I have just finished reading The Hunted by Roz Nay

For me, this book starts off very well, but as it progressed, I really became quite bored with it. I found the writing style a little junior and perhaps more suited to a younger audience.

I have read books by Roz Nay in the past and liked those a bit more than this one.

With this being said, It is a good book with a good storyline, filled with suspense and twists, and many readers will enjoy it.

Thank You to NetGalley, Author Roz Nay, and Simon & Schuster Canada for my advanced copy to read, and review.

#NetGalley

This was an exciting African adventure.
The story starts when 2 traveling couples meet and "by accident" follow the same route through the country. Or was it an accident?? Misadventures and thrilling clues lead the readers through a web of excitement which ends in a dramatic climax at a private dive center off the coast of Africa. I found this book was very difficult to put down and I read it quickly wanting to know its conclusion. I would recommend this book for all thriller fans.

Pour yourself a 'dawa', a Kenyan cocktail, and relax because once you start Roz Nay’s newest thriller, you’ll need all the Swahili medicine this drink offers!

Stevie is looking for was a chance to start over, so when her boyfriend is offered a 3-month contract in ecotourism as a diver, she willingly agrees to go with him. Rafiki Island is 10 miles south of Zanzibar and the brochures make it sound like paradise. Stevie soon finds out it isn’t. The green mamba hanging in the rafters above the hole in the ground she’s been informed is the toilet, is the least of her worries. Despite making new friends at the camp, Stevie still doesn’t feel comfortable. When it becomes apparent there’s a killer amongst them, Stevie knows she’s next.

This taut, character-driven psychological thriller was filled with suspicion and tension and written so masterfully that my heart beat faster and my adrenaline started to flow. Nay was able to keep me in the moment because she made me feel like I was living inside that moment along with the characters. I loved that every action sequence written was initiated by character driven motivation. I never had to question what was going on and I always knew that the action was going to be followed by a consequence. Sometimes I lose focus when I’m reading if the plot isn’t tight and the characters aren’t consistent. I also loved that Nay got me involved at a visceral level. I’ve never been diving, I’ve never been to Tanzania, and I’ve never felt as unsafe as Stevie, yet Nay was able to get me to experience it all.

Nay explores false identity, theft, voyeurism, LGBT+, violence, sabotage and death as she tells this creepy story through both Leo and Stevie’s points of view. By revealing Stevie’s background with her friend Cassie and her grandmother, Nay is able to foreshadow distrust and secret keeping.

Laughable lines:
“My bladder is like a space hopper and I can no longer lie on it.”
“He’s like a child with a Happy Meal, unsure if he’s allowed to open the box.”

When travel opens up again, be careful who you befriend on your journey and ALWAYS double check you’ve locked your door. Oh, and if you are in Harare, don’t order chicken soup. It comes with chicken claws hooked over the side of the bowl. It’s anything but chicken soup for the soul.

Publishes July 6, 2021

I was gifted an advance digital copy by Roz Nay, Simon & Schuster Canada, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Lots of twists and turns in this book! Things just keep getting creepier and creepier as the book develops. However, I was caught by surprise and that doesn't happen very often!

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. #NetGalley #TheHunted

I am such a huge fan of a fast paced thriller! I love a good page turner that has me wanting to know more, and keeps me guessing until the final pages. Roz Nay, in my opinion, is one of the best at achieving this! Her books have all been winners for me and this one is no exception! Read in less than 24 hours, I could not put this one down!

The story followed Stevie and her boyfriend Jacob on a work trip where he would be a dive instructor on a very secluded and remote island. The idea of backpacking wasn't thrilling for Stevie and after a few scary moments in hostels and the constant feeling of being watched on the way to their final destination, she wasn't feeling overly comfortable. Enter a very sexy and mysterious couple who really show an interest in Stevie and Jacob. Things got interesting and basically, nobody in this story seems to be able to be trusted.

