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Blood Trail
A poacher-turned-game-warden is on the hunt for a bloodthirsty cult in this unnerving thriller from the authors of the “artful chiller” (Lincoln Child, #1 New York Times bestselling author) Wilderness Reform.
Clark Rickert was once the most prolific big game poacher throughout the Rocky Mountain west but when he lost both his son and his wife, he turned away from hunting. Now a game warden working for the very law enforcement officers that once pursued him so aggressively, Clark is overwhelmingly successful at his job.
So, when there’s a string of disappearances in rural Montana, Clark is selected to join a task force on an operation targeting a mysterious, violent cult in the area. As he works to uncover the truth, Clark begins to be plagued by visions and starts to realize that there is a deeper purpose to his assignment and the cult might up to something far more terrifying than anyone could have guessed.
From two authors who “set themselves apart with sterling prose” (Publishers Weekly), Blood Trail is an eerie and suspenseful horror novel that will sink its teeth in you.
Clark Rickert was once the most prolific big game poacher throughout the Rocky Mountain west but when he lost both his son and his wife, he turned away from hunting. Now a game warden working for the very law enforcement officers that once pursued him so aggressively, Clark is overwhelmingly successful at his job.
So, when there’s a string of disappearances in rural Montana, Clark is selected to join a task force on an operation targeting a mysterious, violent cult in the area. As he works to uncover the truth, Clark begins to be plagued by visions and starts to realize that there is a deeper purpose to his assignment and the cult might up to something far more terrifying than anyone could have guessed.
From two authors who “set themselves apart with sterling prose” (Publishers Weekly), Blood Trail is an eerie and suspenseful horror novel that will sink its teeth in you.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published April 7, 2026
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Did Not Finish
March 19, 2026I'll be very blunt: this book is not for me.
Speaking both as a reader (what I like to read about) and as a gay man: this book is not for me. There is A LOT of discussions and talks about guns and military speeches and straight men being... straight men with fragile masculinity.
To me, all male characters are annoying in this book. Purposefully or not, but all of them were annoying to me. The horror elements were...well, I don't know where those elements were. Before I quit reading this book there were no horror elements at all. The synopsis sells this book as a cult horror novel. And I tend to LOVE cults in horror or thriller books, so I was excited for that. But....nope, no cults. Only white straight men being....white straight men with their sick and obsessive love for guns.
Again, not for me. I'm too gay for this book.
Speaking both as a reader (what I like to read about) and as a gay man: this book is not for me. There is A LOT of discussions and talks about guns and military speeches and straight men being... straight men with fragile masculinity.
To me, all male characters are annoying in this book. Purposefully or not, but all of them were annoying to me. The horror elements were...well, I don't know where those elements were. Before I quit reading this book there were no horror elements at all. The synopsis sells this book as a cult horror novel. And I tend to LOVE cults in horror or thriller books, so I was excited for that. But....nope, no cults. Only white straight men being....white straight men with their sick and obsessive love for guns.
Again, not for me. I'm too gay for this book.
Did Not Finish
April 8, 2026As much as I wanted to love Blood Trail, this gory cult story felt too much like a cross between a “dad book” and horror for me to finish. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good atmospheric tale of creepy, dark events, but this one just missed the mark for me somehow. Between the unending acronyms, excessively brutal scenes, and beyond slow-burning pace, my stomach turned just as much as my attention fled the page. I know. I know. There was plenty of action. It wasn’t, though, without graphic, nausea-inducing cruelty and violence. If, however, you enjoy former criminal-turned-lawman narrators, cult horror, and a military thriller feel, you just might like this one more than I did. Either way, you better be prepared for some serious male-centric storytelling that leaves women to be rescued or sitting it out on the sidelines. No thanks, I’ll pass. Rating: DNF.
SYNOPSIS:
Clark Rickert was once the most prolific big game poacher throughout the Rocky Mountain west but when he lost both his son and his wife, he turned away from hunting. Now a game warden working for the very law enforcement officers that once pursued him so aggressively, Clark is overwhelmingly successful at his job.
So, when there’s a string of disappearances in rural Montana, Clark is selected to join a task force on an operation targeting a mysterious, violent cult in the area. As he works to uncover the truth, Clark begins to be plagued by visions and starts to realize that there is a deeper purpose to his assignment and the cult might up to something far more terrifying than anyone could have guessed.
Thank you Matt Query, Harrison Query, and Atria Books for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: April 7, 2026
SYNOPSIS:
Clark Rickert was once the most prolific big game poacher throughout the Rocky Mountain west but when he lost both his son and his wife, he turned away from hunting. Now a game warden working for the very law enforcement officers that once pursued him so aggressively, Clark is overwhelmingly successful at his job.
So, when there’s a string of disappearances in rural Montana, Clark is selected to join a task force on an operation targeting a mysterious, violent cult in the area. As he works to uncover the truth, Clark begins to be plagued by visions and starts to realize that there is a deeper purpose to his assignment and the cult might up to something far more terrifying than anyone could have guessed.
Thank you Matt Query, Harrison Query, and Atria Books for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: April 7, 2026
Did Not Finish
May 20, 2026Just not my type of book, could not get into it. Too wordy and confusing.
June 3, 2026
2.5 stars
Oh boy. This was…not good.
I have read and quite enjoyed the Query brothers’ previous two books, Old Country and Wilderness Reform, so I thought I had set my expectations accordingly. That is to say, very basic writing and dude bro dialogue but a story that made up for that by being intriguing and entertaining if slightly over the top.
Unfortunately here the basic writing continues, the dialogue is more dude bro than ever with the “twist” of being either military dude or Western dude in flavour. But what happened with the story? The underlying premise was pretty good, if standard, but it just was not fleshed out at all. Instead the book is 75% descriptions of military style ground engagements and killing, with very little devoted to the actual overarching good vs evil through the ages storyline.
Disappointing because not only can I see the lost potential, but also since my expectations were very moderate to begin with I really didn’t expect to be let down like this.
Oh boy. This was…not good.
I have read and quite enjoyed the Query brothers’ previous two books, Old Country and Wilderness Reform, so I thought I had set my expectations accordingly. That is to say, very basic writing and dude bro dialogue but a story that made up for that by being intriguing and entertaining if slightly over the top.
Unfortunately here the basic writing continues, the dialogue is more dude bro than ever with the “twist” of being either military dude or Western dude in flavour. But what happened with the story? The underlying premise was pretty good, if standard, but it just was not fleshed out at all. Instead the book is 75% descriptions of military style ground engagements and killing, with very little devoted to the actual overarching good vs evil through the ages storyline.
Disappointing because not only can I see the lost potential, but also since my expectations were very moderate to begin with I really didn’t expect to be let down like this.
April 12, 2026
3.5 stars Thanks to Simon and Schuster for the ARC and to Edelweiss for the download of this book for an unbiased review. Published April 7, 2026.
As usual a bit late to the party, but want to add my two cents to this new book. I have many pros and cons - but will only share a few.
Clark Rickert, loner, prior poacher, felon and prisoner becomes an FWP (Forrest, Wildlife and Parks) ranger in Montana. Soon after, he is recruited into a plethora of military veterans and government officials for a reason he is not privy to. As the reason begins to materialize, Clark starts having visions. By the end of the story Clark has done a 180 - nothing is how it seems.
I did enjoy the story - although there was a lot of blood shed to read through. This was a long book at 400 pages - one of those books that for every page you read it seemed that 3 additional pages grew on the end. I really think the premise was good, but this book was a bit long -cut by 50 to 75 pages would have been better. For me, I thought there was way too much military jargon. Some of it I understood, but for me so much more was just clutter. Way more than the layman needed or understood. But I am probably not the targeted audience for this book. The fact that some of the 'ah ha' moments came in the middle of the book was nice - it gave a whole new slant to the story. And the ending was good - another surprise - but good.
As usual a bit late to the party, but want to add my two cents to this new book. I have many pros and cons - but will only share a few.
Clark Rickert, loner, prior poacher, felon and prisoner becomes an FWP (Forrest, Wildlife and Parks) ranger in Montana. Soon after, he is recruited into a plethora of military veterans and government officials for a reason he is not privy to. As the reason begins to materialize, Clark starts having visions. By the end of the story Clark has done a 180 - nothing is how it seems.
I did enjoy the story - although there was a lot of blood shed to read through. This was a long book at 400 pages - one of those books that for every page you read it seemed that 3 additional pages grew on the end. I really think the premise was good, but this book was a bit long -cut by 50 to 75 pages would have been better. For me, I thought there was way too much military jargon. Some of it I understood, but for me so much more was just clutter. Way more than the layman needed or understood. But I am probably not the targeted audience for this book. The fact that some of the 'ah ha' moments came in the middle of the book was nice - it gave a whole new slant to the story. And the ending was good - another surprise - but good.
Read
January 20, 2026This was a DNF for me, but will likely work for others. It was...very, very military with acronyms and manly men being manly. I was very interested in the cult, but just couldn't stick with it. At the time I left the book (about 35%) there were two women in it. One was pretty. The other was capable. Neither was memorable. But there's hunting and shooting and men bro-ing out while being taciturn and grumpy.
So...if that's you, give it a try.
So...if that's you, give it a try.
May 16, 2026
This was my first read by these authors and I’ve already decided to read their other books. I enjoyed this one so much. It was a dark thriller but it was right up my alley. I love a thriller that will keep me turning the pages just wanting to know what’s going to happen next.
Cults have always been interesting to me so I was intrigued by the case in this book. It was horrifying to think about the authors did such a great job with this storyline. I already can’t wait to read their other books.
Thank you so much to the publisher for a copy of this book via NetGalley!
Cults have always been interesting to me so I was intrigued by the case in this book. It was horrifying to think about the authors did such a great job with this storyline. I already can’t wait to read their other books.
Thank you so much to the publisher for a copy of this book via NetGalley!
Want to Read
March 20, 2025ooooooh I need this yesterday.
July 21, 2026
The novel follows Clark Rickert, a game warden who gets dragged into helping investigate a series of disappearances. While the case initially looks like the work of a violent cult, it is uncovered to be something more sinister. Something ancient and evil.
This biggest issue is with the book tags and the synopsis. Calling the antagonists a "cult" is really not the right terminology for what is actually going on. It is not a cult in any sense of the word that comes to mind when you hear it. Instead, the threat is an ancient, supernatural evil, essentially taking possession of people to do its bidding. While there that supernatural element, it isn't scary at all, making the "horror" tag a stretch.
The investigation turns out to be a Joint Task Force set up by the military. Now, I actually love military books, movies, and TV shows, so that didn't bother me, it just wasn't at all what I thought I was getting when I borrowed this from the library. There is a lot of military lingo, guns, and tactical fighting, complete with plenty of blood and gore from gunfights and hand to hand combat.
For a story featuring such a massive threat, the world-building leaves a lot to be desired. This supernatural entity has apparently been around for millennia, yet there is almost no backstory provided. There’s really only one chapter where a character discusses studying it and mentions others who dealt with it in the past, but as readers, we still have no idea what it actually is, where it came from, why it keeps returning, or what it ultimately wants.
While there is a massive cast involved in the military operation, the character work feels incomplete. Out of a ton of characters, really only the main character, Clark, is kind of fleshed out. However, his entire arc is built around deep personal flaws stemming from the death of his family, but we are never even given the detailed backstory of what actually happened to his son. We only hear about his wife. How are we as readers supposed to fully understand his character without that crucial information.
This is a fairly long book that definitely leans into being a slow burn. It easily could have lost 100 to 200 pages in the middle to give it the quicker pace an action-thriller needs.
The conclusion sort of wraps things up, but it leaves a lot of ambiguity in its wake, missing that tight, fully resolved finish that makes a thriller click.
This biggest issue is with the book tags and the synopsis. Calling the antagonists a "cult" is really not the right terminology for what is actually going on. It is not a cult in any sense of the word that comes to mind when you hear it. Instead, the threat is an ancient, supernatural evil, essentially taking possession of people to do its bidding. While there that supernatural element, it isn't scary at all, making the "horror" tag a stretch.
The investigation turns out to be a Joint Task Force set up by the military. Now, I actually love military books, movies, and TV shows, so that didn't bother me, it just wasn't at all what I thought I was getting when I borrowed this from the library. There is a lot of military lingo, guns, and tactical fighting, complete with plenty of blood and gore from gunfights and hand to hand combat.
For a story featuring such a massive threat, the world-building leaves a lot to be desired. This supernatural entity has apparently been around for millennia, yet there is almost no backstory provided. There’s really only one chapter where a character discusses studying it and mentions others who dealt with it in the past, but as readers, we still have no idea what it actually is, where it came from, why it keeps returning, or what it ultimately wants.
While there is a massive cast involved in the military operation, the character work feels incomplete. Out of a ton of characters, really only the main character, Clark, is kind of fleshed out. However, his entire arc is built around deep personal flaws stemming from the death of his family, but we are never even given the detailed backstory of what actually happened to his son. We only hear about his wife. How are we as readers supposed to fully understand his character without that crucial information.
This is a fairly long book that definitely leans into being a slow burn. It easily could have lost 100 to 200 pages in the middle to give it the quicker pace an action-thriller needs.
The conclusion sort of wraps things up, but it leaves a lot of ambiguity in its wake, missing that tight, fully resolved finish that makes a thriller click.
Read
October 14, 2026In Blood Trail, the sudden abduction of hundreds of American citizens in rural Montana by a mysterious cult triggers a highly-coordinated military response from the US Government — one that unveils a centuries-old dormant evil that's waking up.
I applaud authors Matt and Harrison Query for attempting to do something new here — blend a military-style thriller with the horror genre — but, unfortunately, Blood Trail is overwritten in all the wrong places. After a striking and compelling opening act, the novel becomes rather repetitive and it takes far too long to fully reveal the threat and the lore behind it.
The action sequences are tactical and precise, and, like I said above, the first third teases so much promise. Also, the western Rocky Mountain setting is handled well and feels unique for this kind of horror novel. But there's way too much of characters intentionally withholding background information under the guise of "need to know" from the Tier-1 operators (and the readers), and by the time the novel reaches its endgame (in which it's never properly explained why the US wouldn't just hammer the target zone with a series of Hellfire missiles) I was properly checked out.
I applaud authors Matt and Harrison Query for attempting to do something new here — blend a military-style thriller with the horror genre — but, unfortunately, Blood Trail is overwritten in all the wrong places. After a striking and compelling opening act, the novel becomes rather repetitive and it takes far too long to fully reveal the threat and the lore behind it.
The action sequences are tactical and precise, and, like I said above, the first third teases so much promise. Also, the western Rocky Mountain setting is handled well and feels unique for this kind of horror novel. But there's way too much of characters intentionally withholding background information under the guise of "need to know" from the Tier-1 operators (and the readers), and by the time the novel reaches its endgame (in which it's never properly explained why the US wouldn't just hammer the target zone with a series of Hellfire missiles) I was properly checked out.
August 10, 2026
So, this is not the book I thought it would be. I thought I was getting a horror novel about a experienced game warden tracking a dangerous cult. This was far more of an action-suspense novel about an extensive military operation involved in tracking a dangerous cult (and I would pedantically argue that even calling the "cult" a cult was not entirely accurate). There was a lot of military jargon and detailed descriptions of military meetings and military procedures. We met lots and lots of masculine men doing masculine things, like constantly sizing each other up and arguing. Several times, we had a far too lengthy scene of our main character demanding to know what was "really going on" from the military guys and the military guys saying "No, we're not telling you what's really going on." I called this novel action-suspense, but in truth there were too many repetitive scenes and too many operations-focused details for me to find this story suspenseful. I absolutely loved these authors' novel Wilderness Reform, and I will be glad to try something else from them. I just didn't connect with this one at all.
April 7, 2026
Blood Trail by Matt Query and Harrison Query was billed as a police procedural, and part of it was. The part that I didn’t like was the military part with its insider language, acronyms, and attitude. The book had a good premise and parts of it were a joy to read. Other parts, not so much.
I was invited to read Blood Trail by Atria Books. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #AtriaBooks #MattQuery #HarrisonQuery #BloodTrail
I was invited to read Blood Trail by Atria Books. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #AtriaBooks #MattQuery #HarrisonQuery #BloodTrail
April 16, 2026
Blood Trail leans back toward that tense, survival-driven, wilderness horror vibe that made their first book hit. That’s a big point in its favor—I consistently like isolation, danger, and that creeping dread when characters are cut off and things go wrong.
But it also still carries their signature style:
a bit grim/dark
sometimes more about atmosphere and brutality than emotional connection
characters can feel secondary to the situation
That last piece is where it doesn't land 5 stars. I tend to want at least some emotional anchor or payoff, even in darker stories.
It delivers on tension and pacing → so it's at 4 stars
Net: I like it more than the second, but maybe not love it the way I loved the first.
Thank you to Net Galley and Atria for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
But it also still carries their signature style:
a bit grim/dark
sometimes more about atmosphere and brutality than emotional connection
characters can feel secondary to the situation
That last piece is where it doesn't land 5 stars. I tend to want at least some emotional anchor or payoff, even in darker stories.
It delivers on tension and pacing → so it's at 4 stars
Net: I like it more than the second, but maybe not love it the way I loved the first.
Thank you to Net Galley and Atria for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 11, 2026
Starts off with a chilling premise and gradually turns into a violent video game. I had fun. Easy read.
Did Not Finish
November 7, 2026DNF.
April 23, 2026
DEVGRU vs. Dracula
BWAF Score: 5/10
Here is what a Montana game warden sounds like when the guy writing him has actually met one. Here is what a half-starved horse looks like when the guy writing it has actually knelt in the dust and cupped water for it. That is Blood Trail at its best, and at its best it is very good. Matt Query is a water-rights litigator. It shows. The valleys smell like sage. The poacher in the prologue dies specifically.
Then the book remembers it is also a CIA Special Operations Group vampire thriller. I am not making that up. A game warden in a soft black Stetson with a horse named Quincey gets yanked into a classified SOG kill-capture op, and suddenly we are at Langley, at the Pentagon, sitting in with DEVGRU guys and JSOC QRF elements and a quiet little man named Malcolm Thorn whose job it is to know when the first of four cometh. The acronyms do not stop. FPCON Delta and REDCON-1 appear in consecutive lines of dialogue. There is a character named Lucy Westerna and somebody winking real hard from offstage.
The two halves never fuse. They alternate. I kept waiting for one to eat the other and neither would relent. You can feel the Query brothers at two separate desks, the lawyer-hunter and the Ridley Scott screenwriter, meeting in the middle at the manuscript. The Montana novel is the better one. The Pentagon novel has more plot. Reader, I was torn, and then tired.
When it works it is because of Clark. The scene where he opens a desk drawer and finds his dead son’s bracelet is as good as anything I have read in horror lately. A man on his kitchen floor at dawn after two days on horseback combing every rock on a mountain trail, making deals with a God he already knew was not taking them. Clark keeping a family photograph on his office wall as a cilice he forces himself to stare at until he cannot bear another second. That is a character choice with blood in it. I believed every inch.
What drags is how much the book will not shut up. Every feeling gets narrated then annotated. Every character arrives with a dossier. Every vein of backstory opens whether you asked or not. The prose is not sterling. It is exhaustive. It reads the way a very good lawyer writes a novel, and I mean that with respect, because Matt Query is by all accounts a very good lawyer.
The horror itself is procedural. Blood-drained bodies wired to chairs in a 103-degree henhouse. Cultists who will not break character. A vampire who, in the climax, likes Waylon Jennings. The dread lives in the landscape, not the monster. Old Country knew this about the Querys. Blood Trail forgets.
A Montana novel and a Pentagon novel sharing one spine. The seam shows. There is a horse in it I will think about for a while.
BWAF Score: 5/10
Here is what a Montana game warden sounds like when the guy writing him has actually met one. Here is what a half-starved horse looks like when the guy writing it has actually knelt in the dust and cupped water for it. That is Blood Trail at its best, and at its best it is very good. Matt Query is a water-rights litigator. It shows. The valleys smell like sage. The poacher in the prologue dies specifically.
Then the book remembers it is also a CIA Special Operations Group vampire thriller. I am not making that up. A game warden in a soft black Stetson with a horse named Quincey gets yanked into a classified SOG kill-capture op, and suddenly we are at Langley, at the Pentagon, sitting in with DEVGRU guys and JSOC QRF elements and a quiet little man named Malcolm Thorn whose job it is to know when the first of four cometh. The acronyms do not stop. FPCON Delta and REDCON-1 appear in consecutive lines of dialogue. There is a character named Lucy Westerna and somebody winking real hard from offstage.
The two halves never fuse. They alternate. I kept waiting for one to eat the other and neither would relent. You can feel the Query brothers at two separate desks, the lawyer-hunter and the Ridley Scott screenwriter, meeting in the middle at the manuscript. The Montana novel is the better one. The Pentagon novel has more plot. Reader, I was torn, and then tired.
When it works it is because of Clark. The scene where he opens a desk drawer and finds his dead son’s bracelet is as good as anything I have read in horror lately. A man on his kitchen floor at dawn after two days on horseback combing every rock on a mountain trail, making deals with a God he already knew was not taking them. Clark keeping a family photograph on his office wall as a cilice he forces himself to stare at until he cannot bear another second. That is a character choice with blood in it. I believed every inch.
What drags is how much the book will not shut up. Every feeling gets narrated then annotated. Every character arrives with a dossier. Every vein of backstory opens whether you asked or not. The prose is not sterling. It is exhaustive. It reads the way a very good lawyer writes a novel, and I mean that with respect, because Matt Query is by all accounts a very good lawyer.
The horror itself is procedural. Blood-drained bodies wired to chairs in a 103-degree henhouse. Cultists who will not break character. A vampire who, in the climax, likes Waylon Jennings. The dread lives in the landscape, not the monster. Old Country knew this about the Querys. Blood Trail forgets.
A Montana novel and a Pentagon novel sharing one spine. The seam shows. There is a horse in it I will think about for a while.
dnf-d
March 12, 2026Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy!
I am honestly really disappointed with this one. I read Old Country back in 2023 and absolutely loved it. After reading the description for Blood Trail, I thought it was going to be yet another hit.
However, I was definitely not the target audience for this book, and I ended up DNFing at 18%. If you are a white man between the ages of 25-65, love guns and huntin' a buck, and the only time you turn off Fox News/CNN is to turn on the newest Netflix original military drama to watch manly men being men while doing manly things, this book is 100% for you.
I was going to try and power through it as best as I could in hopes that it would start getting better after the setup in the first few chapters, but when the main character spent nearly two pages describing his guns in full and wholly unnecessary detail, I knew there was no use trying. What I read was confusing. It felt like listening to someone trying to use all the big words they've heard before, but they don't really know the definitions of, in order to impress people and get others to think they are super smart.
I'm sure there is someone out there who will love this book, and I hope they find it. This was just not it for me.
I am honestly really disappointed with this one. I read Old Country back in 2023 and absolutely loved it. After reading the description for Blood Trail, I thought it was going to be yet another hit.
However, I was definitely not the target audience for this book, and I ended up DNFing at 18%. If you are a white man between the ages of 25-65, love guns and huntin' a buck, and the only time you turn off Fox News/CNN is to turn on the newest Netflix original military drama to watch manly men being men while doing manly things, this book is 100% for you.
I was going to try and power through it as best as I could in hopes that it would start getting better after the setup in the first few chapters, but when the main character spent nearly two pages describing his guns in full and wholly unnecessary detail, I knew there was no use trying. What I read was confusing. It felt like listening to someone trying to use all the big words they've heard before, but they don't really know the definitions of, in order to impress people and get others to think they are super smart.
I'm sure there is someone out there who will love this book, and I hope they find it. This was just not it for me.
April 13, 2026
This was definitely not the type of book I’ve ever read before. I enjoyed the plot overall, but the book was very wordy. It took me way too long to read it. I think it would have been improved with some more editing to cut down the superfluous language and repetition. I wasn’t bothered by all the detailed gruesome scenes but I can see how some people may find it a bit too much. The main character was interesting, I liked him. But I did find it frustrating that there was a lack of communication throughout the book - again, it became repetitive and unnecessary. The shift between povs in the middle of a page was confusing sometimes - I recommend making the distinctions more clear next time.
Overall, interesting plot though - just a bit long. 3.5 ⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a complimentary advanced copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own and are in no way influenced by the author, publisher or NetGalley.
Overall, interesting plot though - just a bit long. 3.5 ⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a complimentary advanced copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own and are in no way influenced by the author, publisher or NetGalley.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.5 stars
What are the symptoms of testosterone poisoning? Because I’m pretty sure I have been afflicted.
Buried under a mountain of protein powder and military might, I think there was an intriguing premise. A primal evil awakening for another attempt at destroying humanity and a hero finally realizing his destiny is to battle this evil and save the world. Our hero, Montana game warden, Clark Rickert. Morally gray? Sure. Backstory? Sparse but something something wife and young son dead, something something. Rickert is joined by a cast of the most bad-assed special forces soldiers, soldiers that are each the most bad-assed bro’s who have ever assed a bad. The mission is to infiltrate a local cult that has “disappeared” several hundred local residents for nefarious purposes. Because the President of the United States knows what’s up and has blessed this mission.
Here is what this book read like for me:
Lethal violent surgical master hunter tactical assault deadliest ever assembled on earth ever seen on earth most lethal in history born for this most rage and cruelty humanity has ever known 7.62x51mm .300 Win-Mag .50 caliber bullets FGM-148 Javelin missiles chaos firing positions explosions hand to hand slaughter.
If you are really into military jargon, tactical mission plans, detailed descriptions of the multiple ways a trained, special forces bad-ass can kill and maim another human being, you are going to love this book. There are no emotional connections but the “band of brothers” is implied among the different tactical units. There are only two women in this story, one who appears for a few pages to be rescued and one that is the head of some government agency and part of the “leadership group” but who remains on the sidelines. This is very clearly a male-centric story about men being manly. Dialogue is very limited, but men don’t talk because feelings are uncomfortable, so this checks out.
What worked for me: The camp of it all. Once I was about 80% into the book, I completely gave in to the crazy. I started seeing this like the 2012 horror movie The Cabin in the Woods. If I had gone into this with that mindset, I think I would have enjoyed the reading experience way more. I do not believe that this was intended as horror comedy, but I honestly couldn’t help myself by the end. I also appreciated the lack of on-page animal death. The epilogue really, really worked for me. My absolute favorite part of the book. I wish the entire story had been written like the epilogue.
What did not work for me: There was so much telling and so little showing. Entire sections of the book happened in the past tense rather than in the moment. We were riding along in a recollection of what had just happened, rather than seeing it for ourselves. There were too many POV’s. It almost felt like an omniscient narrator, and I really would have preferred limited POV’s, or even one POV to be honest. The lack of dialogue didn’t work for me. I prefer to see characters interact with each other, rather than just listening to their thoughts. The numerous digressions that occurred to interrupt the flow of the story made the pacing awkward. Once we finally got into some sort of action, there would be a long digression to something not at all (or only tangentially) related. For example, a gigantic 371-year-old tree was about to fall in one scene. Instead of just falling, we had a full page or more describing this tree, what kind of tree it was, the year it was born, the kind of life this tree had and some young girl that had enjoyed the tree. Seriously. These kinds of interruptions really took away from the narrative flow and did not serve the story. Finally, the over-use of hyperbole to describe every character and scene. Not every soldier is the most deadly seen in the universe since the big bang. Also, telling me how awful something is just by telling me it made someone who saw it vomit is the same as saying something is just too awful for words. No, it’s not. This is a book. Use your words.
In the end, the epilogue really saved this book for me. I am not the target audience, but I am sure that there are plenty of readers out there who are. Confession: The first book by this author duo, Old Country, is one of my favorite horror novels of all time. Bear hunt, omg, iykyk. I read their next book, Wilderness Reform, hoping for that same magic and was disappointed but not discouraged from trying again. This is the third book of theirs that I’ve read and again, this one was not for me. I am not giving up yet, but my enthusiasm has taken a bit of a hit.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What are the symptoms of testosterone poisoning? Because I’m pretty sure I have been afflicted.
Buried under a mountain of protein powder and military might, I think there was an intriguing premise. A primal evil awakening for another attempt at destroying humanity and a hero finally realizing his destiny is to battle this evil and save the world. Our hero, Montana game warden, Clark Rickert. Morally gray? Sure. Backstory? Sparse but something something wife and young son dead, something something. Rickert is joined by a cast of the most bad-assed special forces soldiers, soldiers that are each the most bad-assed bro’s who have ever assed a bad. The mission is to infiltrate a local cult that has “disappeared” several hundred local residents for nefarious purposes. Because the President of the United States knows what’s up and has blessed this mission.
