Still Water is Amy Stuart’s second novel. Only once I was halfway through this novel, did I realise that this story follows her debut novel Still Mine. However, I was able to follow the story and enjoy it without having read the previous story even though I did not know the details of previous events.

Clare has been given the task of finding Sally Prouix and her young son who have mysteriously disappeared in the small town of High River. Clare hopes to find them alive, against all odds. But High River is not your typical town. It is a place where women run to – women who want to escape their pasts. They run to Helen Haines, a matriarch who offers them a safe haven and anonymity. Pretending to be Sally’s long-lost friend, Clare turns up and starts asking questions. Nothing prepares her for the swirl of deception and the depth of the lies that she encounters.

In a town where secrets are crucial to survival, everyone is hiding something. Detectives Sommers and Rouke have an ulterior motive beyond solving the case. Malcolm Boon, the man who hired Clare, knows more about her than he reveals. Helen is concealing a tragic family history of her own. The pace of the novel begins slowly but steadily as Clare begins to unravel the lies that each person has told. As she slowly uncovers the truth of what has happened, she comes to a realisation about her own life and choices. I enjoyed seeing the growth in this character as her perception of herself and of Malcolm Boon changes.

I enjoyed reading this story, even though it was a little slow to begin with. There were times when I wished I had read the previous novel so that I could know the details of Clare’s past. My lack of knowledge, however, did not prevent me from enjoying this tale. As I completed the book, I had a sense that Clare’s story is not yet over – I am sure that there will be a third book in this series. If you enjoy mystery novels, this story is the one for you.

I give this novel ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars.

© Colline Kook-Chun, 2018

(This novel was the 40th in my 50 book pledge for 2018)