Hiker Valerie Gillis has vanished in the Maine woods while hiking the Appalachian Trail. She has failed to check in with her husband at the agreed-upon location for a few days before he reports her missing, because she has often been late. Did Valerie wander off the trail or has something else happened?
This story is narrated from the viewpoints of several characters. Valerie herself is keeping a journal that eventually reveals what happened. Lieutenant Bev Miller is the game warden in charge of the search. Santo is a black New Yorker who was Valerie’s hiking buddy on part of the trek. Finally, there is Lena, a retired wheelchair-bound scientist who sees something online that helps the search.
This novel is interesting on several fronts. Readers get to know these main characters very well and feel affection for some of them. There is a lot of detail about the wildness of the Maine forests and how searches are conducted. And the tension mounts as the search continues well beyond the usual time it takes to find someone. The book is fairly hard to put down.
Finally, it has a touching ending.
What? Me Read? 
“Hard to put down” is a strong temptation…
It’s good.
The cover is striking too! Love a good cover.
I must search for it.
This was a book of two halves for me – loved Bev’s perspective but struggled with everything else.
Interesting.
This was a good read but not as strong as her Sea Wife that we read for Literary Wives, I thought.
That’s true. I had forgotten about Sea Wife, but I looked up my review yesterday.
I’ve never heard of this writer, but she’s on my list to be discovered thanks!
I hope you like her.