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Raine Stockton Dog Mystery #16
Dead Man's Trail
On the Trail Again…
Deep in the heart of the Smoky Mountain wilderness there are a thousand things that will kill you. One of them is human.
Wilderness expert and dog trainer Raine Stockton agrees to help lead a survival skills training camp for her fiancé’s executive team. She is unaware that she and her tracking dog, Cisco, are walking into a hotbed of corporate intrigue involving espionage and stolen technology. Everyone at the retreat is a suspect, and no one can be trusted. And none of them is aware that, while their small drama plays out, a much bigger threat is stalking them.
On a routine survival exercise, the group becomes stranded in the wilderness with an ice storm moving in. With all communications disabled, they are completely cut off from the modern world and being hunted by a man to whom killing is a way of life. One by one their members are picked off and the survivors must rely on Raine and Cisco to lead them to safety. But as the killer draws ever closer, even Raine is no longer sure where safety lies.
Don’t miss this thrilling first installment in The Hunter Saga, Raine and Cisco’s most harrowing adventure yet!
Deep in the heart of the Smoky Mountain wilderness there are a thousand things that will kill you. One of them is human.
Wilderness expert and dog trainer Raine Stockton agrees to help lead a survival skills training camp for her fiancé’s executive team. She is unaware that she and her tracking dog, Cisco, are walking into a hotbed of corporate intrigue involving espionage and stolen technology. Everyone at the retreat is a suspect, and no one can be trusted. And none of them is aware that, while their small drama plays out, a much bigger threat is stalking them.
On a routine survival exercise, the group becomes stranded in the wilderness with an ice storm moving in. With all communications disabled, they are completely cut off from the modern world and being hunted by a man to whom killing is a way of life. One by one their members are picked off and the survivors must rely on Raine and Cisco to lead them to safety. But as the killer draws ever closer, even Raine is no longer sure where safety lies.
Don’t miss this thrilling first installment in The Hunter Saga, Raine and Cisco’s most harrowing adventure yet!
225 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 30, 2024
66 people are currently reading
37 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 25, 2025
I hate to say this, but I'm getting really bored with her Raine and Cisco mysteries. It's sad--I love her writing and I've loved Raine and Cisco from the first book. But she seems to have fallen into a predictable rut of pointless violence and mass murder with almost a third of the book spent inside the killer's head. There is no cool and unusual trailing work that Cisco has to do; there is no complicated puzzle solving that Raine and her colleagues have to perform. It's just all action and adventure and not very adventurous at that.
Strange...I just read a description of the difference between a mystery and thriller. And by those criteria, this book is a thriller. Maybe I'm just into the wrong genre!
Spoiler alert follows
In this book she introduces an interesting character who has a serious issue with Raine and her dog. He seems to hate them both for no reason; he is clearly not stupid or simply prejudiced--there must be some deep and peculiar problem he has that Raine must understand and overcome....
And bang! He's dead.
And so are a bunch of other people. It's all just blood and gore, and since I skipped the parts inside the killer's head, I don't even know why he was doing it all. I expected to find out where Raine did, but I didn't. So, blah.
Very disappointing for such a great author and characters.
Strange...I just read a description of the difference between a mystery and thriller. And by those criteria, this book is a thriller. Maybe I'm just into the wrong genre!
Spoiler alert follows
In this book she introduces an interesting character who has a serious issue with Raine and her dog. He seems to hate them both for no reason; he is clearly not stupid or simply prejudiced--there must be some deep and peculiar problem he has that Raine must understand and overcome....
And bang! He's dead.
And so are a bunch of other people. It's all just blood and gore, and since I skipped the parts inside the killer's head, I don't even know why he was doing it all. I expected to find out where Raine did, but I didn't. So, blah.
Very disappointing for such a great author and characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 5, 2024
Raine is back.
I've read the entire Raine Stockton series, and up until the last one, I liked all of them. Some I loved. I didn't care for the last one, though, so I almost didn't read this one. I had it on my Kindle since it came out but stalled on reading it, afraid that I wouldn't like this one either. Wrong. I was so wrong. I hated to put it down. Raine is sitting around, depressed and feeling a bit sorry for herself. Business has been bad since she'd been arrested for murder, even though she'd been exonerated. Miles hires her to be one of two survival experts at a remote corporate wilderness survival camp set up for some of his top tech executives. What nobody knows until it's too late is that there's a psycho who has killed many times and is a natural at surviving in the wilderness, watching them. As people are mercilessly picked off by the killer, Raine and Miles become closer than they've ever been while fighting to keep not only themselves alive, but what's left of their group as the killer gets closer and closer. The killer has no conscience, and he kills without reason. He's got his eye on Raine and Cisco. They've gotten in his way once, and he let them go. He won't do that a second time. Awesome book! Don't miss out.
I've read the entire Raine Stockton series, and up until the last one, I liked all of them. Some I loved. I didn't care for the last one, though, so I almost didn't read this one. I had it on my Kindle since it came out but stalled on reading it, afraid that I wouldn't like this one either. Wrong. I was so wrong. I hated to put it down. Raine is sitting around, depressed and feeling a bit sorry for herself. Business has been bad since she'd been arrested for murder, even though she'd been exonerated. Miles hires her to be one of two survival experts at a remote corporate wilderness survival camp set up for some of his top tech executives. What nobody knows until it's too late is that there's a psycho who has killed many times and is a natural at surviving in the wilderness, watching them. As people are mercilessly picked off by the killer, Raine and Miles become closer than they've ever been while fighting to keep not only themselves alive, but what's left of their group as the killer gets closer and closer. The killer has no conscience, and he kills without reason. He's got his eye on Raine and Cisco. They've gotten in his way once, and he let them go. He won't do that a second time. Awesome book! Don't miss out.
