Women's Fiction
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Murder at Sunrise Lake
#1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan reaches new heights of passion and suspense in this thrilling novel that takes readers deep into the California backcountry, where a woman is tormented by visions of a killer.
It starts in her dreams. Hideous flashes from a nightmare only she can stop. Images of a murderer stalking the ones she cares about most…
Stella Harrison thought she got away from the traumas of her past. Running the Sunrise Lake resort high in the Sierra Nevada mountains has brought her peace, even though she doesn't truly share her quiet life with anyone. Not even Sam, the hired handyman that notices everything and always seems to know exactly what she needs.
Stella doesn't know anything about Sam's past, but somehow over the last two years his slow, steady presence has slipped past her defenses. Still, she knows she can't tell him about her recent premonitions. So far there's been no murder. No body. No way to prove what's about to happen without destroying the life she's built for herself.
But a killer is out there. And Stella knows that this time she'll do whatever it takes to stop him.
It starts in her dreams. Hideous flashes from a nightmare only she can stop. Images of a murderer stalking the ones she cares about most…
Stella Harrison thought she got away from the traumas of her past. Running the Sunrise Lake resort high in the Sierra Nevada mountains has brought her peace, even though she doesn't truly share her quiet life with anyone. Not even Sam, the hired handyman that notices everything and always seems to know exactly what she needs.
Stella doesn't know anything about Sam's past, but somehow over the last two years his slow, steady presence has slipped past her defenses. Still, she knows she can't tell him about her recent premonitions. So far there's been no murder. No body. No way to prove what's about to happen without destroying the life she's built for herself.
But a killer is out there. And Stella knows that this time she'll do whatever it takes to stop him.
Editorial Reviews
"Bestseller Feehan (Lightning Game) expertly reels in readers for a rip-roaring thrill ride in this spectacular standalone...Feehan ramps up the tension early and keeps it climbing until the very end, masterfully throwing out red herrings that will keep readers guessing. The riveting plot strikes a fine balance between romance and danger. Add in irresistible characters, and readers won't be able to turn the pages fast enough."-Publishers Weekly, starred review
Readers Top Reviews
SusanneKindle Mr
I miss the earlier books by Christine. Same issue as her other series. Too bogged down in detailed conversation and description that interrupt flow and overwhelm you with information. I love description that set scene, or give a idea of characters appearance and character, but in Christine books they dominates the stories. I can see that the writer wanted to focus on mystery rather than their standard sexual content, but this went to far other way meaning that the relationship element felt detached from story. Going to just keep reading the earliest books, which were brilliant and will give it a bit before dip back in and see if improved. At end of day a great book does not have to be a really long read.
Kindle SusanneKi
Really enjoyed this story, a bit of a different direction from this author 's paranormal series' The characters were well rounded & I quickly became invested in them The story was full of hints, twists & turns & kept me interested. I particularly liked the fact that there was heartache, failed attempts along the way so it wasn't tied up in a predictable neat bow Now to my 'but' It's a small thing but it crops up in most of Ms Feehan's books & it really annoys me, there are parts, character descriptions especially, that are very repetitive. Not the odd one either so after the first couple of times I find myself skipping pages , there is no need to repeat a description more than a couple of times in its entirety, we, as readers build a mental picture of characters as we read, the description becomes the person as we perceive them ourselves. In our minds eye Apart from that personal pet hate I did really enjoy this book & there is scope for a series with other characters as they all have interesting histories & a story of their own to be told. I would definitely but the next book of it does develop into a series which is the best recommendation I can give. Enjoy 😉
Kindle Susann
Edit SUMMARY: I have read some of the 1* reviews and mostly they boil down to this book being overly descriptive and not enough sex scenes. To clarify, what I have found this to mean is that you get a book that is primarily plot line and doesn't rely on 60% of a book describing various states of Phalluses, kink and exhibitionism (I'm looking at you Torpedo Ink!) and so much angst you'd think most of them would be institutionalised! So kudos to Ms Feehan for going back to what originally attracted us to her books...good suspense, a lot of heart and just a hint of really good sex. Original Review: Wow, well i felt compelled to write a review on this one because it seemed so out of the ordinary for a Christine Feehan novel. I could write an essay on the differences but i'll try to keep it brief... Where to start: - Sex: Hardly any. Depending on what you like about Christine Feehan the sex scenes can go either way. Way overboard or brilliant. I can go either way when I read her books but i have to be honest after a while the extreme sex can get a little boring. In this novel she has really changed things up and while sex is definitely alluded to (no one is a virgin here) there is hardly any descriptions of the deed and literally no graphic imagery or kink which is generally the norm for one of her books. - Paranormal: Again, very minimal. The main character has a specific paranormal attribute, but nothing like any of the other Feehan series: Drake sisters, Torpedo Ink, Scarletti curse or Ghostwalker series. Here it's present but down played as your fairly run of the mill premonitions / dreams. Overall: It definitely feels like a crime / thriller novel that you'd be happy for anyone to know that you're reading. The main male character is practically perfect (you could call that paranormal) and there are some distinct relationship goals when reading about the two of them. None of that ridiculous miss-understanding business of people trying and almost succeeding in breaking them up and they both make it very clear they're in the relationship for the long haul. There's nice set ups for the next books, if there are any and overall this is a really mature book. In many ways the way it written is almost like Christine Feehan has listened to every irritated reader out there that has ever left reviews and built a story that addresses all the blatant stupidity of cliched romantic trope. She written a book that doesn't irritate or make you roll your eyes. Actually you know that film where the female lead runs up the stairs with a killer after her in high heels...or the male lead doesn't communicate and just tell the love of his life the truth....? That film that makes you want to scream at the them..? This book is the exact opposite of that.
Angie Kindle S
Just when I thought Christine couldn't get any better, she did it again. Everyone knows Christine for her paranormal series, from Carpathians, to the Drakes; Sisters of the Heart, to Torpedo Ink; Leopard's, Ghost Walkers, and Shadow Riders; now she throws a mystery thriller in the mix. There is nothing she can't write about. I was hooked from the moment I read the sneak peek of chapter 1. Stella, Sam, and her circle of friends have all come to the Sierras to start fresh from their pasts, but their peaceful world is about to come to a halt. In their slice of peace and quiet comes a serial killer that they all know who is making murder look like an accident. It all starts with a nightmare that Stella has. She watches a murder unfold in her dreams. Can she find out who is committing the murders before it's too late without tipping the killer off as to how she knows that these "accidents" are no accidents, but murder. Along the way she'll open her heart to those around her and discover that even though her friends have all come to the Sierras for a fresh start, they are her strongest allies, and each in their own way have become family to her. They will stop at nothing to help her bring an end to the killings in their own piece of paradise.
BessAngie Kindl
If you are a Christine Feehan fan, be prepared, this book is totally different then anything else I have read by her. I have been a big Christine Feehan fan for years. I only read the Carpathian series because I found the others too violent and sexual. Even with the Carpathian books, I would find myself paging past all the sexual chapters. This is the first of her books I didn't have to skip pages. I knew they had sex but I didn't have to have every detail. My imagination did that without a description of what was going on. Bravo - a book not rated X I loved the story. It was a different type of mystery, A few times I was thrown off as to 'who done it'. I loved the romance. I could see how she can have additional stories with the lives of all of the ladies. Ms Feehan has opened the door to a new contemporary series for herself and her fans.
Short Excerpt Teaser
Chapter One
Mommy, Daddy's doing the bad thing again.
The child's voice very clearly said the words she'd said to her mother when she was four years old. When she was five. When she was seven.
Stella Harrison knew she was dreaming, but she still couldn't fight her way to the surface. This was the fifth night in a row she'd had the dream, and the camera had widened the lens just a little more, as it had every night, so she saw additional pieces of the hideous nightmare she couldn't stop. The man fishing. He wore denim bibbed overalls tucked into high olive-colored waders. A blue cap was pulled low over his eyes so she couldn't see his face. There were boulders among the heavy reeds and plants that grew thick along the shore, creeping out into the lake. He'd made his way through the boulders to get out from under the shade of several trees.
She tried to warn him. Yelling. Calling out. Don't cast. Don't do it. Every night she saw his line go into the same spot. That little darker area that rippled in rings like a little round pool, so inviting. The fisherman always did the same exact thing, like a programmed robot. Stepping forward, casting, the lure hitting perfectly, sinking into the middle of that inky spot, dropping beneath the water into the depths below.
The camera switched then and she could see beneath the water. It should have been tranquil. Peaceful. Fish swimming. Not the man in the wet suit, waiting for that hook, waiting to tug and enter into some kind of terrible game with the fisherman above the surface. The fight for the fish became a real life-and-death battle, with the fisherman lured farther and farther from the safety of the shore and into the reeds and rocks-closer to the threat that lurked beneath the water.
The mythical fish appeared to be fighting. He seemed big, and well worth the exhausting battle. The fisherman paid less and less attention to his surroundings as he reeled the fish nearer to him and realized he was close to winning his prize.
Without warning, the killer beneath the water rose up right in front of the unsuspecting fisherman, slamming him backward so that his waders couldn't find traction on the muddy floor of the lake. The fisherman hit his head hard on the boulder behind him and went down. Immediately the killer caught his legs and yanked hard, dragging him under the water and holding him there while the fisherman thrashed and fought, weak from the vicious blow to his head from the boulder.
Stella could only watch, horrified, as the killer calmly finished the scene by dragging the body to the surface for just a few moments so he could pull the bottom of the wader along a boulder. The killer then pulled the fisherman back into the water and tangled him in his own fishing line just below the waterline in the reeds and plants close to the shore. The killer calmly swam off as if nothing had happened.
The lens of the camera snapped shut and everything went black.
Stella woke fighting a tangle of sheets, sweat dripping, hair damp. She sat up abruptly, pressing the heels of her hands to her eyes. Rubbing, scrubbing her palms down her face over and over. Trying to erase the nightmare. Not again. It had been years. Years. SheÕd made a new life for herself. New friends. A place. A home.
Now the nightmare was back and recurring. This was the fifth time she'd had it. Five times in a row. It wasn't like she lived in a big city. Usually if murder was happening, everyone would know, especially in a small town. But this killer was brilliant. He was absolutely brilliant and that was why he was going to get away with it-unless she brought attention to the murders. Even then, she wasn't certain he would get caught.
She hadn't realized she was rocking herself back and forth, trying to self-soothe. She forced herself to stop. She hadn't done that in years either. All those terrible habits she had developed as a child, that came back as a teen, she'd managed to overcome. Now she found they were sneaking back into her life.
There was no going back to sleep even though it was still dark outside. She'd planned to sleep in. She had few days off even though the season was winding down. She owned the Sunrise Lake Resort and had for several years, turning it around from a dismal, failing business to one that not only made large profits but helped out the local businesses as well. She loved the resort, loved everything about it, even the hard work. Especially that. She thrived on solving problems,...
Mommy, Daddy's doing the bad thing again.
The child's voice very clearly said the words she'd said to her mother when she was four years old. When she was five. When she was seven.
Stella Harrison knew she was dreaming, but she still couldn't fight her way to the surface. This was the fifth night in a row she'd had the dream, and the camera had widened the lens just a little more, as it had every night, so she saw additional pieces of the hideous nightmare she couldn't stop. The man fishing. He wore denim bibbed overalls tucked into high olive-colored waders. A blue cap was pulled low over his eyes so she couldn't see his face. There were boulders among the heavy reeds and plants that grew thick along the shore, creeping out into the lake. He'd made his way through the boulders to get out from under the shade of several trees.
She tried to warn him. Yelling. Calling out. Don't cast. Don't do it. Every night she saw his line go into the same spot. That little darker area that rippled in rings like a little round pool, so inviting. The fisherman always did the same exact thing, like a programmed robot. Stepping forward, casting, the lure hitting perfectly, sinking into the middle of that inky spot, dropping beneath the water into the depths below.
The camera switched then and she could see beneath the water. It should have been tranquil. Peaceful. Fish swimming. Not the man in the wet suit, waiting for that hook, waiting to tug and enter into some kind of terrible game with the fisherman above the surface. The fight for the fish became a real life-and-death battle, with the fisherman lured farther and farther from the safety of the shore and into the reeds and rocks-closer to the threat that lurked beneath the water.
The mythical fish appeared to be fighting. He seemed big, and well worth the exhausting battle. The fisherman paid less and less attention to his surroundings as he reeled the fish nearer to him and realized he was close to winning his prize.
Without warning, the killer beneath the water rose up right in front of the unsuspecting fisherman, slamming him backward so that his waders couldn't find traction on the muddy floor of the lake. The fisherman hit his head hard on the boulder behind him and went down. Immediately the killer caught his legs and yanked hard, dragging him under the water and holding him there while the fisherman thrashed and fought, weak from the vicious blow to his head from the boulder.
Stella could only watch, horrified, as the killer calmly finished the scene by dragging the body to the surface for just a few moments so he could pull the bottom of the wader along a boulder. The killer then pulled the fisherman back into the water and tangled him in his own fishing line just below the waterline in the reeds and plants close to the shore. The killer calmly swam off as if nothing had happened.
The lens of the camera snapped shut and everything went black.
Stella woke fighting a tangle of sheets, sweat dripping, hair damp. She sat up abruptly, pressing the heels of her hands to her eyes. Rubbing, scrubbing her palms down her face over and over. Trying to erase the nightmare. Not again. It had been years. Years. SheÕd made a new life for herself. New friends. A place. A home.
Now the nightmare was back and recurring. This was the fifth time she'd had it. Five times in a row. It wasn't like she lived in a big city. Usually if murder was happening, everyone would know, especially in a small town. But this killer was brilliant. He was absolutely brilliant and that was why he was going to get away with it-unless she brought attention to the murders. Even then, she wasn't certain he would get caught.
She hadn't realized she was rocking herself back and forth, trying to self-soothe. She forced herself to stop. She hadn't done that in years either. All those terrible habits she had developed as a child, that came back as a teen, she'd managed to overcome. Now she found they were sneaking back into her life.
There was no going back to sleep even though it was still dark outside. She'd planned to sleep in. She had few days off even though the season was winding down. She owned the Sunrise Lake Resort and had for several years, turning it around from a dismal, failing business to one that not only made large profits but helped out the local businesses as well. She loved the resort, loved everything about it, even the hard work. Especially that. She thrived on solving problems,...
