This is such a slow paced book. Basically nothing happens for the first 120 pages. The rest of the book had some action but it was a little bit too late.

This book was a slow burn, and the suspense managed to keep me guessing and reading on. The storyline was well-structured and the characters, although unlikable, kept me entertained. An entertaining read.

Whew! What a ride! That escalated quickly, and then escalated again, over and over! It was certainly a thriller. Fast paced, action packed, with characters you love to hate, but we all recognise from our own lives. Loved it! Can't wait to read another by P.R. Black

A good old fashioned murder mystery. Fans of Agatha Christie will lap it up. Atmospheric and thrilling, a very good.read!

“The Perfect weekend away. A remote lodge, old friends… and murder”

..

Wow! This is a book which must be read during daylight hours! Even leaving the lights on at night to read by, wouldn’t have been enough to take the shivers away, nor to dispel the secrets of those cardboard boxes, so that they didn’t cause nightmares as soon as I closed my eyes.

Ah! I can see you are intrigued now, so here’s a short resume of the storyline, minus all the gory bits…

..

Take a group of five schoolfriends, some of whom have met up as twos or threes in the intervening twenty odd years, but have never got together en masse before. As they don’t keep in touch on a regular basis, non-one is certain which one of them has actually organised the reunion, with each of them assuming it was one of the others. A recipe for disaster when their destination is a lodge on a remote Scottish island, only accessible by sea plane, boasting few dwellings and with no communication to the outside world, save for a patchy landline service and an even more unreliable cell phone connection.

Four of the ladies make it to Owl Tree Halt unscathed, however they receive some very garbled messages from the fifth member of their school day club ‘The Owl Society’, whom they now assume to have been the trip organiser, which become more and more strange, until it becomes clear that she will be unable to join the party after all. If only the others knew what was going on in the woods around them, they might not have been so unconcerned at this turn of events, or what was about to happen next.

As with all distant friends, memories are not always a true reflection of reality, so after a very short time in each other’s company Leah, Toni, Debs and Mouse, quickly conclude there is now more which divides them than which binds them together, although perhaps that was always the case, as long-forgotten snarky personality traits come to the fore and irritating habits cause friction.

Deb is the loudest, most forceful and insistent of the group, so when she declares that they should play ‘truth or dare, reveal the worst thing you have ever done’; followed by ‘first shag, best shag’, events quickly spiral out of control. Alcohol consumption rises as tempers flare and vitriolic but truthful thoughts are shared aloud, which once aired can never be taken back.

After infidelity is added to the long list of things which should never have happened at such an event, the ladies retire for what is left of the night, blissfully and drunkenly unaware that gruesome goings on have crept ever closer and are now happening right under their very noses.

They are woken the following morning by two very irate husbands, who have been trying to contact their wives, after the husband of the missing partygoer sent out the distress signal, although he has yet to arrive. This just adds another interesting dimension to the game being played by a mad person who isn’t interested in taking prisoners.

With anyone who gets in the way being picked off mercilessly, the remaining women have finally woken up to smell the roses and worked out who they think their menacing adversary might be, or at least one half of the team, as the maniac’s unknown silent partner, who to all intents and purposes is an innocent party, is equally deadly and deranged.

Our deadly duo might not have done their homework as thoroughly as they might have though, as they underestimate the ‘riding a bicycle’ syndrome, when desperation and the will to survive, means that skills and attributes which were thought to have been long since left behind, kick in instinctively, alongside the increased adrenalin, which helps to overcome the fear of the situation and the pain of injury.

Did anyone survive this deadly encounter unscathed? – You might just need to read the book for yourself to find out!

..

This story is firmly rooted in the detail surrounding the characters and their journey. The plot was quite simple, though devious, but the getting there was genuine edge-of-the-seat stuff of which nightmares are made. The storyline was well-constructed, multi-layered and textured, which made for compulsive reading that was intense and suspenseful from beginning to end.

Even though I had worked out who the principal perpetrator was quite early in the storyline, the identity of their fellow conspirator and even that there was a second accomplice, was a complete shock and provided one of those jaw-dropping dénouements which was neatly tied up in the final nerve-wracking scenes towards the end of the book.

Whilst the location of this story is fictional, there are a myriad of similar Scottish Islands which, under normal circumstances, might be lauded for their relaxing isolation, peaceful idyll and beautiful landscape. However, the ladies little piece of paradise, is now transformed into a scene of morbidly eerie silence, punctuated by screams of terror and fear. Some close attention to detail and the wonderfully visual descriptive qualities with which author Pat Black painted the scene, made this journey encapsulating and totally immersive. I left this carnage behind me, fully satisfied with my ‘armchair traveller’ experience, although I don’t think I shall be adding any remote Scottish Island retreat to my holiday plans anytime soon!

They do say that ‘hell hath no fury like a woman scorned’ and when you have five of them to contend with – you’d better take cover. Pat really managed to present and define a cast of totally unlikeable, lugubrious and dour characters. Even the ‘good guys’ are manipulative, untrustworthy in their claims of friendship and downright dishonest in their guise as devoted partners, loyal friends and attentive parents. And the ‘bad guys’ – well they are completely off the scale, with their depravity and mental torture, showing no boundaries or remorse. As a reader, for me there was no connection with, or empathy for, any of them, which I suspect was exactly as the author had intended. However, as one of the main drivers, this storyline does raise questions about the broader picture of long-term mental health, which has undoubtedly fuelled this desire for revenge and retribution. Even if a vulnerable young mind hadn’t already been damaged, possibly beyond repair, can there ever be any excuse for bullying by one’s peers, especially when the perpetrators, although technically still children, should have known better. It is of little consequence that the constant taunting by the gang may not have caused that fragile final link with reality to snap, but it certainly never helped and now payment has been exacted in the most final and painful of ways.

This is a storyline which could easily be adapted as a film script – Think ‘Halloween’ meets ‘Chain Saw Massacre’ meets ‘Final Destination’ – and you have a good idea of how addictive it might be!

Revenge is certainly a dish best served cold and that was one hell of a roller-coaster ride!

A gripping thriller that had me on the edge of my seat reading late into the night with the lights on. I won't be going on a girls weekend anytime soon that's for sure..If you like scary physcological thrillers then you will love this.

This was a new author to me but the book was well put together and a suspenseful read. Interested to see what else they come out with.

When five old friends - once nicknamed the Owl Society - arrange a reunion at a remote Scottish estate, things start out just like old times: the women naturally fall back into their old roles and the drinks flow freely. But soon old tensions begin to simmer and it becomes apparent that something isn’t right on the small island. Someone is watching the women carefully, and cutting them off from the real world. The only way they’re going to survive the weekend is to stick together and try to outrun their enemy, who still views them as nothing more than the animals they once nicknamed themselves.

This book really starts out with a bang and just grabs your attention. Really after that first chapter, I had to know what was going to happen, it was such an suspenseful treat! And while it quickly becomes apparent who from their past is responsible for things, there’s twists and turns that make it worth really reading to the end to see how it all plays out, trust me. The ending was quite an action-packed episode that was just full of punches pulled left and right.

The characters themselves were interesting because none of them were really likable, but I didn’t quite hate any of them. They were supposed to be unlivable, I think. They were old friends who grew apart and were all just different people with different flaws and different personalities who didn’t fit together anymore for various reasons. None of them were entirely good, and none of them were downright evil, either. They were just people living their imperfect lives.

Overall, this was an action-packed thriller, that was heavy on the chills and gore, rather than the mystery. But it was still a great read!

⭐⭐⭐

A bit of a mixed bag this one. The first half is insanely slow moving and not a single character is really likable at all. The second half picks up and had me hooked. That said, I kept expecting some big twist that just never came. Sure there was a small one, but the author telegraphed who the baddie was pretty much from the start. I thought for sure that was going to be a red herring to throw the reader off, alas no. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I also felt the reasoning behind the murders was weak. Like i said, a mixed bag...

**ARC Via NetGalley**

This is not for me. The blurb sounded amazing, but the story is so slow and boring. I was twelve chapters in before any action took place. It felt like the whole story was about the women reminiscing about their time at school and each has changed.

A group of women gather for a school reunion. One of them, Shell, stops for an American hitch hiker whose car is broken down, and is attacked. The others discover they are also being hunted, one by one. Why is this horror happening?
A gripping thriller, really gory, and full of past secrets and traumas. Great for horror fans and thriller fans.

A reunion of old friends starts well with a lovely lodge with hot tub, waiting for their arrival. Nostalgia turns to talk of past misdeeds and old enemies. The whole delightful weekend takes a nosedive into a horror story. It is scarey stuff.

It has been done before, I give you that.

But this common trope is written with excellent description, amazing location and with a little bit more darkness than most.

I thoroughly enjoyed every single page.

This was such a amazing thriller book! Wow! I was so addicted, I could not put it down! Love it! Definitely a must read for every thriller reader!

This was a fantastic read. It had me gripped all the way through and I just couldn’t put it down. Another new author for me which is always a plus in my book. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Five old high school friends reunite at an isolated Scottish lodge. The story starts off with a bang and then we slowly start to get to know the women. Suffice to say, not all friendships stand the test of time and some friends should be left in the past. The tension picks up when it becomes clear that the women are being hunted. Loved this menacing, dread-filled thriller.

When a group of female friends gather at a beautfiul but isolated Scottish island lodge for a weekend away, they’re looking forward to relaxing, sharing updates on their lives, reminiscing...
The furthest thing from their minds is death.
But even though they’ve known each other since high school, some of these women have secrets. Dark secrets that can ruin friendships, ruin marriages - ruin lives.
Things you thought you knew and loved can turn out to be your biggest nightmares. And when recriminations start to fly, it soon becomes clear: it’s not a question of when, but if, these old friends will ever make it home again...

This is a twisted and thrilling read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review.

Shell is driving to meet a group of female friends for a weekend away. They are all travelling separately to an isolated Scottish island for a catch-up, but Shell is hesitant. It's been a while since they were all together & things have changed for all of them, especially the friendship between Shell & Debs. When she is almost there, she is flagged down by a female motorist whose car has broken down by the side of the road. She gives her fellow traveler a lift, but lives to regret it when they suddenly pull a knife on her.

The rest of the group have now arrived at the lodge where they will be staying; Debs, Mouse, Toni, & Leah are surprised Shell isn't there yet, & even more surprised when they receive a message telling them that she has been held up & won't be joining them until later. Their guide for the activities is Steve, a forty-something who still dresses like a surfer dude & thinks he's a ladies man. As they begin their weekend, their friendships start to crack due to the secrets that they are all hiding from each other & their penchant for trying to get one over on each other. Leah notices that they seem to be being followed by someone but can never catch a glimpse of their stalker, but when one of them is attacked, all hell breaks loose.

This is one of those where nearly all the characters are rather unlikeable, I would say Leah is probably the nicest but even she has a past. It's well plotted but I must admit, it's rather easy to work out who is behind & why. I kept expecting a unseen twist, but things panned out pretty much as I expected. It's definitely fast-paced & keeps the reader's attention well, but I just felt there should have been something more. 3.5 stars (rounded up)

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Head of Zeus/Aries, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

When a group of female friends gather at a beautiful but isolated Scottish Island lodge for a weekend away, they're looking forward to catching up, sharing updates on their lives, reminiscing....
But some of the women there that weekend have secrets. dark secrets that can ruin friendships, ruin marriages - ruin lives. And sometimes that old friend isn't such a good friend after all....

The pace builds throughout this twist filled read. Some twists you will see coming, others not so much. This is such an intense read. As the weekend progresses, the eerie creepy atmosphere builds. We learn of the five women's childhoods in flashbacks. The characters are all flawed. I liked the authors writing style. It became obvious who was at the back of what was happening, but this doesn't spoil a book for me. I just loved the way the story ended. This is a gripping read that held my attention throughout.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #HeadOfZeus and the author #PRBlack for my ARC of #TheHunted in exchange for an honest review.

The Hunted by P.R. Black is a fast, interesting thriller.
"THE PERFECT WEEKEND AWAY. A REMOTE LODGE, OLD FRIENDS... AND MURDER.
It's been twenty years since they were all at school together. So when a group of female friends gather at a beautiful but isolated Scottish island lodge for a weekend away, they're looking forward to relaxing, sharing updates on their lives, and reminiscing." seems like a description of a pretty typical of a certain type of mystery.
But P.R. Black nods to that and then leaves them in the rearview mirror.
With intriguing and flawed characters the story pulls you in and gradually reveals the cast of characters.
I thought I had the culprit figured out fairly early but then as I begin to learn more about the characters I hoped I was wrong.
An intense and thrilling story.
Thank you to #NetGalley, #HeadofZues, and P.R. Black for the ARC of #TheHunted.