Simon is a middle-class young man who dreams of adventure and discovering the real, authentic Australia. He’s lived his life in comfortable suburbia and he wants to see the world as it is, outside of his privileged bubble. So he’s taken himself on a road trip, just him, driving across the outback. In a bar one night he meets Maggie, a young woman with secrets and a backpack full of cash. What she’s running from, or where she’s running to, is a mystery. Simon’s brain knows he should just walk away, but she’s attractive and his heart (or perhaps another part of his anatomy) stops him from doing so and he invites her along.

They end up in a remote township (was it an accident? did Maggie lure Simon there?) and it is here that the novel takes a dark turn. I won’t give too much away, but this book has been compared to the horror films Wolf Creek and The Hills Have Eyes, so you kinda see where it’s going.

This is a novel told on two timelines which cross over somewhat. There’s before things go bad (the build-up), and then the after. In the latter, the survivors end up at a gas station run by Frank, a man with a past that might just rival Maggie’s. This is also a novel that’s demarcated almost straight down the fifty per cent mark. The first fifty-per cent of the novel is a slow, inexorable build-up of tension. This is achieved in both timelines, the before being the build-up, the after being the survivors at the gas station preparing for the final onslaught. Then at the fifty per cent mark, the author takes his foot off the brake in both timelines and utter mayhem ensues.

This is a brilliant, brilliant novel. It’s expertly plotted and crafted, while the characters have a real heft. In particular, Maggie, who’s akin to a female Rambo. Again, I’m wary of giving away spoilers, but this is one woman the bad guys will wish they had never crossed.

I’m going to end this review before I give too much away, but I can’t recommend this book enough. If you like horror or thrillers, if you like a heroine who could give Mad Max a run for his money, then this books is for you.

5 out of 5 stars

Hunted begins with foreboding and builds into outright nerve-jangling tension. The plot whips along, the bad guys are chilling and amoral yet they meet their match in a group of characters who refuse to surrender easily. The large body count and lots of gore means it is not for the squeamish but I read the whole book through with one break for a cuppa to catch my breath! Good, if dark, fun.

Thanks to Netgally for the ARC

Oh wow this story blew me away!

I did not expect this be as gory or horrific as I initially thought. This starts off with two stories. One looking At Frank and his granddaughter Allie, and the second seeing Maggie and Simon. Then their two worlds collide dramatically, and it quickly turns into one crazy nightmare.

The writing was really good, and honestly put the absolute fear into my soul. There were parts of this story where I felt so scared, and couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I find that it is difficult to write a good horror story, and this absolutely hit the nail on the end. It is like watching those horror movies that you want to look away and you feel sick, but you must keep watching because you need to know how it ends. There were a few parts that I had to go over and read and think "did I just miss something or read that right", that is why I didn't give it 5 stars, however, that may have been just me, greedily reading.

Fantastic read, everything I could have asked for. Thank you!

Immediately inviting comparisons to the likes of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Hills Have Eyes, Wrong Turn and Deliverance, The Hunted takes the familiar concept of rural American country folk preying upon the big city slickers and transports it to the Australian outback. While films like Wolf Creek have showcased Australia as a setting for this type of “isolationist horror”, author Gabriel Bergmoser adapts the genre to the novel format and maintains that same sense of terror through the medium of the printed page. As a result, there is a really cinematic feel to The Hunted, which is further enhanced by the lightning-fast pace of the novel and Bergmoser’s quick narrative cuts between characters and situations.

I have lived on the outskirts of London for all my life so I am used to the street lights, concrete roads and decent phone reception, so whenever I have had to venture outside of my comfort zone into the rural wilderness (even somewhere as civilised as Wales), I begin to feel unsettled and uneasy and this novel taps into that feeling of being disconnected and unprotected by civilisation. If you go missing out in the middle of nowhere, no-one is going to be able to find you. The idea that there are people off the grid, living by their own rules is terrifying to those of us that are used to living under the laws of the land. The locals in this story point out how city life softens people up, and I have to agree with them. I wouldn’t know how to cook and skin a rabbit if I was stranded in the wild. I’d be one of the first “pigs” caught in their traps.

