Rapid Descent

by Gwen Hunter

The kayak trip was supposed to be a honeymoon. But when Nell and Joe Stevens are caught in a flash flood, Nell is swept under, trapped and loses consciousness. When she awakes, safe on shore, she finds a note from Joe, explaining that he has gone for help. He never returns. The search that follows raises more questions than it answers. About the family he never mentioned, who arrive in Nell's sleepy hometown. The enormous inheritance. And worse, the question whispered by the locals: is Nell responsible? Always hoping for Joe's return, Nell tries to put the rumors behind her. But as years slip past, Nell craves answers. She takes to the river again in search of the truth and finds that jealousy, desperation and deception can pull you under faster than churning water--and you may never resurface.

Genres: Mystery, Suspense, Fiction, Thriller, Contemporary

Kindle Edition

First published January 2, 2009

About the author

Pen name of Faith Hunter

Reviews

[Bev Walkling · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this a gripping book that kept me reading until I was done and then I passed it on to my husband who also read it (an unusual thing as our tastes tend not to be similar). It is the story of a strong women who survives a kayaking incident but finds that her husband has disappeared. Her memory has been affected at least in part but she is desperate to search for him and bring him back home. His body isn't found but she is lead to question herself and wonder if those implying that she was involved in his disappearance know something that she doesn't. Years go by and then the action picks up again. There is lots of action, betrayal and persistence on the part of the police investigating. This was a good read!

[Jana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alles sleepte zo’n beetje aan en ik vond het politieonderzoek in het begin echt wel raar. Heel haar verhaal klopte en toch dachten ze dat Nell haar man vermoord had?? Ook de relatie was een beetje overbodig ofzo, een beetje vaag.
Wel goede twist op het einde maar toch iets te uitgerokken tot aan de twist.
2.8

[Book · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book, because I love the author's (Faith Hunter) Jane Yellowrock and Nell Ingram paranormal books. I didn't particularly like this one. Too much discussion/terminology related to white water, which bored me to tears. If you participate in white water rafting or kayaking, I'm sure you'd like it, but if you're not into this sport, you'll likely end up skipping large parts of the book. However, the thing I dislike the most, was the major plot point of the heroine being suspected by the cops of murdering her husband. In the first place, it's made clear to them by medical staff and even the first investigator's own son (another cop), that her injuries were absolutely consistent with being caught in a tangle of trees (can't remember the currect river term) and being scraped, punctured and stabbed with branches. Second, her husband leaves a detailed note after he rescues her and has to leave her alone while he attempts to get help for her, which describes exactly what happened to her, why he had to leave her and what his plan was to bring help. Yet, the police are suspicious of this too, even though it's verified that it's the husband's writing. Third, the wife and husband have a good, loving relationship and there's absolutely no hint of domestic violence. So, it's all very contrived that they are sure the wife killed the husband when they can't locate him. Pretty stupid freakin' cops-- don't have a real motive, don't understand actual evidence and don't seem to have any gut feelings about people. Finally, towards the end of the book, a huge suspect seems to be the women's brother-in-law, who is a vile, drunken, cocaine-addicted, entitled, snobby rich guy. We're told that the brother-in-law has lied, hidden his white water skills and taken off for no particular reason, and it's never explained why. Also, why was the heroine beaten and by whom? Talk about NOT tying up loose ends. So, yeah, this was an interesting setting with different characters, but for me, the things I mentioned spoiled the book. I wonder why the editor didn't urge changes.

[B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was my first introduction to this author, and it was enough to make me add several of her others into my cart. While the story was a bit slow at times, the amount of information Hunter provided to the reader regarding kayaking was highly informative. My main pet peeve was the repetition of "squirrely" - don't get me wrong, it's a great word, and it's an accurate water description, however, it seemed like that word was used just about every page or every other page. There's something to be said for varying descriptive terms. That was my only real complaint, however, and while this one is an older book, it does hold up to the test of time, which is more than can be said for a lot of books published in 2009. This particular book tries to walk that fine line between mystery and thriller, though it falls more into the mystery thriller, following the Agatha Christie school of mystery - i.e. the reader isn't given enough information to figure out the whodunnit in advance. If that type of writing frustrates you, I'd advise steering clear, but if you've ever spent a lot of time on a river, you'll enjoy this one immensely.

[Mai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost five stars. There's a bit too much river rat jargon thrown at the reader starting off. If I didn't already love the author I might not have gotten through that beginning. That said, I loved the story and the mystery, though I did have my suspicions the whole book, though not the reasoning for them. But also, I was thrilled to see the beginnings of Nell Ingram here. All in all it was just delightful!

[Dean Cummings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hunter offers an attractive plot; a kayaking honeymoon goes wrong. Nell and Joe Stevens are caught in a flash flood. Nell becomes unconscious at some point, then wakes later safely on shore. Joe is nowhere to be found. This novel is action packed and filled with high adventure, just like a white water kayaking trip! I was gripped by Hunters memorable story.

[Patricia Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn’t a bad book but it had too much terminology regarding rafting and water. I enjoyed the plot and trying to figure out The Who done it. But I was confused and lost a lot during all the talk about rafting and white water techniques. The people who are into white water would really enjoy this.

[Marsha Whitfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nell and Joe Stevens start out on a delayed honeymoon trip river rafting. Nell is injured and Joe disappears. Follow along several years later as they still search for Joe and try to solve the mystery of his disappearance.

[Deby Beran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story of Appalachian river guides and murder. Very descriptive and engaging story of a female guide who loses her husband and is blamed for his disappearance. And she is also pregnant and he is unknown to her very well off.

[Debbie Loader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rather enjoyed that, lots of red herrings, misdirection and dead ends. But seven years have passed and even the dead need to speak.

