Gina Royal was happy with her husband, her children, and her middle-class life. But a freak accident turns her world upside down and uncovers the fact that Gina's husband is a serial killer. Gina is accused of being his accomplice. Even though her lawyer clears her name, people still believe she helped her husband torture and kill several young women. She receives threatening emails and letters from people who say they will kill her children, so she takes the kids and goes on the run.
Moving from town to town to keep steps ahead of the people stalking her, she changes her name to Gwen Proctor and settles with her children Lanny and Connor in a quiet neighborhood in Tennessee. But after a few months of peace and quiet, Gwen begins receiving letters from her ex-husband. How did he discover where they live? Then a body of a woman turns up in the lake near Gwen's house. This murder is eerily similar to the murders her husband committed. How long before the locals realize who she is and blame her for another death?
This is the first book in the Stillhouse Lake series. Last week I was ready to give up on psychological thrillers because I read so many that I didn't like. Well, this one hooked me from the first chapter. The first half of the story showed us how Gwen has evolved from a quiet but gullible wife to a woman who will do anything to protect her children. The second half of the story is non-stop action. I couldn't put it down. I was up half of the night finishing the book. And what an ending! It does a great job of setting up the next book in the series. I can't wait to read it. My rating: 5 Stars.
Liked it a lot but not planning on reading the sequels. I wrote a longer review you can find on the PBS blog.
If you can hang on past the first 100 pages you will be rewarded.
Those were Gwen overkill and in her head way to much!
After that the story comes alive and she quits putting baby at the end of each sentence she speaks to her kids. Ugh!
Lots of sneaky twists and interesting turns. Gwen is a more than a bit paranoid for my liking and should really learn a bit more survival tactics and how to be nice to people.
