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Stillhouse Lake #6
Trapper Road
13 hours, 2 minutes
Sometimes danger comes from the most unexpected places.
Gwen Proctor has always been willing to do anything it takes to protect her kids. But there are some things even she can’t protect them from. When a violent incident at Connor’s school brings the press to Gwen’s doorstep, she agrees to take a case out of town hoping to keep her family out of the crushing media spotlight.
The case is that of a missing girl, last seen getting into a truck with a stranger before disappearing. Gwen has a reputation for finding those who are lost, but this time something is wrong. Her instincts are off, and every clue she uncovers only raises more doubts, not just about the missing girl and the circumstances of her disappearance, but also about the fragile safety Gwen’s created for her family.
The closer she comes to uncovering the truth, the more she unwittingly puts those she loves at risk. Someone from Gwen’s past doesn’t appreciate the new life she’s built for herself and is willing to do anything it takes to tear it apart. Except this time it isn’t Gwen in the crosshairs, but her partner Sam. Without her instincts to rely on, how can Gwen protect those she loves against an enemy she never sees coming?
Sometimes danger comes from the most unexpected places.
Gwen Proctor has always been willing to do anything it takes to protect her kids. But there are some things even she can’t protect them from. When a violent incident at Connor’s school brings the press to Gwen’s doorstep, she agrees to take a case out of town hoping to keep her family out of the crushing media spotlight.
The case is that of a missing girl, last seen getting into a truck with a stranger before disappearing. Gwen has a reputation for finding those who are lost, but this time something is wrong. Her instincts are off, and every clue she uncovers only raises more doubts, not just about the missing girl and the circumstances of her disappearance, but also about the fragile safety Gwen’s created for her family.
The closer she comes to uncovering the truth, the more she unwittingly puts those she loves at risk. Someone from Gwen’s past doesn’t appreciate the new life she’s built for herself and is willing to do anything it takes to tear it apart. Except this time it isn’t Gwen in the crosshairs, but her partner Sam. Without her instincts to rely on, how can Gwen protect those she loves against an enemy she never sees coming?
14 pages, Audible Audio
First published August 2, 2022
2390 people are currently reading
10405 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Caine
217 books19.3k followersRachel Caine was a pen name of Roxanne Longstreet Conrad.
She has also published as:
Roxanne Longstreet
Roxanne Conrad
Julie Fortune
Ian Hammell
Her Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/rachelcainef...
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She has also published as:
Roxanne Longstreet
Roxanne Conrad
Julie Fortune
Ian Hammell
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 806 reviews
September 30, 2022
I have been waiting for this series to stop being awesome, but no, loved every book in the series.
There is always a new angle, a new threat, and great plot twist, basically if she writes it,I'm reading it, know what I mean.
Highly Recommend this book and the series.
Happy Reading 📗📖📚📓📗📘📒📓📚📙📕📖📘📗📚📓📗📒📖📙📕📖
There is always a new angle, a new threat, and great plot twist, basically if she writes it,I'm reading it, know what I mean.
Highly Recommend this book and the series.
Happy Reading 📗📖📚📓📗📘📒📓📚📙📕📖📘📗📚📓📗📒📖📙📕📖
August 4, 2022
I'd heard nothing about this 6th installment since we lost our beloved author. As soon as I saw the release date, I set a reminder, spotted it on Kindle Unlimited and started to count the days. I have huge respect for author Carrie Ryan - her zombie series is one of my, hands down, all time favorites. So I was interested and excited to see that she was listed as the secondary author.
And guys, this story is a doozy. It's great - but every last thing will be tested. Trust, loyalty - all of it. The family is separated and they are all dealing with different. . .problems. I was instantly sucked back in. It was easy, this series stands out, so I remember all the family details and what they've been through.
I really enjoyed and appreciated that we saw this family, in this one, really grow and push their own boundaries. Who are they now? On the run? Finally living 'normal' lives? You start to see who they could have been if they'd never been touched by the father/husband's terror. I loved their growth, loved their strength and resolve once again.
But am I wrong in thinking this left an opening for another one? Author Carrie Ryan, I'd be there in a heartbeat, reading along.
And guys, this story is a doozy. It's great - but every last thing will be tested. Trust, loyalty - all of it. The family is separated and they are all dealing with different. . .problems. I was instantly sucked back in. It was easy, this series stands out, so I remember all the family details and what they've been through.
I really enjoyed and appreciated that we saw this family, in this one, really grow and push their own boundaries. Who are they now? On the run? Finally living 'normal' lives? You start to see who they could have been if they'd never been touched by the father/husband's terror. I loved their growth, loved their strength and resolve once again.
But am I wrong in thinking this left an opening for another one? Author Carrie Ryan, I'd be there in a heartbeat, reading along.
November 20, 2022
4 bittersweet stars
I say bittersweet because I know that Rachel Caine died before she could finish this one. It's such a great series and I read this one pretty quickly!
I would love for there to be a completely happy ending for Gwen and Sam, but that would make for a boring book. There always seems to be a new villain trying to make life awful for this family.
I applaud Carrie Ryan for finishing this one. I'm torn between this being the last installment or having Carrie write future books.
If you are a fan, be sure to read this one!
I say bittersweet because I know that Rachel Caine died before she could finish this one. It's such a great series and I read this one pretty quickly!
I would love for there to be a completely happy ending for Gwen and Sam, but that would make for a boring book. There always seems to be a new villain trying to make life awful for this family.
I applaud Carrie Ryan for finishing this one. I'm torn between this being the last installment or having Carrie write future books.
If you are a fan, be sure to read this one!
August 30, 2024
Im genuinely so sad this series is over.. im so sad that rachel caine passed away too. its so devastating! this series made my year so much better it was so thrilling and different and now I want everyone to read it!
December 27, 2024
Fifteen year old Connor had become sullen and unresponsive and his mother, Gwen, was worried about him. When an incident at Connor and his sister, Lanny's school with a shooter put a focus on Connor again, Gwen accepted a job from her boss in her role as a private investigator, taking her family away with her while she looked into the missing person case. Lanny along with Sam, Gwen's partner and the kids' father, headed to a college for Lanny to investigate, while Gwen, Connor and Vee headed the other way.
Little did Gwen know that there was a worse danger facing her and the kids and as she dug deeper into the missing person case, the secrets she uncovered were horrendous. Meanwhile, Sam and Lanny were also in trouble. What would be the outcome for this constantly traumatised family?
Trapper Road is the 6th in the Stillhouse Lake series by Rachel Caine, and when the author passed away back in 2020, her friend and fellow author, Carrie Ryan continued with the series. Once again this one is fast paced, electric and chilling, with plenty of action filling the pages. If you haven't read any of this series, I recommend starting at the beginning. Recommended.
Little did Gwen know that there was a worse danger facing her and the kids and as she dug deeper into the missing person case, the secrets she uncovered were horrendous. Meanwhile, Sam and Lanny were also in trouble. What would be the outcome for this constantly traumatised family?
Trapper Road is the 6th in the Stillhouse Lake series by Rachel Caine, and when the author passed away back in 2020, her friend and fellow author, Carrie Ryan continued with the series. Once again this one is fast paced, electric and chilling, with plenty of action filling the pages. If you haven't read any of this series, I recommend starting at the beginning. Recommended.
June 3, 2023
I'm done with this series. It should have ended at book 2. Seriously. Why keep drawing this storyline on and on and on????
There's nothing new and interesting any more and I'm tired of Connor's waffling!
There's nothing new and interesting any more and I'm tired of Connor's waffling!
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October 15, 2025DNF, got a bit too dark
August 11, 2024
Gwen Proctor is once again trying to keep her family together and safe. After an incident at the local high school, rumors are rampant about Gwen's son Connor. When the press gets wind of it, Gwen packs up Connor and Vee and takes them on an investigative job in North Carolina. Gwen has been hired to find Juliette Larson who disappeared without a trace several months ago. She was last seen crawling into a truck by her best friends Mandy and Willa. Gwen is usually very good at working missing persons cases; but trouble with Connor may have her off her game.
In the meantime, Sam Cade takes Lanny to visit a college for the weekend. Lanny is enjoying her anonymity among the students, but the weekend takes a bad turn when Sam learns that the Lost Angels are planning something that targets Gwen and Sam.
This is the last book in the Stillhouse Lake series. With the death of Rachel Caine, Carrie Ryan does a great job of picking up the story where Rachel left it. The characters were still the same, especially Connor who drives me absolutely nuts with his loyalty to his father.
Even though there were some good twists and I guessed the villain early in the book, this book still kept me on the edge of my seat. My rating: 4 Stars.
In the meantime, Sam Cade takes Lanny to visit a college for the weekend. Lanny is enjoying her anonymity among the students, but the weekend takes a bad turn when Sam learns that the Lost Angels are planning something that targets Gwen and Sam.
This is the last book in the Stillhouse Lake series. With the death of Rachel Caine, Carrie Ryan does a great job of picking up the story where Rachel left it. The characters were still the same, especially Connor who drives me absolutely nuts with his loyalty to his father.
Even though there were some good twists and I guessed the villain early in the book, this book still kept me on the edge of my seat. My rating: 4 Stars.
August 2, 2022
Oh. My. This book. It was intense, and heartbreaking. So, standard for this series. Up until a few weeks ago, I had no idea there was another book in this series. I thought it ended when Ms. Caine died. But it seems she was working on this book at the time and left notes. So her estate invited author Carrie Ryan to finish it. And whoo boy, she did an incredible job. I honestly had a hard time figuring out which of them wrote what.
In "Trapper Road", Gwen is recovering, physically and emotionally, from the events of "Heartbreak Bay". Life is as calm as it ever gets for Gwen and family but it's far from perfect. As mentioned, Gwen is recovering and she's also with her children who are teens, and teens are...moody. :P Her son Connor has been particularly moody and uncommunicative. And then the s*** hits the fan. The family splits to deal with different priorities and challenges, and the book gives us multiple POVs so we can see what is happening.
I felt for Connor even as I wanted to yell at him and tell him to THINK, not just feel. He was struggling so much and making the mistakes you could expect from a boy his age. His sister Lanny was doing better at making decisions but not much better at communicating her wants and needs.
"Trapper Road" had several mysteries going on and there were twists and turns. While some things were predictable, others were not. Caine and Ryan kept me engaged, kept me guessing, and kept me carting about Gwen, Sam, Connor, Lanny, and Vee. It had strong characterization, intriguing mysteries, and fast pacing. If you're new to the series, please do not start with this one but at the beginning. It will be less confusing and you'll better appreciate the character development.
In "Trapper Road", Gwen is recovering, physically and emotionally, from the events of "Heartbreak Bay". Life is as calm as it ever gets for Gwen and family but it's far from perfect. As mentioned, Gwen is recovering and she's also with her children who are teens, and teens are...moody. :P Her son Connor has been particularly moody and uncommunicative. And then the s*** hits the fan. The family splits to deal with different priorities and challenges, and the book gives us multiple POVs so we can see what is happening.
I felt for Connor even as I wanted to yell at him and tell him to THINK, not just feel. He was struggling so much and making the mistakes you could expect from a boy his age. His sister Lanny was doing better at making decisions but not much better at communicating her wants and needs.
"Trapper Road" had several mysteries going on and there were twists and turns. While some things were predictable, others were not. Caine and Ryan kept me engaged, kept me guessing, and kept me carting about Gwen, Sam, Connor, Lanny, and Vee. It had strong characterization, intriguing mysteries, and fast pacing. If you're new to the series, please do not start with this one but at the beginning. It will be less confusing and you'll better appreciate the character development.
October 12, 2023
‼️ trigger warning : school shootings ‼️
“Once you realize how adept monsters can be at pretending to be real people, it’s hard to ever trust again.”
Multiple POVs with relatively short chapters, but this is book 6 in the series and I would definitely suggest reading the series in order. In the beginning I thought, ok same run of the mill plot lines here. I had thought the series might have run its course. Then when things unfolded 🤯- I was blown away by the storylines. I did suspect who the “bad guy” was here, but didn’t even come close to touching on the horrifying plot that unraveled. The last third of the book had me staying up very late until I knew everything that happened!!
Lastly, Carrie did a brilliant job on finishing this book. I had no idea that Rachel’s life was taken too soon and Carrie stepped in - until I read the Author’s Note. The voice and characters I’ve grown to love in this series were ever present and I hope you will get to continue on with the series. With that ending, I know there is more to be told!!
“Once you realize how adept monsters can be at pretending to be real people, it’s hard to ever trust again.”
Multiple POVs with relatively short chapters, but this is book 6 in the series and I would definitely suggest reading the series in order. In the beginning I thought, ok same run of the mill plot lines here. I had thought the series might have run its course. Then when things unfolded 🤯- I was blown away by the storylines. I did suspect who the “bad guy” was here, but didn’t even come close to touching on the horrifying plot that unraveled. The last third of the book had me staying up very late until I knew everything that happened!!
Lastly, Carrie did a brilliant job on finishing this book. I had no idea that Rachel’s life was taken too soon and Carrie stepped in - until I read the Author’s Note. The voice and characters I’ve grown to love in this series were ever present and I hope you will get to continue on with the series. With that ending, I know there is more to be told!!
August 16, 2022
1.5
I'm rounding this up to 2, to be fair. If I had read this as a standalone, that's probably what I would have given it. I hadn't realized that Rachel Caine had passed away till I saw the second author on this title. And unfortunately, Carrie Ryan was not able to carry this series forward, in my opinion. The repetitive internal dialogue alone felt like half the book! Of the two mysteries, one was stronger than the other. And in that one, we got to see Conner act as the dumbest teenager ever. That mystery was very predictable as far as the guilty party, and it was painful to watch it progress. I will not be moving forward with this series. The likable characters from the original series were diluted versions of themselves or extremely annoying.
I'm rounding this up to 2, to be fair. If I had read this as a standalone, that's probably what I would have given it. I hadn't realized that Rachel Caine had passed away till I saw the second author on this title. And unfortunately, Carrie Ryan was not able to carry this series forward, in my opinion. The repetitive internal dialogue alone felt like half the book! Of the two mysteries, one was stronger than the other. And in that one, we got to see Conner act as the dumbest teenager ever. That mystery was very predictable as far as the guilty party, and it was painful to watch it progress. I will not be moving forward with this series. The likable characters from the original series were diluted versions of themselves or extremely annoying.
April 23, 2023
There are several storylines going on in the latest installment of the Stillhouse Lake series. The central story is about a girl who disappeared but it is also about Gwen's children, Lanny and Connor. Gwen has always done whatever it took to protect them but they are getting older and it is not as easy as when they were children.
Lanny is getting ready for college. She has an opportunity to visit a college for a weekend. To see what life is like as a normal teenager and not the daughter of a serial killer. And she is happy. Until ...
Connor is moody and uncommunicative. He is going through a difficult time, with making friends, dealing with who father was. He believes his father loved him and was not the monster others say he was. There must have been something good in him. He wants to learn more about him even though Gwen has sheltered him. He has few friends.
When there is a violent incident at Connor’s school Gwen is forced to once again flee to protect her family from the press and unwanted attention. Sam will take Lanny to a weekend visit to a college she is considering attending. Gwen will take Lanny and Vee out of state to investigate the disappearance of a young girl who was last seen getting into a truck with a stranger.
But distance does not necessarily mean safety. Gwen still monitors the online posts from the trolls and she comes across a troubling one. Sam recognizes the name of the poster. This isn't just another person posting hatred. This appears to be a threat. From someone he thought was a decent man but has changed and considers Sam an enemy because of his relationship with Gwen.
There is a lot of evil in the world. People who will pretend to be your friend. "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?" Gwen, Sam, Connor learn some hard lessons. Gwen also learns that her children are growing up and that she needs to give them some freedom. Will there be another book in this series? The ending seems to give some hope.
Lanny is getting ready for college. She has an opportunity to visit a college for a weekend. To see what life is like as a normal teenager and not the daughter of a serial killer. And she is happy. Until ...
Connor is moody and uncommunicative. He is going through a difficult time, with making friends, dealing with who father was. He believes his father loved him and was not the monster others say he was. There must have been something good in him. He wants to learn more about him even though Gwen has sheltered him. He has few friends.
When there is a violent incident at Connor’s school Gwen is forced to once again flee to protect her family from the press and unwanted attention. Sam will take Lanny to a weekend visit to a college she is considering attending. Gwen will take Lanny and Vee out of state to investigate the disappearance of a young girl who was last seen getting into a truck with a stranger.
But distance does not necessarily mean safety. Gwen still monitors the online posts from the trolls and she comes across a troubling one. Sam recognizes the name of the poster. This isn't just another person posting hatred. This appears to be a threat. From someone he thought was a decent man but has changed and considers Sam an enemy because of his relationship with Gwen.
There is a lot of evil in the world. People who will pretend to be your friend. "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?" Gwen, Sam, Connor learn some hard lessons. Gwen also learns that her children are growing up and that she needs to give them some freedom. Will there be another book in this series? The ending seems to give some hope.
February 3, 2024
This book was completed after Rachel Caine’s death by a friend of hers. Carrie Ryan will be completing the series. In this book Gwen is assigned a case of a missing girl. She decides to accept the case and it is the same time when Sam is taking Lanny for a college visit. The problem I have with this book is that was so many things going wrong with everyone’s life that it was hard to keep everything straight. It seems like one or two problems would’ve been plenty, but not as many as the author piled on.
August 6, 2022
Blah
I have loved this series but this last one just fell short for me. I'm not super picky about grammar etc, but this book was full of mistakes - including mixing up character names & key locations. I realize the passing of Rachel Caine left the series incomplete, I just wish there had been more attention to detail to honor her work.
I have loved this series but this last one just fell short for me. I'm not super picky about grammar etc, but this book was full of mistakes - including mixing up character names & key locations. I realize the passing of Rachel Caine left the series incomplete, I just wish there had been more attention to detail to honor her work.
March 29, 2025
Book 6 in the Stillhouse Lake series + my most favorite psychological thriller series, ever. Rachel Caine was working on this book when she sadly lost her battle with cancer in 2022. Carrie Ryan has done a phenomenal job in adding her creative touch to finish and get this much anticipated book into the hands of Rachel’s fans - thank you so much Carrie. If you haven’t started this series do it now, you won’t be sorry. 4.5 stars — Pub. 10/25/23 🎧
August 4, 2022
This book really hit at Gwen's family, but in a whole new way. Lanny gets a glimpse of what life would be like if no one knew who her dad was and she likes it. Just as she is enjoying things and letting go, spending the weekend like a normal person, their real life slaps them and she's back to living on the edge. It's almost worse than never seeing that good/peaceful life, getting a taste of it and having it yanked away.
Connor (and Vee to an extent) learns that there are really horrible people out there, people who will pretend to be your friend and fuck you over without a thought. It's a hard lesson to learn for a boy like him, one who struggles to not be a monster like his father. The thing is that we all can see he is not and will never be. Vee's lesson will be that she needs to listen to Gwen, there is a reason she does all that she does and makes sure her family does as well.
Sam is learning his own lesson, that people he thought he knew turned on him, all because he's with Gwen and they are going to stop at nothing to destroy Sam and Gwen and probably the kids. Not sure how a person fights that.
Gwen had the hardest time in this book. Bad things are coming at her on all fronts. The case she is working on seems off and the bad guys can't possible be who she is slowly discovering. She and Sam are separated, each facing a fight on their own. Gwen discovers her kids being kids and not listening to her about keeping safe. But it's what Gwen faces with Lanny that is the worst...she needs to let her go, to live her own life, because isn't that what parents are supposed to do...raise their kids so that they leave the nest. It's just that the last few years have been hard on her Gwen and she so wants to hold everyone she loves close so that they don't get hurt, but she is realizing that in some ways this hurts them too.
I look forward to see what lays ahead for them all.
Connor (and Vee to an extent) learns that there are really horrible people out there, people who will pretend to be your friend and fuck you over without a thought. It's a hard lesson to learn for a boy like him, one who struggles to not be a monster like his father. The thing is that we all can see he is not and will never be. Vee's lesson will be that she needs to listen to Gwen, there is a reason she does all that she does and makes sure her family does as well.
Sam is learning his own lesson, that people he thought he knew turned on him, all because he's with Gwen and they are going to stop at nothing to destroy Sam and Gwen and probably the kids. Not sure how a person fights that.
Gwen had the hardest time in this book. Bad things are coming at her on all fronts. The case she is working on seems off and the bad guys can't possible be who she is slowly discovering. She and Sam are separated, each facing a fight on their own. Gwen discovers her kids being kids and not listening to her about keeping safe. But it's what Gwen faces with Lanny that is the worst...she needs to let her go, to live her own life, because isn't that what parents are supposed to do...raise their kids so that they leave the nest. It's just that the last few years have been hard on her Gwen and she so wants to hold everyone she loves close so that they don't get hurt, but she is realizing that in some ways this hurts them too.
I look forward to see what lays ahead for them all.
September 5, 2022
This series needs to end so I stop reading them. Series started out decent but the last couple have just been duds. Gwen’s constant need to remind us that she loves her kids and would do anything to protect them and why, is overkill. Like we know. Take that chatter out and you probably only have a chapter worth of story.
October 4, 2022
Quite frankly, I couldn’t wait to be done with this book. I wanted to finish it because I read the other five in the series, but it just dragged and I’m sick to death of Gwen and her “my kids“”my family“ and constant drama.
August 9, 2022
For the love of God, just leave this poor family alone.
August 4, 2022
A bittersweet continuation
Carrie Ryan has done an excellent job of picking up where Rachel Caine was forced to leave off. I only knocked a star off because there are a couple of problems with the text. There’s at least one place where Melvin is called Marvin, and at least in the ebook I read, a few sentences were missing punctuation, usually quotation marks.
Carrie Ryan has done an excellent job of picking up where Rachel Caine was forced to leave off. I only knocked a star off because there are a couple of problems with the text. There’s at least one place where Melvin is called Marvin, and at least in the ebook I read, a few sentences were missing punctuation, usually quotation marks.
January 5, 2025
I’m an absolute MESS after reading this book!
August 6, 2022
Something was different.
When I was reading this book it felt different. Not knowing Rachel Caine had passed I was very surprised with some political viewpoints. I had never read in the previous books of hers in my library such controversial political tidbits. But now I know why. RIP Rachel Caine, I will forever miss your new books. Not sure I will continue the series if continued.
When I was reading this book it felt different. Not knowing Rachel Caine had passed I was very surprised with some political viewpoints. I had never read in the previous books of hers in my library such controversial political tidbits. But now I know why. RIP Rachel Caine, I will forever miss your new books. Not sure I will continue the series if continued.
August 7, 2022
Actual rating: 4.5 stars
August 16, 2022
An excellent continuation of the series by Carrie Ryan . Throughly enjoyed the book and hoping there is another one in the series
July 11, 2025
I thought that the Stillhouse lake series was done, given the death of Rachel Caine. It’s a nice surprise that Carrie Ryan decided to continue out Rachel’s vision. I wouldn’t have known two authors wrote this book. It flowed quite naturally.
Gwen and her family are slowly starting to settle into their new home in Knoxville. Connor is making new friends. Lanny is getting ready to go on a college tour. Sam has adopted the kids and is their official dad. Gwen is completing her physical therapy and is finally starting to heal from her traumatic experience that happened in the last book. However, nothing with Gwen’s life ever stays quiet for too long. There’s a shooting that happens at Lanny and Connor’s school. Connor happens to be friends with the shooter, so the heat ends up going on him, given his undeserved reputation (his dad was a serial killer). This gives Gwen the opportunity to give her family some space from Knoxville, while she takes on a new case.
A teenage girl (Juliette) goes missing in Gardenia, North Carolina under suspicious circumstances. Her friends thought they saw her get into a pickup truck with a guy only a few years older than them. However, nobody has been able to find the car or has any leads on where Juliette could’ve gone. Despite having very little to work with, Gwen is willing to see if she can find out what happened to Juliette. As she continues to sleuth, she learns that things aren’t what they seem. Juliette was keeping a lot of secrets. Were they what killed her? Or was there something else that led to her disappearance?
This poor family can’t catch a break. Just when it seems like one problem is in the process of being resolved, another one crops up and it’s worse than before. Rachel Caine really puts her characters through the wringer, that’s for sure. There are many POVs in this novel ranging from Gwen, Sam, Kezia (a local cop who’s good friends with Gwen), Connor, Vee (a family friend), and Lanny. The POVs are very clear and I could tell who was who easily. This story was compelling and very action packed. Very rarely was it slow or dull. Sometimes, I just wished the characters could get a little break from all of the crap that comes their way. There were plenty of twists and surprises that were unexpected for me. I wouldn’t have guessed the outcome. It looks like there’s another one in the series as they left things somewhat open ended. I recommend this series for mystery lovers who like lots of action and a plot that keeps evolving by the page. Definitely read the other books first before checking this one out. So much happens in each novel that it’s better to read it first so you have an idea of what’s going on.
Gwen and her family are slowly starting to settle into their new home in Knoxville. Connor is making new friends. Lanny is getting ready to go on a college tour. Sam has adopted the kids and is their official dad. Gwen is completing her physical therapy and is finally starting to heal from her traumatic experience that happened in the last book. However, nothing with Gwen’s life ever stays quiet for too long. There’s a shooting that happens at Lanny and Connor’s school. Connor happens to be friends with the shooter, so the heat ends up going on him, given his undeserved reputation (his dad was a serial killer). This gives Gwen the opportunity to give her family some space from Knoxville, while she takes on a new case.
A teenage girl (Juliette) goes missing in Gardenia, North Carolina under suspicious circumstances. Her friends thought they saw her get into a pickup truck with a guy only a few years older than them. However, nobody has been able to find the car or has any leads on where Juliette could’ve gone. Despite having very little to work with, Gwen is willing to see if she can find out what happened to Juliette. As she continues to sleuth, she learns that things aren’t what they seem. Juliette was keeping a lot of secrets. Were they what killed her? Or was there something else that led to her disappearance?
This poor family can’t catch a break. Just when it seems like one problem is in the process of being resolved, another one crops up and it’s worse than before. Rachel Caine really puts her characters through the wringer, that’s for sure. There are many POVs in this novel ranging from Gwen, Sam, Kezia (a local cop who’s good friends with Gwen), Connor, Vee (a family friend), and Lanny. The POVs are very clear and I could tell who was who easily. This story was compelling and very action packed. Very rarely was it slow or dull. Sometimes, I just wished the characters could get a little break from all of the crap that comes their way. There were plenty of twists and surprises that were unexpected for me. I wouldn’t have guessed the outcome. It looks like there’s another one in the series as they left things somewhat open ended. I recommend this series for mystery lovers who like lots of action and a plot that keeps evolving by the page. Definitely read the other books first before checking this one out. So much happens in each novel that it’s better to read it first so you have an idea of what’s going on.
August 2, 2022
I am an AVID “Stillhouse Lake” series fan so when Rachel passed I was devastated for all of us because the series was so amazing and you never want it to end but when I saw Carrie Ryan was picking up where Queen Rachel left off I was on the fence BUT holy smokes. She hit it out of the park.
I don’t want to give too much away because I’m not great with describing thing without accidentally hinting about things but let’s just say I downloaded Trapper Road the MINUTE it was available fully aware I didn’t have time to read it but I did. I just read it all. In one sitting.
RIP 👑 Rachel. And welcome to the club Carrie. We thank you!
🖤🖤🖤
I don’t want to give too much away because I’m not great with describing thing without accidentally hinting about things but let’s just say I downloaded Trapper Road the MINUTE it was available fully aware I didn’t have time to read it but I did. I just read it all. In one sitting.
RIP 👑 Rachel. And welcome to the club Carrie. We thank you!
🖤🖤🖤
August 14, 2022
Rachel would be super proud of the story that Carrie put out. It has the same wonderful feel as the other Stillhouse Lake novels and lets us revisit our favorite characters. I absolutely love this series, and I adore that it's being wrapped up as Roxanne wanted. <3
**It's worth noting that the editing in the initial release was a bit rough, but that has since been addressed, so if you read a newer download, you should not see those issues.
**It's worth noting that the editing in the initial release was a bit rough, but that has since been addressed, so if you read a newer download, you should not see those issues.
August 31, 2022
Yikes. Don't do it.
December 27, 2023
Rachel Caine was working on this book when she passed away from soft tissue sarcoma on November 1, 2020. I was honestly sceptical if Carrie Ryan would be able to pick it up and finish it in a way that did justice both to the original series and to Caine as a writer. Happily, my concerns were misplaced. Trapper Road is as solid an entry as any of the books in the Stillhouse Lake series.
For anyone sitting on the fence, I would encourage you to read it. Ryan has reproduced the strong voice Caine gave to the story of Gwen Proctor and her family. Judging from the Epilogue, another book might be in the works? If so, I am all in for it.
This story includes not only the usual difficulties the family experiences, but also has Gwen and Connor both dealing with trauma and fallout from ruinous events. As usual it was exciting and fast paced, particularly towards the end, and I really felt invested in all the characters.
The audiobook this time was read by Emily Sutton-Smith alone voicing all of the POV characters. While I did (just a little bit) miss the other former cast members at first, Sutton-Smith does such an excellent job that by halfway through, I wasn’t thinking about them at all.
For anyone sitting on the fence, I would encourage you to read it. Ryan has reproduced the strong voice Caine gave to the story of Gwen Proctor and her family. Judging from the Epilogue, another book might be in the works? If so, I am all in for it.
This story includes not only the usual difficulties the family experiences, but also has Gwen and Connor both dealing with trauma and fallout from ruinous events. As usual it was exciting and fast paced, particularly towards the end, and I really felt invested in all the characters.
The audiobook this time was read by Emily Sutton-Smith alone voicing all of the POV characters. While I did (just a little bit) miss the other former cast members at first, Sutton-Smith does such an excellent job that by halfway through, I wasn’t thinking about them at all.
August 1, 2022
I was given an ARC in exchange for my honest review... And I was NOT disappointed!
Prior to Caine’s devastating passing, Caine left a partial manuscript and a roadmap for the sixth book Trapper Road in the Stillhouse Lake series. Ryan, a close friend and someone who saw Caine as a mentor agreed to pick up where Caine left off so the readers of the series could have this book, and it is a genuine gift. I honestly couldn’t tell when exactly Ryan took over the writing, and this is a testament to Caine’s vision, back-catalogue, Ryan’s writing skills and a truly skilled editor who edited each of the books in the series. I was very impressed.
This is my favourite of the series. As a social worker and a trainee therapist, so much of this book was just so on the nose. It shows the ugliness and destructiveness of vengeance over justice and the danger of the mob that bays for blood when assuming polarising positions rather than being curious and leaving space for the possibility of multiple stories; nobody is 2D and there are so many shade of morality and thought processes, they rivals Dulux's colour chart. Without an ounce of sanctimonious sermonising, this book continues to shine a light on how important processing pain and grief is. It models how to have difficult conversations with your children, how to attempt to understand where they are at - even if it hurts and you reject their conclusions, and how to offer repair when you’ve done things wrong as a parent, all while moving the plot along. That is mind-blowing. The social worker and trainee therapist in me was jumping for joy because this rarely shown in novels.
Gwen’s partner, Sam, made a comment that I highlighted; “we’re doing the work every day. We’re seeing therapists, we’re talking, we’re moving forward. It’s a process, Gwen. It can’t happen overnight...” – this is so important, not just as reassurance for Gwen and showing ongoing Sam’s support and commitment, but as a general message to send out into the world. De-stigmatising therapy is so important. Thank you.
While the familial situation is uncommon (this series centres around Gwen Proctor as the ex-wife of a convicted serial killer and their children, Lanny and Connor), the fears that Gwen experiences in respect to modern day nightmares are all too common problems. Her worries about: the safety of her children, grooming, managing and navigating peer pressure or death threats via social media, teenage risk taking, male entitlement and toxicity within her son, first sexual experiences, and teenage secrecy are all relatable. This mix of the familiar and uncommon makes it all the more interesting as the usual stakes are higher and heightened. This book continues to build on themes of family, trust, and navigating betrayal across ages, gender, and all types of relationships. Gwen’s need to control her children’s lives, and hyper-vigilance make sense to me as they kept her alive, even six books in she’s still in survival mode, but these things are also powder kegs waiting to be ignited in her children. Hindsight, or any social worker/therapist, or savvy crime/thriller reader can see the portents for disaster (both usual teenage stuff or those associated with risks that likely to result in life or limb risks), and the tension is kept throughout. It’s just not clear where or when or which guillotine will fall. The twists are truly twisty and I didn’t see all of them coming - I was too busy enjoying the ride to analyse it all.
PTSD continues to be described accurately and extremely realistically, as well as grounding exercises, and sexual risk taking being utilised as a common coping mechanism, and attempts to connect.
This will not be a comfortable read for most (especially Americans), I would add a trigger warning that is also a mini spoiler… Stop reading if you don’t want to know:
---------------------------------
There’s also a school shooting - with the number of school shootings in the USA by young white males, I was wondering when this might come up as a scenario in this series prior to Caine’s passing. It may create some issues for people who have experienced this when they read those scenes.
----------------------------------
Gwen’s growth in this book is important for her character arc because there’s only so much that a parent or a character can remain at that high level of vigilance, regardless of trauma and training. Also, with Lanny reaching Uni age, it wouldn’t be feasible for Gwen not to reach this epiphany without the destruction of the mother daughter relationship. Connor reaching mid-teens is also another tumultuous time of change in any family life-cycle… Both kids are used as vehicles to explore how does trauma impact teens, how do you define good and evil, and is evil genetic?
I hope there’s more but if there isn’t, I’m still thankful.
Prior to Caine’s devastating passing, Caine left a partial manuscript and a roadmap for the sixth book Trapper Road in the Stillhouse Lake series. Ryan, a close friend and someone who saw Caine as a mentor agreed to pick up where Caine left off so the readers of the series could have this book, and it is a genuine gift. I honestly couldn’t tell when exactly Ryan took over the writing, and this is a testament to Caine’s vision, back-catalogue, Ryan’s writing skills and a truly skilled editor who edited each of the books in the series. I was very impressed.
This is my favourite of the series. As a social worker and a trainee therapist, so much of this book was just so on the nose. It shows the ugliness and destructiveness of vengeance over justice and the danger of the mob that bays for blood when assuming polarising positions rather than being curious and leaving space for the possibility of multiple stories; nobody is 2D and there are so many shade of morality and thought processes, they rivals Dulux's colour chart. Without an ounce of sanctimonious sermonising, this book continues to shine a light on how important processing pain and grief is. It models how to have difficult conversations with your children, how to attempt to understand where they are at - even if it hurts and you reject their conclusions, and how to offer repair when you’ve done things wrong as a parent, all while moving the plot along. That is mind-blowing. The social worker and trainee therapist in me was jumping for joy because this rarely shown in novels.
Gwen’s partner, Sam, made a comment that I highlighted; “we’re doing the work every day. We’re seeing therapists, we’re talking, we’re moving forward. It’s a process, Gwen. It can’t happen overnight...” – this is so important, not just as reassurance for Gwen and showing ongoing Sam’s support and commitment, but as a general message to send out into the world. De-stigmatising therapy is so important. Thank you.
While the familial situation is uncommon (this series centres around Gwen Proctor as the ex-wife of a convicted serial killer and their children, Lanny and Connor), the fears that Gwen experiences in respect to modern day nightmares are all too common problems. Her worries about: the safety of her children, grooming, managing and navigating peer pressure or death threats via social media, teenage risk taking, male entitlement and toxicity within her son, first sexual experiences, and teenage secrecy are all relatable. This mix of the familiar and uncommon makes it all the more interesting as the usual stakes are higher and heightened. This book continues to build on themes of family, trust, and navigating betrayal across ages, gender, and all types of relationships. Gwen’s need to control her children’s lives, and hyper-vigilance make sense to me as they kept her alive, even six books in she’s still in survival mode, but these things are also powder kegs waiting to be ignited in her children. Hindsight, or any social worker/therapist, or savvy crime/thriller reader can see the portents for disaster (both usual teenage stuff or those associated with risks that likely to result in life or limb risks), and the tension is kept throughout. It’s just not clear where or when or which guillotine will fall. The twists are truly twisty and I didn’t see all of them coming - I was too busy enjoying the ride to analyse it all.
PTSD continues to be described accurately and extremely realistically, as well as grounding exercises, and sexual risk taking being utilised as a common coping mechanism, and attempts to connect.
This will not be a comfortable read for most (especially Americans), I would add a trigger warning that is also a mini spoiler… Stop reading if you don’t want to know:
---------------------------------
There’s also a school shooting - with the number of school shootings in the USA by young white males, I was wondering when this might come up as a scenario in this series prior to Caine’s passing. It may create some issues for people who have experienced this when they read those scenes.
----------------------------------
Gwen’s growth in this book is important for her character arc because there’s only so much that a parent or a character can remain at that high level of vigilance, regardless of trauma and training. Also, with Lanny reaching Uni age, it wouldn’t be feasible for Gwen not to reach this epiphany without the destruction of the mother daughter relationship. Connor reaching mid-teens is also another tumultuous time of change in any family life-cycle… Both kids are used as vehicles to explore how does trauma impact teens, how do you define good and evil, and is evil genetic?
I hope there’s more but if there isn’t, I’m still thankful.
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