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really should be 3 1/2 stars… was good, really talked about river rages. It had a nice story line. Kinda predictable, but it was a good read.

[Joe White · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a white water kayaker, this might be an absorbing read.
I thought that the overall approach needed editing for conciseness. For a murder mystery, the impact of the surprising twists was often lost in padded dialogue or actions.
While it was obvious that the main character was a strong willed independent woman, I thought that the fact was reiterated too often.
The lead sheriff, investigator should have played a stronger role instead of being a background presence. The presentation of his character as being perceived as adversarial and intent on prosecuting the main character without evidence, and then appearing to knowingly having been ushering an "innocent" outcome based on pushing the limits of investigation, could have been presented differently, and could have been a stronger focus for the murder mystery aspect of the book.
I felt that the brother of the dead husband/victim was presented with an oscillating facet aspect, and in the end should have had a part in the resolution of the murder, or should not have been ignored completely, since he was becoming or had become the prime suspect.

[Diana · Rating 2 out of 5]

A friend gave me this book and I was sure I wanted to read it. It is about a group of people who have a river trip business (includes kyaks and float trips) I know nothing about "river rats" and riding the rapids. Quite frankly I am afraid of water and wouldn't ever want to take a trip. However, I did learn a lot about rafting and kyaking and this book is a good murder mysery.
Joe and Nell are newly married and since they don't have a lot of money decide to take a river trip by themselves for their honeymoon. During the trip, a sudden rain storm comes in and raises the level of the river. Nell crashes and is injured. Joe goes for help and never is seen again.
Immediately the police suspect that Nell killed (or arranged it)Joe. Why would they suspect her when she was really beaten up by the river and even has a head injury? The police discover the Joe is actually very rich....supposedly Nell didn't know this. Did she kill for money?
After many pages, the body is Joe is discovered (7 years later) and his murderer is revealed.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really good book. Technically, it is romantic suspense, but it is way heavy on the suspense. And way heavy on descriptions of white-water running in rafts and kayaks. It is rich in description of scenery and of the folks who make a living as business people and guides. As I used to enjoy water sports a lot, I really enjoyed this book. I have only done a little fast water running, so I loved reading about it.

The characterization is good. Had a few doubts about a six-year-old as precocious as the one in this bood, but he was a great character. The setup stretched credulity a bit--who marries a rich men thinking he is poor and never gets a clue?--but it was fun.

This book was just what I neede after reading a couple of long, involved ones. Highly reccomended.

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

I took a white water raft trip 2 years ago and was facinated by the different experience an individual has as opposed to a group trip. Loved the narretive explaining the kayak terms and what can go so very wrong on a river. I really hated it when the cops all but accused Nell of the murder of Joe. After reading what she went through and then having the cops not believe it was an accident, I was ready to hurl the book across the room... But, what would a mystery be without a murder. The second half of the book is fast paced and you do not have a clue who done it, or why, until the very end.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading this book, I sure wouldn't want to do any kayaking. In the beginning, I kept wondering if Nell was going to make it. As the story moves on, we are still left wondering what happened to her new husband, Joe. The mystery was good with Nell waking up from being unconscious and not really sure what happened to her and wondering why Joe never reached help. Then as the years go by, she still searches for answers. With the help of a police officer named Orson, she may finally get those answers.

[Rhonda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Enjoyable book, but the author went into extreme detail about kayaking and white water rafting that left me confused since I have no background of either. Nell wasn't a bad character and I loved JJ; he was a riot. The male main character was not that great for me. And the love story between Nell and Orson; there really wasn't anything until they declare their love at the end. No real development there.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had read some reviews of this book on Goodreads that were less than glowing mainly because of all of the whitewater rafting/kayaking language. I spent many years on the whitewater of the New River in West Virginia so that was just a bonus as far as I was concerned. Beyond that, I was intrigued by the mystery and was drawn to the family dynamics. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

[Terrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably would have enjoyed this more if I were into whitewater rafting. However, even so, the plot was a little weak and overshadowed by all the kayaking detail. There are also some loose ends that are unsatisfactorily tied up.

[HarperCollins Holland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Een thriller die zich afspeelt in de wereld van het wildwatervaren – ik wist eigenlijk niet of dat iets voor mij was. Maar het antwoord bleek volmondig ‘ja’! Een fascinerende setting , en een beklemmende thriller op de koop toe.
- Harriët Vierdag, Harlequin

[Tony · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first book by Gwen Hunter. She is an excellent fiction author. That she wrote this book on a subject I enjoy was a big factor, but I'm looking forward to trying some more of her work in the future. Now, I need to see her other pen names.

[TheRLPL Rice Lake Public Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

Patron Review:

This book starts as a drama around a river kayaking trip. But disaster befalls the main characters.

Then the plot thickens as new characters are introduced, who lend a deceptive shadow which draws the reader to an exciting finale.

[Olean Public Library · Rating 1 out of 5]

At times there was way too much narration. One could get bogged down by kayaking terms. The mystery had a twist. Whodunnit was not obvious overall a good story line.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

really good book! didn't care for all the specific details about river gear but kept reading and it only got better! so don't give up reading this!

[Catherine]

Happened to read this during a trip that included a white water rafting adventure! Talk about timing is everything!!! Great book -- totally surprised at the ending.

[Terry · Rating 1 out of 5]

I could not finish this book.

[Philip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could not put this thriller down till I found out who Done it!

[Andra · Rating 3 out of 5]

a lot of technical stuff about white water rafting , but still interesting.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a good book.

[Anke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Goed boek. Gedeeltelijk voorspelbaar, maar ook een wat onverwachte ontknoping.