The kids are weary of giving up their lives in the blink of an eye, of having no friends, having to set and reset the house alarm, and of watching their mother driven to the brink of violence and fear in an effort to keep them safe. In a remote town called Stillhouse Lake, they finally feel comfortable after so many years of fleeing when people started asking too many questions or Mel's minions found them. Now Gina is Gwen Proctor, and her kids are Atlanta (Lanny) and Connor. Mel's supporters on the internet criticized, bullied, shamed, and threatened her in droves, enough that she had to take the kids and run, creating new identities and starting all over againseveral times.

It didn't matter how many times she swore her innocence and her ignorance of Mel's crimes, there were many in the press, in the neighborhood, across the world, and even within her own family, who believed she had a hand in the murders. When Mel went on trial for the murders, Gina found herself in the public eye as well, and on trial. How could she have missed the signs, spent all of this time thinking her life with her husband was normal? Mel always said that he had some expensive tools in his workshop, so he kept it locked. He used his garage workshop to commit the murders and store the bodies, and Gina had no idea. One day, a seemingly innocent car accident totally derails Gina's life, as it reveals that her husband has been a serial killer for a number of years. They were the family she had always wanted. Her marriage to her husband Mel had its ups and downs, but for the most part, they were happy, and she felt comfortable raising their two children, Lily and Brady, together. Gina Royal had your typical, everyday life.

Glad that I've pulled the kids out, too.' 'I'm glad I've escaped a hell I had hardly even recognized when I was burning in it. I read the whole thing in just a few hours, and my heart was pounding pretty fast for a while afterward! I mean, stay-up-until-2:00-a.m.-to-finish-it great.

Stillhouse lake book