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Still #1
Still Mine
The Girl on the Train meets The Silent Wife in this taut psychological thriller.
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU VANISH FROM YOUR LIFE AND LEAVE NO STORY BEHIND?
SOMEONE WILL MAKE ONE UP FOR YOU.
Clare is on the run.
From her past, from her ex, and from her own secrets. When she turns up alone in the remote mining town of Blackmore asking about Shayna Fowles, the local girl who disappeared, everyone wants to know who Clare really is and what she's hiding. As it turns out, she's hiding a lot, including what ties her to Shayna in the first place. But everyone in this place is hiding something from Jared, Shayna's golden-haired ex-husband, to Charlie, the charming small-town drug pusher, to Derek, Shayna's overly involved family doctor, to Louise and Wilfred, her distraught parents.
Did Shayna flee? Was she killed? Is it possible she's still alive?
As Clare uncovers the mysteries around Shayna's disappearance, she must confront her own demons, moving us deeper and deeper into the labyrinth of lies and making us question what it is she's really running from. Twisting and electrifying, this is a get-under-your-skin thriller that will make you question what it means to lose yourself and find yourself in the most unlikely places.
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU VANISH FROM YOUR LIFE AND LEAVE NO STORY BEHIND?
SOMEONE WILL MAKE ONE UP FOR YOU.
Clare is on the run.
From her past, from her ex, and from her own secrets. When she turns up alone in the remote mining town of Blackmore asking about Shayna Fowles, the local girl who disappeared, everyone wants to know who Clare really is and what she's hiding. As it turns out, she's hiding a lot, including what ties her to Shayna in the first place. But everyone in this place is hiding something from Jared, Shayna's golden-haired ex-husband, to Charlie, the charming small-town drug pusher, to Derek, Shayna's overly involved family doctor, to Louise and Wilfred, her distraught parents.
Did Shayna flee? Was she killed? Is it possible she's still alive?
As Clare uncovers the mysteries around Shayna's disappearance, she must confront her own demons, moving us deeper and deeper into the labyrinth of lies and making us question what it is she's really running from. Twisting and electrifying, this is a get-under-your-skin thriller that will make you question what it means to lose yourself and find yourself in the most unlikely places.
320 pages, Paperback
First published May 5, 2015
240 people are currently reading
7371 people want to read
About the author
Amy Stuart
16 books581 followersAmy Stuart is the #1 bestselling author of three linked thriller novels, STILL MINE, STILL WATER and STILL HERE. These novels can be read in order or as standalones. Amy's 4th novel, A DEATH AT THE PARTY was released March 7 2023 in Canada and the US and is due August 2023 in the UK. ADATP is a new thriller set over the course of a single day.
In 2019, Amy founded Writerscape, an online community for hopeful and emerging writers. Amy was born in Toronto where she still lives with her husband and their three sons. Aside from writing, she loves hockey. Ice hockey.
In 2019, Amy founded Writerscape, an online community for hopeful and emerging writers. Amy was born in Toronto where she still lives with her husband and their three sons. Aside from writing, she loves hockey. Ice hockey.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 649 reviews
July 10, 2016
I'm not sure why the ratings on GR for Still Mine are relatively low. I hope it's not because the blurbs compare this book to The Girl on the Train and The Silent Wife. This comparison shtick that publishers use to promote books seems so unfair to emerging authors. It creates false expectations and sets perfectly good books up for unfair criticism.
So back to Still Mine... To me this one was all about atmosphere. At the beginning, Clare shows up in a very small town looking for a place to live. Quickly we find out that Clare is not using her real name and that she is trying to get away from a nasty past. We also quickly get a sense that this is a pretty troubled town, recently shaken by the disappearance of a young woman. As the book progresses, we learn more about Clare and recent events in town that make it so troubled. In a sense, the story isn't that important because as I said it's all about the atmosphere. This is a dark gritty book -- it's not particularly violent -- but it's full of troubled people leading nasty lives. No one is particularly likeable -- including Clare -- but we get real insight into how this cast of characters got to be where they are. It's also a story about the dynamics of a dying small town. It kept me reading. It was a good counterpoint to a stormy day in the country with no power. It's a good first novel, and I will happily read Stewart's next book. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an opportunity to read an advance copy.
So back to Still Mine... To me this one was all about atmosphere. At the beginning, Clare shows up in a very small town looking for a place to live. Quickly we find out that Clare is not using her real name and that she is trying to get away from a nasty past. We also quickly get a sense that this is a pretty troubled town, recently shaken by the disappearance of a young woman. As the book progresses, we learn more about Clare and recent events in town that make it so troubled. In a sense, the story isn't that important because as I said it's all about the atmosphere. This is a dark gritty book -- it's not particularly violent -- but it's full of troubled people leading nasty lives. No one is particularly likeable -- including Clare -- but we get real insight into how this cast of characters got to be where they are. It's also a story about the dynamics of a dying small town. It kept me reading. It was a good counterpoint to a stormy day in the country with no power. It's a good first novel, and I will happily read Stewart's next book. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an opportunity to read an advance copy.
August 23, 2022
Book Blog | Bookstagram
Seriously, this was so boring. Definitely not for me.
I'd like to talk to whoever decided to market this is as a psychological thriller and slapped the Girl on the Train buzz phrase on the cover. Like, did you actually read the book or nah?
'Cause I did and...
Literally, almost nothing happened in this but some random conversations and trips to an old mine.
Clare is on the run from her abusive husband, Jason. Jason hires Malcolm, a P.I., to track her down. But when Malcolm finds her he gives her a job searching for a missing woman instead of turning her over to her husband, as a man can apparently do with a grown-ass woman who has every right to do whatever she wants with her life, even if that means running away.
But I digress...
Clare heads to the nearly empty mountain town of Blackmore to look for the missing woman, Shayna. There she meets a cast of strange rural folk who are all very suspicious of Clare's sudden presence because I guess that's how rural people behave.
It sounded like it could be good, I thought. And at first, I was a little into it, getting a Twin Peaks kind of vibe from the setting and the setup of the townsfolk. But this was not nearly bizarre enough to pull off that atmosphere successfully.
Unfortunately, I found this whole book to be confusing and disconnected - it didn't really seem as if the story was going anywhere. There was no suspense, no menace and the mystery was watered-down in favour of backstory. It was all very ambiguous in a way that was not really working for me.
Also, what the fuck was with Malcolm? That whole cloak and dagger mystery man thing did not work for me at all. And I fail to see why Clare would have gone along with his creepy request as if working this random job for him was the only way she could save herself. Please! You've been on the run for months! Keep going! And Why are two different men so concerned with controlling her?
All in all, I did not like this.
⭐⭐ | 2 stars
Seriously, this was so boring. Definitely not for me.
I'd like to talk to whoever decided to market this is as a psychological thriller and slapped the Girl on the Train buzz phrase on the cover. Like, did you actually read the book or nah?
'Cause I did and...
Literally, almost nothing happened in this but some random conversations and trips to an old mine.
Clare is on the run from her abusive husband, Jason. Jason hires Malcolm, a P.I., to track her down. But when Malcolm finds her he gives her a job searching for a missing woman instead of turning her over to her husband, as a man can apparently do with a grown-ass woman who has every right to do whatever she wants with her life, even if that means running away.
But I digress...
Clare heads to the nearly empty mountain town of Blackmore to look for the missing woman, Shayna. There she meets a cast of strange rural folk who are all very suspicious of Clare's sudden presence because I guess that's how rural people behave.
It sounded like it could be good, I thought. And at first, I was a little into it, getting a Twin Peaks kind of vibe from the setting and the setup of the townsfolk. But this was not nearly bizarre enough to pull off that atmosphere successfully.
Unfortunately, I found this whole book to be confusing and disconnected - it didn't really seem as if the story was going anywhere. There was no suspense, no menace and the mystery was watered-down in favour of backstory. It was all very ambiguous in a way that was not really working for me.
Also, what the fuck was with Malcolm? That whole cloak and dagger mystery man thing did not work for me at all. And I fail to see why Clare would have gone along with his creepy request as if working this random job for him was the only way she could save herself. Please! You've been on the run for months! Keep going! And Why are two different men so concerned with controlling her?
All in all, I did not like this.
⭐⭐ | 2 stars
March 14, 2016
3.5 A woman turns up in the dying town of Blackmoor, she is on the run from someone, also sent by someone to find a missing woman. So for a while the reader doesn't know why she is willing to do this nor why. The town's mine had closed after a terrible accident which cost the lives of several miners. This also created a feud between those who lost family members and those who survived. The mining foreman is the missing woman's father. Without the mine to provide a living, many have left and some of those who stayed are either hooked on drugs or are producing and selling them.
The feud, the dying town, people on the edge, the atmosphere, the feeling of this novel is very authentic. You get the sense of desperation, the giving up and finding solace whatever way you can, with whatever or whoever you can. Clare, our mystery woman, has quite an interesting past. In fact all Tue characters are well drawn. Clare does some things, takes chances I didn't quite understand but as the story goes on you see and understand much more. The title is very apropos, the suspense in the novel quite good for this author's first. Books end leaves a few things hanging but a sequel is planned, one I do intend to read. The letter at the very end is chilling. Quite a good first novel.
ARC from publisher.
The feud, the dying town, people on the edge, the atmosphere, the feeling of this novel is very authentic. You get the sense of desperation, the giving up and finding solace whatever way you can, with whatever or whoever you can. Clare, our mystery woman, has quite an interesting past. In fact all Tue characters are well drawn. Clare does some things, takes chances I didn't quite understand but as the story goes on you see and understand much more. The title is very apropos, the suspense in the novel quite good for this author's first. Books end leaves a few things hanging but a sequel is planned, one I do intend to read. The letter at the very end is chilling. Quite a good first novel.
ARC from publisher.
September 27, 2024
I'm not a big fan of thrillers so take my opinion with a grain of salt.
I found it boring. The main character got on my nerves with all her reminisces of the past and her comparisons of present guys to the one she just left.
