4 stars out of 5
There are two "stars" of this show: Gwen Proctor, a private investigator and the ex-wife of a now-dead serial killer, and Kezia Claremont, a local detective and Gwen's good friend who knows Gwen (not her original name) had nothing to do with her ex-husband's penchant for murder. Both women must deal with adversity - Gwen because many people still believe she helped her ex do his dirty work, and Kezia because she's relatively young and Black in a small Southern community near Knoxville, Tennessee, that isn't exactly welcoming to people of color.
As this one opens, Gwen gets a call from Kezia, who's at the scene of a crime near Stillhouse Lake (where Gwen and her ex once lived). A car has been found half-buried in the lake, with two young girls secured in the back seat. It's a grizzly sight, to be sure, and questions arise immediately as to the whereabouts of the girls' mother, who's apparently on the lam.
Around the same time, though, Gwen's past begins to haunt her - or perhaps more accurately, taunt her. She's never felt free from the "hold" her ex-husband had on her while they were together - even though he's quite dead. Now, his presence once again begins to loom large in her family's life, frightening and threatening her partner, Sam, a flight instructor who has adopted both of Gwen's now mostly-grown children, as well as Gwen and the kids.
Told through alternating viewpoints of Gwen, Kezia and Sam, events - which include more murders, more threats and life-threatening situations - lead to an exciting end that yes, kept me on the edge of my seat. And for the record, I had no trouble following this one even though I had not read any of the previous four books in the series.
In short, well done - and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy. R.I.P., Ms. Caine.
Heartbreak Bay by Rachel Caine (Thomas & Mercer, March 2021); 335 pp.
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