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The Graves
It's a thin line between survival and madness.
A pair of missing hikers. A dangerous obsession. And a wilderness that doesn’t forgive.
When a chance encounter in a sleepy West Virginia town thrusts Max Strong into a desperate search for two missing hikers, he's pulled into a world where reality bends and legends come alive. Max isn’t new to danger, but nothing could prepare him for what he finds in the depths of the Monongahela National Forest.
Jake Cotter and his girlfriend Sarah vanished without a trace, chasing an obsession with a place whispered about in hushed tones by locals—Grave's End. As Max and Sarah's sister Riley dig deeper, they realize this isn't just a simple search-and-rescue. There's something darker lurking in these woods.
With a ragtag team of unlikely allies, Max finds himself in a race against time and the elements. And maybe against each other. Strange things are happening and it becomes clear that someone...or something...is willing to do anything to stop them from going any farther.
The more Max uncovers, the more he's forced to confront the chilling possibility that two missing hikers are only the beginning. Some graves don't wait for the dead.
The Graves is a gripping standalone thriller in Mike Donohue's bestselling Max Strong series. With cinematic set pieces, characters you'll grow to love, and edge-of-your-seat action, it's easy to see why these books have become must-read thrillers for fans who crave both pulse-pounding suspense and emotional depth. Discover why readers can't put them down!
A pair of missing hikers. A dangerous obsession. And a wilderness that doesn’t forgive.
When a chance encounter in a sleepy West Virginia town thrusts Max Strong into a desperate search for two missing hikers, he's pulled into a world where reality bends and legends come alive. Max isn’t new to danger, but nothing could prepare him for what he finds in the depths of the Monongahela National Forest.
Jake Cotter and his girlfriend Sarah vanished without a trace, chasing an obsession with a place whispered about in hushed tones by locals—Grave's End. As Max and Sarah's sister Riley dig deeper, they realize this isn't just a simple search-and-rescue. There's something darker lurking in these woods.
With a ragtag team of unlikely allies, Max finds himself in a race against time and the elements. And maybe against each other. Strange things are happening and it becomes clear that someone...or something...is willing to do anything to stop them from going any farther.
The more Max uncovers, the more he's forced to confront the chilling possibility that two missing hikers are only the beginning. Some graves don't wait for the dead.
The Graves is a gripping standalone thriller in Mike Donohue's bestselling Max Strong series. With cinematic set pieces, characters you'll grow to love, and edge-of-your-seat action, it's easy to see why these books have become must-read thrillers for fans who crave both pulse-pounding suspense and emotional depth. Discover why readers can't put them down!
424 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 1, 2025
About the author
Mike Donohue
15 books14 followersMike Donohue writes crime fiction, suspense and thriller novels. He is the author of four novels, two novellas, and a short story collection.
The Max Strong crime series is about a reformed thief and criminal trying to put a lot of tragedy and blood behind him and live a quiet life. It doesn’t go so well (does it ever?) and Max needs to figure out if he can really leave his past behind and get free. Or if he needs to embrace it and maybe destroy whatever is left of himself.
Mike lives outside Boston with my wife, two kids and Dashiell Hammett.
Dash is the family dog.
The Max Strong crime series is about a reformed thief and criminal trying to put a lot of tragedy and blood behind him and live a quiet life. It doesn’t go so well (does it ever?) and Max needs to figure out if he can really leave his past behind and get free. Or if he needs to embrace it and maybe destroy whatever is left of himself.
Mike lives outside Boston with my wife, two kids and Dashiell Hammett.
Dash is the family dog.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 6, 2025
A Hike in the Appalachians is far more dangerous than expected - 5 stars
Several years after his best friend disappeared while hiking in West Virginia, Jake Cotter and his friend Sarah Keller arrive at the small town of Grimswood, WV to try to learn what happened. A difficult technical hike in rugged, hilly countryside was what they planned. Nature threw a lot at them with stormy weather, chilly temperatures, and rough terrain. When they did not come back after a few days, their friends Ethan and Riley suspected that they were in trouble and tried to find them. Ethan and Riley were able to assemble a search party including a stranded city dweller (Max Strong) and three local guides.
This story is enough to re-think the concept of hiking in the back woods. Planning for contingencies and having the right gear are not always enough...especially when the history of the area suggested that hikers never returning was a reoccurring theme. The search party's hike into the target area did not go smoothly. In fact, the moderate technical high turned into a battle for survival. Little problems escalated first with middle of the night screams, then the food was stolen, and injuries came into play. The worst was the targeted violence -- started firing bullets at the thinned out group that was still able to ambulate.
