I wish to extend my thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Ca. for an early electronic copy of The Hunted in return for an honest review. I first became aware of this book from a mailing from CBC in descriptions of 53 upcoming books by Canadian authors. I made a shortlist of the ones I was hoping to read and The Hunted among them. I was happy to receive my request.

I regret to say it didn't live up to my expectations, but I think it will appeal to many readers. It had everything I should enjoy in a thriller, but I could not connect with the characters. I found them emotionally unstable or devious and not at all likeable. The setting in Kenya and the journey through Tanzania were familiar to me, and then there was an exotic island off the African coast. There was a damsel in distress and a crazed stalker. It sounded exactly like my type of story.

Once on the island, the atmosphere becomes menacing. There are dark, disturbing secrets, false identity, misunderstanding of others' behaviour and motives, thefts, snooping in personal property, sabotage of equipment and communication, violence, fear, and deaths.

Stevie reluctantly agrees to accompany her longtime boyfriend, Jacob, to the remote island of Rafki, where he is to work as a diver for GoEco. She is mourning her grandmother's recent death and a friend who died in her presence when both were teenagers. She is in a fragile emotional state, has nightmares and panic attacks. She is constantly worried and discontent. She is growing distant from Jacob, who shows patience with her and understanding of her black moods. I knew I should have been sympathetic but found her annoying.

The story is told from the perspectives of Leo and Stevie. They describe the events in separate chapters. Both are introspective when relating their pasts from their own points of view.

Early in the journey, she is uneasy as she thought an intruder was watching her while she was asleep in her hotel room. Later, she and Jacob meet a gorgeous and friendly couple, Leo and Tamsin. She suspects they are following them to their island destination, but Jacob dismisses her concerns as a mere coincidence.

Stevie reasonably believes that Leo is a deranged stalker. He knows too much about her and is obsessed with her. She becomes friends with Leo's girlfriend, Tamsin, and finds she is attracted to her. Jacob finds Leo's behaviour towards Stevie creepy. There is sure to be some violence, with tension rising among the small group of volunteers and the diving camp manager. Suspicion and danger grow at an alarming rate.

I believe many will enjoy this character-driven psychological thriller set on an African island.