Book Review: Killman Creek

Killman Creek

by: Rachel Caine


Publication Date: December 12, 2017
Finished on: December 9, 2017
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer (Amazon)

Note: I received a free copy of Killman Creek (and Stillhouse Lake) from the publisher, Thomas & Mercer (Amazon).  All opinions expressed below are my own.  I have since passed along my free copies for another reader to enjoy and review!

Synopsis (from Goodreads):
"Every time Gwen closed her eyes, she saw him in her nightmares. Now her eyes are open, and he’s not going away.

Gwen Proctor won the battle to save her kids from her ex-husband, serial killer Melvin Royal, and his league of psychotic accomplices. But the war isn’t over. Not since Melvin broke out of prison. Not since she received a chilling text…

You’re not safe anywhere now.

Her refuge at Stillhouse Lake has become a trap. Gwen leaves her children in the protective custody of a fortified, well-armed neighbor. Now, with the help of Sam Cade, brother of one of Melvin’s victims, Gwen is going hunting. She’s learned how from one of the sickest killers alive.

But what she’s up against is beyond anything she feared—a sophisticated and savage mind game calculated to destroy her. As trust beyond her small circle of friends begins to vanish, Gwen has only fury and vengeance to believe in as she closes in on her prey. And sure as the night, one of them will die."



My review:
If you're joining me here, please click HERE to read my review of Stillhouse Lake (book 1 in the series).  First of all, let me say WOW!  I was a little late to the game, so I read Stillhouse Lake after I received a copy of Killman Creek and finished both within the span of one week.  These are powerful thrillers! 

If you have any trigger warnings, then this probably isn't a good series for you to check out. There are the following themes: graphic violence, rape, child pornography, child molestation, and graphic murder. If you are sensitive to any of these themes, then I would steer clear. That being said, most of the themes were alluded to rather than graphically described, with the exception of a couple of scenes.
"Melvin Royal stalks me in the brief darkness when I close my eyes.Blink, and he's on the street. Blink, and he's walking up the stairs of the motel to the second floor's open walkway. Blink, and he's outside the door. Listening."



At first, it was difficult for me to have multiple narrators in Killman Creek.  Typically, this isn't something that bothers me, and I actually quite like a number of books with multiple narrators.  I think the hard part was that Stillhouse Lake was told from Gwen (and only Gwen's) point of view and Killman Creek is told from the views of multiple narrators (add in Sam, Cole, and Lanny).  After finishing the novel, I understand why the author did it, but I still preferred the format from book 1. 

In Killman Creek, we are exposed to more of the backstory introduced in Stillhouse Lake.  There is a large cast of characters spanning multiple states.  Just like in book 1, the reader simply doesn't know who to trust at any point in time!  This book is twisty and highly suspenseful!  Unlike Stillhouse Lake, Rachel Caine gives us more of a wrap-up ending, so don't worry about having to wait for the next release to find out what happens.

Overall, Killman Creek was much more suspenseful and discomforting when compared to Stillhouse Lake.  Rachel Caine takes the readers into the darkest of dark minds, leaving any normal reader reeling.  I will admit that I felt so uncomfortable by the end of the novel that I had to totally change gears and read a Christmas romance!  My heart needed something happy!

Overall, I rate this 4.5/5 stars.  Killman Creek is a strong suspense/thriller that had me staying up late to find out what happened next.  There is a lot of action and a large plethora of characters for the reader to relate to.  This is a strong series that I highly recommend for fans of thrillers. 

Do you want to get in on the action?  Head to my Instagram for a chance to win your own copy of Stillhouse Lake to start the series!


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