Published by Boldwood Books Genres: Fiction, Mystery, thriller
Format: ARC, eBook
Sometimes it’s best to let the past stay buried…
Gripping, mysterious, dangerous, and addictive. M.A. Hunter first came on my radar when I read Adrift and I jumped on the chance to read The Trail and was happy I did.
When Jess was young her mother, Nora, agreed to go on a charity hike on the Appalachian Trail. Her mother completed some of the trail, but then disappeared. Thirty years later, Jess is a journalist who is still devastated by losing her mother. She is drifting through life when she receives a tip that remains have been found in the location where her mother was last seen. Jess drops everything and travels to the US and finds that the locals, as well as the trail, have secrets.
I enjoyed how this book was told through two timelines. I was equally invested in both. I could feel Jess’s need to know what happened to her mother as she began asking questions hoping that she would finally get answers. I also enjoyed the sections where her mother is hiking the trail with her companions.
The Appalachian Trail feels very much like a character in this book. With its ups and downs, hard hiking conditions, trail magic, dangerous edges, and wildlife. Plus, the locals living in the town where Jess was staying are polite, yet distant. They appear to want to help but are guarded. There is an underlying feeling of things not being quite right and this provided a creepy vibe. I enjoyed the underlying tension in this book. It felt as if Jess was dropped into a twilight zone episode (which I loved). Someone does not want Jess to know the truth but why? I had several theories as to what was happening and didn’t even come close.
Well written, tense, atmospheric, and hard to put down!
#TheTrail #NetGalley #Boldwoodbooks #MAHunter
Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.