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.
Rating:
Summary: A Strong Debut Mystery
Review: Police Chief Frank Bennett is a man on the rebound--from a career cut short by a serious mistake, from the death of his wife. In the small town of Trout Run, New York, he gets a second chance and considers himself lucky. But when a local girl goes missing, he realizes how tenuous his new role is. The town guards its secrets and doesn't appreciate a stranger who tries to dig beneath the surface of the idyllic small town image. A powerful local family blocks his investigation and even threatens to terminate his contract. Penny Stevenson, another outsider, married into the quintessential American dream in Trout Run and describes it this way: "It all seemed so perfect, so Norman Rockwell. I guess I fell in love with the whole package--the small town life surrounded by a big family. But I can't seem to get this family solidarity thing right....I guess it's like royalty. You have to be born into it." Frank has a theory--that the missing teen was not kidnapped or abducted by a stranger, but instead that she went on her own, or maybe with the help of someone nearby. And she had a good reason to go. Despite the complaints and roadblocks thrown in his way, Frank continues his search. When he uncovers the truth, he finally earns the respect of his new town. Take the Bait is reminiscent of traditional British mysteries, but with a moody setting in New York's Adirondack Mountains. In both setting and mood, it reminded me of Julia Spencer-Fleming's In the Bleak Midwinter, a recent Agatha Award winner for best first novel. I recommend that readers watch for more from debut writer S. W. Hubbard.
Rating:
Summary: A satisfying read for mystery lovers
Review: S.W. Hubbard makes the most of the Adirondacks setting, which comes alive with such details as the mud in spring and the categorization of the population as "from around here" and "not from around here," to launch a series featuring likeable, intelligent police chief Frank Bennett in a suspenseful story that kept the plot twists coming and also managed to keep them both plausible and pleasantly baffling. I'm looking forward to the next in the series. :)
Rating:
Summary: Take The Bait
Review: TAKE THE BAIT is brilliantly written with interesting characters. The storyline hooks you instantly with the disappearance of a young girl from a small town. The book was a page-turner from the very first page. I loved Sheriff Frank Bennett and his sidekick Earl, who work great together. The story has a compelling plot set in the Adirondacks in a small town called Trout Run, New York. I look forward to her next book SWALLOW THE HOOK.
Rating:
Summary: Great author debut.
Review: Taut, edge-of-your-seat tale with more twists than a cyclone. Highly recommended. Good local color.
Rating:
Summary: Teases you to read on
Review: This book hooks you in right from the beginning. You start out thinking the mystery will be just like any other missing person story, but then the author gently teases you with little clues and town gossip that makes you keep reading. I am looking forward to reading more books by this author
Rating:
Summary: Enthralling Summer Read
Review: This book was a quick and interesting read. The twists and turns won't let you put the book down. I highly recommend this book. I loved it so much that I bought several copies as gifts for family members and teachers!
Rating:
Summary: Good Police-Work
Review: This is an engaging, well-written mystery. Hubbard keeps you guessing as the police chief in this small town methodically goes to work on a missing persons case.
Having run the Skydiving Competition in Lake Placid for seven years, I know the territory. It was fun to revisit this part of New York.
It is not a long book: 336 pages in mass-market paper; 1,431 pages in MS-Reader (LIT). I read the electronic edition on my pocket PC. Flying more than 4,000 miles/week and not checking bags means that I do not have room to carry paper books.
In either paper ($6.50) or electronic ($4.99), you can't beat the price for this great read. I am glad I found this book and added it to my shopping cart when purchasing eBooks last week.
Dan Poynter, ParaPublishing.com
Rating: 
Summary: Definetely not a reader
Review: This is one of the worst books I've ever read. I have 1 word for it BORING. Boring. Boring, boring, boring, boring etc. I have no idea why some of the reviews said that it was a page turner. I had to keep reminding myself that I bought it so I have to force myself to read it.
Rating:
Summary: Makes You Want To Keep Reading
Review: This was an excellent first novel by S.W. Hubbard. I myself am not a mystery reader but I enjoyed this book very much. I kept on finding myself interested to see how the story would unfold. The book also has some good twists and turns. If you are a mystery reader I think that you will find this book very enjoyable.
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