This was a really good mystery. I had my suspicions about how the story would end but it took an unusual turn. It’s my first read by this author & I was pleasantly surprised. I look forward to the next book published😊

Jess’s mum, Nora, vanished thirty years ago while she was on a trip to the US. Nora went hiking a portion of the Appalachian Mountain trail with a group for charity to benefit Nora’s Goddaughter, but she never returned home.

Jess receives a message stating that a body has been found, leading her to believe that her mother’s case may finally be solved. Seeking closure, Jess makes the decision to head to the US in search of answers. Not everyone wants Jess to find out the truth about Nora’s disappearance. One thing is for certain, Jess is in danger and her future will never be the same after the discovery she makes.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is such an exciting and tense read, I was hooked immediately and enjoyed following both timelines.

The authors writing style made me completely drawn to both main characters and invested in their stories, other characters completely freaked me out! Human ‘bear cubs’ for one. I didn’t know what way this was heading or which characters to trust!

Whilst I understood the whys and the way people are drawn to the town; the ending was a tad unrealistic for me, but I still thoroughly enjoyed the book and would recommend it.

I really enjoyed this book. I am an avid hiker and section hike the AT. The writer did such a great job of describing hiking and all of the joys and pains of it. I also enjoyed how she developed each of the character's stories. Definitely kept me guessing until the end. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a good mystery to read.

MA Hunter is a very skilled author, and it is always enjoyable to read his books. This one hooked me right from the beginning. A woman, whose mother disappeared 30 years ago while hiking the Appalachian Trail, is still looking for answers, and decides to go to US to find out what really happened.

I enjoyed reading the now and then story lines side-by-side, especially the way both mother and daughter were moving on with their journeys, as well as reading about all the different characters they met. A very enjoyable story, although I am not a fan of myths and magic, so those parts of the story were not my favourite things. Otherwise an excellent read!

A great mother/daughter story and a compelling mystery. I think a lot of people will love the book, but I am the wrong audience for it. It does stand out a bit in a crowded mystery field.

This was a multi-leveled story. The Appalachian mountains offered a creepy atmosphere, twists and suspense offered riveting thrill, it also had a strong and captivating mystery, and on top of all of that it had heart in the form of the mother-daughter relationship. A great read.

The story is told from both Jess and Nora’s perspective in dual timelines. Jess’s mother Nora disappeared from the group she was hiking the Appalachian Trail with and her body was never found. Jess is still searching for answers 30 years later and returns to the US when remains are found in the area her mother was last seen hoping for closure. What she gets is so much more than she could have

I was so invested in Jess finding the closure she so desperately needed and figuring out what really happened to Nora. There were so many twists and turns to this mystery and the ending was not what I was expecting at all. I absolutely enjoyed this book and can’t wait to dig into more from author M.A. Hunter.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC in return for my voluntary and honest review.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #Boldwood Books and M. A. Hunter for the opportunity to read an advance copy of THE TRAIL, to be published 8 September 2023. The stories of Nora, the mother, and Jess, the daughter, are told in alternating points of view over a 35 year period when Jess’s mother goes on a hiking trip in the States to help raise money for her ill godchild in England. Nora is reportedly lost on the mountain in Appalachia and Jess, at the age of 5, is left to deal with the traumatic loss of her mother. She never recovers from that loss and seeks to find her mother’s remains. 4/5 Stars #NetGalley #BoldwoodBooks #M.A.Hunter #TheTrail

When I read the synopsis for The Trail, I thought it’d be perfect for me: I grew up in Tennessee, spent time in rural Appalachia regions, and enjoy hiking and camping, as well as a good thriller. While I’ve never done a months-long hike on the level of the Appalachian Trail, I’ve heard friend’s stories about thru hiking the Appalachian, Pacific Crest, and Continental Divide Trails, and have been fascinated in their experience and trail culture. Marrying a story on section hiking the AT with spooky Appalachian folklore elements and a daughter trying to find her mother sounded incredible. However, I think I would have enjoyed the book a little more if I had no knowledge of any of the above, because the author clearly doesn’t.

The premise of the story begins when Nora, mother of 5-year old Jess, agrees to hike a section of the Appalachian Trail (with no prior hiking experience) to raise money for her goddaughter Ashley’s medical expenses. I let this very confusing set-up slide, but within reading the first 10% of this book, it also became clear that little to no research was done about thru or section hiking, what hiking the Appalachian Trail would actually be like in 1993, or Appalachian culture and folklore. During their first week hiking the AT, Nora and her hiking buddies are attacked by a PACK OF WOLVES. I found this hard to believe, and then after a 10 second Google search, confirmed that it would be darn near impossible in Maine in the 90s. Then, a member of the hiking crew gets lost in the woods after his tent is blown away. The Appalachian Trail is well-known for being a “green tunnel” with heavy tree cover, and it seems unlikely that a tent would get blown very far without immediately catching on a tree. These are relatively little things, but very much took me out of the story and took away confidence in the author.

