This is an atmospheric story about manipulation, corruption and secrets leaving readers to wonder who they can trust … and who they shouldn't.

I went into this book thinking, based on its blurb, that was a stand-alone thriller but it's actually the third book in a series. I'm one of those people who like to read series in order so Still Here didn't quite work for me as a stand-alone.

I enjoyed the ominous, small town setting and found the mystery, which touches on larger issues of abuse, exploitation and the ongoing effects of trauma, intriguing, but I couldn't stop this nagging feeling that I was missing details about Clare's past. There are a lot of layers to PI Clare O'Dey -- she's a survivor, she's gritty and she empathizes and sees the darkness in others, but I needed to understand more about her past so I could understand her and feel invested in her life.

Overall, this was a good thriller that sounded great in its blurb but could have used more depth to its story and depth in its characters. While I appreciate that Clare is a troubled and unreliable main character, I would have enjoyed it more if I wasn't always struggling to piece Clare's past together while also focusing on the mystery.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to the publisher for providing me with a complimentary digital copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

Still Here is the third installment in the series as we follow Clare searching for two missing persons - including Malcolm, the man she used to work for. This book brought me closure (although Clare and Malcolm's relationship is left open-ended), and Clare's story was a great character arc.

I've always been a fan of this series, I really liked the concept of Clare putting herself into dangerous situations trying to solve a case of a missing person. I thought this was a good conclusion to a series, but it just didn't feel like the rest of them. In the third book, Clare teams up with Detective Sommers to track down Malcolm who's wife just so happens to have gone missing as well. The more she digs, the more she realizes that things are connected and her trying to bring down the truth may lead to her demise. However, Malcolm turns up in the book - and the plot shifts focus on the death of his wife's father.

As mentioned before, this book is the third in the series, if you would like to read it as a standalone you could. The author does a great job explaining the past, but I would highly suggest you check out the first two before!

Usually I'm a purist when it comes to a series. Sometimes, though, needs must and I jump into a series in the middle. That's what happened with Amy Stuart's novels. I hadn't read Still Mine but I had the chance to review Still Water for Niagara Life and jumped at it (I love featuring female Canadian authors, especially with those magazine reviews). While Stuart's novels do follow the same character, you could go into the latest, Still Here, without reading the rest, but I think you should do yourself a favour and read all three together so you make the most out of this really great thriller series.

Here's the synopsis:
From the bestselling author of Still Mine and Still Water—PI Clare O’Dey is on the hunt for two missing persons. Little does she know she’s the one being hunted.

Malcolm is gone. Disappeared. And no one knows where or why.



His colleague and fellow private investigator, Clare, is certain she can find him, as she holds the key to his past. She arrives in the oceanside city where he last lived and starts digging around. Not only is Malcolm gone without a trace, so is his wife, Zoe. Everyone who knew the perfect couple sees Malcolm as the prime suspect in his wife’s disappearance. Everyone except Clare. She’s certain there’s more at play that has nothing to do with Malcolm, a dark connection to Zoe’s family business and the murder of her father years ago.

As Clare pulls back the layers, she discovers secrets the entire community is trying desperately to leave in the past. As for Malcolm, his past is far more complex—and far more sinister—than Clare could ever have imagined. He may not be innocent at all. As she searches for the man who helped her build her career as a private eye, Clare discovers that many women are in grave danger. And she is among them.
As I said, each book could be read alone but I think you get more out of the linked novels if you read all three. By not reading the first book, I missed out on some of Clare's early motivations as well as learning more about the husband and life she escaped from. I knew enough, though, to be surprised by the twist Stuart threw into the third story. Surprised in a good way. I didn't see it coming but it made total sense and worked well.

Stuart keeps you guessing with her characters. Each one has had some pretty serious shit mess them up and they've all struggled in various ways with what happened to them. Those pieces of their past also make you wonder how much you can really trust each character. Is everyone who they say they are? Almost certainly everyone is hiding something. But how much? And who is going to get hurt, or even killed, in the end?

Still Here wraps up Clare's story in a way that will satisfy readers without being too tied-up-in-a-bow perfect (though it's close). Amy Stuart gave readers a character who evolved before our eyes - with a few slip ups along the way - as well as three separate thrillers that come together in a pretty epic conclusion. This is definitely a series worth reading.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Simon & Schuster Canada, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Still Here Review

I really enjoyed the writing style of this book. It does work as a standalone but you definitely get more information if you completed the other two before this one. So if you prefer to have more background information on the characters then you might be better off reading the first two before you get to the third one. The writing style is great the chapters aren’t too long. It is easy to follow along as a standalone book. I would definitely recommend this series.

SYNOPSIS

His colleague and fellow private investigator, Clare, is certain she can find him, as she holds the key to his past. She arrives in the oceanside city where he last lived and starts digging around. Not only is Malcolm gone without a trace, so is his wife, Zoe. Everyone who knew the perfect couple sees Malcolm as the prime suspect in his wife’s disappearance. Everyone except Clare. She’s certain there’s more at play that has nothing to do with Malcolm, a dark connection to Zoe’s family business and the murder of her father years ago.

As Clare pulls back the layers, she discovers secrets the entire community is trying desperately to leave in the past. As for Malcolm, his past is far more complex—and far more sinister—than Clare could ever have imagined. He may not be innocent at all. As she searches for the man who helped her build her career as a private eye, Clare discovers that many women are in grave danger. And she is among them.

This trilogy is unique but worth reading from the beginning. While it works as a stand-alone if you wanted to skip the other two, I would recommend getting to see the whole back story and by starting from the beginning. Fast and engaging read with a very memorable protagonist and an amazing plot twist like no other :)

Still Here is another amazing work by Amy Stuart. She weave a the story so well and develops the characters that you feel vested in them. Well written and a must read for fans of Amy or fans of suspense. This kept me up late on the edge of my seat until the last pages. 5 star all the way.

Thank you netgalley and Simon Schuster for an advanced eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was excited to hear of this release after reading Still Water.

I really enjoyed this book and it definitely kept my interest all the way through. The main character, Clare did a great job of holding my interest and attention with her mysterious nature; I found her a bit confusing at times but this kept me intrigued until i began catching on to her purpose.

Tensions are high among the characters and for the most part I found everyone somewhat unlikable. Lots of twists and turns and the ending really threw me off my sleuth game.

I highly recommend this one and look forward to the what the author releases next.

I was so excited when I found out Stuart had a third installment in the Still series. Having read Still Mine and Still Water I was so excited to find out what Clare, Somers and Malcolm were up to in Still Here. I was a little disappointed I found this one to be very slow and not much happening, I enjoyed the first too much more and came out of still here with a kind of meh feeling. I found nothing really happened and the end where all comes to. Together with the climax was very short and disappointing when I had waited that long for something big to happen for it to just fall. Flat.
In Still Here we follow Clare through a week as she helps Somers uncover what happened and where Malcolm dissappeared too. In her investigation she discovers more than what she was looking for, Zoe, Malcolm's wife had vanished, his father in law was murdered and never solved, what other secrets could Malcolm possibly have hidden from her. As Clare digs deeper into Malcom Zoe's and the father in laws past she feels like she might be in danger. Will Clare's husband finally find her, is Malcolm really who he said he was? What part does Zoe play?

I have not read Still Mine or Still Water, so I am reviewing Still Here from a standalone perspective. I found it showed a lot of promise at the beginning, with a really intense setup, but then just drifted along. Clare had a lot of potential but I didn't really connect with her or the other characters. I know I should have read the other books first because then I'd understand Clare better and be more involved in her journey, but she just didn't work for me. The whole mystery seemed a bit predictable and I don't understand her fascination with Malcolm nor do I believe anything he says. Overall it was good, but not my favorite.

When I started to read this book I had no idea it was part of a series and read it as a standalone novel. Perhaps some of my issues with it might have been resolved if I'd read the other two. Though it begins as a fast-moving thriller, the pace soon slowed down and I found myself embroiled in a rather generic story whose only unique element was the setting of Lune Bay, which is nicely drawn with frequent references to the ocean and various restaurants and houses in the area. Though I should have empathized with Clare, the main character, a victim of domestic abuse, there was insufficient background and detail to truly grasp onto her, as was the case with many of the large cast of characters who seemed vague and two-dimensional and difficult to keep track of. The author's narrative style was also a bit too generic for my taste, as if the novel was written in a hurry with little regard for imagery and atmosphere. A mediocre thriller. Perhaps reading the other two first is advisable. Thanks to NetGalley for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the third book in this series, and I think each book has been a little bit better than the previous ! I really enjoyed how the characters of Claire and Malcolm have developed over the last 3 books.

I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend reading the 3 books in order; although there is enough information within this third novel to get the overall jist of what happened in the first two, ( which worked as a great recap - my memory isn’t always the best 😂), I don’t think you can experience the full story if you only read the third book.

BOOK REVIEW: STILL HERE by Amy Stuart
4 smoking guns out of 5

In this third instalment of Amy Stuart's Still series, we find Clare, now working with detective Summers to find Malcolm who up and left, leaving behind questions surrounding his late wife’s disappearance and possible death. What follows is an elaborate game of cat and mouse where the huntress is now being hunted. With craft and care, Stuart seamlessly pulls the loose ends together with surprising and cleaver connections and a whirlwind of a finale.

Easily earning 4 stars, Still Here had me hooked from it’s opening pages – which by the way feature stunning water graphics. Thriller and mystery lovers will enjoy this fast-paced series with an unapologetic, flawed yet fiercely damaged female protagonist and a cast of strong female characters. Readers who have travelled with Clare on her journey won’t be subjected to a laboursome recap which is refreshing and speaks to Stuarts writing prowess and pacing style. While undoubtedly part of a series, Still Here could quite easily be read as a standalone novel and wouldn’t detract from the novel or one’s enjoyment in the least!

The Still series tackles topics of gender-based violence, sexual exploitation, abuse and trauma. Stuart is compassionate while being forthright in her coverage and avoids unnecessary sensationalism for the sake of shock value. Stuart is a Canadian gem and one whom I will keep my eye out for future works, and you should too!

My thanks to Amy Stuart, NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the electronic ARC in trade for an honest review.

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This was a solid mystery/thriller by Canadian author Amy Stuart. It follows Claire who has run away from her abusive husband and has started working as a PI. Claire is looking for her former employer and gets entangled in various murders and missing women cases. I did not realize this was the third book in a series (although it can be read as a stand-alone novel). I would definitely recommend reading the first two books before this. I found I lacked a bit of Claire’s backstory and just general knowledge about her and other characters. There is not much time spent on that during this book. The writing style is to the point and flows pretty well. It was a steady read for the first 80% and then really picked up in the ending as we learned all the answers to the mystery pretty quickly. I enjoyed this book and would probably read the others in the series. I rated this 3 stars.

This is the third book in the Still series by this Canadian author. The first two are 'Still Mine' and 'Still Water', neither of which I have read and I would recommend reading them first to really be able to enjoy both the story and the characters. The novel features Clare who is on the run from an abusive husband. In previous books she was hired to work for a man (Malcolm) who is a private investigator specializing in missing people. Now he is missing and she returns to where he previous lived to find out more about him and hopefully track him down. There she finds a beach town with many secrets involving a powerful family.

Wonderful end to the trilogy! Enjoyed Clare’s journey and discovering the truth of Malcolm’s past. Clare is a great central character, strong, yet human with flaws and self doubt.

Working as a PI, Clare finds herself in the middle of a case that is far bigger than simply a missing person. She fights to find answers before it is too late.
A good story that is full of twists and turns. Recommended for those who like whodunnit books.

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

Although I hadn't read the other books in the Still series, it was easy to follow the storyline in Still Here. Clare is trying to track down her former employer, Malcolm. He had disappeared when certain aspects of his past had come to light and Clare doesn't know if he is innocent or involved in the disappearance of his wife. As she searches for Malcolm and tries to unravel a case involving various missing women, we learn a lot about Clare's past, which apparently is covered in the previous novels in this series, so I won't say much more. I am rounding up to 4, as I felt that this was such a quick and easy read and it kept my attention throughout.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

I hadn't realized I'd read the previous book in this series until I was a 3rd of tje way in. The characters felt familiar, like old friends and I wondered why. Then I realized I had read Still Waters a while back.
I think the good part about this is recognizing that they are all stand alone stories. Sure, it might help to have read the previous books but you don't need to.
I found this story a little slow as the plot unfolded and then it ramped up and events happened so quickly you frantically turned the page to see where it was going.
Very enjoyable read. Great author

I read the first one, but missed the second one.
I enjoyed the style of writing - easy to follow and get sucked in.

Very good storyline - a likeable strong female lead.

A classic PI story, no-nonsense, interesting setting, engaging characters.

I would recommend it to readers who enjoy private detective/mystery/police stories without too much violence or cursing or sex.

Since Still Here is the third book in the Still series and I don’t find it all that easy to give reviews for books in series without giving away important plot points for the previous books so I’m going to keep this review on the ambiguous side.

All three books in this series are short and sweet entertaining reads. Still Here is my favourite in the series so far. There was one cliche that I would have liked seen not come to fruition but since it’s just a personal preference and didn’t affect the overall plot I didn’t take it into account when considering my rating.

There is an underlying story line between Malcolm and Clare that runs through all three books making this a series I would say needs to be read in order of publication, despite some readers saying it can be read as a stand alone. This book also felt like a wrap up for Claire and Malcolm so it may be that Amy Stuart will be introducing us to new characters in her next release.

This is definitely a thriller series worth picking up. Amy Stuart’s writing has matured since the first book and she seems to be coming into her own. I am excited to see what comes next for her.