Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for my copy of The Trail by M A Hunter

Jess’s mum disappeared 30 years ago and her body was never found, now a body has been found in the area where she went missing.
Hoping to finally get some answers Journalist Jess takes off for the Appalachian Mountains.
The book is told over a dual timeline with enough twists to keep you guessing until the end.

What an intriguing story about a journalist that sets out to find her mother who has been missing for 30 years. Jess;s mother, Nora, disappeared while participating in a charity hike.
A duel timeline story told by Nora in 1993 and her daughter, Jess, in 2023.
The setting is the Appalachian Mountains Trail.
The story is quite creepy!
Perfect book to read around Halloween!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

A read full of unexpected twists and turns. I enjoyed the two different timelines throughout, the characters and the suspense throughout of what was going to happen next that kept me wanting to find out what happened

Thirty years ago, Jess’ mother Nora disappeared while doing a charity hike on the Appalachian Trail. Jess has never stopped wondering what happened to her mother, and was inspired to become an investigative journalist. When Jess receives a tip that remains have been found near where her mother was last seen, she hops on the next flight to the U.S., and is determined to finally discuss the truth of what happened on the trail.

This book in told in alternating POV and timelines. You get to see Nora’s perspective as she embarks on her thru-hike on the Appalachian Trail, and her daughter Jess who is searching for answers. I enjoyed both timelines and perspectives. The book starts off slow as it builds the story, but gets moving in the second half of the book. You start to see some of the people that Nora encountered on the hike and question whether or not they could have had something to do with her disappearance. “if you see something, no you didn’t; if you hear something, no you didn’t; if someone calls your name- don’t look, run.” As Jess returns to the town her mother was last seen, she quickly realizes the locals are of no help, and they do not want her there. The book did keep my interest as I wanted to find about what happened on the trail. I was definitely surprised at the turn of events. Overall, this was enjoyable read and I would recommend it, especially if you like hiking or mysticism.

Thank you Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Jess is a reporter in the UK with a very stagnant career but when she gets a link on her website having to do with a body found in the same area of the Appalachian trail where her mom Nora went missing 30 years before despite limited funds she leaves immediately to investigate. She goes to the last place she thinks her mom was in Roxton,Main. it seems the people in the Little town are not happy to have her nosing about but while at a tea shop a man drops a note telling her he knows about her mom and to meet him that night The other POV is her mom Nora and her charity hike through Maine she is doing it for her goddaughter Ashley who is sick and her hike will raise money for her care she’s going on the hike with her friend Bruce Ashley‘s American godfather Charles and another guy named Ken. It’s supposed to take a month but with the snowy conditions it takes longer Nora doesn’t want to be on this hike and to make matters worse Charles is a real jerk and although he calls a truce it doesn’t make him more likable Norris own mom was put in a metal facility due to her fanciful thinking so when Nora runs across a girl selling charm bracelets the only reason she buys it is for her daughter just who she thinks would love it and when she’s tall she could get two for $10 she finds a pretty bracelet that silver and unlike the rest but it doesn’t fit so when the girl selling the bracelets grabs her wrist tightly and does a foreign incantation in at the end the bracelet is on Nora is a base by Bess but this will not be the only thing Nora find amazing on her hike through the main Appalachian trail. There is way too much to the story to do a summary of all of it just now this book keeps you guessing until the end and although they hate things that were either blatantly false or things that didn’t make sense to me like doing a charity drive to financially help someone with healthcare when I thought the UK it’s free healthcare but that is minor and not important to the story but also there was a part in the book where Nora is angry because Charles finds a cabin that he breaks into and she had first refuses to stay there but in America if it is snowing and the weather is bad you can take shelter in a cabin in the woods and that is not illegal you can also eat the food that is there I don’t know about other countries but I found this part of the book ridiculous because even if it was illegal there was a blizzard about… So she would rather stay in a blizzard after being on the trail for over a week then take shelter in a warm cabin that made no sense to me and this wasn’t the only time Nora‘s mom to me seemed ridiculous. Now but I have gotten the negatives out the way as I said before this book keeps you guessing until the end and although they do have some mystical happenings in the book they seem plausible in par for the course because for the most part this is a really good book that was just a few technical things I found out of the box. I would definitely recommend this book as I know things that bother me do not bother the average reader so definitely read that it is a really good thriller! I want to thank Boldwood Books and NetGalley for my free Ark copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

I really enjoyed this book as it’s a gripping mystery thriller with an original storyline.
Jess has lived without her Mum for thirty years since she went missing on a trail in the Appalachian mountains in America.
She is struggling to settle in life so when she receives news that a woman’s remains have been found on the Appalachian trail she gets straight on a plane.
When she arrives she’s not exactly made to feel welcome but Jess is determined to find out what happened to her Mum.
This is a great read that I really enjoyed.
Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I loved the tension! Whether it was Nora on the trail or Jess asking questions, it had just the right amount of tension to keep you hooked on the story. But I didn't love the end. It fell flat for me and I felt like It really needed a jaw dropping twist after all the tension build up.

Overall, this was an enjoyable thriller despite the end! The story flicks back and forth between Jess in the present and Nora in the past and it will leave you wanting to hike the Appalachian trail yourself!!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book.

WOWZA! What a fantabulous thriller! The Trail by M.A. Hunter is a gripping, mysterious, mystical, bone-chilling, engrossing, nail-biting page-turner! I was hooked on to the story from the very first paragraph and couldn't put it down until the end.

Speaking of endings, my god! This story had a totally unexpected, shocking and twisty ending.

The story alternates between Jess and Nora; present and past, that is. While Nora's side of the story was getting creepier with each chapter, Jess' was getting suspenseful. Then, we come to the denouement - the final scene which brings Jess face to face with the truth. This is nothing short of a jaw-dropping moment.

With a generous dash of mysticism, The Trail is a fantabulous masterpiece by our master storyteller, M.A. Hunter.

This was a unique story about a team of hikers in the Appalachians in 1993 and the daughter who goes looking for her mother who is presumed dead.

Jess is in England and behind in her rent and job hunting when she gets a note from America about some remains that have been located in the Appalachians - near where her mother was last seen. She doesn't hesitate to hop on a plane to find out what she can about her missing mother. (Suspension of disbelief ensues for the spontaneity of a broke person flying off with little luggage or money. Also for the few Britishisms spoken by Americans.).

We learn, in alternating chapters, about the trials and physical discomfort Nora and her team went through. And when Jess encounters some locals who try to warn her off her search, she's certain now - someone, somewhere, knows something. But as the saying goes, "If you see something, no you didn't; if you hear something, no you didn't; if someone calls your name - don't look, run!"

The characters created by author M. A. Hunter (pen name for Stephen Edger) are fairly strongly developed and evoked empathy. There was a little bit of myth and legend thrown in which I would love to have seen expanded on, but it was just enough to add to the atmosphere of The Trail.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an advance reader's copy.

Defined by the disappearance of her mother as she hiked the Appalachian Trail, this is the story of a young woman’s discovery to find out the truth of what happened to her mother.
We are given some flashbacks to Nora’s experience and this is interspersed with our character’s hunt to find out what happened, and whether the remains found are those of her mother.
The book became stranger as we dug into the story. I found the rapidity of the resolution frustrating, and the revelation of what happened was ultimately disappointing.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this prior to publication.

You always know that you are going to get something special with this author and The Trail does not disappoint. A fast paced crime thriller which I found impossible to put down. Full of intrigue, mystery, murder and urban legends. I devoured this book in one sitting and finally turned the last page in the wee hours. A real work out for the grey matter with plenty of misdirection. Highly recommended and almost five stars.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the Arc in return for an honest review.

I was not keen on how the pace of the story kept changing- it left me disengaged at times. I enjoyed the relationship between the characters though and thought the author showed good talent.

This is a wonderful speculative fiction story about a journalist who embarks on a quest to find her missing mother. It’s set in the Appalachian mountains and focuses on the trail which runs from Georgia to Maine.

I was pulled in by the ominous cover and then won over by how good M.A. Hunter is at cranking up the tension, knitting the unseen twists, and putting his characters through the wringer!

I flipped through the pages as the Trail Magic captured me and enjoyed reading about family bonds, unearthing secrets, gathering truths, enabling restoration, honoring loved ones, and finding answers. One thing is for sure, Hunter knows how to keep his readers on the hook and how to write a suspenseful, creepy thriller. One moment I was creeped out by the sinister tales and legends and the next I was soothed by the strengthening familial bonds. Just when I had an inkling about the direction it was heading, I realized I was on the wrong trail!

