completely wonderful

I was absolutely thrilled with this book. The emotions were so raw and endearing despite dealing with such an ugly and real topic. Such a great book! I am never disappointed by a Rachel Caine series !! ( )

This series has started to run its course. There are too many references to the stories of the other books even though they aren't needed or relevant to this book. The lead character, Gwen, repeatedly refers/rehashes her dead ex-husband, the trial, the dead internet troll, etc. that don't contribute.

( )

I try to express only my most honest opinion in a spoiler-free way. If you feel anything in my review is a spoiler and is not already hidden in spoiler brackets please let me know. Thank you.

The cult twist was interesting but other than that I'm not sure I liked it as much as the previous books. It didn't have a lot going on in it for the three-fourths of the book. However, the narration was as great as ever. Four different narrators for the four different points of view. Other than that I don't have much else to say. It was good, but I hope its not the start of a decline in the series. I guess only time will tell.

How I choose my rating:
1* Hated it. I had to force myself to finish it.
2** Didn't like it. I didn't hate it but not sure why I finished it other than for some closure.
3*** I liked it. I had some issues with it, but as a whole it was good. I probably won't reread ever, but there is a chance I might finish the series. (If part of one) But if not it's not a huge loss.
4**** I really liked this book. Maybe not a work of genius, but highly entertaining. I might reread this, and I will finish the series. (If part of one) I would recommend to those I know hold interest in this book's content.
5***** I loved this book. I found little to no issues with it at all. I will be rereading this and probably more than once. I will finish the series and reread it multiple times. (If part of one) I will recommend this book to EVERYONE!!!! ( )

Bitter Falls by Rachel Caine
4th book in the Stillhouse Lake series. Best read as part of the series in order. Contemporary mystery thriller.
The local cult was apparently not completely disbanded after Gwen and Sam helped break it up in a nearby town. Now Gwen’s son and Sam are at risk and Gwen will do whatever she has to in saving them.

Gripping and fast moving. Suspenseful with the cult itself being ugly. To say the least.

I alternated between a paperback and the audio version. The had multiple narrators mimicking the chapters written in alternating POV from Gwen, Sam, Connor, and Lanny. I enjoyed this concept. As soon as each chapter started you knew if you were a harassed mother / Private Investigator or a young teen relearning learning about the nastiness of the world. The narrators were Emily Sutton-Smith, Michael Crouch, Dan John Miller, Lauren Enzo and Will Ropp. I think they all did a fantastic job with the emotions and storytelling.

I look forward to the next and last book in this series. ( )

Gwen Proctor is trying to make a new life for herself. As the wife of a serial killer who has become a target for all sorts of creeps on the internet who can't believe she didn't know anything about her ex-husband's crimes, Gwen faces all sorts of harassment. Luckily, she has a job as a private investigator and a boss who believes in her.

Her children Lanny and Connor also face a lot of harassment. Both are bullied at school. Things come to a head during an active shooter drill when the school admin is crazy enough to play sounds of gunshots and Connor suffers a PTSD episode and manages to break the jaw of one of the school bullies who was trying to get him to move.

The broken-jawed bully happens to be related to the Belldenes who are the local drug dealers and who have a lot of influence in town. They pressure Gwen to move away immediately because her notoriety is bringing too much publicity and scrutiny that they fear will spill over onto their activities.

Lanny sneaks out of the house with her friend Vee to attend a party and finds herself in the middle of a scene where another local drug dealer has attacked a girl who owed him money. The dealer works for the Belldenes and now wants Lanny dead too. This adds to the pressure from the Belldenes to get Gwen and her family out of town.

Meanwhile, Gwen is working on a very cold case about the disappearance of a college student named Remy Landry. The young man's been gone for three years but someone has hired the agency she works for to look for him again. Gwen's investigation leads to a crazy cult related to the cult they already disrupted in Wolfhunter. And when the cultists kidnap her partner Sam and son Connor, Gwen has to find a woman who was involved with the missing college student before the cultists kill the ones she loves.

The story is told from multiple viewpoints: Gwen, Sam, Connor and Lanny. It is narrated by four people who each portray one of the viewpoint characters and who do a wonderful time elucidating their personalities and ramping up the tension in the story. The story was exciting and filled with action and with tension. It was an excellent story and very well narrated. ( )