“Spellbinding. 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 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. … 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.
Don’t miss Kimberly Belle’s newest novel, My Darling Husband!
Look for these other pulse-pounding thrillers by Kimberly Belle:
Three Days Missing
The Marriage Lie
Dear Wife
more
I loved this story! I’d love it if the author would find a way to give an update on Jax. It doesn’t have to come in a sequel – he can just be the friend of a character in a future book – but I read this book some time ago, and I still think of Jax.
Charlotte finally has all it , a nice house , great husband , money , til the day she finds the stranger in the lake. Will she finally have to open her mind to the possibility her husband is not who she thinks he is, keeping life altering secrets from her .I would recommend this thriller mystery to anyone who loves a good “who dun it” read!
Belle is an original–like each of her books. She nails the imagery and the suspense, leaving the reader exhausted by the thrilling ride he or she’s taken, but begging Belle to bring on the next one!
This book was so captivating! STRANGER IN THE LAKE follows Charlotte, who discovers the body of a woman beneath her dock in the same lake where her husband’s first wife died as well. As the investigation into the woman’s murder grows deeper, Charlotte begins to suspect that there are more than a few secrets her husband has kept from her—and it’s up to her now to decide what to do with them. I am so in love with the lake setting in this book, which was deliciously atmospheric from beginning to end. I also loved the growing unease and eeriness, the gradual unspooling of secrets, the town’s dark history, and the tension between people of different classes. Charlotte was a really great character whose journey was satisfying and inspiring to experience—and whose last words in the novel were beautiful and moving. I was also really impressed by the way that Kimberly Belle created such a high-stakes, exciting, can’t-look-away climax for her story (I gasped twice) while still leaving part of the mystery unsolved so it could take its time being unraveled in the remaining pages. That actually made the final reveal even more satisfying for me because it allows the reader to savor the moments in which the truth finally comes to light. This was definitely a standout thriller for me, and I highly recommend it for anyone who likes smart, character-driven suspense.
Kimberly Belle knows how to pull you in and keep you guessing.
I love all of Kimberly Belle’s books! This is a wonderful mystery/suspense with well developed characters. Kimberly brings in romance, suspense and mystery and blends them all together. Must read!
I did n’t expect to like this book, but it was very interesting and when I put it down, I couldn’t wait to pick it up and finish it. Very interesting, twisted plot.
“Stranger in the Lake” is another Kimberly Belle triumph! She always gives us stories that we settle into until we’ve finished, because she builds the desire in us to know the ending so desperately…an ending we can’t ever guess, because Kimberly Belle’s mind is one step ahead.
She has the talent of making the reader a character in the story! I felt that close. My toe was dipping in the lake! I was spooked! You will be, too!
I received a copy of the book by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Charlotte know that people think she married Paul for his money. But Charlotte ignores the gossip because she loves Paul and they have a lovely life together- or so she thinks. Then a women’s dead body turns up in the lake in front of their house. Who is the stranger in the lake? Is there a connection between her death and the drowning of Paul’s first wife? Charlotte tries to unravel the mystery as she wonders what her husband Paul may be hiding. Another fantastic read by Kimberly Belle!
Kept me intrigued throughout
Kimberly Belle kept me up late with this one! Charlotte believes in her husband. Don’t we all? But Paul’s past catches up to him, and secrets and lies can’t stay hidden when a woman’s body floats to the surface under the same dock where his late wife’s corpse was found. It’s a race to find answers, and to figure out if the killer is someone Charlotte trusts. Fantastic read!
A brand new marriage. A secluded lake home. A dead body washed up under a dock. A husband who takes off, leaving his new bride to deal with the aftermath. All of these elements combine to form a masterpiece story rife with secrets and betrayal. Readers of psychological thrillers should definitely partake of this one!
This is my first 5 star read of 2020, it had me pulled in from the beginning and never let me go! I finished the whole book in one sitting because it was so well written that I had to keep reading!
4 STARS
Kimberly Belle has written another intriguing psychological thriller with Stranger in the Lake. Her writing is excellent. Well developed characters, descriptive scenery and a plot that will keep you guessing. The book follows the story of a newly married young woman, Charlotte. The story begins where she has just discovered a washed up body under the docks in the lake in the same spot her husband Paul’s previous wife was found years earlier. I was suspicious of Paul right from the beginning. He is definitely harbouring secrets and she is determined to uncover them. There are side characters that play a major role in the mystery of the washed up girl. Paul’s friends Jax and Micah. Charlotte’s brother Chet. Paul’s mother. Sam, Charlotte’s childhood friend. Chief Hunt. The writing is gripping, thrilling and kept me engaged. I easily predicted some parts of the murder mystery and other parts I didn’t see coming. Overall I enjoyed this and recommend it for fans of Kimberly Belle or fans of psychological thrillers.