Bergmoser’s novel centers on a mysterious girl named Maggie, who is being chased by a village of local hunters. Her arrival at a remote service station results in numerous innocent people being caught in the crosshairs of a deadly game gone wrong. I don’t want to spoil too much in this review as a lot of the joy of this book is its brutal twists and turns, and Bergmoser wastes no time in getting readers stuck into the action. Despite its fast pace, The Hunted takes the time to develop its lead characters so that you begin rooting for them to succeed despite the overwhelming odds that are stacked against them. I particularly liked Frank, the owner of the roadhouse where most of the action takes place, and whose granddaughter picked the worst possible time to visit. I pictured him as an older version of Crocodile Dundee, world-weary but still handy with a knife.

Bergmoser follows the familiar horror trope of the “final girl” in Maggie, a seemingly vulnerable girl who emerges from this trauma as an unstoppable force of nature. Conjuring up memories of Ellen Ripley, Sarah Connor and Laurie Strode, Maggie is a terrific protagonist for the novel and despite her grit and determination, she is flawed at times too. It is her actions that ultimately lead to the death and destruction that permeates throughout the novel, although I guess some of the blame should land at the feet of the cannibalistic outback hunters too. Even though they are more of a collective entity than individuals, Bergmoser still manages to create some standout villains from within his group of hunters and if the book ever got brought to life as a film, I’m sure they would be brought to life by a wonderfully quirky ensemble of character actors.

The Hunted is a brutal, violent novel with some unsettling flashes of gore mixed in alongside the heightened tension of the siege between hunted and hunters. The novel borrows all the very best bits from this horror sub-genre, echoing the aforementioned films whilst also maintaining its own identity. Bergmoser mastered the art of the shock death, creating some sudden plot twists that would definitely illicit a jump scare if (or when) the book is adapted for film. There were some moments of stretched credibility at times, and the tone of the novel shifted from horror to action-horror (think Alien versus Aliens) towards the end, but ultimately it was an exhilarating read that lingered in the mind long after the final page was done.

Preying upon that inherent fear of being in the wrong place at the wrong time and disappearing without a trace, The Hunted is a triumph in “isolationist horror”. Bergmoser’s strong character development and masterful direction of the action results in a tight-knit horror novel that practically begs to be adapted into an indie horror film, whilst the Australian setting infuses the novel with a raw grittiness that elevates the subject matter to new heights. Definitely not one for the faint-hearted, I recommend you hunt down a copy immediately!

I liked the premise of this book but unfortunately the execution wasn't for me. I found the pacing a little off and eventually pretty much lost interest. I'd be interested to read more from the author though as there was enough about it that showed promise.

This book had so much promise. The first half of this read was so slow, I was waiting for something to happen. Very similar to the movie The Wrong Turn. I love a good horror but unfortunately for me it did not deliver. Saying that I am sure other readers will enjoy it more just not for me.
Thanks to Faber and Netgalley for the ARC in return for giving an honest review,.

The Hunted is a read in one sitting thrill ride, a visceral visual reading experience that genuinely gets the adrenalin rush going…

That’s not to say character is sacrificed for action, far from it, in fact Gabriel Bergmoser draws an intricate picture of the small but perfectly formed cast, investing you in their outcomes, yet uses a sparcity of prose to achieve it, setting scenes, hitting the shock moments with a precision that keeps you on the edge of the seat throughout.

The Hunted is a short novel but packs one hell of a punch- definitely one of the best thrillers I have read in a long long time.

Very much highly recommend.

I liked the first few chapters of this but as this continued i got less and less into it and I didn't really want to finish it. The premise was so interesting but i just didn't love the execution of this so much. I liked the style of prose for the most part but at times it was a little too dry and not thrilling enough for me. Not my favourite horror but i liked what it was trying to do..

A fantastically scary and creepy book in equal measure. I know you aren't supposed to judge a book by its' cover but this cover really did get my attention. Not my usual reading genre but a genre I've enjoyed in film, it put me in mind of films like 'Wrong Turn'.. The story was fast paced and completely unpredictable whilst being the right amount of scary! I was hooked immediately and finished it in a couple of sittings. I've already mentioned this book to a few friends who love their horror fiction. I wouldn't be surprised if this is picked up for a film adaptation in the near future.

Well, this was 1 creepy horror story that is definitely not for the fainthearted! If you were a fan of the cult movie "Wrong Turn" this is a definite must-read! Why oh why would you turn off the highway in the middle of nowhere! You feel like screaming at the characters because you know this will end in disaster. It's a fast read that will keep you entertained from beginning to end.

"Goodnight little piggy"

Thank you to NetGalley and Faber for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

If you are thinking of backpacking around Australia anytime soon a word of warning “you may want to give The Hunted a wide berth” unless of course you like being scared silly, and aren’t adverse to some blood and gore, and violent blood soaked scenes. This book is similar in vein to movie's such as Wolf Creek and Deliverance It has the same ominous tone with a spine chilling dose of horror thrown in. City boy Simon sets off on what he believes is a trip of a life time, intent on finding the ‘real Australia’, along the way he meets the mysterious Maggie, Frank who owns a service station on a highway, and Allie his granddaughter, what follows is a tense, action packed thriller with more twists and turns than the proverbial roller coaster.


Although the plot isn’t particularly original, “a backpacker meets a bunch of bad guys, and all hell breaks loose”, it’s the authors execution of the plot and the various characters that make this book such a brilliant read. The story is told from multiple perspectives and timelines, so there’s much to hold the readers attention, it also helps that most of the chapters end with a scene that may you eager to find out what is going to happen next. The author builds on the characters terrifying sense of isolation and helplessness as the plot unfolds all the way to the dramatic conclusion.Highly recommended to those who like their thrillers dark, graphic and menacing.

This was my first read of Gabriel Bergmoser and it absolutely blew me away!
I was drawn in by the cover on Netgalley and thrilled to be granted the ARC from Faber.

I liken The Hunted to Wolf Creek and Wrong Turn. (Side note- sexual abuse is not featured in this book)
It's a previously travelled story- a city boy decides to adventure into the outback and picks up a young pretty hitchhiker at a bar. From that moment on you won't even imagine the horror they're headed for!

I often say there's no monster scarier than a human, well The Hunted proves exactly that. Bergmoser shows us the worst humanity has to offer. When left to their own devices the people have turned feral, laws and conscience no longer apply. Simon and Maggie are about to discover life beyond the boundaries.

I loved the setting; the isolated roadhouse and shack, the forgotten village and the dusty lesser used roads of the outback brought a terrifying sense of helplessness.

The story behind the two opposing groups of characters was well fleshed out without detracting from the constantly high octane plot and the character development of Frank and Allie was a joy to read.

I slammed through this book in one evening, The Hunted gripped me right up to the last page.

The Hunted by Gabriel Bergmoser is a gripping, atmospheric and dark read. You won’t be disappointed in this roller coaster of a read.

Wowza, this was definitely a dark, chilling read, which earned its comparison to DELIVERANCE. Well written, thrill ride, which held my attention from beginning to end and absolutely chilled me in many parts! Highly recommend to those ski enjoy fast paced thrillers on the more disturbing end. I think that you will definitely have chills, thrills, twists & turns, and shocks when reading this one! Don’t delay, grab today!
Will make sure to buzz it up on different platforms and use low a maxim reviewer number on release date!

Frank is out on the middle of nowhere, haunted by his mistakes when his granddaughter comes to stay. Maggie is searching for something but stumbles upon a secret full of violence and horror. Running for her life, Maggie and Franks lives collide, and then all hell breaks loose.

Great book! I was held captive while reading The Hunted, I couldn’t put it down. The characters of Frank and Maggie were compelling and I was truly invested in their stories.

