Book: WIDOW LAKE
Author: Rita Herron
Pub Day: May 31st 2023
HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY RITA!!!
Book Description
“Help,” a tiny voice cried out into the darkness. Little Betsy trembled, praying someone would hear her, save her. “Please,” she whimpered. “I’m scared.”
On the hottest day of the year, as a heatwave takes hold of the Appalachian Mountains, a five-year-old girl goes missing. Just as the sun is setting, a family vacation becomes a worst nightmare—Betsy, with her green eyes, ponytail and rainbow t-shirt—disappears in the woods by Widow Lake. Detective Ellie Reeves is straight on the scene, promising Betsy’s heartbroken parents that she will stop at nothing to find their precious daughter.
Hours later, Ellie is called back to the lake. One of her team have discovered some remains near where Betsy disappeared. The bones belong to a local girl, Amy Dean, who vanished ten years ago to the day, along with her two-year-old baby girl Paisley. But why was Paisley never reported missing? And could she still be alive?
Ellie is suddenly up against the toughest case of her career. Her instincts tell her that the two cases are somehow connected, and she works day and night to uncover the link. When she comes across some little graves beside the water’s edge, she knows she needs to stop the evil lurking around this tranquil lake.
When Ellie discovers a notebook scrawled with the handwriting of a little girl, it could be the breakthrough she needs. Can she unravel a decades-old mystery, and stop the monster claiming innocent lives?
This totally addictive and jaw-dropping crime thriller will have your heart racing as you fly through the pages! Perfect for fans of Melinda Leigh, Lisa Regan and Kendra Elliot.
BLOG TOUR REVIEW
Review for 'Widow Lake' by Rita Herron.
Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Rita Herron, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous
Publication date 31st May 2023.
HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY RITA!!!!!!
This is the fifth book I have read by this author. It is also the eighth book in the 'Detective Ellie Reeves' series but can be read as a standalone. I have previously read 'Wildflower Graves' which is the second book in this series, 'The Burning Girls' which is the third book in this series, 'Frozen Souls' which is the fourth book in this series and 'Stolen Angels' which is the fifth book in this series and I would highly recommend reading them all.
I was originally drawn to this book by its stunning eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that 'This totally addictive and jaw-dropping crime thriller will have your heart racing as you fly through the pages! Perfect for fans of Melinda Leigh, Lisa Regan and Kendra Elliot.' I am a huge fan of Melinda, Lisa AND Kendra so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I am also a huge fan of Rita and if this is as good as 'Wildflower Graves', 'The Burning Girls', 'Frozen Souls' and 'Stolen Angels' it is sure to be an amazing read. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).
This novel consists of a prologue and 148 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is based in North America, USA 🇺🇸.
This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonists are Detective Ellie Reeves and Special Agent Derrick Fox. I enjoy books written in third person with several protagonists as it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters.
WOW!!! JUST WOW!!! CONGRATULATIONS RITA ON YET ANOTHER HUMONGOUS PAGE TURNING SUCCESS!!!!
OMG!!!!! What did I just read!!?!?!? Right, OK, hold on a minute let's start at the beginning!! First impressions after what attracted me to the book. 148 chapters!!! 427 pages!!! OK yep this is going to take me ages!! Ummmmm.... Nope!!! I need more!!! Absolutely flew by!!! The chapters range from one page to about four pages so please don't let the amount of chapters put you off, you will miss out on one of the best books I've read in a while!! I could not out this book down. I would read one chapter, tell myself one more, just to find the next one ended in a cliff hanger and there was no chance I was leaving it there!! Several chapters and hours later its 3am and I have finished the book without even noticing the time!!
The book is extremely smooth and well written so you just glide through the pages turning one after another and getting completely lost in them. The descriptions are vivid so I really did become lost in the woods with our characters. The storyline itself was scarily realistic which made it even easier to imagine everything going on. The cover and the synopsis all work perfectly well with the plot. Although this book is part of a series it can be read as a standalone. Anything that you need to know about previous cases, etc is explained in just the right amount of information, not too much to be too repetitive if you've read the previous books and just the right amount to understand what's happened if you haven't.
The storyline itself was extremely compelling and gripping. It was also unique and I haven't read one anything like this one. Get ready for one heck of a roller-coaster ride. Absolutely rammed full of suspense, secrets, shocks, plots, twists, turns, murder, tension and everything else that you love in a psychological thriller. This is not just one storyline, you are getting so many plots in this book that it will keep you guessing all the way. I have read sooo many crime novels now it is very hard for me to be surprised and shocked but that I was and very wrong on many occasions. Just as I thought I was a smart Alec and worked it all out thwack... Here comes another explosion. Honestly, just Wow!! I would have never guessed who was doing what and then it wasn't just one shocker there were several twists thrown in. You will take this book wherever you go because once your hooked that's it!! I don't think I've actually read a larger book so quickly in months!!
Although this is the eighth book in the series I had would have had absolutely no problems reading it without the others. Any details or events that have previously happened are mentioned in just the right amount of detail to let a new reader know what has happened and yet not too much to bore a previous reader.
I absolutely loved meeting all the fantastic strong characters again!!! I love the range of different characters, their personalities and all the different relationships they had... The hate, the secrets, the heartbreak, friendships and most definitely a spark of hidden love. Ellie Reeves you are a hero!!! Absolute wonderwoman!! I LOVE books that have such strong female leads and you cannot get much stronger than Ellie, that girl is a fighter!!! She goes through so many emotions and traumas yet isn't wrapped up in an institution but kicking butt!!! Derrick and Cord played their parts perfectly and I cannot wait to look back at the first book which I have yet to read and more ahead to see the history and future of all these fantastic characters. I love seeing the relationships between Ellie and Derrick and Ellie and Cord and every book I keep wondering if this is the one where something happens but alas I am still left dangling. Although it has been quite a while since I've read 'Stolen Angels' and I've read loads of books since, as soon as I started reading this all the characters and cases came straight back to me which show how much of an impression Rita leaves with her books. Ellie, Derrick and Cord have become like friends to me know and I look forward to meeting them every time. Here's to hoping the next time won't be too far away 🥂
I have raved about this book long enough but I will tell you a few things to end. You WILL miss out of what is definitely one of the best psychological thrillers if you do not pick up this book. This book NEEDS to be turned into a movie. I CANNOT wait to read more books by this extremely talented woman.
This is why you are one of my favourite authors Rita and here is to yet another page turner and I am eagerly awaiting the next which will be hopefully coming soon 🥂
Overall a mind blowing, page turning, explosive psychological thriller that will keep you up at night.
Genres covered in this novel include Crime, Thriller And Mystery Adventures, Noir Crime, Women Sleuths, Police Procedural, Serial Killer Thriller, Romantic Suspense, Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Women's Popular Fiction, Murder Thrillers, Suspense Thriller, Noir Fiction, Womens Psychological, Thriller, Mystery ,Thriller & Suspense Literary Fiction, Serial Killers and Thriller amongst others.
I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Lisa Jewell, Rachel Abbott, K.L Slater, Melinda Leigh, Carol Wyer, Lisa Regan, Kendra Elliot, T.M Logan,The Housemaid, The Family Across The Street, The Family Upstairs, The Widow, The Housewarming. and anyone after an addictive, gripping, must read page turner.
427 pages.
This book is just £2.99 to purchase on kindle, free on kindle unlimited and £10.99 in paperback via Amazon at time of review, which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
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Author Bio
USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author Rita Herron fell in love with books at the ripe age of eight when she read her first Trixie Belden mystery. But she didn't think real people grew up to be writers, so she became a teacher instead. Now she writes so she doesn't have to get a real job.
With over ninety books to her credit, she's penned romantic suspense, romantic comedy, and YA novels, but she especially likes writing dark romantic suspense and crime fiction set in small southern towns.
For more on Rita and her titles, visit her at www.ritaherron.com. You can also find her on Facebook/ritaherron.com and Twitter @ritaherron.
Social Media
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