I was scrolling through my books to be read and came across The Last Track by Sam Hilliard. The cover and title made me curious and when I saw that we had a mystery with a paranormal twist and a young man with asthma, alone, lost in the woods, running for his life, I had to know more.

Mike Brody is a former Special Forces operative and a master tracker, with psychic abilities that enhance his tracking talents. When he learns an asthmatic, young boy is lost in the woods, maybe being chased by those who he saw commit a murder, he knew he had to find him.

Mike has his own demons, nightmares from his past that haunt him. And it is a horrid past that no child should have to go through. That is what motivates him.

A murder, sure, but a mystery that goes so far much farther than the loss of one life. I had my sites on several as the villain, but Sam Hilliard does not make it easy to commit to one or eliminate another. Danger surrounds Mike Brody and his family. Threatening phone calls, people creeping in their rooms, makes ME nervous, so why doesn’t Jessica hold her cards closer to her vest. They have traveled together, even though Jessica and Mike are separated. They still have a good relationship and a child that they love. She is an investigative reporter, with resources that will come into play, but I worry that she isn’t more careful about her person, her room, her child.

As we track the boy, the murder starts to take a backseat to the complex mystery of what is really going on in the town and who is behind it. I love that I had the villain(s) in site, but could never make up my mind if it was them or not. There are so many of them and some others that could be and could not be ruled out..until Sam made it official. I love when I say yeah, its him, no, it’s not…..

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Sam Hilliard needs to quit his day job and write full time! He's a born writer of the first caliber. "Get out of prep school," as my preppie, grown children say, Sam, and go for your true profession! You have what It takes.

In "The Last Track," Mr. Hilliard introduces us to a cast of unforgettable characters. If he isn't writing a series of books about his main character, Mike Brody, the infamous tracker in question, I'm liable to send out a posse to track him!

With all the panache of a seasoned, gripping suspense writer, new author Sam Hilliard scores a direct hit with this book. Character development and His creation of an environment for them is at it's height. I actually saw myself there. His vision of the story is strong, and he takes us on a search and rescue mission that leaves us anxious at the right times, while breathing a sigh of relief when we need to.

His tracker, Mike Brody, is a complex, infinitely intriguing man displaying a keen ability to track the lost in an unfamiliar wilderness terrain. He's an apparent master on how to handle people, including those in positions of authority. His military background lends itself to his tracker abilities, yet, he doesn't allow this or his celebrity to interfere with his sense of self. A combination of manly qualities makes Mike Brody admirable from both gender perspectives.

Using a sort of sixth sense that guides him, comes from an unknown source, and that he keeps close to the vest, Mike Brody is a quietly capable, and virtually unknown man. Personally, I loved this twist on an otherwise "normal" protagonist. Brody is not necessarily psychic, but just the right amount of odd! We never quite get a bead on this ability or his personal secrets and I'm thinking that leads to another book.

Much could be said about the insights we gain in to advanced computer espionage, wilderness survival and law enforcement cooperation, but these things play in accompaniment to the human story of the lost boy and Mike's connection to his family. This balance of story lines renders a wealth of knowledge that keeps the entire piece flowing. "The Last Track" is a page-turner!

Self discovery, coming of age, awareness of womens' issues, and loyalty are some of the themes in this book. It is a mark of excellence that Sam Hilliard manages to get so much value into his book without spoiling his novel and sounding preachy. What an accomplishment, particularly for a first time writer. More experienced authors have failed in this task.

If I were to give a black-eyed critique of the book, I would say this one thing: it starts off too slowly to capture the average reader. Having said that, I can only encourage readers to persevere. Believe me when I say that this book is worth the effort. Mr. Hilliard might consider a way of getting to the gripping part of the story more quickly next time around to draw his readers in immediately.

Given Sam's astuteness and his obvious writing skills, we can only believe there are more Mike Brody tracker books in the future. He's left too many unanswered mysteries for us. We are left begging for more explanations on a couple of major things! This is one of the great things about this book. It so reminds me of a Jeffrey Deavers book!

Recommended for all lovers of mystery and suspense novels. For all who love Jeffrey Deavers, James Patterson, Michael Connelly, and Patricia Cornwell. Yes, Sam Hilliard is that good!

Deborah/TheBookishDame ( )

The Last Track is a very good suspense/thriller that I found easy to follow and kept me on the edge of my seat. The Mike Brody character is a very likeable guy and I'd definitely enjoy reading more Mike Brody books. This one has an unexpected ending which you'll never guess so you have to read it! ( )

Mike Brody has led an adventurous life. Formerly a special forces operative, upon leaving the military he worked as a smoke jumper - a firefighter who parachutes into remote areas to fight wildfires - until a catastrophic knee injury forced him to give up the job. Now working as a guide for extreme adventure tours, Brody is trying to take a break from his hectic life by traveling with his son and ex-wife for a relaxing vacation at a dude ranch in Montana. Fortunately for the reader, it's not in the cards for Brody to lead a life of relaxation.

Shortly after their arrival Brody is contacted by the local sheriff and enlisted in the search for a boy who's gone missing in the forest surrounding the ranch. It turns out Brody has a special talent for tracking people, and a few high profile cases have made him the "go to" guy for law enforcement when all else fails. Complicating matters in the current situation is that the boy didn't just wander off, but is actively on the run because he witnessed a murder.

Before Brody knows it he's deep in the wilderness searching for the boy, saddled with a deputy he's not sure he trusts, and receiving threatening phone calls from a mysterious figure called "The Partner" who says they'll harm Brody's family unless he tips The Partner to the boy's location once he finds him... before he tells the police. It all makes for a thrilling, multilayered plot that will have you turning pages late into the night.

Debut author Sam Hilliard has created an immensely likable reluctant hero in Mike Brody, and he's only scratched the surface of the character's potential. Though we know Brody's ability to track people borders on the supernatural, how he first discovered his talent and the inner demons that compel him to answer every request for help are only hinted at. Given the undoubtedly rich backstory available for Hilliard to mine, it's exciting to know that a second book featuring Brody is already in the works. It's clear that both Sam Hilliard and Mike Brody have very bright futures ahead of them. ( )

Great read! Brings to mind the works of James Patterson and Patricia Cornwell. The story draws you in and keeps your attention through the twists and turns as you try to figure out who is behind the events taking place. Mike Brody has an interesting future as a literary character indeed....can't wait to see what comes his way next! ( )