Alex Westhaven

**I was provided with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Eagerly anticipating a fun weekend of camping and hiking Nicole is horrified to discover that her date has lured her into being a participant in a terrifying game in which the female guests must compete for their lives as they are hunted down by Patrick, a master hunter. Patrick has more than a few secrets and Nicole discovers this hunt is part of a web based realty show that is earning big money for him. The more pain and terror inflicted on the prey the higher the viewers. Despite her fear Nicole feels somewhat of a spark between her and Patrick and igniting it buys her some time and a chance to turn the tables on him.

I liked the idea of this story. The premise is not a new one but the telling held enough twists and nuances to keep it fresh. I did not find it very believable that Nicole’s date would select someone he was acquainted with through work to participate in this perverse game and I questioned why she would agree to go with him. He was not very likeable and I was not dismayed at how things turned out for him. The narrator’s voice was pleasant and listening was enjoyable. I think the main characters could have been developed a bit more. Aside from their part in this story I did not get any kind of sense of what drove their personalities. The money certainly drove Patrick to continue this cruel game but no underlying reason seemed to exist. A major disappointment for me was the lack of emotion I felt from the characters. Fear, terror and even lust are strong emotions and were downplayed more than I would have expected. I should have been able to almost taste Nicole’s fear but it simply did not hit the mark. The action was fast paced and I really enjoyed the use of technology.
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