Here is what this book read like for me:
Lethal violent surgical master hunter tactical assault deadliest ever assembled on earth ever seen on earth most lethal in history born for this most rage and cruelty humanity has ever known 7.62x51mm .300 Win-Mag .50 caliber bullets FGM-148 Javelin missiles chaos firing positions explosions hand to hand slaughter.
If you are really into military jargon, tactical mission plans, detailed descriptions of the multiple ways a trained, special forces bad-ass can kill and maim another human being, you are going to love this book. There are no emotional connections but the “band of brothers” is implied among the different tactical units. There are only two women in this story, one who appears for a few pages to be rescued and one that is the head of some government agency and part of the “leadership group” but who remains on the sidelines. This is very clearly a male-centric story about men being manly. Dialogue is very limited, but men don’t talk because feelings are uncomfortable, so this checks out.
What worked for me: The camp of it all. Once I was about 80% into the book, I completely gave in to the crazy. I started seeing this like the 2012 horror movie The Cabin in the Woods. If I had gone into this with that mindset, I think I would have enjoyed the reading experience way more. I do not believe that this was intended as horror comedy, but I honestly couldn’t help myself by the end. I also appreciated the lack of on-page animal death. The epilogue really, really worked for me. My absolute favorite part of the book. I wish the entire story had been written like the epilogue.
What did not work for me: There was so much telling and so little showing. Entire sections of the book happened in the past tense rather than in the moment. We were riding along in a recollection of what had just happened, rather than seeing it for ourselves. There were too many POV’s. It almost felt like an omniscient narrator, and I really would have preferred limited POV’s, or even one POV to be honest. The lack of dialogue didn’t work for me. I prefer to see characters interact with each other, rather than just listening to their thoughts. The numerous digressions that occurred to interrupt the flow of the story made the pacing awkward. Once we finally got into some sort of action, there would be a long digression to something not at all (or only tangentially) related. For example, a gigantic 371-year-old tree was about to fall in one scene. Instead of just falling, we had a full page or more describing this tree, what kind of tree it was, the year it was born, the kind of life this tree had and some young girl that had enjoyed the tree. Seriously. These kinds of interruptions really took away from the narrative flow and did not serve the story. Finally, the over-use of hyperbole to describe every character and scene. Not every soldier is the most deadly seen in the universe since the big bang. Also, telling me how awful something is just by telling me it made someone who saw it vomit is the same as saying something is just too awful for words. No, it’s not. This is a book. Use your words.
In the end, the epilogue really saved this book for me. I am not the target audience, but I am sure that there are plenty of readers out there who are. Confession: The first book by this author duo, Old Country, is one of my favorite horror novels of all time. Bear hunt, omg, iykyk. I read their next book, Wilderness Reform, hoping for that same magic and was disappointed but not discouraged from trying again. This is the third book of theirs that I’ve read and again, this one was not for me. I am not giving up yet, but my enthusiasm has taken a bit of a hit.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I’m not going to lie, I picked this one up simply because of the reviews. I found it absolutely hilarious that people were giving bad reviews because this story had, “manly men being manly men,” as well as being too graphic. There was nothing in the description that made me think this was going to be some girly-girl story, especially when the description says the main character used to be the most prolific big game hunter in the Rockies, and is now a very successful game warden. Or the title Blood Trail. To be honest, a lot of the reviews had very similar wording, which made me seriously suspect this book is the victim of review bombing, and that made me want to read it even more. And I’m a big fan of game warden shows, so I guess you could say it was meant to be.
So, let’s get into the review. How did I feel about it once I finished? I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT. This was such a good book, and if the people reviewing it had actually bothered to read it, I’m sure a lot of them would have thought so too. Of course, some will stand their ground. There is a lot of gore (but I have seen worse), and there were a lot of military/guns (but it is quite literally a book featuring a game warden who gets pulled into a clandestine operation with a multitude of three letter agencies. Nothing I didn’t understand though). Clark was a fantastic character, and he reminded me a lot of Walt Longmire if he were a game Warden. He was a very damaged character, but that damage made him change his life. Characters like that are right up my alley. I even loved the b-characters, no matter how pissed I got at them. The pacing was on point and I got so into the book I had a hard time putting it down. That’s saying a lot because I’m generally not a fan of omniscient viewpoint because of the head hopping. However, I thought that, even though I very much noticed it, the storyline far outweighed my dislike of that particular writing style.
Now, as I said, I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of this book. It definitely had a Keith Rosson feel the further into it I got. Because of that, I feel like I need to debunk some of the reviewers claims. So here we go:
ºStraight men being... straight men with fragile masculinity - I can honestly say I don’t recall a single instance where sexuality was discussed. To me, this sounds like a straight up assumption based on a deep seated dislike of a certain type of people.
ºHorror elements were...well, I don't know where those elements were - The horror elements start off pretty subtly at 25% (as intended) and then take off like a rocket ship. This book is actually a very subtle play on Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and if you pay close attention, there are two very clear clues to that.
ºNope, no cults - There is very clearly a cult that quickly pops up. What the task force thinks is your average, typical domestic terrorist cult ends up because so much worse than anyone on the task force thought. That is, aside from one man.
ºFilled with confusing jargon and military details that feel unnecessary and disrupt the flow - Nothing about the military jargon was confusing for me. I am not in the military nor am I a veteran, but I had zero problem with understanding it. Also, it’s a book based on a clandestine operation with multiple government agencies and military characters, so yeah, it’s going to have a lot of that talk. None of the jargon or military details disrupted the flow. If it wasn’t there, the pacing of the book would have been disrupted and it would be a very different and far less compelling story.
I guess my point to this is don’t pre-judge this book based on a few bad reviews that sound suspiciously similar. This book was great and it’s next up on my husband’s TBR list. If you like a military style thriller with a good dose of horror thrown in, you’ll love this book. I definitely recommend it!
Huge thanks to Atria Books | Atria/Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley for sending me this ARC for review! All of my reviews are given honestly!
So, let’s get into the review. How did I feel about it once I finished? I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT. This was such a good book, and if the people reviewing it had actually bothered to read it, I’m sure a lot of them would have thought so too. Of course, some will stand their ground. There is a lot of gore (but I have seen worse), and there were a lot of military/guns (but it is quite literally a book featuring a game warden who gets pulled into a clandestine operation with a multitude of three letter agencies. Nothing I didn’t understand though). Clark was a fantastic character, and he reminded me a lot of Walt Longmire if he were a game Warden. He was a very damaged character, but that damage made him change his life. Characters like that are right up my alley. I even loved the b-characters, no matter how pissed I got at them. The pacing was on point and I got so into the book I had a hard time putting it down. That’s saying a lot because I’m generally not a fan of omniscient viewpoint because of the head hopping. However, I thought that, even though I very much noticed it, the storyline far outweighed my dislike of that particular writing style.
Now, as I said, I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of this book. It definitely had a Keith Rosson feel the further into it I got. Because of that, I feel like I need to debunk some of the reviewers claims. So here we go:
ºStraight men being... straight men with fragile masculinity - I can honestly say I don’t recall a single instance where sexuality was discussed. To me, this sounds like a straight up assumption based on a deep seated dislike of a certain type of people.
ºHorror elements were...well, I don't know where those elements were - The horror elements start off pretty subtly at 25% (as intended) and then take off like a rocket ship. This book is actually a very subtle play on Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and if you pay close attention, there are two very clear clues to that.
ºNope, no cults - There is very clearly a cult that quickly pops up. What the task force thinks is your average, typical domestic terrorist cult ends up because so much worse than anyone on the task force thought. That is, aside from one man.
ºFilled with confusing jargon and military details that feel unnecessary and disrupt the flow - Nothing about the military jargon was confusing for me. I am not in the military nor am I a veteran, but I had zero problem with understanding it. Also, it’s a book based on a clandestine operation with multiple government agencies and military characters, so yeah, it’s going to have a lot of that talk. None of the jargon or military details disrupted the flow. If it wasn’t there, the pacing of the book would have been disrupted and it would be a very different and far less compelling story.
I guess my point to this is don’t pre-judge this book based on a few bad reviews that sound suspiciously similar. This book was great and it’s next up on my husband’s TBR list. If you like a military style thriller with a good dose of horror thrown in, you’ll love this book. I definitely recommend it!
Huge thanks to Atria Books | Atria/Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley for sending me this ARC for review! All of my reviews are given honestly!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: April 7, 2026
Clark Richert was a big-game poacher in Montana, hired by the rich and influential but, when his wife and son died, Clark turned to the side of the good guys and now works as a game warden. Due to his specific expertise, Clark is particularly good at hunting and catching, both game and criminals, but it still surprises him when he is pulled into a very high-level, top-secret government task force that has been formed for mysterious reasons- at least to Clark. But then Clark starts having visions and intuitive feelings that seem to connect him to the enigmatic man the task force is searching for and he starts to realize that he has a deeper understanding of the criminal mind than he ever anticipated.
Matt Query and Harrison Query are the brothers behind the new novel, “Blood Trail: A Novel”. One is a rancher by trade while the other is a litigator and together, they write horror novels like “Old Country” and “Wilderness Reform”. This novel is narrated in third person by our protagonist, Clark, although there are a few sections scattered throughout where we hear from the elusive stranger who is behind all of the disappearances and murders.
I tend to enjoy police procedurals, and this one had a horror component on top of that, which should be right up my alley, but this novel was very difficult to connect with and make it through. I loved the paranormal, spooky component and the pseudo-cult component and Clark himself was a relatable and heartwarming character. Right at the beginning, however, the novel came at me with every U.S lettered agency that exists, plus several more, and detailed descriptions of various weapons and it was a lot to sift through to get to the main plot.
“Trail” was fast-paced, once it finally picked up, and Clark’s high-octane cat-and-mouse game with the killer was engaging but again, there were a lot of people involved in chasing down the murderer, and it was very difficult to keep track of who was doing what.
The Query’s can write a scary character, that’s for sure, as the murderer/cult leader/bad-guy-from-the-first-millennia was like something from a King novel. Their descriptions of the spiny, boil-covered creep from the darkest recesses of the authors’ minds were enough to raise goosebumps and, with this alone, I can see why the Query’s decided to go into the horror genre.
Overall, I felt this book was slow in parts, and quite long, and I needed to push myself to finish it. However, the scary bits kept me turning the pages, and I am a sucker for any book that has a cult component (even a sort-of cult like in “Trail”).
Expected publication date: April 7, 2026
Clark Richert was a big-game poacher in Montana, hired by the rich and influential but, when his wife and son died, Clark turned to the side of the good guys and now works as a game warden. Due to his specific expertise, Clark is particularly good at hunting and catching, both game and criminals, but it still surprises him when he is pulled into a very high-level, top-secret government task force that has been formed for mysterious reasons- at least to Clark. But then Clark starts having visions and intuitive feelings that seem to connect him to the enigmatic man the task force is searching for and he starts to realize that he has a deeper understanding of the criminal mind than he ever anticipated.
Matt Query and Harrison Query are the brothers behind the new novel, “Blood Trail: A Novel”. One is a rancher by trade while the other is a litigator and together, they write horror novels like “Old Country” and “Wilderness Reform”. This novel is narrated in third person by our protagonist, Clark, although there are a few sections scattered throughout where we hear from the elusive stranger who is behind all of the disappearances and murders.
I tend to enjoy police procedurals, and this one had a horror component on top of that, which should be right up my alley, but this novel was very difficult to connect with and make it through. I loved the paranormal, spooky component and the pseudo-cult component and Clark himself was a relatable and heartwarming character. Right at the beginning, however, the novel came at me with every U.S lettered agency that exists, plus several more, and detailed descriptions of various weapons and it was a lot to sift through to get to the main plot.
“Trail” was fast-paced, once it finally picked up, and Clark’s high-octane cat-and-mouse game with the killer was engaging but again, there were a lot of people involved in chasing down the murderer, and it was very difficult to keep track of who was doing what.
The Query’s can write a scary character, that’s for sure, as the murderer/cult leader/bad-guy-from-the-first-millennia was like something from a King novel. Their descriptions of the spiny, boil-covered creep from the darkest recesses of the authors’ minds were enough to raise goosebumps and, with this alone, I can see why the Query’s decided to go into the horror genre.
Overall, I felt this book was slow in parts, and quite long, and I needed to push myself to finish it. However, the scary bits kept me turning the pages, and I am a sucker for any book that has a cult component (even a sort-of cult like in “Trail”).
April 8, 2026
If C.J. Box had a dark side that bled into the realm of the supernatural, you might have some idea of what to expect from the brotherly duo of Matt and Harrison Query. In a few short years, they have made a name for themselves with supernatural thrillers set in the American west and continue this tradition with their latest release, BLOOD TRAIL.
Montana game warden Captain Clark Rickert initially started his career as a big game poacher and has taken what he learned from operating on that side of the law and brought it to his hunting ability when it comes to taking down those who break the law in his territory. It does not get remarkably interesting in rural Montana, that is until the U.S. government comes calling with a specific need for Clark and his knowledge in a top-secret mission of the utmost importance.
Clark carries with him the scars of heavy grief that he experienced when he tragically lost his wife and son. He has since thrown himself into his job and welcomes this intriguing new case that needs his assistance. He flies off to the East coast to attend a meeting under the auspices of the Department of Defense where he will learn the extent of the situation requiring his skills. Charlotte Bishop of the CIA is part of this top-secret task force and takes an instant interest in Clark and what he might bring to their team.
Now, to unveil the situation at hand that brought Clark all the way from Montana. Head of the SOG, Harry Jacobson, is running the show and leads the meeting to discuss what they are referring to as Operation Red Castle. It appears there is a deadly cult operating out in the Rocky Mountain region where Clark is situated. This deadly group has allegedly kidnapped hundreds of individuals for some unknown reason and a raid is planned for the area they are said to be hiding out in. When they hit the ground on the initial raid, the team featuring Clark come across a naked young woman with a rictus smile covered in blood. That is just the start of something much larger as the discovery of this woman leads them to a slew of bodies found in shipping containers, all killed in horrific fashion.
This is just the beginning as additional locations, also filled with bodies --- many drained of their blood --- are found in a scene of horror and brutality unlike anything any of the team have seen before. Raids continue and many members of the cult at the heart of this dangerous conspiracy are taken down. However, it seems like their numbers are endless and the amount of carnage they have left in their wake wherever they go seemingly unmatched in its depravity. Clark is put on the spot and does not know what to make of this, in addition to being consumed about why he was specifically selected for this assignment.
The battles continue and once the group gets a closer glimpse at who their true adversary is, they realize it may some sort of ancient evil unlike anything they could have conceived. Clark is now fighting for his life in addition to defending his territory. All the while, his behavior is called into question and there is even some feeling amongst his team that he may be hiding something when it comes to his knowledge of this cult.
The Query brothers keep the surprises coming and hold many cards close to their vest in an effort to maintain the biggest surprise for the end of this story that features more than a few twists. The action is fast-paced and suspense well balanced throughout BLOOD TRAIL. The questions that are put into the readers mind as they pore through this story keeps the interest level quite high as the finale is a wild ride.
Reviewed by Ray Palen for Book Reporter
Montana game warden Captain Clark Rickert initially started his career as a big game poacher and has taken what he learned from operating on that side of the law and brought it to his hunting ability when it comes to taking down those who break the law in his territory. It does not get remarkably interesting in rural Montana, that is until the U.S. government comes calling with a specific need for Clark and his knowledge in a top-secret mission of the utmost importance.
Clark carries with him the scars of heavy grief that he experienced when he tragically lost his wife and son. He has since thrown himself into his job and welcomes this intriguing new case that needs his assistance. He flies off to the East coast to attend a meeting under the auspices of the Department of Defense where he will learn the extent of the situation requiring his skills. Charlotte Bishop of the CIA is part of this top-secret task force and takes an instant interest in Clark and what he might bring to their team.
Now, to unveil the situation at hand that brought Clark all the way from Montana. Head of the SOG, Harry Jacobson, is running the show and leads the meeting to discuss what they are referring to as Operation Red Castle. It appears there is a deadly cult operating out in the Rocky Mountain region where Clark is situated. This deadly group has allegedly kidnapped hundreds of individuals for some unknown reason and a raid is planned for the area they are said to be hiding out in. When they hit the ground on the initial raid, the team featuring Clark come across a naked young woman with a rictus smile covered in blood. That is just the start of something much larger as the discovery of this woman leads them to a slew of bodies found in shipping containers, all killed in horrific fashion.
This is just the beginning as additional locations, also filled with bodies --- many drained of their blood --- are found in a scene of horror and brutality unlike anything any of the team have seen before. Raids continue and many members of the cult at the heart of this dangerous conspiracy are taken down. However, it seems like their numbers are endless and the amount of carnage they have left in their wake wherever they go seemingly unmatched in its depravity. Clark is put on the spot and does not know what to make of this, in addition to being consumed about why he was specifically selected for this assignment.
The battles continue and once the group gets a closer glimpse at who their true adversary is, they realize it may some sort of ancient evil unlike anything they could have conceived. Clark is now fighting for his life in addition to defending his territory. All the while, his behavior is called into question and there is even some feeling amongst his team that he may be hiding something when it comes to his knowledge of this cult.
The Query brothers keep the surprises coming and hold many cards close to their vest in an effort to maintain the biggest surprise for the end of this story that features more than a few twists. The action is fast-paced and suspense well balanced throughout BLOOD TRAIL. The questions that are put into the readers mind as they pore through this story keeps the interest level quite high as the finale is a wild ride.
Reviewed by Ray Palen for Book Reporter
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Yes, There Will be Blood
A review of the NetGalley ARC eBook of the Atria / Emily Bestler hardcover/eBook/audiobook to be released April 7, 2026.
This one is hard to pin down into a single niche. It starts somewhat in Stephen Hunter / Tom Clancy territory with fetishizing about Orders of Battle and Munitions. It goes into a great amount of detail about various Special Forces and Operators and the armaments that they use. All of them are called up on what is a secretive mission against an apparent cult operating in the U.S. heartland.
The nature of the cult is supernatural though and has an immortal element. This is kept hidden from the forces on the ground aside from a few key personnel. Game warden Clark Rickert is the local who is co-opted for his tracking skills and terrain familiarity. But there is also a secret reason that Rickert has been chosen.
This all explodes into crazed blood-letting as the special forces attack different strongholds of the cult and discover the horrors within. They are attacked by seemingly zombified hordes who bear the brand of the so-called Red Castle Cult. Eventually the immortal nature of the cult leader is revealed and Clark Rickert's true calling is also brought to light.
Because this veers between the obsessive recounting of military details on the one hand to outright cruel and torturous horror on the other, it may not appeal to all audiences. For me it recalled the seemingly immortal evil nature of the Man in Black in the Lost (2004-2020) TV-series and the Judge in Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian, or, the Evening Redness in the West (1985). If you are Ok to deal with the armaments jargon throughout in order to get to the horror elements then this will be in your bailiwick. I have to give it a medium 3-star rating.
My thanks to Atria / Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advance ARC copy for which I provide this honest review.
Soundtrack
This one comes with its own soundtrack. The theme to the movie High Plains Drifter (1973) directed by & starring Clint Eastwood, is whistled several times by the Clark Rickert character. Listen to it on YouTube here or on Spotify here.
