The Hunted by Lisa Childs (Bane Island Trilogy #2) #BookReview #MysteryThrillers #RomanticSuspense @KensingtonBooks @NetGalley #TheHunted — Rain’n’books

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Confession time dear friends, a book that I requested in Net Galley, purely for its cover image. Well, nothing new, anything like an eerie mansion, and I will surely be reeled in like a cat to fish. This is book #2 in the Bane Island Trilogy that I strongly recommend reading to understand the mysteries expertly interwoven thru the story.

Each book has a different couple in focus but the central mystery that haunts Bainesworth Manor is spread across the 3 books. I had no problems in following the story in this coz the author has mentioned the required details to understand the plot but as a trilogy, I think it is best read in order of the series.

The story begins with Sherriff Deacon Howell returning to the hall with a warrant to talk to its residents about their knowledge of a body discovered in the woods. His initial meeting with Olivia Smith sets the sparks as his daughter Holly inadvertently creates a misunderstanding between them. Deacon believes the manor house to be cursed and his wife’s death in the same place hasn’t helped matters with gossip abound of his hands in her death.

Multiple plotlines are running in the story, of course, the main mystery of the tragedy that has been forced upon the residents of the place when it was an asylum is kept hovering on the top but running in parallel to it is the murder attempts on Deacon, the stalker behind Olivia, the teenage angst of Holly who is hell-bent on being a spoilt brat and not listening to her father culminating in an action-packed climax with kidnapping added to the mix. The romance between Olivia and Deacon was exciting what with the bang-bang action happening around them adding to the thrill.

The brittle cold weather enhances the atmosphere with escape routes being cut off and the author uses this to create a gripping and entertaining thriller with equal parts action and romance. There are enough twists in the story that keeps the reader engaged and the highlight of the novel for me would be the sisters Evelyn and Bonita who run the boarding house in town. I loved Evelyn’s banter with the reporter Edie which indicates the thread of book #3 and I can’t wait to untangle the mystery hidden in the Bainesworth Manor.

Thoroughly engrossing, The Hunted would be perfect for fans of romantic suspense.

Many thanks to Net Galley, Kensington Books, Zebra, and the author for a chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.

YOU’RE GOING TO PAY

The pressures of fame and an obsessive stalker have driven pop star Olivia Smith to take shelter at Halcyon Hall, an exclusive spa on a remote island off the coast of Maine. Yet from the moment she arrives, there are rumors about women disappearing, and stories about the resort’s grisly past. Then a note arrives from her stalker, proving that nowhere is truly safe . . .

It’s been twenty-five years since Sheriff Deacon Howell discovered his first dead body on these grounds. Back then, Halcyon Hall was an asylum known as Bainesworth Manor. Others have perished here since, including Deacon’s wife. Many locals share his belief that her death wasn’t suicide. The difference is, they think Deacon killed her. But he has bigger problems than gossip, because another body has been found . . .

As Deacon investigates the increasing threats to the singer’s life, the danger becomes undeniable. Something evil lurks here-not just in the asylum’s grim history, but in the present. And there will be no rest at Halcyon Hall until every sin has been avenged . . .

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Originally published at https://rainnbooks.com on December 1, 2021.