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Deadman's Track

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Alone in the wilderness, they are picked off one by one ...

Deadmans Track did not disappoint - Barrie seamlessly pieces together multiple stories portraying many themes. Murder, poverty, love, revenge, crime bosses.

Sarah Barrie is quickly becoming my favorite author of Australian thrillers - can't wait to see what she has in store for us next.

4 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Special thanks to Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

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*4 Stars*

Copy kindly received via NetGalley for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book. I liked how it was set in Tasmania and talked about the hikes and trek's down there. It actually made me want to discover them for myself. (Minus the atrocities of course).

I found there were some really likeable characters in this and some really despicable ones. There is a lot going on in this one but it does all come together - it just takes a while to get to the advertised moments. It has to be that way, for the story to gain momentum and to understand the little nuances in the story.

I enjoyed jumping into a crime thriller/mystery again, and look forward to reading more from this author.

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A fabulous book which I could not put down. Really easy to read, gripping and wonderfully told story that I would recommend to others!! Wonderful Australian author I cannot get enough of.

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Sarah Barrie never fails to have me on the edge of my seat with my heart in my stomach when I read one of her awesome romantic suspense stories and this one was a beauty, we return to Calico Lodge in the beautiful highlands of Tasmania, to catch up with the Atherton Family and this time we see Tess finally find the love that she deserves but not without a lot of ups and downs to say the least, with a killer on the loose things are starting to get scary.

Tess is working with search and rescue and when a tragedy has her re-thinking about her certainty on what she can still do and with a very pushy boyfriend, Tess is not feeling like she used to. It is winter and the weather changes at the drop of a hat when Tess takes on a group of young hikers through a tough track something that she had said no too earlier, off they go but it is not long before things go terribly bad in the worst way and Tess shows how strong and courageous she can be.

Detective Senior Jared Denham is working along -side Detective Indy Atherton after a series of break and enters turns to murder and now they seem to be after a serial killer and Jared is getting closer to Tess the woman who saved his life once, but with her ex pushing his weight around things don’t run very smoothly. And when they discover Tess and her hiking party are in serious trouble in the national park Jared is determined to save her.

This is a page-turner at its best the characters good or bad come to life on the pages in this beautiful setting, Tess wow what courage she shows in life and death situations, she is a very strong and independent heroine and Jared sheer determination and love pulled him through some very tough moments in this story and the young hikers have to be mentioned especially Jai and Riley, I loved this story the sensual pull between Tess and Jared with everything going on was so very good and I can’t highly recommend it enough, yes it has been on my TBR pile for too long but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you MS Barrie for another keeper.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy to read and review.

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Deadman's Track follows on from Sarah Barrie’s two previous novels, Bloodtree River and Devil’s Lair. This story takes place again at Calico Lodge, run by the Atherton siblings. Tess Atherton, a wilderness guide in Tasmania, is recovering from a tragic accident. She reluctantly agrees to take a group of young hikers out during the middle of Winter. Nothing prepares the group for what's to come. I really enjoyed this latest suspenseful novel of Sarah's and hope the is more to come from the Atherton family! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital copy.

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Alone in the wilderness, they are picked off one by one ... Gripping, standalone romantic thriller from an author at the top of her game, for readers of The Dark Lake and The Dry.

Well plotted and paced, this story is about a tragic accident, a terrible crime, an unknown threat - and time is running out.
I found myself reading late into the night. Although I guessed some plot lines along the way, the antagonists were perfectly drawn and easy to dislike and I found myself fully invested in the plot and the protagonists.
Scarred by a recent tragedy on Federation Peak, Tess Atherton is reluctant to guide a group of young hikers in the wild Tasmanian winter, but it seems safer than remaining amid the violence that threatens them in Hobart. Little does she know that she has brought the danger with her ...
Detective Senior Sergeant Jared Denham is closing in on a serial killer, but someone doesn't want him getting to the truth and the case is becoming personal. He already owes Tess his life, and wants to return the favour - but when it comes to enemies, Jared may be looking in the wrong direction.

Tasmania is a great setting for this story. The author takes readers into the cold and delivers spectacular ‘views’ for us to imagine. Tassie has a lot of wonderful wilderness and I look forward to (one day) travelling through the areas mentioned in the story.
It is always a pleasure to read a good book. Good ones leave me pensive and pausing before opening the next story. Deadman’s Tracks was one such novel.
Thank you, Sarah Barrie, for the visit to Tasmania. I will get there one day. (Without the bad guys, hopefully.)

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Thank you Harliquin Australia and Netgalley for me copy in exchange for an honest review.

I binged this book in one sitting. It has a high level of intrigue and I loved the multiple perspectives. It gave me as the reader a chance to really know and appreciate each characters backstory without having to add additional details.

It was a very very slow burn at the start with little hints through out and I loved to concept of multiple story lines that all kind of came to one conclusion at the end.

It’s a great Australian based thriller from a female Australian author. It’s makes me both want to hike this area and avoid it completely!

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OMG, what a story. It had me hooked from the very start and I could not put this book down.
Set in Tasmania it is full of action and adventure, and some romance too. Wow this story has it all from a serial killer to an ex-boyfriend who won't go away. And there is an adventure through the wilderness and many twists and turns throughout the journey.
It is an amazing and unforgettable read for all the lovers of our wonderful Aussie authors. It has made me want to go on an adventure to Tasmania and see all that it has to offer. And hike along some of these tracks, but hoping it is safe and I do not come upon anything like what happened this this story.
Sarah has written another awesome book in this series and I hope there will be more. I love taking a journey back to Calico Lodge and the Atherton family.

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This book is connected to Sarah Barrie’s two previous novels, Bloodtree River and Devil’s Lair but can really be read stand-alone. Tess, the main character in this one is a sister to two of the previous main male characters and has appeared before but this is the first time she really takes full focus. She works guiding guests from the family eco-lodge and other tourists on guided hikes around Federation Peak and surrounding areas. She also works with search and rescue and at the beginning of this book she experiences a tragedy after someone she is guiding doesn’t listen to her instructions and is determined to do something when the conditions are too dangerous. Her experience has a marked effect on her and she is struggling with some of the aspects of her job, particularly the parts that revolve around heights. All of this is a normal experience but it’s giving her boyfriend Aaron a chance to smother her. Suffering a crisis of confidence, Tess isn’t sure whether or not Aaron is right and maybe she should be just letting him dictate her future.

Detective Senior Sergeant Jared Denham started with a string of burglaries that escalated suddenly when two prominent, wealthy people were murdered on a yacht and a large amount of jewellery stolen. He is under enormous pressure to solve this murder and with it, the burglaries as well, especially as the deeper he goes, the more bodies he finds piling up. He’s getting close to Tess for a couple of reasons, the two of them crossing paths, making Tess realise that maybe she has other options and Aaron and his smothering ways might not be for the best.

This book was such a ride!

And I should be used to that by now, because I know how excellent Sarah Barrie is at crafting a book that takes the reader on a journey of suspense that lays careful groundwork, builds slowly but expertly until all of a sudden you realise that your heart is in your mouth and the atmosphere is frantic and dangerous and incredibly atmospheric as well. She excels at using the wilderness in Tasmania, the remoteness of parts of it as well as a living, breathing character as well that often works both with and against the main characters as they fight to keep themselves out of danger.

There are a couple of stories running parallel through the book for the most part, before they merge towards the end. Tess and her recovery from tragedy is one part of the story as well as her relationship with her boyfriend Aaron and how it’s not going particularly well. She’s been trying to feel things, wanting to feel things but it hasn’t necessarily been working and Aaron has been displaying a red flag or two as well which is concerning some of the people closest to her. Tess is close to both of her sisters-in-law – detective Indy and also Callie as well and they are supportive toward her as she works through the tough situation. Indy working with Jared also means that Tess and he cross paths quite often and they have an interesting rapport.

I enjoyed the story of Jared investigating the burglaries and how that scenario escalated sharply. Barrie constructs a situation where you can see a vulnerable person being taken advantage of, because they’re struggling to make ends meet and they have responsibilities that require money. They’re working what is no doubt a minimum wage job with little in the way of chance for progression but something that pays just enough for them to scrape by and provide the bare bones. It’s easy for many people to spot a weakness there and exploit it and not only that, to craft a situation where suddenly, that roped in person becomes not just an unwilling accomplice, but something much more dangerous. I felt a lot of sympathy for his person even though he was led astray into doing some incredibly terrible things. The situation was really not black and white and I thought this was addressed very well.

The latter part of the novel, which involves Tess leading a group on a hike through southern Tasmania and merges the story of Tess with the story of the burglaries, is amazing. Tess is experienced, although she was kind of roped into taking this job at a time of year when she normally would not have and it doesn’t start the best, with several of the young men not really being prepared to listen to her and thinking they know better. That soon becomes the least of her problems though as strange things start to happen, sinister things and it gets more and more terrifying. I spent most of my time reading this section in a high state of anxiety as things escalated and Tess is cut off from being able to communicate their terror and distress to the outside world. There are two potential perpetrators and the stress was real waiting for Jared to figure out who it was and whether or not they’d be able to orchestrate something in time.

This was brilliant. Absolutely loved it, another incredible romantic suspense from Sarah Barrie.

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Evoking both the beauty and danger of Tasmania’s mountains and rugged coastline, with the capricious winter weather often mirroring the tension of the storyline, Deadman’s Track is a riveting romantic thriller from Sarah Barrie.

The story opens with a breathtaking scene as wilderness guide Tess Atherton clings to the side of Tasmania’s Federation Peak attempting to save the life of a careless client, and it’s not the last time in Deadman’s Track that she will find herself trapped in a precarious position. The nail biting plot offers plenty of fast paced, tense action that sees Tess caught in the middle of a violent robbery, stalked by an ex-boyfriend, and targeted by a psychotic killer as she leads five teenagers through the Tasmanian bush.

The youngest of the Atherton siblings who own and run Calico Lodge, (with her brothers, Logan and Connor, featured in Bloodtree River and Devil’s Lair respectively), I thought Tess was an appealing character, who In the face of both physical and emotional challenges, proved to be courageous and resilient. She is confronted with two notable antagonists in Deadman’s Track, Aaron, who doesn’t it take it well when Tess tries to end their relationship, and ex-con Paxton. The behaviour of both men serves to push her closer to Jared, a local police detective with whom Tess has some history. A likeable character, thoughtful and straightforward both personally and professionally, Jared is a good match for Tess, and I enjoyed the development of their relationship, despite the somewhat awkward timing.

It may be considered ambitious of Barrie to include intrigue, action, romance and some thoughtful social commentary in Deadman’s Track, but she does so effortlessly, creating a credible and compelling story. Exciting, atmospheric and gripping, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.

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EXCERPT: 'I'm sorry I got you into this!' Charlie Reynolds shouted over the gusts of wind blasting them with icy sleet. 'It's the stupid weather! I don't know where it came from. I can't see how to get down.'

Neither could Tess. She held on to a shelf of slippery rock on a narrow ledge high on a cliff face with frozen, aching fingers. Beneath them was absolutely nothing. She tried for a smile, for encouragement, because the cute but stupid twenty-three year old was close to panic, but in her head she was swearing: at him, the mountain, the weather, the whole messed-up situation. He had no right to be here. He'd been warned. No - he'd been told. Repeatedly. The Federation Peak climb belonged only to those with the experience to tackle it and enough respect for the extreme Tasmanian conditions to know when not to. And he'd climbed up anyway.

And now this.

ABOUT THIS BOOK: tragic accident, a terrible crime, an unknown threat ...

Scarred by a recent tragedy on Federation Peak, Tess Atherton is reluctant to guide a group of young hikers in the wild Tasmanian winter, but it seems safer than remaining amid the violence that threatens them in Hobart. Little does she know that she has brought the danger with her ...

Detective Senior Sergeant Jared Denham is closing in on a serial killer, but someone doesn't want him getting to the truth and the case is becoming personal. He already owes Tess his life, and wants to return the favour - but when it comes to enemies, Jared may be looking in the wrong direction.

Time is running out, and death is stalking them both ...

MY THOUGHTS: Straight up, I'm going to say that I hate both heights and cold. Deadman's Track has both and I felt the fear as Tess hung suspended over cliff edges, and felt every chilling sting of the icy sleet. I swear that my next read has to be set on a tropical island so that I can thaw out!

