Sarah Kline, a successful lawyer, has had an on-off relationship with her younger sister Gemma. who lives an impoverished life with no-hoper boyfriend, Mark. When Mark is found dead in a burnt out car on the moors just outside Hartsbridge in the Pennines, and there is no sign of Gemma, Sarah decides to travel to the village to try to discover what happened and hopefully find her sister.

Hartsbridge is a place of friendly and not so friendly locals. There is an aura of something sinister there and of people being not quite what they seem. As Sarah makes her enquiries, odd clues begin to emerge but there appear to be folk who want things left alone, one even going so far as to threaten Sarah with a gun. Added to the mystery, is the disappearance sixteen years ago of local girl Alice Brockenhurst. Has the same fate befallen Gemma?

The story is related by both Sarah and Gemma, which enables the reader to easily follow events. It's a sometimes scary and unnerving tale and there are times when Sarah's strong character overrides the fact she could be putting herself in danger. Although I felt I'd already met some of these characters in previous TV dramas, it didn't take anything away from the enjoyment of the read. Recommended.

The last few weeks I’ve been in a bit of a slump, it’s taken me weeks to finish a book, but this book I finished in 4 days! I was hooked from start to finish.

I really liked the dual POV in this book. It was really nice to follow Sarah as she searched for her sister, whilst also skipping back to Gemmas POV to find out what was actually happening. The author’s description of the setting was also really good, I felt like I was in the village with them, imagining every place Sarah visited.

My only gripe with the story was there was so many characters to try and remember that at times I had trouble remembering who was who, and so many of them were involved with the actual crime that it felt confusing at times, but it still didn’t take away from my enjoyment, and it actually made it hard to guess the ending as there were so many possibilities, which I liked as I don’t like being able to guess the storyline.

I won’t give away the ending, but I really liked it. I worried at one point towards the end that it was going to end badly, but thankfully it didn’t. Well, for some it did….

3.5 stars rounded up

Missing: When Gemma Kline is reported missing after setting off on a solo hike in the remote Pennines, her sister, Sarah, is dumbfounded. How can someone disappear without a trace.

Presumed: Travelling to the isolated town Gemma was last seen, Sarah discovers it's not the first time a young woman has vanished from the hills in mysterious circumstances.

Murdered: Whatever has happened to her sister, one thing is clear: this town has secrets someone would kill to keep.

This is an easy book to read that's filled with suspense. Sarah was estranged from her sister Gemma. The story is told from the sister's perspectives. Set in the Pennines, the eerie setting is atmospheric. The pace is on the slow side to begin with, but it soon picks up. We learn of the events leading up to Gemma's disappearance. My only criticism is that I can't understand why the book is called The Hiker as there wasn't really any hiking taking place.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #AvonBooksUK and the author #MJFord for my ARC of #TheHiker in exchange for an honest review.

A great read from M.J Ford, a little slow in parts but overall I really enjoyed it.

The story did not go the way I expected and kept me guessing so you can’t ask for much more than that!

This was a Psychological crime thriller. It’s about 2 missing females at different years but the same location. There was mystery and suspense. It’s told in dual POV that was past and present.
I enjoyed it and thought it was good. I didn’t want to put it down which is a bonus for my enjoyment level.
Thanks Avon via Netgalley

I loved M.J Ford’s Josie Masters series but this standalone fell a bit flat for me. It is very slow going and I would also say that the title and blurb don’t really match the story. I was tempted to not finish but I was intrigued enough to stick it out.

The twist was a weird one and seemed a bit ridiculous. Also, the reason Gemma was in trouble in the first place seemed unrealistic. None of the characters were particularly likable. We get the story from both Sarah and Gemma’s POV. Gemma’s chapters are told from the build up to her going missing but I didn’t really connect with either of the women. I will say that the scene setting is done well though and I could really picture the creepy town and spooky moors.

I received a copy of the ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Sarah hasn’t spoken to her sister Gemma for over 5 years, but when she finds out Gemma is missing, Sarah sets out to find her. The last place Gemma was seen was an isolated village in the Pennines where she was hiking.
It’s not the first time a young woman has disappeared without trace near the village and the more Sarah discovers the more scared for her sister she gets. The locals tell tales about a “beast” roaming the moors and not all of them are friendly. If Sarah wants to find out what happened to her sister, she will need to be brave and call on all her resources, but it might not be enough.
I loved the twists and turns and the descriptions of the moors at night genuinely gave me goosebumps.

