Sunday, October 11, 2020

Book Review: Heartbreak Bay

Title: Heartbreak Bay

Author: Rachel Caine

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Publication Date: March 9, 2021

Rating: 5 out of 5

The fifth book in the Stillhouse Lake series, this could be the best of the series. I loved the story, the suspense, the drama, the characters. It's the real deal.

Once again all the primary characters are present and center stage. Once again, Gwen Proctor, former wife of serial killer Melvin Royal, finds herself in the middle of a hate campaign against her and her family. This time, however, it seems connected to a spate of killings. It all starts when two one-year olds are found in their car seats drowned in their mother's car in an isolated lake. Did their mother kill them? Was she abducted? Is there something more sinister going on?

What makes Caine's gripping, twisting thriller so good is the characters its heart. This time she varies the perspective, writing different chapters from the viewpoint of each of the three main characters: Gwen, her common-law husband, Sam, and her detective friend Kezia. The mystery kept me engrossed to the very end. Hopefully, this won't be the last book in the series. But the afterword suggests it might be. I'm sending prayers and thoughts to the author to beat the cancer that she is battling.

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for giving me early access to this book in return for an honest review.