Clare O'Dey is running from an abusive husband and has been for nearly a year. She is careful and never stays in one place very long. After changing her name and staying on the move, she has done pretty well in just keeping her head above water. She is sure that Jason is looking for her but as long as she keeps moving and does not get involved with anyone along the way, she feels that she has a chance to be safe from him.

When Clare lands in a remote former mining town called Blackmore, she finds herself quickly engaged in the mystery surrounding a missing young woman by the name of Shayna Fowles. Blackmore does not have a lot to offer anyone now. A terrible mine explosion five years previously killed many men and shut down the mine permanently. Now this town is merely a ghost of its former self. Not a great place to hide, really, with so few people living there now.

Many people fear there was foul play involved with Shayna's disappearance and there is certainly no shortage of suspects. There is not much to do in Blackmore these days except drink and do drugs, both of which Shayna was known to do frequently. Clare realizes as she digs deeper into the missing woman's life that she and Shayna have a lot in common. They even look alike to a degree.

As Clare becomes more and more immersed in the mystery of Shayna as well as with certain people in the town, she realizes that she is in a dangerous position. After all, the only way that she has eluded Jason all these months is through remaining a bit of a mystery herself. She knows that she needs to get out of Blackmore and move on but there are secrets in Clare's past and present that keep her here.

The question is whether or not Clare can help to find Shayna without endangering her own life.

STILL MINE is the first installment of a new series by Amy Stuart and she is proving herself to be quite the wordsmith. This is a story that caught me in its grasp from the very beginning and held me there until the end. In fact, I was left feeling a bit bereft when that final sentence was read because I had become so much a part of Clare's situation that I wanted more. Happily, there will be a second installment so I do have that to look forward to getting my hands on in the future.

There are plenty of twists and turns in STILL MINE with the added excitement of being actually more than one story in one book. We are treated to Shayna's story as well as Clare's but only Shayna's really has a somewhat definitive ending. Clare's may only just be starting.

STILL MINE is written in a somewhat fast and furious manner so that you are never allowed any "down time" while reading it. The plot is tense and filled with plenty of action which makes it the perfect dramatic read. You will become a part of Clare's story just as I was when you open to that first page. It is a pretty fast moving ride and one that you will love at every turn.

Book Summary

The Girl on the Train meets The Silent Wife in this taut psychological thriller.

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU VANISH FROM YOUR LIFE AND LEAVE NO STORY BEHIND?

SOMEONE WILL MAKE ONE UP FOR YOU.

Clare is on the run.

From her past, from her husband, and from her own secrets. When she turns up alone in the remote mining town of Blackmore asking about Shayna Fowles, the local girl who disappeared, everyone wants to know who Clare really is and what she’s hiding. As it turns out, she’s hiding a lot, including what ties her to Shayna in the first place. But everyone in this place is hiding something—from Jared, Shayna’s secretive ex-husband, to Charlie, the charming small-town drug pusher, to Derek, Shayna’s overly involved family doctor, to Louise and Wilfred, her distraught parents.

Did Shayna flee? Was she killed? Is it possible she’s still alive?

As Clare uncovers the mysteries around Shayna’s disappearance, she must confront her own demons, moving us deeper and deeper into the labyrinth of lies and making us question what it is she’s really running from. Twisting and electrifying, this is a get-under-your-skin thriller that will make you question what it means to lose yourself and find yourself in the most unlikely places.