3.5 stars.
Bitter Falls is just as intense and action packed as the first three books in the Stillhouse Lake series. Once again we're swept up in a high-stakes thrilling drama as Gwen and her family face harassment from a town that shuns them, harrowing messages from trolls that want to see them grievously harmed, and getting caught in the cross-fires of the latest case that Gwen has been assigned in her new job. I've been a big fan of this series ever since I read the first book and I've truly come to appreciate all the main characters (Gwen, Sam, Lanny and Connor), as well as the recurring side characters in the series (Javi, Kezia, Agent Lustig etc.).

I read this book in one day as once I started it was easy to not want to stop reading. There's something about thrillers that involve cults that always quickly reels me in. Cults and their fanatics are absolutely terrifying and the one in this book was no less! Cain is really a master storyteller. I felt each moment of terror, rage, helplessness and relief that the characters experienced in the story. The first two books were told from Gwen's POV, but Bitter Falls continued with alternating POVs from the family, as it was in book three. What I absolutely loved was how Caine brings out such distinctive voices in each of her characters and what surprised me was that my favourite POV was from Connor. It's so easy to forget that Connor is only a young teenager especially with the all the trauma that they've experienced but his character goes through great growth in this story and I was really rooting for him!

That said, there was a certain point where I found myself getting a little frustrated with the repetitiveness of certain plot lines. The harassment, hatred and malice that is spewed at Gwen and her family is something that I wouldn't wish on the worst of my worst enemies, and I can't even begin to fathom what it'd be like to face an endless barrage of it day after day. However, after three books where the same course of these events are repeated, I feel like it's started to become a little... too much? Oh, I still get absolutely infuriated on Gwen's behalf when it happens (so much so that I sometimes want to throw my Kindle across the room!), but I was honestly hoping that after book three, the family might find a little peace and people would be less violent towards them. Similarly, I also found myself getting frustrated as one bad event after another continued to happen to this family. I get the need to fuel the drama but it honestly started feeling a little too unbelievable. Like, there's no possible way that anyone, no matter how unlucky or mired in controversy, can go through this much drama. No way! The whole time I just kept thinking: damn, this family really can't catch a break! And I think it just really tired me out...

Overall though, Caine delivers a fast-paced thrilling drama that I know many people will continue to love. Although I've been a fan from book one, I think that maybe I've just outgrown this series now, so I think that this'll be the last book I read in the series, at least for now. I'll definitely miss the characters but the OTT drama gives me too much stress lol I would still highly recommend at least the first three books to those who are looking for a fast-paced and action-packed thriller because it really is so good!

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher Thomas & Mercer for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is one of my favorite series and this installment didn't let me down. This one was just about as exciting as the first. I was so worried the series would be over after book 2 and book 3 wasn't quite as good as the first two. Book 4 however...was great! Fast paced and exciting. Would definitely recommend this series to anyone who loves thrillers. I hope we see more of Gwen and Sam!

Bitter Falls, by Rachel Caine, is the fourth installment in the Stillhouse Lake thriller series. For Gwen Proctor, her daughter Lanny, her son Connor, and her partner Sam Cade, Stillhouse Lake is no longer the sanctuary it once was. Now, the townsfolk are against them and everyone, except for a select few, want them gone and they aren’t afraid to show it. The most dangerous adversary for Gwen, Sam, and her kids are the Belldene's who Sam has already had run-ins with. The family is powerful, criminal, vengeful, and looking for a bit of payback.

Gwen's recent publicity created renewed tensions between them and the Belldene family whose paramilitary and drug-related activities don't want the attention. Gwen started working as a private investigator for J.B. Hall's Kingston Investigations, Sam's construction business has all but dried up forcing him to work out of town, Connor is being bullied in school, and is living in constant fear, while Lanny, still nursing a broken heart from her breakup, is a typical teenager who never sees the consequences of her actions.

Gwen takes the case Remy Landry, a young man who went missing in Knoxville (3) years ago. Remy is a college student who tried to help a girl escape from a cult and hasn't been seen or heard from since. His mother refuses to move on and all but lives in his former apartment. Further investigation leads her to Father Tom and the Assembly which threatens, kills, and enslaves women in their clutches. They are evil and the cult's leader mimics those like Jim Jones and others of his ilk. When the cult attacks Gwen and her family at home and kidnaps Sam and Connor, she will do anything and everything to get them back.

With lives on the line, Gwen proves that she is a formidable opponent. She knows how to stand and fight and when the going gets tough, she rolls with the punches and punches back. Even though she is still being stalked by trolls on the internet who want her kids to kill themselves, as well as Sam's former group who is now targeting him as being brainwashed, Gwen refuses to back down and run away again. As often times as she's been threatened, it's always a surprise when Gwen can walk away from a situation without much damage being done to herself or her family. The return of Vera (Vee) Crockett from the Wolfhunter River adds a bit more intrigue as well as danger.

Similar to other books, the author rotates her narrative between Gwen, Lanny, Connor, and Sam. I often times whine, yes I said it, about the numerous narratives but in this case I think they are more than warranted due to the circumstances each character finds themselves in. The ending both felt a bit rushed, as well as the end of the series. Not sure if there will be another book, but obviously the situation has drastically changed and so will the scenery. We shall see.

Bitter Falls is another nail biter of a book by Rachel Caine. This 4th in the series book had me on the edge of my seat just waiting for the next bomb to be dropped. Gwen has an innocent family who always seems to find themselves in a ridiculous amount of trouble with all the wrong people. Caine fills page upon page with mystery, suspense, drama, and intrigue. The entire Stillhouse Lake series is a must read.

This is the 4th installment in a series featuring Gwen Proctor, the former wife of notorious serial killer, Melvin Royal. She and her two children, Lanny and Connor (now 16 and 13), have been evading the tabloids and trying to escape their infamous past association with the now-dead Royal. Gwen is currently working as a PI and living at Stillhouse Lake with her children and her partner, Sam Cade. Everything should be settling down for them now and giving a chance for their family to find peace, but the people in town don't want them there and so many others still believe that there's no way that Gwen didn't know what her husband was up to. Lanny and Connor aren't doing well at school and it looks like they're going to have to move again. Then Gwen takes a missing persons case that makes the decision moot. Her boss asks her to look into a 3-year-old cold case involving a 21-year-old college student, Remy Landry, who vanished after going out drinking with his friends. Gwen goes to interview the parents and finds them totally broken. Her only lead is that he was apparently recently trying to help a girl named Carol but no one knows much about her. The investigation leads to a secret compound known as Bitter Falls and involves a lot more than one missing young man. NO SPOILERS.

I've been with Gwen since the beginning and I'm afraid the series is running out of steam as this felt so similar to the previous books in the series. Gwen's character hasn't changed much and, even though the whole family is in therapy, it doesn't seem to have done a lot for her or the kids. This is a fast read with the narrative shifting between points of view and it has lots of action between the good guys and the bad guys. Easy to read in a single sitting, I'm sure fans of the series won't be likely to miss this but I surely hope that Gwen starts moving in a different direction and can settle down somewhere and leave her past behind her once and for all.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this e-book ARC to read and review.

I just love the Stillhouse Lake series. In the last book, I was excited to see the direction the series was taking because it meant we could have a lot more books in this series. I mistakenly assumed the series going forward would take the safe route and become more about Gwen Proctor's new life and less about Gina Royal's old life. I'm so glad I was wrong! There is still so much of the original plot and family dynamic happening, and I'm so happy.

If you've read Stillhouse Lake, so much of what I loved about that first book can be found in Bitter Falls as well. It's really a return to the roots of this series while still progressing the family where they are now.

If you haven't read Stillhouse Lake, well... I recommend you get on that some day. I really look forward to each book in this series. Things are not easy for this family, and I'm assuming things are about to get rough all over again in the next one. I'll be there!

Bitter Falls is the fourth book in the Stillhouse Lake series, a series I've been enjoying since it's inception. From the last two books, the series has taken a turn to include crimes outside of the original Royal family story. While I love Gwen, Sam, Lanny & Connor, the side case in this one just didn't hook me as much as I would have hoped. (I will note that I loved the side case in book 3 and rated that book 5 stars). I'm hoping for a more interesting case in the next book, as I'm definitely not ready to say goodbye to this crew just yet!

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 wasn’t crazy about Wolfhunter River but I felt like it was a jumping off point for something different and so I had high hopes for Bitter Falls. However, I was kind of disappointed for the first half, or so. It felt repetitive. Like we were continuing to rehash what we already knew, familiar themes. The whole notoriety thing is getting a little played out. It also felt like it was going in too many directions, how many more unrelated perilous situations can you have in one book?

BUT they ended up serving their purpose. The second half was more streamlined and at least the hunted/living in danger was from a different angle. Not just rehashing the “my husband was a murderer and everyone things I am” plot.

I’m hoping this really really ties up the loose ends and we truly start to move in the new direction. I don’t think she needs the “ex-wife of a murder, hunted by people who think she’s guilty” plot to fall back on all the time. As evidenced by how gripping the second half of Bitter Falls was. I’m not saying to disregard it completely. But I like it when it’s not as central to the story anymore.

I had read every single one of her weather warden novels so when I seen this with also I opened it up. Since the others had been on my tbr I was a happy camper to get a taste of something else this author writes. This also was a perfect fit into what my personal reading was of late suspense and mystery. This also dealt with a cold case with them being very intriguing. Gwen will go into this with wanting answers but it also adds new things to it too. Her and Sam will have more than they thought with this one. The intrigue will also bring her loved ones into danger so we too will come to the edge. So this author sure can write whatever genre she does with it being a fabulous escape and one that takes you with no mercy.

Such a binge worthy series!! Book 4 in the Stillhouse Lake Series didn’t disappoint. The series follows Gwen and her two sons after they’ve found out her husband and their father is a serial killer. This book is full of twist and turns! Gwen is someone you most definitely don’t want to mess with or cross!! Highly recommend this series!!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy for my honest review. 5 page turning stars!

🎉𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗬 𝗣𝗨𝗕 𝗗𝗔𝗬 @rachelcainewriter!🎉
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“𝗔 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿'𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱. 𝗜𝘁 𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗿𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵.” -𝗔𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗮 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗲, 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵
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Thank you to @netgalley and the publishers at Thomas and Mercer for my ARC copy in exchange for my honest review!
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I am such a fan of this series! I picked up 𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝗸𝗲, 𝗞𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗸 and 𝗪𝗼𝗹𝗳𝗵𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 last year and I loved each and every 𝗯𝗮𝗱𝗮𝘀𝘀-𝗺𝗮𝗺𝗮-𝗯𝗲𝗮𝗿 Gwen Proctor moment and 𝗕𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗙𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀 was no exception! I am always on the edge of my seat wondering what is coming up next. I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a great thriller and of course the other 3 in the series. 4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨shining stars from me!
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In spite of a harrowing past still haunting her, Gwen Proctor is trying to move forward. Until a new assignment gives her purpose: the cold-case disappearance of a young man in Tennessee. Three years missing, no clues. Just Ruth Landry, a tortured mother in limbo. Gwen understands what it’s like to worry about your children. Gwen’s investigation unearths new suspects…and victims. As she follows each sinister lead, the implications of the mystery grow more disturbing. Because the closer Gwen gets, the closer she is to a threat that looms back home. In a town that’s closed its ranks against Gwen; her partner, Sam; and her kids, there’s no bolder enemy than the Belldene family—paramilitary, criminal, powerful, and vengeful. As personal vendettas collide with Gwen’s investigation, she’s prepared to fight both battles. But is she prepared for the toll it could take on everyone she loves?
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Having read each of the books at different times I have to admit I had to go back and review the other books because I couldn't remember much about the characters.
I would highly suggest reading the books in order other wise readers will be lost and confused at times.
The moody teens were so funny in the face I am going though moody teenagers expect I didn't have a serial killer as a husband.
Bitter Falls is a great title for the book due to how people treat the family from beginning to end of the story.
The mystery is half way though the book so readers who haven't read the other books than you it will work for you but for those who have it take a while to get to the meat of the book.
The treatment of the family is insane at times but they know who they can trust. It is a little over the top but a good read.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of Rachel Caine BItter FAlls

Bitter Falls is another addictive, action-packed installment in the Stillhouse Lake series. Alternating between multiple POV's - Gwen, Sam, Lanny and Connor - we follow the family as they realize that Stillhouse Lake is no longer the safe haven it once was. Gwen's failed TV interview and everything that occurred afterward has only made things worse. Surprisingly, Gwen's past isn't the driving force in the feud with the local hillbilly mafia - a.k.a the Belldene family - although the increased media/police presence certainly isn't good for business. The credit here goes to Sam...mostly.

Now working as a Private Investigator, Gwen is assigned to look into the cold case of a college man who disappeared without a trace 3 years ago. Despite the fact that his mother refuses to give up hope, it isn't his parents who hired her. It's an organization called All Saints International, but the question is why? What interest could they possibly have in this case? Her investigation uncovers new sinister leads along with connections to Wolfhunter River. In going up against this religious cult, Gwen unknowingly puts another target on her family.

Between the problems with the Belldene's, Connor suffering from PTSD and Lanny struggling to fit in, it's time for Gwen and Sam to come to a decision. Are they to continue trying to make life at Stillhouse Lake work, or is it finally time to move on?

I still think Killman Creek would have been a good conclusion for the series but I'm continuing because I'm rooting for Gwen and her family. Although considering who they are, it's hard to believe they will ever catch a break and be able to settle somewhere peacefully...especially if Gwen continues working as a P.I instead of keeping a low profile.
They've suffered so much already and deserve a chance at a normal life. It would be nice to see people accept them and recognize the fact that Lanny and Connor are also victims. Gwen is as well but the children are completely innocent and shouldn't still be receiving so much hate/death threats because of Melvin's crimes.
I admit, I wasn't a huge fan of Vee's reappearance but the cult storyline was fascinating and needing to know how everything would unravel had me hooked.

I will definitely be picking up book 5 because I adore Sam and Gwen together and how they've managed to overcome the obstacles thrown at them to become a solid family unit.
I'm looking forward to reading about whatever trouble Gwen lands herself in next!

Bitter Falls is the newest installment of the Stillhouse Lake series. Reading about Gwen's adventures is always a good ride. This time, her case brought her to Bitter Falls to investigate a missing person who seemingly vanished without a trace. As usual, nothing is as it seems and Gwen and the Proctor family face challenges. While the books in this series are all kind of similar, I do greatly enjoy this series and always look forward to the next one to be released. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book prior to its release!

*4.5 stars rounded up!! Talk about non-stop action! Rachel Caine really knows how to write an exciting thriller. In the 4th book in the series, Gwen is working for a detective agency and is asked by her boss to look into a cold case: the disappearance of a young male college student that happened three years ago.

Meanwhile back at home, things are not going well for her family. Someone seems to want them gone from Stillhouse Lake and the kids have problems of their own. Gwen needs to keep her children safe but has unwittingly stirred up a hornet's nest with her investigation that brings more danger down on their heads. The tension builds and builds to a very dramatic, nail-biting conclusion.

I received an arc of this new thriller from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks.

Gwen has had a hard life, atleast the last few years, and it seems like she attracts danger at every turn. She struggles to keep her family safe from all the evil people bring to her door step. Her new case searching for answers to a missing boys disappearance 3 years ago leads as I'm sure you suspect, to more danger. Sam has his own troubles that are taking a darker turn and the kids are targets yet again. Intriguing storyline with some action and suspense as well as the support and love of family and friends through it all! Definitely another five star read that should not be missed!

I love the Stillhouse Lake series, so was really excited to read the latest book! I had wondered how Caine would continue the story when (SPOILER ALERT) her ex-husband was no longer alive to contribute to the plot, but she has done a great job of continuing the drama the readers love. This book focused on a religious cult that was seemingly kidnapping young men from the nearby town to join the Army of Saints, with the Proctor family determined to figure out how to help them. I am eager to see what is in the future

I am a big fan of this series and each story continues to get better and better. There is drama, suspense and the anticipation of what happens next that has you wanting more. The characters are fantastic and their continued growth makes each story better and better. I cannot wait to see what she comes out with next. Definitely one series you want to pick up.

I have been a big fan of the Stillhouse Lake series since the beginning -- however, I was a bit skeptical about how much further the story could go after the last book. Needless to say, all of my skepticism disappeared after reading Bitter Falls. First off, Rachel Caine has done such an excellent job of developing the main characters: Gwen, Lanny, Connor and Sam. She does a great job of toggling in between their points of view and really channels the voice of each character through her writing. She also has done an incredible job of weaving all of the plot lines together between the 4 books. Different characters and plot lines from the three previous books are expertly incorporated into this new book -- a MUST READ! I can't wait for the next one!