Wild Men

Sam Nolan #2

by Chris Riley

Sam Nolan returns, only this time he finds himself in the deep mountain wilderness of North Carolina.

Paid to look for a young Cherokee girl who went missing along the Appalachian Trail, Sam begins his adventure in the small towns near Asheville as he attempts to collect information from persons involved with the initial search.

It doesn’t take long before he suspects foul play might have been the culprit to the girl’s disappearance, but Sam takes to the mountains anyway, looking for more clues. And what he finds is a world involving a perverted backwoods family, a masterpiece of horror pulled from the pages of the Vietnam War, a ruthless connection to the underworld of big city drug dealing, and a wild finale that just might cost Sam his life.

311 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 19, 2025

About the author

Chris Riley lives near Sacramento, California, vowing one day to move back to the Pacific Northwest. In the meantime, he teaches special education, writes awesome stories, and hides from the blasting heat for six months out of the year. He has had dozens of short stories published in various magazines and anthologies, and across various genres. The Sinking of the Angie Piper is his first novel. For more information, check out his website at www.chrisrileyauthor.com.

Reviews

[KerryO · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sam Nolan is a great tracker of the lost. I love the knowledge of tracking in each of the Sam Nolan books. Excellent information for the weekend outdoorsperson. Keep the stories coming!

[Teresa Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This intense story could have gone off the rails and required multiple trigger warnings. However, due to the way Mr. Riley handled Emily's kidnapping, those triggers may have been lessened somewhat. But I will have to warn you about the abundance of harsh profanity. I could have done without it, but most authors tell me they simply write what the characters say, so they have no control over it. A little far-fetched, but ok, if you say so. And while in book 2, Sam is up in the middle of the Appalachian Trail hunting for Emily, it has a different feel from book 1, where he was searching for his brother in the Pacific Northwest. Here, his tracking skills are essential for finding Emily, while some of his other skills, learned in the military and since his discharge, will be more relevant for everybody's survival. The story has everything a mystery, conspiracy fan, or thriller fan could want: major gun battles. hand-to-hand-combat, old scores settled, bad men put down. There is also the introduction to a friend of Sam's who plays a part in all of this, and I hope he makes an appearance in future books. I think he and Sam make a great team, and I'd like to see more of them. If you haven't read anything by Chris Riley, I suggest you check out Went Missing. It is excellent and the perfect head-in to Wild Men. I can't wait for book 3. I received a review copy from the author via Booksirens, and this review reflects my voluntary and honest opinion.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chris Riley, author of Went Missing, writes outdoor wilderness , survival mysteries. This second novel, Wild-Men, features former military ranger Sam Nolan, as he hikes the Appalachian trail, in search of a missing young woman. What he comes upon is a “drug war” between a local Hillbilly clan, and another organized Cuban and African American group clan.
In the middle, Sam must find the missing woman, daughter of a Native American, who was lost while hiking. Her last notes found on the trail had her mentioning “ wild-men”.

This was such an engaging book, full of action and excitement.

Warning: There were several incidents of lewd and gory descriptions, but they fit well in the plot.

Thank you to Book Sirens for the opportunity to read and review this book I am leaving this review voluntarily, without bias.

[Cam Torrens · Rating 5 out of 5]

After Nolan’s recent Alaskan adventure, the word is out—if you’ve got trouble in the wilderness, call veteran Sam Nolan to "Rambo away" your problems.

This time it’s a missing woman on the Appalachian Trail with suspects living so far off the grid that a free dinner at the Golden Corral couldn’t flush them from the woods. Before long, Sam is neck-deep in Appalachia drugs, guns, and violence.

He’s operated alone before. But this time he might need some help.

[Irene · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book took a while to come together but then it did, and I couldn’t put it down. There’s the main story of Sam Nolan being hired to find a girl missing on the Appalachian Trail and a couple other threads that all converge in one heck of a climax. I liked the way the stories tied together.

This is the second book in the series but I think it does well on its own.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I almost stopped reading this book because it seemed like to was getting a little too intense/gruesome for me. However, I am glad I persevered and completed reading it.

Very good, intense action. Did not expect what happened at the end.

[mindy l hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

another Sam Nolan adventure

This is the second Sam Nolan book, and boy it’s a doozy. Sam finds himself in beautiful North Carolina searching for a missing girl on the Appalachian Trail. I read this book in one setting. It was better than the first. Definitely worth the read. Looking forward to more adventures with Sam

[Carolyn Gander]

Certainly Wild

Totally frightening concept of wild mountain dwellers with no morals
As of all this authors books totally enthralling story line and brilliant characters.
Can’t wait for the next one.

[Drystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

That’s my kind of wild bloody adventure and I do love a happy ending!

[Sherry Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow that was a wild read. His books just keep getting better and better.