None of the sequels, including this one, have lived up to the first novel, “Stillhouse Lake.” I really had to force myself to pull away and take breaks from reading that book. While I enjoyed getting updates on these characters we’ve gotten to know over the years, I just found myself not that invested in “Heartbreak Bay.” The ancillary mystery did not seem to have a meaningful connection to Gwen Proctor and her story. All in all, 3 stars ⭐️ .

This is the fifth in the series but the first one I have read.

Gina's ex-husband was a serial killer. She has changed her name to Gwen and is trying to make a new life for her and her kids while working as a PI and finding lost people. There are still some who believe that she knew what was happening and was complicit in his murders. The story begins with a young mother driving her daughters to a lake and drowns them. Gwen goes to the crime scene to help her friend, Kezia, a police officer, and shortly after realizes her family is being targeted again. There were a lot of twists and turns to the story and I could not help but find similarities with Eve Duncan. Both had tragedies happen in their pasts, chose professions that would benefit others who suffered a loss and they are targeted by people trying to harm them over and over and over again.

I found the characters interesting and the mystery was well written. I wouldn't call it a page turner because I figured it out and it was a just a matter of how it would play. It was just a little to dark for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer with providing me a copy of this book.

I was so saddened to hear of the passing of Rachel Caine. What a wonderful author and she left behind many fans like myself. This was a great addition to her Stillhouse Lake series. Thankful to NetGalley for allowing me to read this title.

This book was bitter sweet, i enjoyed it. And i am so sad the author passed away. Highly recommend the whole series, and this last book nailed it all in to make complete.

Reading Between the Wines book review #28/115 for 2021:
Rating: 3 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book 📱: Heartbreak Bay
Author: Rachel Caine
Genre: General Fiction (Adult) | Mystery & Thrillers
RELEASED on March 9, 2021!!! Get your copy!

Sipping Synopsis: Gwen/Gina is back in the 5th book in the Stillhouse Lake Series and she is as bad bleep as ever. While Gwen has moved away from Bitter Falls and trying to get her and her family’s life back together. But someone else has a different plan and is ready to make her pay. Kezia is back in this series and decides to help Gwen solve the mystery plus a murder mystery that may or may not be related to her involvement with her serial killer ex-husband.

Final sipping thoughts: First of all, starting this book was bittersweet knowing it would be the last in the series and not because it was just the last but because the passing of Rachel Caine. The Stillhouse Lake Series fell into my lap the summer of 2020 and I immediately fell in love with them. The first 4 all received 4 stars with the 4th book receiving 3 stars. I really wanted to, NEEDED to, love this one but I just didn’t. Gwen is still the main protagonist and narrator and Sam comes back to narrate as well. Kezia is added as a main alternating narrator which brought a whole other dynamic. I felt there was some mystery and reveals but it just didn’t feel very thrillerish or too mysterious for me. Regardless, I still love this series and Rachel Caine and 100% suggest everyone to read them!

Cheers and thank you to @NetGalley and @Thomas&Mercer for an advanced copy of @HeartbreakBay

#RIPRachelCaine #HeartbreakBay #Thomas&Mercer #RachelCaine #NetGalley #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers

Thanks for the opportunity to read this e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased and unpaid review.
I want to first note that I am a fan of Rachel Caine's, and that this is her last written book. She will be greatly missed, as she was quite a writer, as this book clearly shows
This is book 5 in the Stillhouse Lake series, and it is a satisfying ending to the series. It begins with a new story arc that ties into the overall story of Gwen Proctor and her children, and her new love interest Sam. I found this series, and this book in particular to be meaty thriller reads, as she ties in layers of emotions from the characters as the story progresses and allows you to feel like you are in their shoes. The attention to detail makes you wonder a little.....just how much research was done on these books? Go. Buy the book. If you haven't read the other books in the series? You are in for quite the treat!
#netgalley #netgalleyreviewer #heartbreakbay #rachelcaine #thrillerbook #whodunnit #earc #thriller #suspense #stillhouselakeseries #thomasandmercer

This was an emotional one. I put off reading it because I wasn't ready to say goodbye to the characters or the author.
The cases are twisted and full of action and suspense. As always, the characters are fantastic. It was like visiting old friends. I loved the multiple points of view! The way things weaved together was so well done and had me on the edge of my seat and yelling at Gwen and Sam.
There was sadness, yes. I cried at the ending. It was the perfect place to leave these characters we have grown to love.

Heartbreak Bay by Rachel Caine is a superb and engrossing read which will keep you reading until the end. Well worth the read!

My goodness, this book had it all. It I don't do spoilers that would be unfair so I will have to tread carefully here .I want to convey how good
I thought this was without giving too much away. I love the two central female characters, as unusual I am late to the party and haven't read any previous books in the series, but that was not a problem, I soon got into the book, and to my mind it reads well as a stand alone. It is not for those of a sensitive nature and does have violence aplenty in places but it is in keeping with the plot., the story is compelling the writing is excellent and I definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys this genre ,cracking book.

Heartbreak Bay is the fifth and final book in the Stillhouse Lake series. I have very much enjoyed this series but highly recommend you start with book one and read the books in order. I was both excited and sad to read this last book because the author passed in 2020 and this will be her final book and I know this will be the last book.

We visit Gwen, Sam, and the kids in yet another exciting book where they fear for their lives. These stories tend to get a bit far-fetched but I am always so invested in the story that I don't mind at all. Stillhouse Lake series is dark, action-packed, and has loveable characters that you want to root for. I am so sad that this will be the last book. 5 stars because I have loved reading this series over the last several years.

RIP Rachel Caine

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for the advanced readers copy of the book. Heartbreak Bay is available now and the whole Stillhouse Lake series is on Kindle Unlimited.

Don't skip the authors note at the end of this one!😭😭 I am so sad that this is the last Stillhouse Lake novel not only that but that Rachel isn't here to see it's release date. I have been here from the beginning of this series and I was crushed when I heard of Rachel's passing. She went above and beyond with this last novel and it is everything I hoped it would be!❤ I will miss having a new novel to look forward to and I will keep these characters in my heart! I am so thankful to have had the chance to not only get to know these characters but also Rachel as an author!

I will be going back and enjoying this series from book one. Saddened to find out this was the author's final one.

The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars was because I missed the first 4 books in this series and felt like I was missing out on some minor nuances. I enjoyed this book and it did keep me engaged throughout the ending.

Super sad that this will be the last in the Stillhouse Lake Series. Rachel Caine was an excellent writer and I've loved this entire series.

Suspenseful and keep me reading through the late hours. Definitely recommend reading the series in order to appreciate the character development.

Heartbreak Bay is book 5 of the Stillhouse lake series. Gwen, Sam and the kids have moved away from the town of Norton. The kids are back in school and Gwen continues her PI work. Gwen and Sam continue to manage the stalkers that haunt them because of their past. Her best friend, Kezia, calls her for help on a case and she obliges. Gwen finds herself face to face with one of her stalkers which puts them all at danger.

I loved this book and I do feel it was a great ending to Stillhouse Lake. It was fastpaced and kept me guessing as crime thrillers should.

"If this is the last of Gwen's story, then I hope you feel it was worthwhile. I do." I will admit that I had no idea Rachel Caine passed away in November of cancer until I read her note at the end of this book. I hate that this is the end of Gwen's story, but also Rachel's. I will definitely be looking into her backlist. RIP.

Thank you to Amazon Publishing - Thomas & Mercer as well as NetGalley for the #gifted copy of this book.

How did I miss the first four of this series?? I dropped in at the fifth book in the series and ate it up quickly! This is a great mystery/thriller, and even though I came to the series late and didn't have the background stories, I devoured it. The characters are strong and commanding; the killer, vicious and deceptive.

Unfortunately, I was sad to learn that Rachel Caine (Roxanne Longstreet Conrad) died in November 2020 of cancer. I will miss seeing new books from this author, as I have read several of her works that were really good. My favorite was Ink and Bone (from her Great Library series). I'm planning to read more of her numerous books in the near future.

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for an advance copy.

Many thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for a chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.

Heartbreak Bay left me with a breaking heart. It is absolutely distressing to know that there wouldn’t be any more books by this talented author! May her soul rest in peace!

It was pure chance that I started with the Still House Lake series in Kindle Unlimited and ever since then, I have been hooked into it like never before. It could be because I have never read any other books that gave me a perspective of the family of a serial killer. The harrowing and traumatic experience of never getting away from the shadow of doubt that the wife would have known was brilliantly explored by the author in this series. She also gave me a new perspective on how destructive trolls can be and what agony it is to circumvent the sludge and muck that would cling onto you for just being in a relationship with a man of horror.

There’s also the whole psychopathic level that Rachel Caine successfully builds that creates outright revulsion in a reader. I would have been happy with Gwen Proctor finally finding some semblance of peace with Sam and her kids but it is also painful to know that there wouldn’t be any more adventures from their end.

Heartbreak Bay, book #5 in the Still House Lake series, has once again surpassed all my expectations. The opening scene with the death of two little girls still strapped into their seats was too gruesome to contemplate. The chapters alternate between Gwen, Sam, and for a change also thru Kezia, the detective of Norton Police Department and Gwen’s friend. The enemy is a ghost who has become the puppeteer, his only wish to destroy Gwen once and for all. As Kezia and Gwen fight against insurmountable odds, the house of horror literally, is just waiting to explode.

Heartbreak Bay is an extremely gripping, fast-paced read with heart in the mouth final chapters that are sure to give me nightmares.

Highly recommended to read the series in order so that one can understand the nuances of each character and their growth.

This review is published in my blog https://rainnbooks.com/, Goodreads, Amazon India, Meduim.com, and Twitter.

Gwen is helping her friend and police detective Kezia in investigating a disturbing case involving a car found underwater with two victims. This search alongwith an increase in the trolling attack on Gwen,given that she was married to a serial killer, forms the broad outline of the plot. Beautifully crafted and with the twists and turns in the case makes this book one of the best in the series. This is one of the recommended tags for the year.
I recieved a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

Interesting and entertaining suspense! Very well written with great character development. This is the first Rachel Caine book I've read and I plan to read more. You will encounter twists and turns like on a mountain road so fasten your seat belt and get ready for an amazing ride.

I received an ARC ebook from Netgalley and this is my voluntary, honest review.

Is Heartbreak Bay a fitting title for the last work of a beloved author? I think so. I've been reading Rachel Caine for I don't know how long. I guess I could look. She wrote strong female characters. and Gwen was maybe the strongest of them. Can a woman be married to a serial killer and really not know? Gwen didn't. She paid for that for most of her life. Or at least several books.

Knowing this was the last in the line of the series was fitting.