Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine

I have read Rachel Caine before (The Morganville Vampire Series) so when I saw a thriller series penned by her I thought it would be worth a look at.  I already know she can write believable characters and spin a rich fantasy world so was intrigued to see how she would handle this genre.  In a lot of ways this is everything I dislike about the Thriller genre and found it quite hard to get in to.  It only really kicked in to gear and held my attention after about the 5th Chapter and then I can honestly say I was hooked.

For once we are spared the multiple viewpoints and the investigation of a series of grisly murders.  These have already happened and Gina Royal has been plunged in to a living hell and is on the run with her children.  She is not on the run from the police, she is on the run from something far more sinister - the Social Media Court of The Vigilante who have decided that she was her serial killer husband's helpmeet and just as guilty as him.  For her court appointed freedom she must be made to pay.

Maybe I am naive but I found the descriptions of the hatred outpoured online to Gina and her family a tad unbelievable.  Maybe I just want to believe that human nature is basically good and that after being acquitted at her trial nobody would hound someone in this way.  Maybe I'm wrong but I really, really hope I'm right and that nobody has to go through what Gina and her children experience at the hands of anonymous members of Joe Public.

The plot is very strong and unfolds at a natural pace and the snapshots of normal, mundane life work beautifully  You would think reading about reroofing a house and building a deck would slow the action down wouldn't you.  Instead they give you pause and a hope for normality for the family, they also (in a very peculiar way) ratchet up the tension of the storyline.  The characterisations of the Royal family are well wrought and you can feel just how torn Gina is between protecting her children from the hate and allowing them to have normal lives and you do empathise with the lengths she has (and will) go to to protect them.  Proper Momma-Bear behaviour going on here.

I was becoming disenchanted with the Thriller genre as the recent books I have read all seemed to be made from the same recipe book.  This book has reinvigorated my interest and I thoroughly enjoyed it once I struggled past the early chapters.

I do have the second book in the series but am holding off as the third installment isn't due until December 2018 so I need to pace myself here.