I am an avid hiker and I have to say I thoroughly loved this book. the Characters, the plot...up until the very end it had me guessing how it would end and I am usually pretty good at guessing the ending. Thumbs up well done. This is a great book for a book club!

A creepy mystery set in the Pennines. Some of the story was unbelievable, one sister travelling to find her estranged sister and the police characters were badly written. I liked the atmospheric landscape scenes but disliked the protagonists and the associated cast of characters.

This book started off a little too slow and I wasn't sure I wanted to keep reading. However, I am glad that I did because the story had many unexpected twists and turns and once I got into it, I didn't want to put it down.

I would definitely read more books written by M. J. Ford in the future.

Sarah and Gemma fell out a long time ago and haven't spoken to each other since.. When the police inform Sarah that Gemma is missing after setting out on a hike she is astounded and worried.
Sarah travels to the last sighting of Gemma and finds out she is not the first young girl to mysteriously disappear and it seems the town is hiding secrets. Can she find Gemma before its to lte?

The blurb was so misleading and so was the title. I did not like any of the characters and as for the ending messy and so unbelievable. I hope other readers will enjoy it more just not for me.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

I found this book to be a little slow and to be honest I totally disagree with the blurb about the book, as well as the title. Gemma never was a “Hiker” as such and the synopsis is very misleading in my opinion, although it is well written in parts i couldn’t take to any of the characters and I found the ending messy and rather far fetched. Sorry not for me I’m afraid. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this early copy

If you like a thrilling story that will keep you guessing, then this is the book for you. Told in two perspectives, this story takes us on the journey of two estranged sisters - one is missing, and the other is searching for her.

The dual pov helps to give suspense as you try to piece together what played out. A mysterious case from the past, some shady characters hanging around, and not enough proof to go off all add up to one heck of a ride.

I was guessing all the way through and even when I thought I had it, I didn’t. Surprising twists, and totally different to stories I’ve read in the past.

Highly entertaining.

I seem to be in the minority with my review for The Hiker by M.J Ford as I found his latest novel quite slow and I didn’t gel with the characters, it was just like something was missing to fully engage me.

If I’m honest, I was disappointed that this wasn’t a Josie Masters story. However, there was much to like here; creepy characters, brooding setting, suspicious locals and a mystery deep in the past. It all went a little bit crazy at the end though, which somewhat spoilt it for me.

Sarah doesn't understand- her sister Gemma has gone missing, her boyfriend is found burned up in their car, and there are undertones of oddity. Told alternately by the sisters- Gemma in the past and Sarah during her search- it's the story not only of a villain stalking the region but also of the sisters, who have been estranged since their mother's funeral. What happened to Alice, the girl who disappeared years ago? And what about the wild stories the locals tell? This is a nicely twisty and well crafted tale that actually wraps things up too neatly at the end. That said it's a page turner. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Wow what a great read
Lots and lots of twists & turns. A brilliant quick rollercoaster of a read.
Two estranged sisters, two very different lifestyles and one unbelievable story

This was an atmospheric thriller with a really intricate plot. A young girl goes to meet her boyfriend on the moors and is never seen again. Years later, Sarah’s estranged sister Gemma goes missing in the same area.
The story is told in alternate chapters from each of the sister’s point of view and I became completely involved in both of their story lines. I found both the sisters and the way that they had become estranged very believable and loved the way that the story unfolded.
The plot has several strands and there are plenty of twists and turns. The ending is shock upon shock and I certainly didn’t see a couple of the twists coming.
I loved this and would definitely recommend it.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers, Avon Books, for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

A good read written from the perspective of two estranged sisters, it follows Gemma and the various events that lead to her going missing as well as Sarah as she desperately tries to locate her sister. The book initially started as a slow burn; however, the pace picks up once Sarah arrives at the village that is at the heart of the storyline. There’s a lot to unpick in this novel, the final third of the book is like a whirlwind as the plot continues to keep you guessing and springs unexpected surprises at every turn. 4 stars.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.