Thank you to the author and Simon and Schuster Canada, #partner, for the finished copy of The Hunted in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Canada
Published: July 6, 2021
*** This book will be released here in the states on July 5, 2022.
Summary:
The Beach meets The Guest List in this twisty travel thriller about two couples who meet backpacking through Africa, but what begins as friendship quickly turns to obsession, with deadly consequences—from bestselling author Roz Nay.
Stevie Erickson is looking for a fresh start. The sudden loss of her grandmother has sent her life into a tailspin, dredging up old losses and putting a strain on her relationship with her boyfriend, Jacob. So when Jacob is offered a job as a diver for GoEco, a dive operation for ecotourists on Rafiki, a beautiful, secluded island off the coast of Tanzania, he thinks it’s just the adventure they need and Stevie reluctantly agrees to go with him.
Their trip gets off to a rough start with a nighttime scare at their first hostel. Already fragile, Stevie can’t shake the feeling that she’s being watched. Things improve when they meet seasoned backpackers Leo and Tamsin, a drop-dead gorgeous couple who instantly take a shine to Stevie and Jacob.
But on Rafiki Island, their new friendship is put to the test, as is Stevie and Jacob’s own relationship. And when innocent flirting goes too far, past truths surface, exposing a killer in their midst—a killer whose sights are set on Stevie.
A high dive into the dangers of obsession, this sinister and seductive thriller will leave you breathless.
My thoughts:
I have been a fan of Roz Nay ever since reading her debut book, Our Little Secret. She writes such engaging, binge-worthy psychological thrillers that you cannot help but read in quick bursts and this latest one is no exception. It came out in Canada last year and is finally being released here in the states and I am so excited…you are definitely going to want to add this one to your beach bag this summer!
I am always a fan of stories where things are not what they seem and that could not be a more apt description for what we have here. With the overall dark tone, the secrets that everyone seems to have, and the obsessions that seem to be driving some of our characters, it’s a deliciously thrilling and entertaining story.
I loved how we are ever so slowly given information about our characters, piece by piece so that we are left to make our own judgements about them as we see them interact with each other. But as the twists come into play, everything gets turned about and you start to question all you thought you knew about these characters. Is anyone really who they say they are?
This book really kept me on my toes from the get-go. That prologue had my heart pounding and the characters themselves are so well-drawn that whether you liked them or not, you need to keep reading to see how it all plays out. And let me just say, I thought I had my finger on everyone’s motives, but things took a turn that I definitely did not see coming and I loved it!
I cannot recommend this one enough. Between the alternating points of view that really lead you to question everything, to the isolated setting that just lends itself to a suspenseful, ominous feeling, this really is the perfect thriller to lose yourself in this summer!
