Charlotte’s old friends assume she’s just a gold-digger when she marries the older, very wealthy Paul Keller. However, Charlotte loves her husband even though he keeps a part of him shut off from her. Paul’s first wife tragically drowned right outside their lakefront home and Charlotte sometimes feels she still comes in second to Katherine. When the body of a young woman is found under the Keller’s dock, Charlotte really begins to wonder how well she knows her husband, but will she be able to learn the truth before it’s too late?

Most of the story is told in the first person from Charlotte’s point-of-view, but there are some flashbacks from the past that hint at a past incident that could be related to the current events happening in Lake Cosby. It is a modern suspense novel, but I like that it has elements of a gothic thriller. The book is fast-paced, but I was disappointed that it is sometimes predictable. Although I didn’t guess the whole story, I was able to put most of the pieces together to figure out the identity of the killer. Other things were revealed at the end in addition to the murderer and some of these I was able to guess as well. There was one surprise when the whole story about both past and present events came out, and that made me feel better about the ending.

Although I wish the twists had been less easy to foresee, I enjoyed the book’s fast pace. I was rooting for Charlotte and really liked her relationship with her brother, Chet. They may not always agree, but they are always there for each other. I would have liked to have seen some flashbacks when Charlotte was still friends with Sam Kincaid. They talked about some of their past history, but I thought there was some missed potential between those two characters. As was intended, I was unsure about Charlotte’s husband Paul but appreciated that the author was able to show their love but also give Charlotte and the reader reasons to doubt him. Even though the book didn’t include the shocks I was anticipating, I enjoyed the book even more than the author’s previous book, “The Marriage Lie.”

I received this book from NetGalley through the courtesy of Harlequin/Park Row. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

Stranger in the Lake pulled me in and didn't let go til the very last page! Kimberly Belle never disappoints!

Charlotte had a humble past when she married the widower Paul, leading to a lot of gossip in town. Her life with him starts to unravel when a woman is found drowned in the lake in the same spot his first wife was found. He denied ever seeing her before, but Charlotte had seen the two talking in town. The lie makes her begin to doubt him, and wonder what other secrets he hides.

Time-wise, Stranger in the Lake takes place over a relatively short period of time. Even so, there's so much that happens in it, and I really wanted Charlotte to get that happily ever after that she hoped for. She had gone from the trailer park to being the wife of a successful man, getting a job in his office despite not evening finishing high school. Paul puts her into an awkward position of lying from the start, then disappears. Whenever things get tough or difficult to explain, he takes off and essentially leaves her to piece things together on her own. Because of that she is put into a lot of danger, with the final twists in the story coming as a shock both to her and to the reader.

I really liked how plucky Charlotte was. As tough as she had it when young, she didn't let that steer her down a dark or depressed path. She kept pushing herself to do better, even with the odds stacked against her as an uneducated young woman with a drug addict mother, absent father and younger brother she essentially had to raise. The two still had a pretty good relationship as adults, and he tried to help out as much as he could when it was obvious that her charmed life wasn't as good as she thought it was. It would be easy for her to get mean and blame the situation, but instead she opted for the truth. I really admire that about her. When faced with the choice to take the easy way out, she turned away from the money and opted to do the right thing. Justice finally won out for everyone involved, making a very satisfying conclusion.

Stranger in the Lake is a hard book to put down! Finding 2 women’s dead bodies under her husband’s dock 4 years apart, casts great suspicion on Charlie’s husband Paul. He has 2 old friends he is devoted to, and they look out for each other and have secrets from way back that are still controlling their lives 20 years later. A few unexpected twists and good suspense. Another winner!

I really enjoyed this suspenseful and totally captivating book that looks at life from the side of the very poor and the very rich. Charlotte and Chet were raised in a trailer park by their drug addicted mother. Charlie was always responsible for Chet since she was in elementary school and gets a job at a convenience store in order to support herself. There she meets very wealthy architect and widower Paul. They fall instantly in love and get married, despite the fact that Charlie is warned that Paul’s first wife died under very mysterious circumstances. Then, one day when Charlie rushes out to their boat to look for her missing cell phone, she discovers a dead body under the pier. Too eerie and coincidental since Paul’s first wife was discovered in like manner. The whole story is creepy good, with Charlie determined to find the truth, but also kind of hesitant because she really does love Paul. The characterization is spot on with characters like Paul’s mom Diana coming across as a real witch with the letter B and Batty Jax, a boyhood friend of Paul’s as someone who has serious psychological issues. I couldn’t read this book fast enough, with all of its complicated twists and turns and false leads. I thoroughly enjoyed it, even though I did figure out the ending (or at least most of it), I enjoyed seeing how it would play out in the author’s mind. Fans of mystery, suspense, fiction, thrillers and drama will really enjoy this book. What a great movie this one would make!

Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

When I picked up this book, I was in a reading funk that had been lasting weeks. I love a good thriller and was hoping Kimberly Belle’s Stranger in the Lake could pull me out of my funk! To sum it up… it was far more successful than I was imagining it was going to be.

This story had intrigue and mystery from the start. I loved the instant suspense of the gossip-inducing relationship and then the first crime right off the top. While Charlotte’s character is not universally loved in their small town, I happened to like her. She handled herself very well with all the drama and her character was one that was inspiring on how she tried to be loyal to those around her and strong willed to get through everything.

While I did guess the killer about two thirds through the book, how it all played out was very exciting and shocking with each turn. Belle sure knows how to write a story that had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I loved the main characters. I loved the little side characters who helped fill the gaps in this story and shape it into its most interesting parts.

If you love a good mystery, this is it. Thrills, suspense, mystery… Stranger in the Lake has it all.

Kimbrely Belle has talent for grabbing the reader from the very first page and making them hold on for dear life. Stranger in the Lake is definitely not an exception to the rule. Her grubbing new novel takes the reader on a classic path of rich boy/ poor girl story line in the most untraditional way. The nonstop twists and secrets uncovered will have the reader turning the pages as fast as they can while wanting it all to slow down because it’s to good to finish. Cheers to Kimbrely Belle for yet another 5 star book.

When Charlotte (Charlie) was growing up poor, she never expected to have the fairy tale life she is living after marrying Paul Keller, a wildly successful architect and developer. Although her mother-in-law has some reservations about her background, Paul’s friends, especially the reclusive Jax and neighbor Micah, have readily accepted her.

In the early morning after she has told Paul that she is pregnant, she walks down to their dock to retrieve papers and discovers the body of a woman floating under that dock. After the police are called, she is surprised when Paul says he has never seen the blonde drowning victim. Charlotte saw them together the day before and even spoke to the woman herself. Of course, the fact that Paul’s late wife had been found trapped under that same dock four years earlier makes the police suspicious. Paul then leaves on a mysterious hike and Charlotte is left to deal with the situation by herself. She begins to investigate on her own and quickly discovers secrets inside of secrets in their small town. She has no idea what danger has been hidden away.

Kimberly Belle knows how to write a thriller! Stranger in the Lake is a fast paced read that keeps you guessing. It’s a book you will not be able to put down. 5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin and Kimberly Belle for this ARC.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Park Row Books, and Kimberly Belle for the opportunity to read and review her latest mystery - 4.5 stars for a great read! This is a must-read author for me and this book shows why!

Charlotte is from the wrong side of town. Raised by a drug-addicted mom and forced to raise her baby brother, Chet, Charlotte has tried hard to move on from her past. When she falls in love with rich architect, Paul, she has to face talk in the town that she is a gold digger and only wants Paul for his money. Meanwhile, Paul is no stranger to being talked about - his first wife was found drowned under their dock and many in the town still think he got away with murder. But when Charlotte finds a stranger's body found drowned under that same dock, not even she can say it's just coincidence. Paul has always held things back from Charlotte but now he's not the only one lying. The story is also told in flashbacks to 1999 on a fateful night Paul spent with his two best friends, Micah and Jax. Just what happened that night?

Don't miss this one!

I was so invested in this story from page one that I read this book in one sitting. It was perfectly paced and had enough twists and turns to keep me on the edge of my seat the whole way through. Throughout the story were flashbacks to an event in the past and it was so interesting seeing the two storyline come together. Belle also did an amazing job of making the setting of this book come to life. The small tourist town, the weather, the characters all felt so vivid to me. I also really appreciated the dichotomy of Charlotte’s life before Paul versus her life since marrying him. Charlotte is a character that I really admired and I enjoyed seeing her push to discover the truth of what is really going on. This is a thriller that I can see so many people loving. It has all the elements of a great thriller and I absolutely fell in love with Belle’s writing.

A Stranger in the Lake is a whirlwind story of how "Charlie" aka "Charlotte" managed to fall in love with a rich, handsome man from the other side of the tracks, only to realize that it wasn't all she thought it would be. Paul seemed to be her Knight on a white horse, until a dead woman's body shows up under their dock, and everything starts to unravel from there.

I really enjoyed how the beginning of the story started out, just kind of tossing the reading into the middle of it and letting them either sink or swim to try and start to figure out where the pieces fit. It really helped develop the setting, the characters and the start of the plot. I felt like I really liked all of the characters in the beginning, yes even the condescending Diane the affluent and overprotective mother of Paul. All the while little seeds are being planted that will sprout much later in the story really making the reader's mind gears turn until you get to that "oh shit!" moment, where you think you're starting to figure it all out. Well, I felt mighty proud of myself at that moment.... then I kept reading. That's when I hit the "OH SHIITTT!" moment and just had that stupid goofy grin on my face, because I am a huge sucker for crazy hairpin twists in books.

This book will pull you in, make you comfortable and then toss you around like you're stuck in the clothes dryer. The last 40% of the book is where you will not be able to put it down and will most likely have the book (or kindle) right up next to your face where you'll realize oh, that's too close. I highly recommend this for a fun and exciting summer read!! So pre-order your copy right now, or grab it on Tuesday when it's finally out, and make sure to add Kimberly Belle to your list of must read authors. She's definitely been added to mine!

This is the newest domestic thriller by Belle. Her previous bestsellers include books such as 'Dear Wife', 'Three Days Missing' and 'The Marriage Lie'. In this one a young woman, Charlotte, who grew up in poverty is newly married to a wealthy architect. His previous wife had drowned in the lake and although it was ruled an accident, their have been gossip about the possible guilt of her husband. When Charlotte finds another dead woman in the lake, the suspicions multiply and Charlotte is no longer sure she trusts the man she loves. This is a fun read for fans of the genre and her fans will not be disappointed.

Linda's Book Obsession Reviews "Stranger in the Lake" by Kimberly Belle, Park Row, June 9, 2020

OMG! Kimberly Belle, author of "Stranger in the Lake" has written a chilling thrilling, edgy, suspenseful, riveting, and page-turning novel. The genres for this novel are Mystery and Suspense, Thriller, Psychological Thriller, and Fiction. The timeline for this story is set in the present and goes to the past when it pertains to the characters or events. The story takes place in a small town by a lake. The author describes her dramatic cast of characters as complex, complicated, quirky, dysfunctional, and suspect. In this story, there are deep dark secrets, betrayals, lies, threats, gaslighting, danger, and murder.

Kimberly Belle vividly sets and describes her characters, scenery, and plot. The author makes a case by setting the huge glass-walled house by the slippery, dark lake. There are two ways to get to town, by boat, or a car. The town is very small, and the neighborhood seems to gossip a lot. Charlotte and her brother come from the other poor side of town. Charlotte is married to Paul a very wealthy man and was a widower. Paul's wife had been an expert swimmer, but drowned in the lake, by the house that Charlotte and Paul live in.  The cause of death was ruled an accident, but the town still talks.

Charlotte is headed to town and has to use the boat. She notices a body in the lake water by her house. Her husband Paul is doing his running, so she goes to get her neighbor and call 911. Once the body of the woman is pulled from the lake, most of the Police force determines that the dead woman is a stranger to the town.  As Paul and his friends agree the woman is a stranger, Charlotte realizes that she thinks she had seen this woman talking to Paul the day before.  Charlotte is also warned by one of Paul's quirky friends to watch her back.

This is an edgy, intense, psychological thriller, that I would highly recommend for readers who enjoy a story with twists and turns and surprises.

Well I'm in the minority here. A body turns up in a lake...four years after a man's first wife had drowned in the very same spot. I mean, that sounds fun, right?

Instead I got a beat over the head with description after description of how unimaginably wealthy Charlotte's husband is. From the million-dollar cottages he designs to the coffee maker worth more than entire kitchens to the insistence on only eating organic produce. I get it. He has money.

The characters in this book were either outrageously wealthy OR drug addicts and criminals who live in the town's trailer park. Charlotte <b>constantly</b> brought up how she lived in a trailer as a child and how no one who grows up one can make anything of their life, they were only headed for jail or - at best - a baby on their hip and a GED. Uh, no.

I had entire paragraphs highlighted because I was so disgusted by the depictions of these characters (and outright confusion - it sounds like everyone lives in the same town? It's a literal divide down the street between the families who can't afford to eat and the multi-millionaires) but it looks like my Kindle nixed those, so whatever.

I could have easily written this one off as a lackluster made-for-tv movie that's shown on the weekends, but then the big reveal happened and yeah, I'm not at all interested in a privileged police chief who's been covering up evidence of a murder for twenty years so that his son doesn't go down for the death of a poor man. No thanks.

I love Kimberly Belle but this one was a bit slow to get into for me. Still well worth the time to read Stranger in the Lake with the surprise ending. and a character whose moral compass leads her to an honest life.

After a whirlwind romance,Charlotte McCready (26) finds herself married to wealthy widower, Paul Keller (37). Within a year she is pregnant when her world begins to fall apart on her discovery of a body of a young woman under the dock of her home. Paul and his BFFs, Jax and Micah are hiding secrets. As the complex plot reveals characters' actions the 'who-done-it' becomes a race against time

Charlie (Charlotte) is a character I felt I could connect with and her brother Chet was a good support for her.

This review was commissioned by Harper Collins.

