Title: Stillwater
Author: Maynard Sims
Genre: Ghost Story, Horror, Dark Fiction
Age Group: Adult
Rating: 4 stars
Purchase: Amazon
Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
A modern ghost story.
Life was good for Beth, once. Now a car crash has left her confined to a wheelchair. To help her recuperate and rebuild her life, she’s leased Stillwater, a house with a lake in the countryside. But her dreams of peace and quiet are thwarted when she realizes she’s not alone. A girl who once lived at Stillwater—until she drowned in the lake—has never left, and she does not seem pleased by Beth’s presence. Beth sets out to solve the mystery of Stillwater. But can she find a strength she doesn’t know she possesses as she fights the fury of the dead girl, and tries to establish herself as the true mistress and keeper of the Stillwater house and lake?
Stillwater is a great ghost story – not too scary, but it definitely provides a good paranormal mystery, and it did give me some chills. The story is reminiscent of classic ghost stories, yet original enough to be entertaining.
Beth, the main character, used to have it all. She had a successful career as a bestselling author, for one. Now she’s bound to a wheelchair, she hasn’t been able to write a new book in ages and her entire life is turned upside down. When we first meet her, she arrives at her new home, a rental for which she only rents the downstairs floor. The house has been altered to fit for her, but still it’s a struggle to get used to not being able to walk again. Yet as she settles in, she finds a routine, and starts writing again.
But as time moves on, Beth learns she’s sharing her house with ghosts. It starts out subtle, but grows increasingly threatening. The locals tell her a story about a girl who once lived at her house – Stillwater – and drowned in the lake. It seems the girl’s spirit still haunts the house, and has a message she desperately wants to tell Beth. Curious by nature, Beth sets out to solve the mystery of Stillwater, and to find out what really happend all those years ago.
The atmosphere is haunting from the start, and tension increases with every page. While not particularly scary, it definitely had it’s spooky moments, and ultimately, the book tells a strong, entertaining story. Beth is an amazing heroine. She has tremendous strength, and never backs down from a challenge. She’s very likeable, and I loved getting to know her better.
This is an atmospheric, creepy story and ideal for fans of ghost stories.
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