Honestly, this is one of my favorite authors and series and I look forward to the next release. I can't put these stories down but then am sad that the story is over, and I have to wait awhile for the next one. I love how the characters are written and the long running push and pull of Ellie and Cord's relationship. I am looking forward to seeing what happens, if anything, between the two of them as well as some of the secrets in Cord's past.
These stories are so well written, I enjoy them immensely.

I've been reading Rita for a long time and all of her books are great! Love Ellie Reeves, she and her small town seems to attract the crazies! This time revolves around an old college kill club and they're reuniting. Very well plotted and had a nice twist. I DO struggle with the short chapters. I hate long chapters but having almost 150 chapters on a 330 page book is too much

This was a wild and twisty ride! It kept me guessing the whole way through, and I could not put it down! I am excited to read more by this author!

So explosive!!! My heart was racing the whole way through the book!! Missing children are always heart stopping thrillers as it's a race against time.

Fabulous plot, great characters and a can't put down until you've read it all story.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for a copy

5/5

Book number 8 in the series. I love this series and I love how it just keeps on getting better. Loved the romance element. I couldnt put this book down.

This was a thriller for the ages! Kept me on the edge of my seat. I love a book that keeps me turning the pages!

Rita is a diamond! The book had lots of surprises. It's so gripping and full of unexpected twists and turns, like a thrilling rollercoaster ride! I can't wait for the next book.

This case had everything that makes a crime thriller entertaining. It begins with a missing child’s incident which was quickly solved. However, this incident led to the discovery of remains of a young woman who had gone missing a decade ago. The cold case led to one of the toughest cases for Ellie and one of the most thrilling reads for any fan of serial killer thrillers.

Once again, I enjoyed following Ellie as she worked the case. My feeling about the love triangle surrounding her has been up and down. At first, I hated it but now, I am invested. I have grown to like Cord and Derrick and I am curious to see where this part of the series ends up. Watching the 3 work on the case was quite enjoyable though. They are all quite well developed as independent characters and it was great to see the connection of the 3 different angles that they were working on.

This is a fast paced, gripping, chilling and twisty cop procedural. The ending was shocking and left me wanting more. I can’t wait for the next installment already.

EXCELLENT police procedural, well written with great characters & lots of suspense throughout. RECOMMEND this & her whole series for a great reading experience.

Once again Ellie and crew are after viscous killer/s. This story is full of I didn't see that coming and holy cows that kept me turning pages. While this story has many great things happening, I was disappointed that parts were predictable. Luckily, I don't think they take away from the story. Looking forward to the next one.

Detective Ellie Reeves is back in action in the most eerie and chilling case she has ever encountered till now. When a little girl Betsy goes missing from one of the holiday cabins along the Widow Lake, the entire police department is mobilized to find the little girl before it is too late. Betsy is found later in the night; but the search for her leads the police to a car in the bottom of the lake from which the remains of a body are recovered. Further investigation leads police to the disappearance of a young mother and student Amy Dean and her two year old daughter Paisley.

The search for answers lead the team of police to an abandoned shack, from where a few pieces of bones are recovered, whose DNA match Amy's. And Detective Reeves begins to suspect that Amy may only be one of the many victims of this perpetrator. Even before she could fully grasp hold of the case, three women and one little girl are kidnapped. In a race against time, the Detective must solve the most convoluted case she has ever come across, before more lives are lost.

Author Rita Herron has the ability to draw a reader into the twisted and sinister small town she has created, through her descriptive and elaborate writing style. The reader is just pulled into the suffocating heat and ominous woods of the small town which is home to a dark evil that has been lurking in the shadows for a long time. The only complaint I did have is that the story is a tad more dark and chiling for my taste.

Inspite of it, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and can't wait to see what Rita Herron brings forth in the upcoming books.

Thank you to NetGalley for this title! I didn’t realize that this was the 8th book in a series, but I was able to follow the book with no problems! Unfortunately, the story fell a little flat for me this time around me.

The search for a missing child has a happy conclusion except it launches a murder investigation into remains found at the lake. Historic murder cases suddenly stack up as connections are made. Women go missing and then another child is abducted as a serial killer escapes...
Widow Lake is the 8th book to feature Detective Ellie Reeves and her colleagues. There are some mentions of events and outcomes from previous books where they relate to the personal life of Ellie.
The opening chapters of this book set several plot strands going and it took me a little while to begin to understand the connections between the events and characters. We are shown events from the past as well as build up to the present day circumstances. Ellie is called to investigate a missing child but the setting of a lake during a drought leads to the discovery of a body that links to a mother and child disappearance from 10 years ago.
The chapters are short and allows the plot to surge ahead. It is sooooo tempting to keep reading, one more chapter becomes three or four! I was completely caught up in the plot as the present day plot threads connect to those from the past. There is plenty of drama and danger as the plot develops, leading to an exciting conclusion.
Widow Lake was a gripping detective thriller and a great addition to the series.

Received ARC from bookouture. Thank you. Book #8 in the Ellie Reeves series and again does not disappoint. Page Turner from start to finish, twist and turns, plots galore and in all of that you are still understanding more of Ellies character.
I would like to see more development in the will they won't they with the three main characters, I feel Ellies back story has stalled, her relationships with mum and dad etc. Lots given in first few books and now slow to move on.

I have voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this title given to me through NetGalley. This book was just absolutely wonderful. It was just so easy to get lost in and I just couldn’t put it down. I just lost myself within this amazing story. I most definitely will read more by this author.

When a little girl disappears at Widow Lake, detective Ellie Reeves is on the scene immediately. While searching for the girl, the investigative team discovers a bunch of evidence that has nothing to do with her, but maybe a lot with a series of murders commited ten years ago.
The general story of this was very intruiging and I appreciated the setup, but a lot of the characters and the policing done by the characters felt off. The investigation runs a little too smoothly for the assumptions taken, in my opinion, and the three children characters were very weirdly written. Especially the 12-year old sounded and acted much younger than she was supposed to be. I found there were a lot of characters to keep track of, which I couldn't always fully do - that might have to do with the fact that this is part of a series and the reader is meant to already know a lot of the investigative team? Nonetheless, I would have liked if the povs were cut down to maybe half. I felt a bit uneasy about how criminal psychology and criminology was treated in this story, but that might be due to my limited knowledge in these fields. All in all, I was a bit disappointed by this book. It sounded promising.

Loved this book so much! Another fantastic story in an absolutely outstanding series! Love this author and will read anything from her. She always entertains, her books are always enthralling and addictive and this one was no different. A five star read.

Reading Between the Wines book review #65/115 for 2023:
Rating: 4 🍷 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book: Widow Lake (Detective Ellie Reeves Book 8)
Author: Rita Herron
RELEASED May 2
31, 2023!!! Get your copy!

Sipping thoughts: Ellie, Cord and Derek's love triangle is in full effect as they race against time as they try and find a missing girl. Detective Reeves and her sleuthing helps to find a connection between a past and recent case. Will she finally choose between Derek and Cord? This was a good mystery and story behind the killing. I look forward to Book 9.

Cheers and thank you to @NetGalley and @Bookouture for an advanced copy of @WidowsLake.

#WidowsLake #RitaHerron #Bookouture #NetGalley #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers #GeneralFictionAdult

Widow Lake is the 8th book in the Ellie Reeves series and although it it only the second one I have read, I highly recommend this series. The book opens with a missing child in a campground and Ellie, her team and the SAR team led by Cord McClain all head out to look for her. She is found by the little girl in the cabin next door and all seems to be fine, but they see a man all in back skulking around in the woods. While on the search, they find a submerged car with a body in it and that opens up a cold case. Ten years earlier, a young woman and her child disappeared and it was her car they found. The body was a male, not her. Where was Amy Dean and her daughter Paisley? As Ellie investigates, she finds other co-eds have been murdered in the same way. Is there a serial killer out there that has been hunting for ten years? There is a serial killer behind bars waiting for execution and the signature of these other kills is similar. Are they communicating and how are they doing it? This case will have Ellie and her team running circles around each other.

Wow, this was one action packed crime thriller. As the reader, we can see some of what is going on, but this was a complicated case. There is more than one killer, but who are they? Lorna Bea, the twelve year old girl who was in the middle of everything is a sweetheart. My heart broke for that little girl who was kept so isolated. I knew who she was from the start, but her full story is heartbreaking. Ellie's team works so well together and I really enjoy seeing them anticipate each other's moves and what to do next. Ellie was in danger a few times in this one and my heart was in my throat more than once. I don't want to give anything away, so will say no more about this story. This is a fast moving, gripping, chilling and twisty crime thriller. The conclusion was shocking and jaw dropping and left me wanting more. I know I have said it before, but I NEED to go back and read the books in this series that I have missed, it was that good.