Okay, I’m going to stick my neck out here, and say that is highly unlikely that I will read such an intense, visceral and creepy-as-hell thriller this year as The Hunted. I absolutely adored this book, which totally justifies it’s Deliverance in the Australia outback tagline. Gabriel Bergmoser injects such a feeling of creping intensity and fear into this book, that the well worn adage of reading it in one sitting is spot on- this is exactly what I did. I also timed it perfectly so that I was reading the most spine chilling episodes in it in the wee small hours of the morning. Yikes.

I am extremely reticent to reveal much of the plot as I would really love you to experience it untainted by spoilers, but will say that from the outset, the author cunningly lulls us into a tale that subtly examines human relationships, and how ‘ordinary’ people function under extreme pressure, with exemplary characterisation. And then he ramps it up, with some style, introducing a thread to the story that is so, so, sinister that I felt it was channelling the spirit of Stephen King, and the compressed horror of some of the best American backwoods fiction. Raw, violent and like a car wreck that you can’t look away from, I thought The Hunted was absolutely superb, both in terms of the clipped dialogue, sharp pared down descriptions of place and character, and the general shifting and slowly amplifying feeling of unease that he draws out in the story, and the reader. A Top Ten read? It’s a very strong possibility…

Highly recommended…if you dare…

Wow, what a story! Atmospheric, pacy and kept me gripped from the first page, needing to know what happened next. I hated having to put this book down, but that only gave me even more joy when I got to pick it up again.

Get this book. You won’t be disappointed.

What a brilliant book. I was completely absorbed, start to finish. I read this in a couple of days, I was stuck between not being able to put it down, desperate to find out what happened, and wanting to put it down because I was getting stressed out being on the edge of my seat.
An excellent slice of action-horror with characters you'll find yourself cheering on (Maggie is my hero).

What a fire-cracker of a book, ablaze with every kind of unpredictable twistiness that intensely crackles before it consumes its readers completely. Yes. It IS that good. So good, in fact, that I stayed up until 3 a.m. to finish it.

The characters’ motives and reactions were a constant surprise and as they persevered, failed, and occasionally triumphed their roles evolved brilliantly.

At first very little was shared, just enough to whet my appetite. Before I knew it, I found myself greedily bingeing on the rest of the tale where events tested them breaking point and beyond. To be honest, their experiences during the prolonged hellish extremes may be wince-worthy, but were also well-written.

The group dynamics before and after the day took a turn for the worst were utterly superb. Interestingly, their past would often affect how they prioritised the present: Loner Frank, being thrown into the deep end by the arrival of his cereal-hating granddaughter, the enigmatic Maggie and her justifiably jittery travelling companion, and a couple’s pit-stop at Frank’s outlying service station whose stay was more memorable than anyone could have anticipated.

"The Hunted" is ALL about great characters and a whirlwind of tension and suspicion whipping up a storm throughout. Plus, there are just some destinations you won’t find on Trip Advisor for a very good reason…

A terrifically terrifying thriller with brutally sharp instincts. LOVED IT.

This is a nail-biter of a book. It's a bit slow in the beginning, just giving a sense of foreboding as characters find themselves in various wary situations. Then it goes full tilt into the craziness and it's all out horror/thriller right told the end.

Having seen my share of horror movies, and read enough of them to boot, I can safely say that this, while having had a few similar plots around, mostly American, fits the bill really well, and totally fulfils its title. I was gripped by the plot, its characters only adding to the tension, and could quite easily see this being on the big screen - not only for the subject matter, but because of the involvement of apparent innocents in the plot. It's partly about people being in the wrong place at the wrong time, mixed with a manipulation gone wrong in which one character in particular is simply just in the wrong place. Even if they did put themselves there.

It's a plot seen before in film and book but its refreshing because the characters are appealing and the scenarios more realistic.

I love a good horror and add thriller to that I'm doubly pleased. The pace, although slow at first is great once it gets going. The writing is good- enough to keep intrigue, suspense and more importantly, keep you turning pages. And the characters are believable, and where appropriate, likeable and hateable.

Thoroughly enjoyable read.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.