Heartbreak Bay by Rachel Caine
5th and final book in the Stillhouse Lake series. Thriller. Best read as part of the series in order.
Gwen and Detective Kezia investigate a horrific death when the focus is directed back at them.

Pushed into a corner with no options. OMG, I get why they are so mad. This psycho is manipulative. And doesn’t care who is hurt or how, to get what he wants.
A gripping and suspenseful thriller. A must read book for the series lover. A must read for anyone that likes the psychological thriller series.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley. I also purchased multiple copies to share.

This is the fifth book in the Stillhouse Lake series by Rachel Caine and the first one I've read. Sadly, Rachel Caine has passed away so this will be the final book of the series. I really enjoyed this book and have already purchased the first four.
Heartbreak Bay is fast moving and exciting...a real adrenalin rush...I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Gwen is trying to get free of her past life as the ex-wife of a serial killer. She's working hard to protect her children, Lanny and Connor, and give them as normal a life as possible. Sam loves her and the kids wants to keep them safe from the threats and harassment they face every day. Kezia is Gwen's best friend and a police detective. The story is seamlessly told from alternating POVs among Gwen, Kez and Sam. All the characters are well drawn and their relationships feel real...even the bad guy is sympathetic! I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a good, suspenseful read.
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Gwen Procter/Gina Royal, her children Lanny and Connor, along with Sam Cade are living in a new home in the hopes of living a relatively happy, peaceful life. Except Gwen's old life is never far from her mind, and Gwen is still hypervigilant where her children are concerned, despite Lanny is seventeen and Connor being fifteen. Gwen old life, is once again, going to rear its ugly head and try to drag her down.

When Detective Kezia Claremont, Gwen's best friend, calls, Gwen rushes out in the middle of the night because Kezia could use Gwen's P.I. help in the case. Kezia isn't sure what kind of case is on her hands, from an anonymous phone call, to locating a vehicle underwater in a pond with children strapped in, and a missing driver.

What begins with one case, soon spirals into others, but Kezia nor Gwen realizes how very personal it will get. Gwen to protect those whom she loves, and Kezia to catch the person responsible for the one who allowed her friend to die while watching.

The villain surprised me, although throughout the story, they were crafty, knows a lot about Gwen, and is singling the family out, but casts themselves as a vigilante and blameless.

My emotions were all over with this book, the death of innocent children, the bullying Gwen, Sam and the kids had to deal with, along with the fear every time an alarm went off or someone showed up. Then, the torture of letters by Gwen's deceased serial killer husband keep coming, and know the
psychological trauma that would bring forth.

Following getting released from the hospital, although I understood Kezia's drive to want to seek justice and find the perpetrator; I had moments where crawling beneath doors, etc.,. were even doable following the injuries she sustained.

The ending was satisfying, and I was sad to know that this was the author's last book, after passing away battling her own villain, cancer.

I requested and received an ARC by NetGalley via Thomas & Mercer and I have voluntarily reviewed this book.

I have read the first two of this series but skipped over three and four because I didn't have time to read them before this book was published but feel that I did not have a problem following what was going on.
Gwen Proctor, formerly Gina Royal and ex-wife of serial killer Melvin Royal, has left the small town of Norton, Tennessee and her home on Stillhouse Lake along with her partner, Sam Cade, and her children to move to Knoxville. They are doing well living in a nice suburban home with the kids attending school. Sam has just finalized adoption and working as an flight instructor and getting further certification. Gwen is working with a PI firm. Then things change when Gwen receives a letter from her dead ex, written before death but in case of death. Then another letter arrives. Sam gets a visitor at the airport whose sister was murdered, murderer not found. The kids are harassed at school. Connor is picked up by the police for a threat. Life is definitely going downhill fast...unless Gwen obeys a harasser's orders.
At the same time, a car is found in a pond in Norton with twin baby girls. Gwen's friend, Detective Kezia Claremont, investigates what soon turns out to be a whole lot more than first thought. Then Tennessee Bureau of Investigation gets involved. Unfortunately, Javier is away for Reserve Duty. Things get heated with Kezia as well and somehow she and Gwen are in it together.
This is another twisted and unsettling tale that involves these family members and friends. Will it ever stop? The two women set out to end it. No choice. This is another great read in the series.
I received a complimentary ARC from Thomas & Mercer Publishing through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine only.

I have only been reading this author maybe the last year or so, so it saddens me to learn she has passed away and will no longer be writing. I really enjoyed this book and it is in one of my favorite genres, I found it to be riveting kept me turning the pages. It certainly had plenty of twists and turns, and was action packed. I certainly would recommend it to everyone.

I received a ARC from NetGalley and the publisher and am under no obligation to leave a favorable review, all opinions expressed here are my own.

This is such a hard book to have to review, it honestly broke my heart reading it, knowing that this is it. The final book by Rachel Caine. I procrastinated, I left it until the very last minute and I cried a little while reading it. Gwen is such a strong, fierce and protective woman. We have seen her go through literal hell for the people she loves. This next obstacle was not one any of them saw coming. Kez has a big part to play, they all do, and it's going to be a little dark, a lot terrifying but for the ones they love these women would do anything. A perfect finish to a series I will always cherish and have talked about to anyone who would listen! Well done Rachel Caine, another outstanding five star read for me!

4.5 / 5 stars

Heartbreak Bay is the final book in the Stillhouse Lake series.

It was definitely hard not to cry while reading this book. I've had the book for a while. But I put off reading it because I knew that it would make me sad. But I also knew that it would make me happy.

Gwen is such an amazing heroine. So strong and fierce. And I have truly enjoyed reading her adventures.

The book starts with a chilling prologue. And then alternates POVs between Gwen and Kezia (with Sam narrating a few chapters - all 1st person POVs).

I was so thrilled to get to see Kezia's point of view as I have really enjoyed her as Gwen's friend.

This was a really good book. And the mystery kept me guessing till the very end. I loved seeing Gwen and Sam trying to fight the bad guys. And I enjoyed how Kezia played a part in the story.

Overall, Heartbreak Bay is a disturbing and thrilling mystery. It is a wonderful conclusion to a great series.

This was another great addition to the Stillhouse Lake series. Unfortunately, the series will not continue due to the sad passing of the author after a battle with cancer in 2020.

I really enjoyed reading Gwen and her family's story to this point. In this installment, I liked the addition of Kezia's perspective. I also love that Caine has written strong, brave, and intelligent lead women.

I would recommend this series, but you should start from the beginning. There is a lot of backstory and character growth you will miss if you jump in with this book. Plus, the earlier books in the series are worth the read.

This is my first experience with the Stillhouse Lake series. What better way than with the last book, right? I thought, "Serial killer thriller? Sign me up!" I was not disappointed. The book was engaging, thrilling, and I absolutely loved it. Now I NEED to get the first 4 books and read this one again. Caine's writing is very approachable. I love the way she weaves in and out of the characters and plot. Generally I am not a huge fan of books that are written from multiple view points. I'm that person who will skip chapters just to get back to the character I like. I didn't do that with this title. Definitely not a chapter skipper. Overall, worth a read. I'm saddened by the passing of Rachel Caine. I was a fan before reading Heartbreak Bay. She will definitely be missed in the literary world.

This is the fifth book in the Stillhouse Lake series and it’s not one of those series where you can just jump in late. Every book does focus on a new case but there is a ton of history and backstory with Gwen, Sam and her kids that you would most likely be pretty confused if you didn’t start with book one. Plus, the growth of Gwen as a character throughout the series is pretty freaking phenomenal too, so just trust me and start at the beginning.

So I wasn’t super impressed with the previous book in this series, it was missing something for me and I was pretty bummed. I mentioned in my review of that book that I was hoping it was just one of those middle books in a series that falls flat and would be a one off and I’m so happy to say that this was back on par for the first three books for me! It was dark, exciting and fast paced and I was totally sucked in right away. Parts of it may have required me to suspend some disbelief but I was so throughly entertained that I didn’t even care. Fans of the series will be pleased!

Heartbreak Bay is the fifth instalment in the Stillhouse Lake series, set in Tennessee. Private Investigator Gwen Proctor is lucky if she manages to sleep for a few hours per night nevermind the idea of sleeping the whole night through, and she's already awake when she receives an early morning call from her best friend, Kezia ”Kez” Claremont. Gwen’s history of having killed her husband, serial killer Melvin Royal, now meant that she was acutely aware of always being one small step away from becoming frantic. Everyone in her life knew this. From her new lover, flight instructor Sam Cade, whom she is blissfully happy with, and her kids, Lanny and Connor, whom she adopted after their father's death, to Kez. Her life was spent on-edge, paranoid and in a perpetual state of vigilance that often became overwhelming. So when police detective Kez requests unofficial support from Gwen one day she feels it's the least she can do and the two meet up at a small pond. In the pond, a car was submerged with drowned twin baby girls still strapped into their car seats. The scene would be harrowing for anyone but Kez has been hard hit emotionally and more so than usual as she has just discovered that she is pregnant but is having to come to terms with the amazing news alone as her partner, and the unborn child's father, Javier, is a serving Marine currently on a tour of duty. Their investigations try to trace the girls' mother to ascertain what she knows and they believe Sheryl Lansdowne to be the one. How did she allow this tragedy to happen to her precious daughters?

Was the mother abducted and needs saving, or is she perhaps criminally responsible for the girls’ deaths? But through her investigation, Gwen comes back into the bright light of the public glare and once again becomes the target of harassment making her believe there is a much bigger scheme at play here. Gwen and her kids have been forced to live in perpetual fear, since people troll and even threaten her because they are convinced her history as Gina Royal makes her an accomplice and therefore just as culpable as Melvin, even though she was acquitted of the charge in a court of law. With the vicious hostility from her ex-husband, she and her family have learned to live with all the vitriol. But now an invisible opponent wants to punish Gwen for what she believed buried forever. His plan is perfidious: if Gwen does not come to him voluntarily, he will kill everyone she loves. One after the other. This is a riveting and compulsively readable addition to one of my unmissable police procedural series' in which the killer they are chasing is highly elusive. The crimes are disturbing and there's an underlying sense of tension that bubbles away throughout until it eventually explodes in a bleak climax. The topics explored are more than a little troubling and the unsettling yet engrossing narrative is plotted to pinpoint perfection. There's danger, drama, twists and one seriously twisted and sadistic psychopath. A captivating and scintillating page-turner. Highly recommended.

Heartbreak Bay is the fifth, and final, novel in Rachel Caine's Stillhouse Lake series. This is a novel that I was admittedly a little hesitant to pick up, because I wasn't ready to say goodbye. Not to the series, and not to the author.

Gwen's life has never been the same. Not since that fateful moment, when her (now ex) husband was revealed to be a serial killer. Ever since then, Gwen and her family have been in survival mode. However, for a moment, it seemed like things were finally looking up for them.

That is, right up until the bodies of two young girls were found. While there's no connection to Gwen or her monster of an ex, it still feels personal. Likely because one of her friends took it so hard, and refused to put the case down. Even when those around her started falling victim as well.

“It all starts so sweetly, because on Friday night, the adoption papers come through.”

Gwen has got to be one of the most determined and driven women I have ever read about, and I feel like that is saying something. In Heartbreak Bay she has yet again taken on a case that could have easily been somebody else's problem, and all because it was the right thing to do.

Naturally, said right thing put her right in the path of danger. Again. It seems to be a habit of hers, at this point. Then again, there's just as good of a chance that she would never have been left alone while this case was active. Not with the way internet trolls behave.

Honestly, I can't emphasize how much of a bittersweet read this novel was. Yes, it was intense and it was brilliant. It portrayed the best that Gwen and her family have to offer, and I loved it. But it is also the last novel that Rachel Caine wrote (to my knowledge), and that just breaks me.

I don't think it's possible to prepare oneself for the amount of feels this novel will bring, for that reason alone. I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried at the end, not because of the way the novel ended, but simply because it ended.

Gwen's story hit a new high in Heartbreak Bay, and in many ways I think that this was a beautiful point for her story to end. I adore that Kezia also had more of a role to play in this novel, and it was a delight to read about her. Alongside Sam and the kids, of course. They're all brilliant characters, and I will miss them dearly.

They won't be the only ones I miss.

Heartbreak Bay by Rachel Caine
I give this book 4.5 stars
Gwen’s hunted by an enemy who pulls all the strings, Kezia has her back. But working to solve these vicious and unreasonable local crimes together will expose them both to a killer they can’t for the life of them see coming.
This is book 5 in the Stillhouse Lake series but it can also be read as a standalone. I have read all the other books and couldn’t wait for this next instalment by the talented Rachel Caine.
This gripping suspenseful,dark storyline is narrated by Gwen,Sam and Kezia,who are strong,well rounded characters that have evolved as the books have progressed..lt shows how family bonds strengthen and grow despite the appalling ordeals life throws at us and what we can do when we believe in justice.Packed full of evil,tension and plenty of twists this fast paced crime thriller did not disappoint from start to finish. I didn’t want to put it down,a highly recommended read!
I’m so sad to learn the author lost her battle against cancer my thoughts are with her family.
With grateful thanks to Netgalley,the wonderful Rachel Caine and the publisher Thomas & Mercer for a copy of this book.

Final book... solid Rachel Caine, Her pacing as always, is masterful and her characters as always are strong and relatable. I have loved this series since I discovered it and I am sad there will be no more.

I will miss her and this series.

This is in no way an unbiased review- it probably would have received 5 stars from me no matter what, just because I'm so sad that this series is assumably coming to an end with this book after the author's death. Fortunately, this was an excellent piece of storytelling by Rachel Caine. If you've read previous books in the series, you know it's going to be definitively grim and disturbing, and it was. Gwen Proctor has just been through so much, and yet she keeps fighting for herself and her family. This story also really gives Kezia a turn to shine even more than in any other previous story, and she showed her fierceness as well. Read this series from the beginning, and know that there is a content warning for basically everything so be mindful of that.

I’ve really loved this series from book one (Definitely would be best read in order). This one doesn’t disappoint. A roller coaster of a ride with Gwen and Kezia hot on the trail. So sad that this will be the end for this series. Thanks to NetGalley for the privilege to read and review this book.

Book 5 in the series and I would highly recommend reading them in order to get the full potential of each story. You also see the growth in confidence in Gwen and her children who are constantly hounded due to her ex husband being a killer. This is another roller coaster of a ride as once you start reading, you will not want to put the book down as every page brings new issues.

I have loved this series from book 1 (book 3 was probably my least favourite) and as we all know now, it will be the last due to the passing of Rachel. She has gone away on a high though.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC to review and these are all my own opinions.

I wavered so hard on whether to round my 4.5 up or down, that I might end up changing it by the end of the review. But once again, Rachel Caine has written a book that I really, really enjoyed; with some minor bumps in the road that didn't interfere too hard with having a great time.

All the books in the Stillhouse Lake series stand alone, but it's worth reading the whole series for context - and because, if this sounds like something you'd enjoy, there's not many series out there that are as well-considered and entertaining. The research is sound, the writing is good, and the tone manages to straddle the very narrow line between horrifying and life-affirming. This book also pulled up out of what was almost becoming a wallow in the last book; this time, the connection to Gwen's past felt much more organic, and there's a definite sense of moving forward from it.

I have read the previous books in this series and really enjoyed them all. This one wasn’t as good as some of the others but I still liked it! I really love seeing the journey that Gwen and Kezia both went on in this book. They both learned so much about themselves and worked through many of their inner struggles. The storyline itself was just okay...I guessed part of the twist right away and I think if I wouldn’t have guessed it so early I would have enjoyed the book more. Still giving it a solid three stars because I love the characters!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This is the fifth book in the Stillhouse series and is grounded heavily in the previous books. While I didn’t have any difficulty following the plot, I wasn’t as invested because of my missing connection with the characters.

The book is easy to read. The author has a good voice and pace. And I was on the edge of my seat through the end of the book. The story is told mainly from Gwen and Kezia’s point of views with a few chapters from Sam’s to fill in some plot holes. Gwen was married to a serial killer and this book dredges all that history back up as someone is targeting her for her connection to her previous husband.

I can’t imagine having everyone talking about your past and never living it down, especially when you were an unwilling party in that past. Even having not read the previous books in the series, I was able to feel the weight on Gwen and her family of having it never end.

And I’m not sure when the author wrote the book, but the book feels very dark and very final. With the timeline in publishing a book, it may have been long before her grim diagnosis. Hugs and prayers to her family. May she RIP.

While I enjoyed the book, I’d suggest reading the series from the beginning as this book serves to wrap up the previous storylines.