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Stillwater
Perfect for fans of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and Sharp Objects, this gripping psychological thriller dives deep into the secrets of a quiet town—and a boy willing to uncover them at any cost.
"This was exactly the kind of psychological thriller I love—a slow burn that still managed to keep me hooked all the way through."
CherAnn Wright, Author "Where Secrets Stay"
In the isolated mountain town of Stillwater, a series of tragic deaths begins to form a disturbing pattern that Sheriff Martin Cain can't ignore. Sixteen-year-old Carter Thompson, a want-to-be detective with a brilliant mind and meticulous attention to detail, is eager to prove himself and be the hero that helps solve the crimes. The sheriff’s daughter Mary wants to rekindle her childhood friendship with Carter, but she is unaware of the darkness that has all but consumed him since the tragic death of his parents, and the lengths Carter will go to be seen.
Against a backdrop of small-town secrets and complex relationships, a deadly game of cat and mouse unfolds that will test the bonds of friendship, family, and trust—proving that despite Stillwater's deceptively calm surface, the most dangerous currents run deep.
An "on the edge" suspenseful thriller that will leave you guessing until the end!
"This was exactly the kind of psychological thriller I love—a slow burn that still managed to keep me hooked all the way through."
CherAnn Wright, Author "Where Secrets Stay"
In the isolated mountain town of Stillwater, a series of tragic deaths begins to form a disturbing pattern that Sheriff Martin Cain can't ignore. Sixteen-year-old Carter Thompson, a want-to-be detective with a brilliant mind and meticulous attention to detail, is eager to prove himself and be the hero that helps solve the crimes. The sheriff’s daughter Mary wants to rekindle her childhood friendship with Carter, but she is unaware of the darkness that has all but consumed him since the tragic death of his parents, and the lengths Carter will go to be seen.
Against a backdrop of small-town secrets and complex relationships, a deadly game of cat and mouse unfolds that will test the bonds of friendship, family, and trust—proving that despite Stillwater's deceptively calm surface, the most dangerous currents run deep.
An "on the edge" suspenseful thriller that will leave you guessing until the end!
340 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 1, 2025
1 person is currently reading
11 people want to read
About the author
John Parenteau
3 books5 followersJohn has been an entertainment professional for most of his career, with a passion for storytelling and filmmaking that has kept him busy in Hollywood since 1983. John has worked in nearly every aspect of film, from visual effects and cinematography to directing and producing. He has also written a number of feature length screenplays in a variety of genres.
With a desire to keep his un-produced work alive, John recently began converting his scripts to novels, with “Stillwater” being his first completed effort. John also loves writing about auto racing (“Zero to Apex”) and filmmaking (his forthcoming “Breaking In”).
With a desire to keep his un-produced work alive, John recently began converting his scripts to novels, with “Stillwater” being his first completed effort. John also loves writing about auto racing (“Zero to Apex”) and filmmaking (his forthcoming “Breaking In”).
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 10, 2025
A fantastic, fast-paced and gritty thriller that will keep you completely glued its pages. "Stillwater" is a brilliantly invigorating suspenseful page-tuner that explores dark and cold secrets and intricate complexities of psychological depths of trust and manipulation.
Stillwater, a small- town with calm mountains and serene community is soon overturned by a series of crimes with precision of a calculative mastermind. Sheriff Martin Cain and his deputy sheriff along with their team members try to catch culprit. Despite every effort, the person responsible for these crimes is always one step ahead of them. Sixteen year old Carter is although still grief- sticken over the tragic death of his parents, he still takes care of his grandmother and his ambition of becoming a detective is ever so strong. He is different, he notices patterns amd and evidence that are generally dismissed. There was once a time when the Sheriff's daughter, Mary was his best friend however they drifted apart and now after all these years, Mary wants to rekindle her friendship with him.
But things have changed. Drastically. A darkness has crept in and Carter is not the same anymore. Every story has two sides and Stillwater will be in absolute chaos once the criminal mastermind is revealed.
This book is perfect example of "if you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back at you." I completely this book in single day because it was honest so difficult to put down. A page-tuner right from that start till the end. The story has unpredictabilities and jaw-dropping twists that you won't see coming. Each character were significant in the narration and I felt absolutely immersed in their lives. An addictive game of cat and mouse chase with sharp edged spiralling of insanity and darkness.
This book is a must read and it will definitely satisfy the readers of this particular genre.
Stillwater, a small- town with calm mountains and serene community is soon overturned by a series of crimes with precision of a calculative mastermind. Sheriff Martin Cain and his deputy sheriff along with their team members try to catch culprit. Despite every effort, the person responsible for these crimes is always one step ahead of them. Sixteen year old Carter is although still grief- sticken over the tragic death of his parents, he still takes care of his grandmother and his ambition of becoming a detective is ever so strong. He is different, he notices patterns amd and evidence that are generally dismissed. There was once a time when the Sheriff's daughter, Mary was his best friend however they drifted apart and now after all these years, Mary wants to rekindle her friendship with him.
But things have changed. Drastically. A darkness has crept in and Carter is not the same anymore. Every story has two sides and Stillwater will be in absolute chaos once the criminal mastermind is revealed.
This book is perfect example of "if you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back at you." I completely this book in single day because it was honest so difficult to put down. A page-tuner right from that start till the end. The story has unpredictabilities and jaw-dropping twists that you won't see coming. Each character were significant in the narration and I felt absolutely immersed in their lives. An addictive game of cat and mouse chase with sharp edged spiralling of insanity and darkness.
This book is a must read and it will definitely satisfy the readers of this particular genre.
September 24, 2025
This novel floats downstream to a good start but the last chapters make it a waterlogged mess. Stillwater is a murder mystery with enough small town intrigue and clues provided throughout to keep the reader interested about characters like Sam the new deputy of the Sheriff’s Department with a forbidden love interest, Mary the rebellious teen daughter of Sheriff Cain and childhood friend of her neighbor Carter, a loner who likes to solve crimes.
** Spoilers **
The story falls apart when the killer is discovered - the characters act in unbelievable and really stupid ways.
Mary finds Carter’s journal detailing the murders then voluntarily and without a weapon, drives him to a solitary cabin in the woods, a location where everyone knows phones do not have service. She has plenty of opportunity to run away when she follows him while they walk through the forest but seems unable to.
They arrive at the top of a waterfall followed by Sheriff Cain who doesn’t have backup and gets himself shot with his own gun.
Sam, though suffering a terrible leg injury, with enough blood loss that caused him to pass out in a previous chapter, somehow manages to stagger to their location and fight Carter at the top of the waterfall. The author may have been trying to evoke the fight between Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty or even Frodo and Gollum but I couldn’t help thinking also of Yukon Cornelius and the Bumble. They both fall to their deaths but Carter’s body remains unrecovered so, possible sequel there.
I wasn’t surprised when I read in the ‘About the Author’ section to find that the story is based on one of his unsold screenplays. The novel’s final chapters end with the clichés of a girl in need of saving and a black character who, by the end, becomes the ‘magical negro’.
** Spoilers **
The story falls apart when the killer is discovered - the characters act in unbelievable and really stupid ways.
Mary finds Carter’s journal detailing the murders then voluntarily and without a weapon, drives him to a solitary cabin in the woods, a location where everyone knows phones do not have service. She has plenty of opportunity to run away when she follows him while they walk through the forest but seems unable to.
They arrive at the top of a waterfall followed by Sheriff Cain who doesn’t have backup and gets himself shot with his own gun.
Sam, though suffering a terrible leg injury, with enough blood loss that caused him to pass out in a previous chapter, somehow manages to stagger to their location and fight Carter at the top of the waterfall. The author may have been trying to evoke the fight between Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty or even Frodo and Gollum but I couldn’t help thinking also of Yukon Cornelius and the Bumble. They both fall to their deaths but Carter’s body remains unrecovered so, possible sequel there.
I wasn’t surprised when I read in the ‘About the Author’ section to find that the story is based on one of his unsold screenplays. The novel’s final chapters end with the clichés of a girl in need of saving and a black character who, by the end, becomes the ‘magical negro’.
November 1, 2025
Solid 3.5
I did enjoy this book, but the ending felt a little... lackluster? It didn't really tie everything together for me. I was left wondering about a few things, but I think that was the author's intent, to be fair to him. For me, that's just a little off-putting since I want to know want happened. It's nothing against the writing, it's actually a good thing. It just left me frustrated, not knowing the answer it.
The twists and turns in the book are good, solid ones. The read is very enjoyable, though I couldn't really connect to any of the characters. They were all likable and enjoyable, however. They weren't ones that got on your nerves or felt lifeless. They were solid characters.
The start was a little slow, but when things picked up, it was a good pace. I enjoyed the read, there was just something missing there to prevent me from rating it a full 4 stars. I can't quite put my finger on what exactly it was, though. I wish I could! I would certainly recommend this to readers that like mystery books, ones who like trying to figure out who did it as you read along. I was trying to figure it out as I read along, I always do!
I did enjoy this book, but the ending felt a little... lackluster? It didn't really tie everything together for me. I was left wondering about a few things, but I think that was the author's intent, to be fair to him. For me, that's just a little off-putting since I want to know want happened. It's nothing against the writing, it's actually a good thing. It just left me frustrated, not knowing the answer it.
The twists and turns in the book are good, solid ones. The read is very enjoyable, though I couldn't really connect to any of the characters. They were all likable and enjoyable, however. They weren't ones that got on your nerves or felt lifeless. They were solid characters.
The start was a little slow, but when things picked up, it was a good pace. I enjoyed the read, there was just something missing there to prevent me from rating it a full 4 stars. I can't quite put my finger on what exactly it was, though. I wish I could! I would certainly recommend this to readers that like mystery books, ones who like trying to figure out who did it as you read along. I was trying to figure it out as I read along, I always do!
September 12, 2025
This one took me a little while to get into. The beginning is a little slow, but once things started happening, I found myself totally hooked. The tension builds gradually, and before I knew it, I was fully caught up in the mystery and trying to piece things together right alongside Carter.
About halfway through, I did feel like there was a bit of a dead giveaway that made it easier to figure out where the story was heading, which took away a bit of the fun for me. But even knowing (or thinking I knew) what was coming, I still enjoyed the ride. The twists and turns kept things interesting, and I really liked seeing how all the different characters’ lives and secrets tangled together.
The ending was wrapped up enough to be satisfying, but left just enough open to keep me thinking about it after I closed the book.
About halfway through, I did feel like there was a bit of a dead giveaway that made it easier to figure out where the story was heading, which took away a bit of the fun for me. But even knowing (or thinking I knew) what was coming, I still enjoyed the ride. The twists and turns kept things interesting, and I really liked seeing how all the different characters’ lives and secrets tangled together.
The ending was wrapped up enough to be satisfying, but left just enough open to keep me thinking about it after I closed the book.
October 5, 2025
This is a short book with an interesting story. We follow a teenage loner who is a detective-wanna-be, trying to solve crimes in a small town. But there is more than meets the eye with this one. The story started well but became progressively unrealistic as we learn more about our bright, young protagonist. I didn’t buy into the killer’s motivation, nor into many of the actions of the various characters. I’d say that the book started as a 4 rating but was a 2 by the end.
This is my honest review, and I am posting it voluntarily. Thanks to the author & publisher for the give-away opportunity that enabled me to win this book.
This is my honest review, and I am posting it voluntarily. Thanks to the author & publisher for the give-away opportunity that enabled me to win this book.
September 30, 2025
Wow, what a psychological thriller this turned out to be; it kept me hooked right to the end.
Really well written, such that the town and characters where it took place could be just around the next bend in the road. If you enjoy a book with bite, this is for you.
Highly recommended.
DISCLAIMER: I received this book at no cost in return for an honest and unbiased review, and what I have written above is wholly my own opinion and recommendation.
Really well written, such that the town and characters where it took place could be just around the next bend in the road. If you enjoy a book with bite, this is for you.
Highly recommended.
DISCLAIMER: I received this book at no cost in return for an honest and unbiased review, and what I have written above is wholly my own opinion and recommendation.
October 10, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.5 stars rounded up)
This was exactly the kind of psychological thriller I love—a slow burn that still managed to keep me hooked all the way through. The pacing struck a perfect balance: steady enough to let the tension build, but never so slow that I lost interest. Carter’s story was both chilling and heartbreaking, and the small-town setting added the perfect layer of atmosphere and unease. CherAnn Wright, Author
This was exactly the kind of psychological thriller I love—a slow burn that still managed to keep me hooked all the way through. The pacing struck a perfect balance: steady enough to let the tension build, but never so slow that I lost interest. Carter’s story was both chilling and heartbreaking, and the small-town setting added the perfect layer of atmosphere and unease. CherAnn Wright, Author
October 21, 2025
This psychological thriller is an exciting read. There’s always something happening, which makes it hard to put down. Even though the killer is revealed fairly early on, it’s still fascinating to see how everything unfolds — the tension, the motives, and the final twists keep you turning the pages right to the end.
December 4, 2025
really just not very good. disappointing.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews