Suspenseful, intriguing and chock full of normal but intricate characters, The Hunt will twist your brain into a knot as you try to unravel the mystery of what – or who – is behind the multitude of deaths in a small southern town. Kelly J. Ford delivers an engaging thriller that puts a sinister twist on an otherwise benign quest to win a cash prize, keeping you guessing until the very last page.
Presley, Arkansas comes alive every year with the Hunt, an annual search for a golden egg that will earn the finder a large cash prize courtesy of the local radio station and local businesses. However, the Hunt has a dark side. Someone always seems to turn up dead during the event. Is it the result of a serial killer or just horrible accidents that coincidentally occur at this time every year? The townspeople are split on this. But with the Hunt returning after a pause for the pandemic, painful memories will resurface for the families of the victims. Especially Nell Holcomb, the sister of the first person to die and potentially the first victim of the “Hunter.” This time, Nell won’t be able to ignore the events of the past, having to face them head on as those close to her get sucked into the Hunt and face potential danger at every step.
The beauty of The Hunt is it takes a radio station promotional activity that you could see in any town in America and turns it on its head by connecting it to a double-digit body count, but without knowing if a killer is on the loose or if it’s all coincidental. The dead are already buried and if there is someone murdering all these folks, they aren’t featured in the narrative beyond being a rumor. All of which keeps the intrigue high and the focus on the individuals in the story. And the characters are fantastic! Richly developed to have depth as they work through troubled pasts, presently complicated relationships and their emotions surrounding the hunt. Kelly J. Ford does an amazing job getting the reader to invest in these characters' lives, ordinary folks just trying to make a living and do right by those around them but who get sucked into the drama and conspiracy surrounding the town's biggest annual event.
An excellent and intense novel by one of the best voices on the southern thriller scene, The Hunt will capture your attention early and have you on your own hunt for the truth of what’s happening in Presley, Arkansas. Once you pick up this book, you won’t be able to put it down.
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