Trivia and Links
The brother author team of Matt and Harrison Query have written two previous novels, both with a horror-inflected theme. Old Country (2022) is currently their highest reviewed and rated on Goodreads. It was followed by Wilderness Reform (2024).
A review of the NetGalley ARC eBook of the Atria / Emily Bestler hardcover/eBook/audiobook to be released April 7, 2026.
This one is hard to pin down into a single niche. It starts somewhat in Stephen Hunter / Tom Clancy territory with fetishizing about Orders of Battle and Munitions. It goes into a great amount of detail about various Special Forces and Operators and the armaments that they use. All of them are called up on what is a secretive mission against an apparent cult operating in the U.S. heartland.
The nature of the cult is supernatural though and has an immortal element. This is kept hidden from the forces on the ground aside from a few key personnel. Game warden Clark Rickert is the local who is co-opted for his tracking skills and terrain familiarity. But there is also a secret reason that Rickert has been chosen.
This all explodes into crazed blood-letting as the special forces attack different strongholds of the cult and discover the horrors within. They are attacked by seemingly zombified hordes who bear the brand of the so-called Red Castle Cult. Eventually the immortal nature of the cult leader is revealed and Clark Rickert's true calling is also brought to light.
Because this veers between the obsessive recounting of military details on the one hand to outright cruel and torturous horror on the other, it may not appeal to all audiences. For me it recalled the seemingly immortal evil nature of the Man in Black in the Lost (2004-2020) TV-series and the Judge in Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian, or, the Evening Redness in the West (1985). If you are Ok to deal with the armaments jargon throughout in order to get to the horror elements then this will be in your bailiwick. I have to give it a medium 3-star rating.
My thanks to Atria / Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advance ARC copy for which I provide this honest review.
Soundtrack
This one comes with its own soundtrack. The theme to the movie High Plains Drifter (1973) directed by & starring Clint Eastwood, is whistled several times by the Clark Rickert character. Listen to it on YouTube here or on Spotify here.
Trivia and Links
The brother author team of Matt and Harrison Query have written two previous novels, both with a horror-inflected theme. Old Country (2022) is currently their highest reviewed and rated on Goodreads. It was followed by Wilderness Reform (2024).
April 12, 2026
If C. J. Box had a dark side that bled into the realm of the supernatural, then you might have some idea of what to expect from brothers Matt and Harrison Query. In a few short years, they have made a name for themselves with supernatural thrillers set in the American West. They continue that tradition with their latest release, BLOOD TRAIL.
Montana game warden Clark Rickert was once a big game poacher. He has taken what he learned from operating on that side of the law and brought it to his hunting ability when it comes to bringing down those who break the law in his territory. It does not get remarkably interesting in rural Montana --- that is until the U.S. government comes calling with a specific need for Clark and his knowledge in a top-secret mission.
Clark carries with him the scars of heavy grief that he experienced when he tragically lost his wife and son. He has since thrown himself into his job and welcomes this intriguing new case that needs his assistance. He flies off to the East coast to attend a meeting under the auspices of the Department of Defense. Charlotte Bishop of the CIA is part of this task force and takes an immediate interest in Clark and what he might bring to their team.
Harry Jacobson, chief of the Special Operations Group, discusses what they are referring to as Operation Red Castle. It appears that there is a deadly cult operating out in the Rocky Mountain region where Clark is situated. They allegedly have kidnapped hundreds of individuals for some unknown reason, and a raid is planned for the area in which they are said to be hiding out. When they hit the ground, Clark’s team comes across a naked young woman with a rictus smile covered in blood. This is just the start of something much larger as they find a slew of bodies in shipping containers, all killed in horrific fashion.
Additional locations filled with corpses --- many drained of their blood --- are found in a scene of horror and brutality unlike anything anyone on the team has seen before. Raids continue, and many members of the cult at the heart of this dangerous conspiracy are taken down. However, it appears that their numbers are endless, and the amount of carnage they have left in their wake wherever they go is seemingly unmatched in its depravity. Clark is put on the spot and does not know what to make of this, while wondering why he was specifically selected for this assignment.
The battles continue, and once the group gets a closer glimpse at who their true adversary is, they realize that it may be some sort of ancient evil unlike anything they could have conceived. Clark is now fighting for his life while trying to defend his territory. All the while, his behavior is called into question, and there is even some feeling amongst his team that he may be hiding something when it comes to his knowledge of the cult.
Matt and Harrison Query hold many cards close to their vest in an effort to maintain the biggest surprise for the end of the story, which features more than a few twists. The action is fast-paced, and the suspense is well balanced throughout BLOOD TRAIL. The questions that go through the minds of readers keep the interest level quite high as the finale is a wild ride.
Reviewed by Ray Palen
Montana game warden Clark Rickert was once a big game poacher. He has taken what he learned from operating on that side of the law and brought it to his hunting ability when it comes to bringing down those who break the law in his territory. It does not get remarkably interesting in rural Montana --- that is until the U.S. government comes calling with a specific need for Clark and his knowledge in a top-secret mission.
Clark carries with him the scars of heavy grief that he experienced when he tragically lost his wife and son. He has since thrown himself into his job and welcomes this intriguing new case that needs his assistance. He flies off to the East coast to attend a meeting under the auspices of the Department of Defense. Charlotte Bishop of the CIA is part of this task force and takes an immediate interest in Clark and what he might bring to their team.
Harry Jacobson, chief of the Special Operations Group, discusses what they are referring to as Operation Red Castle. It appears that there is a deadly cult operating out in the Rocky Mountain region where Clark is situated. They allegedly have kidnapped hundreds of individuals for some unknown reason, and a raid is planned for the area in which they are said to be hiding out. When they hit the ground, Clark’s team comes across a naked young woman with a rictus smile covered in blood. This is just the start of something much larger as they find a slew of bodies in shipping containers, all killed in horrific fashion.
Additional locations filled with corpses --- many drained of their blood --- are found in a scene of horror and brutality unlike anything anyone on the team has seen before. Raids continue, and many members of the cult at the heart of this dangerous conspiracy are taken down. However, it appears that their numbers are endless, and the amount of carnage they have left in their wake wherever they go is seemingly unmatched in its depravity. Clark is put on the spot and does not know what to make of this, while wondering why he was specifically selected for this assignment.
The battles continue, and once the group gets a closer glimpse at who their true adversary is, they realize that it may be some sort of ancient evil unlike anything they could have conceived. Clark is now fighting for his life while trying to defend his territory. All the while, his behavior is called into question, and there is even some feeling amongst his team that he may be hiding something when it comes to his knowledge of the cult.
Matt and Harrison Query hold many cards close to their vest in an effort to maintain the biggest surprise for the end of the story, which features more than a few twists. The action is fast-paced, and the suspense is well balanced throughout BLOOD TRAIL. The questions that go through the minds of readers keep the interest level quite high as the finale is a wild ride.
Reviewed by Ray Palen
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Blood Trail by Matt Query and Harrison Query has a warden, Clark Rickert, being summoned as part of some secret mission, which turns out to be rooting out a huge cult that has taken up residence in Montana.
If you told me I would give this book four stars—3.5, but goodreads won’t acquiesce to the half—I’d have thought you were nuts. There’s very good reason for me to think you had lost your mental faculties, and that’s because this book is a very masculine book. The hero is stoic, never saying much until he needs to nail someone with a folksy sentence or two. He’s protective to the weaker people around him, as in women. He’s fighting while lingering over the memory of his dead wife and son. He’s the best at what he does and he’ll take pleasure in kicking your ass. That sort of book. Still! The cult plot did draw me in, and I wanted to keep reading until I hit the end, so even with all of that, the authors did it right.
Negative thoughts:
-This duo LOVES italicisation. Italics everywhere; one page I counted eighteen words italicised. One paragraph had twenty-six words italicised.
-There is a lot—a LOT—of military and government terms as well as acronyms. Again on one page we got: JSOC, CAG, DEVGRU, 24th STS, the 160th, ISI, QRF, DDO, AG, DOJ, PAG, SAC, NSA, DHS, and the FCC. My eyes started to glaze. There are so, so many weapons and defensive gear used as well.
-It also gets annoying whenever Clark will ask people why he’s there, or what they’re facing, and the person will launch into paragraphs of swearing and telling him if he doesn’t like it, go home! It happens multiple times.
-None of the people other than Clark really stand out all that much. They don’t have a lot of backstory or depth, and in point of fact, they kind of run together other than Charlotte, and that’s because she’s a woman in a sea of men.
Positive thoughts:
+The bit just over 3/4 of the way through gave me chills.
+The idea of a locked battle between two forces throughout all of history was interesting. I wish there had been more exploration with the “good” side, though.
The prologue is great. IF you can get past the first chapter, where there’s just a slew of terms and people freaking out over something that’s purposely left shadowy, you’ll probably be good to go for the rest of the book.
Recommended for: people who like books with a little more military and government involved in the plot. This is a modern day take on a cult with a supernatural basis, and is accordingly very detailed and prolific with its gore, so readers should open the book with that in mind.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
If you told me I would give this book four stars—3.5, but goodreads won’t acquiesce to the half—I’d have thought you were nuts. There’s very good reason for me to think you had lost your mental faculties, and that’s because this book is a very masculine book. The hero is stoic, never saying much until he needs to nail someone with a folksy sentence or two. He’s protective to the weaker people around him, as in women. He’s fighting while lingering over the memory of his dead wife and son. He’s the best at what he does and he’ll take pleasure in kicking your ass. That sort of book. Still! The cult plot did draw me in, and I wanted to keep reading until I hit the end, so even with all of that, the authors did it right.
Negative thoughts:
-This duo LOVES italicisation. Italics everywhere; one page I counted eighteen words italicised. One paragraph had twenty-six words italicised.
