Rating: 
Summary: Refreshing Mystery
Review: A quick summer read because you won't be able to put it down. Set in New York's Adirondacks, beautifully and accurately portrayed - this is one mystery you will not guess!
Looking forward to Swallow the Hook.
Rating:
Summary: Refreshing Mystery
Review: A quick summer read because you won't be able to put it down. Set in New York's Adirondacks, beautifully and accurately portrayed - this is one mystery you will not guess!
Looking forward to Swallow the Hook.
Rating:
Summary: Intense and Interesting
Review: A surprise from beginning to end, Take the Bait introduces unusual and interesting elements to direct (and sometimes divert) readers in following clues. A must-read for anyone that likes mysteries.
Rating:
Summary: A reader
Review: A truly enjoyable book. The writing is compelling and the characters are well-developed and complex. There are sufficient surprises and plot twists to keep any reader turning pages. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes good mysteries.
Rating:
Summary: I Was Hooked
Review: Compelling characters. Intriguing plot. Unique setting. Strong writing. The author combines these elements into a truly enjoyable mystery. I look forward to the next Frank Bennett. And the next. And the next.
Rating: 
Summary: Reads like a first effort
Review: I don't know that I can cite to one specific problem with this book; but overall it just seemed like a first effort that needs more work. The dialogue at times sounded false; the main character's reactions, comments, actions seemed ridiculous. As I read this, I found myself thinking that someone else (Straka, Jonathon King, plenty of others) would have done a much better job.
Rating: 
Summary: Intriging book but not a page turner for me
Review: I enjoyed the story but I was never so enthralled that I could not put it down. The plot is meted out very deliberately which maintains some suspense and doesn't let you think too far ahead of the story, however, I felt that there were some loose plot threads that were too quickly/easily tied together at the end of the story (somewhat over-simplified). Certainly not a waste of time but not my favorite story. I did thoroughly enjoy the visual description of the Adirondacks where the story is set.
Rating:
Summary: Kept me up past my bedtime
Review: I picked up this book planning to read just a few chapters before bed. Immediately, I got hooked by this story of a small town girl who isn't quite who she seems to be. I read well into the night, because I kept thinking I could figure out what was going on if I just read one chapter more. The author has created teriffic characters, laid out lots of red herrings, and tells the story with suspense and flashes of wry humor. Ultimately, I was surprised and amazed by how Hubbard pulls together all the plot elements into a coherent and satisfying conclusion. Read this book !
Rating:
Summary: A page-turner that won't let you go
Review: It's not often I read a first mystery from a new writer that keeps me up all night, but Take the Bait from S.W. Hubbard did it. Living in a small mountain town myself, the layers of secrets that fictional Trout Run hides are totally believable, and the disclosure of them is satisfying. Every one of the characters stands out as a real and distinctive person, including Janelle, the teenager who disappears before we ever meet her but then gains shape and substance until her fate matters as much to the reader as to the town and its tenacious police chief, Frank Bennett. This is an impressive debut. I hate missing my sleep, but I'm already looking forward to #2.
Rating:
Summary: Terrific first mystery
Review: Janelle Harvey, a high school senior, disappears while walking home in the remote village of Trout Run inside New York State's vast Adirondack Park. Police Chief Frank Bennett is new to town. He vows silently to find Janelle and not make another mistake in judgment like the one he made in a case at his previous job.This isn't easy in such a small town. Everyone thinks a stranger has come to town and kidnapped her. He isn't very popular with his theories that she went off with someone she knew or ran away. Cliff and Ned Stevenson make his life difficult at every turn. Jake Harvey, Janelle's father, is constantly in his face about this case as well. Then there's Janelle's aunt Dorothy and cousin Tommy. As Frank interviews Janelle's friends, she starts to see a different Janelle than the one painted by her father. He tries to follow each lead. He steps on many toes in the process. Frank works closely with the State police. He also works with his assistant Earl, but is afraid to put Earl in charge of much. Many pets are being killed. Frank feels there is a connection but can't tie them together. Everyone thinks he is wasting his time. The ransom note arrives and causes more controversy. Then other things begin happening. Frank is running out of time but has so many leads to follow he is afraid he is wasting his time. Trout Run is definitely a small town with a close knit community. No one wants to admit that something this terrible could happen there. Especially if one of them is involved. I really enjoyed this book. The author starts right out with her disappearance and pulled me right into the story with this. I thought Frank was a well-rounded character. He related well with the townspeople but yet didn't let them intimidate him. He still investigated them. The fact that no one was very forthcoming with information was also very indicative of a small town. I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more in this series.
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