The Hunting Grounds by Katee Robert Pages: 318
Series: Hidden Sins #2
Genres: Romantic Suspense
Source: ARC, NetGalley
Also by this author: The Marriage Contract, The Wedding Pact, Fool Me Once, An Indecent Proposal, A Fool For You, The Devil's Daughter, Neon Gods (Dark Olympus, #1), Electric Idol , Wicked Beauty, Court of the Vampire Queen, Hunt on Dark Waters
Goodreads
For two FBI agents with a past, love becomes a matter of life and death in the new Hidden Sins novel from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Katee Robert.
Maggie Gaines used to be an FBI agent—top of her class and one of the bright, up-and-coming stars—until she spectacularly fell apart during her first high-profile case. That was eight years ago. Now she’s a ranger at Glacier National Park, and she’s found some measure of peace. But when the body of a murdered woman is discovered, she must finally put the past behind her and work with the one man she thought she’d never see again.
For months, Vic Sutherland has been hunting a killer who’s been targeting unsuspecting hikers in national parks—and now the predator has come to Glacier. Vic knows the case will bring him face-to-face with his former partner, yet nothing can prepare him for seeing Maggie again after all these years, or for the memories of passion it stirs in both of them.
As the investigation brings them closer together—and closer to the killer—Maggie and Vic fear they have only each other to trust. But even that might not be enough to make it out of Glacier alive.
On my summer breaks from teaching, I usually find myself binge watching TV on netflix. No matter how many times I have seen every episode of Criminal Minds, I watch them again. What drew me to The Hunting Grounds was its similarity to an episode of Criminal Minds!
Maggie was a member of the BAU years ago. One case sent her over the edge and she left the FBI and became a park ranger. Things were great…until she finds a mutilated body in her park. Vic, her former partner at the BAU, has been tracking this killer and has to team up with Maggie again to solve this crime. Things are different now though…Vic is divorced, Maggie isn’t an agent.
The story is similar to the episode of Criminal Minds where the 2 brothers were hunting humans in an Idaho forest. The victim Maggie found in the park had been field dressed, but what killed her was a shot from a compound bow. Since the story is told in 3rd person, you get glimpses into every aspect of the story, not just what Maggie and Vic experience. There is a group of young hikers who have entered the park and you just KNOW they are going to have some kind of run in with the killer. The tension created in the story is well written and engaging. Much like book 1 in the series, The Devil’s Daughter, the romance does seem a bit secondary and less developed. However, the plot is intense and not having a well developed romance didn’t make the story bad. And while these 2 books are ‘connected’, they are absolute stand alones.
Robert gives you a few red herrings to keep you guessing which will ultimately keep you reading. I was sure I knew who the killer was a few times, only to have Robert prove me wrong a chapter or 2 later. While Maggie and Vic weren’t characters I fell in love with, I did enjoy the story and plot. If you are looking for romantic suspense, this might be a disappointment. Its more suspense with a touch of romance. Personally, I still enjoyed it, but I knew going in that romance wasn’t the feature here.
- POV: 3rd
- Tears: no
- Trope: serial killer; FBI
- Triggers: View Spoiler »
- Series/Standalone: stand alone
- Cliffhanger: View Spoiler »
- HEA: View Spoiler »
| Breakdown | |
|---|---|
| Hero | |
| Heroine | |
| Chemistry | |
| Writing/Plot | |
| Trope | |
| Overall: | |
Before the Dawn by Cynthia Eden, Cold Secrets by Toni Anderson, Deep Dark by Laura Griffin…then you will probably like The Hunting Grounds!
The Hunting Grounds
I am pretty curious about how this author handles the suspense aspects. I just love a good suspense and just adore this author so much. Lovely review.
Its certainly more suspense than romance and she did a GREAT job keeping me guessing!
That episode on Criminal Minds was wicked. It was like a family thing. Passing down the hunting from one generation to the next. This book is everywhere. I must read it. Thanks for the great review.
Thanks for the amazing review. Some one told me about the book before, I never knew it was this interesting. I will definitely look for it and read. The review is an eye opener and it has given me every reason i need to buy this novel.