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Isla Rivers #2
Outside The House
“A masterpiece of thriller and mystery.”
—Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
FBI Agent Isla Rivers confronts the chilling tableau of Lake Superior's frozen landscape, now marred by a sequence of macabre deaths in secluded ice fishing huts. As she battles both the elements and the ticking clock, Isla must piece together a frostbitten puzzle, outsmarting a cunning murderer who's as silent and deadly as the icy depths.
OUTSIDE THE HOUSE is the second book in a long-anticipated new series by #1 bestseller and USA Today bestselling author Blake Pierce, whose bestseller Once Gone (a free download) has received over 7,000 five star ratings and reviews. The series begins with OUTSIDE THE ROOM (book #1).
The Isla Rivers series is a riveting mystery series brimming with suspenseful cat-and-mouse dynamics and unexpected turns that will send shivers down your spine. Its enthralling female lead will capture your affections and keep you engrossed in the pages long after you turn out the lights. Fans of Lisa Regan, Lee Child, and Mary Burton are sure to fall in love.
Future books in the series are also available!
“An edge of your seat thriller in a new series that keeps you turning pages! ...So many twists, turns and red herrings… I can't wait to see what happens next.”
—Reader review (Her Last Wish)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“A strong, complex story about two FBI agents trying to stop a serial killer. If you want an author to capture your attention and have you guessing, yet trying to put the pieces together, Pierce is your author!”
—Reader review (Her Last Wish)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“A typical Blake Pierce twisting, turning, roller coaster ride suspense thriller. Will have you turning the pages to the last sentence of the last chapter!!!”
—Reader review (City of Prey)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Right from the start we have an unusual protagonist that I haven't seen done in this genre before. The action is nonstop… A very atmospheric novel that will keep you turning pages well into the wee hours.”
—Reader review (City of Prey)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Everything that I look for in a book… a great plot, interesting characters, and grabs your interest right away. The book moves along at a breakneck pace and stays that way until the end. Now on go I to book two!”
—Reader review (Girl, Alone)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Exciting, heart pounding, edge of your seat book… a must read for mystery and suspense readers!”
—Reader review (Girl, Alone)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
—Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
FBI Agent Isla Rivers confronts the chilling tableau of Lake Superior's frozen landscape, now marred by a sequence of macabre deaths in secluded ice fishing huts. As she battles both the elements and the ticking clock, Isla must piece together a frostbitten puzzle, outsmarting a cunning murderer who's as silent and deadly as the icy depths.
OUTSIDE THE HOUSE is the second book in a long-anticipated new series by #1 bestseller and USA Today bestselling author Blake Pierce, whose bestseller Once Gone (a free download) has received over 7,000 five star ratings and reviews. The series begins with OUTSIDE THE ROOM (book #1).
The Isla Rivers series is a riveting mystery series brimming with suspenseful cat-and-mouse dynamics and unexpected turns that will send shivers down your spine. Its enthralling female lead will capture your affections and keep you engrossed in the pages long after you turn out the lights. Fans of Lisa Regan, Lee Child, and Mary Burton are sure to fall in love.
Future books in the series are also available!
“An edge of your seat thriller in a new series that keeps you turning pages! ...So many twists, turns and red herrings… I can't wait to see what happens next.”
—Reader review (Her Last Wish)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“A strong, complex story about two FBI agents trying to stop a serial killer. If you want an author to capture your attention and have you guessing, yet trying to put the pieces together, Pierce is your author!”
—Reader review (Her Last Wish)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“A typical Blake Pierce twisting, turning, roller coaster ride suspense thriller. Will have you turning the pages to the last sentence of the last chapter!!!”
—Reader review (City of Prey)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Right from the start we have an unusual protagonist that I haven't seen done in this genre before. The action is nonstop… A very atmospheric novel that will keep you turning pages well into the wee hours.”
—Reader review (City of Prey)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Everything that I look for in a book… a great plot, interesting characters, and grabs your interest right away. The book moves along at a breakneck pace and stays that way until the end. Now on go I to book two!”
—Reader review (Girl, Alone)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Exciting, heart pounding, edge of your seat book… a must read for mystery and suspense readers!”
—Reader review (Girl, Alone)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
164 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 25, 2025
436 people are currently reading
191 people want to read
About the author
Blake Pierce
1,071 books5,989 followersBlake Pierce is author of the bestselling RILEY PAGE mystery series, which includes seven books (and counting). Blake Pierce is also the author of the MACKENZIE WHITE mystery series, comprising four books (and counting); of the AVERY BLACK mystery series, comprising four books (and counting); and of the new KERI LOCKE mystery series.
An avid reader and lifelong fan of the mystery and thriller genres, Blake loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit www.blakepierceauthor.com to learn more and stay in touch.
An avid reader and lifelong fan of the mystery and thriller genres, Blake loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit www.blakepierceauthor.com to learn more and stay in touch.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
January 31, 2026
I have enjoyed this series but can’t understand why the narrator is British when the story takes place in Duluth Minnesota. Strange.
March 20, 2026
“Outside the House” is very quick and interesting read, focusing on Isla Rivers, an FBI agent who has been given a punitive transfer from sunny Miami to the freezing cold winter of Duluth. Following several murders of ice anglers in remote areas on Lake Superior, Isla and her partner are under pressure to solve things before it gets to the media and impacts the both the community and tourist trade. In any event, setting her past failure in Miami aside, Isla slowly narrows things down to find the killer.
Although the book held my interest, the author, Blake Pierce, is something of a mystery. In this regard, despite more than 700 books written under this pen name, which averages out to as many as 20 per year, no picture exists of the writer. Thus, there is some speculation that “Blake Pierce” is a pen name for a group of writers…as opposed to one individual. Even so, the books I’ve picked up by this nom de plume have provided more than one interesting read.
Although the book held my interest, the author, Blake Pierce, is something of a mystery. In this regard, despite more than 700 books written under this pen name, which averages out to as many as 20 per year, no picture exists of the writer. Thus, there is some speculation that “Blake Pierce” is a pen name for a group of writers…as opposed to one individual. Even so, the books I’ve picked up by this nom de plume have provided more than one interesting read.
March 2, 2026
GOOD THOUGHTFUL READ
Isla is a great female FBI agent. She’s smart, strong easy to work with and Sullivan. Her partner is a great guy.. They work good together.. The stories are real good and they’re very believable, but sometimes the author is repetitive in his description of the psychological thinking going on with the serial killer and with the FBI agents.. I got tired of reading the same thing over and over and could skip through quickly to get to the media subject. but it was a good book easy to read easy to Zoom through the long nonsensical mandarins of an author. but I do like Blake Pierce’s writings and I like the way there’s no gratuitous violence, sex, and language. I would recommend any of his books to anybody if you’d like an exciting read with a female FBI agent, looking for serial killers and will absolutely find them. a good book
Isla is a great female FBI agent. She’s smart, strong easy to work with and Sullivan. Her partner is a great guy.. They work good together.. The stories are real good and they’re very believable, but sometimes the author is repetitive in his description of the psychological thinking going on with the serial killer and with the FBI agents.. I got tired of reading the same thing over and over and could skip through quickly to get to the media subject. but it was a good book easy to read easy to Zoom through the long nonsensical mandarins of an author. but I do like Blake Pierce’s writings and I like the way there’s no gratuitous violence, sex, and language. I would recommend any of his books to anybody if you’d like an exciting read with a female FBI agent, looking for serial killers and will absolutely find them. a good book
March 3, 2026
good character development
Blake Pierce writes a good story. He also develops characters thoroughly, even when that development is irritating. Isla is an FBI agent who was transferred to Minnesota after an investigation gone bad in Miami. She dwells way too much on the past. Assuming that she has investigated cases other than the one in which she made a mistake, it is irrational for her to ignore all successes because of one failure. In truth, it gets irritating after a while. There is a good bit of repetition about the weather. Obviously, winter in Duluth is cold. Let it go. Other reviewers have mentioned the whole LakeLake business in the middle of the book. I don’t know what that was all about, but it certainly should’ve been caught in editing.
Blake Pierce writes a good story. He also develops characters thoroughly, even when that development is irritating. Isla is an FBI agent who was transferred to Minnesota after an investigation gone bad in Miami. She dwells way too much on the past. Assuming that she has investigated cases other than the one in which she made a mistake, it is irrational for her to ignore all successes because of one failure. In truth, it gets irritating after a while. There is a good bit of repetition about the weather. Obviously, winter in Duluth is cold. Let it go. Other reviewers have mentioned the whole LakeLake business in the middle of the book. I don’t know what that was all about, but it certainly should’ve been caught in editing.
March 3, 2026
Get an editor!!!
Interesting enough book, but with typos that are very off-putting. The capitalization of Body for several chapters was mildly annoying. Harder to ignore were the multiple chapters where LakeLake appeared instead of lake. This kind of thing takes me out of the story entirely. The final chapters contained repetitive ruminations over the killer's beliefs, etc. Felt like padding to reach a certain word count. Didn't hate the book, but it certainly could have been better.
Interesting enough book, but with typos that are very off-putting. The capitalization of Body for several chapters was mildly annoying. Harder to ignore were the multiple chapters where LakeLake appeared instead of lake. This kind of thing takes me out of the story entirely. The final chapters contained repetitive ruminations over the killer's beliefs, etc. Felt like padding to reach a certain word count. Didn't hate the book, but it certainly could have been better.
February 13, 2026
This second book definitely raised the stakes. The tension felt sharper this time around, and the pacing moved with more confidence. I was pulled in quickly and stayed invested the whole way through.
Isla continues to grow as a character, and I liked seeing more layers to her decision making and emotional responses. The cases she faces are unsettling without being over the top, and the twists kept things interesting without feeling forced.
Isla continues to grow as a character, and I liked seeing more layers to her decision making and emotional responses. The cases she faces are unsettling without being over the top, and the twists kept things interesting without feeling forced.
March 2, 2026
Outside The House is a story of an FBI agent that has been removed from Miami for making an error in a case to Duluth. Shortly after arriving she is presented with a case of a murdered fisherman. The case appears random and she is searching for clues. The story falls short of being a good book. The weather is harsh and clues are hard to find. The writing is not as good as it should be.
March 9, 2026
This and the two proceeding stories contained good plots. However, the story was compromised by the protagonist's incessant ruminations on her previous mistakes and her insecurities. I listened to this as an audiobook and the narrator had a British accent, very much at odds with the American FBI story in Minnesota.
February 15, 2026
3.5⭐️ 🎧
I really enjoyed the religious killing aspect of this story.
I really enjoyed the religious killing aspect of this story.
March 3, 2026
Outside the House
Great read. Suspenseful, good writing, good characters. Few typos but didn’t affect the story. Hope to read more of this series
Great read. Suspenseful, good writing, good characters. Few typos but didn’t affect the story. Hope to read more of this series
March 4, 2026
Good story but made me feel very cold when reading it as it was about the frozen lakes ,
Interesting story
Interesting story
March 5, 2026
An awesome detective story taking place at Lake Superior.
March 11, 2026
DNF. Obviously written by AI.
March 17, 2026
Solid, fast storyline.
March 26, 2026
Every chapter has that alicia mendez name....!!!!!Annoying and many paragraphs looked like repeated explanations...
March 23, 2026
Lots of typos and never explained the mysterious, almost supernatural events during the first 2 murders.
February 28, 2026
This continuation of the first book is a good follow up and still has some open threads from the first book. The characters are developing a team working process and their personalities are developing.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews