ARC Review: Heartbreak Bay by Rachel Caine

Heartbreak Bay
Author: Rachel Caine
Series: Stillhouse Lake (Book 5)
Publication: Thomas & Mercer (March 9, 2021)

Description: They’re hunting a killer so silent, so invisible, that his unspeakable crimes are the only proof he exists.

A car submerged in a remote pond. The bodies of two girls strapped into their seats. The mystery of their mother, vanished without a trace, leads Gwen Proctor and Kezia Claremont into dangerous territory.

On the surface, Gwen’s life is good—two children approaching adulthood, a committed partner, and a harrowing past dead and gone. But that past is attracting the attention of someone invisible…and unstoppable. Trouble’s just beginning. So is the body count in this backwoods Tennessee town.

As threats mount and Gwen’s hunted by an enemy who pulls all the strings, Kezia has her back. But working to solve these vicious and unreasonable crimes will expose them both to a killer they can’t for the life of them see coming.

My Thoughts: This final book in the Stillhouse Lake series has Gwen, Sam and the kids located in Knoxville and trying to lead a more normal life. The kids are in school; Sam is back teaching piloting and preparing to become a commercial pilot again. Gwen is working as a private investigator.

But the enemies who forced the family to move haven't gone away. An old wanted poster that spotlights Gwen and her kids is circulating again. Gwen receives another letter from her deceased ex-husband Melvin Royal that really upsets her. Sam gets a phone call from a newspaper trying to confirm details in an obituary for Gwen that someone called in.

Meanwhile back in Sillhouse Lake, Kezia is called to the scene when a car is discovered in a pond with two small children strapped in car seats and drowned. The mother is missing and it isn't known if she's a kidnapping victim or is she deliberately murdered her children. Kez is especially engaged in finding answers because she has recently found out that she is pregnant. When the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation sweeps in to take over the case, Kez asks Gwen to help her with her own investigation of the crime. It quickly becomes apparent that the missing mother was keeping secrets of her own with a string of name changes and suspicious deaths behind her.

This story is told from three viewpoints; Gwen, Sam, and Kez all narrate their parts of the story. The story is filled with tension and has a really, really creepy villain. Fans of psychological thrillers won't want to miss this one. 

Favorite Quote:

"This lunch for you? Because there are still vegetables in the world."

I pass her a fork. "It's carrot cake."

"I'll allow it." She takes a bite, heavy on the cram cheese frosting.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.