The writing also felt unpolished, with a lot of unnatural dialogue and small plot holes. Characters often have knowledge that they wouldn’t have had any way of gaining, and small details just don’t make sense. For example, Jess speaks to a local sheriff’s office about her mom and some remains that were recently uncovered in the area. She asks that she be contacted by the sheriff, but doesn’t leave her name or phone number. He calls her anyway. There are also a lot of information dumps continuously throughout the book, with no building of tension or critical thinking going on for Jess, our main character. It makes the “reveals” devoid of surprise, because there are hardly any connections to what came before.

Similarly, the plot felt all over the place, with Appalachian myths like the mothman and Bigfoot sightings scattered about, but not fleshed out or related to the plot in any real way. There is one bit of mysticism that is heavily related to the plot, but not rooted in Appalachian folklore at all, as far as I can tell. It felt like the author watched a lot of Tiktoks and browsed some Reddit subthreads, and tried to put as many of those elements into the book as possible, without actually making them a main plot thread. After reading the author’s note at the end, I realized I was spot on about that - the book was conceived in response to a tweet from the author’s agent, asking for a thriller set in the Appalachian Mountains. The author then wrote the book in the following 39 days, and specifically mentions watching Tiktoks as part of the process.

Which brings me to my biggest problem with this book: there are a lot of mentions throughout the book of “mountain people” or locals to the rural towns on the Appalachian Trail, and every mention felt extremely stereotypical. Two of the locals make references to the lying federal government, almost every local character gives some sort of cryptic warning about the woods or other locals, and the main community featured has some unexplained god worship situation, and the same community uses their own forms of medicine that is a secret within the group. It was a pretty insulting and off-base characterization of an entire swath of people. The author also mentioned in their author note that they had to look up where the Appalachians were, which appears to be the last research effort made.

I really didn’t expect to have a particularly strong reaction to this book, but it hit all the wrong notes for me, and felt exploitative of the Appalachian region’s recent popularity on social media. This book just made me want to read a better book about Appalachia.

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read an Advanced Reader Copy of The Trail. This review contains my honest opinions.

Wow! This premise was so unique and out there. The first 80% of this book had me HOOKED. I had to know what was going to happen next. Whose remains were found? Where was her mother for 30 years? Is she dead? Is it true what she’s hearing about the AT?

Once things started to unravel, it becomes a little far fetched, although unique.

I enjoyed the location of this book. I live near the AT (ish) and actually hiked a bit of it through Maine (not near as long as the characters). So, reading about hikers and the lure was super interesting!

All in all, this was a great book with great twists. I’ve never read anything like this before, so it was a nice break from the same old stuff.

"The Trail" is a suspenseful thriller that delivers a punch. At its heart, it is also a mother daughter story with dual timelines which make it all the more enjoyable. Highly recommended for suspense/thriller readers who appreciate atmosphere and a creepiness factor. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I thought this was going to be one of my missing people thrillers. Our girl's mom goes missing while hiking the Appalachian trail when she is five years old and her life falls apart. Her dad dies and she ends up being raised by one of the guys who was on the hike.
30 years later she get a text saying a body is found in the place where her mom was last seen. She was about to have an interview right when that happens so she leaves and when she gets home she finds she has been evicted.
She needs a break! Anyway, she ends up flying to the states to talk to the local sheriff handling the case.
So that's her side.
But we are also on the journey with her mom and let me tell you - it is so much better than you expect. This woman is doing this hike to raise money for her goddaughter. She does not love the guys she is hiking with and it is all just awkward. But then it gets creepy AF. She is out there with cryptids and spooky hunters. All the Appalachian lore is here too! They even eat mystery meat which is very Fallout 76.
I want to tattoo the feeling this book gave me on my body. It is so so good.

I really enjoyed this book it was a good storyline, full of tension and grabs you from the beginning — told from the POV of Jess (2023) and Nora ( 1993) each chapter skipping between the time periods. The mystery of what happened to Nora — really drives the story and holds the intrigue . The more you get into the book the more gripping the story becomes— you will feel a driving need to know what happened to Nora and what might happen to Jess. Lots of twists and turns in this book- definitely keeps you guessing. Recommended!

This was a fast paced novel that I mostly enjoyed. I have to deduct a star for the American dialogue. The American characters sounded extremely British to me, I know the author's British but a little effort to speak like us would've gone a long way for credibility. Other than that it was a fast read. 3.5 stars rounded up.

I enjoyed reading this book. It kept me guessing, and trying to work out what was going to happen. I liked the dual time lines, that worked really well for me .I had plenty of theories, and was slightly right, but only slightly. It kept me entertained all the way through, good read.

Thank you to Boldwood Books & NetGalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a thriller, that just kept that creepiness level high, with shivers running up my back. Every time you thought you were getting closer to answers, something would throw you onto a whole new track of guessing. And the ending was simply perfect. You don’t often get a happily ever after when reading a suspenseful thriller, but M.A Hunter wrote and delivered one perfectly with “The Trail”.


Jess’s Mom Nora disappeared while hiking the Appalachian Trail for charity in 1993, in New Hampshire. Her body was never found, nor were any clues to what happened to her; she simply just vanished never to be seen again. When Jess opens her email to find human remains have been found off the Trail not far from where her Mother was last seen, she hops on the first flight over from the UK. Her arrival and journey through New Hampshire and Maine, feels like a cat and mouse game of finding the truth. Who is telling her lies, and who is trying to cover up what really happens in these Mountains. Told in alternate time lines between Jess’s current journey to find justice for her mother, and Nora’s journey on the Trail in 1993, a delicious tale of mystery is written.

I really enjoyed this thriller, the setting was described in such eerie detail I felt like I myself was hiking the trail. So many creepy things happen in this story, that truly just made me shiver. If you’re looking for an unputdownable thriller, with a rich and detailed setting, this is the one!!! Well done!!

When Jess was little her mom went missing while hiking on the Appalachian trail. Now she’s an aspiring journalist and someone gave her an anonymous tip that a body was found on the trail. Jess wants to investigate… Maybe it’s her mom and she can finally have closure, or maybe it’s just a great story. Either way, someone doesn’t want her talking. This thriller has plenty of twisty turns and I liked the references to hiking the trail. Thank you net gallery for the digital copy.

This is a fascinating story of a mother and daughter (Nora and Jess) whose unwavering love for each other causes trauma in their lives. Jess is now a journalist who continues to investigate what happened to her mother 30 years ago when she vanished (and is presumed dead) on the famed Appalachian Trail. In the present, Jess is determined to figure out how and why her mom vanished without a trace as she was doing a charity walk for her goddaughter, Ashley. And so begins the second perilous journey to the AT that is fraught with all kinds of sinister legends, creepy people, and tales that would make your skin crawl! Hunter knows how to keep the tension high as he weaves this incredible story of a mother-daughter bond that can't be broken!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

It's like.....Wild....but murdery.

MA Hunter is a best-seller for a reason and this is no different. Fast read and an exciting story, I enjoyed this as expected.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review.

The narrative unfolds through alternating perspectives, shifting between Jess in the present and Nora in the past. As Jess embarks on a poignant journey to the Appalachian Mountains, drawn by the discovery of remains near the site where her mother, Nora, vanished three decades earlier, the stage is set for a compelling exploration into the mysteries of the past. Nora's enigmatic disappearance from her hiking group, her untraceable whereabouts, and the absence of her body have left Jess with unanswered questions that only the mountains might hold the key to.

Immersed in the present and seamlessly woven with Nora's past, the tale skillfully captures the essence of Appalachian trekking – its unpredictable terrains, the shades of uncertainty in fellow hikers, and the swift spread of ailments in such isolated landscapes. The intricate tapestry of mountain folklore enriches the narrative, offering a unique and captivating layer to the story. These isolated enclaves, cocooned away from conventional society, harbor unknown stories, and the novel's legends add an irresistible allure.

While the storytelling adeptly ventures into a realm of mountain magic, this dimension demands a willingness to embrace the extraordinary – a proposition that most readers will willingly embrace. But beyond the fantastical, the heart of the story lies in Jess' resolute pursuit of closure. Driven not only by her profession as a journalist but more significantly, by her enduring love as a daughter who has missed her mother's presence for three long decades. It's this very love that becomes a powerful and universal force throughout the narrative.

However, amidst the depth and intrigue, there's an aspect that remains unresolved, leaving a lingering thread. The scene involving the cow, though essential to the plot, remains suspended, and the narrative would have been further enriched by its resolution.

Ultimately, the story is a testament to Jess' unwavering determination, exemplifying the lengths to which she goes to unearth the truth. Anchored by an unbreakable bond between mother and daughter, the narrative showcases the potency of love as a driving force. One need not fully comprehend the mountain magic to appreciate the emotional resonance that pervades the pages. The story is a celebration of love, an odyssey of self-discovery, and a gripping exploration of the unknown, all set against the backdrop of the enchanting Appalachian Mountains. #TheTrail #NetGalley