4.5 stars -The series is character driven, so I would strongly suggest reading it in order from book one. Heartbreak Bay was another amazing read, and I loved that we had Kez’s perspective as another baddie female lead. The dynamic between all of the main characters is really special and I enjoyed this reading journey, though it was quite an emotional roller coaster!

As I’ve said many times before, this is one of my favorite series, and I was saddened to hear of Rachel Caine’s passing. The love for this series as well as this final book is well-deserved, and I hope she is proud of all that she accomplished in it. Please take the time to read the author’s note at the end.

Thank you to the publisher for providing an eARC through NetGalley.

I have enjoyed all of the other books in this series, but this one didn't capture my attention like the others had.

Unfortunately as this series has gone on I've found myself less invested in the stories. I like Gwen at her best when she was fighting husband Mel, constantly on the move and edgy. Now she's become an extension of a cop, turned home grown detective and that's just not a subgenre I find interesting. Also by this point some of the plots are starting to get recycled and a bit repetitive and in all honesty I'm just not that interested in the characters anymore.

Lived the first two books in this series - they were fast paced and dark and a different change of lace to typical thrillers. However these now feel a bit generic.

So, I did it again and chose a book that was part of a series that I hadn’t read. Ugh. That is why this sat on my NetGalley list for so long… but I have finally read it.

I liked the book. I was probably missing out on some background information that would have given the book some more depth, but I do think it was readable as a standalone. The story was compelling and moved at a great pace, and I liked the characters. It was interesting enough that I’m at least curious now to go back and read the rest of the series.

Thank you @netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for an eARC of this book, which I have read and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

I really wanted to like this one as it wrapped up a series I was pretty committed to after flying through the first four books. Although it was a great blend of suspense and the characters navigating relationships, I found myself struggling to be drawn into the story.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Read How: 📱🎧
Setting: Tennessee
POV: 3

I enjoy this series so much and of course, it is filled with heart-pounding action, mystery, and suspense.
I will start by saying that this book is not a standalone and I think it is important to read the series from the beginning or there might be confusion.
Heartbreak Bay started with Kezia investigating two children strapped into a submerged vehicle in a pond. Kezia is heartbroken about the situation especially since she found out about great news. She called Gwen who is a private detective and best friend to help solve the case. The more questions they start to ask around town gradually things get out of hand. But are they all connected?
What I liked:
- Reading from Gwen, Sam, and Kezia point of view
- I think Rachel did a great job showing Gwen's vulnerability because, in the previous books, she was always the strong one. I am happy she's embracing and forgiving herself.
- Even though I did figure out the perpetrator, I still enjoyed the build-up to finding and understanding the reason behind his behavior.

Thank you so much Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for a copy of Heartbreak Bay in exchange for an honest review.

Stillhouse Lake is a fantastic series and Heartbreak Bay did not disappoint. I recommend reading the books in order. The chapters alternate between Gwen, Sam and Kezia's POV. Like the other books, this thriller was fast-paced and suspenseful. I hate that I have to say goodbye to these characters.

I'm sad to hear about the author's passing. RIP Rachel Caine.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an ARC of "Heartbreak Bay".

As the fifth book in the series, when reading Heartbreak Bay you feel like you really know the characters. The plot was intense, same as the preceding books, and I enjoyed seeing Kezia's POV. Rachel Caine established these characters well enough that I'm excited to see what the future holds for them, despite her no longer being around to write them.

Book #5 in the Stillhouse Lake series. It can easily be read as a stand alone and enjoyed as a very good thriller, but each of the books is excellent on its own. Gwen Proctor is a well developed character that has worked hard to make her life "normal". She is methodical in her investigations, leaving no stone unturned, no clue left cold. I would definitely want her on my side in a battle with the all too many criminals who seem to cross her path.

Rachel Caine has a very extensive back library of excellent titles. Her books would keep you happy on that deserted island everyone is always talking about. If you have not read any of the Stillhouse Lake books, now is your chance for a great binge read.

I am so sad that the author has passed from cancer. I will miss her books. I loved the Stillhouse Lake Thriller Series.

Oh, I've finally read more in this series! I was putting them out, because Heartbreak Bay is the last book published that was fully written by Rachel Caine. Since I started this series, a 6th book was released, but they brought on another author to finish it. And I wanted to read all of her other books before I got to these ones. But I just had to pick these ones up!

Identity, yeah,it was another fantastic twisted story! It makes you believe one thing, and then it turns out it was going in a much different direction, and I absolutely loved reading it! And it was great to see a quick peak at their lives before the next adventure!

Bitter Falls, it's the first full length book where she gets a case for her job, so that was interesting. Of course there's the case and all of the issues that it's bringing up, and in the family's lives. Once the action started, boy it didn't slow down!

Heartbreak Bay had another fantastic case, with the mystery of what the heck was going on. I loved how it dealt with everything, and how it wrapped up this story arc. I know Rachel Caine was intending to do another one, earth or road of something, but this was the end of the water arc, and it was a fantastic read!

I once more loved reading these books, and I'm getting close to reading all of Rachel Caine's published works!

Stillhouse Lake is a great series! Heartbreak Bay is no exception.

The book begins with a very harrowing scene detailing the drowning of two children. Kenzie gets the case to investigate and seeks Gwens help. This leads to trouble for both women...will they be able work together and will it be enough to save them from yet another man who wants to destroy them?? You'll have to read the book to find out! Caution - please read the series in order; very important in order to understand the events in each book!

The story is told from 3 perspectives - Kenzie, Gwen and Sam - and it is great to hear the angles from each.

Ultimately, this is a book about choices. It ends on a strong note and sets the stage for Sam, Gwen, Lanny, and Connor to release the pull from Melvin’s legacy and move on with their lives.

<I>I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.</i>

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review. What an amazing series this has been and this one is no exception. These books always have me on the edge of my seat with my heart racing, and I never want to put them down, they always have me craving more. What an amazing series to read, if you haven't yet I suggest that you do.

This is book 5 of the stillhouse lake series.

In this book Gwen is enlisted to help kezia with a case of a missing mother and 2 dead kids. But of course things aren’t gonna be that simple. Someone is stalking Gwen and her family. And then a boy who is in need of some serious help reaches out to Sam for help. Are all of these incidents just a coincidence happening at the same time or are they connected.

I like the idea of Gwen being a private detective and taking on cases that have nothing to do with her past. I feel like constantly being the idea of her knowing that her dead ex was a serial killer is getting a little old…

I do think the weaving of these different situations was really good. It kept me on my toes until the end. Overall I did enjoy this book. Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

So good! So sad that this was Rachel Caine's last entry in the series (she ended up losing her battle with cancer after she finished writing the book), but I know that someone else continued the series after her death. This book was very good, a great entry in the series, and I barely wanted to put my Kindle down while I was reading it! 4 stars and I will definitely be reading the next book soon.

I am a big fan of the Stillhouse Lake series, and Hearbreak Bay did not disappoint. I love the alternating POVs, especially the kids. This has been one of the few series that I actually kept up with. I was sad to hear of Rachel Caine's passing, but am excited to see that another author will be continuing on with this legacy.

I so enjoyed this book, a great mystery with interesting characters! The storyline was well thought out and very entertaining! I would highly recommend this book to everyone!

Unfortunately I could not get in to this one. I really enjoyed the other books in this series. I’m sure it’s my mood and I will update my review when I read it.

Unfortunately I didn't enjoy this one. I loved the first book in this series but since then every sequel has felt more or less like a repetition of the first one.

I was given a free ARC for my review on NetGallery .I really enjoyed this series of books, as much as you can enjoy reading about evil and twisted psychopaths