June 1, 2024
This was such a good book! I started reading in the evening and I could not put it down. I read until 6am and the last page. Donna Ball’s books are wonderful. I love all of her series. I’m really looking forward to this new Hunter Saga. Raine and Cisco were so good. The plot had me hooked from the start and like I said I couldn’t stop until the very last page. Do yourself a favor and read this book! I highly recommend. Donna Ball is one of my favorite authors.
July 13, 2024
I have read all the books in this series and have enjoyed them all. It has been awhile since there was a new book
So I was anxious to read this one.
The setting is in a national forest. Miles and a group of his top executives are on a survival retreat. He asks Raine and Cisco to help lead the excursion. Raine is skeptical but she attends. The class is lead by a well know survivalist that Raine’s senses tells her to beware.
Strange things begin to happen and one by one people are being killed. With no cell phone service , the group starts to hike down and Miles is pushed off the trail. It’s up to Raine to rescue Miles.
This book is filled with action, intrigue and mystery.
There’s a very happy ending. Can’t wait for the next Raine Stockton and Cusco book!
So I was anxious to read this one.
The setting is in a national forest. Miles and a group of his top executives are on a survival retreat. He asks Raine and Cisco to help lead the excursion. Raine is skeptical but she attends. The class is lead by a well know survivalist that Raine’s senses tells her to beware.
Strange things begin to happen and one by one people are being killed. With no cell phone service , the group starts to hike down and Miles is pushed off the trail. It’s up to Raine to rescue Miles.
This book is filled with action, intrigue and mystery.
There’s a very happy ending. Can’t wait for the next Raine Stockton and Cusco book!
December 31, 2025
Her books are easy reads but again I don't like to give um a rundown a rundown of the book because I don't want to do any spoilers but I will say this in almost every book I want to shake rain Stockton because she puts herself down or doesn't think she's good enough it's just like you know we're in the two thousand twenties if a woman doesn't think she's good enough by now she needs to talk to me and I will set her straight
June 5, 2024
Great suspense even though you know who the killer is because you don't know who he will kill next. The intrigue at Miles company isn't very important compared to the killings. Wondering if even though the killer believes he's not stupid enough to
take unnecessary risks or make stupid mistakes I'm thinking he doesn't like getting beat by a women, a dog. and a bunch of weaklings and is out to get his revenge as his just payback
take unnecessary risks or make stupid mistakes I'm thinking he doesn't like getting beat by a women, a dog. and a bunch of weaklings and is out to get his revenge as his just payback
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 3, 2025
Count your blessings, no matter how small or unexpected.
The good guys always win. Sometimes it is almost unexpectedly. The bad guy in this story also, unexpectedly, wins. It goes to show that your first impression of people can be way off. People aren't always what you expect, good or bad. A pleasant ending.
The good guys always win. Sometimes it is almost unexpectedly. The bad guy in this story also, unexpectedly, wins. It goes to show that your first impression of people can be way off. People aren't always what you expect, good or bad. A pleasant ending.
June 22, 2024
An exciting read
The story was full of excitement and mystery.
One story line was executives training in the wilderness and the other line was a an evil madman lose in the woods!
The story was full of excitement and mystery.
One story line was executives training in the wilderness and the other line was a an evil madman lose in the woods!
August 5, 2024
When time with Miles at a corporate retreat turns deadly Raine and Cisco are put to the test.
This was one of the better entries in this series! It had me scrolling thru as fast as I could and the suspense was sustained throughout.
Really good mystery.
This was one of the better entries in this series! It had me scrolling thru as fast as I could and the suspense was sustained throughout.
Really good mystery.
October 11, 2024
One of Favorites
This was more intense than some of the others in the Raine Stockton series. I like that the protagonist is still at large and this could prompt a continuation of the story.
This was more intense than some of the others in the Raine Stockton series. I like that the protagonist is still at large and this could prompt a continuation of the story.
May 6, 2025
AMAZING!!!!!
I really hope Donna Ball never stops writing Rainie Stockton Dog Mysteries! I cannot put these books down until I find out the outcome! The book just tugs me on and on until I get to the end and know “ who done it”. Please, Ms Ball never stop!!!!
I really hope Donna Ball never stops writing Rainie Stockton Dog Mysteries! I cannot put these books down until I find out the outcome! The book just tugs me on and on until I get to the end and know “ who done it”. Please, Ms Ball never stop!!!!
June 1, 2024
never disappoints
As with all of the Stockton books this too was a great read. Start at the beginning and enjoy a fun ride.
As with all of the Stockton books this too was a great read. Start at the beginning and enjoy a fun ride.
June 5, 2024
What a page turner! I could not put it down and now I’m sad because I have to wait a long time for the next Raine Stockton book to be published. This is going on my favorite’s shelf.
June 8, 2024
Very good
I love this series. But this one was more gory than usual. Raine, Cisco, and Miles were all at their best.
I love this series. But this one was more gory than usual. Raine, Cisco, and Miles were all at their best.
June 11, 2024
best one yet!
Wow! Such a great read. I could not put this book down. Seriously read it until the wee hours of the morning. The suspense had me speed reading. ❤️
Wow! Such a great read. I could not put this book down. Seriously read it until the wee hours of the morning. The suspense had me speed reading. ❤️
October 8, 2024
Another hit out of the ballpark
Yes! Donna Ball has done it again! I've been reading everything she has written for years and always look forward to her new releases.
Yes! Donna Ball has done it again! I've been reading everything she has written for years and always look forward to her new releases.
February 4, 2025
i’ve read all the Raine Stockton books. Loved all of them and this one was no exception. Hope this series never ends.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews