Book Review: “Stranger in the Lake” by Kimberly Belle

Happy Thriller Thursday! Thank you @parkrowbooks for my gifted copy of “Stranger in the Lake” by Kimberly Belle! (pub date 6/9)

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 & 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.

I have read so many psychological thrillers, that it’s getting tougher to knock my socks off these days. But Belle’s latest novel, “Stranger in the Lake”, did manage to at least pull my socks down to my toes. This book is atmospheric, tension building, twisty, layered & captivating. My only issues with it was the ending & the story was sometimes hard to follow. Overall I did enjoy the book, maybe not as much as some of her others, & it was a 3 star read for me. Some readers will love it, some will not, but that holds true with all books. I do look forward to reading more by Belle in the future. Click HERE to add this book to your Goodreads TBR.

What other authors are saying about “Stranger in the Lake“:

“STRANGER IN THE LAKE is a spellbinding tale of lies and deceit that unfolds piece by devastating piece. Another outstanding novel by Kimberly Belle, masterfully written to lure you in and never let go.”
– Samantha Downing, USA Today bestselling author of My Lovely Wife and He Started It

“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 an atmospheric, moody mystery that will have her fans begging for more. A must-read!”
– Mary Kubica, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Other Mrs.

“Absolutely superb. Kimberly Belle is the queen of domestic suspense, and STRANGER IN THE LAKE is her darkest, most hypnotic work to date.”
– Cristina Alger, New York Times Bestselling Author of Girls Like Us

“Clear your calendar because once you’ve started Kimberly Belle’s utterly engrossing STRANGER IN THE LAKE, you won’t be able to tear yourself away! Old and new secrets abound in this tense and atmospheric thriller that will make you question how well we can really know anyone, and how much we might be willing to forgive for those we consider family.”
– Kathleen Barber, author of Follow Me

“Belle’s latest is another riveting, superbly written, didn’t-see-that-coming thriller that will keep you up way past your bedtime. With tension building on every page, Charlotte digs relentlessly for the truth about her new husband, even though it might destroy everything she loves.”
– Kate White, New York Times bestselling author of Have You Seen Me?