Still Lake    by Anne Stuart Order:  USA  Can Mira, 2002 Paperback Read an Excerpt     Reviewed by Martina Bexte The tiny Vermont community of Colby might look like a sleepy little place where nothing much of note ever happens, but twenty years ago a triple murder rocked the town and the surrounding area. The murderer was promptly caught and sentenced, but memories of those young girls' deaths still linger. Sophie Davis finds the home of her dreams in Stonegate farm. It's to be a business venture as well, even if the house and grounds need a lot of fixing up. She's determined to start a successful bed and breakfast, continue writing her Martha-Stewart-like advice columns and take care of her dotty mother and promiscuous half-sister. She's also set her sights on buying the neighbouring property and house for future expansion, but finds out from her realtor that the place has been rented out for the summer. Annoyed that her plans have been compromised, Sophie marches over to check out her new neighbour bearing a plate of her special fresh-baked muffins which few can resist. When Sophie Davis unexpectedly marches onto Thomas Ingram Griffin's temporary porch he couldn't be more annoyed. He didn't come to Colby to deal with nosy neighbours wielding plates of food. He came here to find out once and for all if he really killed those three young girls, or if he was framed. After twenty years, five spent in prison, he still has only vague memories of what actually happened that drug-hazed night. He was certainly no angel in his youth, and still wasn't, but deep down in his soul he can't believe he's capable of murder. No amount of home made food or badgering from a Martha Stewart clone will get 'John Smith' to tell her the truth about who he really is and why he is here. Sophie finds Smith rude, obnoxious and way too 'alpha male' for her liking, but much to her dismay her attraction toward him spirals at every encounter. The mysterious Mr. Smith also finds his mind dwelling on ways to seduce Sophie rather than concentrating on his initial goal - to find the information he needs to clear himself. And watching it all in plain sight is the real killer who knows that if Mr. Smith digs too deep someone else is going do have to die. Veteran romance author Anne Stuart hits the mark with her latest offering, giving readers fine characterization, oodles of sexual sizzle, snappy, modern dialogue and situations, great secondaries and a nice mystery. Ms. Stuart might have kept the identity of the killer unclear for a while longer to add a bit more edge, but overall Still Lake makes for an exciting and satisfying read. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Romance books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews