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Stranger in the Lake
9 hours, 39 minutes
Charlotte didn’t know her greatest risk was saying, “I do.”
When Charlotte married the wealthy widower Paul, it caused a ripple of gossip in their small lakeside town. They have a charmed life together, despite the cruel whispers about her humble past and his first marriage. But everything starts to unravel when she discovers a young woman’s body floating in the exact same spot where Paul’s first wife tragically drowned.
At first, it seems like a horrific coincidence, but the stranger in the lake is no stranger. Charlotte saw Paul talking to her the day before, even though Paul tells the police he’s never met the woman. His lie exposes cracks in their fragile new marriage, cracks Charlotte is determined to keep from breaking them in two.
As Charlotte uncovers dark mysteries about the man she married, she doesn’t know what to trust—her heart, which knows Paul to be a good man, or her growing suspicion that there’s something he’s hiding in the water.
Charlotte didn’t know her greatest risk was saying, “I do.”
When Charlotte married the wealthy widower Paul, it caused a ripple of gossip in their small lakeside town. They have a charmed life together, despite the cruel whispers about her humble past and his first marriage. But everything starts to unravel when she discovers a young woman’s body floating in the exact same spot where Paul’s first wife tragically drowned.
At first, it seems like a horrific coincidence, but the stranger in the lake is no stranger. Charlotte saw Paul talking to her the day before, even though Paul tells the police he’s never met the woman. His lie exposes cracks in their fragile new marriage, cracks Charlotte is determined to keep from breaking them in two.
As Charlotte uncovers dark mysteries about the man she married, she doesn’t know what to trust—her heart, which knows Paul to be a good man, or her growing suspicion that there’s something he’s hiding in the water.
Audiobook
First published June 9, 2020
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About the author
Kimberly Belle
19 books5,218 followersKimberly Belle is the USA Today and internationally bestselling author with over one million copies sold worldwide, with titles including The Paris Widow, The Marriage Lie, a Goodreads Choice Awards semifinalist for Best Mystery & Thriller, and the co-authored #1 Audible Original, Young Rich Widows. Kimberly’s novels have been optioned for film and television and selected by LibraryReads and Amazon & Apple Books Editors as Best Books of the Month, and the International Thriller Writers as nominee for best book of the year. She divides her time between Atlanta and Amsterdam.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,923 reviews
March 29, 2020
Meh.
Stranger in the Lake is a psychological thriller about a mysterious murder in a small town.
Charlotte, a twenty-something gas station attendant from the wrong side of the tracks, finds her prince charming in Paul, a 37-year-old wealthy architect, whose first wife happened to die in a tragic accident. Some think Paul murdered his first wife, but Charlotte ignored the rumors and fell in love with her dream man. The age difference and Charlotte's upbringing fuel the gossip mill of their small town. When another woman winds up dead in the same spot Paul’s first wife was found, questions about Paul’s role in the murder have Charlotte questioning the man she thought she loved.
Told from Charlotte’s POV, combined with flashbacks from the past, this book never grabbed me. I kept waiting to be captivated, and sadly it never happened. I hate to say this because I have loved Kimberly Belle’s other books, but I was bored. This book dragged and dragged. There was little action and a lot of waiting, which I usually don’t mind, but I wasn’t connecting with the plot or the main character. I never got a full feel for Charlotte's character; I couldn't picture her and wasn’t able to get a full sense of her childhood suffering, outside of maybe one scene. She said all the right things, but they didn’t resonate.
I also didn’t feel the tension or suspense that has played such a heavy role in Belle’s other books. The plot reminded me of a few other thrillers I have read over the past year, which might be why I was able to identify the murderer and figure out some of the plot twists early on. I had high expectations and was expecting something a little more original and intriguing.
This in no way is a bad thriller-- it just didn't reel me in.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Stranger in the Lake is a psychological thriller about a mysterious murder in a small town.
Charlotte, a twenty-something gas station attendant from the wrong side of the tracks, finds her prince charming in Paul, a 37-year-old wealthy architect, whose first wife happened to die in a tragic accident. Some think Paul murdered his first wife, but Charlotte ignored the rumors and fell in love with her dream man. The age difference and Charlotte's upbringing fuel the gossip mill of their small town. When another woman winds up dead in the same spot Paul’s first wife was found, questions about Paul’s role in the murder have Charlotte questioning the man she thought she loved.
Told from Charlotte’s POV, combined with flashbacks from the past, this book never grabbed me. I kept waiting to be captivated, and sadly it never happened. I hate to say this because I have loved Kimberly Belle’s other books, but I was bored. This book dragged and dragged. There was little action and a lot of waiting, which I usually don’t mind, but I wasn’t connecting with the plot or the main character. I never got a full feel for Charlotte's character; I couldn't picture her and wasn’t able to get a full sense of her childhood suffering, outside of maybe one scene. She said all the right things, but they didn’t resonate.
I also didn’t feel the tension or suspense that has played such a heavy role in Belle’s other books. The plot reminded me of a few other thrillers I have read over the past year, which might be why I was able to identify the murderer and figure out some of the plot twists early on. I had high expectations and was expecting something a little more original and intriguing.
This in no way is a bad thriller-- it just didn't reel me in.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
February 23, 2021
Hmm, okay, images of Lind Chocolate boxes, fondues, Swiss Army knives, Rolexes, Alps start to appear on my mind which means a Switzerland kind of I’m in the middle, I don’t like it and I also don’t hate it, I’m just dumb cow, three solid starred book review is coming up!
Oh, it is already here. My fingers are moving faster than my mind, what do you think my friends?
I lately read so many dark, intriguing, stressful stories so I think I already exceeded my pain tolerance level. And I also read previous works of Kimberly Belle including “Marriage Lie” and “Dear Wife” which I highly recommend you to read but when it comes to this book’s story, something was missing.
I think Ms. Belle a little failed to build the mystery between the characters. The chapters mostly ended abruptly and haphazardly. The story has two timelines and told by two narrators: Young pregnant wife who thinks her husband might be killer and husband’s old friend Jax who turns himself into caveman meets wolfman hiding in the woods, losing the last traces of his humanity. Maybe because of the word choices, slow pacing or uninteresting characterization or all of them made me lose my interest and I continue to read it like an obligation or task because something could change at some part and maybe I can get some surprising ending.
So let’s talk more about the plot:
We’re introduced to Charlotte, new, young, called “trophy wife” by her old acquaintances, pregnant, finds a dead woman at the lake, the very exact spot her husband’s ex had been drowned and her husband Paul lies to the officers that he’s never seen her before. But actually Charlotte saw them talking animatedly one day ago and Paul disappears to find Jax, leaving his wife alone with suspicious officers and talkative, irritating mother.
Then we’re going back 21 years ago, young Paul, Jax and police officer Micah’s storyline: Three young kids get bored, jumping into their car, hitting the road but their night ends with an unexpected event.
And yes, ending was predictable which kills my last hopes so I finished the last page and wiped the disappointment from my face. So this is not so thrilling, shaking, solid, mediocre thriller for me. I actually enjoyed author’s previous works more. Of course it was not bad, boring or pointless reading. Especially I enjoyed the flashback parts about Jax more than Charlotte supports her brother’s culinary skills storyline. So I’m giving 3, not bored me to death but also not excited me stars!
Special thanks to NetGalley and HARLEQUIN/Park Row for sharing this ARC with me in exchange my honest review.
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Oh, it is already here. My fingers are moving faster than my mind, what do you think my friends?
I lately read so many dark, intriguing, stressful stories so I think I already exceeded my pain tolerance level. And I also read previous works of Kimberly Belle including “Marriage Lie” and “Dear Wife” which I highly recommend you to read but when it comes to this book’s story, something was missing.
I think Ms. Belle a little failed to build the mystery between the characters. The chapters mostly ended abruptly and haphazardly. The story has two timelines and told by two narrators: Young pregnant wife who thinks her husband might be killer and husband’s old friend Jax who turns himself into caveman meets wolfman hiding in the woods, losing the last traces of his humanity. Maybe because of the word choices, slow pacing or uninteresting characterization or all of them made me lose my interest and I continue to read it like an obligation or task because something could change at some part and maybe I can get some surprising ending.
So let’s talk more about the plot:
We’re introduced to Charlotte, new, young, called “trophy wife” by her old acquaintances, pregnant, finds a dead woman at the lake, the very exact spot her husband’s ex had been drowned and her husband Paul lies to the officers that he’s never seen her before. But actually Charlotte saw them talking animatedly one day ago and Paul disappears to find Jax, leaving his wife alone with suspicious officers and talkative, irritating mother.
Then we’re going back 21 years ago, young Paul, Jax and police officer Micah’s storyline: Three young kids get bored, jumping into their car, hitting the road but their night ends with an unexpected event.
And yes, ending was predictable which kills my last hopes so I finished the last page and wiped the disappointment from my face. So this is not so thrilling, shaking, solid, mediocre thriller for me. I actually enjoyed author’s previous works more. Of course it was not bad, boring or pointless reading. Especially I enjoyed the flashback parts about Jax more than Charlotte supports her brother’s culinary skills storyline. So I’m giving 3, not bored me to death but also not excited me stars!
Special thanks to NetGalley and HARLEQUIN/Park Row for sharing this ARC with me in exchange my honest review.
blog
June 9, 2020
Available as of June 9, 2020
First, let me say this. Nothing is more scary to me than the idea of walking around in a brightly lit house, when it's dark outside, and to have no curtains or blinds on the huge windows of my "rich people" house. Of course, that would never happen because I'm not "rich people", so I don't have one of those fancy, glass walled houses, with no curtains or blinds. I just can't imagine that though, when there has been a body or two found down at the dock that the rich people house overlooks.
Charlotte, used to not be "rich people" either, but then she married Paul, eleven years older than her, who had lost his first wife when she downed in the lake below the house. His first wife was a champion swimmer and still swam every morning and it's hard to believe she could drown in the lake. Paul is accused of killing her by folks in the town but in the end, the death is legally labeled accidental. When Charlotte and Paul fall in love after a whirlwind romance, she is warned off of Paul by her good friend Sam, a local policeman who thinks that Paul killed his wife. But Charlotte doesn't think Paul is capable of hurting anyone and she loses her friendship with Sam, when she marries Paul.
Then Charlotte sees her husband talking to a strange woman in town and the next day that woman's body is found under the same dock where Paul's first wife's body was found. Paul begs Charlotte to lie about him talking to the woman, packs a backpack and runs out the door, leaving Charlotte to deal with all the mess that a murder investigation involves. As Charlotte tells one lie for Paul, more lies must be piled on the first lie, and Charlotte begins to doubt her husband's innocence in either women's death.
There is also Jax, who along with Paul and their friend Micah, seem to have a strange bond...Micah and Jax don't like each other but Paul is the glue that keeps them tied to each other. Something might have happened long ago, another mystery that might involve all three men. The more Charlotte discovers about Paul, the less she trusts him but she doesn't know who to turn to..Sam is already wanting Paul's head and Micah's police chief father is a violent, loose cannon, not to be trusted treat anyone fairly, especially Jax, who Paul wants to protect at all costs.
During all of this, Charlotte leans on her flaky younger brother, Chet, the brother she had to raise herself, from the time she was six years old. They've been through hell already, being neglected by a drug using, alcoholic mother and their bond is as strong as that of Paul, Jax, and Micah. So many lies, so many mysteries and Charlotte is scrambling to figure out what is going on.
Thank you to HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing/Park Row and NetGalley, for this ARC.
First, let me say this. Nothing is more scary to me than the idea of walking around in a brightly lit house, when it's dark outside, and to have no curtains or blinds on the huge windows of my "rich people" house. Of course, that would never happen because I'm not "rich people", so I don't have one of those fancy, glass walled houses, with no curtains or blinds. I just can't imagine that though, when there has been a body or two found down at the dock that the rich people house overlooks.
Charlotte, used to not be "rich people" either, but then she married Paul, eleven years older than her, who had lost his first wife when she downed in the lake below the house. His first wife was a champion swimmer and still swam every morning and it's hard to believe she could drown in the lake. Paul is accused of killing her by folks in the town but in the end, the death is legally labeled accidental. When Charlotte and Paul fall in love after a whirlwind romance, she is warned off of Paul by her good friend Sam, a local policeman who thinks that Paul killed his wife. But Charlotte doesn't think Paul is capable of hurting anyone and she loses her friendship with Sam, when she marries Paul.
Then Charlotte sees her husband talking to a strange woman in town and the next day that woman's body is found under the same dock where Paul's first wife's body was found. Paul begs Charlotte to lie about him talking to the woman, packs a backpack and runs out the door, leaving Charlotte to deal with all the mess that a murder investigation involves. As Charlotte tells one lie for Paul, more lies must be piled on the first lie, and Charlotte begins to doubt her husband's innocence in either women's death.
There is also Jax, who along with Paul and their friend Micah, seem to have a strange bond...Micah and Jax don't like each other but Paul is the glue that keeps them tied to each other. Something might have happened long ago, another mystery that might involve all three men. The more Charlotte discovers about Paul, the less she trusts him but she doesn't know who to turn to..Sam is already wanting Paul's head and Micah's police chief father is a violent, loose cannon, not to be trusted treat anyone fairly, especially Jax, who Paul wants to protect at all costs.
During all of this, Charlotte leans on her flaky younger brother, Chet, the brother she had to raise herself, from the time she was six years old. They've been through hell already, being neglected by a drug using, alcoholic mother and their bond is as strong as that of Paul, Jax, and Micah. So many lies, so many mysteries and Charlotte is scrambling to figure out what is going on.
Thank you to HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing/Park Row and NetGalley, for this ARC.
September 12, 2022
3-3.5 STARS
"People say that I married Paul for the money, but that's just not true. I married him because I love him, and I love him for all the things he provides. A mortgage-free roof over my head and a belly stuffed with nutritious, organic food. Health insurance and car insurance and cellphone and internet. The freedom of never having to choose between going cold or going hungry again. A life that is safe and stable and secure. And really, when you think about it, isn't security just another word for love?"
I'm so torn on how to rate this one, because I did find the ending to be a little underwhelming, but the atmospheric setting was incredible, and made Stranger in the Lake an engaging read for me. I will always be a sucker for Appalachian fiction, and the lake was truly an insidious presence along the journey. The author does a fine job of dissecting the motivation behind basic human nature, and the moral at the end of this story was difficult to swallow, yet a timely, encouraging message. I would have liked to have see a little more development in a few aspects of the story, like Sam and Charlotte's relationship, the summer after the boys graduated high school, and a bit more of Charlie and Chet's childhood, instead of the repetition regarding pieces of the investigation, but overall this was an enjoyable read from an author that I admire and respect. If you've enjoyed Belle's previous novels, do yourself a favor and give Stranger in the Lake a try!
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
"People say that I married Paul for the money, but that's just not true. I married him because I love him, and I love him for all the things he provides. A mortgage-free roof over my head and a belly stuffed with nutritious, organic food. Health insurance and car insurance and cellphone and internet. The freedom of never having to choose between going cold or going hungry again. A life that is safe and stable and secure. And really, when you think about it, isn't security just another word for love?"
I'm so torn on how to rate this one, because I did find the ending to be a little underwhelming, but the atmospheric setting was incredible, and made Stranger in the Lake an engaging read for me. I will always be a sucker for Appalachian fiction, and the lake was truly an insidious presence along the journey. The author does a fine job of dissecting the motivation behind basic human nature, and the moral at the end of this story was difficult to swallow, yet a timely, encouraging message. I would have liked to have see a little more development in a few aspects of the story, like Sam and Charlotte's relationship, the summer after the boys graduated high school, and a bit more of Charlie and Chet's childhood, instead of the repetition regarding pieces of the investigation, but overall this was an enjoyable read from an author that I admire and respect. If you've enjoyed Belle's previous novels, do yourself a favor and give Stranger in the Lake a try!
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
June 2, 2020
A murder mystery close to the home of Paul and his new wife, Charlotte.
It happens to be the second murder near Paul's home.
I had this one figured out early, but wasn't sure I was right.
I was!
I liked the premise, but wanted more suspense and parts of the story dragged as the plot played out. I was hoping for more oomph from this author. If you're looking for a slow burn mystery with a bit of a detective feel, this might be one for your shelf!!
Thanks to Netgalley and Park Row for my advanced copy! OUT on June 9, 2020
It happens to be the second murder near Paul's home.
I had this one figured out early, but wasn't sure I was right.
I was!
I liked the premise, but wanted more suspense and parts of the story dragged as the plot played out. I was hoping for more oomph from this author. If you're looking for a slow burn mystery with a bit of a detective feel, this might be one for your shelf!!
Thanks to Netgalley and Park Row for my advanced copy! OUT on June 9, 2020
August 12, 2020
My reviews can also be seen at: https://deesradreadsandreviews.wordpr...
A fascinating tale of lies and deceit!
I really enjoy Kimberly Belle’s novels and “Stranger in the Lake” is no exception.
Charlotte Keller is on her way to pick up her husband from work. Paul Keller is the owner of Keller Architecture. The company sells custom house designs for million-dollar properties. Charlotte also works for the company in client relations.
Charlotte is headed towards Paul’s office when she’s approached by Jax, an unkempt man many call the town loon. At one time, Jax (son of an insurance tycoon) was a star quarterback with a great future ahead of him. He was also one of Paul’s best friends. Jax tells Charlotte that it’s important that he talks to Paul but then quickly walks away. Paul and Jax haven’t spoken in many years. Why is Jax looking for him now?
One of the designers tells Charlotte that Paul went to do some errands. Charlotte finds him down the street having a conversation with a woman she’s never seen before. Later, when Charlotte asks Paul about the woman, he claims he doesn’t know her, and that she was just asking about his coffee.
Charlotte never thought she’d fall in love with a man eleven years her senior and Paul never thought he’d marry again. It was the fact that they’d both suffered tragedies that really brought them together. To many people (especially Paul's mother), Charlotte was just a gas station clerk from the wrong side of the mountain. Charlotte didn’t marry Paul for his money, but the security that comes with the marriage is something she doesn’t take for granted.
The next morning Charlotte wakes up alone. Paul's left for his morning run. Charlotte realizes she left her cell phone and some work documents on the boat the previous evening. She worries they'll get ruined so she slowly makes her way to the boat. She finds the documents and her cell phone onboard. Just as she steps back onto the dock, she sees something in the water. It’s long and white with seaweed on it. She looks closer.
It’s definitely not seaweed.
She feels like she’s going to be sick…
She reaches for her phone but the battery is dead from being outside all night. She rushes home to the landline and calls for help.
Then she waits.
How could this be happening? Again?
Another riveting and well-written read from Kimberly Belle!
This story makes you think about life’s defining moments. The moments that change you and make you question everything you think you know.
How well can you really know someone?
Told from multiple points of view, most of the story takes place in the present, but there are quite a few chapters from the past that add to the story.
A story of love, lies, guilt, and secrets that slowly pulled me in, then gripped me right up until its very surprising ending.
I'd like to thank the publisher for providing me with a copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.
June 15, 2020
Kimberly Belle has joined us in our Behind the Pages Group for a spoiler-free Q & A. She gave us some great insight into this story and the characters. I love her and this story even more now!!
You can find the thread here
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Yahoo! I am excited to say Kimberly Belle has me back in my groove, and I flew through this one like a wakeboarder hydroplaning through the wake! This is one wild ride, and I felt like I was weaving in and out those waves with those twists and turns. Just when I thought I was heading in one direction when I least expected it, I was heading outside the wake and then back again.
Stranger in the Lake is one chilly atmospheric domestic thriller that had me feeling chilled to the bone on the beautiful sunny day I was tapping my fingers as fast as I could on my Kindle. The magic here is all in the setting for me, and Kimberly Belle sure knows how to set the scene in more ways than one. The chilly lake with its deadly secrets, the small town where everyone knows everyone but their dangerous secrets that the lake holds. The house surrounded in the snow looking over the lake watching everything and knowing what happened to the stranger in the lake was a character in itself. I just want to say Brilliant, I love it!
There are a couple of dark mysteries here with the bodies found in the lake here, opening up questions of whodunnit, why and who is hiding want secrets from the past. Our main character Charlotte finds one body, and she starts to question her relationship with her husband. I loved Charlotte, she is a likable, strong, relatable character. At times I wanted to mistrust her, but her flawed and vulnerable side to her had me rooting for her. The characters here are exciting, and I questioned each one from start to that exciting final reveal, of course, I didn't see coming.
For my Traveling Sister Lindsay's review, it can be found on our blog
https://travelingsistersbookreviews.c...
I received a copy from the publisher for a blog tour on NetGalley
You can find the thread here
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Yahoo! I am excited to say Kimberly Belle has me back in my groove, and I flew through this one like a wakeboarder hydroplaning through the wake! This is one wild ride, and I felt like I was weaving in and out those waves with those twists and turns. Just when I thought I was heading in one direction when I least expected it, I was heading outside the wake and then back again.
Stranger in the Lake is one chilly atmospheric domestic thriller that had me feeling chilled to the bone on the beautiful sunny day I was tapping my fingers as fast as I could on my Kindle. The magic here is all in the setting for me, and Kimberly Belle sure knows how to set the scene in more ways than one. The chilly lake with its deadly secrets, the small town where everyone knows everyone but their dangerous secrets that the lake holds. The house surrounded in the snow looking over the lake watching everything and knowing what happened to the stranger in the lake was a character in itself. I just want to say Brilliant, I love it!
There are a couple of dark mysteries here with the bodies found in the lake here, opening up questions of whodunnit, why and who is hiding want secrets from the past. Our main character Charlotte finds one body, and she starts to question her relationship with her husband. I loved Charlotte, she is a likable, strong, relatable character. At times I wanted to mistrust her, but her flawed and vulnerable side to her had me rooting for her. The characters here are exciting, and I questioned each one from start to that exciting final reveal, of course, I didn't see coming.
For my Traveling Sister Lindsay's review, it can be found on our blog
https://travelingsistersbookreviews.c...
I received a copy from the publisher for a blog tour on NetGalley
April 28, 2020
3 Stars
I Know All of Your Secrets
I Know All of Your Lies
I Know Where You Keep ‘Em
Buried Deep Inside
Ruelle, 2017
Charlotte (fka Charlie), new wife to her husband Paul, (a former widow) feels extremely happy in her surroundings. Why wouldn’t she? Paul is EXTREMELY wealthy and the two live in a gorgeous home overlooking Lake Crosby. So what if the home is in Paul’s name and everything is technically his since Charlotte grew up in a trailer home.
Everything is absolutely perfect.. until Charlotte goes out to the lake to check the boat early one morning while Paul is out for a run. There, she discovers the body of a woman in the lake.
Then of course, all h3ll breaks loose!
Secrets and lies. So many, they were enough to make your head spin. I’m surprised the Exorcist didn’t make an appearance!
Going back and forth in time from the present to 1999, when Paul and his best friends Jax and Micah were teenagers and Charlie and her brother Chet were children, “Stranger in the Lake” started out strong and then kind of petered out. For me, there were a few items that just didn’t quite ring true and that had my eyes rolling, which disappointed me a tad. Like a few other reviewers, I too wish that some other avenues had been explored in this novel that were not, but alas, such is life.
Kimberly Belle’s writing style is however totally engaging and she had me glued to the storyline throughout. I am a true fan of hers and will be anxiously awaiting her next release.
This was another buddy read with Kaceey!
Thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin - Park Row, and Kimberly Belle for the arc.
Published on Goodreads on 4.26.20.
I Know All of Your Secrets
I Know All of Your Lies
I Know Where You Keep ‘Em
Buried Deep Inside
Ruelle, 2017
Charlotte (fka Charlie), new wife to her husband Paul, (a former widow) feels extremely happy in her surroundings. Why wouldn’t she? Paul is EXTREMELY wealthy and the two live in a gorgeous home overlooking Lake Crosby. So what if the home is in Paul’s name and everything is technically his since Charlotte grew up in a trailer home.
Everything is absolutely perfect.. until Charlotte goes out to the lake to check the boat early one morning while Paul is out for a run. There, she discovers the body of a woman in the lake.
Then of course, all h3ll breaks loose!
Secrets and lies. So many, they were enough to make your head spin. I’m surprised the Exorcist didn’t make an appearance!
Going back and forth in time from the present to 1999, when Paul and his best friends Jax and Micah were teenagers and Charlie and her brother Chet were children, “Stranger in the Lake” started out strong and then kind of petered out. For me, there were a few items that just didn’t quite ring true and that had my eyes rolling, which disappointed me a tad. Like a few other reviewers, I too wish that some other avenues had been explored in this novel that were not, but alas, such is life.
Kimberly Belle’s writing style is however totally engaging and she had me glued to the storyline throughout. I am a true fan of hers and will be anxiously awaiting her next release.
This was another buddy read with Kaceey!
Thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin - Park Row, and Kimberly Belle for the arc.
Published on Goodreads on 4.26.20.
May 6, 2020
3.25*
After last year's fantastic read of Dear Wife by Kimberly Belle, I was anxious to get my hands on her latest release. But.... agghhh! As it so often seems to happen when my hopes are set high, it didn’t quite hit the mark.
Charlie, now known as Charlotte was born on the other side of the tracks. Growing up in a trailer park, she also had to assume responsibility for raising her younger brother. She had no choice. Her own mother was mostly absent...or worse.
Fast forward several years. And what a difference a few years can make! Charlotte finds herself married to one of the most successful, wealthiest men in their lakeside town. A life she could have only dreamed of. She never has to worry about money or having enough food on the table again
Her husband Paul lost his first wife to a tragic accident he refuses to discuss. Other than... she was found floating under their private dock!! Now a second woman has been found drowned under the same dock. Hmmm...
The premise of this book was so tantalizing but unfortunately failed to hold me. The suspense I was hoping for was just lacking. And even though my detectives’ cap🕵🏻♀️ has been collecting dust lately, I had most of this plot figured out early on.
I just had higher hopes for this book than what it delivered. That said…you know this won’t stop me from reading her next release! I know Kimberly Belle writes amazing suspenseful thrillers!
A buddy read with Susanne
Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing - Park Row and Kimberly Belle for an ARC to read and review.
After last year's fantastic read of Dear Wife by Kimberly Belle, I was anxious to get my hands on her latest release. But.... agghhh! As it so often seems to happen when my hopes are set high, it didn’t quite hit the mark.
Charlie, now known as Charlotte was born on the other side of the tracks. Growing up in a trailer park, she also had to assume responsibility for raising her younger brother. She had no choice. Her own mother was mostly absent...or worse.
Fast forward several years. And what a difference a few years can make! Charlotte finds herself married to one of the most successful, wealthiest men in their lakeside town. A life she could have only dreamed of. She never has to worry about money or having enough food on the table again
Her husband Paul lost his first wife to a tragic accident he refuses to discuss. Other than... she was found floating under their private dock!! Now a second woman has been found drowned under the same dock. Hmmm...
The premise of this book was so tantalizing but unfortunately failed to hold me. The suspense I was hoping for was just lacking. And even though my detectives’ cap🕵🏻♀️ has been collecting dust lately, I had most of this plot figured out early on.
I just had higher hopes for this book than what it delivered. That said…you know this won’t stop me from reading her next release! I know Kimberly Belle writes amazing suspenseful thrillers!
A buddy read with Susanne
Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing - Park Row and Kimberly Belle for an ARC to read and review.
June 6, 2020
5 stars! Loved this!
A thrilling, atmospheric, suspenseful journey from start to finish!
Charlotte has everything she ever wanted. Paul, her handsome, successful husband. A state of the art mansion on the water. No financial worries. Her current life is millions of miles away from where she came from. A trailer park childhood full of painful memories of hunger, fright and uncertainty, she has made her way out of her troubled past. One morning Charlotte discovers a woman’s dead body floating in the water under their dock, coincidentally the same death Paul’s first wife faced. As the investigation into the dead woman’s body starts, suspicions arise.
This novel is thick with palpable atmosphere, suspense and tension that gripped me immediately and didn’t let up until I read the last page. I was completely consumed by this story. The setting felt like a character in itself which I loved. I adored Charlotte. I felt for her childhood situation. The author, Kimberly Belle, did an outstanding job building up Charlottes’ backstory. I felt like I was right there in the trailer park chaos with her.
I loved this authors last book, Dear Wife. It remains my favourite by this author, but this comes in a very close second. I highly recommend!
This was a Traveling Sisters read that I enjoyed discussing. Thank you to Edelweiss for my review copy! Expected date of publication is June 9th.
A thrilling, atmospheric, suspenseful journey from start to finish!
Charlotte has everything she ever wanted. Paul, her handsome, successful husband. A state of the art mansion on the water. No financial worries. Her current life is millions of miles away from where she came from. A trailer park childhood full of painful memories of hunger, fright and uncertainty, she has made her way out of her troubled past. One morning Charlotte discovers a woman’s dead body floating in the water under their dock, coincidentally the same death Paul’s first wife faced. As the investigation into the dead woman’s body starts, suspicions arise.
This novel is thick with palpable atmosphere, suspense and tension that gripped me immediately and didn’t let up until I read the last page. I was completely consumed by this story. The setting felt like a character in itself which I loved. I adored Charlotte. I felt for her childhood situation. The author, Kimberly Belle, did an outstanding job building up Charlottes’ backstory. I felt like I was right there in the trailer park chaos with her.
I loved this authors last book, Dear Wife. It remains my favourite by this author, but this comes in a very close second. I highly recommend!
This was a Traveling Sisters read that I enjoyed discussing. Thank you to Edelweiss for my review copy! Expected date of publication is June 9th.
June 9, 2020
I never in a million years thought I'd say this about a Kimberly Belle novel, but I was underwhelmed. In fact, I'll dare say I was legit bored through the entirety of the story.
Unlike her two previous works, Dear Wife and The Marriage Lie, both of which I absolutely LOVED, Stranger in the Lake felt slow and humdrum. Even worse, I figured out WAY, WAY early how the book was going to end...every.single.twist.
The bulk of the book took place in a lakeside mansion inhabited by Charlotte and her brother, Chet.
Am I the only one who thinks of the movie 'Weird Science,' and a big pile of poo, when I hear that name?
Charlotte's husband, Paul, was never around, as he was avoiding her. Chet cooked, Charlotte ate, then endlessly bragged about her brother's cooking. During the times she wasn't eating, she was trying to figure out what was going on with Paul and his two friends, Micah and Jax.
The timeline jumped from the present, with Charlotte and Chet, to 1999, when Paul, Jax, and Micah were partying their summer away before their freshman year of college.
Please don't get me wrong, this wasn't a bad book...it simply didn't stand up to the awesomeness of Ms. Belle's previous works.
This book will be available for purchase June 9, 2020.
**My sincere thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
Unlike her two previous works, Dear Wife and The Marriage Lie, both of which I absolutely LOVED, Stranger in the Lake felt slow and humdrum. Even worse, I figured out WAY, WAY early how the book was going to end...every.single.twist.
The bulk of the book took place in a lakeside mansion inhabited by Charlotte and her brother, Chet.
Am I the only one who thinks of the movie 'Weird Science,' and a big pile of poo, when I hear that name?
Charlotte's husband, Paul, was never around, as he was avoiding her. Chet cooked, Charlotte ate, then endlessly bragged about her brother's cooking. During the times she wasn't eating, she was trying to figure out what was going on with Paul and his two friends, Micah and Jax.
The timeline jumped from the present, with Charlotte and Chet, to 1999, when Paul, Jax, and Micah were partying their summer away before their freshman year of college.
Please don't get me wrong, this wasn't a bad book...it simply didn't stand up to the awesomeness of Ms. Belle's previous works.
This book will be available for purchase June 9, 2020.
**My sincere thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
June 10, 2020
3.5 stars rounded up!
“A LIE AND AN ALIBI, WRAPPED INTO ONE”
Charlotte ignored the rumors when she married the wealthy, widower, Paul.
After all, despite her being a strong swimmer, the drowning death of Paul’s first wife, Katherine, WAS deemed an accident.
But, when a second woman also drowns, in the same exact spot under Paul’s dock, SECRETS which began in 1999, begin to SURFACE...
WHO IS THE STRANGER IN THE LAKE, AND WHY DID SHE COME TO TOWN?”
Something happened in 1999 to bind childhood friends, Paul, Micah, and Jax together.
Could their SECRETS have anything to do with the drownings?
The mystery started out strong but it stalled a bit just after the 50% point for me, when the flashback chapters took me out of the present, and the story lost some of its tension.
This story began to focus on the SECRETS from 1999, and those chapters were my least favorite part.
I would’ve preferred the story have remained focused on the relationships in the present day, and on the drowning victims.
I wanted the other relationships to be as fleshed out as the one between Charlotte and her brother Chet.
WHY the second woman came to town, WHAT she was looking for, and WHO wanted her to remain silent, DID surprise me...but, again, I wanted MORE of this part of the story! I wanted to get to know her!!
Although I didn’t enjoy this one as much as “The Marriage Lie” or my personal favorite “Dear Wife”, Kimberley Belle will ALWAYS be an AUTO-READ author for me!
Thank You to Netgalley, Harlequin, and the author for the digital ARC, I received in exchange for a candid review!
AVAILABLE NOW!!
Posted to Goodreads and Netgalley on Feb. 23rd
Will post to Amazon and “theblondelikesbooks.wordpress.com closer to publication date.
“A LIE AND AN ALIBI, WRAPPED INTO ONE”
Charlotte ignored the rumors when she married the wealthy, widower, Paul.
After all, despite her being a strong swimmer, the drowning death of Paul’s first wife, Katherine, WAS deemed an accident.
But, when a second woman also drowns, in the same exact spot under Paul’s dock, SECRETS which began in 1999, begin to SURFACE...
WHO IS THE STRANGER IN THE LAKE, AND WHY DID SHE COME TO TOWN?”
Something happened in 1999 to bind childhood friends, Paul, Micah, and Jax together.
Could their SECRETS have anything to do with the drownings?
The mystery started out strong but it stalled a bit just after the 50% point for me, when the flashback chapters took me out of the present, and the story lost some of its tension.
This story began to focus on the SECRETS from 1999, and those chapters were my least favorite part.
I would’ve preferred the story have remained focused on the relationships in the present day, and on the drowning victims.
I wanted the other relationships to be as fleshed out as the one between Charlotte and her brother Chet.
WHY the second woman came to town, WHAT she was looking for, and WHO wanted her to remain silent, DID surprise me...but, again, I wanted MORE of this part of the story! I wanted to get to know her!!
Although I didn’t enjoy this one as much as “The Marriage Lie” or my personal favorite “Dear Wife”, Kimberley Belle will ALWAYS be an AUTO-READ author for me!
Thank You to Netgalley, Harlequin, and the author for the digital ARC, I received in exchange for a candid review!
AVAILABLE NOW!!
Posted to Goodreads and Netgalley on Feb. 23rd
Will post to Amazon and “theblondelikesbooks.wordpress.com closer to publication date.
June 26, 2020
Update: I realized I didn’t liked this at all. Almost a dnf.
———————————————-
tw: dead human and animal bodies
"That's the thing about lies, that they demand commitment. Once you spout one off, you have to stick your story, to think before blurting the next words."
I will always be a fan when it comes to the stories written by Miss Belle. Her stories may not be as twisted as the other author's but still highly entertaining. There's magic in her books, in her way of writing. If you start to read, it is impossible to put it down. Marriage Lie and Dear Wife are definitely one of the best domestic thrillers I have read. However and surprisingly the case is not the same with this one.
Stranger in the Lake follows the story of Charlotte and Paul in their glorious house by the lake. Rumor has it, Charlotte only married her old husband for the money. One day, at 6 am, she found a dead body below their dock. The body was dubbed as the stranger in the lake.
This book was quite boring to be honest. There I said it. To those who enjoyed and loved this, I'm honestly glad. I can divide this book into three parts. Part 1 - a body was found; Part 2 - a big chunk where nothing interesting happened; and Part 3 - an ending with barely good twists. I think the reason why I loved her other books more was because in those something was constantly happening. There was action nonstop. As a reader, you could feel the danger and pressure where the character put herself into. Full of tension right from the beginning. This book was far from it. It felt dragged and just long. The genre is supposed to be a thriller but personally it felt more of a mystery with a few crumbs of thrill. Some of the twists in the end were okay for me. Some just made my eye roll. I don't theorize that much when I read thrillers so, you know, I could experience the whole show.
The characters were unlikable too. Either dead or was up to no good. One is rumored to be a gold digger and basically just a pariah/outcast of the town. One became distant and secretive after they found a body. One was believed to be a 'loony toon'. One was doing drugs. The parents here were either abusive, controlling or neglectful. Honestly, just pick your poison.
Overall, this was not a bad book. Was I disappointed? Somehow, yes. It was far from a stellar read. It was barely decent for me. I feel like I'm running my luck out when it comes to thrillers!
———————————————-
tw: dead human and animal bodies
"That's the thing about lies, that they demand commitment. Once you spout one off, you have to stick your story, to think before blurting the next words."
I will always be a fan when it comes to the stories written by Miss Belle. Her stories may not be as twisted as the other author's but still highly entertaining. There's magic in her books, in her way of writing. If you start to read, it is impossible to put it down. Marriage Lie and Dear Wife are definitely one of the best domestic thrillers I have read. However and surprisingly the case is not the same with this one.
Stranger in the Lake follows the story of Charlotte and Paul in their glorious house by the lake. Rumor has it, Charlotte only married her old husband for the money. One day, at 6 am, she found a dead body below their dock. The body was dubbed as the stranger in the lake.
This book was quite boring to be honest. There I said it. To those who enjoyed and loved this, I'm honestly glad. I can divide this book into three parts. Part 1 - a body was found; Part 2 - a big chunk where nothing interesting happened; and Part 3 - an ending with barely good twists. I think the reason why I loved her other books more was because in those something was constantly happening. There was action nonstop. As a reader, you could feel the danger and pressure where the character put herself into. Full of tension right from the beginning. This book was far from it. It felt dragged and just long. The genre is supposed to be a thriller but personally it felt more of a mystery with a few crumbs of thrill. Some of the twists in the end were okay for me. Some just made my eye roll. I don't theorize that much when I read thrillers so, you know, I could experience the whole show.
The characters were unlikable too. Either dead or was up to no good. One is rumored to be a gold digger and basically just a pariah/outcast of the town. One became distant and secretive after they found a body. One was believed to be a 'loony toon'. One was doing drugs. The parents here were either abusive, controlling or neglectful. Honestly, just pick your poison.
Overall, this was not a bad book. Was I disappointed? Somehow, yes. It was far from a stellar read. It was barely decent for me. I feel like I'm running my luck out when it comes to thrillers!
July 2, 2020
4.0 stars— I just finished my 3rd Kimberly Belle novel and once again, I am a satisfied customer. I really don’t understand why some of Ms.Belle’s books are rated so low on Goodreads because I find her to be a very good writer who keeps her suspense/mystery novels entertaining and original. “Stranger in the Lake” tells the story of Charlotte/Charlie and Paul who met and got married after Paul’s first wife drowned while swimming in the lake by their home. Because she was such a good swimmer, Paul immediately came under suspicion for being involved someway in her death, but was never charged with anything due to lack of evidence. So when a second lady ends up dead in the lake who Charlie saw Paul talking to the day before the death, he immediately comes under suspicion again. Paul does everything wrong to make himself look even more suspicious after this second woman is found, and that gives the author time to lay out a parallel story of Paul’s early years and another unsolved death during that time. The story takes many twists and turns, and I was never bored from beginning to end. There are many characters in the story and probably a few too many who are not quite what they seem when you are first introduced to them. But, the author has a true talent for moving her story along at a fast pace with enough believability that you will truly enjoy the book.
February 19, 2020
Paul Keller had been married before. His wife died a little over four years ago.... in a drowning accident.
‘Surprise’, Charlotte was pregnant - not planned- with Paul’s baby - her new husband - eleven years older than she was. Charlotte had only known Paul for about a year. Everyone from their town said it would never work. We will soon discover much more of what will never work.
Paul was 37 years old, a wealthy widower, who owned Keller Architecture. His clients were privileged, demanding, and entitled. His clients liked Paul because he was one of them.
Charlotte had been a gas station clerk... ( a trailer-park girl), from the poor side of town of Lake Cosby, North Carolina.
She now worked part-time for Paul.....( her role was client relations), and Charlotte’s most important role was being Paul’s new young pregnant wife.
Paul’s mother and town folks won’t believe Charlotte’s pregnancy was an accident. They’ll say that Paul was trapped.
“Sugar daddy, sugar baby, baby daddy”.
The people in town think that Charlotte married Paul for his money. She didn’t.
Charlotte married Paul for love— and she loved all the things he could provide.
We get back story not only on Charlotte and Paul, but also on Jax Edwards, and Micah Hunt, ( friend/ connections to Paul),
“Jax Edwards — was the local town loon, a “raggedy bearded boogeyman”, who lived in the woods. Most people turned away from him, either out of pity or fear, but not Charlotte.
“Micah Hunt - was the best underwater criminal investigator and hundreds of miles”.....but he’ll never be good enough for his father- Chief Hunt.
Charlotte liked Micah - he never made her feel Paul was slumming by choosing her - ( gas station attendant girl from a trailer park)....and he had more daddy issues than she did.
For Paul,......Jax was a painful subject, he didn’t like to talk about.
“Once upon a time, Jax had everything going for him. High school prom king and star quarterback, the golden boy with a golden future, and one of Paul’s two best friends”.
Paul, Jax, and Micah....were all close buddies in High School. We will soon see just how complicated those relationships were.
Other relationships- people in this town complicate things also.
At the center of the story…a woman, “Sienna’, was found dead in the lake. Presumably.... whoever killed her lived in this town of Crosby Lake.
Kimberly Belle has a talent for intertwisted - tangly - mussed up storytelling.
She’s becoming a psychological thriller-household name for readers who indulge pleasure into this genre.
Not sure this was Belle’s top rated book.... but we are drawn into a web of intrigue — with interesting characters:
Paul.....was out running all the time -
Jax....found solace in the woods -
Micah....wanted to be his own man- not have his father- Chief Hunt- dictate his life.
Sam Kincaid.... was a cop from Charlotte’s side of town....the ‘poor’ side of the mountain. He had been friends with Charlotte before she married Paul.
Chet was Charlotte’s - often needy - brother. But ...Charlotte loved him. He moved in with a woman named Annalee. They were constantly breaking up and getting back together again.
Lake Cosby was the only town in the southern Appalachians perched at the edge of the water, which made it a popular tourist spot. Most of the businesses were pretentious… Farm-to-table restaurants, a specialty fudge shop, and specialty boutiques.
I enjoyed the setting-landscape descriptions as much as the mystery thriller story itself.
This psychological mystery murder thriller had plenty to chew on...
Lots of gossip, secrets, lies, and rumors about who- what- and why Sienna was killed - how her death connected to Paul’s first wife’s death ...
Who lied
Who cheated
Who had an alibi and who didn’t
“Extenuating circumstance”.....are words you’ll find in this novel to explain why the past - and secrets - were not understood.
Great beach pick or ‘middle-of-the-night’ read for insomnia folks.
Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing, Netgalley, and Kimberly Belle
‘Surprise’, Charlotte was pregnant - not planned- with Paul’s baby - her new husband - eleven years older than she was. Charlotte had only known Paul for about a year. Everyone from their town said it would never work. We will soon discover much more of what will never work.
Paul was 37 years old, a wealthy widower, who owned Keller Architecture. His clients were privileged, demanding, and entitled. His clients liked Paul because he was one of them.
Charlotte had been a gas station clerk... ( a trailer-park girl), from the poor side of town of Lake Cosby, North Carolina.
She now worked part-time for Paul.....( her role was client relations), and Charlotte’s most important role was being Paul’s new young pregnant wife.
Paul’s mother and town folks won’t believe Charlotte’s pregnancy was an accident. They’ll say that Paul was trapped.
“Sugar daddy, sugar baby, baby daddy”.
The people in town think that Charlotte married Paul for his money. She didn’t.
Charlotte married Paul for love— and she loved all the things he could provide.
We get back story not only on Charlotte and Paul, but also on Jax Edwards, and Micah Hunt, ( friend/ connections to Paul),
“Jax Edwards — was the local town loon, a “raggedy bearded boogeyman”, who lived in the woods. Most people turned away from him, either out of pity or fear, but not Charlotte.
“Micah Hunt - was the best underwater criminal investigator and hundreds of miles”.....but he’ll never be good enough for his father- Chief Hunt.
Charlotte liked Micah - he never made her feel Paul was slumming by choosing her - ( gas station attendant girl from a trailer park)....and he had more daddy issues than she did.
For Paul,......Jax was a painful subject, he didn’t like to talk about.
“Once upon a time, Jax had everything going for him. High school prom king and star quarterback, the golden boy with a golden future, and one of Paul’s two best friends”.
Paul, Jax, and Micah....were all close buddies in High School. We will soon see just how complicated those relationships were.
Other relationships- people in this town complicate things also.
At the center of the story…a woman, “Sienna’, was found dead in the lake. Presumably.... whoever killed her lived in this town of Crosby Lake.
Kimberly Belle has a talent for intertwisted - tangly - mussed up storytelling.
She’s becoming a psychological thriller-household name for readers who indulge pleasure into this genre.
Not sure this was Belle’s top rated book.... but we are drawn into a web of intrigue — with interesting characters:
Paul.....was out running all the time -
Jax....found solace in the woods -
Micah....wanted to be his own man- not have his father- Chief Hunt- dictate his life.
Sam Kincaid.... was a cop from Charlotte’s side of town....the ‘poor’ side of the mountain. He had been friends with Charlotte before she married Paul.
Chet was Charlotte’s - often needy - brother. But ...Charlotte loved him. He moved in with a woman named Annalee. They were constantly breaking up and getting back together again.
Lake Cosby was the only town in the southern Appalachians perched at the edge of the water, which made it a popular tourist spot. Most of the businesses were pretentious… Farm-to-table restaurants, a specialty fudge shop, and specialty boutiques.
I enjoyed the setting-landscape descriptions as much as the mystery thriller story itself.
This psychological mystery murder thriller had plenty to chew on...
Lots of gossip, secrets, lies, and rumors about who- what- and why Sienna was killed - how her death connected to Paul’s first wife’s death ...
Who lied
Who cheated
Who had an alibi and who didn’t
“Extenuating circumstance”.....are words you’ll find in this novel to explain why the past - and secrets - were not understood.
Great beach pick or ‘middle-of-the-night’ read for insomnia folks.
Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing, Netgalley, and Kimberly Belle
June 4, 2020
I never in a million years thought I'd say this about a Kimberly Belle novel, but I was underwhelmed. In fact, I'll dare say I was legit bored through the entirety of the story.
Unlike her two previous works, Dear Wife and The Marriage Lie, both of which I absolutely LOVED, Stranger in the Lake felt slow and a little humdrum. Even worse, I figured out WAY, WAY early how the book was going to end...every.single.twist.
The bulk of the book takes place in a lakeside mansion inhabited by Charlotte and her brother, Chet.
Am I the only one who thinks of the movie 'Weird Science,' and a big pile of poo, when I hear the name Chet?
Charlotte's husband, Paul, is never around, as he's avoiding her...for good reason.
Chet cooks, Charlotte eats, then brags about his cooking. During the times she's not eating, she's trying to figure out what's going on with Paul and this two friends, Micah and Jax.
The timeline jumps from the present to the year 1999, when Paul, Jax, and Micah were partying their summer away before leaving for college. Neither timeline is particularly riveting.
Please don't get me wrong, this isn't a bad book...it simply doesn't stand up to the awesomeness of Ms. Belle's previous works. Not even close.
This book will be available for purchase June 9, 2020.
**My sincere thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
Unlike her two previous works, Dear Wife and The Marriage Lie, both of which I absolutely LOVED, Stranger in the Lake felt slow and a little humdrum. Even worse, I figured out WAY, WAY early how the book was going to end...every.single.twist.
The bulk of the book takes place in a lakeside mansion inhabited by Charlotte and her brother, Chet.
Am I the only one who thinks of the movie 'Weird Science,' and a big pile of poo, when I hear the name Chet?
Charlotte's husband, Paul, is never around, as he's avoiding her...for good reason.
Chet cooks, Charlotte eats, then brags about his cooking. During the times she's not eating, she's trying to figure out what's going on with Paul and this two friends, Micah and Jax.
The timeline jumps from the present to the year 1999, when Paul, Jax, and Micah were partying their summer away before leaving for college. Neither timeline is particularly riveting.
Please don't get me wrong, this isn't a bad book...it simply doesn't stand up to the awesomeness of Ms. Belle's previous works. Not even close.
This book will be available for purchase June 9, 2020.
**My sincere thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
February 5, 2020
Kimberly Belle explores the shocking depths people will go to keep their secrets buried in her latest slow burn thriller STRANGER IN THE LAKE, before building to an explosive and unexpected finale. Belle delivers with lyric prose and an atmospheric, moody mystery that will have her fans begging for more. Must read!
November 12, 2020
I wish I could give this a higher rating and at times, thought it was headed for a 4, but I really think that all in all, I just "liked" it and was a bit disappointed it didn't give me more. But a solid 3.5 is what I would give.
I also have to point out that I listened to the audiobook and that may have made it better, so I can't comment on the reading experience and whether it would be a very slow burn. It is very atmospheric and not in an exciting, tense, dark way, but I could truly picture the sleepy, woodsy, lake town that this takes place in and, for me, Xe Sands' narration made the me feel like the character of Charlotte came alive, I could hear her stress as well as the easy way she knew this town inside and out.
The story begins with Charlotte finding a woman's dead body floating at the dock of their home. This is an even bigger stress than you could imagine because her husband Paul's first wife also drowned and was found in the same spot. Is this just a terrible coincidence or something more sinister? Has Paul been honest with her about his first wife's death?
I was expecting it to be more of a thriller, and it should have been as there were a few tense scenes but I sadly felt a bit detached and didn't feel the stress, I found it to be more of a family drama with a mystery, and it was a good read, just not one that I was head over heels for. I wont carry the character with me and think about the story longer than this review.
Also, Charlotte was written with a strong moral character and I didn't love that instead of showing that to us and letting us feel it, the author had Charlotte say it repeatedly and point out lack of morals in others, it just seemed very pointed and was even in the narrative, and I felt we could have gotten there without her pointing it out so frequently.
When I started the first half of the book, I was lulled by the beautiful narration and let myself experience the descriptions, truly enjoying picking up the book. Third quarter I was less interested. Last quarter of the book, the action picked up and I'm not sure why but I wasn't drawn in, or invested, I was just watching it happen. A whole lot of backstory was flushed out at this point as well and it just seemed like a lot happening at once and made me wonder why much of that wasn't woven into the first part of the book so we would have more "aha" moments. Again, I felt like we were told a brief description of each character and then left at that, we didn't get immersed and get to watch them act as those people of see their past clearly.
Still, with that said, I felt it was well written, well narrated, and interesting, just not enough for 4⭐s and I will let you decide if you want to find the stranger in the lake🌊
I also have to point out that I listened to the audiobook and that may have made it better, so I can't comment on the reading experience and whether it would be a very slow burn. It is very atmospheric and not in an exciting, tense, dark way, but I could truly picture the sleepy, woodsy, lake town that this takes place in and, for me, Xe Sands' narration made the me feel like the character of Charlotte came alive, I could hear her stress as well as the easy way she knew this town inside and out.
The story begins with Charlotte finding a woman's dead body floating at the dock of their home. This is an even bigger stress than you could imagine because her husband Paul's first wife also drowned and was found in the same spot. Is this just a terrible coincidence or something more sinister? Has Paul been honest with her about his first wife's death?
I was expecting it to be more of a thriller, and it should have been as there were a few tense scenes but I sadly felt a bit detached and didn't feel the stress, I found it to be more of a family drama with a mystery, and it was a good read, just not one that I was head over heels for. I wont carry the character with me and think about the story longer than this review.
Also, Charlotte was written with a strong moral character and I didn't love that instead of showing that to us and letting us feel it, the author had Charlotte say it repeatedly and point out lack of morals in others, it just seemed very pointed and was even in the narrative, and I felt we could have gotten there without her pointing it out so frequently.
When I started the first half of the book, I was lulled by the beautiful narration and let myself experience the descriptions, truly enjoying picking up the book. Third quarter I was less interested. Last quarter of the book, the action picked up and I'm not sure why but I wasn't drawn in, or invested, I was just watching it happen. A whole lot of backstory was flushed out at this point as well and it just seemed like a lot happening at once and made me wonder why much of that wasn't woven into the first part of the book so we would have more "aha" moments. Again, I felt like we were told a brief description of each character and then left at that, we didn't get immersed and get to watch them act as those people of see their past clearly.
Still, with that said, I felt it was well written, well narrated, and interesting, just not enough for 4⭐s and I will let you decide if you want to find the stranger in the lake🌊
July 5, 2020
Secrets can be destructive in so many ways, as we learn in Kimberly Belle's new thriller,
Stranger in the Lake
.
When gas station cashier Charlotte married the wealthy, older widower Paul, it caused a great deal of gossip in their small town. Many thought she was just after his money, and some still think he killed his first wife a few years ago. But they are happier than anyone really knows.
One morning she finds a young woman’s body floating in the lake behind their house. Shockingly, it’s the same place where Paul’s first wife’s body was found. And when they pull the woman’s body out of the lake, why did Paul lie to the police that he’d never seen her, when Charlotte saw them talking just the day before?
As Paul goes away to “handle” some things, Charlotte is left to wonder if the man she married is hiding more secrets from her, or if he’s the good man she believes him to be. But question after question keeps popping up.
Is she at risk? Is Paul a killer? Who was this woman that was found in the lake? Charlotte is determined to find the answers even if she might not like them.
I don’t read a ton of thrillers anymore because I got tired of guessing what was going to happen within the first 50 pages. That’s what happened here, although there were lots of twists and turns along the way.
The narration fluctuated between the present and 20 years earlier, with Paul and his two best friends. But the flashbacks expose a coincidence that made me roll my eyes a little.
There should be a moratorium on books where there’s a secret that everyone but the protagonist knows, and when they bring it up they’re told they wouldn’t understand or they don’t need to know.
I know some have enjoyed this book, and lots of you are huge thriller fans, so don’t let my nit-picking dissuade you! I will say that I couldn’t stop reading!
I was pleased to be part of the blog tour for this book. NetGalley and Park Row Books provided me a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!!
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2019 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2019.html.
Check out my list of the best books of the decade at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/my-favorite-books-of-decade.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
When gas station cashier Charlotte married the wealthy, older widower Paul, it caused a great deal of gossip in their small town. Many thought she was just after his money, and some still think he killed his first wife a few years ago. But they are happier than anyone really knows.
One morning she finds a young woman’s body floating in the lake behind their house. Shockingly, it’s the same place where Paul’s first wife’s body was found. And when they pull the woman’s body out of the lake, why did Paul lie to the police that he’d never seen her, when Charlotte saw them talking just the day before?
As Paul goes away to “handle” some things, Charlotte is left to wonder if the man she married is hiding more secrets from her, or if he’s the good man she believes him to be. But question after question keeps popping up.
Is she at risk? Is Paul a killer? Who was this woman that was found in the lake? Charlotte is determined to find the answers even if she might not like them.
I don’t read a ton of thrillers anymore because I got tired of guessing what was going to happen within the first 50 pages. That’s what happened here, although there were lots of twists and turns along the way.
The narration fluctuated between the present and 20 years earlier, with Paul and his two best friends. But the flashbacks expose a coincidence that made me roll my eyes a little.
There should be a moratorium on books where there’s a secret that everyone but the protagonist knows, and when they bring it up they’re told they wouldn’t understand or they don’t need to know.
I know some have enjoyed this book, and lots of you are huge thriller fans, so don’t let my nit-picking dissuade you! I will say that I couldn’t stop reading!
I was pleased to be part of the blog tour for this book. NetGalley and Park Row Books provided me a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!!
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2019 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2019.html.
Check out my list of the best books of the decade at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/my-favorite-books-of-decade.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
May 23, 2020
Charlotte is married to wealthy architect Paul and they live in a gorgeous home overlooking Lake Crosby. Charlotte has come from a more humble background, being bought up in a trailer. Paul has recently lost his first wife in a suspicious drowning incident, but the couple have moved on and are excited to find out that they are going to have a baby.
All is well until Charlotte goes to their boat to retrieve her phone and sees a dead woman in the lake. Who is she and is it a coincidence that this is the second drowning.
The story goes back to 1999. Teenager Paul is friends with Jax and Micah. Something happened that night which affected all their lives! The secret is revealed in tantalising bite sized pieces!!
This is such a gripping book that kept me guessing until the end, I really didn’t know who to trust!!
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
All is well until Charlotte goes to their boat to retrieve her phone and sees a dead woman in the lake. Who is she and is it a coincidence that this is the second drowning.
The story goes back to 1999. Teenager Paul is friends with Jax and Micah. Something happened that night which affected all their lives! The secret is revealed in tantalising bite sized pieces!!
This is such a gripping book that kept me guessing until the end, I really didn’t know who to trust!!
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
July 27, 2020
Waterlogged.
The story began on a high note as I loved the mini town setting on a lake where everyone knows each other’s business. Oh, the gossip!
Mix in a young wife improving her circumstances by marriage. Her entitled newish husband may have a past and is acting mysterious.
The scene was set and so was I.
However, the procedural descriptions after a body was found lost me a bit. I felt they were disjointed and didn’t flow smoothly. Although I kept reading, I couldn’t regain the momentum from the beginning.
I was anticipating this book after hearing so much about Kimberly Belle and liking Dear Wife. I’ll definitely try others by this author and hope that I enjoy them more.
The story began on a high note as I loved the mini town setting on a lake where everyone knows each other’s business. Oh, the gossip!
Mix in a young wife improving her circumstances by marriage. Her entitled newish husband may have a past and is acting mysterious.
The scene was set and so was I.
However, the procedural descriptions after a body was found lost me a bit. I felt they were disjointed and didn’t flow smoothly. Although I kept reading, I couldn’t regain the momentum from the beginning.
I was anticipating this book after hearing so much about Kimberly Belle and liking Dear Wife. I’ll definitely try others by this author and hope that I enjoy them more.
July 17, 2020
I split this book between audio-book format and the paperback. This was a solid 3 Star read, but far from Belle's best, which I believe to be her previous novel, Dear Wife. My biggest issue with this one was how slow paced it seemed. The story starts off with a body being discovered floating on our protagonists's (Charlie) lake house property, and then there's really not much else that happens up until the very end. The story occasionally jumps from present back to 1999 when her husband, Paul is involved in an automobile accident with his still present day friends. I wasn't quite sure why this flashback story was relevant until the very end, but it still didn't do much for me.
I appreciated the double twist at the end, which I didn't exactly see coming, but was not too shocked by, as it felt like it had been done many times before. The characters overall were tolerable and the only one I really had issues with was Charlie's rich husband Paul. Who, after discovering a dead body on his property, would decide to go on a trip and leave their wife to pick up the pieces in real life??! It didn't feel realistic to me, and definitely annoyed me about him as a character. Aside from the pacing, an annoying character, and the somewhat lackluster reveal, this was a decent novel. Don't get me wrong, with the amount of thrillers/suspense novels I read, a 3 Star rating is not bad, it just means that the novel didn't especially stand out for me, and I will probably forget about it within the next few months. Belle undeniably has skill as a writer, and I think a lot of people will enjoy this one, it's just not going to end up being on my top of 2020 list, if that makes sense. Still a huge Belle fan, and will continue reading her!
I appreciated the double twist at the end, which I didn't exactly see coming, but was not too shocked by, as it felt like it had been done many times before. The characters overall were tolerable and the only one I really had issues with was Charlie's rich husband Paul. Who, after discovering a dead body on his property, would decide to go on a trip and leave their wife to pick up the pieces in real life??! It didn't feel realistic to me, and definitely annoyed me about him as a character. Aside from the pacing, an annoying character, and the somewhat lackluster reveal, this was a decent novel. Don't get me wrong, with the amount of thrillers/suspense novels I read, a 3 Star rating is not bad, it just means that the novel didn't especially stand out for me, and I will probably forget about it within the next few months. Belle undeniably has skill as a writer, and I think a lot of people will enjoy this one, it's just not going to end up being on my top of 2020 list, if that makes sense. Still a huge Belle fan, and will continue reading her!
June 10, 2020
**Happy pub week to Kimberly Belle!
4 town secret stars
Charlie grew up on the “wrong” side of the tracks in town with a terrible home life. As an adult, Charlotte meets and marries the wealthy widow and architect Paul. You can guess what her childhood friends thought of that! Not only that there are mysterious circumstances surrounding the drowning death of his first wife.
Charlotte and Paul live in a gorgeous lake house that Paul designed, and Charlotte is living a dream life. All that is shattered when another body is found in the lake and the questions and doubts creep in. Throw in Paul’s mysterious childhood friend Jax who now lives in the woods and you’ve got a delicious creepy recipe!
Who can Charlotte trust and just who is the mysterious stranger who has washed up under their dock? This Kimberly Belle tale is full of secrets and lies and I never quite knew who to trust.
There are flashbacks to Paul’s high school days with Jax and neighbor Micah, but I preferred the modern-day story much better. My favorite part of the book was Charlotte’s relationship with her brother Chet. With their terrible childhood, the two are quite close and I always felt that Chet had her back. We need more strong brother-sister relationships in books!
This one was a quick read and Kimberly Belle crafted another good thriller here!
Thank you NetGalley, Kimberly Belle, and Harlequin/Park Row for an early copy to read.
4 town secret stars
Charlie grew up on the “wrong” side of the tracks in town with a terrible home life. As an adult, Charlotte meets and marries the wealthy widow and architect Paul. You can guess what her childhood friends thought of that! Not only that there are mysterious circumstances surrounding the drowning death of his first wife.
Charlotte and Paul live in a gorgeous lake house that Paul designed, and Charlotte is living a dream life. All that is shattered when another body is found in the lake and the questions and doubts creep in. Throw in Paul’s mysterious childhood friend Jax who now lives in the woods and you’ve got a delicious creepy recipe!
Who can Charlotte trust and just who is the mysterious stranger who has washed up under their dock? This Kimberly Belle tale is full of secrets and lies and I never quite knew who to trust.
There are flashbacks to Paul’s high school days with Jax and neighbor Micah, but I preferred the modern-day story much better. My favorite part of the book was Charlotte’s relationship with her brother Chet. With their terrible childhood, the two are quite close and I always felt that Chet had her back. We need more strong brother-sister relationships in books!
This one was a quick read and Kimberly Belle crafted another good thriller here!
Thank you NetGalley, Kimberly Belle, and Harlequin/Park Row for an early copy to read.
July 7, 2020
A psychological thriller about murder in a small town where nothing or no one is quite what it seems.
Stranger in the Lake was a quick read which was unfortunately predictable and overall left me feeling meh about it. In all honesty, I was turned off early on and just couldn’t switch it back on. Others may fare much better with this one than I did, especially if you’re under 40. Let me explain! 😉
This book is about a woman, Charlotte and her wealthy, older husband Paul. She is in her mid 20s and he is in his late 30s. There is an 11 year age difference. Much mention is made of this age difference in the book. Even more mention is made of how “old” the poor husband is. He's in his LATE 30s! Really - so that's OLD now? This got irritating to me as a reader - 𝘍𝘈𝘚𝘛! I’m over 40 and I couldn’t help but feel it was ridiculous and unfortunately ruined much of the reading experience for me. 🤷🏻♀️
That being said, the mystery was interesting and although I had it partially figured out - there was an unexpected curveball of a twist that I appreciated. I loved Belle's previous book, Dear Wife, and I had high hopes for this one. I’d have definitely enjoyed the book more if part of the plot hadn’t made me feel geriatric. 😉
Stranger in the Lake was a quick read which was unfortunately predictable and overall left me feeling meh about it. In all honesty, I was turned off early on and just couldn’t switch it back on. Others may fare much better with this one than I did, especially if you’re under 40. Let me explain! 😉
This book is about a woman, Charlotte and her wealthy, older husband Paul. She is in her mid 20s and he is in his late 30s. There is an 11 year age difference. Much mention is made of this age difference in the book. Even more mention is made of how “old” the poor husband is. He's in his LATE 30s! Really - so that's OLD now? This got irritating to me as a reader - 𝘍𝘈𝘚𝘛! I’m over 40 and I couldn’t help but feel it was ridiculous and unfortunately ruined much of the reading experience for me. 🤷🏻♀️
That being said, the mystery was interesting and although I had it partially figured out - there was an unexpected curveball of a twist that I appreciated. I loved Belle's previous book, Dear Wife, and I had high hopes for this one. I’d have definitely enjoyed the book more if part of the plot hadn’t made me feel geriatric. 😉
November 17, 2020
The first half of this book is a slow burn, it did start to pick up in the second half but for me it still fell a bit flat. There wasn’t a lot of depth to the characters so it so was hard to really connect and feel anything for them.
I was also able to predict the ending which just means I’ve read too many similar thrillers. I did enjoy this book, I just didn’t love it.
I was also able to predict the ending which just means I’ve read too many similar thrillers. I did enjoy this book, I just didn’t love it.
January 28, 2021
Well i finally finished this one took me a while but some of you know why?
Stranger In The Lake was a mystery suspense novel about a woman who was found in Lake Crosby North Carolina, Charlotte & Paul Keller have moved to the town, what happens from here is that Paul is accused of murdering the stranger who was in the lake, but secrets are held by Paul, & his two best friends Jax who lives like a hermit in the forest he was a star quarterback at school a high Scholl prom king & now known as Batty Jax>
As Charlotte looks into Paul's background she finds out that secrets he has been hiding will eventually come to the fore& Charlotte is paranoid about the lies Paul has told & is dtermined to ger to the bottom of it.
What secrets are Paul, Jax & Micah hiding & will the truth be revealed.
MY THOUGHTS
This was a fast paced mystery suspense novel that kept me turning the pages the characters were well written & each had flaws, it was an entertaining read with some reveals i wasn't expecting my favourite character was Jax as he was virtually a totally different person from his school days i wanted to read more about him as he was Paul's best friend, to sum up i was happy with the ending it was a satisfying read.
Stranger In The Lake was a mystery suspense novel about a woman who was found in Lake Crosby North Carolina, Charlotte & Paul Keller have moved to the town, what happens from here is that Paul is accused of murdering the stranger who was in the lake, but secrets are held by Paul, & his two best friends Jax who lives like a hermit in the forest he was a star quarterback at school a high Scholl prom king & now known as Batty Jax>
As Charlotte looks into Paul's background she finds out that secrets he has been hiding will eventually come to the fore& Charlotte is paranoid about the lies Paul has told & is dtermined to ger to the bottom of it.
What secrets are Paul, Jax & Micah hiding & will the truth be revealed.
MY THOUGHTS
This was a fast paced mystery suspense novel that kept me turning the pages the characters were well written & each had flaws, it was an entertaining read with some reveals i wasn't expecting my favourite character was Jax as he was virtually a totally different person from his school days i wanted to read more about him as he was Paul's best friend, to sum up i was happy with the ending it was a satisfying read.
April 13, 2020
This thriller/mystery will instantly suck you in with it’s long-held secrets and battle-scarred characters! And if that doesn’t grab your attention, there is the mysterious dead body in the lake.
”In the end, we all reap what we sow.”
Kimberly Belle shot to the top of my fav author list after I read the phenomenal “Dear Wife”! This one was so close to a 5-star read, but unfortunately, I couldn’t help but compare it to her previous work.
Lake Crosby is very rich vs. poor, with well-thought-out characters you will love and hate. Charlotte was one of the characters I loved! Easy to underestimate at the beginning, but she developed into a first-rate heroine.
Thank you NetGalley, Park Row and Kimberly Belle, for this free digital ARC, in exchange for my honest review!
My Rating: 4 ⭐️’s
Published: June 9th 2020 by Park Row
Pages: 352
Recommend: Yes!
@KimberlySBelle @parkrowbooks
#NetGalley #MustRead
”In the end, we all reap what we sow.”
Kimberly Belle shot to the top of my fav author list after I read the phenomenal “Dear Wife”! This one was so close to a 5-star read, but unfortunately, I couldn’t help but compare it to her previous work.
Lake Crosby is very rich vs. poor, with well-thought-out characters you will love and hate. Charlotte was one of the characters I loved! Easy to underestimate at the beginning, but she developed into a first-rate heroine.
Thank you NetGalley, Park Row and Kimberly Belle, for this free digital ARC, in exchange for my honest review!
My Rating: 4 ⭐️’s
Published: June 9th 2020 by Park Row
Pages: 352
Recommend: Yes!
@KimberlySBelle @parkrowbooks
#NetGalley #MustRead
June 12, 2020
Check out all of my reviews at: https://www.avonnalovesgenres.com
STRANGER IN THE LAKE by Kimberly Belle is a suspense/thriller/mystery mash-up that kept me completely engrossed from start to finish. The majority of the story is told in the first person by the protagonist except for intermittent flashbacks that slowly reveal the mystery from the past that has been responsible for all the choices made by the other main characters into the present.
Charlotte “Charlie” grew up poor, raising her younger brother in a trailer park while their addicted mother continually abandoned them. While working as a gas station clerk, she falls in love with a wealthy widower, Paul Keller. Paul is the security and love she has always craved. She refuses to believe the rumors, but he has whispers that continually follow him. His first wife was found drowned in the lake that their property sits on while he was out jogging.
The suspicion increases when a young woman visiting Lake Crosby is found drowned on the lake exactly where his first wife was found four years previously. Paul lied to the police about talking to her the previous day and Charlotte covers for him, but suddenly the lies begin to multiply and Charlotte is even more suspicious of the stories her husband is telling her.
I loved how strong, determined and independent Charlotte “Charlie” was throughout the story. Even when in peril, she finds a way to help herself. Her whole journey she had dignity and morals that she was never willing to compromise. The intervals of the past where we learn of the families and friendships of Paul, Jax and Micah were compelling because you just knew that there was going to be a tragedy involved. Ms. Belle did an excellent job of smoothly intertwining the past and present throughout the story right up to the climax.
I can highly recommend this suspense/thriller/mystery mash-up. I will definitely be looking for more books by this new to me author.
STRANGER IN THE LAKE by Kimberly Belle is a suspense/thriller/mystery mash-up that kept me completely engrossed from start to finish. The majority of the story is told in the first person by the protagonist except for intermittent flashbacks that slowly reveal the mystery from the past that has been responsible for all the choices made by the other main characters into the present.
Charlotte “Charlie” grew up poor, raising her younger brother in a trailer park while their addicted mother continually abandoned them. While working as a gas station clerk, she falls in love with a wealthy widower, Paul Keller. Paul is the security and love she has always craved. She refuses to believe the rumors, but he has whispers that continually follow him. His first wife was found drowned in the lake that their property sits on while he was out jogging.
The suspicion increases when a young woman visiting Lake Crosby is found drowned on the lake exactly where his first wife was found four years previously. Paul lied to the police about talking to her the previous day and Charlotte covers for him, but suddenly the lies begin to multiply and Charlotte is even more suspicious of the stories her husband is telling her.
I loved how strong, determined and independent Charlotte “Charlie” was throughout the story. Even when in peril, she finds a way to help herself. Her whole journey she had dignity and morals that she was never willing to compromise. The intervals of the past where we learn of the families and friendships of Paul, Jax and Micah were compelling because you just knew that there was going to be a tragedy involved. Ms. Belle did an excellent job of smoothly intertwining the past and present throughout the story right up to the climax.
I can highly recommend this suspense/thriller/mystery mash-up. I will definitely be looking for more books by this new to me author.
October 24, 2025
I like belle, she is such a great writer and I am always sucked into her stories.
August 24, 2021
I enjoyed reading this in the beginning, but as the pages went by, I slowly became bored with the story. I found it to be underwhelming. The ending was lame and disappointing. It started off interesting but it just didn’t hold my attention. For a thriller I didn’t find it that thrilling.
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