Rifle Season

Mace Winters #1

by Pat Kelly

A game hunter is in a race against time to save his family from the most dangerous predator on earth—other people—in this high-stakes thriller in the vein of Jack Carr and Peter Heller.

Mason “Mace” Winters, with his acclaimed reputation as one of the best big game hunters in Colorado, lives for the thrill of the hunt. His lucrative career guiding the wealthy on intense hunts through the Colorado mountains is suddenly brought to a stop when an accident hangs an involuntary manslaughter conviction around his neck. Now he’s relegated to a life of trash pickup in the very wilderness where his prowess as a tracker and killer was the stuff of legends.

At rock bottom, Mace descends into a haze of Tito’s and sativa when two strangers seek him out. They wave enough cash under his nose to convince him to help them up into the mountains he knows so well on the opening day of Colorado’s rifle season. An innocent enough request, and the perfect cover for the trip’s true to assassinate an infamous warlord. All at once, Mace goes from unwitting to unwilling accomplice and it will take all his now dusty skills to outfox his patrons in their deadly game.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Suspense

272 pages, Hardcover

First published January 27, 2026

About the author

Pat Kelly, born in Galveston, Texas, and raised in Denver, attended CU Boulder. After working as a writer in New York City, he pursued screenwriting in Los Angeles, and his credits include A Perfect Murder and Don't Say a Word. Rifle Season is his debut novel. He currently lives in San Miguel County, Colorado, and Malibu.

Reviews

[Sandra Hoover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rifle Season is a dark, gritty, propulsive debut novel by Author Pat Kelly that introduces readers to Mason (aka Mace) Winters whose legendary reputation as an expert big game hunter and guide in Colorado was besmirched after a hunting accident saddles him with an involuntary manslaughter conviction. Now he spends his days in a drunken haze picking up trash in the same wilderness he once stalked as a guide for wealthy big game hunters. Mason's lucrative career and marriage are already on the rocks when two mysterious strangers hire him as a guide for a photo shoot of an elusive mountain lion. When they return to his home on opening day of rifle season requesting his services again, Mason ignores the warning bells sounding in his gut in favor of earning big bucks he desperately needs and repairing his damaged reputation. By the time he realizes they're foreign operatives on a mission to assassinate a warlord that's hunting trophy elk in the higher elevation with a friend of Mason's, his fate is sealed. With a blizzard blowing in, Mason's only choice is to play along and wait for a chance to overtake them. Rusty though they are, he'll match his uncanny skills to theirs any day of the week, especially on this terrain. Afterall, these mountains are his stomping ground. One he knows like the back of his hand. With his and his wife's life at stake, Mason needs to clear his head and call on his ingrained survival skills to become the deadly predator he once was. This is a winner take all game. He has one shot at saving lives. One shot at redemption. Failure is not an option.

When I heard Rifle Season being compared to C. J. Box's Open Season, I knew I had to read it, and I'm happy to say it surpasses the hype. Kelly wastes no time transporting readers into the middle of a deadly game of cat and mouse beginning with the chilling prologue and ending with the final incredible shot. His descriptive narrative brings scenes to life as both breathtakingly beautiful and life threatening at the same time. An insane pace is propelled by a tone of malice and the fear of time running out. In-depth characterizations are spot on, relatable, and believable. Mason's anguish and despair can be felt in the beginning as can his stone-cold determination and rage throughout. The author nails the essence of who he is and what he'll do to save those he loves as he struggles to hold it together. The same holds true even for the villains in this story. They're professionally written, despicable, and yet convincing. As the story unfolds, the stakes are raised with every shocking plot twist until the violence explodes on the page leaving readers to figure out if anyone survived.

Author Pat Kelly scrutinizes the age-old tradition of hunting and man's moral rights as it pertains to the sport as well as his coexistence with nature in Rifle Season. Themes of revenge, forgiveness, redemption, and justice are evident throughout this well-written, masterful thriller. The author does an excellent job highlighting man's conservancy of nature and wildlife in a chilling battle of the fittest. Rifle Season reads like it's written by an expert, well-seasoned author with several titles under his/her belt making it hard to believe this is Kelly's debut novel. I hope there will be many more books in the series. Nature and hunting advocates will devour this book as will fans of fast-paced, explosive, second-chance thrillers. Rifle Season will be one of my top five reads of the year.
Many thanks to Atria Books/Emily Bestler Books for a complimentary arc of this title for review. Opinions expressed in my review are my own. This book is scheduled for release in Jan. 2026. This review is published in Mystery & Suspense Magazine and is available on my blog Cross My Heart Reviews.

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Gripping and compelling right from the start. It took a little while to get used to the writer’s style but I like it very much. No skimming for me in this book. He packs a lot of descriptive detail into a sentence; some I reread for pleasure, some because I didn’t always understand at first pass. Senior’s brain maybe? I don’t like hunting but there are not a lot of actual animals killed; many more humans are murdered. The two dominant assassins are very interesting. One of them is an animal lover fortunately. Interesting mix of characters. I don’t understand why someone like Jamie (superwoman) would be with someone like Mace. That didn’t make sense to me. I LOVE VINCE THE GERMAN SHEPPARD! Not enough Vince content. Short action-packed chapters wiz by and make it hard to put this book down. A few “just in the nick of time” events but I wouldn’t want it any other way. This would make a great movie. The door is left open for a sequel. Great ending.

[Abibliofob · Rating 5 out of 5]

There was something about in description of this book that caught my eye and boy am I glad it did. Rifle Season by Pat Kelly is one wonderfullly well written first book that I wish I could read one again for the first time. It's rural, smalltown and it's very hard to put down. A thriller with some great characters and twists I didn't see coming. If I should describe it in a few words it would be "mayhem on the mountain" I really liked this book and now I sit here wondering if it will be a series? If not I will still keep my eyes on the look out for the next book by this author. I must thank Edelweiss , Simon & Schuster and Atria for letting me read this advance copy. It will be one of my great surprise books I have read this year and I recommend that you preorder it for the release in January of 2026.

[Cindy Burnett (Thoughts from a Page) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. So beautifully written and a fabulous thriller.

[Steven Netter · Rating 5 out of 5]

READ MY FULL REVIEW AT Best Thriller Books

Rifle Season is a straight-shooting, violent and intense story about reckoning, retribution, and redemption. Dark, ominous and unnerving in all the best ways. Pat Kelly’s debut thriller hits the bullseye.

From the setting to the characters and the overall plot, Rifle Season hits upon a winning formula that engages readers early and keeps them anxiously on the hook until the end. And even though there is a patient buildup to the explosion of violence, it never feels slow or drawn out because each action has the distinct purpose of dialing up tension and expectations. And when you think you know what will happen next, you’re smacked upside the head with a twist that changes the game. It’s excellent storytelling by a debut author.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Novel was a very fun read. The characters were written well and they felt extremely personable. Their vernacular was even that of the hunters and outdoorsman of my area. Mace, the main character, has traits and strife that a lot of the people in my community can relate to, making the story that much more enjoyable and familiar.

Early on, the characterization and world development felt simultaneously overwhelming and comforting. The pacing felt moderately slow as the characters and their flaws were being set up, but the imagery was so astounding that I could envision the world in my head as if it was the exact reality presented in front of me. As the plot developed, with its quirky twists and turns, the pacing picked up and the “adventure” was fluid. I had to force myself to stop turning pages as the hours grew late. The authors ability to grow tension is phenomenal.

There were minor grammatical and formatting issues, however, the copy I received is an ARC and it is easily assumed that those minor errors will be ironed out. They didn’t impact the read at all.

I would wholeheartedly purchase this novel again and, it goes without saying, I will recommend it to all of my peers that enjoy the outdoors and thrilling adventures. This would work wonderfully as a solo novel or as an installment in a series and I am excited to see what author Pat Kelly has for us in the future!

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a novel firmly set in the elk hunting hills of Colorado. Mace is a flawed character. He has turned to alcohol and weed to sooth himself. I had difficulty liking him as a hero. His wife is too nice and I hoped he would wake up and be nicer to her. The plot centers around the desire for revenge in the form of murdering the man who did terrible things during war in Bosnia. That the assassination plan involved finding him in the snow covered hills in Colorado may be a bit far fetched. There was a shocking twist near the end I did not see coming. As the suspense increases, the action frequently changes location, not indicated by extra space or some other way in the advanced eARC I read. That was a bit confusing.

This book would especially appeal to readers who like hunting and/or hiking through mountains. While the first half of the book might have been a bit slow, the last half made up for it. I look forward to reading another novel by Kelly featuring a much more likable Mace.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

[Sarah Florence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review coming...

[Hella Comat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Riveting story of a hunting guide caught up with multiple killers who are using the opening of hunting season to cover up a planned assassination. Loved the author’s writing style!

[Thrillers R Us · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two Oscar winners and a modest box office return wasn't enough to propel the 1988 Tom Berenger actioner to the buddy-movie league of legends. Known as DEADLY PURSUIT outside the US, SHOOT TO KILL allowed cinephiles to touch grass in the Pacific Northwest when a wilderness guide must unwittingly team up with a stick-in-the-mud FBI agent to apprehend a dangerous criminal loose in the wild. RIFLE SEASON takes this premise and pits unsuspecting wilderness guides against a billionaire war criminal from the eastern fringes of Europe, armed to the teeth mercs, and 700 lb Elk behemoths with razor-sharp headgear, resulting in a relentless chase and stalk, leaving readers never knowing what fresh hell might be around the next bend. It's game on and RIFLE SEASON reminds to keep your powder dry, your eyes peeled and your weapon ready--it's Rocky Mountain High and danger runs deep.

From hieroglyphics to the open range, the fabled Colorado Elk is ostensibly the aim of the game of RIFLE SEASON, a Euro Teddy Roosevelt/Hemingway big game hunter wannabe getting behind the glass and not catching on that everyone wants a piece of his hide. Disenfranchised huntmaster and nature guide Mason "Mace" Winter unwittingly facilitates this turn of events, in sound company of his pint sized friend TITO'S and Mary Jane. Still nursing a runny gash in his soul after a hunting trip went bad for a client and even worse for a bow hunter not wearing the proper attire in the wild, Mason's religion is now attention to detail and the point of the gun is his only law. While running the razor's edge of the abyss as two lives arced across decades toward a preordained, zero sum collision on a nameless Colorado mountain, guns are the great equalizer in a crazy revenge scheme by an injured but capable mercenary. The great game is no longer wapiti, but slaying big-brained hominids in blizzardy conditions.

Resonating with flavor from DEATH HUNT, AVENGING FORCE, COMMANDO and CLIFFHANGER, RIFLE SEASON is a mesmerizing yarn not unlike ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST, or better, Once Upon a Time in Western Colorado, just without the land theft and custom train for the robber baron. Despite featuring as satisfying a moment as a harmonica jammed into Henry Fonda's face, a prompt to play the tune of death, RIFLE SEASON's gun culture becomes somewhat tiresome, as filling tags, glassing terrain, running bolts et cetera are mentioned ad infinitum. Boldly stating that self-loathing is tougher than Kevlar, that shooting a harmless herbivore is not the height of masculinity, guns are tools not rattlesnakes, that fortitude is the bridge to victory and looking for trouble is the best way to find it, RIFLE SEASON is a well-paced cat and mouse thriller of stalking, evading and making one shot, one kill. In fact, RIFLE SEASON is a great Western that isn't (one) in the conventional sense--it's more biblical. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Always and forever. It's RIFLE SEASON. Lock and load.






























Thank you Pat Kelly, NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, Atria Books, Emily Bestler & D.Brown for the ARC. <3

[BethFishReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really 3.5.

A complex thriller set in contemporary rural Colorado.

The novel follows four groups of people during a snowy opening day of big game season.

First: Mace Winters, famed and respected hunting guide, is on a downward spiral after witnessing an accidental shooting by one of his clients. As the one-year anniversary of the incident approaches, Mace reluctantly agrees to guide a couple into the wilderness where they hope to photograph wildlife.

Second: Meanwhile, Glen, one of Mace's fellow guides, is getting ready to take a high-paying Eastern European into the mountains to bag a trophy elk. Tagging along is the client's security team.

Third: Jamie, Mace's wife, an emergency room physician, is kidnapped on her way home from work.

