Stranger in the Lake

I don't even bother reading the blurbs on Belle's work now because I know I'm going to enjoy reading every single book she writes. As always the writing was flawless, the characterisation superb, the plot tight and tense, the conclusion perfect, the baddies motive realistic, and the police procedure spot on. I did guess who did what this time but it only enhanced my enjoyment of the novel because it added believability to an entertaining thriller. I read it in a day because I couldn't turn away from it for long. I'm already looking forward to Kimberly's next title which I will pre-order as soon as it's available.

Charlotte married a wealthy widower less than a year ago. Paul's first wife died unexpectedly, a little over four years ago. They live in a cove where the currents are swift & the water is dangerously deep.People say Charlotte (26) married Paul (37) for his money. She comes from a grubby trailer-park. Her father is a convict. Her mother is a meth-head. People say she's too young, too unpolished, too poor & too crass. Her friends & family think Miss High & Mighty abandoned them for the comforts of a fancy palatial home up on a hill.Early one morning, Charlotte finds a woman floating facedown in the water, under their dock. Clearly, she's dead. This brings back unpleasant memories for Paul. His first wife drowned under mysterious circumstances. Or did she??? Former competitive swimmers don't just sink to the bottom of the lake. Two dead bodies under the same dock four years apart. That's too much of a coincidence to be a coincidence. One body is a tragedy. Two is a pattern.It doesn't take much to ignite talk in the town. Conjecture spreads through the hills like a late summer forest fire. There's not a soul in town who isn't talking about the dead tourist found floating in the lake. You'd think gossip was an Olympic sport. Everything's pretty much the opposite of okay! This is now a murder investigation. And, there's LOTS Paul's not telling Charlotte.She was SO eager to escape her white-trash upbringing, she didn't realize she was trading one set of problems for another. This is only the start of this nightmare. Not that long ago, a couple of recreational divers found a rusted-out Camaro containing a skeleton at the bottom of the lake. Was his death an accident or a crime? A victim of his own bad karma? Are these deaths connected???

Charlotte grows up disadvantaged, but her fortunes change when she marries Paul, a wealthy widower, whose first wife tragically drowns at their lakefront home. When a second woman’s body washes ashore months later at the same site, small-town gossip and suspicion focus on Paul, and Charlotte begins to wonder just how well she truly knows her often-secretive new husband. The plot expands from there, with an interesting cast of characters and an intriguing tale. Paul’s two best friends, Micah and Jax, round out the story, and the murder mystery moves back and forth between this trio of childhood friends, and their possible involvement in the inexplicable deaths at the lake. Belle has penned a compelling read. It’s atmospheric, engrossing and fast-paced. Great character development and believable dialogue. The story has many twists and turns and keeps the reader guessing and turning pages. Very enjoyable. The ending was somewhat disappointing and a bit preachy, but still a good book full of suspense.

“When you think about it, isn’t security another word for love?” Charlotte is pure trailer park trash, marrying up to the wealthiest guy in her North Carolina town, Paul Keller who happens to also be eleven years older than her, with a disapproving mother. Despite what it looks like, Charlotte really does love her husband and they’re both ecstatic when they find out she’s pregnant. The day after she receives the news of her pregnancy, she walks down to the docks next to Skelton Cove and discovers the body of a young woman, exactly where Paul’s first wife drowned four years ago. At first she appears to be a stranger and then Charlotte realizes she saw the woman in town the day before-talking in low tones to her very own husband. When Paul lies to the police, saying he’s never seen the woman, Charlotte must discover what her husband is hiding and decide if his secrets are worth keeping. Okay, so I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. I enjoyed how Charlotte was a very moral person and very much black or white. I loved the subtle look into socioeconomics of the town and how people turned their backs on Charlotte when they saw her digging her way out. I loved the relationship between her and Chet. I do wish there had been more scenes with her mother or Jax maybe. However, I wasn’t expecting the twist and I really liked it! It’s definitely a quick read, so if you’re looking for a fast paced who-did-it, be sure to check this one out.

Stranger in the Lake“Charlotte didn’t know her greatest risk was saying, “I do.”So many things in this book I was not expecting. It was one shock after the other... and I loved it! Great job Kimberly Belle on this book! Sorry I suck and it took me so long to finish it! Thank you to my book club ReadMeet for introducing me to this great thriller!This story follows Charlotte who is married to the VERY rich Paul, whose precious wife was found under his dock from an apparent drowning. Of course at the time everyone in town believed Paul did it and he has been treated differently ever since. Now fast forward to the present and Charlotte finds a woman’s body under the same exact dock and she feels this can’t be a coincidence.The story also follows Paul, Micah, and Jax when they were younger and were best friends. Some sort of tragedy happens that turns Jax into Batty Jax but they only give a few details every few chapters until BAM, we find everything out and it wasn’t what I expected.... then BAM another bombshell hits! I was on the edge of my seat...I mean couch...hahaI can’t delve to deep into this book without giving away spoilers, so if you like eerie and thriller then this is the book for you. GRAB YOUR COPY and let me know what you think!#strangerinthelake #readmeetrepeat #beforeschool #morningcoffee #coffeeandbooks #justonemorechapter #bookworm #bookclub #booknerd