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Friday, March 8, 2019

Wolfhunter River Review


Title:  Wolfhunter River
Series:  Stillhouse Lake #3
Author:  Rachel Caine
Genre:  Suspense/Thriller
Publisher:  Thomas & Mercer
Release Date:  April 23, 2019
Purchase Link:  Amazon

My Rating:  4.5 Adrenalin-Filled Hearts

*With many thanks to the publisher for an arc of this book via Netgalley.


Synopsis:

She can’t ignore a cry for help. But in this remote hunting town, it’s open season.

Gwen Proctor escaped her serial-killer husband and saved her family. What she can’t seem to outrun is his notoriety. Or the sick internet vigilantes still seeking to avenge his crimes. For Gwen, hiding isn’t an option. Not when her only mission is to create a normal life for her kids.

But now, a threatened woman has reached out. Marlene Crockett, from the remote town of Wolfhunter, is panicked for herself and her daughter. When Gwen arrives in the small, isolated rural community, Marlene is already dead—her own daughter blamed for the murder. Except that’s not the person Marlene feared at all. And Gwen isn’t leaving until she finds out who that was.

But it may already be too late. A trap has been set. And it’s poised to snap shut on everyone Gwen loves. Her stalkers are closing in. And in a town as dark as Wolfhunter, it’s so easy for them to hide… 

Review:
What a riveting, heart-pounding adrenalin rush!  My heart and head are still spinning and reeling as I try to come to grips with this story days after finishing it.  Wolfhunter River, the third book in Caine's Stillhouse Lake series, is INTENSE and that's putting it mildly.  You'll need to suit up and strap in for this one!  I highly advise you read the first two books before venturing into this minefield of suspense and then enter at your own risk, but be prepared to maneuver the many twists and turns and shockers that threaten to bury readers and characters.  While the author does an amazing job of weaving backstory into Wolfhunter River, you're going to want to get up close and personal with the complex cast and storyline before starting this one.  And please . . . PLEASE avoid all spoilers!

As Wolfhunter River opens, Gwen, Sam, Lanny, and Connor are settling into a seemingly more normal life on Stillhouse Lake.  While  ghosts from their past still haunt them, they're relaxing their guard and cracking the door on a brighter future.  Unfortunately, the past refuses to stay buried as evil reaches out from the grave to harass and terrorize them yet again.  At the same time, Gwen receives a call for help from a terrified, desperate mother in the little one-horse town of Wolfhunter.  When said woman turns up dead, Gwen, Sam, and the children drop everything to answer a plea from the woman's disturbed daughter - traveling to Wolfhunter to investigate and quickly falling prey to unknown dark forces themselves.  Something is very wrong in this small, secluded, ill-boding town, and someone is willing to kill to keep it hidden.  The story that unfolds is a dark, riveting, on-the-edge-of-your-seat thriller, delivering blow after blow to these characters.  Told from multiple points of view, layers are peeled back and buried secrets exposed.  No one is safe as the repercussions of past betrayals explode and spread like a contagious virus, threatening each of them.  Who will be left standing when it's all over?  Will they stand together . . . or apart?

Rachel Caine
weaves an intricate, complex tapestry of dark, menacing plot lines throughout Wolfhunter River, leaving characters and readers reeling time and time again.  The fast paced action is virtually non-stop.  There came a time later in the story when I felt like the colliding plot lines and continuous revelations and punches came close to being a little too over-the-top . . . almost entering unbelievable territory.  And yet, I couldn't stop reading as I burned through the pages to find out how it would all turn out.  I enjoyed the character growth we see in this one, especially from the children, Lanny and Connor, who add so much dimension to this story, and I loved delving into Sam's background as readers learn how his secret past influenced these characters' present lives and how it overshadows their future.  As always, the setting is a major player as it flows menacingly and flawlessly throughout.  As in previous books, Wolfhunter River continues the study of the power of evil, and its ability to spread like wildfire consuming and destroying everyone in its path.  Definitely fuel for thought.  The author uses a twist in this story as a nice setup for what could be a new direction in Gwen's future.  I can't wait to see when/if she goes there.  All in all, Wolfhunter River is another insanely complex, frenzied, action-packed Must Read in this highly addictive series!  I'm giddy from anticipation for the next one!

My Rating:  4.5 Adrenalin-Filled Hearts . . . And that's the truth!

Cross My Heart . . . xxx
Sandra





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