I have recently read some absolutely brilliant and gripping Australian fiction, and I was looking forward to more of the same. But I am leaving this book feeling a little disappointed. Despite Sarah Barrie's great descriptive writing, I found the plot lacking. I was dragging my heels by the halfway point and found myself slogging through the remainder of the read. And despite the ending being quite suspenseful and exciting, it wasn't enough to earn Deadman's Track more than an extra half a star.

I really wanted to like Tess, the main character, but for someone who leads trail hikes and volunteers for Search and Rescue, she is easily led into dangerous situations. Twice she counsels against doing hikes because of the time of the year and the unpredictable winter weather conditions, and twice she goes ahead with them. I just didn't find her particularly credible.

Aaron, the controlling ex-boyfriend who won't accept that Tess no longer wants to be with him, is really well depicted and more development of this storyline would have kept me more interested. I am not so keen on the criminal elements in this book, but that is purely my personal preference.

Deadman's Track was only an okay read for me, and I am sorry that I didn't like it more. Many other people have absolutely loved this book, so if you are looking at reading Deadman's Track, check out some of the more positive reviews.

I loved that Sarah Barrie dedicated Deadman's Track 'to the extraordinary men and women who risk their lives every day to save others.'

🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

#DeadmansTrack #NetGalley

'So many big strong heroes, so little time...'

'I want to twist his balls until they snap off and shove them so far up his butt they work as breast enhancements!'

THE AUTHOR: Sarah Barrie lives with her husband and children in a rural area on the Central Coast of NSW. She divides her time between writing, being a mum and her position as editor of two equestrian magazines. When she finds a spare moment or two, she enjoys spending time with her Arabian horses and the various other animals that call the farm home. Though her writing career has traditionally revolved around producing articles for various publications, her true passion lies in fiction and she enjoys writing contemporary romance, romantic suspense and paranormal romance.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harlequin Australia via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Deadman's Track by Sarah Barrie for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

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I read and reviewed Australian author Sarah Barrie's last book The Devil's Lair, in which we meet some of the characters here and I enjoy series (such as those by Fleur McDonald and Karen Rose) that centre around a group of characters, focusing on different ones each book while introducing new players... so they're loosely related. It doesn't matter if you've not read the predecessors but you're offered a bit of context if you have.

Here we're focussed on Tess, a hiking guide and Jared, a police detective. When we meet her Tess has suffered a tragic accident and grappling with a controlling wannabe boyfriend. She's a little fragile so we can see she's gonna make some bad decisions - namely taking hikers on a trek that she doesn't think is a good idea.

I really liked Tess and Jared and appreciated that Barrie doesn't spend significant amounts of time on the will they / won't they game. I felt the boyfriend (Aaron) situation was perhaps a little underdone / underdeveloped, so not entirely believable and would have preferred that storyline be ditched completely. Particularly in the latter stages.

In parallel we meet Jai, a young man in love with university student Riley who's planning a hike for her 21st birthday. He works for Riley's pawnbroker dad and takes care of his grandfather who suffers from dementia. He's struggling to make ends meet when a dodgy work colleague offers him the chance to make a bit of extra money and he's soon in over his head.

Again Barrie creates an atmospheric sense of 'place' as the group hikes the southern coastline of Tasmania. I'm not a climber, abseiler or hiker and don't know Tasmania at all but Barrie convincingly transports us there and offers heart-in-mouth moments.

This is well paced and it's easily to become invested in our characters' fates - though I felt we rushed a little to the climax. I couldn't understand why there were still so many pages to go with everything seemingly resolved, but Barrie throws in a twist. I think I would have preferred more on the main storyline and for it to be eked out a little as I had to re-read bits to check on peoples' fate! (Yes, possessive plural, Barrie doesn't hold back so don't expect rainbows and kittens.)

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Wow! This story took me to hell and back with some amazing characters to keep me company along the way. Sarah Barrie is an absolute master of romantic suspense and while this book is far more suspense than romance it certainly delivers on both counts.
With the story set in Tasmania with much of the drama taking place on a track along the island’s south coast in winter it’s no surprise that the weather plays a leading role in ramping up the tension. The weather is not the only challenge facing Tess, Jared, Jai and Riley, the central characters in this story.
Tess has to deal with a boyfriend who turns out to be far more controlling than she ever imagined. Jared, a police detective, finds himself investigating a string of burglaries that lead to murder, while Jai, desperate for cash to care for his grandfather who has dementia, makes a small mistake which leads to blackmail and pressure to do things he is very uncomfortable about. Riley, his girlfriend, gets sucked into the quagmire through no fault of her own.
The story starts quite innocuously but it isn’t long before things start to go wrong. The tension is skilfully built through the story with the growing relationship between Tess and Jared balancing things. It’s edge of your seat reading and I couldn’t put the book down. Highly r3commended!

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Tess Atherton was a tour guide in the wilderness of Tasmania as well as part of the local Search & Rescue team; she loved the outdoor life and lived at Calico Lodge, her family’s tourist resort and farm not far from Hobert in the Central Highlands. She’d recently had a bad experience at Federation Peak which had shattered her confidence, also not being helped by the obsessive and over-protective manner of her boyfriend, Aaron, fellow member of the Search & Rescue team.

DSS Jared Denham along with Tess’ sister-in-law Inspector Indiana Atherton, were involved in a series of burglary cases, but when murder was suddenly involved, Jared and Indy knew there was more to what was happening in their area. Was it a serial killer they were chasing?

Jai Wharton worked at a pawn shop while trying to care for his Pa who had dementia. Jai was always short of money and when opportunity came knocking, he swallowed his misgivings and acquiesced, albeit reluctantly. Jai and his girlfriend Riley along with a few other friends had a trek planned in the wilderness – long, dangerous (especially in winter as it was) and not for the faint hearted – and when their tour guide pulled out, Tess grudgingly agreed to guide them through the eighty odd kilometre track. Tess didn’t expect anything more than bitter cold, mud and exhaustion…

Wow!!! Deadman’s Track by Aussie author Sarah Barrie – what can I say? This author is killing the romantic suspense/thriller genre! While we catch up with characters from previous books – Bloodtree River and Devil's Lair – Deadman’s Track is a standalone, filled with incredible twists, intense moments of pure thrill, heartstopping and breathtaking events. I had trouble putting it down and couldn’t believe the electrifying pace toward the end. Very highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

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I am a huge Sarah Barrie fan and always eagerly await her new releases and Deadman's Track did not disappoint. I first discovered Sarah Barrie (the Queen of Rural Suspense in my opinion) when I read and reviewed both Blood Tree River and Devil's Lair for Beauty and Lace. These books can be read as stand-alone stories but they revisit the Atherton family of Calico Lodge and contain characters familiar to us from previous books, particularly in this story Indy and Jared. 

The story opens with Tess Atherton who works at the lodge out on a guided trek with some guests when one of the hikers attempts Federation Peak in very bad weather solo. This opening had my heart pounding, especially as I googled images of Federation Peak and I was hooked and ready to enjoy this read.

Deadman's Track is a fast-paced read with a few narratives that are weaved together to an exhilarating conclusion.  We have the aftermath of the incident at Federation Peak which leaves Tess questioning how she handled it, Indy and Jared investigating burglaries and then murders in and around Hobart and Tess's relationship with her SES Rescue Boyfriend Aaron. Once again the beautiful Tasmanian wilderness is integral to the story and these are books that could easily make the transition to our television screens.

I always find it hard to review Sarah's books as I have so much to say but I love leaving readers to discover her books without giving away much of the storyline. I want you to feel those moments when your heart is beating faster and you are frantically turning the page to find out what happens and Deadman's Track delivers!!!

Deadman's Track is released on July 8th 2020.

Thank you to Harlequin Australia, Sarah Barrie and Netgalley for a digital ARC to read for an honest review.

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Wow what an amazing ride this was - I absolutely loved it! I've had Sarah Barrie's books on my to-read list for so long and now I'm kicking myself for not reading them sooner. I really liked the fact that although I hadn't read the other books this was still a great stand alone read and I didnt feel like I was missing any important information. I loved how the suspense and romance kept building as the story went on which had me not wanting to put it down for a second (exactly how thrillers should be!) and the twist at the end was brilliant. I also love Tasmania and felt that Sarah really brought the beauty of its wilderness alive, so much so that I could picture myself in all the story's locations which really added to my reading enjoyment. Definitely a must read for your reading lists!

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There is much to enjoy about this Australian police procedural crossed with wilderness thriller crossed with romantic thriller. Wilderness guide Tess Atherton is overcoming a recent tragedy and juggling a busy schedule that includes guiding a variety of outdoors activities. She's with Aaron, but questioning her instincts that maybe he's not right for her after all. Meanwhile, in Hobart, Detective Senior Sergeant Jared Denham is on the hunt of two brazen thieves turned killers - or so it seems. He and Tess have history and there is an undeniable spark between them, cause for alarm when her work crosses over with Jared's current case. Tess reluctantly agrees to guide a group of young hikers in the wild Tasmanian winter, which seems safer than staying in Hobart. But how wrong can she be? As the body count rises, the story comes to a dramatic climax...but is that it, or is there something more to come in those final pages? 4 to 4.5 stars

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Deadman's Track is a romantic thriller from Australia's Sarah Barrie. Set in Tasmania it is full of action and adventure, and of course some romance. It is the 3rd book with these characters but can be read as a stand alone easily. After reading Devil's Lair last year I was excited to travel back to Tassie.

There is so much happening in this book - there is a serial killer on the loose, and angry ex-boyfriend and a climbing accident. And that is just scraping the surface! As always these stories weave in and out of each other It is atmospheric and I felt the cold and wet backdrop. It is a great read for lover of Aussie writers.

Thanks to Harlequin Australia and Netgalley for my copy of this book to read.

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OMG what a roller-coaster of a terrifying ride this novel took me on.

With at least two bad guys on the loose, there was plenty for the characters in this book to be worried about.

Tess was a great character, full of spirit, brave and sure of herself for the most part.

Aaron was a truly horrible character right from the start and any scene that he was in had me wanting to put the book down, sure things were going to turn out badly. His behaviour was classic of an abusive partner and I hated the way he treated Tess.

I loved Jared, the local police officer, he had a big job to do trying to keep up with escalating burglaries.

When Tess lets herself get roped into taking a group of teens out on a trek for a week, I was perplexed at her change in behaviour, because she had been so adamant it wasn't a good idea, and I knew it wasn't going to end well, but even I had no idea just how badly things were going to go.

There are several different threads going on during this novel, all becoming tangled up together by the end and not in a good way.

This was a great read and despite the terrible things that happen throughout this novel, I'd love to go trekking in Tasmania at some point, I just hope the bad guys are busy elsewhere when I do.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Australia for a digital copy of this novel in return for an honest review.

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Following on from 'Bloodtree River' and 'Devil's Lair', this new book from Sarah Barrie revisits the Atherton family of Calico Lodge, a farm and tourist resort in the Central Highlands of Tasmania, not far from Hobart. Along with her older brothers Connor and Logan and their partners, Tess Atherton helps run the resort, helping with the horses and cattle and taking tourists out trekking, abseiling and skiing. She thrives on the outdoor life, also hiring herself out as a guide for longer treks in Tasmania and volunteering with the local Search and Rescue. The only worry in her life is her boyfriend and fellow Search and Rescue member Aaron who is becoming increasingly possessive and controlling towards her.

In nearby Hobart, Jai Wharton, a young man working in a pawn shop is finding it difficult to avoid the demands of his bullying coworker, Pax and is getting himself deeper and deeper into hot water. He's looking forward to taking a break and trekking the famous Tasmanian wilderness South Coast Track with his girlfriend and a group of friends. Although Tess warns Jai and his friends that the rugged 85 km South Coast Track can be very wet, muddy and windy in the current wintery conditions, she is unable to talk from out of going and reluctantly agreed to escort them.

There's a lot going on in this book with a splash of romance and an accompanying steady build-up of suspense that explodes towards the end of the book when the plot threads all collide in a creepy and terrifying conclusion. Sarah Barrie's love of the outdoors and the Tasmanian wilderness shines through in her evocative writing, and the reader can feel the wild beauty of the places she visits in her books. The novel could be read as a stand alone but will be enhanced by reading the earlier Calico Lodge novels (Bloodtree River, Devil's Lair) to enjoy the ongoing development of the characters and their backstories.

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