Fourth: Will, the local sheriff, finds the Winters's dog roaming free. Concerned, he coaxes the dog into this vehicle. But when Will stops his car along the side of the road, the dog escapes, running into the woods. Cursing, Will goes after him.

As we learn more about these four situations, we wonder how or if they will converge. Not everyone is who they seem to be. When things come to a head, the action explodes. It's really hard to predict how everything will all come together. I was definitely caught up in the story and listened to the audiobook almost nonstop.

A couple of thoughts. The publishers have likened Pat Kelly to Peter Heller (one of my favorite authors). While I can see the similarities, Rifle Season is much more cinematic, which leads me to another thought. Kelly is a screenwriter, and this has absolutely informed his debut novel. The action scenes are vividly depicted as the story shifts among the four situations. The characters are less developed than the story arcs, but I still really enjoyed the book and will likely pick up the next one in the promised series.

The audiobook was performed by Pete Simonelli, who did a great job with building the tension, pushing the action, and keeping me engaged in the story. I can't completely judge his accents, but they sounded fine to me. I noticed a couple of instances when he put the emphasis/stress in a odd place, but overall Simonelli's narration was good.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster Audio for the review copy.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

📚Rifle Season
✍🏻Pat Kelly
Blurb:
A game hunter is in a race against time to save his family from the most dangerous predator on earth—other people—in this high-stakes thriller in the vein of Jack Carr and Peter Heller.

Mason “Mace” Winters, with his acclaimed reputation as one of the best big game hunters in Colorado, lives for the thrill of the hunt. His lucrative career guiding the wealthy on intense hunts through the Colorado mountains is suddenly brought to a stop when an accident hangs an involuntary manslaughter conviction around his neck. Now he’s relegated to a life of trash pickup in the very wilderness where his prowess as a tracker and killer was the stuff of legends.

At rock bottom, Mace descends into a haze of Tito’s and sativa when two strangers seek him out. They wave enough cash under his nose to convince him to help them up into the mountains he knows so well on the opening day of Colorado’s rifle season. An innocent enough request, and the perfect cover for the trip’s true to assassinate an infamous warlord. All at once, Mace goes from unwitting to unwilling accomplice and it will take all his now dusty skills to outfox his patrons in their deadly game.
My Thoughts:
Pat Kelly'a debut novel,Mason (aka Mace) Winters whose legendary reputation as an expert big game hunter and guide in Colorado. A hunting accident saddles him with an involuntary manslaughter conviction. A thriller with some great characters and twists I didn't see coming. A instinct that told him not to let the client take that shot, and instinct that proved all too correct in ending the lives of two people .This was definitely a page turner.
Thanks NetGalley, Atria/Emily Bestler Books and Author Pat Kelly for the advanced copy of "Rifle Season" I am leaving my voluntary review in appreciation.
#NetGalley
#Atria/EmilyBestlerBooks
#PatKelly
#RifleSeason
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rifle Season by Pat Kelly was a gritty thriller that held me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. Mace is a former hunting guide down on his luck after a hunting accident for which he felt responsible. Drowning his sorrows in vodka and week, he takes the offer of guiding a couple on a wildlife photo shoot. It turns out they want to hunt, and they're not interested in shooting any furry animals.

Mace's wife Jamie is a fantastic supporting character. Although she gets kidnapped early on, she refuses to be a victim. Her gutsy attitude and sharp wit made her my favorite character. The action starts early and involves some world affairs that I was familiar with from other fiction. Some parts of the story were a little confusing, as I had to learn a bit more about each character. A lot of the action concerns guns and hunting in the Colorado mountains, which may be a draw for some readers.

The writing style was quick with short chapters that ended in little cliffhangers. Many sentences were not complete sentences, which threw me at first. I was able to adjust, as this style moved the story along quicker. The resolution left me wanting to read the next book in this apparently projected series.

I will recommend this to readers who like edgy thrillers but don't mind some violence to humans and animals.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Bryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

I won a advance reader's edition from Simon & Schuster - thank you! This book was an "unedited" version, so I noticed some typos and lack of pages breaks...which hopefully will be fixed before publication.

I liked this book, though I wanted to like it more than I did. Solid story, decent characters, some tense moments...but it felt like it was missing something.

I think overall this book could use some refinement. And maybe build the characters up more. I know basic things about them, but not what really drives them. Especially the main characters. That said, the characters were all likable...even the bad guys!

The story itself was enjoyable, gritty, and it kept me interested. And a couple twists here and there...one twist didn't surprise me, another twist I did NOT see coming at all! I like that! I don't want it to be predictable.

I love stories set in the mountains where you never know what the weather will do, what wildlife will appear, and what other dangers may crop up. The setting was awesome, but I wanted it to play a larger role in the story.

I was interested to find out how it would unfold. At the same time, it didn't wow me. I DID like it. But I can't quite put it on my list of recommendations. Though I will say that if there is a book #2 I will probably read it!

[Daphne Manning · Rating 5 out of 5]

To say this book was an adventure in itself is an understatement. Mace or Mason, built a reputation on landing the big game for his clients . Elk, the big buck , lions. The terrain he stalked was as familiar as it was unpredictable. Guiding men with more money than sense was easy money in the mountains he loved and hated at the same time. If there is one thing Mace lives by it’s that instinct that comes with hard won. A instinct that told him not to let the client take that shot, and instinct that proved all too correct in ending the lives of two people . Forward to a broken just getting by Mace, and his wife, a trauma surgeon, close to the end of her need or want of Mason. A chance to reclaim or at least do the thing he does so well begins innocent enough. So innocent, that he puts his better judgment aside and agrees to take a couple out to “just take pictures” of a local lion. Unknown to Mace is the bigger picture. One that involves a monster responsible for the slaughter of thousands in a foreign country. A man so driven to exact the full price of that slaughter, he’s blind to any and all in his path. A couple whose bond began in war and only thrives in pursuit . In this case it’s of the human kind. It is a great read.

[Linda Galella · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy for review purposes. All opinions are honest and mine alone.


In all honesty, RIFLE SEASON did not appear to be a book I would enjoy. My intentions were to scan the book to get a brief overview so I could provide basic information to the guys in my development who often grouse about the book assortment in our Little Free Library Sheds being mostly “chick lit”. They’re not totally wrong.

My perusal turned into piqued curiosity that turned into actual interest and I found myself reading the book - as in all of it.
This was a debut venture for Pat Kelly and he got much of it right. The “thriller” elements were tight and intense, especially for the last 30% of the story.

Because I had a physical ARC, it’s impossible for me to tell if the lack of page breaks between POV changes were a purposeful decision or a giant editing error. Whatever the answer is, I’m seriously hoping it’s fixed prior to the 1/27/26 on sale date. Having one narrator running into another without page breaks or I. D. inserts made for difficult reading transitions and many times of having to reread significant portions to capture a change over. This fact caused a debit of
one star to the rating.

The other debited star is due to over writing. Some of the prose related to flora and fauna is perfectly lovely. I was transported to the mountains of Colorado and the unique micro climates where the story takes place. Temperatures, humidity, changing light, winds, sounds, all of it. Readers will not have to imagine a single thing. Every tiny detail is elaborated in mind numbing minutiaed detail. Every step, every action, every time; it’s all too much, even tho’ it’s written well, grammatically speaking.

Mace is the troubled hero of this tale. He’s trying to save his marriage from ruin and his life from self destruction via alcohol, pot and recrimination. His wife threw him a last chance lifeline that turned into a fight for their very lives: a couple pretending to be on a wildlife photo shoot are actually hunting a human on the first day of RIFLE SEASON and Mace is their guide. He’s the only guy who has the skills to get the job done. Jamie, his wife and Vince, his dog, are tangled up with Hazim, a soldier who kidnapped her to keep Mace on task. He’s a complicated character as are the couple pretending to be wildlife enthusiasts. The author did a very good job developing both primary and secondary characters. They experience growth and change throughout the story, not all of which is positive but does make for good reading.

Typical for this type of book, there is a good deal of descriptive violence and crude, foul language with no sexual content. Hunting is a primary activity so activities related to animal death within that sport, legal and otherwise, are included. Many humans are cavalierly murdered without conscience.

Within the main story there are a few mysteries that need to be solved. Author, Pat Kelly, was quite skillful in creating twists that sent me scrambling; one especially was an “Are you kidding me?!?” moment that brought the whole story up a notch and made me sit still to finish reading the book, then and there. Recommended for those who aren’t squeamish, love hardcore thrillers with realistic characters and are able to wade thru an over abundance of prose📚

Read and Reviewed from a GoodReads Giveaway with thanks to the author and publisher

[Laurie E · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wound up at the same dinner table as Pat Kelly at a True Crime/Mystery/Thriller fest, and when I asked for his "elevator pitch", I got something much longer. The basis of his story intrigued me enough to buy a copy (plus, of course, I could get it signed!) and I started to read it that night. Carted it on the train to the city during the week because the whole book is series of cliffhangers and unexpected plot twists and I didn't want to set it down. Just when I thought I'd predicted what happens next, BAM. Another sharp turn in the narrative.

Mostly, as a writer hoping to get her own novel out one of these days, I found Pat Kelly's creative use of language so impressive that I'm considering ditching my own ambitions and learning to knit or something instead.

The author's brought to life a most interesting assortment of characters, including a heroic German Shepherd so loyal to his master and mistress that he'll rip off the face of someone you thought was supposed to be a good guy, and some recurring specters seen only by the man responsible for their murders. This light touch of the supernatural adds to the otherwise realistic life-and-death tale without detracting from it.

The ending is a set up for a sequel. I'll be looking forward to it,

[Sandi Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was definitely a page turner.
Mason “Mace” Winters had a reputation as one of the best game hunters in Colorado. He would guide the wealthy on intense hunts for Elk through the Colorado mountains, but it all ended when his client fatally killed a bow hunter in an accident, and they were both convicted of involuntary manslaughter as his state license was suspended and his insurance canceled he turned to alcohol.

A year later, two strangers, Vanessa and Clay, saying they were real estate agents, sought him out with enough cash to convince him to help them up into the mountains so they could photograph a mountain lion. This was the perfect cover for the trip’s true purpose, which is to assassinate David Petrovic aka Dragan Kordic, an infamous warlord from Serbia. As they kidnapped Mace's wife Jamie, Mace unwillingly becomes an accomplice, and to stay alive it will take all his skills to outfox these professional killers in their deadly game on the opening day of Colorado’s rifle season.

[Brianna | hopelesslybooked · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rifle Season by Pat Kelly gets five gold stars from me! I couldn’t put it down!

Mace Winters had a reputation of being one of the best big game hunters in Colorado. Guiding the rich on these big intense hunts suddenly ends when an accidents rips it all away and leaves him with an involuntary manslaughter charge. Two strangers seek Mace out of his community service drunken/high haze and convince him to help them track down a big game animal for a photo op. This turns out to be the perfect cover and test for the couples true agenda which is an assassination and Mace finds himself unwillingly becoming their accomplice.

I was seriously on the edge of my seat the whole time here. This book was beautifully written. Each short chapter had me wanting more and at 265 pages this was the best to binge! The characters were well developed and my favorite even had me aubidly yelling “yessssss!” at one point. Kelly really puts you right there in the story with them. I can’t wait for the next book in the series and I believe we’re also getting a TV series! Highly recommend!

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

A page turner with multiple twists and surprises. And karma. Winter is coming in Colorado and former hunting guideMace is at the bottom despite the best efforts of his wife Jamie, an ER physician, and his pal Clay, a law enforcement officer. An offer to guide two Arizona real estate agents to photograph a mountain lion is a little odd but the money is good and it's something to do. But these two aren't what they seem. His friend Will has an unlikely and well paying client who wants to bag a big elk but others, notably Hazim, wants to see this monster himself dead. And Vince the dog, well he's loyal and determined. When Jamie is kidnapped, Mace finds himself forced to get the couple within rifle range of the monster. This deserves to be read without spoilers. It's gory at times, atmospheric (snow, smells) and it's pulse pounding (I don't say this often.) Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC. I read this in a gulp and thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Brittney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rifle Season by Pat Kelly

A brutal, high stakes thriller that flips the hunter versus hunted dynamic on its head. What makes this book special is the authenticity. The wilderness isn’t just a backdrop, it’s a weapon, and Mace Winters’ deep knowledge of the mountains turns survival into strategy. This is a story about consequences, desperation, and what happens when the most dangerous prey turns out to be human.

Tropes & Vibes:
🎯 Hunter becomes the hunted
🏔️ Colorado wilderness survival
🩸 Morally gray antihero
⏱️ Race against time
🔫 Manhunt tension

Read this if you like:
Jack Carr style thrillers, survival stories rooted in real outdoor skill, protagonists with violent pasts, gritty modern suspense, and books that feel like a long, breathless chase through the mountains.

#RifleSeason #MaceWinters #ThrillerReads #SurvivalThriller #BookstagramThriller

[Tanya Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

AMAZING thriller and in many ways a psychological thriller on top of just a thriller.

Now that I see Mace Winters #1, I am hoping to see a second book because this one left a lot of ways that things can continue to go.

I figured out too much of the "mystery" before the end of the book to give it 5 stars, because I didn't have to guess enough.

The characters are interesting and are a tangled web that you can figure out if you pay attention. I feel for Mace and what he went through and understand why he changed. I understand his wife and her frustration with Mace. I feel bad that so many people were tangentially impacted by the desire of one person to end the life of another and yet these things happen every day, just in less complicated way.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars. *NEW SERIES* Book 1//Mace Winters series. What an outstanding debut!! Main character Mason Winters is pretty incredible + relateable.. and the drama, deadly cat and mouse game, winner take all, and Masons want of redemption, superb!! Rifle Season is this dark-intense-action packed thriller that has such a unique plot, great characters, + explosive twists along the way to keep you guessing *wrong I might add* through the books entirety. Jam-packed with outdoors action and adventure that doesn’t let up until the end. So good!
A top read of the year.. I can’t wait for the second book in this series. Do recommend. Pub. 1/27/26

Many thanks to Atria Books/Emily Bestler Books for the advanced reading copy. All opinions are my own.

[Scott Lovelace · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very exciting debut, and the introduction to a new series.  Mace (Mason) Winters,  a former big game guide, trying to regroup after a horrible accident, reluctantly agrees to take a couple on a picture taking trip. There are more sinister actions in play.  This was a very engaging story,  beautiful landscapes. The beginning is more of a slowburn developing characters and world, the ending is extremely entertaining and very fast paced. This one was excellent, I look forward to more of the Mace Winter's story.

[Belladonna · Rating 2 out of 5]

(won in a giveaway) If you had told me this was a debut novel, I would have not been surprised. The plot was fine but not amazing but the writing was completely juvenile and like that of a novice. There was so much extra detail, every character introduced had at least one paragraph telling all about them (height, weight, physical characteristics, etc). I’ll admit, this is not my usual type of book but unfortunately, it wasn’t the plot that sucked so much as the writing.

[Travis Butler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rifle Season
By Pat Kelly
Pub Date: Jan 27 2026

I went into this book completely blind and was very surprised by what I read. This is an action packed thrill ride of a read. There is so much to like here: the character development is fantastic. The story is fast paced and fun. This is as good as it gets for a debut novel and I will be looking forward to Pat Kelly's next book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this book early in return for my honest review.

[Nanette Tannahill · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'll give it a 2.5 rating. This book was hard to follow at times. The beginning was slow and it was like the author was using thesaurus to come up with bigger words but they didn't flow well in the story. Not horrible for a first book, the plot was good. It got better in the middle of the book, but sometimes the fine details were overkill. The ending was a little whack, left way too much unanswered.

[Codi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book left me wanting more. It left me wondering what the heck was going to happen the entire book. It is written in a way that I enjoyed, changing the point of view mid-page but in a way that worked. I wouldn’t normally pick up a book like this but I am glad that I did!

I won this book via a Goodreads giveaway.

[Virginia Winfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this thriller. I think that the first part is a little slow but I really enjoyed the last half of the book when it git a faster pace. I think if you like talk about guns and hunting you will enjoy the whole book. I like Mace and enjoyed seeing him remind himself as the book proceeds. I loved Jamie and how strong she is. I received a copy of the book and gave an honest opinion.

[Doug Yonce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice balance of action, characters, research, and plot development. I could enjoy this read on a variety of levels , and I did. I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and very provided an honest review.