Along the way, good practices of first aid and camping in the woods were not able to fend off a purposeful assault against the volunteer searchers. An underground cave system held secrets of two decades of vanishing hikers. Falling into an underground cave brought a new dimension to the danger of their predicament. Bravery and physical exertion beyond any reasonable expectation; only internal personal drive powered a few of the wounded a chance a chance to escape.
This gripping story might be enough to keep even a seasoned veteran guide from reentering the woods. I got caught up in the story. I feared that the list of the Monongahela missing were about to have several new names.
Several years after his best friend disappeared while hiking in West Virginia, Jake Cotter and his friend Sarah Keller arrive at the small town of Grimswood, WV to try to learn what happened. A difficult technical hike in rugged, hilly countryside was what they planned. Nature threw a lot at them with stormy weather, chilly temperatures, and rough terrain. When they did not come back after a few days, their friends Ethan and Riley suspected that they were in trouble and tried to find them. Ethan and Riley were able to assemble a search party including a stranded city dweller (Max Strong) and three local guides.
This story is enough to re-think the concept of hiking in the back woods. Planning for contingencies and having the right gear are not always enough...especially when the history of the area suggested that hikers never returning was a reoccurring theme. The search party's hike into the target area did not go smoothly. In fact, the moderate technical high turned into a battle for survival. Little problems escalated first with middle of the night screams, then the food was stolen, and injuries came into play. The worst was the targeted violence -- started firing bullets at the thinned out group that was still able to ambulate.
Along the way, good practices of first aid and camping in the woods were not able to fend off a purposeful assault against the volunteer searchers. An underground cave system held secrets of two decades of vanishing hikers. Falling into an underground cave brought a new dimension to the danger of their predicament. Bravery and physical exertion beyond any reasonable expectation; only internal personal drive powered a few of the wounded a chance a chance to escape.
This gripping story might be enough to keep even a seasoned veteran guide from reentering the woods. I got caught up in the story. I feared that the list of the Monongahela missing were about to have several new names.
April 6, 2025
I didn’t remember the main character, Max Strong, when I started this book, so it seemed to start off slow. But the more I got into the story, the pace picked up, and then it was non-stop action until the end! I need to go back and read it through again so my heart can beat at a more normal pace while I read it. Creepy, suspenseful, and frightening all at once, I could hardly put it down. I received an advance copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving this review.
April 1, 2025
An excellent, well written thriller. Good strong characters and a believable story line. Will the group survive the forgiving forest and find Jake and Sarah? Sabotage, danger and an unexpected twist. Highly recommended.
May 1, 2025
Wow!
A fantastic thriller that I could not put down. Intrigue, deception, and terror all come together in this gripping story. I highly recommend this book.
I read this book as part of an advance reader team. I loved it!
A fantastic thriller that I could not put down. Intrigue, deception, and terror all come together in this gripping story. I highly recommend this book.
I read this book as part of an advance reader team. I loved it!
April 30, 2025
The author will drag you kicking and screaming into this story. The picture he paints in your mind is so vivid your muscles will ache, the rain will drip down and the thunder will frighten you like never before.
Max is trapped by circumstances into doing a good deed. But this is Max, he probably would have done it anyway.
This is not down his alley, but he can rise to the challenge, a challenge that is at the very limit for him and the team.
If you love a mystery that will pull you into the story, into the wilderness, into the very meaning of being human grab this one and settle in for a rough ride.
Max is trapped by circumstances into doing a good deed. But this is Max, he probably would have done it anyway.
This is not down his alley, but he can rise to the challenge, a challenge that is at the very limit for him and the team.
If you love a mystery that will pull you into the story, into the wilderness, into the very meaning of being human grab this one and settle in for a rough ride.
May 30, 2026
The Graves - a review by Rosemary Kenny.
If you go down to the deep dark woods today you're sure of a big shock, as The Graves by Mike Donohue teases a tense, Blair Witch Project meets Into The Woods atmosphere, where anything could happen and not everyone will make it home safe or sound.
Enter Max Strong who teams up with Riley Keller, before the duo, plus guides, become tangled in a deadly game of cat-and- mouse in - and under - the nearby National Forest.
Darkness lurks in Graves End and to learn the truth about the missing who have gone before, be sure to get a copy of The Graves and read it today...if you dare!
If you go down to the deep dark woods today you're sure of a big shock, as The Graves by Mike Donohue teases a tense, Blair Witch Project meets Into The Woods atmosphere, where anything could happen and not everyone will make it home safe or sound.
Enter Max Strong who teams up with Riley Keller, before the duo, plus guides, become tangled in a deadly game of cat-and- mouse in - and under - the nearby National Forest.
Darkness lurks in Graves End and to learn the truth about the missing who have gone before, be sure to get a copy of The Graves and read it today...if you dare!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews