Widow Lake – Rita Herron

It’s summertime at Widow Lake in the Appalachians, and the Widow Lake College is hosting a ten year celebration for its graduates. Twelve-year-old Lorna Bea Jones and her father have just settled into a new home – a cottage on the lake. Lorna’s life has been full of sudden moves, name changes and isolation, but her father has never told her why. Now once again in a new location, with only the four walls of her bedroom for company, Lorna looks out of her window longingly, before climbing out of her window to sit in an adjacent tree, where she sees a man in a hoodie lurking around in the woods. She also sees a young child entering a shed, and heads down to try to find the girl, whom she has seen playing in the neighboring yard.

Detective Ellie Reeves is out dealing with a domestic situation on this hot summer day. As she defuses the situation and clears the scene, she gets word of a missing child out by Widow Lake. As she heads that way, she calls Ranger Cord McClain for assistance. The arrive to learn that the missing child is a 4-year-old girl named Betsy. With night fast approaching, search teams assemble and head into the woods. The child is found by Lorna Bea, who walks her out to searchers, but human remains are later found in the shed where she had been stuck.

Meanwhile, Special Agent Derrick Fox is at the State Prison interviewing a convicted killer in attempts to gain a confession in the killings of two other young women. Despite having admitted to and sentenced for three deaths in nearby Widow Lake several years ago, the killer continues to deny harming the other two women – but if he didn’t do it – then who did?


As Ellie, Cord & Derrick work to identify the remains found by the shed, it quickly becomes apparent to the reader that there is a killer on the loose – and he is back in town to honor a pact made with his close friends – a killing club – ten years ago. When another body is found, long submerged in the lake, Ellie and her team must work feverishly to put the pieces together before the killing starts again…

This is a fantastic series! This book takes off running and I literally read it cover to cover without a break – it was that good! Full of all the suspense, plot twists and action you expect from a great mystery, along with a great protagonist – and a sweet, sweet ending to boot. Each storyline is tied up in a neat little bow at the end – great read! Great series!! I cant wait for more from Rita Herron!!

I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley & Bookouture in exchange for an objective review. Do you love to read?? Visit netgalley.com and start reviewing books today!!

Blog will publish 5/31 AM

This is book#8 in the Ellie Reeves series. I am such a fan of this series. We are left hanging at the end so I’m eager to see what’s next. Highly recommend❤️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.

A family is vacationing at Widow Lake when their little girl disappears. Detective Ellie Reeves is quick to the scene to help find the girl.

Betsy is rescued by Lorna Mae, as she was chasing after a kitten and fell through an old shed floor. Police soon discover that underneath are human bones. Who is buried there?

The team discovers that the bones belong to a missing college student called Amy Dean, who vanished ten years ago. Her little daughter Paisley was never found either. Did someone kill them both? If so, where is the baby’s body?

When other missing persons are linked to the case, Ellie fears they have a serial predator on their hands. Can they identify the perpetrator and find out what happened to missing Paisley?

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for this wonderful ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
👮🏼‍♂️👮🏼‍♀️
I really, really loved this book, this is one of the best crime thrillers I've ever read. I loved the plot and how it worked out. Although it was very sad reading about those poor victims, I even cried. I loved the short chapters, especially in a thriller. Sometimes, I read a thriller because of the short chapters.
👮🏼‍♀️👮🏼‍♂️
This is the kind of book that will make you go just one more chapter when you're preparing to sleep, and you'll have to forgo sleep to read it. I read it in half of a day.
👮🏼‍♂️👮🏼‍♀️
I loved all of the main characters, Ellie, Cord and Derrick and the love triangle between them(subtle). I'd really love to read more and more about them
👮🏼‍♀️👮🏼‍♂️
I really loved this book and the characters. I'd love to read more books in the Detective Elle Reeves series. If you love crime Thrillers, then is a book you must read.

A quick and happy ending it seems when a little girl was lost but quickly discovered. Detective Ellie Reeves, in Rita Herron's eighth book in an excellent series, had gathered whoever she could to find the little girl. However, despite this success, Ellie and her team will be quite busy. It stars with a car found in the water with the body of a man inside. But, that wasn't it, there were also some bones that were of a woman, and this goes back to a cold case of a decade ago.

In addition to the recent discovery, an imprisoned serial killer has Special Agent Derrick Fox perplexed. He is determined to find out about other murders the prisoner might be responsible for. This interaction with the prisoner, Dominique Radcliffe, truly tests Derrick's patience.

As always with these excellent crime thriller series, everything has a connection and this includes Ranger Cord McClain. Ellie, Derrick and Cord work both independently and together as they are trying to solve the mystery at hand. Their progress is interrupted at times with a group of crime fans who have their own ideas.

As a reader of this series, it was easy to see that Ellie was often torn between Derrick and Cord. I will say that the shocking conclusion knocked me back and has me more than eager to see where things go with Ellie and the choices she makes.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

On the hottest day of the year, as a heatwave takes hold of the Appalachian Mountains, a five-year-old girl goes missing in the woods by Widow Lake. Detective Ellie Reeves is straight on the scene, promising Betsy’s heartbroken parents that she will stop at nothing to find their precious daughter.
Hours later, Ellie is called back to the lake. One of her team have discovered some remains near where Betsy disappeared. The bones belong to a local girl, Amy Dean, who vanished ten years ago to the day, along with her two-year-old baby girl Paisley. But why was Paisley never reported missing? And could she still be alive? Ellie is suddenly up against the toughest case of her career. Her instincts tell her that the two cases are somehow connected, and she works day and night to uncover the link. When she comes across some little graves beside the water’s edge, she knows she needs to stop the evil lurking around this tranquil lake. When Ellie discovers a notebook scrawled with the handwriting of a little girl, it could be the breakthrough she needs.
The eighth book in the series & one of my favourites so far, it could be read on its own but the characters have developed over the series so to fully appreciate it I’d recommend in order. Another well written page turner which I devoured in a couple of sittings, there are unexpected twists & turns which surprised me. Then there’s the relationship between Ellie & Cord which ended on a cliffhanger. So now I’m impatiently awaiting the next book!
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

As always, a masterfully written book by Rita Herron. I was late to this series, but I have read the previous 4 books so think I am in a position to judge this one :)

Ellie is thrust into a challenging case, after a car is discovered in a local lake, with a skeleton inside. The car would never have been discovered, were it not for the low water level. The discovery of the body leads to a discovery of bones....but whose bones were they? Then there is the push/pull Ellie feels between Cord and Derrick. All of this plays out with a backdrop of the Appalachian Mountains, which sound formidable.

A complex case, lots of players in this one and all the strands woven together well by the author.

Looking forward to reading the next book in the series :)

Detective Ellie Reeves is back with a cracker of a story.

As the summer sun heats up the Appalachian Mountains and dries out the surrounding lakes. Secrets come rushing to the surface. Especially when a ten-year reunion at Widow Lake College is taking place.

And when five-year-old Betsy wonders off. A can of worms is opened. And when Betsy is found, she has a story to tell. One that has Detective Ellie Reeves worried. Particularly when Cord reports a body has been found in a car once submerged in the lake. A car that holds a child's seat.

But with no child's body found or reported missing. What could have happened to them?

And what is so important about this particular reunion at Widow Lake?

And with huge revelations and major twists and turns. This was a story that had me hooked and honestly, I could not stop reading! Which is why I would happily recommend Widow Lake and the Detective Ellie Reeves series to all.

Wow! Jaw dropping ending is not even sufficient to describe my feelings at the end of this book. When a car surfaces in Widow Lake with a body in it and a baby's car seat, Detective Ellie Reeves and company are thinking horrible thoughts. The only thing that gives them hope is that the windows were intact so the baby could not get out on its own. When a little girl disappears for a short period at the lake, the team goes on high alert. Thankfully, they find her, but they also make another gruesome discovery of a body. They know something sinister is going on in this community and all appears to be tied back to the college. The people of this town are learning that there are monsters living amongst them walking around in the daylight without their masks on. Meanwhile the serial killer known as the Southside Slasher is ready to be executed, but they still have two bodies unaccounted for. There are some twisted minds in this book with a fraternity of brothers obsessed with death, murder and serial killers. You will wonder if they are just harmless in their fascination or is there something else much more depraved going on. From that point forward the book gets a little twisty. There are a lot of characters which is, at first, a little confusing, but it does not take long for you to get the gist of all of these many characters and the parts they will play in the story. It was a compelling story of obsessions, regrets and pure evil.

I love this series. I especially love Ellie. She is a fireball. She is fearless and single minded in her pursuit of justice for the victims. She gets angry when another body is found or she hears about another senseless death. She truly cares for people. She always makes the story more interesting as she is constantly putting herself in harm's way. Caution - you will probably lose sleep once you start this book. It is hard to put down.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This series is so good and this latest book is just..WOW! I really like this series. I like Ellie, Derrick, Cord even starting to like Bruce. I hated putting this down and having to do adult things! The ending really has me looking forward to the next book!
Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy

This is a great crime thriller.
With a little girl missing Ellie gets everyone together to search for her.
She is found by her neighbour but a discovery is soon made of a car in the water, with a man’s body inside and the bones of a woman who went missing ten years ago.
We also have a serial killer who is in prison and Derrick is trying to find out if he killed two more women.
In the town a reunion is about to take place and it seems there was a group at the time who had an unhealthy interest in true crime and murder.
All the strands come together for a nail biting conclusion, which I loved.
I really like this series and can’t wait to read the next book.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This series is one of my favorite detective series. I find Ellie to be a great backbone for the story, and her troubled past definitely colors her present. The plot in this installment is very convoluted; there are an endless amount of both victims and potential perpetrators, spanning a huge length of time. We get a lot of different POV, which makes the pages go by quickly. There is enough interpersonal drama to connect each book to the next, leaving you excited for the next one. Highly recommend! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity provide my honest review.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this brilliant book

oh my goodness me what have i just read.

when a young girl goes missing its all hands on deck for detective ellie reeves and her colleagues. and when skeletal remains are found where the young girl is found safe and sound

the bones are over 10 years old
then another body is found in a car that had been underwater for 10 years as well

could these two cases be connected...

wow this book gripped me right to the very last page and i was on tenterhooks and i cried real tears over this book, it grips in a way that doesnt let you go

cant wait to see what is next for ellie and her colleagues in the next book from this amazing series

Wow! Rita Herron’s Widow Lake is definitely the best book that I have read so far. It is a heart pounding, non stop thriller that takes the reader to the Appalachian mountains where Detective Ellie Reeves is searching for a missing young girl. A family on vacation has called the police to say their daughter, Betsy, is missing. While teams are searching a lake area, one calls Det. Reeves back with the finding of something most sinister. The remains of yet another missing person who went missing the very same day ten years ago. The remains are that of Amy Dean, a local woman who also had a two year old daughter, Paisley.. When Reeves discovers no one has seen Paisley in that time nor was she reported missing, she questions whether or not these two incidents are related. Detective Reeves shows the reader her kick butt persona and what she finds through the investigation will keep you on the edge of your seat bitting your nails wondering what she will find next. This is the book that needs to become a movie. It is part of a series but can be read as a standalone novel, however, you would be doing yourself an injustice if you do not read the authors other books.


5+++++ out of 5


Thank you to NetGalley as well as the author/publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

(4.5) Quickly ramps up into a horrific fast paced thriller full of suspense and that spins you around as you follow the footsteps of a "chess group" known as the brotherhood. Let me tell you right now, they do not play chess, and no its not a spoiler. Ellie is growing in leaps and bound as she doggedly pursues criminals to keep her town safe. This is book eight and I can honestly say that you could read this as a stand alone, but you would do yourself a disservice. Than again the ending would not upset you the way it does everyone who has followed this series from book 1. I love Rita Herron. I actually live in a suburb on the outskirts of Atlanta and love when common places are mentioned, but the ending had me groaning, saying please, please do not go down this path. I guess we will see where it goes in the next book. This is dark, disturbing, with glimpses of light and hope. A twist towards the end I didn't see. Lorna had me in tears looking for her HEA. Thank you for the arc! I freely volunteer my thoughts and opinions. #widowlake #elliereeves #ritaherron #bookouture #netgalley

Evil springs out of the woodwork at reunion time: totally engrossing😲

This is such a fantastic thriller it was hard to put down. I have a fondness for strong, driven female police officers and Ellie Reeves is one such woman. She's dealing with some really warped characters who've sadistically targeted young women in southern Appalachia for a decade and it seems that each advance in the case turns up shocking new wrinkles.

The short chapters with multiple POVs are my favorite format and there's never a dull moment as Ellie's crew race against the clock to find the latest victims before they meet a gruesome end.

I totally drank up all the action and Ellie's investigation with her loyal FBI and local police colleagues but I loved the sad tale of Lorna Bea who has been kept constantly on the move with just a cardboard box of possessions to sustain and entertain her . A young girl who's longing for a settled home and friends to play with but instead is kept isolated and lonely "for her own protection." She's learned to cope with her restricted life but, gosh, did I want her to live her dream and the chapters about her were my favorites.

A riveting addition to a good series. Definitely recommended, particularly if you gravitate to serial killer police procedurals.

Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

This was a story that had me confused in the first few chapters. I wasn’t sure where the author was going with it.
Talk about a complicated plot full of situations that will have you both surprised and shocked.
I’m not sure about Detectives Ellie Reeves love life….it continues to confuse me while also annoying me.
Overall, Widow Lake is an intense, gripping read. The twists and turns in the story will have you unable to put the book down.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

The discovery of remains during the search for a missing little girl launches a hunt for a serial killer by Ellie, FBI SA Derrick and Ranger Cord, in this taut if at times a little implausible thriller set in the Appalachians. I'd not read the earlier books in this series but that wasn't a problem (this is easily a standalone). It' a tad trope-y but it's also twist enough to keep even genre veterans reading. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

This book will keep you on the edge of your seat! So many twists and turns while Ellie is working with the team to solve a series of horrible crimes. The ending will literally make you scream out loud! I sincerely hope Ellie gets the love she deserves… soon.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own." eARC provided NetGalley and Bookouture.

The 8th in the Detective Ellie Reeves series. Rita Herron writes a good novel, lots of short sharp chapters which means the novel is easy to pick up and down, but I did find that it distracted something from the flow of the plot.
I know that crime is never pleasant but I did find the subject matter a little hard to swallow at times and there were a few too many characters for my taste.
Still enjoyed the character development and will happily read the next in the series.


Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with an Advance Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Widow Lake is another gripping Detective Ellie Reeves mystery set near the Appalachian Trail. While searching for a missing child Ranger Cord finds a submerged car with skeletal remains. The car belongs to a missing college student from ten years ago and the body to a member of a strange group of young men known for their obsession with murder. Ellie’s case twists and turns with the escape of a serial killer and the disappearance of new women as the ten year reunion for the college class is in full swing. Just like past books, the story throws you for a loop with unexpected twists as Ellie and Cord dive headfirst into danger to save the missing victims. Even though some of the past is hit upon, it is not an overwhelming part of the story and the book could easily be read as a standalone but Ellie and Cord’s personal story ends on a little bit of a cliffhanger. As always, the story is a compelling, page turning thriller in a series that just keeps getting better. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.