Rating: 
Summary: Not one of her better books....
Review: Anne Stuart is a great novelist, whether she's writing suspense, historical, or contemporary romance. However, STILL LAKE, while a good book, doesn't in any way compare to what I expect from a writer of Stuart's caliber.The rundown of the plot is that Thomas Griffin was arrested twenty years ago for the murder of his girlfriend--a crime he has no idea whether he committed or not. Finally, in 2002, curiosity gets the better of him and he returns to the scene of the murder, only to spend the majority of his time butting heads (and other things) with his neighbor, Sophie Davis. The main problems with this book is that the suspense is not suspenseful, and the romance is weak at best. These are major flaws in a romantic suspense novel. I guessed who the real murderer was almost immediately--it's blindingly obvious, and one of the biggest disappointments in the book--and the relationship between Thomas and Sophie seems to be based almost entirely on sex and a mutual love of classic cars. While there were some nice moments between them, I wasn't really convinced they were compatible personalities, let alone in love. Overall, STILL LAKE was okay, but the story was incredibly weak. It simply did not grip my interest in the way that THE WIDOW, which was an excellent book, and SHADOWS AT SUNSET, also very good, did. I hope Stuart returns to her usual brilliancy with her next novel.
Rating:
Summary: Not one of her better books....
Review: Anne Stuart is a great novelist, whether she's writing suspense, historical, or contemporary romance. However, STILL LAKE, while a good book, doesn't in any way compare to what I expect from a writer of Stuart's caliber. The rundown of the plot is that Thomas Griffin was arrested twenty years ago for the murder of his girlfriend--a crime he has no idea whether he committed or not. Finally, in 2002, curiosity gets the better of him and he returns to the scene of the murder, only to spend the majority of his time butting heads (and other things) with his neighbor, Sophie Davis. The main problems with this book is that the suspense is not suspenseful, and the romance is weak at best. These are major flaws in a romantic suspense novel. I guessed who the real murderer was almost immediately--it's blindingly obvious, and one of the biggest disappointments in the book--and the relationship between Thomas and Sophie seems to be based almost entirely on sex and a mutual love of classic cars. While there were some nice moments between them, I wasn't really convinced they were compatible personalities, let alone in love. Overall, STILL LAKE was okay, but the story was incredibly weak. It simply did not grip my interest in the way that THE WIDOW, which was an excellent book, and SHADOWS AT SUNSET, also very good, did. I hope Stuart returns to her usual brilliancy with her next novel.
Rating:
Summary: Oddball couple adds depth and danger
Review: Convicted of the brutal murder of three nubile girls in Colby Vermont he did not commit, Thomas Griffin returns to the grisly bucolic Still Lake to uncover the murderer and jolt his memory under the guise of a journalist John Smith. His enigmatic presence is unwelcomed by Stonegate Inn owner sans neigbor Sophie Davis. Disconcerted by her sister's pubescent attraction to the man, she fears John will lead her astray. Even her crime novel addict of a mother has been steeped in illusions since his arrival, accusing him of being the frightful serial killer that terrorized New England two decades ago. Anne Stuart's murder-...-mayhem novel explores the deranged and the nihilistic as in her past suspense thrillers such as Moonrise. However the omnipresence of danger and erotic edges saturated in her earlier works falters here probably because of the unsatisfying length and a too predictible who-dun-it. What is unique about Ms. Stuart's romantic suspense though is her thoroughly unconventional protagonist who realistically emerges from our humdrum lives. Sophie isn't all glamor; she juggles with a crumbling dysfunctional family and a job as the poor woman's Martha Stewart and worries about assimilated calories because she is on the plump side. Her hero Thomas is dark, shadowy and even sinister with a complex that borders on danger. This oddball couple adds depth and smoldering sexual chemistry to this otherwise mediocre effort from Ms. Stuart.
Rating:
Summary: Not much romance in this book
Review: Courtesy of A Romance Review Still Lake starts off with an unsolved murder in a beautiful Vermont town. The whole story is swirled around and clouded with suspense and mysteries. It isn't difficult to identify the real killer but you won't be sure until you read through the book. The portion of romance is quite little when comparing to the suspense and mysteries.
Rating: 
Summary: exciting romantic suspense
Review: Deciding she needed a change from her complex Manhattan lifestyle, advice newspaper columnist Sophie Davis relocates to Colby, Vermont where she plans to run an inn. The poor man's Martha Stewart takes her seemingly senile mother and her raging hormonal teenage half sister with her. To Sophie's chagrin, as she wants no nearby neighbors, John Smith moves into a nearby cabin that has not been used in six years. John is actually Thomas Griffin who was convicted of murdering three teenage girls twenty years ago, but was freed five years later on a technicality. Thomas has come back to Colby to learn what really happened on that night in which he remembers nothing. As John and Sophie begin to fall in love, an eerily similar homicide similar to those of past occurs just two weeks before the grand opening of Stonegate Farm. STILL LAKE is an exciting romantic suspense novel starring intriguing lead characters struggling with problems that leave both not welcoming love into their respective lives. Though Sophie is a bit too responsible, she represents the sandwich generation with troubles from her senior and her younger that surround her. Thomas is a wonderfully bewildered protagonist who does not know if he committed those murders. The support cast provides depth by enabling the audience to better understand what makes Thomas and Sophie tick as well as adding suspense to Anne Stuart's fine contemporary tale. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: exciting romantic suspense
Review: Deciding she needed a change from her complex Manhattan lifestyle, advice newspaper columnist Sophie Davis relocates to Colby, Vermont where she plans to run an inn. The poor man's Martha Stewart takes her seemingly senile mother and her raging hormonal teenage half sister with her. To Sophie's chagrin, as she wants no nearby neighbors, John Smith moves into a nearby cabin that has not been used in six years. John is actually Thomas Griffin who was convicted of murdering three teenage girls twenty years ago, but was freed five years later on a technicality. Thomas has come back to Colby to learn what really happened on that night in which he remembers nothing. As John and Sophie begin to fall in love, an eerily similar homicide similar to those of past occurs just two weeks before the grand opening of Stonegate Farm. STILL LAKE is an exciting romantic suspense novel starring intriguing lead characters struggling with problems that leave both not welcoming love into their respective lives. Though Sophie is a bit too responsible, she represents the sandwich generation with troubles from her senior and her younger that surround her. Thomas is a wonderfully bewildered protagonist who does not know if he committed those murders. The support cast provides depth by enabling the audience to better understand what makes Thomas and Sophie tick as well as adding suspense to Anne Stuart's fine contemporary tale. Harriet Klausner
Rating: 
Summary: Sadly, not a good book at all.
Review: First, let me say that Anne Stuart has written some of the finest, most unusual romances I've ever had the pleasure of reading. "Nightfall" and "Ritual Sins" are my favorites. "Still Lake" is a sad, limp rehash of "Nightfall". Her writing is sloppy, too much of the passive voice and too many inconsistencies even in the descriptions of the main characters! For instance, in one paragraph the hero's face is described as being classic and interesting, but not pretty. Yet a few pages later his face is described as "too pretty" and is compared to that of a Rennaissance angel. Huh? Also, the "mystery"...Five chapters into the book I knew who the villain was and knew what had happened. It's hard to stay interested with such transparent and shallow characters. I would recommend that you skip this book althogther. And if you haven't read "Nightfall", snatch that one up instead. The basic premise is the same...man accused of murder...is irresistable man killer or not? etc, etc. One of Ms. Stuart's best qualities as a romance writer was her ability to create very sexy, very dangerous, very ambiguous heros...some on the verge of being anti-hero, with a dark erotic edge. I have missed that quality in her more recent endeavors.
Rating:
Summary: A fun read!
Review: I enjoyed reading "Still Lake" I am not much of a contemporary romance reader, but if there's suspense and thriller, I never pass it up! An added bonus were some pretty hilarious moments that had me laughing out loud. The main characters are Griffin (aka John Smith) and Sophie. They have this love-hate thing going with a lot of sexual tension. There's Sophie's mother, "Spacey Gracey" who just cracked me up and Sophie's "rebel without a cause" younger sister, Marty. (I won't summarize the story, since other reviewers have done so). The reason I gave the book only 4 stars was due to the fact that the plot was rather weak. I was hyped up in finding out "who done it", but I figured it out immediately. No surprises or mystery about it. It seemed that the whole story was mainly focused on Griffin and Sophie completely and their "blossoming" affair. There were no real thrills and chills in connection with "finding the killer" before he strikes again. All in all, I'd say it was a good erotic romance story, the down and dirty type in some parts...LOL. But if you are looking for those certain "thrills and chills" in finding out "who done it" or "why he or she done it" I do not recommend this book. I recommend Anne Stuart's other novel, "Into the Fire"...Happy Reading!
Rating:
Summary: A quick but interesting read
Review: I enjoyed the book. It wasn't difficult to figure out "whodunnit" but the cast of characters kept my interest. The romance was fairly typical but the people weren't. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a break from their problems for a few hours.
Rating:
Summary: Simmering sensuality
Review: Sophie Davis writes a column providing household advice. "The poor woman's Martha Stewart", Sophie doesn't get much of a chance to actually apply that advice - until she buys an old inn in Vermont, and moves her mother and sister along with her. The inn was the setting for a gruesome triple-murder twenty years ago, but Sophie doesn't care much about that aspect of her new home. She's intent on renovating and decorating the place, although she's not too eager to have strangers invade her sanctuary. However, she knows that this is the only way to maintain an income in such a small city. Sophie's life gets even more complicated when the enigmatic John Smith rents an old abandoned cottage near her inn. Why is he there? It's obvious to Sophie that his name is not really John Smith, and he seems to be asking way too many questions about the old murder, yet she can't figure out his true identity. Meanwhile, Sophie has other problems. Her mother, Grace, is slowly slipping away as she battles Alzheimer's disease, and her sister, Marty, is going through an extreme teenage rebellion stage. And why is Sophie so intrigued (and a little frightened) of John Smith? Anne Stuart has created a gorgeous story of finding love when you least expect it. Both characters have issues, and they're as different from one another as could be, yet when they're around each other, sparks fly. The tension and attraction between them is strong, and the reader immediately gets pulled into their relationship, rooting for Sophie and John to make it despite their differences and the obstacles thrown at them. The beautiful scenery and atmosphere works as a wonderful backdrop for the story. My only complaint is that I had the "bad guy" figured out about 1/4th through the story, so the ending didn't come as much as a shock as perhaps it should have. Still, the romance and the incredible sensuality in this story were enough to keep me eagerly turning pages until the end.
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