Wolfhunter River (Stillhouse Lake Book 3) – Rachel Caine

At this point, Gwen Proctor can’t even breathe wrong without someone turning it into a national headline. She agrees to go on The Howie Hamlin Show to discuss the online threats she’s been getting, but, because life loves Gwen, she gets ambushed live on air by Miranda Tidewell, a victim’s mother who still thinks Gwen’s guilty. Miranda also drops the bomb that there’s a documentary about Gwen coming out. Because why heal when you can monetize trauma?

Gwen barely makes it home before finding a rattlesnake in her mailbox. (A literal snake. Not a metaphorical one. Though there are plenty of those too.) Then a random woman from a town called Wolfhunter River calls begging for help, and before anyone can stop her, Gwen is tossing the kids and Sam in the car for yet another “quick trip” that will obviously end in bullets and betrayal.

In Wolfhunter, the police are corrupt, the residents are shady, and Sam immediately gets arrested for manslaughter. Because sure, why not add felony charges to the itinerary? Gwen calls in every favor she has, dodges gunfire with the kids in the car, and still finds time to argue with Miranda again, who may or may not be running a cult-like hate group called the Lost Angels. (Ten points for subtlety, Miranda.)

Meanwhile Sam is out here confessing his messy past—turns out he actually co-founded the Lost Angels with Miranda back in the day. Nothing says “healthy relationship foundation” like learning your boyfriend used to make wanted posters of you. Gwen handles it the only way she knows how: mild emotional breakdown, then immediate problem-solving with a firearm.

From there, chaos reigns. Cars roll, cops die, everyone’s double-crossing everyone, and a missing child named Ellie White becomes the moral centerpiece of the disaster. Gwen ends up fighting an armed woman with a letter opener, because apparently she can turn anything into a weapon. It’s wild, cinematic, and somehow she still makes it out alive—stab wound, blood loss, unconsciousness, and all.

By the time the sirens fade and the smoke clears, Ellie’s rescued from a literal underground bunker, the bad guys are gone, and Gwen is—get this—applying to become a private investigator. Because after surviving three books of serial killers, online mobs, and corrupt cops, why wouldn’t you make that your full-time job?

This one felt different from the first two. Less “Melvin Royal psychological terror” and more small-town conspiracy chaos. I kind of miss the original tension with Melvin still lurking, but the emotional fallout here hits hard. Gwen’s growth feels earned—she’s tired, jaded, and still somehow unstoppable. Sam’s confession was rough, but it made him more human, and I actually liked seeing Gwen process that instead of pretending everything’s fine. The kids are solid gold, and I’m praying neither of them grows up to be anything like their dad.

It’s messy, bloody, and a little off-the-rails, but it’s Stillhouse Lake, so honestly… would it even feel right if it wasn’t?

My Rating: ⭐️3.6 / 5

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