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This is the first book I have ever read from this author. Thank you Nicole for sending me this book to read. This has a stunning but creepy cover depicting a person in a row boat across the lake.
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: Quote from the synopsis: “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 their 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.” This was one hell of a thriller. Right off the bat you are thrown into a small town where everything isn’t as it seems. In my opinion, this book was a fast paced thriller that hooked me from the start. As I was reading I was very emotionally invested. I have never read a plot like this before. There were a few reveals that occurred in the last 50 pages that were nothing short of jaw-dropping. This book comes out on June 9th, 2020 so make sure you pick up a copy to read. I highly recommend this book to everyone who wants a hard-hitting thriller. In my eyes, this could go down as one of the best thrillers of 2020!!!!!! As of 06/07/2020 this is my favorite book I have read so far!!!!!
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: What was the last book you read where the ending gave you goosebumps and chills?
Charlotte & her new husband Paul live in a beautiful home on Lake Crosby, NC. Paul is a successful architect whose wealthy first wife drowned in the lake several years ago, leaving her millions to Paul. Charlotte & her brother were raised by their neglectful, drug addicted mother in a rundown trailer, on the wrong side of the tracks in the tow of Lake Crosby. Charlotte’s marriage to Paul caused a number of locals to see her as a gold-digger. Paul, on the other hand, is seen by some townspeople as a suspect in the death of his first wife. Days after Charlotte tells Paul she is pregnant, she finds the body of a woman in the water under their dock. When the police arrive and question her & Paul, they both deny knowing her, even though both had spoken with her in town earlier in the week.
This was a real page-turner. Wonderfully written, just creepy enough to make you want to know what happened, but cringing as you turn each page. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. A true thriller. I strongly recommend.
Thank you to Netgalley, the author Kimberly Belle and the publisher Harlequin for the complimentary e-book I was granted in return for an honest review. The opinions expressed are solely my own.
When a relationship is built on lies, what do you believe. After Charlotte Keller discovers the body of a woman beneath their dock in the lake, her life begins to unravel. Her husband’s first wife drowned and was found in the same location…and not everyone believes that it was an accident. As the story progresses, you want to believe that Charlotte’s husband, Paul, is innocent but the lies keep compounding. Of course, Charlotte grew up in a trailer park with drug addicted parents and Paul, who is about 12 yrs older, is wealthy. This seemingly class difference adds to the mystery. Very intriguing story and I recommend it for those who enjoy psychological thrillers.
What a gripping story of lies and betrayal, long-held secrets and the desperate acts people will take to keep the past buried. The beautiful but brutal winter setting enhances the atmosphere as the climax builds with several unexpected–and shocking–twists. Kimberly Belle is the queen of domestic suspense. (For the record, I would love to meet Charlie again in a future novel. She’s an impressive young woman.)
When Charlotte sees the body of the woman floating in the water by her dock, she immediate thinks of her husband Paul. Charlotte immediately recognizes the woman as the one Paul was talking to in town just the day before. But that’s not the only problem right now, Paul’s first wife died in the exact same manner a few years prior. He was looked at then, but nothing ever came of the case. Now he’s married to Charlotte, a new marriage, and there’s another body floating in the lake. Another woman that Paul knew. When Paul lies about knowing this woman, Charlotte grows even more curious, and even more concerned.
Then a secret pact from his teenage years comes to light, one that revolves around a drug dealer that had been found dead in his car, at the bottom of a lake. What does the now dead woman have to do with that case? What does the missing necklace that she had in her possession have to do with Paul, his mother, and Paul’s two best friends? What’s the Sheriff covering up?
With so many questions swirling, and Paul taking off in the midst of the police investigation, Charlotte needs to figure out what’s going on, who to trust, and if her husband is a killer. One wrong move can and will put not only her life in jeopardy, but that of her unborn child.
Ms. Belle has created a stirring mystery, it drew me in, and I couldn’t stop reading. With great writing, a wonderful, yet well mixed cast of characters, and a plot that keeps you reading well past your bedtime, this book has it all for those fans of mysteries and thrillers.
**I received an ARC of this story from Netgalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.
A quick and good read by Kimberly Belle. I figured out the bad guy halfway through but didn’t expect a few twists thrown in there at the end. Her stories never disappoint!