I really enjoy Gregg Olsen’s books, and this is the first I’ve read in his Detective Megan Carpenter Series. Unfortunately, I didn’t know it was part of a series when I began reading it, but to my surprise it was easily read as a stand-alone.

When Ben Parker reports that his son and recently separated wife have gone missing, Detective Megan Carpenter is quick to canvas the scene. What she learns is that Ben left out important details when he called the police, like that Marlena is pregnant and Ben suspects the baby isn’t his. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. As more secrets are revealed, Megan’s suspicions continue to be redirected, and she wonders if someone is trying to block their investigation. Could Ben’s wealthy family with their powerful connections somehow be involved, or is the truth more complicated than they imagined?

I enjoyed reading this book for the most part, but it’s not my favorite of Olsen’s books. It felt like a pretty typical detective story, and while the ending did catch me by surprise, I often grew bored with Ben’s lies and his constantly leading everyone in circles. Overall, though, it was a good book, and I’d recommend it to anyone who loves detective series because Gregg Olsen is a fantastic writer.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4348479607

This is book 4 in the Detective Megan Carpenter series - a great series about a detective with a traumatic and mysterious past. No need to read the first 3, but it's likely to be a bit more enjoyable by knowing all the characters.

In this book, Megan is called out in the night to locate missing Marelena and her son by the husband who happens to be estranged from the family. There are several chapters from Marlena's point of view as she tries to make sense of her surroundings. The rest is Megan doggedly chasing down whom she thinks is guilty. My only complaint is that there were very few suspects and the book leads you to the guilty party fairly early with few twists. There is still plenty suspense in whether the police will locate the missing woman and her son in time and identifying whom is the guilty party and why. Previous novels were a bit more action packed but I enjoyed this novel just the same. I am always interested in learning more about Megan and enjoyed learning more about her partner Ronnie. To me, I am also happy that her relationship with her boss is not toxic as is the usual norm is police procedurals. It's nice to have a supportive boss!

I recommend this book to those who love Megan Carpenter, Gregg Olson in general and those who like a good police procedural. The writing is great, and the chase is enjoyable. #StillwaterIsland #MeganCarpenter #NetGalley

Megan Carpenter is growing and evolving. I wish the author did not keep repeating her past but I am sure that helps those who have not read the prior books. In this case a woman and her son are missing and her husband is the primary suspect from the beginning but it becomes so much more complicated than that.
Fun ride.
I was given a copy by Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Absolutely heart stopping. This book opens with sheer terror and chills and keeps that tone throughout. Twists and turns and chilling revelations keep your heart racing. The characters are well developed and the story is fast paced and full of suspense. The main characters are endearing and beloved. This book gripped my heart and soul. Every terror filled moment was well written.
A fantastic read!

I like this series a lot! This book was a bit confusing to me as it had been a while since I read previous and I found myself struggling with certain details. It is a fine balance with series that are released far apart, also this author has many similar series and I enjoy them all so it can be hard to keep track! Overall I think this book was a really good addition to the series. I like the main character a lot and will continue reading if more are released.

This fourth book in Gregg Olsen's Detective Megan Carpenter series centres around a missing woman and her four year old son. Megan is called out in the early hours of the morning by the woman's husband Ben who last saw them a week ago when he and his wife had a blazing row and he moved out. Megan is immediately suspicious of Ben who is evasive in answering her questions and doesn't seem that concerned about his missing wife and child. His ongoing behaviour in lying to her and avoiding straight answers leads her to be convinced he knows something about their disappearance but finding enough evidence to arrest him proves to be a problem.

This episode is slower in pace that the first three books of the series, focussing solely on the missing woman and child. While Megan seemed somewhat blinkered, focussing mainly on Ben without considering other suspects, this is probably what would happen in the real world under the circumstances, especially with a slippery, slimy character like Ben.

I enjoyed seeing the ongoing development of Megan's new partner Ronnie, as well as Megan's growing appreciation of her and the banter that is developing between the two of them. Megan is a great character, strong but flawed, not always playing by the rules (much to her Sheriff's chagrin) but always on the side of justice and the victim. I found the flashbacks to her own childhood and tapes made with her psychologist a tad repetitive now we're into the fourth book, as she is becoming more confident in her own ability and should be moving on from the past and putting her demons to rest. Despite the slower pace, the book is an engrossing read with plenty of action in the twisty finale.

Stillwater Island, the fourth novel in the Detective Megan Carpenter series by Gregg Olsen, has Megan investigating a missing persons case. Marlena Parker and her four-year-old son Bennie have disappeared and the immediate suspect is Marlena’s husband, Ben Parker. Quite a hard person to like, Ben does not make things easier by lying freely when questioned by the police. Convinced from the outset of Ben’s guilt, Megan and her now regular partner Ronnie Marsh try to find some means of nailing him and retrieving Marlena and Bennie alive. As the investigation progresses, Ben’s secrets come to light—his difficult relationship with his billionaire father, his extramarital affair, his awful treatment of his wife and so on—but there is nothing solid to link Ben to his family’s disappearance. Megan, shaped by her violent, terrifying past, takes the case to her heart as usual and is prepared to go beyond the legalities to nab the kidnapper before it’s too late. What ensues is a race against time for the detectives that throws up many surprises and challenges for them.

The first thing that stood out for me in Stillwater Island is the markedly less gore as compared to the two previous ones I’ve read, and the novel is no less thrilling for it. Another charming thing is Ronnie’s growth—she brings about a lot of freshness with her excellent wit and class while getting into the groove on Megan’s not-so-proper path. It is a lot of fun reading the pair’s exploits narrated in Megan’s acerbic voice. The other characters, both the likeable and the unsavoury ones, are finely crafted by Olsen. The plot is gripping from the start and moves at a fast clip, and the ending is quite satisfactory.

However, Megan’s obsession with her past, a recurring feature in the series that is getting a bit tedious now, impairs the thrill of the narrative a great deal. Unlike the previous book which had links to her past, this one is totally unrelated to her personally and there is no need for her to seek answers from the recordings of her therapy sessions of long ago. Apart from this shortcoming, Stillwater Island is a worthy addition to the series and I would rate it 3 out of 5.

My sincere gratitude to the author and the publisher of Stillwater Island for the e-ARC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Another of my favourite series and for me the best one. Megan has a deep dark secret about her past and it explains a lot the way she does her job. Megan is one ballsy detective who loves her job. After I started this book everything else was on hold, Yes this book is that good. It definitely ticked all my boxes. A fantastic five star read, creepy, full of tension and suspense and misdirection. This series keeps going from strength to strength and I can't wait to read more of another gripping and addictive series.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

Stillwater Island (originally titled Vanishing Point) is the fourth book with Megan Carpenter as the main character. I requested this book when I saw Gregg Olsen was the author. I have read several of his books and have never been disappointed. This is the first book is this series I have read. While there is plenty of backstory to be up to date with the present story it does tempt you that there is much more that we need and want to know.

Megan and partner Ronnie Marsh are informed that a husband has called in to report his wife and son missing. The husband, Ben Parker, quickly becomes the prime suspect. It will become obvious to Megan and Ronnie he and his missing wife have a history of domestic violence, he recently moved out, and he has a beautiful girlfriend and he lies about everything.

The story will primarily focus on proving the husband did it, but did he, that remains to be seen in spite of every lead points to him. As they get closer to the truth Megan, begins to see cracks emerging as everything seems to easy.

This is a wonderful story with a rich backstory for Megan and the people she works with as well as the unbelievably wealthy Parker Family. We want to learn more in the next book.

Megan Carpenter is one of my favourite detectives. She has a dark past. Unlike most detectives in crime thrillers who are haunted by their dark pasts, Megan embraces the darkness which is what makes her unique. When it comes to criminals, the line between right and wrong becomes blurry for her.

This was an intense case. It began with Ben calling the police to report that his estranged wife and son are missing. Police are unsure whether the two are missing or simply away from home. However, interviewing Ben raises suspicion of foul play. Ben is quite dislikable. He made my skin crawl and I wanted him jailed for whatever. Whether he had made his family disappear or not, Ben was guilty of something. This is what had the detectives fixated on him. As readers, we had to keep up with the investigation to find out whether he was actually guilty of a crime or just vileness.

I was totally captivated by this book. I really like Megan and absolutely adore her partner, Ronnie. Megan’s darkness intrigues me. It gives me Dexter vibes and I am unsure about which side of the law she really is on. Nonetheless, I am hooked. I love her relationships at work and home and this installment gave us a much softer side of her which I enjoyed.

To best enjoy this series, you have to read the books in order. Edge of your seat thrilling, captivating and quite fast-paced, this one is not to be missed.

Have to admit I didn't read thr others before this.
Still a great book with twists that keep you interested.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

A woman and her young son have gone missing. Detective Megan Carter is in charge of the case. There are no signs of a struggle and the husband is not acting how you would expect under the circumstances. There are all sorts of twist along the way to the final resolution. This book will keep you guessing. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

I hadn’t picked up a police procedural in quite some time, and this one really hit the spot! I read this out of order but will definitely be going back to read the others in the series, and continue it forward as well. Our main character Megan is called in on a missing mother and son case, and she’s joined by her partner/mentee Ronnie. Love the two strong women leading the way. As in most cases, the husband is our prime suspect from the get go. The story is full of red herrings, and we get some brief points of view from our missing woman. The story is face paced, engaging and well written. Looking forward to reading more.

This one really features Megan and Ronnie. Embroiled in a missing persons case, these two face an uphill battle to get answers. There are several twists. The author does great writing characters you hate or love. I was glued to this one. And I loved the ending. I can't wait for the next one! This series never disappoints.

I love Megan. She is hardly ever afraid and she has been through a lot. She is hard as a rock, but she does have a soft spot which she does not show very often.

She makes me smile very often. She thinks A, but says B which can be very funny.

Megan is a loner, but she has found a kindred spirit in her partner Ronnie. Their background could not be more different, but that does not stop them from making a great team. You just have to love them.

People live in the same street, but when something is not right they often keep themselves to themselves. They often claim afterwards they always had the feeling there was a problem, but nobody did anything. What if they were wrong? What if they would be shouted at for interfering?

I honestly do not know what I would do. Sometimes a feeling is not enough, but what if that feeling could have prevented a tragedy?

Will Megan and Ronnie’s prime suspect be exposed or is there more to it than the eye could see?

I am a number one fan of the duo. I really am looking forward to the next book. 5 stars

Thank you

Vanishing Point, book 4 in the series and the first I read, was easy to pick and I didn’t see the end coming!
Detective Megan Carpenter investigates the missing mother and child – and as always, the husband is the prime suspect, especially when his girlfriend is found dead. Race is on, what is the role of the rich father-in-law in all this, did they just run? Page turner, hang on to your seat.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an early read in exchange for my opinion.

Well Gregg Olsen has done it again, this book had me hooked right from the first page. This is the 4th book in the Detective Megan Carpenter series and to get hooked and to go down the rabbit hole with Megan and horrors she must face once again. This is a must read book , lets see where Megan will take us next.

Vanishing Point is the fourth book in the Megan Carpenter series and for full enjoyment should be read with the others. Megan is a little milder in this book than previous ones but still smart and sassy like expected. A woman and child goes missing and all leads point to the husband being responsible. It’s a twisted case that tests Megan and her trainee with unexpected revelations and surprises that will keep you guessing right up until the end. The pages fly by and the story will keep you on your toes for a compelling, suspenseful thriller. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

I was glad to see Greg Olsen's back with his complicated character Megan Carpenter. Early one morning, the Jefferson County Police Department answer a call from Ben Parker, reporting that his wife and child are missing. Arriving at the family home in Baker Heights, Detective Megan Carpenter sees no sign of a struggle but quickly uncovers some alarming information about the Parkers’ marriage… The neighbors say Ben was abusive to his wife Marlena and their little boy. As Megan and her partner Ronnie investigate, it’s clear he is having an affair and hiding dark secrets. Then Luci, Ben's girlfriend, is found murdered in a secluded woods. Ben is now the prime suspect, but as Megan digs deeper into his life, meeting his father, Cyrus – the wealthy tycoon at the head of the family and owner of his private island, the case becomes more complex. Megan is sure that the answer and Ben's wife and child are on the island. The case triggers disturbing childhood memories for Megan when she was on the run from her own abusive father. The book is great but I really look forward to finding out everything about Megan's past.

A good thriller with a fast pace and suspense. The reader is kept guessing till the end. The husband character is difficult to understand. He is portrayed one way in the beginning and suddenly becomes different later. A good read.