series Background:   (Warning – May contain spoilers from previous books)
Gwen is still living the nightmare of having serial killer Melvin Royal as her dead ex-husband.  She took her kids and ran, but the internet trolls found them, and they are still receiving death threats.  She met Sam along the way, whose sister was one of Melvin's victims.  Through rough times and good times, they have become close.   Gwen has been trying to put her life back together, and has been helping other women in similar situations.  She is determined to make a safe home for her family, preferably in Stillhouse Lake.


My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)

Having a home around Stillhouse Lake is becoming a problem.  Gwen and her family are being treated as outsiders, being shunned.  The recent publicity has created renewed tension between them and the Belldene family whose paramilitary and drug-related activities don't want the attention.  The Belldene's want them gone.  Gwen is working as a PI out of town, and Sam's construction business has dried up, so he is forced to find work out of town as well.  Thirteen-year old Connor is being bullied, and is living in constant fear.  Sixteen-year old Lanny is a typical teenager who never sees the consequences of her actions.

It may be time to give up the idea of making Stillhouse Lake their permanent home.

When Gwen takes on a new case, she soon realizes that the search for a young man that has been missing for three years is not quite as straight-forward as she thought.  She's not even sure who she is working for, and she quickly steps on toes.  She starts to make new enemies that she doesn't really need.




My Opinions:
I keep wondering how much one family can take.  Yes, some of the scenarios that occur in these books are a little "over-the-top", but it's fiction, and all that action and fear for each member of the family keeps the reader interested...if a little skeptical. 

This is a really good series, and I think you should read the books in order so that you don't miss anything.

The story is told from different points-of-view, so it's very easy to keep track of everyone. The characters continue to develop.  My only hesitation would be the addition of Vee to their happy little family, as I personally blame her for a lot of the problems they faced in this book....but no one else did, so what do I know.

Anyway, the plot, twists and writing were good.   As always, a very entertaining read.

The Stillhouse Lake series is a compelling series about what to do when the worst happens. Gwen and her partner Sam along with her children are just trying to live a reasonable life. That is very difficult when your husband was a prolific serial killer and a large potion of the population thinks you helped. Add in an issue with a tight knit clan of criminals and a teenage girl who needs to break away and nothing goes right. The series has had a tremendous plot and journey for the characters up to this point and this book is no exception. Great suspense and entertainment.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is book 4 of the Stillhouse Lake series and it doesn’t disappoint. We follow Gwen and her family as they fight for their lives.
I did feel that it started out a little slow but quickly picked up after a few chapters. I wouldn’t necessarily call it a thriller but it has a huge mystery vibe to it. Lots of twists and turns and guessing right up to the end.
So glad that I discovered this series!

I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. I was in no way compensated for this review.

We return once again to Stillhouse Lake with Rachel Caine’s Bitter Falls to find Gwen Proctor knee deep in yet another chilling mystery! I’m really amazed by how far this series has come, and still going if Goodreads is to be believed! I thought it stood fine as a duology series but Rachel keeps adding onto it and it makes for an intriguing read!

Have you ever really thought about the family of a serial killer? What Gwen has gone through because of her ex-husband’s despicable crimes is a little appalling, but yet at the same time, I can understand where the victims’ families come from with their hatred. It does bring an interesting question, if one of your loved ones was murdered, would you hate that murderer’s family? Would you want to destroy them for their family member’s actions? It’s a tough situation to deal with for sure and I think Rachel handles it rather well in this series.

But Gwen’s ex-husband’s crimes are in the past, for now at least, though there always seems to be some fanatics ready to take a stab at her and her family. Gwen had been given a new case, a cold one involving a young man who went missing one night. It’s an unusual case since he was a college student with a pretty decent life and nothing that would make him run off without a goodbye to his family. It’s been three years since he went missing, but Gwen is willing to give it all she has.

Though the most mysterious aspect of this case is who actually hired Gwen’s firm for this rather old case? What she ends up finding is something far more deadly than she anticipated and it just might be too much for her to handle on her own. Especially when the lives of her children are threatened once again.

I’ll admit that this one was a little harder to get into. I felt like Gwen’s investigating didn’t really take off on a quick note. It seemed to drag a bit to even get to the investigating, but things were being laid out for us. Little things that will likely become issues in future installments. When the case does start to take off for her, the pacing became better and much more enjoyable.

I have been enjoying the multiple points of view that we have going on. It’s been fun getting inside Sam’s head and seeing what Gwen’s kids think about everything that’s happening. We see some familiar faces in this one too that I definitely wasn’t expecting.

The ending was really the most heart-racing aspect of the book! I wasn’t sure what was going to happen with the characters caught up in the mix, but wow. Just wow!

This is definitely a read I would recommend to mystery fans! It dances along the lines of thriller, but maybe not as much as there isn’t always an active murderer on the loose. It’s still an entertaining series that I look forward to reading more from. It’s definitely a series that keeps you hooked from its twisted edges!


Overall Rating 4/5 stars

Bitter Falls releases January 21, 2020

Bitter Falls is another fast, action-packed story to this series and Gwen is still one brave and fierce hero, however, I think this series is losing some stream for me.

While the mystery is different with each book, I feel the stories follow the same pattern with Gwen's trying to outrun her past and the shadow they live under, her putting her family in danger while she investigates a new mystery and kicking some ass. I guess maybe I am growing a little tired of the cinematic feel to the story that entertained me before and I am wanting something a bit more real from the characters.

Overall I did enjoy the story because I love the dynamics here between Gwen and Sam and how they grow as a family with each story. They do make a great team and I am was entertained by that. I keep asking myself why Gwen puts them in danger when she is so protective of them. I need something a little more real there!

I absolutely LOVE the series! I never thought that the series would continue for so many books but boy am I happy that it has! Such an amazing series. It's itching to be made into a show now!

I really missed reading about Gwen and the others after finishing the third book. This is such a compelling story and Bitter Falls doesn't disappoint in the slightest. It is an action-packed, suspense-driven and fast-paced book. The tension and the drama continues in the story and I was completely and fully invested.

The narrative, similar to the previous books, is split between Gwen, Connor, Sam, and Lanny. I enjoy the different voices leading the story on but I still love Gwen's the best. What a strong and formidable character she is and with every book, she becomes better and better.

I can't wait to read more of the series. I think Rachel Caine is doing an amazing job of having the readers fully invested in Gwen and her story.

I would rate this book a 4!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

“Once the door’s shut, I turn on the coffeepot. Hot liquid can be a weapon. I get down cups that could break into jagged pieces for cutting instruments. When you’re in fear of your life, everything around you can be useful. Everything.”*

Gwen Proctor’s latest case as a private investigator puts her on the hunt for a missing person, which leads her to a cult. Meanwhile, both her kids get on the wrong side of the local drug dealing Belldene family. With her partner Sam already in their sights, the Belldenes make getting rid of Gwen and her clan their number one priority. Also, the hate group who believes Gwen aided her serial killer ex-husband are gearing up on a new plan to terrorize the people she holds dear.

The fourth installment of Caine’s Stillhouse Lake series delivers the same feels and adrenaline rush of the first three books. Gwen, Sam, and Gwen’s kids Lanny and Conner are all point of view characters. Series favorites Kez and Javier return. Gwen’s boss, J.B., has a larger role, as do two of her agents, who make great new additions to the cast. Vee Crockett from WOLFHUNTER RIVER also returns.

In less skilled hands, creating a series such as this would be a stretch, but Caine relentlessly instills freshness with each new installment. The characters are well developed and intriguing, and fun new characters are frequently added. The Belldene family reminds me a bit of the opiate producing clan in the OZARK television series, but only in a superficial way, which adds authenticity while allowing them to have their own unique qualities.

Rating a read in stars is always tough. What elevates a book from a four to a five star read for me often relates to how I feel at the end (the satisfaction factor), how much I feel is quotable, and how much I think about the book when I am not reading it. I very much anticipated this sequel and I am thrilled to see a fifth installment is in the works. Caine nurtures and grows this series both through quality storytelling and through her multi-layered characters making this a five star read for me.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to the NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing an Advance Reader Copy.

*Please note that my review is based on uncorrected text.

Many Thanks to Netgalley, Thomas& Mercer and Rachel Caine for a chance to review this brilliant book.

Gwen Proctor is back and how!

Bitter Falls is book #4 in the Stillhouse Lake series and it continues right from the events in WolfHunter River. These books can be read as standalones as enough background is provided in the story but as such I recommend reading the whole series in order to understand the growth of each and every character especially Gwen, who has transformed herself into a female Ninja warrior sworn to protect her family which includes her partner Sam Cade and 2 kids Lanny and Connor.

Melvin Royal is dead but his dark shadow is still looming over the heads of Gwen and her family, the trauma of having fought against his clutches and the vicious online media trolling and hatred that followed it still causing a pall of gloom in their lives. All of them are undergoing therapy individually and as a family and Gwen has begun work as a PI, when she's given a missing case of young Remy Landry who has vanished almost 3 yrs back. Gwen who understands a mother's pain takes up the inquiry but the case has unforeseen consequences and Connor, Lanny, Sam and Gwen are plunged headfirst into the icy depths of terror and torture.

I admire Rachel Caine for the ingenuity of the story line by bringing in the woes and struggles of the family of a serial killer, of the perils of social media justice, of being targeted again and again and still fighting to live with dignity. I loved how the author has used the voices of Sam, Connor and Lanny along with Gwen to provide a more wholesome story and provide glimpses to the reader of each of their psyche. Connor grappling with the events in school and bullying and finding the courage to face his demons was especially touching. Maybe I am more bloodthirsty than I thot, but I really wanted a more brutal ending for the evil in disguise. Those final few chapters were so intense and emotional that I was literally glued to the pages to get to the end.

This series is definitely growing in strength and am looking forward to more of Gwen and her family's adventures. So, after 4 books of fighting never before imagined adversities, I hope the family finds at least some semblance of 'normal' in their lives.

Eagerly waiting for the next book in the series!