Hunted

by Clair M. Poulson

Zach Barlow, a young returned missionary, didn't want Caden Pendleton to join his group of friends on a hunting trip to the High Uintahs. The newcomer's offer to help pay expenses changed Zach's mind, despite his misgivings. Yet when Caden is found dead in the woods, shot with a hunter's rifle, those regrets turn to raw panic.

Zach's hunting camp has become a murder scene, and the murder weapon's owner—a young woman named Bria—is nowhere to be found.

As Sheriff Lee Rutger and his deputies confront the mystery of the dead man and the missing girl, more disappearances follow. Can the sheriff stop the relentless hunter before he himself becomes the hunted?

Genres: Lds Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Lds, Fiction, Action, Thriller

256 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Clair M. Poulson was born and raised in Duchesne, Utah. His father was a rancher and farmer, his mother a librarian. Clair has always been an avid reader, having found his love for books as a very young boy.

He has served for forty years in the criminal justice system. Twenty years were spent in law enforcement, ending his police career with eight years as the Duchesne County Sheriff. For the past twenty years Clair has worked as a justice court judge for Duchesne County. Clair is also a veteran of the US Army where he was a military policeman. He has served on various boards and councils during his professional career, including the Justice Court Board of Judges, Utah Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, Utah Judicial Council, Utah Peace Officer Standards and Training Council, an FBI advisory board and others.

In addition to his criminal justice work, Clair has farmed and ranched all of his life. He has raised many kinds of animals, but his greatest interest is horses.

Clair has served in many capacities in the LDS church, including fulltime missionary (California Mission) bishop, counselor to bishop, young men president, high councilor, stake mission president, scoutmaster, High Priest group leader, etc. He currently serves as a Sunday School teacher.

Clair is married to Ruth, and together, they have five children, all of whom are married: Alan (Vicena) Poulson, Kelly Ann (Wade) Hatch, Amanda (Ben) Semadeni, Wade (Brooke) Poulson, and Mary (Tyler) Hicken. Between them they have twenty-three children. Clair and Ruth met while both were students at Snow College and were married in the Manti temple.

Clair has always loved telling his children, and later his grandchildren, make-up stories. His vast experience in life and his love of literature has always contributed to both his telling stories to children and his writing of adventure and suspense novels.

Reviews

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok.

[Alicia Rivoli · Rating 2 out of 5]

2* simply for the fact the the book had a lot of promise to be a great read. The story line was intriguing, but the author didn't really delve into the story like it should have been. The ending was disappointing.

[Wendy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just didn’t love it.

Several young adults go on a camping trip and one ends up dead, and one ends up missing. The premise was engaging and sounded like it could’ve been really good.

The things that made me not like this one:

* The tactics and procedures of the authorities seemed very unlikely to unfold in the manner the book outlines.

* The dialogue didn’t feel natural. I don’t know any 20 somethings that say “ I’m awfully glad” or “ I suppose so”, it just didn’t feel authentic.

* I cannot imagine people who are being protected by the FBI or CIA would be allowed to use cell phones or email. That seemed highly unlikely.

*The romance that was thrown in wasn’t organic and didn’t seem like it would have happened in real life.

* The ending came out of the blue and left me scratching my head-it didn’t even make much sense who ended up with who.

I’ve read other novels from this author that I’ve liked better.

[R. · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was my hard copy book sitting at home to read, which is why it took a long time to keep coming back to it. I kept losing my place too as my kids would ultimately end up moving or losing my bookmarks. Today I had some time in between baking with my oldest that I was able to really sit down and finish it, which was nice as I hate having unfinished books on my reading list. The story was both low key and high action at the same time as the main characters having to constantly stay in hiding and looking over their shoulders leaves a sense of something coming even when most of the action actually happens back in their little hometown. The teenagers also seem to have more than a few mixed signals to deal with. Leaves for more than a little surprise and mixed speculation. Can't really say that I was happy with the ending, but it was okay.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to say, this story did not go at all like I thought it would. It actually was a really good book with lots of clever twists and turns. One thing I found to be a little infuriating (but eventually got used to) was that the author likes to keep his readers in the dark about some of the events in the story. He gives you enough information to follow the story, but at the same time keeps enough from you to make it REALLY hard to put the book down. I read this in two days, it was so hard to put down!

The characters were well written and very believable; very realistic. The plot was also exciting and, like I said before, not very predictable. Which is perfect for those of us who like a good plot twist. Of course it also has a happy ending, so don’t worry about that :)

Definitely recommended for anyone who needs a good adventure.

[Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off I love the fact that in his books I know were all these places are. So for me it makes it that much better!
I liked how all the characters played in this story.
It was sad that Bri's dad 'drowned' in the reservoir. Or so we thought! What a crazy surprise that would of been for that family!
Zach was a great kid to try and help the sheriff find the killer. I for one thought those two kids had something to hide, like they did it. Of course they did know something but just a secret.
The cute little relationship at the end, of course was my favorite.
All of the twists and turns in this book really pulled it together for me!
As always I highly recommend this book and any other book he as wrote!

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my favorite Clair M Poulson book. I didn’t feel the connection to the kids crimes and the bigger picture. And I was disappointed in the love interest choice. There wasn’t enough building of character of the chosen girl. I was happy to read however, about the enviro-nazis getting their dues. Too many people are afraid to address radical groups.

[Alisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened to while painting. Enjoyed it, though I wasn't sure about the ending. It was typical, which I liked but at the same time it spent so much time building up things and nothing really came it of...

[Elizabeth Midgley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I listened to this on audiobook. The story was ok and kept my attention. It had great potential but didn’t quite provide the suspense/action that I’m used to. Also the “relationship” part of the story just didn’t work. I didn’t hate it but didn’t love it either.

[Susan Forsgren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mysterious characters which are not what they seem, leave the reader guessing and wondering the truth.
Loved how all the pieces came together at the ending.

[Hailey Fackrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book! Kept me guessing.

[Dail Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eco terrorists try to get revenge on CIA agents family

[Heather Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not much to say about this one, it was just ok for me.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ending!!! 👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻

[Lawana Sisam · Rating 4 out of 5]

A hunting trip goes very wrong and Zach is left to pick up the peices. It shows problems that need fixing and that fixing them in the wrong way just makes things worse.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorites by poulson. I loved the mystery, the suspense of who the murder was among a group of friends that were on a hunting excursion along with the added questions behind how the "earth Militia" was related to the death of Bria's father and then her disappearance up on the mountain after the killing of Caden. All the questions kept you reading to find the answers and try to figure out all out before it was revealed.

Bria's father faked his death because his cover was broken in his investigation of the earth Militia. He was part of the CIA. Then Bria goes on a hunting expedition with some friends and Caden, an unknown felon and member of the Earth militia tags along. When his death causes more questions as to what is going on, Bria's disappearance also causes more questions than answers. Is she responsible for Caden's death or a victim of kidnapping. Then her mother and brother disappear and their house is blown up. Zach, who was responsible for the hunting trip feels like he needs to help solve the mystery of Caden's death and clear his name and those of his friends. He gets in contact with Bria and goes to help her not knowing the danger involved. His presence helps protect Bria and her family, but raises questions of his true feelings for Bria and he decides he needs some distance. He goes home to find some answers about Caden's death and help out at the family ranch. Danger is still on the horizon and the terrorist group grows desperate as Agent Rich Phillips is considered the mole and attempts are made to take him out. The terrorist leader wants revenge and goes after his family and the officials in Duchene, Utah were all his plans backfired. Through local and federal help the bad guys are taken out and life can continue on. Bria forgives Zach for leaving her and Zach realizes that time away from Bria helped him to sort out his feelings. He loves Sage, the girl next door who helped him to talk out his feeling for Bria and supported him in solving the mystery of Caden's death. Jay killed Caden in defense of Janie who was threatened by Caden with a hunting knife. Great mystery and love story.

[Jessi · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really did not like this book. For one, the characters. Zach and Bria barely new each other so why would he decide to just go in hiding with her. I get that he felt responsible and all, but the fact that she wanted him to come and then was just hanging on him the whole time didn't make sense, since they didn't know each other very well. The other fact that bothered me was, if she was in hiding by the CIA, there is NO WAY they would have aloud her to use her email account and then to respond to people. I am sure her email and phone would be monitored, but definitely not by her. She would have had no contact with anyone she knew before, so that whole part of the story made no sense to me. Then the twist at the end with the love story part was out of the blue. The author never really developed these characters enough, so a lot of what they did made no sense. There was a lot of this book that bothered me. I am just not a fan of this author.

[Katelin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was suspenseful. I had one major problem with this book. When the main characters go into hiding with the CIA, they email people instead of calling them. I am pretty sure that even though the CIA agent was screening their emails and let them answer them, that there is no way in real life that would ever happen. Also, the love story twist at the end of the book was a complete surprise. I had no clue that Zach would end up liking Sage instead of Bria. . It just kind of hits you out of no where. But after all is said and done, this book was a good reminder of all the things the people in law enforcement do for the general public. And how little we really know about what they do for us. Thank you for all those who risk their lives and their safety to keep us safe.

[Katie (hiding in the pages) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A group of friends go on a hunting trip and a young man new to e area invites himself along. When he ends up dead and a girl from the group is missing, things turn quite mysterious. Zach, the leader of the group does what he can to solve the crime. They all end up in terrible danger.

I thought this was an intriguing story. The suspense and mystery were great! The characters were pretty good too, but, being the romance lover that I am, I was quite disappointed how things ended up in that department. I was disappointed in Zach for having such strong feelings for two different girls. Romance aside, it was enjoyable.

[Monica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hunted is a suspenseful action novel brought to life by the identifiable small town aura. Tragedy strikes small town Duchesne when a hunter is shot in the mountains. The mystery intensifies when the rifle used belongs to another of the hunting party and the owner mysteriously disappears. When the man shot is discovered to have connections with an extreme environmentalist group more questions are raised. With terrorist threats looming, the authorities race against time to solve the murder while protecting the citizens of the town. With time running out to an inevitable terrorist attack the rest of the hunting party races against time to solve the murder and restore peace to their small town.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Totally unbelievable. The CIA agent got tired of the stress of hiding himself and his family so they took the day off and did all the sights in LA. One of the agents were killed and nobody knew about it. The people he was protecting got ahold of an FBI agent and he jumped into the case. The best part was that they didn't use the phones to contact anyone because the bad guys would be able to track them, but they emailed friends and all kinds of people to keep in touch. He may understand small town police work, but it stops there. Laughable.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy reading a Clair Poulson novel--the suspense and story line always seems realistic. This one didn't fail as ecoterrorists weave their evil into Duchesne, Utah. It starts with a group of young adult friends on a hunting trip in the Uintah Mountains. Fun turns into fear, murder and speculation, CIA and FBI agents showing up, and going into hiding. It's unimaginable having to leave everyone you know, your home, changing your identity just to stay alive because a militia decides to destroy your way of life.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was actually decent. It took me a while to read it because I didn't really have time. The plot and idea of the book was interesting but the author didn't do a very good job of writing it. She would try and keep information from us to make it suspenseful but it didn't really work. Everything was essentially given straight to us. It was interesting enough but I certainly wouldn't read it again.

[04rachels · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought that it was a good book. The way the author expressed the emotions. It had all the things I like. It had a little romance, mystery, action, and adventure. The ending was a little wacko, though. I thought it was cool how Clair M. Poulson brought the CIA into the story. It is a story for boys and girls. I've read a few of his books and they are wonderful. This was one of my favorites.

[Eden Steffey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not think that this was good writing. The plot was good, but the writing made it hard to read. The dialogue was poor and I had a hard time understanding some of the choices the characters made. why didn't more guys get upset when a girl was hit by one of them on camping trip? Why would Bria call Zach for help? Makes no sense. Had no idea why the characters who ended up together ended up together. No character development there.

[LuAnn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was okay, but I wasn't impressed. There were too many events that seemed too convenient for the purpose of storytelling, and too many situations that seemed contrived or unbelievable. I know the author has lots of fans who will likely appreciate the novel, but I only found it average as storytelling goes.

[Peggy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing was quite good but it was irritating that when the suspense would start to built things were easily resolved and moved on. No surprises even though there was plenty of opportunity for the good guys to become the bad guys. I'll probably read another of his books to see if they are the same.

[Lindsay · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was so horrible. It just went on and on. I was ready for it to be over about half way through, maybe because the plot was so predictable. I am not very familiar with this author's work, but I thought his portrayal of his female characters was ridiculous. Hopefully that is not the case in all of his books.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy Poulson's books most when they have some part of the story from the point of view of the law enforcement people. I think this is because Of Poulson's law enforcement experience lending credibility to the narrative. There were a lot of interesting details in this book. I was, however, a bit disappointed in the ending.

[Beth Pearson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was pretty good...There were a few surprises, which is always fun. I thought the ending was wrapped up a little too quickly and neatly though. We'd been with the story for 200+ pages. What was wrong with adding a few more and fleshing things out a bit. This may be my first Clair Poulson book, but I would read another most likely.