-There is a lot—a LOT—of military and government terms as well as acronyms. Again on one page we got: JSOC, CAG, DEVGRU, 24th STS, the 160th, ISI, QRF, DDO, AG, DOJ, PAG, SAC, NSA, DHS, and the FCC. My eyes started to glaze. There are so, so many weapons and defensive gear used as well.
-It also gets annoying whenever Clark will ask people why he’s there, or what they’re facing, and the person will launch into paragraphs of swearing and telling him if he doesn’t like it, go home! It happens multiple times.
-None of the people other than Clark really stand out all that much. They don’t have a lot of backstory or depth, and in point of fact, they kind of run together other than Charlotte, and that’s because she’s a woman in a sea of men.
Positive thoughts:
+The bit just over 3/4 of the way through gave me chills.
+The idea of a locked battle between two forces throughout all of history was interesting. I wish there had been more exploration with the “good” side, though.
The prologue is great. IF you can get past the first chapter, where there’s just a slew of terms and people freaking out over something that’s purposely left shadowy, you’ll probably be good to go for the rest of the book.
Recommended for: people who like books with a little more military and government involved in the plot. This is a modern day take on a cult with a supernatural basis, and is accordingly very detailed and prolific with its gore, so readers should open the book with that in mind.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Simon & Schuster for providing me with an advance reader copy. My reviews are always my own.
There’s some good stuff in here. Clark Rickert is a relatively interesting, capable protagonist, the premise of how the U.S. government might respond to a supernatural threat to global security is compelling, and the overall writing is competent. That’s about where my praise ends.
First, and this won’t be a turnoff for everyone, the book reads like Jack Carr and Taylor Sheridan let their worst writing habits collaborate on a supernatural thriller. To be clear, I watch Taylor Sheridan’s shows and read Jack Carr’s books. That style doesn’t automatically bother me. But here it’s dialed up to eleven: endless descriptions of tactical formations and weapon systems, a cast of ultra-competent “manly men” who know how the world really works, women introduced first by their beauty and only later by their abilities, and the familiar sentiment that rugged rural Americans understand things better than anyone educated “back east.”
Some readers love that style. If you do, you may enjoy this book.
For me, those tendencies are usually something I tolerate in order to get to strong characters and a propulsive plot. Unfortunately, outside of Clark, most of the characters are forgettable. In what feels like an attempt to build tension, the story also repeats itself frequently. I stopped counting after the third time someone warned Clark to stop asking questions or risk being kicked off the job.
The most unforgivable issue, though, is the head hopping. Scenes with only two or three characters routinely begin in close third-person with Clark, then jump mid-conversation into another character’s internal thoughts, then bounce back to Clark, only to end with the inner monologue of someone standing quietly in the corner. It constantly breaks immersion. For me, that’s one of the quickest ways a book can lose momentum.
One final note: when Simon & Schuster offered me the ARC, the email highlighted the “sterling prose.” The writing is perfectly competent, but dropping an SAT vocabulary word every few pages does not make prose exceptional. That expectation was set by the marketing, and the book simply didn’t deliver on it.
I do think there’s a solid popular thriller buried somewhere in this concept. If the authors refine the characters and tighten the storytelling, this could become a compelling series. Clark Rickert himself has potential.
I’d give the character another chance. Next time, though, the book gets fifty pages to prove it’s worth the ride.
There’s some good stuff in here. Clark Rickert is a relatively interesting, capable protagonist, the premise of how the U.S. government might respond to a supernatural threat to global security is compelling, and the overall writing is competent. That’s about where my praise ends.
First, and this won’t be a turnoff for everyone, the book reads like Jack Carr and Taylor Sheridan let their worst writing habits collaborate on a supernatural thriller. To be clear, I watch Taylor Sheridan’s shows and read Jack Carr’s books. That style doesn’t automatically bother me. But here it’s dialed up to eleven: endless descriptions of tactical formations and weapon systems, a cast of ultra-competent “manly men” who know how the world really works, women introduced first by their beauty and only later by their abilities, and the familiar sentiment that rugged rural Americans understand things better than anyone educated “back east.”
Some readers love that style. If you do, you may enjoy this book.
For me, those tendencies are usually something I tolerate in order to get to strong characters and a propulsive plot. Unfortunately, outside of Clark, most of the characters are forgettable. In what feels like an attempt to build tension, the story also repeats itself frequently. I stopped counting after the third time someone warned Clark to stop asking questions or risk being kicked off the job.
The most unforgivable issue, though, is the head hopping. Scenes with only two or three characters routinely begin in close third-person with Clark, then jump mid-conversation into another character’s internal thoughts, then bounce back to Clark, only to end with the inner monologue of someone standing quietly in the corner. It constantly breaks immersion. For me, that’s one of the quickest ways a book can lose momentum.
One final note: when Simon & Schuster offered me the ARC, the email highlighted the “sterling prose.” The writing is perfectly competent, but dropping an SAT vocabulary word every few pages does not make prose exceptional. That expectation was set by the marketing, and the book simply didn’t deliver on it.
I do think there’s a solid popular thriller buried somewhere in this concept. If the authors refine the characters and tighten the storytelling, this could become a compelling series. Clark Rickert himself has potential.
I’d give the character another chance. Next time, though, the book gets fifty pages to prove it’s worth the ride.
April 7, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books| Atria/Emily Bestler Books as well as the authors for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
#NetGalley #AtriaBooksAtriaEmilyBestlerBooks #MattQuery #HarrisonQuery #BloodTrail #Horror #Thriller #Fiction
#Reading #BookReviews
Title: Blood Trail
Authors: Matt Query and Harrison Query
Format: eBook
Publisher: Atria Books| Atria/Emily Bestler Books
Publication Date: April 7, 2026
Themes: U.S. Military, grief, humans as monsters, cult, law enforcement, morally grey characters
Trigger Warnings: military operations, politics, gore, violence, law enforcement, cult, big game/trophy hunting discussed (off page), child death, death of a spouse, grief, weapons, heavy gun use, pro-gun talk
This is a difficult review to write. On one hand, I really liked the horror in this book, and I loved the Bram Stoker homages as well. On the other hand, it’s very wordy, and the lack of dialogue makes the whole thing feel very slow and arduous. Not an easy read for several reasons.
The book follows big game hunter turned game warden, Clark Rickert. Clark is very successful in his job and at the top of his game. When a string of disappearances imply that a violent cult could be active in the area, Clark joins the task force. Clark begins to suffer disturbing dreams and visions about the assignment and begins to wonder if this is more sinister than a mere cult.
The biggest issue with this book was pacing. It’s an excellent story, as are all three of the books by these authors, but this one took so long to get started that it was hard to see the forest for the trees, so they say. This is very much a slow burn. Too slow with not enough going on for too long. There are long paragraphs with only internal monologue and little dialogue. This works sometimes, but these characters really needed to interact with one another more. I can only take so much morally grey angst.
The horror elements begin very slowly and gain momentum throughout the latter half of the book. This is beautifully done. Unease crept in a little at a time, and by the time I reached the end, I was squirming in my own skin, which has been present in these authors’ other two books.
All in all, this book is more of a military procedural than a horror novel at first but stick with it long enough, and a shrewd horror fan will find a lot to like here. This book is very different than the authors’ other two books, but it’s a good read.
#NetGalley #AtriaBooksAtriaEmilyBestlerBooks #MattQuery #HarrisonQuery #BloodTrail #Horror #Thriller #Fiction
#Reading #BookReviews
Title: Blood Trail
Authors: Matt Query and Harrison Query
Format: eBook
Publisher: Atria Books| Atria/Emily Bestler Books
Publication Date: April 7, 2026
Themes: U.S. Military, grief, humans as monsters, cult, law enforcement, morally grey characters
Trigger Warnings: military operations, politics, gore, violence, law enforcement, cult, big game/trophy hunting discussed (off page), child death, death of a spouse, grief, weapons, heavy gun use, pro-gun talk
This is a difficult review to write. On one hand, I really liked the horror in this book, and I loved the Bram Stoker homages as well. On the other hand, it’s very wordy, and the lack of dialogue makes the whole thing feel very slow and arduous. Not an easy read for several reasons.
The book follows big game hunter turned game warden, Clark Rickert. Clark is very successful in his job and at the top of his game. When a string of disappearances imply that a violent cult could be active in the area, Clark joins the task force. Clark begins to suffer disturbing dreams and visions about the assignment and begins to wonder if this is more sinister than a mere cult.
The biggest issue with this book was pacing. It’s an excellent story, as are all three of the books by these authors, but this one took so long to get started that it was hard to see the forest for the trees, so they say. This is very much a slow burn. Too slow with not enough going on for too long. There are long paragraphs with only internal monologue and little dialogue. This works sometimes, but these characters really needed to interact with one another more. I can only take so much morally grey angst.
The horror elements begin very slowly and gain momentum throughout the latter half of the book. This is beautifully done. Unease crept in a little at a time, and by the time I reached the end, I was squirming in my own skin, which has been present in these authors’ other two books.
All in all, this book is more of a military procedural than a horror novel at first but stick with it long enough, and a shrewd horror fan will find a lot to like here. This book is very different than the authors’ other two books, but it’s a good read.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
I knew I was in trouble when the character starts the book off going on and on about neck tattoos and flannel. I’m obviously the wrong demographic for this, but if you’re a cis, white, gun loving male, this might be for you.
The droning monologues went on and on in a rather pointless fashion that dragged the story along. As I’ve mentioned before in other reviews, I don’t like to DNF ARC’s so that I can give them a fair review, but this one was a struggle for sure to get through. I wasn’t crazy about the writing style. One reviewer called it head jumping, and I quite liked that term and found it described the writing style perfectly. You would be in the middle of the MC’s monologue only to randomly jump into someone else’s POV mid paragraph. It was jarring and broke the flow of thought in an unhelpful way.
