Review: Still Here by Amy Stuart

About the Book:

*Synopsis as found on Goodreads

From the internationally bestselling author of the “utterly compelling and intriguing” (Liz Nugent, bestselling author of Unraveling Oliver) Still Mine and Still Water comes a new stand alone psychological thriller featuring PI Clare O’Dey, who’s on the hunt for two missing persons but who may be hunted herself. Malcolm is gone. Disappeared. And no one knows where or why. His colleague and fellow private investigator, Clare, is certain she can find him, as she holds the key to his past. She arrives in the oceanside city where he last lived and starts digging around. Not only is Malcolm gone without a trace, so is his wife, Zoe. Everyone who knew the perfect couple sees Malcolm as the prime suspect in his wife’s disappearance. Everyone except Clare. She’s certain there’s more at play that has nothing to do with Malcolm, a dark connection to Zoe’s family business and the murder of her father years ago. As Clare pulls back the layers, she discovers secrets the entire community is trying desperately to leave in the past. As for Malcolm, his past is far more complex—and far more sinister—than Clare could ever have imagined. He may not be innocent at all. As she searches for the man who helped her build her career as a private eye, Clare discovers that many women are in grave danger. And she is among them. Featuring Amy Stuart’s “captivating, mysterious, and relevant” (Marissa Stapley, author of Things to Do When It’s Raining) prose, Still Here is an unputdownable thriller that will haunt you long after you finish it.

Review:

Still Here is marketed as a stand alone novel and while I think it is possible to enjoy it on its own, my personal recommendation would be to read the three "Still" novels in written order. I think to know the characters Clare and Malcolm fully, you need to start from the beginning. I enjoyed the pace of this story and how the characters and mysteries intertwined. It was an interesting thriller, but it was also fairly predictable. The twists, turns and surprise elements were missing for me. Though Still Here didn't knock my socks off, I would be interested to read a fourth book should the series continue.