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: Ok, well, serial killer...
- Series/Standalone: stand alone
- Cliffhanger: no
- HEA: more of an HFN but again, the romance was never the focus.
Before the Dawn by Cynthia Eden, Cold Secrets by Toni Anderson, Deep Dark by Laura Griffin...then you will probably like The Hunting Grounds!
See full review on The Book Disciple