What a surprise this book was! I honestly loved so much about it. I went in completely blind, having picked it as a potential book to read on NetGalley. I would recommend going in blind because I think it made the the book that much more fun.

*Some Spoilers Ahead*

The most unique aspect of this book was the plot: an annual Easter Egg Hunt for a golden egg with prize money that has caused the town to speculate the presence of a serial killer called the “Hunter” due to the suspicious deaths that occur during the hunt. Having Easter as the main topic for a thriller seemed a little odd to me at first, but it felt completely right while reading the book.

The main character, Nel, is a complete mess, but in a relatable way. If you’ve ever had a loved one pass unexpectedly, the grief that comes with the experience is unlike any other. Nel’s character portrays this grief believably and really tugs at the reader’s heart strings. The other characters in the book are all built up well and I don’t have any critiques for their character arcs.

I loved the suspenseful spooky vibes paired with some lighthearted moments. I feel like one of the biggest strengths of the book are the added sections. These contain text from the document explaining the deaths linked to the hunt, social media posts, text message conversations, and much more. They make sense in the context of the book while also giving it the book some needed humor.

The best thing about this book, in my opinion, is that I didn’t expect the ending. I feel like there weren’t obvious giveaways within the book but the ending was believable. I wasn’t let down and enjoyed the added suspense at the end.

The LGBTQIA representation really worked for me. I was Team Ada + Nel through the entire book. Seeing their relationship grow was one of the biggest highlights for me.

As a whole, I would definitely recommend this book. I had very little to critique about it and enjoyed it as a thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book for free and give my honest feedback and review.

I'll add this to my list of books where the blurb sells the book, and then the book doesn't deliver. At least not to what I expected from the blurb. I can be forgiven for thinking this story would throw the protagonist, Nell, into the midst of some possibly terrifying cat and mouse type scenario. That Nell would be in the centre of the action, either hunting for the "golden egg" or being tormented by a serial killer who's still on the loose in the town.

If you plan to read this because you expect that to happen, then this is not the book for you. In fact, a lot of the more tense scenes in the book don't involve Nell at all, but other characters. I'm not sure how I feel when support characters feel more engaging than the main character. Ada is the character I needed Nell to be in this book. Ada is badass and she's engaging. But even then, this character doesn't feel focused in the story.

Honestly, this feels more like a coming-of-age love story, even though the two characters involved in that part of the story are adults and not teenagers. And I felt this lacked impact. Even in the big reveal it lacked impact. The biggest reason for that is because the slow sections are too long. There's no atmospheric build up. Sorry, but reading about two characters sitting on their work break and chatting for pages and pages isn't exciting, especially when the discussion has no bearing on the plot.

There are a few good moments in this story that are gripping, and when I read those moments, I was thinking, finally! I thought this was the moment when the worm turned and the story would become the thriller I'd hoped. It really didn't.

And I honestly don't like saying I didn't enjoy this story, because the concept had me hooked. It really sounded right in my wheelhouse. Maybe it's one of those books that just isn't for me. I hope other readers out there find something more in this book than I did.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and to Netgalley for provided a copy of this book to read for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This wasn’t the book I thought I was getting. It’s basically a queer romance with some social commentary. However the social commentary is wrapped in a mystery and a lot of it’s unclear what the point of the commentary is. Everyone is identified by race and I wasn’t sure if this was about a serial killer who was racist but in the end, none of those details played a role?

Also, while I’m happy for queer romance and good POC characters, sometimes it felt a bit like they were written this way to garner interest rather than being authentic.

It’s hard to say if it’s good or bad because it’s not why I expected, and honestly if the summary had been accurate, I wouldn’t have read it. It should really get a new summary.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity.

Kelly J. Ford delivers a captivating and atmospheric tale of suspense in "The Hunt." Set in the small town of Presley, Arkansas, the annual Hunt for the Golden Egg becomes the backdrop for a dark secret and a series of mysterious deaths. The author skillfully weaves together the town's divided beliefs regarding a serial killer's presence, creating a sense of unease that permeates the narrative.

At the center of the story is Nell Holcomb, haunted by her brother's death, which she believes was the work of the notorious "Hunter." As she cares for her nephew and tries to shield him from the town's dark underbelly, Nell is forced to confront her own past and the dangerous secrets that lie within Presley.

Ford's writing is immersive, drawing readers into the heart of the community and its conflicting perspectives. The characters are deeply human and relatable, each with their own motivations and hidden depths. The slow burn plot steadily builds tension, keeping readers on the edge of their seats as Easter approaches.

"The Hunt" is a masterful blend of mystery, suspense, and emotional depth. Ford's keen attention to detail and evocative prose create a vivid sense of place, allowing readers to experience the town's fear and fascination firsthand. Gripping and thought-provoking, this book is sure to captivate fans of dramatic suspense.

An interesting concept told in an interesting way. The characters were presented well. I could picture them as I was reading. It was told from an unique perspective that I don't think I really grasped until the end.

Suspenseful, intriguing and chock full of normal but intricate characters, The Hunt will twist your brain into a knot as you try to unravel the mystery of what – or who – is behind the multitude of deaths in a small southern town. Kelly J. Ford delivers an engaging thriller that puts a sinister twist on an otherwise benign quest to win a cash prize, keeping you guessing until the very last page.

Presley, Arkansas comes alive every year with the Hunt, an annual search for a golden egg that will earn the finder a large cash prize courtesy of the local radio station and local businesses. However, the Hunt has a dark side. Someone always seems to turn up dead during the event. Is it the result of a serial killer or just horrible accidents that coincidentally occur at this time every year? The townspeople are split on this. But with the Hunt returning after a pause for the pandemic, painful memories will resurface for the families of the victims. Especially Nell Holcomb, the sister of the first person to die and potentially the first victim of the “Hunter.” This time, Nell won’t be able to ignore the events of the past, having to face them head on as those close to her get sucked into the Hunt and face potential danger at every step.

The beauty of The Hunt is it takes a radio station promotional activity that you could see in any town in America and turns it on its head by connecting it to a double-digit body count, but without knowing if a killer is on the loose or if it’s all coincidental. The dead are already buried and if there is someone murdering all these folks, they aren’t featured in the narrative beyond being a rumor. All of which keeps the intrigue high and the focus on the individuals in the story. And the characters are fantastic! Richly developed to have depth as they work through troubled pasts, presently complicated relationships and their emotions surrounding the hunt. Kelly J. Ford does an amazing job getting the reader to invest in these characters' lives, ordinary folks just trying to make a living and do right by those around them but who get sucked into the drama and conspiracy surrounding the town's biggest annual event.

An excellent and intense novel by one of the best voices on the southern thriller scene, The Hunt will capture your attention early and have you on your own hunt for the truth of what’s happening in Presley, Arkansas. Once you pick up this book, you won’t be able to put it down.

I need to read descriptions closer because I am not a fan of crime fiction because of the pacing and I was sad that this book had the pacing of a crime fiction novel and was not interesting enough to keep my attention.

This book was perfect for the season and reminded me a lot of horror and thriller comedy. It was refreshingly good/

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this novel, by a writer who continues to surprise me with her depth and relationship processes.
The Hunt tells the story of an annual Easter Egg Hunt in a small Arkansas town, fueled by the whispers of a serial killer and an ever-increasing financial pot yearly. Many lives intersect, their desires, lost hopes and dreams pushing them forward and to each other. Nell’s brother Garrett may have been the first victim of the shadow now called The Hunter , or, he may have been the victim of a terrible accident 18 years ago. Either way, lives changed, and continue to do so, as Nell and her family—both by blood and by choice—deal with the consequences of Garrets death, while also dealing with the upcoming hunt.
Is there a serial killer? The Hunt is heightened by the increasing social media prompts, cell phone cameras and hypotheses everywhere. As we all know, everyone has an opinion, and everyone feels it is their right to state it. Real people live with the consequences. For Nell, it’s guilt, grief, despair and disappointment., while raising Garrets son Elijah and lacking the necessary coping skills of an adult.
Ford is best when handling the emotional spaces between friends, family and lovers. She hits all the right notes. I felt that about half this story was unevenly told, it kept me too off balance. She hits her mark when describing loss and all its colors. I have truly enjoyed reading Ford, her voice is so nuanced and specific to her roots. I felt the story and its telling gained momentum and cohesiveness the last quarter of the book. It all fell into place.
If you haven’t read Kelly J Ford, now is a great time to start!

Absolutely thrilling and kept me turning the page and on the edge of my seat. I loved it and will highly recommend to others.

THE HUNT I found tremendously scary, not in a supernatural or Paranormal sense [although this is definitely Horror] but in the quantity of human evil, both intentional, and also springing from apathy, prejudice, close-mindedness, bigotry. I don't know how some of these folks live with themselves. This novel is highly, but not entirely LGBTQ +, so much of the sorrow and prejudice and heartbreak is viewed through the several LGBTQ+ characters. There's also religious intransigence [believe and act as I do--or proceed straight to Hell]; indifferent, prejudiced, incapable, law enforcement; pure overwhelming greed; narrowmindedness. This Arkansas small town is a microcosm of human frailty. Terrifying. But...I loved the novel. Immensely well-written. Heartwrenching. Put my emotions through a wringer, throughout. Well worth reading.

First, thank you so much for an advance copy.

Unfortunately, I couldn't finish this. The writing was too choppy? Not sure if that's the word. And telling me everyone's race/skin color constantly got super old quick.

This was a tough one. The writing was a bit clumsy, and the storyline was a bit boring. I struggled to finish it.

The format of the book (alternating between storytelling and a google doc being written by an unknown author) was intriguing, but it wasn't well executed and the google doc just became confusing and distracting.

I also didn't understand why the race of literally every character was mentioned every time they were referenced. It was distracting and tiresome.

There was potential here, but it wasn't fully realized.

The premise of this book sounded interesting, and I was really looking forward to reading the advanced copy that I was provided by NetGalley. Unfortunately, it it did not deliver. While the mystery and suspense that I was looking for was there, the writing did not draw me into the story. I put some effort into pushing through the first few chapters, but unfortunately did not end up finishing it.

Dramatic Suspense..
The Presley, Arkansas, Annual Hunt is as much about dead bodies as it is about the elusive Golden Egg. Is the serial killer theory just a jest conjured from the imagination of the locals or is it real? Is there a serial killer on the loose or are previous deaths simply accidental? As Easter nears, the past comes crashing into the present in this small town, character driven, dramatic suspense. A slow burn plot populated with a deftly drawn cast, an emotionally charged narrative and a keenly realised setting make for an engaging read.

One of my favorite things about The Hunt was the structure--the voices of Nell and Ada, the regular selections from the Google doc, the tweets, radio press releases, and so on. The various tensions between the two main characters kept me reading, although I feel like I would have preferred to see these tensions resolved into relationship a bit earlier in the narrative. In addition to Nell and Ada, the novel offers a number of other entertaining and engaging characters. Finally, the contest between small-city factions (political, religious, economic, and otherwise) was a strong element throughout.

The Hunt is a fun read!

I appreciated the opportunity via NetGalley to take a look at this novel!

Poor execution of a fun premise. Had this been a straight-up mystery thriller, it would have been much more entertaining. But it's a small-town drama/soap opera with mystery elements.

I was not a fan of Ford's writing, which awkwardly proclaimed every single character's skin color as soon as they were introduced, or of the structure. There was no difference in voice or style between Nell and Ada, and I would've preferred the POVs of other characters (Elijah and Maggie, mostly).

None of the characters seemed to have any motive for anything they did, particularly once the culprits of several major incidents are revealed. And then there were WAY too many endings. Had this been a commentary on the desperation of small towns, how the desire for escape and upwards momentum made people do stupid things or how the herd mentality of small communities bred conspiracy theories where there was just sadness., I would have been fine. But then there are TWO more endings, which just muddle things and make the conclusion completely unsatisfying.

I expected a little more from this book after reading the description. It was a good story a little drawn out at times.

I have been dying to read this book since its cover reveal, and it definitely lived up to my expectations! No one writes female relationships fraught with longing and baggage and expectations like Kelly Ford, and then layers in a murder mystery so exquisitely just to up the stakes. The unmasking of the small town hypocrisies at the end was just the icing on the cake. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

Better than almost anyone writing today, Kelly J. Ford is able to spot the magic in the mundane and craft a compelling story around what others simply look right past. The Hunt is just the latest example of her ability to draw readers into the chaos and craziness of everyday life while exploring themes of shared trauma, family dynamics, and the societal constraints of small town America. Add a serial killer into the mix and you have yourself one hell of a book.

For the past 17 years, participants in the annual ‘Golden Egg Hunt’ in Presley, Arkansas were as likely to find a dead body as they were the prized egg. A serial killer has used the influx of visitors and the remoteness of search areas to hone their skills. While those benefiting from the tourist dollars and others obsessed with the idea of winning the spoils chalk all the deaths up to unfortunate accidents, Nell Holcomb knows better. Every day she is reminded of ‘The Hunter’s’ first victim when she looks into the face of the nephew she is raising and sees her brother staring back at her. The days leading up to Easter are not only a reminder of her brother’s death, but the role she played in it.

While there is a serial killer on the loose, you won’t see a high body count in this one. It is the search and subsequent fallout that drive this story. The interpersonal relationships are authentic and filled with high levels of drama and emotional angst. For me, I was as wrapped up in how the characters would react to the next devastating blow as I was who the killer might be. As a thriller junkie, the misdirection and increasing levels of danger kept me entertained.