This is the second book I’ve read in this multi-author series – and it’s terrific. Having read several of this author’s books, I keep reading because he has a knack for creating authentic, flawed, and believable characters.

Author Schwindt adeptly uses his life’s work as a social worker and a therapist, to make the character of clinical psychologist Michael Kurelek, who early on is suspected of heinous crimes, come alive in his quest to hunt a sadistic killer. Extraordinarily motivated, Kurelek embarks on quite the journey.

I’ll leave it there as I don’t want to summarize the story and give away too much – the gist of the story is in the blurb. I will say that aside from the superb characterizations, this was a fast-moving and suspenseful story with no unnecessary lags. The author’s knowledge of the human psyche, especially tortured ones, gives the scenes a raw and real feel.

The writing was excellent and the storytelling kept me intrigued from beginning to end. Well done!
psychological-thriller5 s Mike187 6

The Shine from a Girl in the Lake has a small town feel, yet carries the same amount of edge-of-your-seat suspense as big city whodunits!

Set in Magnolia Bluff, Texas, a series of murders of local college girls seems to point the finger at clinical psychologist Dr. Michael Kurelek, who is not only a member of the faculty, but also treating the victims. The police have virtually no clues, so they are relying on Kurelek to use his skills to find the killer before another murder is committed.

I really do the small town feel of the story, right down to the organization and administration of the psychology department at Burnet College, where Kurelek teaches. I think the entire story being told in the first person helped with the small town feel.

The author did a great job of immersing the reader into the story with great description. For example, when Kurelek and his dad were out hunting, this is how the scene was set: “Dad and I were surrounded by a gorgeous riot of crimson and gold foliage: oaks, pine, fir, and maple spreading out in a mixed forest as far as we could see.” The author made it easy to “see” the story.

The pacing was pretty good. When the race to the climax started, it happened without warning. I was just reading along, and then all of a sudden I couldn’t move from my seat until it was over. (By the way, the climax was really good!!)

With words garrulous, vestigial, crepuscular, and fecund, I considered the vocabulary lesson a bonus.

There were a couple things I didn’t care for. First, there were a number of punctuation issues. This was not an ARC, so those errors should have been caught. Second, there were a couple times when the author pushed the edge of the believability factor. I can’t really go into detail without spoilers, so I’ll just leave it at that. However, with all that being said, I think reading this book was time well spent. It’s a terrific story!1 Caleb Pirtle III34 8

I read a lot of mysteries. I digest a lot of plots along the way. But I never read mysteries while sitting on the edge of my chair. I have now. Richard Schwindt did it to me. I read The Shine from a Girl in the Lake while perched nervously and uneasy on the edge of my seat. It was not un watching a slow burn horror movie, one that Schwindt wrote, directed, and filmed, one whose cleverly crafted scenes are disturbing and fascinating and impossible to forget.

Dr. Michael Kurelek has a blemish on his past. It’s dark. No one knows what it is. He’s not telling. In The Shine from a Girl in the Lake, book 6 of the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles, Dr. Kurelek has escaped to a small college in the Texas Hill Country town. He’s a professor of psychology. He’s also has a private practice.

It’s a quiet town. It’s a peaceful town. It’s a perfect retreat for him. Then one of his patients, a lovely young coed at the college, dies. Is it suicide? Or murder? He is a prime suspect. And the web of suspicion grows even darker when a second patient dies violently. She’s also a coed. She’s also one of his patients. Then comes the death of a third. Kurelek is connected to them all. The noose tightens.

But is the psychotic killer finished? Has he exacted his final revenge? Or is he just beginning? Michael Kurelek has one hope to clear himself. He must find the stalker, the man who dates and then murders beautiful women before his own personal guilt suffocates him. Had he failed the young women? Had he failed to see or understand the dangers hiding in their own lives?

Schwindt has written a stunning mystery that drives deep into the twisted chambers of the human mind, ripping the covers away to reveal the evil that dwells there. His story captures the drama, the fear, the guilt wrapped in the secrets embedded within the conscience of those who choose to live in small-town Texas. Two truths are paramount. People die in all sorts of ways in Magnolia Bluff, and sooner or later, almost everyone in town will solve a crime or become the victim.
1 Rox BurkeyAuthor 34 books120

Richard Schwindt uses his therapist skills to wrap the reader up in this compelling mystery. Dr. Michael Kurelek escaped to the small town of Magnolia Bluff to teach phycology at Burnet College and help locals overcome their psychological challenges with his private practice. This quiet town is an ideal retreat for Kurelek until it’s not.

A lovely young coed at Burnet dies. Not one knows if her death is a murder or suicide. He’s the prime suspect as her therapist in his private practice. Suspicion grows more intense when a second coed, also a patient, violently dies. Michael professes his innocence, but who wouldn’t? This serial killer is vicious and without remorse. When the third woman dies, Kurelek runs out of options.

Kurelek knows that the sociopath dates these beautiful women and then kills them. He doesn’t know if three is enough or if the killer will continue his rampage. Kurelek all the sessions with the women to see if he failed them somehow or could have prevented their deaths.

Readers will get sucked into this masterfully told mystery that explores the nooks and crannies of the human mind. The story exposes the terrifying evil hiding in the shadows and how it can hurt without regret. Will the killer come to light before more coeds die? Perfectly timed twists and turns amplify the intense storyline by Richard Schwindt. You will love how some characters reappear in a town where murder is the mainstay of this town. I highly recommend book 6 of the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles and other stories in this series. S.M. StevensAuthor 7 books58

This is the second book I've read from the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles so I must start by saying, I love this idea! Different books from different writers, but all taking place in the same fictional community with overlapping characters.

On to the story: This was a fantastic read with a gripping plot that had me guessing 'til the end. The author's knowledge of psychology added a profound level to the character development and my personal enjoyment of the book. I d Dr. Mike Kurelek, the central character, immensely and suffered with him throughout the many ordeals that afflict him in the course of the unfolding mystery and manhunt.

I appreciated how there were inklings of romance but they did not detract from the central crime aspect. Perhaps Kurelek will find love in a future Schwindt novel.

The book is chock full of intriguing characters, including Kurelek's salty neighbor Jack, the ultra-wise librarian, the no-nonsense department director Shadia, and Kurelek's crisp and insightful mother. Some of these characters felt so real, I wonder if they are based on real people. Either way, their portraits are testimony to a gifted writer's skill.

I'll end by saying this book had me laughing out loud a few times, which is rare--and thus appreciated all the more--in a murder mystery. Kelly Marshall24 4

Dr. Michael Kurelek settles in Magnolia Bluff, TX to escape a secret past. An attractive psychologist, he attracts troubled young college students to his door. When two of them end up dead, he very quickly becomes law enforcement’s prime suspect.

Author Richard Schwindt has crafted an intriguing tale of a serial killer that gives his victims an expensive gift just before taking their lives. His writing is crisp and descriptive in a remarkable way. Here’s an example from page one: “I knew what a Walker Coonhound could do, but my experience with Butch mostly involved watching him roll over and invite me to rub his belly on the days I wandered next door to drink with Jack Rice. This didn’t prepare me for the furious restraint of the animal now stalking beside me in the hot brush, ten miles outside of Magnolia Bluff. His hackles rose stiff as knives, and his mouth curled in a rictus of canine rage and anticipation.”

Schwindt has been a psychotherapist for a number of years and has a keen insight into the human psyche. He also understands the deviant turn behavior can take when someone’s life shatters and madness overtakes a mind.

Richard Schwindt is an exceptional writer with remarkable depth. Give yourself a treat and read The Shine From A Girl In The Lake.
K.D.Author 11 books162

I've read a few of Richard Schwindt's novels and have enjoyed each. What a storyteller! The Shine from a Girl in the Lake: Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles is a bit different from his other books, but just as much a page-turner.
Schwindt's main character, Michael Kurelek teaches psychology at Burnette College in Magnolia Bluff and has a private practice as well. When one of the students, Marianne Blye, whom Kurelek counsels, is found murdered, Kurelek is considered a suspect by Investigator Reece Sovern with the police department. Once he is cleared, Sovern asks him to assist in finding who murdered her.
Kurelek is a well-developed character, as are all of Schwindt's secondary characters. Kurelek has great insight into reading people. He's smart, intuitive, and real. Schwindt has an uncanny way of drawing the reader into his characters' emotions: his frustration, anger, and pain he feels at the loss of those he has treated. Kurelek also has a past. One that could turn the tables on him and ruin his career.
This is a classic whodunnit. The razor-sharp dialogue, believable plot, and strong characters make this a five-star read. Loved it! Excellent job, Richard.mystery5 s Joe CongelAuthor 12 books30

Author Richard Schwindt is not only a writer, but he is also a psychotherapist, and when you put those two things together, you get a superb, psychological murder mystery with The Shine from a Girl in the Lake, the sixth installment in the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles series.

Dr. Michael Kurelek moved from Michigan to the small town of Magnolia Bluff, trying to escape his past. He is a professor of psychology at a small yet prestigious college in The Texas Hill Country, where he also sees patients in a private practice. When one of his patients, who is also a student at the college, turns up dead, Dr. Kurelek is brought in for questioning. What follows is a mystery that takes the reader on a dark journey through the mind of a clinical psychologist as he helps piece together a killing spree that has lasted for years.

The writing is tight, helping provide a feeling of tension and uneasiness as this complex plot unfolds. And Schwindt provides just enough background for each character to come to life, helping connect the reader with the overall storyline.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. Richard Schwindt is an excellent writer. There were enough twists in this psychological thriller to keep me on the edge of my seat all the way to the end.

The Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles is a terrific series, and The Shine from a Girl in the Lake is among the best. With a different author creating each mystery, each book gives us a distinct look into a town quickly becoming as famous for its murder rate as it is for its laid-back country living. It is unnecessary to read them in order to enjoy this series, but I believe the reader will have more fun connecting the dots from book to book if read in order. The authors “borrow” characters from each other, giving each story a familiar understanding of what that Texas Hill Country town full of murder and mayhem is all about.2 s Vicki L17 1 follower

Great who did it!

This was riveting! Attention Grabber, keeping coming back for more.
The characters are well put in place and played well. Lone Star Literary Life530 76 Read

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