Member Reviews

Thanks to NetGalley, author and publisher for letting me have a copy of this book to review. Charlotte grew up poor and marries Paul, an older rich man. Paul's previous wife died in a tragic accident but there are whispers of suspicion surrounding Paul. One night, Paul is nowhere to be found and then Charlotte sees him talking to a woman that she doesn't know. The next day, the same woman is found dead in their property. When police question the couple, they both deny ever seeing this woman before. Paul is hiding something, but so is Charlotte. This was an interesting and entertaining story.

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This was alright. I can see it being a nice easy beach read for summer. I guess my problem was I didn’t really care about the characters and once the truth was revealed about the woman in the lake I didn’t really care about that either.

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Stranger in the Lake is the second book by Kimberley Belle I’ve read, the first being The Marriage Lie. I really enjoyed that one and I’ve had Dear Wife on my tbr for some time now. When I read the synopsis for Stranger in the Lake on Netgalley, I knew I needed to read it!

Stranger in the Lake is a fun whodunit full of secrets, lies, and marital/familial drama. There are flashbacks scattered throughout that help paint a picture of the friendship between the three main men in the story. Our main character Charlotte “Charlie” is a likable character that I found myself rooting for and wanting things to work out in her favor.

Belle’s writing is smooth and captivating describing the lake side town of Lake Crosby. A lake known for its washed up bodies. The mystery behind who the “stranger” is and how she wound up there is a dark and convoluted story that I didn’t see coming. While I enjoyed the story, it wrapped up a little too nicely. That’s my only complaint. I like stories that end with a little more darkness. Totally a personal preference though.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one and recommend it if you’re looking for a quick whodunit mystery. The writing is easy to follow and the story unfolds at a good pace.

4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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This novel follows married couple Charlotte and Paul. Charlotte and her younger brother grew up in poverty in a rough part of town. Years later, Charlotte meets the handsome and wealthy widower Paul, and despite the warnings of other in the community she falls in love with Paul and they get married. Charlotte and Paul are in love and are happy. One morning Charlotte walks down to their boat to retrieve something she had forgotten from the previous evening, only to find the body of a woman floating under their dock. Who is the woman in the water, and what happened to her?

Fingers are quickly pointed towards her husband Paul. Afterall, his previous wife was found drowned in the same spot some years before, But Paul was found innocent then, but is he innocent now? Determined to prove he is innocent, and determined to believe her husband's innocence, Paul and Charlotte are on a path to find out what truly happened that fateful day and to determine just who the stranger in the lake is found just outside their property.

What unfolds is an addictive, thrilling story that will have you guessing and second guessing just about everyone in this novel, and when the truth comes out it will rock you with revelations that you won't see coming!

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This earns a very solid 3 stars from me. I enjoyed the setting, the build up, and the ending. I thought the plot was fine, but it felt like a lot of other thrillers. It was hard to feel any sympathy for the main character, Charlotte - there was a lot of telling and little showing. For example, we are told like 4-5 times that Charlotte wants security. Okay. We get it. But show us! I was disappointed with the character development because usually this author nails it. It was fine. Just not my favorite.

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I had been anxiously awaiting Stranger in the Lake and I have to say I was not disappointed. Kimberly Belle did an amazing job with this book. It grabbed me from the very beginning and didn’t let up.

Thank you to NetGalley, Park Row and Kimberly Belle for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my review.

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Secrets are like a slow-moving poison eating up everything in their wake. Charlotte has no idea how many secrets surround her, but when she discovers a drowned woman by her home she starts to realize her husband and friends haven’t exactly been honest. A great read that is very well written and entertaining!

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Stranger in the Lake by Kimberley Belle Reviewed March 31, 2020 4 Stars
My first Kimberly Belle novel was “Dear Wife”, which I really liked it and gave it 4+ stars. I since have been looking forward to reading another novel by Ms. Belle.
I am a big psychological thriller fan. This one DID NOT disappoint.

Story is told in from the POV of Charlie aka Charlotte in present day but also Jax in June 1999.

Charlie grows up from wrong side of the tracks; her mother is trailer park trash.
Charlotte at 25 marries Paul 37, the richest man in town. People, of course, believe she married for his money but they have no idea why Paul would marry Charlie the gas station clerk.

Story starts off when a stranger washes up dead under the dock of Charlotte and Paul’s beautiful lake front home. Same spot where Paul’s first wife was found dead 4 years ago.

Story is clever with more than the usual twists and turns. Kept me guessing but before it all unraveled I did get my “Ah Ha” moment! But certainly didn’t figure out everything!!!

Want to thank NetGalley and Harlequin Press for this early release granted in exchange for an honest review. Publishing Release Date scheduled for June 9, 2020

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This is an entirely atmospheric, suspenseful book. I was truly perplexed until a clue that gave it away for me. Others may be pleasantly surprised but I found it to be a bit too obvious. I enjoyed the slow unraveling of the story and sat in anticipation of what was going to happen once the truth was revealed. I enjoyed the big reveal, even more so afterwards when more twists presented. I had a hard time connecting with the characters but overall, this was a suspenseful read and I thoroughly enjoyed the setting details the author provided. It added a dark, chilling tone to the book that brought it to another level. 3.5⭐️ My thanks to the publisher for the advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

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I was anticipating this book as I have enjoyed this author's previous novels. However, I found this book kind of uneven. The premise is good and the details are solid. A body washes up underneath a couple's dock. And this isn't the first time that a body has washed up there. The story moves along at kind of an uneven pace and the flashbacks were not used in a positive way, in my opinion.

I did like the ending. I think. Again, kind of murky. But I guess that's how a lake is. I will keep reading Ms. Belle's novels, Although I don't think this one is anywhere near the caliber of Dear Wife.. which I thought was brilliantly plotted.

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Another great book by Kimberly Belle. I really enjoyed the mystery, especially how it wasn't told completely from a police investigation point of view. I've read alot of those lately so this was a nice change. I would have loved to hear a bit more about Charlie's life growing up in the trailer park, but really that could be a whole other book!
If you enjoy mysteries with a bit of an edge to them then you'll enjoy this one!

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Amazing read! I read this one in less than a day, it was THAT good! Twists and turns abound along with mystery and murder. Kimberly Belle has done it again, you won’t be disappointed.

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This was the first Kimberly Belle novel I’ve read and wow! She knocked it out of the park!! I couldn’t put it down! I love when I’m reading a murder mystery and I can’t figure it out. Highly recommend this book!

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Kimberly Belle does it again! The twists and turns in this novel keep getting better and better. This rivals The Marriage Lie and Dear Wife as her best work yet!

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This is the first book I've read by Kimberly Belle and I enjoyed it very much. Stranger in the Lake has a brilliant story line with exciting twists and turns that lead to a wonderful ending. I am very interested in reading more from this author.

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Told from the point of view of the main character, this book has so many twists and turns, lies and deceptions, it’s hard to turn the pages fast enough! Charlie, AKA Charlene, was raised by a mostly absent alcoholic and drug addict. She falls In love with a wealthy widower, and they are married despite everyone’s speculation that he killed his first wife. She is not prepared for all the dishonesty her husband and his friends are involved in to cover up their actions. This remarkable book should not be missed by fans of mysteries and especially books by Kimberly Belle. I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Harlequin. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Yesssssss! Great one, Kimberly Belle! I think my favorite aspect of this book was the dark and eerie lakeshore setting, surrounded by those glass-walled luxe modern homes. I had a really strong picture in my mind throughout the whole story, felt my feet walking through the forested crags, felt the harsh, swirling storms; this was a richly atmospheric tale. And, oh the deceptions, There were so many deceptions lying at the bottom of that cold, deep place. Readers will get lots of chills and thrills from this one!

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I have a trend going lately for books about lakes and missing or dead women, so it should come as no surprise that Stranger in the Lake is about just that.

Charlotte (Charlie) has married the wealthy man of her dreams, swearing to leave her trailer park upbringing behind her and focusing on her future, especially since she's just found out she's pregnant. However, when she finds a dead woman floating beneath her dock, the second such woman who's met the tragic end in the same spot, Charlotte questions her relationship, her identity, and her safety. With her brother Chet and longtime friend Micah, she's determined to solve the mystery, find the killer, and give her child the life that her own mother wasn't able to provide for her.

On the surface, this book is a pretty standard thriller. Dead women, decades-old local rumors about a similar case, a cast of unreliable narrators. This played out well, and Belle executed her pacing and structure. I would argue, though, the most endearing part of Stranger in the Lake was the underlying commentary on maternal relationships, an area I'm particularly interested in in my own writing. So many times, we see mother/daughter relationships as wholesome and transcendent. Mothers love their children. Mothers care for their children. Mothers want to be mothers. It's rare you see a gritty picture in a thriller, where the MC embraces her poor upbringing and showcases the drug addiction, the shortcomings, and the neglect. I found Charlie's struggle with her newfound wealthy status incredibly interesting. Her identity is wrapped up in a community where BBQ joints have no menus and only locals know how to order. Where hunger is a mainstay and rich means a full fridge. I found this relatable and heartbreaking. A few months back, before the world went into pandemic mode, there was a meme circulating about how to tell your friends were rich when you were a kid, and doubled-door fridges with ice makers topped the list. There's a reason for this, and Belle did an excellent job highlighting the pitfalls of "making something of yourself."

While the plot was a tad on the predictable side, Charlie's character arc itself was enough to carry the themes and narrative voices, and for that, I really liked this book. Stranger in the Lake is a solid read, with plenty of twists and social commentary, and you'll want to add this to your TBRs ASAP.

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I didn’t hate this book nor did I love it. I just feel in different towards it. I wasn’t really excited or captivated by anything nor was I bored to tears. I thought the pacing was good. I was surprised by the ending and didn’t see it coming. This was middle of the road for me.

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This is the second book I have read by Kimberly Belle and I thought both were just OK. This story centers on Charlotte, a young woman who grew up on the wrong side of the tracks and has recently married a rich widower named Paul. Early in the book, Charlotte finds a body of a woman under their dock, which is scary enough, but turns out that is the exact same place that Paul's first wife's body was found a few years ago. She becomes suspicious of Paul, as do others, as happens in a small town where everyone gossips.

There are a number of primary characters in this book beyond Charlotte and Paul, including Charlotte's brother Chet, Paul's mother Diana and childhood friend Jax (some chapters are told from his POV 20 years earlier), and the chief of police and his son, Sam and Micah. You learn that Paul, Jax, and Micah were friends in high school but it takes much of the book to tie that story into the current happenings.

The end of this book did surprise me, which is hard to do, but my primary issue with the story is that I didn't feel like I really knew any of the characters- maybe it's because there were so many, but I just never connected with them. I also felt that Charlotte was awfully righteous for someone of her age and in her current situation. By the end of the book, I wasn't concerned about what happened to these characters.

Overall, it was a decent mystery but just didn't pull me in.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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