Book 4 of the Stillhouse Lake series and it's another 5 star read I'm so happy to report!! Absolutely fantastic! I was hooked from book 1, and was never even slightly disappointed with the succeeding books. Never have I read this many books in a series where every single one was awesome. Usually I find a series starts off great and then kind of fizzles out as more are added. Not this one! I'm completely invested in the lives of Gwen, Lanny, Connor & Sam and can't wait for book 5! Please tell me there will be a book 5!

I'm a fan of the Stillhouse Lake series. Gwen Proctor/Gina Royal, Atlanta, and Connor are like my friends.
Bitter Falls didn't quite reach the level of the first and second book.
Caine does characters so well. I love reading the people she creates in her books. She describes them in such a way that I can picture them and understand their choices easily. It's so nice to see that continue across the series. Each character remains pretty much the same from the other books.
Some of the scenes in Bitter Falls are really good. Scenes with Gwen doing her private investigation or the beginning prologue scene at Bitter Falls.
There's a lot of bouncing around it the book takes a lot of time to settle into the plot. Bouncing from trailer trash drug kingpins in the woods, to Connor's PTSD with his bio dad, to a murdering cult, to Gwen's case of missing young man, to Sam for reasons? Each thread/point of view character is good, but the book lacks something that pulls it together.
The cult near the end of the book seems a very weak connection and doesn't feel real to me. It feels like a weak plot connection to do something. I needed more regarding the cult. The people within the cult don't make sense and don't follow Caine's usual great character creation.
I liked the book okay, but it really fell short for me in the plot area. Too many little things that don't unite together in a very cohesive narrative. Everything packed away a little too neat and everything seemed to end a little too conveniently.

I love the cult aspect of the past 2 books but for some reason this one didn't pull me in as much as the last one. I still really enjoyed it though and I will continue with this series until there's an end! I love the characters. I love that Sam calls the kids his and they call him dad and I can't wait to see where they go next!

Another great novel in the Stillhouse Lake series. Gwen Proctor, trying to leave her past behind, has taken on some private investigator work. Her current assignment leaves her and her family fighting for their lives.
Highly recommended for all fans of the Stillhouse Lake series and even for a standalone novel!

*I received an advanced reader's copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

5 Stars

This is the fourth book in the Stillhouse Lake series by Rachel Caine.

Wow! Rachel Caine does it again. I was slack-jawed through the entire book. I am not sure how she manage to ramp up the tension and thrust her characters into these bizarre situations. I would have thought that whole cult thing was wrapped up in the last book and they would have a semi-normal life with her transitioning into a private investigator. Nope. Not the Proctor family. Everything is still just as screwed up as it had been.

Atlanta and Conner are trying to make friends and fit in at school but ever since Atlanta and her girlfriend broke up, things couldn’t be worse for the teen. Then Vee shows up. Yep, that poor screwed up girl from book three. Thought she was gone, didn’t ya? Nope. She’s back and with a vengeance! She is Atlanta’s new girl-toy (is that a thing?) and she and her penchant for getting into trouble thrusts its ugly head as she drags the Proctor girl into a party situation. In the cliffs overlooking the party Atlanta comes across a girl from school. She’s dead. When she calls 911, things go from bad to worse. She has garnered the attention of the local bad guy group/drug runners and such and now the whole family is yet again screwed. Told you! Screwed is the key word here.

Gwen’s new job as a PI factors into this whole mess as well. She is looking into the disappearance of a young man. And as you read and discover all the satrtling connections between this case and the cult in book three, you will be slack-jawed yourself, I am sure.

This book hit a home run with me. Unputdownable! You might want to read all the previous books in the series before venturing into this one so you have the entire rich backstory. Since this book isn’t directly related to Gwen’s serial killer husband, you can definitely read this as a standalone if you want. The whole series is so good I am not sure I would suggest that.

This is totally a five star series! Thank you, Rachel Caine for keeping me so entertained.

If you love a good suspense/thriller mystery, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

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 love this series and this book is no different. I really love the aspect of the other side of a serial killer's family Rachel Caine explores.

Review Copy

Why do I love this series? Because Rachel Caine writes about strong, badass women. They may not always have been that way. They may have been used, taken advantage of and beaten down by life, but they learned. They take care of and they teach their own. They don't nibble on a lettuce leaf and fight with a man only to fall in bed with him.

BIITTER FALLS takes place in today's world of internet trolls, school shootings and drugs. Gwen Procter has evolved from from a mousy housefrau to a PI. She will continue to grow as a person if the ending is any indication. BITTER FALLS is a complete novel, no cliffhanger ending. It can be enjoyed on its own, but for maximum enjoyment, pick up the first three books in the series first and have a fun marathon read. You won't be sorry. It's a terrific series.

Bitter Falls is a well crafted suspense. Great plot, writing and setting. I highly recommend this book. I received an arc from the publisher and Netgalley and this is my unbiased review.

As if Gwen Proctor didn't have enough problems with her own history and the tortured life she's doggedly tried to leave behind, she accepts a cold case assignment regarding a young college man who disappeared without a trace.

A new author and series to me, Gwen is apparently partnered with Sam and there is Gwen's two kids, Lanny and Connor. These two kids might need more than a therapist to get them through life after understanding their PTSD inducing family history. The POVs alternate between the four.

While Gwen is a kick-ass PI, she tends to be just a little slow on the uptake a few times. Sam might be just a tad too good to be true. The well-plotted thriller starts with a deadly hook after which you are sunk and you must keep reading. It drives tension, pushes disbelief, but doesn't drop the ball or slow the fast-moving storyline.

There is the backwoods mafia who could spearhead the move but hold to their code when push comes to shove. The deeper the investigation, the deeper the threat to Gwen's family. It would seem she continues to be proclaimed guilty by association of the former glaring headlines and she is not exactly keeping a low profile.

I had so many questions regarding Gwen and was never able to fully invest in her--she kept me off balance. The kids didn't help the situation any and the Sam/Gwen relationship didn't feel plausible. Vi, where did she come from? Trust is spent. There is more than one unreliable narrator here and I couldn't invest in any but the hard-driving conclusion keeps you glued to the pages.

I received this download from the publisher and NetGalley and appreciated the opportunity to read and review. I read as a standalone, but there is obviously a lot of backstory here missed by coming in at Book 4. Recommended for those familiar with the series and author and any seeking a fast-paced action-packed and entertaining thriller. 3.5/5 rounded up

This is Rachel’s best one since her original Stillhouse Lake. Gina Protcor is back with her family in a mission that leads them to discovering an extremely large, extremely terrifying cult. I truly Believe fans of this series will LOVE this book.

This was my favorite so far of the Stillhouse Lake series because it's here, in this tense, nail-biter of a book, that Gwen and her children start to believe there's life after what they experienced. They're more open now and that's a fantastic thing to read.
[I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.]

I love this series, so once I saw it was available to read on NetGalley, I had to get it! The characters are likable, and the story is always strong. Rachel Caine is a great author, and I highly recommend reading this Stillhouse Lake series from beginning to end. Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.

Back home after the life-changing revelations revealed in the town of Wolfhunter, Gwen and her partner Sam Cade are moving forward together with her children sixteen year old Lanny and thirteen year old Connor in their home on Stillhouse Lake. Unfortunately, it's no longer the sanctuary it once was as the locals have turned against them and old enemies are knocking on their door with threats. With their lives in turmoil once again, Gwen is more determined than ever to build a brighter, safer future for her family while working as a private investigator. She's accepted a three year old cold case involving the disappearance of college student Remy Landry whose grieving mother she identifies with. As she delves deeper into Remy's disappearance, she uncovers information that ties back to events revealed in Wolfhunter River, and she suddenly realizes that she's unknowingly put loved ones on another maniac's radar. Will Gwen solve this case - the who, why, where - in time to save her loved ones?

Bitter Falls is a chilling suspense thriller with strong protagonists and crazed villains that alternates between the first person point of view of Gwen, Sam, Lanny, and Connor. And never has it been more important to get the pov of each of these characters as their world threatens to implode. The story unfolds at neck-break speed in a setting that stimulates all the senses, taking on a life of its own as another influential player in the fate of these characters. Caine's uncanny ability to spin multiple, often shocking, twisted plot lines that continuously build in intensity from the gravely disturbing prologue all the way through to the explosive end is nothing short of brilliant. Backstory is seamlessly woven into Bitter Falls so that a new reader can follow this story without reading the previous three books but oh what a mistake that would be! Although each book completes a story, characters introduced in the first book play prominent roles in each book. Caine excels at writing characterizations that are intricately detailed, and just so authentic that readers have little choice but to fear for each character's safety. I swear my heart pounded nonstop throughout Bitter Falls as the stakes are high, the danger inescapable, and the terror certifiable. I was thrilled by the critical role played by a previous character appearing in this one and yes, I'm being intentionally vague. You simply must avoid all spoilers, carve out some uninterrupted time, and commit to reading this one in mostly one sitting.

Bitter Falls is riveting, dark, fast-paced, high intensive story telling at its best! I could nitpick and say it's a bit over the top with all the non-stop, life-threatening danger to characters, but let's face it...I could not put this book down. My heart raced and my emotions soared out of control as I held on for dear life to complete this wild, run-away ride until I could finally let out the breath I'd been holding and give thanks I survived to read The End. I just can't criticize an author or drop the rating on a book that grips me that hard. Bitter Falls is a fantastic addition to the Stillwater Lake series and a must for fans of suspense thrillers! Highly recommended!

Bitter Falls is another adventure for Gwen Proctor and her family. Gwen has started working as a private investigator while she continues to monitor the threats against her family. She gets called in to work on a case involving a missing person who may have been part of religious cult. As the case progresses Gwen realizes that the case may put her family in the crosshairs of the cult. Gwen's willingness to do anything to protect her family makes her a compelling character and Sam also holds his own in the story, especially in the second half of the book. I can't wait to read book 5.

Despite having read all four Stillhouse Lake books, I was surprised how far along the series was when I picked up this book, probably because of how fresh they still fill - and how excited I am reading them. I still remember book one as clear as day (which is quite a feat considering how much crime fiction I read!).
What got me hooked was Gwen, a different type of protagonist, a woman on the run not from a man but from a whole host of them: men and women convinced she is guilty of the horrific crimes her husband actually committed. Thankfully, the husband is now out of the way. Unfortunately, this has done nothing to stop people hating Gwen and wanting her, and her kids, gone from their small, previously quiet, town.
Convincing Gwen to leave, however, won't be easy. She has stubborn running through her core. This all changes when her job as a private investigator brings a case too close to home, and her children. A young man has gone missing, and those responsible are determined he won't be found. To get to the bottom of the case, Gwen puts everything on the line and - for a while, at least - it looks like she might lose.
Rachel Caine does really well mixing Gwen's story with that of the missing, tying them together in a way that doesn't feel false or forced. For me, this is a plus because - as much as I want the case solved - I want to know more about Gwen and what is happening in her life. It might also be a bonus because, otherwise, the story of the missing young men might have been a bit too predictable, something I had read before.
Thankfully, though, this isn't a route Rachel Caine went down and I was left more than satisfied with a great story, great characters, and killer ending. I'm a very happy bunny!

I LOVE the series!

Reading the 4th instalment in the series made me realise how much I missed reading about Gwen and the others.
Bitter Falls doesn't disappoint! It is an action packed, suspense driven and pacy book. The tension and the drama continues in the story and I was fully invested. I liked it more than the last book, 'Wolfhunter River'.

The narrative, similar to previous installments, is split between Gwen, Connor, Sam, and Lanny. I have at times liked and at times disliked this dynamic, but it works rather well in Bitter Falls, in my opinion. Having said that I must say I still love Gwen’s chapters best.

I can't wait to read on and I think Rachel Caine is doing a fantastic job of having the readers hooked and invested in this series.

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

I enjoy this series so much. I love Gwen and her kids. And Sam. I like how they branched out to a different case but also kept some from the last like Vee. The whole book is very intense and action packed. I look forward to see the next adventure.

I will leave a review on Amazon or B&N on Jan 21, 2020

My thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advance copy of this book. This is my fair and honest review.

Bitter Falls is the 4th book in the Stillhouse series. This was the first book I have read from this series and this author. This book contains a little bit of everything, the main character Gwen Proctor was formerly married to a serial killer that now she is a PI trying to protect her children and partner. That isn't always easy when the media has made your life a living nightmare. Hillbilly drug dealers, cult leader just a few of the characters you will find in this book. Overall I enjoyed the book, it was well written but at times it has a really dark overtone. I would recommend it to others.

I fell in love with this series from book one (Stillhouse Lake) and loved book two (Killman Creek) but I thought perhaps I was done after reading Wolfhunter River. I didn't enjoy that one. Thanks to a reviewer I follow here on Goodreads I decided to give this book a try and I am so glad that Netgalley gave me the opportunity to read and review this book, it was just as good as the first two books in this series. I am now looking forward to the next book.

This is the 4th book in this series and this family just doesn't seem to get a break st all. Gwen Proctor is one tough woman. She had to be her husband was a serial killer.If you’ve ever seen the TV show The Following it’s similar. He had crazy people doing his bidding. The place they thought was there safe haven has turned against them so they are ready to move somewhere new. This time she’s up against a cult full of religious fanatics. She’s investigating a missing person. This book is suspenseful and fast paced. On to the next.