I love Roz's ability to spin a story and this turned into one wild ride. There were so many secrets and lies. The secluded location added to the story. If you love a good thriller, you should definitely check out this one, as well as Roz Nay's other books!

Two couples meet and start backpacking their way across Africa. What could go wrong?

This book started out with a bang. I was immediately reeled into the story from the very first sentence.

Stevie and Jacob decide to leave their lives behind in Maine and get a fresh start in East Africa where Jacob has just been hired to work as a diver at an ecotourism company. They land in Nairobi and begin their trek to a small island close to Zanzibar. Along the way they meet a friendly couple who are also backpacking around Africa.

I loved the premise that this was set in Africa. I can’t say that I’ve ever read a thriller with that setting. Minus the scary bits it reminded me of my Kenyan safari from a few years ago. Although, the only frightening part of my safari was accidentally coming across a hippo who was minding his own business munching on some grass.

A lot of the problems that Jacob and Stevie faced could have been avoided if they took proper safety precautions, but I guess that wouldn’t have made for a fun read. Like, maybe, don’t post about your imminent travel plans on your public social media account? Just a thought, Stevie.

Still, I was having fun reading this, but the more I thought about it the less I liked how both of the BIPOC characters were being handled. I won’t say anymore because I don’t want to spoil the twists.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for a digital ARC of this book!

✨The Hunted✨
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Looking for an author whose books will continually mess with your brain? Look no further than The Roz Nay. I read Hurry Home last summer and was totally engrossed by every page and earlier this year, I picked up Our Little Secret and was literally shook. Hands down, my favourite! When I caught wind that Roz had a new brain game in the works, my heart already started palpitating.
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This story is pure escapism as we follow Stevie and Jacob on an African backpacking adventure. Stevie is dealing with an intense amount of grief that pushes her to flee from her hometown in hopes of finding healing through a new beginning. Little did she know, she would soon catch the attention of two new mysterious friends. A series of coincidental events push the foursome together as they wind up in the same diving camp. The strange couple puts Stevie on edge and the reader truly never knows who is telling the truth until the tide turns in the very last moments.
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Overall, The Hunted had a lot of things going strong: exotic location, a tangled web of secrets, shocking twists and turns, suspense, and mystery. The only thing I couldn’t get behind were the characters; I didn’t like any of them. Stevie was a wreck, Jacob was a crappy boyfriend, Leo had creep written all over him, and Tasmin just seemed too “perfect.” Yes, I know it’s a thriller and that I’m not supposed to like the characters anyway, haha. However, as per typical Roz fashion, they were all chillingly unreliable. There were moments when I didn’t trust each of them and didn’t know which duo would end up being the “right side” which I believe makes a successful, gripping thriller. Though it’s not my favourite of Roz’s trio, I’d definitely recommend picking it up!

This book was a throughly enjoyable read. The plot line was great and lots of twists and turns making it impossible to put down and was therefore read in record time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an early copy of The Hunted in return for an honest review.

This book had a lot of things going for it - exotic location, stalker/killer, hidden secrets and several twists and turns consistent with the thriller genre. However, I had difficulty relating to and getting to know the characters, which is a big negative for me. While the book appears to have great appeal to many who have read it, for me it was just an average read.

Roz Nay has delivered another spectacle hit.
Set in Africa, small-town Maine natives Stevie and Jacob are off on an adventure and a bit of a reprieve from everyday life and the Stevie’s grief after losing her grandmother. When they arrive, things start to go downhill, both with the trip and their relationship. Someone seems to be following them from locale to locale... and may have less than honest motives.
I really enjoyed this gorgeous setting in this book, and the subtle twist and turns. Several times I thought I had things figured out and characters pegged down but the author did not fail to surprise me.

The Hunted was a quick and compelling read with a unique setting and some well-drawn characters. As someone with personal experience backpacking and diving in that part of the world, I thought the author did a good job of capturing the places and people. The alternating perspectives structure worked well, and the pacing with quick but not rushed.

What makes this a four star rather than five star review is that I wasn't totally sold on the plotting in the final section, and felt that the resolution was somewhat contrived. Still, if I'd bought this book for a trip it would have done its job and kept me entertained. Would certainly consider reading another title by this author.

I finished this book yesterday and needed a minute to sit down and process.

The Hunted allowed me to travel to warmer climates during this pandemic and typical damp maritime spring weather. Although….. I’m not too sure I wanted to be on this vacation.

But seriously where to start?
This was a book I thought was pretty cut and paste and that I had it all figured out. Ohhh how wrong I was. The twists and turns I don’t know what I’m talking about.

This book is the perfect summer thriller to add to your list. The fast pace will keep you wanting to read to the very end in one sitting to find out what happens.

Let’s just say, not everything is as it appears.

This book was entertaining! If not a little confusing. But a little confusion only adds to the mystery! So well done Roz Nay! When Stevie and her boyfriend decide to live a little and see the world outside of their small east coast town, I’m sure the two never bargained for obsession and stalking and betrayal. Taking place mostly at a dive retreat called Rafiki Island in Africa, Stevie who has her share of demons and her safe boyfriend have jobs protecting the Coral Shelf with a Diving Outfit. But when they meet couple Leo and Tamsin in Zimbabwe first, they are surprised at what a small world it is to bump into this gorgeous couple again. Such killer good looks! But is anything a coincidence? And how far do we go to examine the nature of our true selves. With an ending I honestly was surprised with, if nothing else this book will make you long to travel but be careful who you meet along the way.......

A very twisty thriller that will keep you guessing.

Stevie and her boyfriend Jacob leave Maine for a dive camp in Africa after Stevie's grandma passes away. Jacob has a job as a diving instructor waiting for him. On their way to the dive camp they meet and spend time with another couple, Leo and Tamsin, who are also headed for the same destination.
Strange things begin to happen that has Stevie questioning everything like her safety, her past, her relationship with Jacob and her her two new friends.

Lots of suspense, tension and unexpected turns to keep you interested until the end.

Rating: 2.9 / 5

**Received ARC from Netgalley for honest review.**

*blows out breath* Okay, so my 3 out of 5 stars rating is a pretty liberal rating, and is more from the fact that I don't have the energy right now to complain about what I didn't like here. My writing motivation being nearly zero, as ours all are at times, I'll just list out what I liked and didn't like and leave it at that:

Likes:
+ Leo as a character, who was far by the most interesting person there, psycho though he is. Sure, stalker-y and creepy and all, but for most of the book he's pretty much the only thing that kept the plot moving, so yeah.
+ Africa as a setting. That's something you just don't see often in mystery-thrillers, so kudos for some originality there.
+ A twist that is technically original and unexpected.

That being said, here come the dislikes:
Dislikes:
- Stevie. Meh, boring and traumatized and damaged and therefore she's disbelieved by everyone and of course is also hiding something. Blah.
- Jacob. Boring love interest who's a bit of an ass for disbelieving Stevie and being conveniently absent, etc.
- Tamsin. This character is kind of all over the place as the book progresses, but I didn't particularly like any of these places and don't like how she was used as a character.
- Not getting in-depth on anything other than how Stevie and Leo are feeling, which makes the story pretty shallow plot-wise and that doesn't have much going for it.
- The "twists", while unexpected, are completely stupid and result in a trainwreck ending. And no, there were no hints that "oh, it was like this all along!" or anything like that, as it's 100% bullshit that comes out of nowhere. I guess the author was going for something completely unexpected, but if you can't make it believable and justify it, then don't even bother. So...just nope, this was a mess and is pretty much right off the bat why I took off one entire star. (Originally, for most of the book, I was thinking 4 stars would be okay, but that ending just cinched it to 3 stars max.)
- Also (and spoiler territory ahead here):[The LGBT+ rep here, which is TERRIBLE! First you've got Stevie who, for all intents and purposes, murdered her best friend in high school because that friend didn't reciprocate her romantic feelings. And then you've got Tasmin who's all levels of fucked up as well, just using Stevie's sexuality against her. Just...ugh. Not the kind of rep that you want to read about in 2021, right? Even Dead to Her had a better LGBT rep--at least the romance there was real!(ish, but still!) (hide spoiler)]

So, all in all, on the lower end of the spectrum for my second Roz Nay book here. This just fell flat for me, despite the premise being quite good. *shrugs and walks away*

I really enjoyed this story. The characters were well defined and I could picture them in my mind as I was reading the book. I did figure out part of the twist before the end, but it did not dampen my enthusiasm of wanting to finish the book. I did not want to put it down and finished it in less than 2 evening sittings. I did find the ending a bit weak, otherwise it would have been 5 stars. Thanks to the publisher for providing me with the advance reader copy at no cost.

I would like to thank Simon and Schuster Canada and NetGalley for the ARC of The Hunted. I have read another book by this author and I looked forward to reading this one. This book is full of twists and red herrings so you are definitely kept on your toes wondering who the bad guy really is.

I didn’t care for the characters so it was more difficult to get into the book or to like it when the characters didn’t bring forth any emotions. The setting in Africa was perfect as that in itself can make a person feel isolated and alone. Some may enjoy this book but it lacked excitement for me. It’s an ok book but no TV big I would rave about. Previous books by this air voir have been amazing so don’t let this book stop you from reading the rest

This book was a real page turner for me! I could not put it down -read it in one sitting. The book pulled me in during first few pages and I was always trying to figure out just where the plot was headed. There was a “creepiness “ to this mystery thriller that kept me captivated ..I highly recommend!

“I’m plunged into darkness, the only sound now the intermittent drip of the tap and the awful certainty that whoever’s in the room is making their way toward me. Did the wood of the stall door just press inwards? Is the lock moving? I stand one hand clamped over my mouth, the other one on the lock, while only inches away from my head, there’s a low catch of sound, soft and velvety. Somebody inside the bathroom is laughing.”

On their way to Rafiki Island ten miles south off Zanzibar, where Jacob Jones has a three month contract with GoEco — a dive operation for ecotourists — he and his high school girlfriend, Stevie Erickson, spend two nights at a backpacker’s hostel.

Stevie’s grandmother has recently died; she lost her best friend in a car accident eight years ago, and now she’s triggered by a frightening hostel bathroom incident.

Leo and Tamsin have been travelling through Africa together for three months. Tamsin takes everything in her stride wherever they go while secretly Leo finds it hard to adapt to his depth of exile. He’s a tabloid dream, a rich boy with film-star good looks who had done shocking things to his father and been sent to a psychiatrist.

From the instant Leo sees Stevie at the hostel he becomes obsessed and the seemingly serendipitous friendship between the two couples begins to turn into a feverish and terrifying Lariam dream before they reach the shores of the secluded island.

Nay is a brilliant storyteller and transported me straight to Africa with her vivid, detailed descriptions. She has created complex characters damaged by where they have come from, looking for release in an unfamiliar corner of the world. The chapters alternate between Stevie and Leo’s perspectives. From the first paragraph, ‘The Hunted’ is taut with suspense and dread, a warning of what is to come. It has all the dynamics of the best unpredictable psychological thrillers.

A huge thank you to @NetGalley and @simonschusterca for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is spellbinding, with its back and forth between points of view that really put you in the mindsets of the two main characters. It is well written and definitely a page turner, often keeping the reader on the edge of her seat, wondering what will happen next. The suspense is palpable, with that first part of the novel ever present in the mind..
However, I did feel that the twist at the end was a bit of a stretch. I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but I had difficulty reconciling what had gone before with the explanations at the end.