Charlotte’s world from the outside is glittering and amazing, something to be envied, but from the moment we step over the threshold of her home we know, just as she does, that something is way off.

Is it her secretive, seemingly devoted husband, his loyal friend, Micah, or Batty Jax, the town kook who has the hair on the back of our necks standing up from the gripping first page to the dark, twisty ending?

I don’t know, but I will say that feeling Charlotte’s terror as the secrets unfold, as dark and swirling as the lake outside her door where bodies like to wash up, is beautifully palpable and very real.

As the former editor of mystery books it is hard to stump me but this one had me guessing right up until the reveal.

A 5 star masterpiece that mystery and suspense lovers should not miss.

Yahoo! I am excited to say Kimberly Belle has me back in my groove, and I flew through this one like a wakeboarder hydroplaning through the wake! This is one wild ride, and I felt like I was weaving in and out those waves with those twists and turns. Just when I thought I was heading in one direction when I least expected it, I was heading outside the wake and then back again.

Stranger in the Lake is one chilly atmospheric domestic thriller that had me feeling chilled to the bone on the beautiful sunny day I was tapping my fingers as fast as I could on my Kindle. The magic here is all in the setting for me, and Kimberly Belle sure knows how to set the scene in more ways than one. The chilly lake with its deadly secrets, the small town where everyone knows everyone but their dangerous secrets that the lake holds. The house surrounded in the snow looking over the lake watching everything and knowing what happened to the stranger in the lake was a character in itself. I just want to say Brilliant, I love it!

There are a couple of dark mysteries here with the bodies found in the lake here, opening up questions of whodunnit, why and who is hiding want secrets from the past. Our main character Charlotte finds one body, and she starts to question her relationship with her husband. I loved Charlotte, she is a likable, strong, relatable character. At times I wanted to mistrust her, but her flawed and vulnerable side to her had me rooting for her. The characters here are exciting, and I questioned each one from start to that exciting final reveal, of course, I didn't see coming.

Posted on blog June 7, 2020

3.5 stars.

Kimberly Belle had me with The Last Breath, published back in 2014. She is one of my go-to authors', I don't even need to read the blurb, I'll be reading her books. She has a knack for keeping me on my toes, with twists and turns. Stranger in the Lake hits book stores next week.

Stranger in the Lake is a rag to riches story about a young woman, Charlotte. I loved the setting, the house overlooking the lake, taking the boat into town, and lots of hiking/running trails. I could just smell the dirt and Mother Nature.

This is a book about the death of another young woman that sets in motion a journey of not just self-discovery but of secrets. Drawing on a couple of story-lines Belle puts the puzzle pieces together in a way that connected them all. With the bodies of 2 women, close to the same age and found in the same spot, it’s an invitation for suspicion.

This is a hard book for me to rate. While I loved the writing and atmospheric feel I found the story a little predictable and just struggled to connect with the characters. Though I will admit to being suspicious of the whole lot of them, unsure who to believe and who could be trusted. So hats off to the author for creating that environment. The ending wasn't totally predictable, in true Belle fashion she threw a couple of curve balls.

While this might not be my favorite Belle book - The Ones We Trust still holds that spot, this was an entertaining read.

My thanks to Park Row (via Netgalley) for an advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

After some hard hitting thrillers and police procedurals, I needed a book gentle yet suspenseful with mystery embroiled in its prose. Author Kimberly Belle's story fit all of the things I needed. With the title and the cover, it pulled me in at first glance.

Charlotte was married to Paul and found a stranger in the lake, a dead body. Cops were called, the investigation began. Paul's suspicious moves tof going camping immediately after and disappearing for long days made her start doubting the people around her.

My second book by the author, the story was slow moving with many of Charlotte's thoughts being told to me. Most times, she was alone with her own surmises. Then came the doubts and red herrings where character appeared suspicious. I soon got the vibe of the perp as the pages turned, but the author had put in quite a few red herrings. Alibis were lied about, many hidden. The author added a new layer to the story after a few chapters.

But it was the last 20% which exploded with revelations and memories. The truth was laid bare and last chapter had me agog. That I didn't expect. A gentle mystery it was, but packed a punch in the last few chapters. Completely fun. Just perfect for the mood I was in.

Yes people talked about Charlotte when she married Paul- she's a LOT younger, not as well educated, and from the proverbial wrong side of the tracks. But wait- what about the fact that his first wife, a good swimmer, somehow drowned? Hah. They live in a big house, designed by Paul, with huge windows (this is key) . When another woman is found drowned, lots of secrets come out. Paul, it seems was part of something back in 1999. The flashbacks are relevant. You might think this is Charlie's story, but it's really Paul's, even tough she's the narrator. It's twisty but not so much as Belle's earlier novels. No spoilers. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. A good read.