It seemed like a lot of pages were filled with not much happening.
However, at least it gave me some reprieve from the utter drudge-fest that is The Count of Monte Cristo. Anything is more interesting, even this.
I found it boring. The main character got on my nerves with all her reminisces of the past and her comparisons of present guys to the one she just left.
It seemed like a lot of pages were filled with not much happening.
However, at least it gave me some reprieve from the utter drudge-fest that is The Count of Monte Cristo. Anything is more interesting, even this.
May 18, 2023
4.5 stars
"There's no better place to hide a body than on a battlefield" - Inspector Morse
And nobody better suited to finding missing people than a missing person.
As another reviewer said, I, too, am surprised by the low GR ratings for this novel! It's quite well written, the setting of a dying Canadian ex-coal mining town is wonderfully rendered and the characters - the good, the bad and the very very ugly - are more real than real.
Everything is rendered so very touchable. All of it envelopes you and draws you in. I got on the ride Amy Stuart promised me and didn't once want to get off; she delivered in spades!
No, this is not the typical right-out-there-in-the-open "domestic" thriller. The horror, the unease, is all under the surface. It roils around like underwater currents, deep and dangerous. Out of sight. Just on the other side of the misty gorge.
And only when it's too late does the horror break the surface and rise, fully armed and firing.
I disagree with reviewers who say nothing happened, or you never find out what the whole thing was about. I'd say LOTS happened and we know 100% what's going on by the end. Just because some characters don't tell us their life story and are evasive doesn't mean we can't pick up on their game. We're shown far more than we're told.
As far as the mystery of Shayna's disappearance, I figured out who the culprit was about the middle of the novel, but that didn't diminish the enjoyment one iota. It's well built up, the mystery, and all the clues are there, hidden in plain sight.
Just like a body on a battlefield.
Recommended for those who like their mysteries highly atmospheric and subtly unnerving.
"There's no better place to hide a body than on a battlefield" - Inspector Morse
And nobody better suited to finding missing people than a missing person.
As another reviewer said, I, too, am surprised by the low GR ratings for this novel! It's quite well written, the setting of a dying Canadian ex-coal mining town is wonderfully rendered and the characters - the good, the bad and the very very ugly - are more real than real.
Everything is rendered so very touchable. All of it envelopes you and draws you in. I got on the ride Amy Stuart promised me and didn't once want to get off; she delivered in spades!
No, this is not the typical right-out-there-in-the-open "domestic" thriller. The horror, the unease, is all under the surface. It roils around like underwater currents, deep and dangerous. Out of sight. Just on the other side of the misty gorge.
And only when it's too late does the horror break the surface and rise, fully armed and firing.
I disagree with reviewers who say nothing happened, or you never find out what the whole thing was about. I'd say LOTS happened and we know 100% what's going on by the end. Just because some characters don't tell us their life story and are evasive doesn't mean we can't pick up on their game. We're shown far more than we're told.
As far as the mystery of Shayna's disappearance, I figured out who the culprit was about the middle of the novel, but that didn't diminish the enjoyment one iota. It's well built up, the mystery, and all the clues are there, hidden in plain sight.
Just like a body on a battlefield.
Recommended for those who like their mysteries highly atmospheric and subtly unnerving.
April 22, 2018
Find my reviews on my blog: https://thesuspenseisthrillingme.com
Date Read: 10/15/16
Pub Date: 08/16/16
4 STARS
Clare is on the run.
From her past, from her husband, and from her own secrets. When she turns up alone in the remote mining town of Blackmore asking about Shayna Fowles, the local girl who disappeared, everyone wants to know who Clare really is and what she’s hiding. As it turns out, she’s hiding a lot, including what ties her to Shayna in the first place. But everyone in this place is hiding something—from Jared, Shayna’s secretive ex-husband, to Charlie, the charming small-town drug pusher, to Derek, Shayna’s overly involved family doctor, to Louise and Wilfred, her distraught parents.
Did Shayna flee? Was she killed? Is it possible she’s still alive?
As Clare uncovers the mysteries around Shayna’s disappearance, she must confront her own demons, moving us deeper and deeper into the labyrinth of lies and making us question what it is she’s really running from. Twisting and electrifying, this is a get-under-your-skin thriller that will make you question what it means to lose yourself and find yourself in the most unlikely places.
I must say, I’m rather shocked that the average rating for Still Mine is so low on Goodreads; I found it intriguing and rather well done for a debut. I suspect it’s due to marketing these days; if you can’t slap a phrase stating this psychological thriller is “the next Gone Girl” then it must not be worthy of reading. This book was NOT Gone Girl, but it was a fantastic read that can stand on it’s own two legs. I won’t keep harping about this because you all have heard it so many times *cue the eye rolls* so let’s move on to my actual thoughts of the book.
My Goodreads friend Esil nailed it when she said “…this one was all about atmosphere… In a sense, the story isn’t that important because as I said it’s all about the atmosphere.” Also, where she said “This is a dark, gritty book-it’s not particularly violent- but it’s full of troubled people leading nasty lives.” I couldn’t have summed it up better myself. The setting and aura that the author sets is pure genius; the atmosphere is almost a character in itself due to the oppressive, dark nature it casts over the book. I think the beautiful cover does a fantastic job of portraying the sense I’m trying to describe. The characters aren’t likable and the tension is high; I kept thinking about it when I had to put it aside for life things. Clare does a good job of holding our attention throughout; she’s mysterious and her actions are confusing but intriguing until we start to catch on to what is going on. There was definitely a huge cliffhanger at the end that left me immediately wanting to read the sequel which the author is currently drafting! This wasn’t a long read, so it would be perfect for a fall/winter weekend escape.
*Many thanks to the author and Touchstone Books for my copy; it was my pleasure to provide an honest review and hope to do the same for the sequel!
Date Read: 10/15/16
Pub Date: 08/16/16
4 STARS
Clare is on the run.
From her past, from her husband, and from her own secrets. When she turns up alone in the remote mining town of Blackmore asking about Shayna Fowles, the local girl who disappeared, everyone wants to know who Clare really is and what she’s hiding. As it turns out, she’s hiding a lot, including what ties her to Shayna in the first place. But everyone in this place is hiding something—from Jared, Shayna’s secretive ex-husband, to Charlie, the charming small-town drug pusher, to Derek, Shayna’s overly involved family doctor, to Louise and Wilfred, her distraught parents.
Did Shayna flee? Was she killed? Is it possible she’s still alive?
As Clare uncovers the mysteries around Shayna’s disappearance, she must confront her own demons, moving us deeper and deeper into the labyrinth of lies and making us question what it is she’s really running from. Twisting and electrifying, this is a get-under-your-skin thriller that will make you question what it means to lose yourself and find yourself in the most unlikely places.
I must say, I’m rather shocked that the average rating for Still Mine is so low on Goodreads; I found it intriguing and rather well done for a debut. I suspect it’s due to marketing these days; if you can’t slap a phrase stating this psychological thriller is “the next Gone Girl” then it must not be worthy of reading. This book was NOT Gone Girl, but it was a fantastic read that can stand on it’s own two legs. I won’t keep harping about this because you all have heard it so many times *cue the eye rolls* so let’s move on to my actual thoughts of the book.
My Goodreads friend Esil nailed it when she said “…this one was all about atmosphere… In a sense, the story isn’t that important because as I said it’s all about the atmosphere.” Also, where she said “This is a dark, gritty book-it’s not particularly violent- but it’s full of troubled people leading nasty lives.” I couldn’t have summed it up better myself. The setting and aura that the author sets is pure genius; the atmosphere is almost a character in itself due to the oppressive, dark nature it casts over the book. I think the beautiful cover does a fantastic job of portraying the sense I’m trying to describe. The characters aren’t likable and the tension is high; I kept thinking about it when I had to put it aside for life things. Clare does a good job of holding our attention throughout; she’s mysterious and her actions are confusing but intriguing until we start to catch on to what is going on. There was definitely a huge cliffhanger at the end that left me immediately wanting to read the sequel which the author is currently drafting! This wasn’t a long read, so it would be perfect for a fall/winter weekend escape.
*Many thanks to the author and Touchstone Books for my copy; it was my pleasure to provide an honest review and hope to do the same for the sequel!
April 27, 2017
ARC requested through Netgalley, and kindly provided by Touchstone Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
To set the tone for this book, I imagined an overcast, desolate, small town in the mountains, surrounded by trees. The ominous setting seemed to match the moods of everyone in this story, each living through their own tragedies. It felt like I was viewing everything through a filter, which I guess technically I was since the story was told through Clare’s point of view and her filter was a bit skewed based on her past experiences.
Clare was sent to the mining town of Blackmore to search for a missing woman, Shayna. She was shrouded with secrets and the more she interacted with the town, the more her previous life, the one she was running from, seemed to re-emerge. I’ve read a lot of criticism of this story because readers were expecting more of a mystery/thriller. I enjoyed this for what it was - a fantastic piece of fiction with mystery in the peripheral vision. What happened to Shayna was always on the pages but it was Clare’s story that moved readers through the story. This was as much a story of whether Clare was putting herself in danger while trying to solve a mystery as it was a story of whether or not Clare would fall prey to her old lifestyle of addiction and poor choices in relationships.
I, like Clare, was completely wrapped up in the tragedy of the mining explosion that happened many years earlier. There was so much destruction and a shell of a community left behind. The note that Clare reads at the end of the novel was my favourite part of the book. It opened the door for Clare’s story to continue and I look forward to seeing how Clare decides to move forward.
Great read!
“When you don’t leave a clear story behind, Clare knows, someone will make one up for you.”
To set the tone for this book, I imagined an overcast, desolate, small town in the mountains, surrounded by trees. The ominous setting seemed to match the moods of everyone in this story, each living through their own tragedies. It felt like I was viewing everything through a filter, which I guess technically I was since the story was told through Clare’s point of view and her filter was a bit skewed based on her past experiences.
Clare was sent to the mining town of Blackmore to search for a missing woman, Shayna. She was shrouded with secrets and the more she interacted with the town, the more her previous life, the one she was running from, seemed to re-emerge. I’ve read a lot of criticism of this story because readers were expecting more of a mystery/thriller. I enjoyed this for what it was - a fantastic piece of fiction with mystery in the peripheral vision. What happened to Shayna was always on the pages but it was Clare’s story that moved readers through the story. This was as much a story of whether Clare was putting herself in danger while trying to solve a mystery as it was a story of whether or not Clare would fall prey to her old lifestyle of addiction and poor choices in relationships.
I, like Clare, was completely wrapped up in the tragedy of the mining explosion that happened many years earlier. There was so much destruction and a shell of a community left behind. The note that Clare reads at the end of the novel was my favourite part of the book. It opened the door for Clare’s story to continue and I look forward to seeing how Clare decides to move forward.
Great read!
March 21, 2018
2.75 stars
That is one heck of a gorgeous cover! I started out really into the story, but I think I lost interest somewhere around the middle and I feel a bit mixed about the ending.
That is one heck of a gorgeous cover! I started out really into the story, but I think I lost interest somewhere around the middle and I feel a bit mixed about the ending.
January 7, 2018
”Who knows what sorts of people live here? The kind devoid of hope. The kind who refuse to leave a dying town. The kind who disappear.”
Synopsis: Someone goes missing, and someone’s supposed to find her, but you never find out what the hell is going on.
Biblio-Babble
Where Ashes Grow Like Wheat: The one sole good thing about this book was how the author chose to write her settings. The story is set in an old mining town reminiscent to those in the Appalachian Mountains, though I’m pretty sure this book is set in Canada. However, she did a fine job with her descriptions not only of the town, but of the isolating, claustrophobic nature of it all. How it’s hanging by a thread and trying to get by, but deep down everyone knows that the town is on it’s last legs. You can even picture it; the coal dust swirling in the air, the omnipresent gray skies above, the dreariness and hopelessness of it all. In that sense, Amy Stuart has excelled in that part of her craft.
There’s a Hole in My Pocket, Liza: What she completely failed at is pretty much everything else about the book. The storyline, the characters, the blueprint of a basic fucking storyline (beginning, middle, end), an anticlimactic climax… I could go on and on. But perhaps where she failed most grandly is the fact that this book had more plot holes in it than a slice of Swiss cheese. I think what she was trying to do was peel back the layers of the story to make it more of a suspenseful reveal, but the storyline was so bizarre and lacking in detail (and basic background knowledge) to begin with that it was hard to become invested in the story.
For those of you willing to try, the plot involves a woman named Clare on the run from an abusive husband. While on the run, she meets this dude who offers her a job trying to find someone; a girl named Shayna, who’s been missing for three weeks. We don’t know who this dude his or who he’s associated with, but he somehow knows Clare’s abusive husband. Clare isn’t a PI or a police officer, but he just expects her to walk into Shayna’s hometown like Nancy freakin’ Drew and magically solve the mystery. SHE’S NOT QUALIFIED, DUMBASS!!! And we don’t know why she agrees or how she managed to magically convince people of her cover story. I know, it’s fiction, but it made no fucking sense.
Malcolm in the Middle: The man who hires Clare to do the job is named Malcolm. And I’m here to tell you right now, his name is literally the only thing you’ll ever truly know about him. Hell, I finished the book and I don’t even know who the heck he is. Maybe he was a figment of my imagination. Maybe I was just so bored from this book that I hallucinated a character up in my head. I’ll never know, because all I want to know is WHO THE HELL IS MALCOLM, DAMMIT!!! Yeah, he was supposed to be a friend of Clare’s abusive ex-husband, but even though Clare’s ex is looking for her, and Malcolm is on the ex’s side, he doesn’t bring her back to him? What even?!!! I cannot with this dude. And him acting all mysterious under the mysterious cloud of mysteriousness was just more than I could bear. Dude, you’re not in Special Ops; stop acting like it.
She Doesn’t Even Go Here: Then there remains the question of how Clare is able to almost seamlessly blend into the town, with everyone just assuming that she knows Shayna, the missing girl. She doesn’t even live in the town! She knows no one! She’s not even qualified to go snooping around? Why would she be so invested in agreeing to trying to find someone she doesn’t even fucking know? And even though we got her backstory, it didn’t seem that relevant to the actual missing person storyline, other than to give an explanation of why Clare is yet another ‘damaged white heroine with problems’ sort of explanation.
SO. MANY. QUESTIONS: Look; if I wrote down every single question I had in regards to this book that was left unanswered, we’d be here all day. This review would look more like an FBI questionnaire than me telling you my honest feelings. And I know that books are supposed to make you question things, especially mysteries. But for the love of all things good and holy, PU-LEAZE don’t make us ask so many questions (and leave them unanswered), that you leave us all in a permanent state of confusion. If someone were to ask me the plot of this book, I can honestly say that the words that would come out of my mouth would be ‘I don’t know.’ That’s a horrible way to feel, ya know?
Until the Fat Lady Sings: The ending of a mystery is often the best part. You get to see who did the crime. You can check your theories that you had in your head and see if you were right or wrong. But the ending reveal of this book was so utterly ludicrous that I actually felt offended. The author wanted me to believe THAT??!!! Just like the rest of the book, it made no sense whatsoever and was so asinine that it seemed truly implausible. You mean to tell me You gotta be kidding me. The author may have thought it was brilliant when she was writing it, but it fell flat on its face during the final act.
*************************
With this new wave of psychological thrillers being published, there are bound to be a few duds. And with this book, it shows. With an incoherent plotline, infinite number of plot holes, and a truly bizarre final reveal, Still Mine is one of the worst psychological thrillers I’ve read in a long time. It should be chucked to the bottom of a coal mine shaft and never be recovered.
Synopsis: Someone goes missing, and someone’s supposed to find her, but you never find out what the hell is going on.
Biblio-Babble
Where Ashes Grow Like Wheat: The one sole good thing about this book was how the author chose to write her settings. The story is set in an old mining town reminiscent to those in the Appalachian Mountains, though I’m pretty sure this book is set in Canada. However, she did a fine job with her descriptions not only of the town, but of the isolating, claustrophobic nature of it all. How it’s hanging by a thread and trying to get by, but deep down everyone knows that the town is on it’s last legs. You can even picture it; the coal dust swirling in the air, the omnipresent gray skies above, the dreariness and hopelessness of it all. In that sense, Amy Stuart has excelled in that part of her craft.
There’s a Hole in My Pocket, Liza: What she completely failed at is pretty much everything else about the book. The storyline, the characters, the blueprint of a basic fucking storyline (beginning, middle, end), an anticlimactic climax… I could go on and on. But perhaps where she failed most grandly is the fact that this book had more plot holes in it than a slice of Swiss cheese. I think what she was trying to do was peel back the layers of the story to make it more of a suspenseful reveal, but the storyline was so bizarre and lacking in detail (and basic background knowledge) to begin with that it was hard to become invested in the story.
For those of you willing to try, the plot involves a woman named Clare on the run from an abusive husband. While on the run, she meets this dude who offers her a job trying to find someone; a girl named Shayna, who’s been missing for three weeks. We don’t know who this dude his or who he’s associated with, but he somehow knows Clare’s abusive husband. Clare isn’t a PI or a police officer, but he just expects her to walk into Shayna’s hometown like Nancy freakin’ Drew and magically solve the mystery. SHE’S NOT QUALIFIED, DUMBASS!!! And we don’t know why she agrees or how she managed to magically convince people of her cover story. I know, it’s fiction, but it made no fucking sense.
Malcolm in the Middle: The man who hires Clare to do the job is named Malcolm. And I’m here to tell you right now, his name is literally the only thing you’ll ever truly know about him. Hell, I finished the book and I don’t even know who the heck he is. Maybe he was a figment of my imagination. Maybe I was just so bored from this book that I hallucinated a character up in my head. I’ll never know, because all I want to know is WHO THE HELL IS MALCOLM, DAMMIT!!! Yeah, he was supposed to be a friend of Clare’s abusive ex-husband, but even though Clare’s ex is looking for her, and Malcolm is on the ex’s side, he doesn’t bring her back to him? What even?!!! I cannot with this dude. And him acting all mysterious under the mysterious cloud of mysteriousness was just more than I could bear. Dude, you’re not in Special Ops; stop acting like it.
She Doesn’t Even Go Here: Then there remains the question of how Clare is able to almost seamlessly blend into the town, with everyone just assuming that she knows Shayna, the missing girl. She doesn’t even live in the town! She knows no one! She’s not even qualified to go snooping around? Why would she be so invested in agreeing to trying to find someone she doesn’t even fucking know? And even though we got her backstory, it didn’t seem that relevant to the actual missing person storyline, other than to give an explanation of why Clare is yet another ‘damaged white heroine with problems’ sort of explanation.
SO. MANY. QUESTIONS: Look; if I wrote down every single question I had in regards to this book that was left unanswered, we’d be here all day. This review would look more like an FBI questionnaire than me telling you my honest feelings. And I know that books are supposed to make you question things, especially mysteries. But for the love of all things good and holy, PU-LEAZE don’t make us ask so many questions (and leave them unanswered), that you leave us all in a permanent state of confusion. If someone were to ask me the plot of this book, I can honestly say that the words that would come out of my mouth would be ‘I don’t know.’ That’s a horrible way to feel, ya know?
Until the Fat Lady Sings: The ending of a mystery is often the best part. You get to see who did the crime. You can check your theories that you had in your head and see if you were right or wrong. But the ending reveal of this book was so utterly ludicrous that I actually felt offended. The author wanted me to believe THAT??!!! Just like the rest of the book, it made no sense whatsoever and was so asinine that it seemed truly implausible. You mean to tell me You gotta be kidding me. The author may have thought it was brilliant when she was writing it, but it fell flat on its face during the final act.
*************************
With this new wave of psychological thrillers being published, there are bound to be a few duds. And with this book, it shows. With an incoherent plotline, infinite number of plot holes, and a truly bizarre final reveal, Still Mine is one of the worst psychological thrillers I’ve read in a long time. It should be chucked to the bottom of a coal mine shaft and never be recovered.
April 5, 2016
A pretty average mystery/thriller, but the ending was quite good, I really hope there are plans to make this into a series.
May 6, 2016
STILL MINE. First of all, the title. When I finished this book, it dawned on me that the title has two different meanings in relation to the story. I was so fixated on one that I almost missed the other.
So, Clare is running from an abusive husband. In a strange turn of events, she ends up in the remote mountain town of Blackmore, hired to find a missing woman named Shayna. The locals don’t buy Clare’s cover story at first, but her troubled past allows her to fit in better than she’d hoped. Maybe too well for her own good.
It was easy to get wrapped up in Shayna’s mysterious disappearance, and also Clare’s turbulent life. The tone throughout the book was dark and ominous, giving it an ever-present edge of suspense. It was hard to tell which characters were trustworthy, including Clare herself. Something at the end made me question her… Reliable? Unreliable? I’m not quite sure. Sequel?
So, Clare is running from an abusive husband. In a strange turn of events, she ends up in the remote mountain town of Blackmore, hired to find a missing woman named Shayna. The locals don’t buy Clare’s cover story at first, but her troubled past allows her to fit in better than she’d hoped. Maybe too well for her own good.
It was easy to get wrapped up in Shayna’s mysterious disappearance, and also Clare’s turbulent life. The tone throughout the book was dark and ominous, giving it an ever-present edge of suspense. It was hard to tell which characters were trustworthy, including Clare herself. Something at the end made me question her… Reliable? Unreliable? I’m not quite sure. Sequel?
June 6, 2023
Still The One
Review of the Simon & Schuster Kindle eBook edition (March 1, 2016) released shortly after the Simon & Schuster paperback (2016*).
I read Amy Stuart's latest novel A Death at the Party (March 7, 2023) as I was especially drawn in by its "Virginia Woolf meets Agatha Christie" advertising. I quite enjoyed that read and rated it 4-stars in my Secrets Lead to Murder review. Encouraged by GR friend Berengaria's 4.5 star review of Stuart's first book Still Mine I went for that as well and was not disappointed.
Still Mine is somewhat deceptive as its set up premise is mysterious. A lone woman named Clare O'Dey shows up in a former coal mining town somewhere in the western mountainous part of North America. Although Stuart is a Canadian writer, the location of the fictitious town of Blackmore is not specified, so Canadian readers can imagine it as being in Canada and American readers can imagine it in the U.S. We soon discover that O'Dey is not her real name and that she is working (perhaps somewhat unwillingly) in partnership with a character named Malcolm, who hovers in the background and only meets with Clare periodically.
Clare is in the town to attempt to locate a woman named Shayna who has been missing for several weeks. There are suspicious characters aplenty in the town ranging from the woman's father who is wrapped up in an escalating land feud with a neighbour, the mother who is suffering from dementia, a local drug dealer, the woman's ex-husband and his present girl friend, the local town doctor, etc.
The solution to the search for Shayna becomes somewhat guessable as information is doled out gradually and some interspersed diary entries appear. The more interesting part of the book for me was the backstory mystery of who is Clare really, why is she working with Malcolm and what is the reason behind how he convinced her to take on this somewhat dangerous work? For a first novel, I thought this was well done and I especially enjoyed its unorthodox approach to an investigation.
Footnote
* For some reason, GR lists this as "First published May 5, 2015." I can't find any trace of such an earlier edition.
Trivia and Links
In an introduction to a listing of her favourite Canadian mystery books or series, Amy Stuart mentions about writing Still Mine: "I picked the mountains as the setting because they felt particularly foreign to me. In my writer’s mind, I imagined my protagonist, Clare O’Dey, driving up the mountain road, its twists and turns a harbinger of what awaited her in the fictional town of Blackmore. While I never situated Blackmore specifically in Canada, many great mystery writers have chosen Canadian locales as the backdrop for their stories." Read the rest of the article at The Strand Magazine April 21, 2016.
Amy Stuart’s Still series was optioned for a television adaptation which was announced in August 2020. See the article at the CBC. As that was in the early months of the COVID pandemic, there haven't been any updates since that time. There is a placeholder at IMDb called the Untitled Cobie Smulders/Amy Stuart Project where you can watch for possible progress. Presumably actor Cobie Smulders (best known as SHIELD Agent Maria Hill in the Marvel movies) would have played the Clare role.
Review of the Simon & Schuster Kindle eBook edition (March 1, 2016) released shortly after the Simon & Schuster paperback (2016*).
It seemed a ridiculous proposition to trust this stranger, but what were her options? Go forward, her mother used to say. Take whatever option moves you forward. Never go back.
I read Amy Stuart's latest novel A Death at the Party (March 7, 2023) as I was especially drawn in by its "Virginia Woolf meets Agatha Christie" advertising. I quite enjoyed that read and rated it 4-stars in my Secrets Lead to Murder review. Encouraged by GR friend Berengaria's 4.5 star review of Stuart's first book Still Mine I went for that as well and was not disappointed.
Still Mine is somewhat deceptive as its set up premise is mysterious. A lone woman named Clare O'Dey shows up in a former coal mining town somewhere in the western mountainous part of North America. Although Stuart is a Canadian writer, the location of the fictitious town of Blackmore is not specified, so Canadian readers can imagine it as being in Canada and American readers can imagine it in the U.S. We soon discover that O'Dey is not her real name and that she is working (perhaps somewhat unwillingly) in partnership with a character named Malcolm, who hovers in the background and only meets with Clare periodically.
Clare is in the town to attempt to locate a woman named Shayna who has been missing for several weeks. There are suspicious characters aplenty in the town ranging from the woman's father who is wrapped up in an escalating land feud with a neighbour, the mother who is suffering from dementia, a local drug dealer, the woman's ex-husband and his present girl friend, the local town doctor, etc.
The solution to the search for Shayna becomes somewhat guessable as information is doled out gradually and some interspersed diary entries appear. The more interesting part of the book for me was the backstory mystery of who is Clare really, why is she working with Malcolm and what is the reason behind how he convinced her to take on this somewhat dangerous work? For a first novel, I thought this was well done and I especially enjoyed its unorthodox approach to an investigation.
Footnote
* For some reason, GR lists this as "First published May 5, 2015." I can't find any trace of such an earlier edition.
Trivia and Links
In an introduction to a listing of her favourite Canadian mystery books or series, Amy Stuart mentions about writing Still Mine: "I picked the mountains as the setting because they felt particularly foreign to me. In my writer’s mind, I imagined my protagonist, Clare O’Dey, driving up the mountain road, its twists and turns a harbinger of what awaited her in the fictional town of Blackmore. While I never situated Blackmore specifically in Canada, many great mystery writers have chosen Canadian locales as the backdrop for their stories." Read the rest of the article at The Strand Magazine April 21, 2016.
Amy Stuart’s Still series was optioned for a television adaptation which was announced in August 2020. See the article at the CBC. As that was in the early months of the COVID pandemic, there haven't been any updates since that time. There is a placeholder at IMDb called the Untitled Cobie Smulders/Amy Stuart Project where you can watch for possible progress. Presumably actor Cobie Smulders (best known as SHIELD Agent Maria Hill in the Marvel movies) would have played the Clare role.
May 25, 2024
What an absolute bore.
Sorry to be harsh, but THIS BOOK SUCKS. I kept waiting for that moment you wait for when reading a book -- when the story clicks, grabs you, the moment you connect with the protagonist, or start to care about their struggle. Never happened.
Sorry to be harsh, but THIS BOOK SUCKS. I kept waiting for that moment you wait for when reading a book -- when the story clicks, grabs you, the moment you connect with the protagonist, or start to care about their struggle. Never happened.
November 12, 2020
Clare O’Dey is a runaway wife. She has taken very little with her, but she has tons of ‘baggage’. still mineClare is running from her abusive husband – and running from herself… On the road in an old, unreliable and unregistered car – she heads west. She takes a temporary job waiting tables in a diner. Where she is ‘found’ by Malcolm Boon.
Malcolm had been hired to find her, but after hearing her story, he agrees to her working for him to find another woman who is missing. She has one week to find Shayna Fowles. A woman with many similarities to Clare. A woman of her age, who resembles her in looks, who has a drug problem.
She is to go to the town where Shayna lived and was last seen. Blackmore, a town aptly named due to the dour atmosphere of a mining town without a mine. An insular mountain town poisoned by the very mine that was its lifeblood. A town as black as the coal it once mined. Five years ago there was a mine explosion which claimed the lives of many of the town’s men. Now the mine is ‘still’. An atmospheric setting – rife with tension, tragedy, and family feuds – the town shares its sense of desperation and hopelessness with the reader.
When Clare arrives in the town she finds that the motel is no longer in business so she rents an Airstream trailer in the woods. As the days pass she finds herself to be drawn into the community. She seems to ‘fit’ in this town that, like her, has a tragic history. Curiously, not only does she resemble Shayna in looks (even Shayna’s mother who is suffering from dementia sometimes mistakes her for her missing daughter); but Charlie Merrit, the local drug dealer (who just happens to be her landlord), reminds her of the abusive husband she left behind… Can she resist temptation?
The reader gets to know a little of the missing Shayna’s story through periodic journal entries scattered throughout the novel. The mystery of Shayna’s fate is eclipsed only by the mystery that is Clare. As she parties around the campfire at the mountain gorge where Shayna was last seen will she discover what happened to Shayna, or, will she put herself in mortal danger?
Still Mine is an engrossing, character-driven psychological thriller. It was a study in how people cope with the unimaginable tragedy that is life - and the accuracy of memory. Also, it examined the idea that one impetuous choice can affect the rest of your life. Clare’s character is mysterious throughout. The reader keeps turning pages to discover little clues to her very damaged past.
I loved how the title fit the novel perfectly with the double meanings of the words ‘still mine’. With an ending that ties up this novel and segues into the next, it is an excellent debut and beginning of a series!
Thanks to Simon and Schuster Canada for providing me with a paperback copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
Malcolm had been hired to find her, but after hearing her story, he agrees to her working for him to find another woman who is missing. She has one week to find Shayna Fowles. A woman with many similarities to Clare. A woman of her age, who resembles her in looks, who has a drug problem.
She is to go to the town where Shayna lived and was last seen. Blackmore, a town aptly named due to the dour atmosphere of a mining town without a mine. An insular mountain town poisoned by the very mine that was its lifeblood. A town as black as the coal it once mined. Five years ago there was a mine explosion which claimed the lives of many of the town’s men. Now the mine is ‘still’. An atmospheric setting – rife with tension, tragedy, and family feuds – the town shares its sense of desperation and hopelessness with the reader.
When Clare arrives in the town she finds that the motel is no longer in business so she rents an Airstream trailer in the woods. As the days pass she finds herself to be drawn into the community. She seems to ‘fit’ in this town that, like her, has a tragic history. Curiously, not only does she resemble Shayna in looks (even Shayna’s mother who is suffering from dementia sometimes mistakes her for her missing daughter); but Charlie Merrit, the local drug dealer (who just happens to be her landlord), reminds her of the abusive husband she left behind… Can she resist temptation?
The reader gets to know a little of the missing Shayna’s story through periodic journal entries scattered throughout the novel. The mystery of Shayna’s fate is eclipsed only by the mystery that is Clare. As she parties around the campfire at the mountain gorge where Shayna was last seen will she discover what happened to Shayna, or, will she put herself in mortal danger?
Still Mine is an engrossing, character-driven psychological thriller. It was a study in how people cope with the unimaginable tragedy that is life - and the accuracy of memory. Also, it examined the idea that one impetuous choice can affect the rest of your life. Clare’s character is mysterious throughout. The reader keeps turning pages to discover little clues to her very damaged past.
I loved how the title fit the novel perfectly with the double meanings of the words ‘still mine’. With an ending that ties up this novel and segues into the next, it is an excellent debut and beginning of a series!
Thanks to Simon and Schuster Canada for providing me with a paperback copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
May 27, 2016
What an absolute snooze-fest this was. No wonder it took me days to read. There is no mystery or suspense to be found here. As for the characters, I couldn't care about any one of them as no one had any redeeming qualities. The whole thing that if Clare does not help Malcolm search for a missing girl, he'll tell her husband, the person she has fled from because of his violent and physical abuse and who hired Malcolm to bring her back home, all of which left a bad taste in my mouth. Knowing that Clare is still recovering from a prescription pill addiction, Malcolm puts her in harm's way by having her hang around the people who knew the missing girl, people that make and distribute prescription drugs. A great premise; however, poor execution. I'd like to tell you to take a pass on this bloody boring novel; however, that decision is yours.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 11, 2016
First off, there is no doubt that Amy Stuart can write. There is some beautiful prose in this. She successfully creates mood and atmosphere. The wordplay title is great. However, nice prose doesn't equal a good story.
This story is about Clare, a woman on the run from her past. For reasons that are slowly revealed, she ends up in the dying backwater town of Blackmore charged with the task of finding a missing woman, Shayna Fowles. It turns out Clare and Shayna have a lot in common.
The town of Blackmore has been shaped by a mine explosion in which several local men were killed and which left families traumatized and grieving and the town in steady decline. There are feuds, survivor guilt, drugs, and alcohol. Following the mantra "When in Rome", Clare 'infiltrates' the community and fits right in. She gets close to Shayna's ex-husband, rents a trailer from the local drug pusher and spends time with Shayna's mother who is suffering from dementia.
The story of the dying town and its inhabitants takes center stage to the mystery of Shayna's disappearance. My favorite passage in the entire book was one of the survivor's re-telling of what happened in the mine on that fateful day. That part was really poignant. Regrettably, the rest of the time I felt rather indifferent towards the characters. I thought Malcolm for whom Clare is "working" had the potential to be a really intriguing character. Unfortunately, we never get to know him. There are one or two hints about his past, but that's it. He was like the invisible man, able to keep an eye on Clare in a town which is supposedly full of very suspicious people.
I was disappointed that there was a lot of build-up and hints at something intense, something secretive, but nothing ever came of it. The biggest mystery turned out to be the revelation who hired Malcolm to find Shayna. The rest of the story was just straightforward, no twists, no thrills.
Once again, I fell for a marketing promise, this one of "The Girl on the Train meets The Silent Wife in this taut psychological thriller" and "in the vein of The Good Girl". Nope. Wasn't taut nor was it a thriller. That's not the author's fault, but it builds an expectation. I like 'does exactly what it says on the tin', when it doesn't, I can't help but feel a bit let down. The comparison to "The Girl on the Train" is valid in as far as the protagonists are struggling with addiction and come across as irresponsible and irrational. I usually like a flawed character, but I didn't feel Clare was all that interesting.
The ending leaves the door wide open for the sequel. So maybe the intention was all along to keep Malcolm and Clare, their backgrounds and characters vague in order to reveal more in the follow-up. But sadly, if I don't feel invested in the characters after 320 pages, I doubt I'll be enthusiastic enough to pick up the next book.
Overall, better plotting and more intricate characterization would have made this more enjoyable for me. But as far as the prose is concerned, this isn't a bad debut novel.
Thanks to Touchstone for providing me with an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This story is about Clare, a woman on the run from her past. For reasons that are slowly revealed, she ends up in the dying backwater town of Blackmore charged with the task of finding a missing woman, Shayna Fowles. It turns out Clare and Shayna have a lot in common.
The town of Blackmore has been shaped by a mine explosion in which several local men were killed and which left families traumatized and grieving and the town in steady decline. There are feuds, survivor guilt, drugs, and alcohol. Following the mantra "When in Rome", Clare 'infiltrates' the community and fits right in. She gets close to Shayna's ex-husband, rents a trailer from the local drug pusher and spends time with Shayna's mother who is suffering from dementia.
The story of the dying town and its inhabitants takes center stage to the mystery of Shayna's disappearance. My favorite passage in the entire book was one of the survivor's re-telling of what happened in the mine on that fateful day. That part was really poignant. Regrettably, the rest of the time I felt rather indifferent towards the characters. I thought Malcolm for whom Clare is "working" had the potential to be a really intriguing character. Unfortunately, we never get to know him. There are one or two hints about his past, but that's it. He was like the invisible man, able to keep an eye on Clare in a town which is supposedly full of very suspicious people.
I was disappointed that there was a lot of build-up and hints at something intense, something secretive, but nothing ever came of it. The biggest mystery turned out to be the revelation who hired Malcolm to find Shayna. The rest of the story was just straightforward, no twists, no thrills.
Once again, I fell for a marketing promise, this one of "The Girl on the Train meets The Silent Wife in this taut psychological thriller" and "in the vein of The Good Girl". Nope. Wasn't taut nor was it a thriller. That's not the author's fault, but it builds an expectation. I like 'does exactly what it says on the tin', when it doesn't, I can't help but feel a bit let down. The comparison to "The Girl on the Train" is valid in as far as the protagonists are struggling with addiction and come across as irresponsible and irrational. I usually like a flawed character, but I didn't feel Clare was all that interesting.
The ending leaves the door wide open for the sequel. So maybe the intention was all along to keep Malcolm and Clare, their backgrounds and characters vague in order to reveal more in the follow-up. But sadly, if I don't feel invested in the characters after 320 pages, I doubt I'll be enthusiastic enough to pick up the next book.
Overall, better plotting and more intricate characterization would have made this more enjoyable for me. But as far as the prose is concerned, this isn't a bad debut novel.
Thanks to Touchstone for providing me with an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 23, 2018
A smashing debut, Canadian Amy Stewart delivers STILL MINE - From drug addiction to spousal abuse, an old mine, hidden painful pasts, and dark secrets. An atmospheric, stark, isolated setting in the rural mountains, a strange tight-knit community, and a ruthless, fictional town of Blackmore.
From regrets, grit, intrigue, and suspense, and a cast of colorful, seedy, and eccentric mysterious characters; readers will be glued to the pages to uncover the mystery of two girls with similar pasts.
A small town is a great place to escape, to become hidden, until everyone knows the details of your life, which can be great until you’re up to no good.
"Blackmore is both strange and utterly familiar to Clare."
Shayna Cunningham Fowles, age 29 addicted. Missing for two weeks. She wanted to be a writer. Her mom says she wrote poetry. Some say she popped some pills and wandered off a cliff, where folks go to party. Some say she was high when she went missing. A junkie. Her family is looking for her, but not her husband.
Clare O’Dey, is running from an abusive husband, Jason. Until six months earlier, Clare had never ventured more than a few hours beyond her hometown. Until she began working for Malcolm Boon. Jason is still a threat. Can she ever truly escape him?
She is driving northwest into the mountains of Blackmore with a population of 2500. Now she has to muster the nerve to introduce herself to strangers. Not her true name. O’Dey means “of a servant”, “of a maid”. She is pretending to be a photographer. Not a cop, investigator, or a reporter.
A blast at Blackmore Coal Mine five years earlier killed thirty-two men and trapped eighteen others underground for over three weeks. There was no happy ending. At the time she recalled the story but people ignored other’s misfortunes. Only concerned of their own problems.
The two women are roughly the same age and the same hair color. There is a sharp resemblance. Do they have more than outward appearances in common? What do their mom's have in common? Husbands?
Mysterious Malcolm Boon hired her to go to Blackmore to see what she can find. He was the answer in order to get her out of town. He is a stranger too. Does she trust him? Is he protective, or manipulative. A good partnership, or bad?
The town does not like strangers turning up with prying unwelcome eyes. One woman in town has gone missing and now another turning up out of nowhere—a stranger in their midst.
From a motel to the diner, she learns of a trailer for rent, Charlie Merritt-the town drug dealer. He lost his family in the mine-father and brothers. His mother swallowed a loaded rifle a week later. He is on a rampage. He is supposedly supplying junkies and kids.
He thinks Wilfred (foreman) killed his family and he needs for him to pay. The trailer is in the middle of the woods, next to the Cunninghams. (Shayna’s family). Bingo, a stroke of luck-a perfect place to learn more.
Clare finds herself in another small town, the dread, the sense of abandon, of nothing to lose. She feels her past bubbling up again. Who knows what sort of people live here, and the impending danger she may face.
These are the type of people here who refuse to leave a dying town. Devoid of hope. The kind who disappear. Her husband might think her dead, or lost, rather than running.
Is Shayna dead? Sometimes people vanish for good reason, leaving an entire life behind to escape just one part of it. Clare can feel Shayna’s story weaving into her thoughts, however, it varies from hers.
As Clare learns more about Shayna and the events in her past that might have contributed to her disappearance, she realizes the harm in not learning from her own mistakes. Clare doesn’t want to fall victim to the same fate.
Shayna’s mother Louise has gone batty-in the early throes of dementia. The family worried about their daughter after she married Jared. He was described as a landscaper, a former miner, a flirt, a man arrested twice for drunk driving. Does he care that his wife was gone? Wilfred Cunningham, a coal mine foreman—the father is still searching.
If Clare is to solve the riddle of the missing girl, she will have to seek out Shayna’s friends and family one by one, an outsider looking for a way in. However, in the process, she may put herself in danger and draw attention to herself. Possibly Shayna had her reasons for leaving-like herself. Maybe she does not want to be found, like Clare. This case will hit close to home.
She knows that Charlie hates Wilfred; Wilfred hates him back; Louise is suffering from dementia or out of her with grief. Doctor Derek, clean cut, and proper; Jared, the ex-husband, and Sara a few friends who might be of use. Which one is capable of murder?
"Is there a core in each of us that can never be changed? Separating the good from the bad."
The ongoing mystery: Who is enigmatic Malcolm, and why did he send Clare to this town to find Shayna? They meet in person only or an encrypted antique phone. He was the unlikeliest of employers directing her from the sidelines. Malcolm held the most intrigue, and how his piece of the puzzle will connect.
Everyone is hiding something!
In the process of searching for Shayna, Clare must confront her own demons as Stuart slowly reveals the truths, lies, traumas, and the demons. What is she running from? Will her past catch up with her? Regrets. Can one decision alter, a life?
STILL MINE is a gripping page-turner, with an atmospheric creepy setting, with a “rural noir” Gothic type feel. The mystery and suspense is slow burning, yet at the same time, it is fast-paced. With twists and turns, there is tension and intensity, and a darkness lurking, making you aware something will soon be revealed.
Readers will “get” the brilliantly crafted "double meaning" by the time they reach the final conclusion – A thought-provoking fitting title and cover!
Stuart’s writing style is excellent, drawing you into the labyrinth of lies, making you question each character, their past, and their motives. The characters are compelling, and the author delves into the depths of pain, grief, blame, complexities, their past, and horror of addictions and abuse.
How does each character approach the present, based on their own past?
This talented Canadian author will be assured to set the thriller "rural noir" psychological suspense genre on fire. The ending is left, so as possibly a sequel. I for one, am hoping for a continuation of Malcolm, Clare, Jason. There is still much more to explore! Can’t wait for the next adventure.
An excellent choice an ideal pick for book clubs! The author includes a very detailed reading group guide and some great discussion questions. There is much depth here beyond the surface if you look closer and analyze the similarities you will find an array of hidden meanings and metaphors. An author to follow!
Do we have another up and coming "Linwood Barclay" on the horizon? Hope so, one of my favorites!
A special thank you to Edelweiss and Touchstone for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 4.5 Stars
JDCMustReadBooks
* * * * *
On a personal note: Even though I read the book months ago, was called home the end of July, due to my mom’s illness- to her demise, funeral, and estate logistics. Thanks to my GR pals for your many condolences. Will be flying home to Florida the first of Sept. My Aug. reading and reviews were put on hold this month; so playing a bit of catch up. Looking forward to diving back in.
From regrets, grit, intrigue, and suspense, and a cast of colorful, seedy, and eccentric mysterious characters; readers will be glued to the pages to uncover the mystery of two girls with similar pasts.
A small town is a great place to escape, to become hidden, until everyone knows the details of your life, which can be great until you’re up to no good.
"Blackmore is both strange and utterly familiar to Clare."
Shayna Cunningham Fowles, age 29 addicted. Missing for two weeks. She wanted to be a writer. Her mom says she wrote poetry. Some say she popped some pills and wandered off a cliff, where folks go to party. Some say she was high when she went missing. A junkie. Her family is looking for her, but not her husband.
Clare O’Dey, is running from an abusive husband, Jason. Until six months earlier, Clare had never ventured more than a few hours beyond her hometown. Until she began working for Malcolm Boon. Jason is still a threat. Can she ever truly escape him?
She is driving northwest into the mountains of Blackmore with a population of 2500. Now she has to muster the nerve to introduce herself to strangers. Not her true name. O’Dey means “of a servant”, “of a maid”. She is pretending to be a photographer. Not a cop, investigator, or a reporter.
A blast at Blackmore Coal Mine five years earlier killed thirty-two men and trapped eighteen others underground for over three weeks. There was no happy ending. At the time she recalled the story but people ignored other’s misfortunes. Only concerned of their own problems.
The two women are roughly the same age and the same hair color. There is a sharp resemblance. Do they have more than outward appearances in common? What do their mom's have in common? Husbands?
Mysterious Malcolm Boon hired her to go to Blackmore to see what she can find. He was the answer in order to get her out of town. He is a stranger too. Does she trust him? Is he protective, or manipulative. A good partnership, or bad?
The town does not like strangers turning up with prying unwelcome eyes. One woman in town has gone missing and now another turning up out of nowhere—a stranger in their midst.
From a motel to the diner, she learns of a trailer for rent, Charlie Merritt-the town drug dealer. He lost his family in the mine-father and brothers. His mother swallowed a loaded rifle a week later. He is on a rampage. He is supposedly supplying junkies and kids.
He thinks Wilfred (foreman) killed his family and he needs for him to pay. The trailer is in the middle of the woods, next to the Cunninghams. (Shayna’s family). Bingo, a stroke of luck-a perfect place to learn more.
Clare finds herself in another small town, the dread, the sense of abandon, of nothing to lose. She feels her past bubbling up again. Who knows what sort of people live here, and the impending danger she may face.
These are the type of people here who refuse to leave a dying town. Devoid of hope. The kind who disappear. Her husband might think her dead, or lost, rather than running.
Is Shayna dead? Sometimes people vanish for good reason, leaving an entire life behind to escape just one part of it. Clare can feel Shayna’s story weaving into her thoughts, however, it varies from hers.
As Clare learns more about Shayna and the events in her past that might have contributed to her disappearance, she realizes the harm in not learning from her own mistakes. Clare doesn’t want to fall victim to the same fate.
Shayna’s mother Louise has gone batty-in the early throes of dementia. The family worried about their daughter after she married Jared. He was described as a landscaper, a former miner, a flirt, a man arrested twice for drunk driving. Does he care that his wife was gone? Wilfred Cunningham, a coal mine foreman—the father is still searching.
If Clare is to solve the riddle of the missing girl, she will have to seek out Shayna’s friends and family one by one, an outsider looking for a way in. However, in the process, she may put herself in danger and draw attention to herself. Possibly Shayna had her reasons for leaving-like herself. Maybe she does not want to be found, like Clare. This case will hit close to home.
She knows that Charlie hates Wilfred; Wilfred hates him back; Louise is suffering from dementia or out of her with grief. Doctor Derek, clean cut, and proper; Jared, the ex-husband, and Sara a few friends who might be of use. Which one is capable of murder?
"Is there a core in each of us that can never be changed? Separating the good from the bad."
The ongoing mystery: Who is enigmatic Malcolm, and why did he send Clare to this town to find Shayna? They meet in person only or an encrypted antique phone. He was the unlikeliest of employers directing her from the sidelines. Malcolm held the most intrigue, and how his piece of the puzzle will connect.
Everyone is hiding something!
In the process of searching for Shayna, Clare must confront her own demons as Stuart slowly reveals the truths, lies, traumas, and the demons. What is she running from? Will her past catch up with her? Regrets. Can one decision alter, a life?
STILL MINE is a gripping page-turner, with an atmospheric creepy setting, with a “rural noir” Gothic type feel. The mystery and suspense is slow burning, yet at the same time, it is fast-paced. With twists and turns, there is tension and intensity, and a darkness lurking, making you aware something will soon be revealed.
Readers will “get” the brilliantly crafted "double meaning" by the time they reach the final conclusion – A thought-provoking fitting title and cover!
Stuart’s writing style is excellent, drawing you into the labyrinth of lies, making you question each character, their past, and their motives. The characters are compelling, and the author delves into the depths of pain, grief, blame, complexities, their past, and horror of addictions and abuse.
How does each character approach the present, based on their own past?
This talented Canadian author will be assured to set the thriller "rural noir" psychological suspense genre on fire. The ending is left, so as possibly a sequel. I for one, am hoping for a continuation of Malcolm, Clare, Jason. There is still much more to explore! Can’t wait for the next adventure.
An excellent choice an ideal pick for book clubs! The author includes a very detailed reading group guide and some great discussion questions. There is much depth here beyond the surface if you look closer and analyze the similarities you will find an array of hidden meanings and metaphors. An author to follow!
Do we have another up and coming "Linwood Barclay" on the horizon? Hope so, one of my favorites!
A special thank you to Edelweiss and Touchstone for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 4.5 Stars
JDCMustReadBooks
* * * * *
On a personal note: Even though I read the book months ago, was called home the end of July, due to my mom’s illness- to her demise, funeral, and estate logistics. Thanks to my GR pals for your many condolences. Will be flying home to Florida the first of Sept. My Aug. reading and reviews were put on hold this month; so playing a bit of catch up. Looking forward to diving back in.
August 12, 2016
I found this book extremely disappointing and expected so much better.
The initial plot had a lot of potential and could have been developed so much better. I get what other viewers said about being bored.
Clare has disappeared from her abusive husband and has been on the run for months not knowing that her husband Jason has hired someone to find her. And when he does find her, instead of letting Jason know he hires her to find another missing woman he was hired to find in exchange for not telling Jason where she is? Really?
May I never end up in Blackmore where the most unlikable people live. I couldn't feel much for any of the characters, except maybe Clare for about three minutes when knowing her abusive but I didn't like her much. And you disappear, change your name but not your first name? Clare isn't that common a name.
I really wanted to like this book. I loved the cover, that's what first drew me and the synopsis was also intriguing but I found this book to be all over the place and the ending just didn't work for me.
The initial plot had a lot of potential and could have been developed so much better. I get what other viewers said about being bored.
Clare has disappeared from her abusive husband and has been on the run for months not knowing that her husband Jason has hired someone to find her. And when he does find her, instead of letting Jason know he hires her to find another missing woman he was hired to find in exchange for not telling Jason where she is? Really?
May I never end up in Blackmore where the most unlikable people live. I couldn't feel much for any of the characters, except maybe Clare for about three minutes when knowing her abusive but I didn't like her much. And you disappear, change your name but not your first name? Clare isn't that common a name.
I really wanted to like this book. I loved the cover, that's what first drew me and the synopsis was also intriguing but I found this book to be all over the place and the ending just didn't work for me.
July 9, 2016
As soon as I started Still Mine, the creepy feeling hit me.
Claire is stopping by a small town to try to figure out what happened to Shayna Fowles. Shayna has disappeared and no one knows what happened to her. She was a junkie and now she is gone. Did the ex-husband kill her? Or did she leave town on her own. After all, Claire knows something about running away.
Claire left her abusive husband months ago and she has been on the run ever since. She's still afraid he can find her. Taking a job for a mysterious man by the name of Malcolm is a welcome change.
However, Claire has a problem...she has been a junkie herself and in this town if you are not part of the drugs, you aren't welcome to stay.. Posing as a photographer is not enough..Will Claire become an addict again? Or is she going to be able to resist. And of course, is she going to be able to find out the truth about the missing woman?
There are so many things I like about this book. Like I said the creepy feeling was there. The race to find out what really happened to the missing woman. I wanted Claire to survive this town and move on but at the same time I really liked Jared.
Sadly, there are some things I felt were not answered or followed through with. Was Malcolm a bad guy? What happened to the people left in town? Is Claire's husband going to catch her?
In the end, I'm not sure I was happy with the way things turn out. The last chapter left me wanting for more.
Cliffhanger: No
3/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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April 11, 2016
Did I miss something? I think this is the worst book I ever read. There was no mystery and in the end nothing mattered and you could care less about the characters. Just.... Nothing, this book had nothing!
September 5, 2016
Thanks to Touchstone books for this copy!
Kind of a dark, mysterious, psychological thriller that keeps you asking where it's going til the end.
Kind of a dark, mysterious, psychological thriller that keeps you asking where it's going til the end.
March 4, 2016
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Actual Rating: 3.5*
Trigger Warning in this one for drug use, abuse, and suicide mentions
This one was good, but it had some problems, in my opinion. I think because it focused so much on Clare and her problems and story more than Shayna and finding her that it took away from the mystery surrounding Shayna's disappearance. As well, the summary makes it seem as though Clare and Shayna have some sort of shared past, but this is not the case. I think it lacked something on the suspense side as well. It was clear to me from about 25% what had happened to Shayna and everything in the story after that just added to my assumptions until they were proved to be correct.
I think part of the problem for me was the "journal" entries at the end of each day. They made the story pretty obvious and predictable in my opinion. I think it would have been more suspenseful to leave that portion out because then the reader wouldn't have any assumptions about Shayna and her whereabouts other than what was in the story itself. Because of this, it has no rereadability for me.
The highlight for me was Clare and her story. I really enjoyed getting to know Clare and her past. I think her running was something that I really resonated with and I liked that she got to know herself as she got to know the story behind Shayna. Clare was complex and had her own issues but never really shied away from that. I liked that she was a bit self-destructive because when we are backed up against a wall, we are all self-destructive in a way. As well, I liked the portrayal of her relationship with her ex in this. I think it was realistic and served as a bit of a warning to others but also demonstrated that sometimes it doesn't matter what other people say or think, you will just do what you have to in order to survive.
I would like to get to know Malcolm more though. We got brief glimpses to him and his story, but I think he has an interesting character and past and I would like to know all of it. Or at least as much as he is willing to show. I would really like Malcolm and Clare to continue in another story going around finding women who don't want to be found and hiding them even further underground. That is a story I could get behind.
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Actual Rating: 3.5*
Trigger Warning in this one for drug use, abuse, and suicide mentions
This one was good, but it had some problems, in my opinion. I think because it focused so much on Clare and her problems and story more than Shayna and finding her that it took away from the mystery surrounding Shayna's disappearance. As well, the summary makes it seem as though Clare and Shayna have some sort of shared past, but this is not the case. I think it lacked something on the suspense side as well. It was clear to me from about 25% what had happened to Shayna and everything in the story after that just added to my assumptions until they were proved to be correct.
I think part of the problem for me was the "journal" entries at the end of each day. They made the story pretty obvious and predictable in my opinion. I think it would have been more suspenseful to leave that portion out because then the reader wouldn't have any assumptions about Shayna and her whereabouts other than what was in the story itself. Because of this, it has no rereadability for me.
The highlight for me was Clare and her story. I really enjoyed getting to know Clare and her past. I think her running was something that I really resonated with and I liked that she got to know herself as she got to know the story behind Shayna. Clare was complex and had her own issues but never really shied away from that. I liked that she was a bit self-destructive because when we are backed up against a wall, we are all self-destructive in a way. As well, I liked the portrayal of her relationship with her ex in this. I think it was realistic and served as a bit of a warning to others but also demonstrated that sometimes it doesn't matter what other people say or think, you will just do what you have to in order to survive.
I would like to get to know Malcolm more though. We got brief glimpses to him and his story, but I think he has an interesting character and past and I would like to know all of it. Or at least as much as he is willing to show. I would really like Malcolm and Clare to continue in another story going around finding women who don't want to be found and hiding them even further underground. That is a story I could get behind.
Books and Ladders | Queen of the Bookshelves | Books Are My Fandom | Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin'
June 1, 2016
What a lame ending.
That's pretty much all I have to say for this one. The book was mediocre, the point of view distracting, the situations bizarre and unlikely. It did somehow manage to get me turning the pages, curious to see how it would all end, but then... it ended. Honestly, my heart was racing for the last few pages. Something was going to happen! Something dramatic! I could feel it! It would make up for all the unanswered questions, the random hints that lead to nothing, the bizarre plot and characters. But.... Nope. It was just as lacklustre as the rest of the book. Seriously, what was anyone's motivation in this book? Was Clare lying about everything? What did I just read? Why did I read it? Why? Why.
That's pretty much all I have to say for this one. The book was mediocre, the point of view distracting, the situations bizarre and unlikely. It did somehow manage to get me turning the pages, curious to see how it would all end, but then... it ended. Honestly, my heart was racing for the last few pages. Something was going to happen! Something dramatic! I could feel it! It would make up for all the unanswered questions, the random hints that lead to nothing, the bizarre plot and characters. But.... Nope. It was just as lacklustre as the rest of the book. Seriously, what was anyone's motivation in this book? Was Clare lying about everything? What did I just read? Why did I read it? Why? Why.
April 29, 2016
I kept reading thinking that it must get better because it has had so many good reviews. I was disappointed right to the end.
February 23, 2021
This was rather disappointing read. The story didn't grab my attention and it was never thrilling or nail biting suspense. Will probably not continue on with the series.
January 30, 2016
'Sometimes I dream of my escape.' What a fantastic first line of a novel.
Still Mine is full of suspense, building slowly over eight days, coming to an action-packed climax. I was hooked immediately by the mystery of the missing girl in Blackmore, and why Clare, the female protagonist was there searching for her, when she was running and hiding from her own dark, scary past. The story is full of unique small-town characters, each one telling lies, concealing secrets of their own, willing to go to extreme measures to keep them hidden. Drama runs throughout the story with a colossal feud between two mountaineer families, along with their kinfolk and townspeople, which engage in a hateful battle of blame and responsibility. Clare struggles with more than just fear of her husband finding her, she has some inner demons that keep trying to force their way out and steer her down a different path, than the one she originally sets out to follow. Clare is hiding more than she is willing to share with any of her new friends, including Malcolm. I had so many questions; I couldn't help but keep turning the pages, faster and faster. I needed answers.
Not since Karin Slaughter's Pretty Girls, have I been so intrigued by reading a chilling psychological thriller full of dangerous secrets and strange family dynamics. I'm eager to get my hands on the sequel to this debut novel and I'm dying to know more about the behind the scenes puppeteer, Malcolm Boon. I'm guessing he has reasons for everything he does. Overall, Still Mine was full of fantastic characters and multiple puzzles for my intriguing mind to solve. Loved, loved, loved it!
My Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
(because I love reading psychological thrillers that have kickass women protagonists, books that make me constantly question each and every character in the story and wonder why they are doing what they are doing, and books that make me constantly think about all the possible scenarios of the perfect twisted ending).
Still Mine is full of suspense, building slowly over eight days, coming to an action-packed climax. I was hooked immediately by the mystery of the missing girl in Blackmore, and why Clare, the female protagonist was there searching for her, when she was running and hiding from her own dark, scary past. The story is full of unique small-town characters, each one telling lies, concealing secrets of their own, willing to go to extreme measures to keep them hidden. Drama runs throughout the story with a colossal feud between two mountaineer families, along with their kinfolk and townspeople, which engage in a hateful battle of blame and responsibility. Clare struggles with more than just fear of her husband finding her, she has some inner demons that keep trying to force their way out and steer her down a different path, than the one she originally sets out to follow. Clare is hiding more than she is willing to share with any of her new friends, including Malcolm. I had so many questions; I couldn't help but keep turning the pages, faster and faster. I needed answers.
Not since Karin Slaughter's Pretty Girls, have I been so intrigued by reading a chilling psychological thriller full of dangerous secrets and strange family dynamics. I'm eager to get my hands on the sequel to this debut novel and I'm dying to know more about the behind the scenes puppeteer, Malcolm Boon. I'm guessing he has reasons for everything he does. Overall, Still Mine was full of fantastic characters and multiple puzzles for my intriguing mind to solve. Loved, loved, loved it!
My Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
(because I love reading psychological thrillers that have kickass women protagonists, books that make me constantly question each and every character in the story and wonder why they are doing what they are doing, and books that make me constantly think about all the possible scenarios of the perfect twisted ending).
October 23, 2016
If you want an American backdrop that is otherworldly, and quite separate from what most folks think of when they think of America, you can't do much better than Alaska. It's about as close to Narnia as you're going to get with its terrain that's as perilous as it is pretty.
The protagonist, Clare, arrives in the remote town of Blackmore posing as a photographer and asking questions about a young missing woman named Shayna. Blackmore's residents seem content to chalk up the disappearance to drug abuse, as well as to give Clare the cold shoulder because she gives off the vibe that she's hiding something herself. Which she is, and not just the photographer alias. She has a past of her own that she's running from, which gradually reveals itself through the course of the novel.
With Clare constantly having to look over her shoulder because of both what's she running from and what she's searching for, the tension in the novel plays out really well. In fact, the real meat of the story doesn't come so much from the main plot of finding out what happened to Shayna, but pulling back the layers of deception used by Clare. It's her story and her ordeal that quickly become the driving force for the book. Without it, this would wind up little more than a by-the-numbers crime thriller. Not to say it wouldn't be a decent read; it'd just be a bit well worn.
As far as characters goes, Clare is the star and the standout. There are some glimmers from the doctor and a couple others, but the townsfolk take a while to develop and break out from the kind of stock introductions. The setting, as I mentioned before, is brilliant and lends itself to much to the story. And when it comes to the pacing, it is about as good as you could want from a story like this. You're submerged slowly, can't really see past the murky surface as you're lowered in, and then once you're all the in that pull strengthens through the final chapters and the perilousness of the situation takes over.
It's a solid debut novel from an author who shows a great deal of promise and knows how to leave a reader wanting more, because there is a sequel in the works and Clare is certainly a character that deserves to have more of her story told.
The protagonist, Clare, arrives in the remote town of Blackmore posing as a photographer and asking questions about a young missing woman named Shayna. Blackmore's residents seem content to chalk up the disappearance to drug abuse, as well as to give Clare the cold shoulder because she gives off the vibe that she's hiding something herself. Which she is, and not just the photographer alias. She has a past of her own that she's running from, which gradually reveals itself through the course of the novel.
With Clare constantly having to look over her shoulder because of both what's she running from and what she's searching for, the tension in the novel plays out really well. In fact, the real meat of the story doesn't come so much from the main plot of finding out what happened to Shayna, but pulling back the layers of deception used by Clare. It's her story and her ordeal that quickly become the driving force for the book. Without it, this would wind up little more than a by-the-numbers crime thriller. Not to say it wouldn't be a decent read; it'd just be a bit well worn.
As far as characters goes, Clare is the star and the standout. There are some glimmers from the doctor and a couple others, but the townsfolk take a while to develop and break out from the kind of stock introductions. The setting, as I mentioned before, is brilliant and lends itself to much to the story. And when it comes to the pacing, it is about as good as you could want from a story like this. You're submerged slowly, can't really see past the murky surface as you're lowered in, and then once you're all the in that pull strengthens through the final chapters and the perilousness of the situation takes over.
It's a solid debut novel from an author who shows a great deal of promise and knows how to leave a reader wanting more, because there is a sequel in the works and Clare is certainly a character that deserves to have more of her story told.
July 3, 2016
Two words: So. Creepy.
I can't understand how some people called this novel boring. I couldn't put it down.
It's an incredibly emotional novel not only because of the main character, Clare, but because of the supporting cast of small town misfits who are all connected by a single tragedy.
Clare is on the run, primarily from an abusive husband, but also (maybe) a checkered past. She accepts an assignment to investigate the disappearance of another young woman, Shayna. Shayna lived in Blackmore, a mountainous coal town, now dying after an accident killed 32 people and closed the mine.
I don't want to say too much to give it away but Shayna's old life immediately draws Clare in, weaving and blurring the line between reality and fantasy. I liked that you were never sure what was reality and what was troubled delusions. That's the kind of atmosphere that is apparent in this novel. The characters are all troubled, many in incredibly tragic ways. (The story of what happened in the mine almost moved me to tears). That dark atmosphere sets this novel ablaze with intrigue and suspense.
The novel is left open ended in some ways, I guess so the author can create a series. If that is the case, I will definitely be picking up the next one. Hopefully, she can create something as good as this novel; it will take some work but with the right setting I think the magic can happen again.
I'm hoping if there is a next edition that the author expands on Malcolm that was the only part of the novel that felt incomplete - I was wanting to know more about his motivations.
I can't understand how some people called this novel boring. I couldn't put it down.
It's an incredibly emotional novel not only because of the main character, Clare, but because of the supporting cast of small town misfits who are all connected by a single tragedy.
Clare is on the run, primarily from an abusive husband, but also (maybe) a checkered past. She accepts an assignment to investigate the disappearance of another young woman, Shayna. Shayna lived in Blackmore, a mountainous coal town, now dying after an accident killed 32 people and closed the mine.
I don't want to say too much to give it away but Shayna's old life immediately draws Clare in, weaving and blurring the line between reality and fantasy. I liked that you were never sure what was reality and what was troubled delusions. That's the kind of atmosphere that is apparent in this novel. The characters are all troubled, many in incredibly tragic ways. (The story of what happened in the mine almost moved me to tears). That dark atmosphere sets this novel ablaze with intrigue and suspense.
The novel is left open ended in some ways, I guess so the author can create a series. If that is the case, I will definitely be picking up the next one. Hopefully, she can create something as good as this novel; it will take some work but with the right setting I think the magic can happen again.
I'm hoping if there is a next edition that the author expands on Malcolm that was the only part of the novel that felt incomplete - I was wanting to know more about his motivations.
September 6, 2016
Amy Stuart is a new to me author, whose debut novel is Still Mine. I enjoyed many aspects of this book; however, I feel like it fell short.
This book has been compared to The Girl on the Train. Now, I haven't read that book, but I did hear that The Girl on the Train is compared to Gone Girl. I read Gone Girl and was extremely satisfied, even with the huge 'WTF' ending. I'm thinking The Girl on the Train is basically the same, in terms of the ending. But Still Mine is not. There is no way I would compare Still Mine to Gone Girl - I do have to admit I pretty much saw the ending of Still Mine coming from a mile away.
While I did have no idea where the plot was leading, I just didn't feel the thriller aspect of Still Mine. It definitely as a certain mystery to it, but I feel like labeling it with the term 'thriller' is stretching it a bit.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the plot (and I loved the writing style). It just fell short. It just didn't do it for me. I really wish it did. Oh how I wish I felt differently. I was hooked; yet it was not a 'hook, line, and sinker' type of book.
On a better note, I loved Clare. I sympathized with her. She is a strong woman, I will give her that. But I think if you're going to disappear, change more than your last name. Just saying.
*I received a copy from Touchstone (Simon & Schuster) in exchange for my honest review.
This book has been compared to The Girl on the Train. Now, I haven't read that book, but I did hear that The Girl on the Train is compared to Gone Girl. I read Gone Girl and was extremely satisfied, even with the huge 'WTF' ending. I'm thinking The Girl on the Train is basically the same, in terms of the ending. But Still Mine is not. There is no way I would compare Still Mine to Gone Girl - I do have to admit I pretty much saw the ending of Still Mine coming from a mile away.
While I did have no idea where the plot was leading, I just didn't feel the thriller aspect of Still Mine. It definitely as a certain mystery to it, but I feel like labeling it with the term 'thriller' is stretching it a bit.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the plot (and I loved the writing style). It just fell short. It just didn't do it for me. I really wish it did. Oh how I wish I felt differently. I was hooked; yet it was not a 'hook, line, and sinker' type of book.
On a better note, I loved Clare. I sympathized with her. She is a strong woman, I will give her that. But I think if you're going to disappear, change more than your last name. Just saying.
*I received a copy from Touchstone (Simon & Schuster) in exchange for my honest review.
June 8, 2018
I found Still Mine to be a bit slow at times, and it took me some time to get into it, but I have to say I ended up enjoying it. As I kept reading I found myself so curious about Clare’s story, the history behind Blackmore, and what happened to Shayna! I liked how Clare’s experiences in Blackmore and her investigation into Shayna’s disappearance helped reveal bits and pieces about Clare’s past and what brought her to Blackmore in the first place. I’m giving this book a high 3 stars. I’m not giving it a 4 purely because some parts of it were a bit slow/ boring for my liking. Otherwise I liked the story and how it all connected in the end.
The last comment I have about this book is that I totally wanted Malcom and Clare to end up together. I know, it’s so random, but I was just getting these vibes between them.
The last comment I have about this book is that I totally wanted Malcom and Clare to end up together. I know, it’s so random, but I was just getting these vibes between them.
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