M. A. Hunter is the pen name used by Stephen Edger, an accomplished thriller and crime fiction novelist of 22 books.

You’ll need to read this creepy book as we head towards spooky season and find out for yourself if Jess Grogan gets the answers she’s looking for…

I was gifted this copy by Boldwood Books and was under no obligation to provide a review.

I’d like to thank Boldwood Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Trail’ written by M A Hunter in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Jess Grogan is an unemployed journalist who wants to know why her mother Nora vanished thirty years ago whilst walking the Appalachian Trail for charity. When she receives an anonymous message on her website entitled ‘Body Found In The Appalachians’ Jess is convinced it’s her mother’s and flies to the US in the hope of getting closure and also write the true story of her mother’s disappearance.

The story of ‘The Trail’ is a thriller that encompasses black magic, mystical bracelets and cults and is told in alternate chapters by Jess in the present time and Nora thirty years later in 1993. For some time M A Hunter has been one of my favourite authors whose books I want to read without needing to look at the initial description and ‘The Trail’ hasn’t disappointed me. I’ve been pulled into the story from the first page and although different to what I’ve come to expect it has a well-thought-out plot with twists and turns, great character descriptions and tension that’s increased with each chapter. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading this thriller that’s stretched my imagination and kept me involved, and has a conclusion that’s come as a massive surprise and is totally unexpected. I can’t wait for the next thriller from this talented author.

Jess is a struggling investigative journalist in England. Jess receives a message with a link to a story saying human remains have been found in an area of the AT trail where her mother went missing thirty years ago. She immediately decides she has to go there and figure out if the remains are indeed her mother. She encounters people in Appalachia who don’t seem to want to help her and are even possibly covering something up. Jess feels in danger. The book varies from chapter to chapter from Jess in present time to Nora, Jess’s mother, in the past while she was hiking the AT trail. The fact that Nora leaves her young daughter in England to go hike part of the AT trail for charity, raising money to help her goddaughter pay for medical expenses seems a bit unrealistic. But if you can overlook that bit, it is a very interesting story. You feel for Jess and you cheer her on to find answers that have plagued her her whole life. The main characters are good, but I felt many of the minor characters encountered in the towns along the Appalachian mountains were a bit too stereotypical for my taste. Overall, I liked this book and would give it 3.25 stars out of 5.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thirty years ago, Jess's mother, Nora, disappeared while on a charity hike in the US. The devastating loss has afflicted Jess well into her adult life and even inspired her decision to become an investigative journalist. So when Jess receives an anonymous tip telling her that remains have been recovered in the spot her mother disappeared, she wastes no time in jumping on a plane. They say the Appalachian Mountains have secrets, but as she begins to ask around, she learns that the locals do too. But no matter how much they lie, she is determined to find out the truth - even of it will irrevocably change her future.

Jess needs to get closure on what happened to her mother thirty years ago, but someone does not want her talking. The story has a dual timeline - the past, thirty years ago when Nora went missing doing a charity walk across the Appalachian Trail/ The present day, Jess's search for answers to her mother's disappearance. I was pulled in from the first chapter. The story is told from Nora in 1993 and Jess in 2023. Each chapter is headed so we know what year we are on. The more I read, the more I was hooked. I was just as desperate as Jess to find out what had happened to her mother. The ending wasn't what I expected at all. M.A. Hunter is another author who is quickly climbing my favourite author list.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #BoldwwodBooks and the author #MAHunter for my ARC of #TheTraik in exchange for an honest review.

I have enjoyed all the previous books I have read from this author. This one was more of a mystery than a thriller and had magical inferences which are just not my cup of tea. It was well written and I am sure plenty of readers will enjoy it. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

I was expecting a thriller but this was more of a mother/ daughter fiction with a but jystery thrown in. It did have that tense spooky atmosphere with it being set in the mountains and it varies in once between slower moments which really give the reader an insight into the character aswell as faster parts which really do ramp up the mystery. A really well written and balanced book

This was such a heartwarming mother/daughter story. Having the story take place deep in the mountains has an air of spooky that had me hooked! It took a little bit for the story to get going, but overall it was such a pleasant read!

At times I found the beginning of this book a little slow going, with the jumping between mother and daughter, but once I got into it I found it the storyline moved along faster. There was also more action involved. The ending (trying hard not to spoil anything) was partially guessed, but still plenty of twists