Heartbreak Bay

Stillhouse Lake, Book 5

By: Rachel Caine

Narrated by: Emily Sutton-Smith, Dan John Miller, Tovah Ott

Length: 11 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

An Amazon Charts and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling series.

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.

©2021 Rachel Caine, LLC. (P)2021 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

A Bittersweet, Blockbuster Ending to the Series

It’s not often I listen to a first-person/present-tense story and find myself swept away. Usually the POV and tense intrude and interrupt my enjoyment, though I don’t penalise a book or author for my personal preferences. Not so with this series. I’m always sucked in by Caine’s writing, and book five was no exception.

These characters are so compelling to me because they’re everyday people who are living extraordinary lives. It sounds cliché, but it’s true. The horrors the heroes have suffered make most people’s problems seem mundane. And the villains in these stories are truly vile.

In this book, there are two mysteries running concurrently—who killed two young girls near Stillhouse Lake and who is harassing Gwen Proctor’s family. But it’s never that simple. As the investigation continues, more crimes are unearthed, more bodies are found, and Gwen’s family is in more danger than ever.

While I did fit the pieces of the puzzle together before the reveal, I still raced to the climax to see how it all ended. The author did an excellent job of tying up all the loose threads while still leaving the series open enough to continue. Sadly, fans know that won’t be happening, and if they didn’t, they only had to read her heart-wrenching author’s note to learn this was the final installment.

It’s with a heavy heart that I give this book five bittersweet stars. RIP Rachel Caine author extraordinaire you will be so missed by your thousands of fans.

the narrators, Emily Sutton-Smith, Dan John Miller, Tovah Ott were amazing with the delivery of the story

Can’t believe this is her last book

RIP thank you for the gift of your writing. This being written through your battle with cancer amazes me. God Bless and thank you.

a great wrap up to a brillant series

I loved this series, the twisted insights into the killers minds and watching the strengths the lead characters have grown after so much heartbreak and so many challenges, this way a brilliant end. A fantastic author who will be sorely missed.

Entertaining, but predictable

RIP, Rachel Caine.

This book was an easy listen and perfect work-in-the-garden type of book. If you get interrupted for a few minutes, no prob, you'll be able to piece together what you missed. At the same time it was entertaining enough to keep you reeled in.

I'll miss these characters.

Good Read

I have enjoyed all of Rachel Caine's Stillhouse Lake books and this one was hard to put down. Hope there's another in the works

None stop action and suspense, enjoy it to the end

This story makes you want to know what's next, you cannot predict it. . If you listen via Audible, you would want to be in a place where you wouldn't be disturbed, if you are reading the story, you would be anxious to know what's on the other page. A can't stop listen and can't stop reading, draw dropping book and series. Love them all

Love the series!

I have listened to the entire series at least 4 times now and I am very excited that the next book has just been released, I am anxiously waiting for the audio version. The narrators are excellent throughout all the books and this was no exception. I was very sad to hear that the author has now passed so I expect the new book ‘Trapper Road’ will be the last in the series. It is co-written with another author so I hope it stands up with the rest of the series. Thank you for the journey Rachel Caine.

farewell..

I must say..I was really looking forward to more from these awesome characters..Then I Learned The Author Passed away. Tip of The Crown Pen To Rachel Caine.. may You SIP

Keeps getting better.

I did not get into this book as fast as the others but when I did…so good. I think part of that was because I had trouble understanding Kezia’s narrator. It did get better!

Gwen keeps finding herself in terrible situations but it keeps me listening/reading. I can’t wait to start the last book!

Slow start

I was almost going to give up, but author hasn't disappointed me yet. in the end, it was a story worth the time to follow.