It’s easy to get lost in the flowery language that doesn’t add anything to the prose. What could be a simple explanation/description gets beaten to death. The heavy focus on military jargon and the many types of guns makes the story clunky. There was no tension one would expect from a horror/thriller. This read more like a military action book. There’s so much going on and yet nothing going on at the same time. The tactical missions become repetitive and don’t really do much to propel the plot along. I was also not a fan of the heavy government/military propaganda.
There’s only two women I would hesitantly call main characters in this story, but they lurk in the periphery, added in seemingly as an afterthought. I don’t know. I feel like there are ways of writing a character like Clark without alienating a whole gender. This is an “it’s not you, it’s me” scenario. There’s nothing really compelling about Clark, though the authors do try to make him interesting by giving him a dead wife and son. It’s all so cliche; a loner warden who’s the chosen one to save the day.
Look at the end of the day, I’m very obviously not the right audience for this, and I’m sure there is an audience out there for it. I couldn’t connect with the characters or the storyline as much as I wanted to. Between the overwhelmingly amount of military jargon and meandering prose, this was a very alienating and unenjoyable experience. Unless you’re into military books about manly men, I’d say save yourself a few hours and pass.
I knew I was in trouble when the character starts the book off going on and on about neck tattoos and flannel. I’m obviously the wrong demographic for this, but if you’re a cis, white, gun loving male, this might be for you.
The droning monologues went on and on in a rather pointless fashion that dragged the story along. As I’ve mentioned before in other reviews, I don’t like to DNF ARC’s so that I can give them a fair review, but this one was a struggle for sure to get through. I wasn’t crazy about the writing style. One reviewer called it head jumping, and I quite liked that term and found it described the writing style perfectly. You would be in the middle of the MC’s monologue only to randomly jump into someone else’s POV mid paragraph. It was jarring and broke the flow of thought in an unhelpful way.
It’s easy to get lost in the flowery language that doesn’t add anything to the prose. What could be a simple explanation/description gets beaten to death. The heavy focus on military jargon and the many types of guns makes the story clunky. There was no tension one would expect from a horror/thriller. This read more like a military action book. There’s so much going on and yet nothing going on at the same time. The tactical missions become repetitive and don’t really do much to propel the plot along. I was also not a fan of the heavy government/military propaganda.
There’s only two women I would hesitantly call main characters in this story, but they lurk in the periphery, added in seemingly as an afterthought. I don’t know. I feel like there are ways of writing a character like Clark without alienating a whole gender. This is an “it’s not you, it’s me” scenario. There’s nothing really compelling about Clark, though the authors do try to make him interesting by giving him a dead wife and son. It’s all so cliche; a loner warden who’s the chosen one to save the day.
Look at the end of the day, I’m very obviously not the right audience for this, and I’m sure there is an audience out there for it. I couldn’t connect with the characters or the storyline as much as I wanted to. Between the overwhelmingly amount of military jargon and meandering prose, this was a very alienating and unenjoyable experience. Unless you’re into military books about manly men, I’d say save yourself a few hours and pass.
April 8, 2026
⭐ 3 stars
Thank you to Bestler Books and NetGalley for the ebook.
📝 Short Summary
A former poacher turned game warden is pulled into a disturbing investigation involving disappearances and a violent cult in rural Montana, where things quickly take a darker and more unsettling turn.
Review
This is one of those books where I can fully see the potential and why it would work for other readers, but it just didn’t end up being for me.
The concept itself is really strong. A former poacher turned game warden, an isolated setting, a cult, disappearances, and that eerie wilderness horror vibe—it has all the pieces that usually pull me right in. I was especially excited for that mix of nature horror and psychological tension because that’s something I typically love.
But I struggled to connect with this one.
For me, the biggest issue was feeling disconnected from both the story and the main character. There wasn’t a lot of dialogue, and because of that, everything felt a little distant. I tend to need that interaction and character depth to really feel grounded in a story, and here it just felt a bit too quiet and internal for me to fully latch onto.
I also found myself wanting more backstory and context. There were moments where it felt like things were happening without enough buildup or explanation, and I kept waiting for more depth or clarity that never fully came. Because of that, it was harder to stay invested, especially as the story moved forward.
That said, the atmosphere is definitely there. It has that bleak, unsettling, almost heavy feeling throughout, and I can absolutely see readers who love slower, mood-driven horror really appreciating that. It leans more into that quiet, eerie tension rather than fast-paced action or constant reveals.
Even though I personally struggled with it, I don’t think this is a bad book at all. It just comes down to preference. If you enjoy more minimal, atmospheric storytelling with less dialogue and a heavier focus on mood and internal experience, this could really work for you.
For me, it just didn’t fully click.
✅ Would I Recommend It?
Yes, but more for readers who enjoy slow, atmospheric horror with minimal dialogue and a strong focus on mood.
Thank you to Bestler Books and NetGalley for the ebook.
📝 Short Summary
A former poacher turned game warden is pulled into a disturbing investigation involving disappearances and a violent cult in rural Montana, where things quickly take a darker and more unsettling turn.
Review
This is one of those books where I can fully see the potential and why it would work for other readers, but it just didn’t end up being for me.
The concept itself is really strong. A former poacher turned game warden, an isolated setting, a cult, disappearances, and that eerie wilderness horror vibe—it has all the pieces that usually pull me right in. I was especially excited for that mix of nature horror and psychological tension because that’s something I typically love.
But I struggled to connect with this one.
For me, the biggest issue was feeling disconnected from both the story and the main character. There wasn’t a lot of dialogue, and because of that, everything felt a little distant. I tend to need that interaction and character depth to really feel grounded in a story, and here it just felt a bit too quiet and internal for me to fully latch onto.
I also found myself wanting more backstory and context. There were moments where it felt like things were happening without enough buildup or explanation, and I kept waiting for more depth or clarity that never fully came. Because of that, it was harder to stay invested, especially as the story moved forward.
That said, the atmosphere is definitely there. It has that bleak, unsettling, almost heavy feeling throughout, and I can absolutely see readers who love slower, mood-driven horror really appreciating that. It leans more into that quiet, eerie tension rather than fast-paced action or constant reveals.
Even though I personally struggled with it, I don’t think this is a bad book at all. It just comes down to preference. If you enjoy more minimal, atmospheric storytelling with less dialogue and a heavier focus on mood and internal experience, this could really work for you.
For me, it just didn’t fully click.
✅ Would I Recommend It?
Yes, but more for readers who enjoy slow, atmospheric horror with minimal dialogue and a strong focus on mood.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
ARC
I'd like to thank Atria Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to give "Blood Trail" an early read in return for an honest review.
Matt and Harrison Query have been on my radar ever since I read their two other novels, "Old Country" and "Wilderness Reform", last year. Hearing that they were releasing another novel, it skyrocketed to my most anticipated read of the year, so I was aghast when I recieved this ARC, knowing that I was in store for something special.
And something special this certainly was. It's a novel that I didn't want to speed through, though I easily could have sat and finished this in one sitting. Just like their two other novels, "Blood Trail" is a smooth read, that is not short on exciting, action-packed sequences, and a plot that has constant momentum, never losing steam. Though we know little about most of the characters, nobody felt as if they were only surface level, which made the events feel as if the stakes were even higher. The outdoor setting worked really well, making the set pieces of the action feel as if they were characters themselves, which made for an interesting dynamic when paired with Clark, the main character, who felt distant, rather than lively like the locations. It's as explosive as you'd think it would be when you read the description, which made for a read that was just one hell of a fun read. I'm intrigued to see if they decide to follow this story up, since there's still room for this story to grow more if they decide to continue on.
Being my most anticipated novel of the year, I had some really high hopes, and I am so glad to say that this delivered in every way that I wanted it to. It's genuinely a rush of a read, which I wanted to to eat up quickly, truly testing my courage to take it slow and enjoy the read. The Querys are a duo that have had three absolute knockout novels so far, and I cannot wait to see what they have planned in store for us with their next novel.
Be sure to give "Blood Trail" a read when it is published on April 7, 2026!
I'd like to thank Atria Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to give "Blood Trail" an early read in return for an honest review.
Matt and Harrison Query have been on my radar ever since I read their two other novels, "Old Country" and "Wilderness Reform", last year. Hearing that they were releasing another novel, it skyrocketed to my most anticipated read of the year, so I was aghast when I recieved this ARC, knowing that I was in store for something special.
And something special this certainly was. It's a novel that I didn't want to speed through, though I easily could have sat and finished this in one sitting. Just like their two other novels, "Blood Trail" is a smooth read, that is not short on exciting, action-packed sequences, and a plot that has constant momentum, never losing steam. Though we know little about most of the characters, nobody felt as if they were only surface level, which made the events feel as if the stakes were even higher. The outdoor setting worked really well, making the set pieces of the action feel as if they were characters themselves, which made for an interesting dynamic when paired with Clark, the main character, who felt distant, rather than lively like the locations. It's as explosive as you'd think it would be when you read the description, which made for a read that was just one hell of a fun read. I'm intrigued to see if they decide to follow this story up, since there's still room for this story to grow more if they decide to continue on.
Being my most anticipated novel of the year, I had some really high hopes, and I am so glad to say that this delivered in every way that I wanted it to. It's genuinely a rush of a read, which I wanted to to eat up quickly, truly testing my courage to take it slow and enjoy the read. The Querys are a duo that have had three absolute knockout novels so far, and I cannot wait to see what they have planned in store for us with their next novel.
Be sure to give "Blood Trail" a read when it is published on April 7, 2026!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews