The Night Hunter

Danielle Johnson has returned to South Africa for the first time in years. Having been whisked away to London when her parents split, Dani didn't think she'd ever return to the private game reserve where she spent much of her childhood. But her mother has died, and her house on their property inside the Impala Ridge Private Game Reserve has been left to Dani and her sister, Grace.

The sisters unite at the entrance to the game reserve, a private expanse that abuts Krueger National Park and caters to tourists looking for a curated safari experience. The pair plan to travel to their remote former home, accompanied by a guide they knew from childhood, Jacques. Also tagging along are three fairly random friends: Dani's boyfriend Elliot, Dani's friend Naomi, and Grace's friend Lachlan. It's a strange collection—while Elliot makes some sense, Naomi is someone Dani has known for less than a year, and Grace met Lachlan fewer than six months ago.

Things quickly take a turn once the group is within the park. While camping the first night, their guide is murdered, and soon after car trouble leaves the remaining members of the party stranded inside the park. They are more than a day's walk from either their destination home or the entrance out of the park, and with limited supplies, survival becomes the top priority. They're surrounded by all of the natural predators that exist in Africa, but they are also being pursued by people who seem to want them dead.

I was intrigued by the premise, and the bones of the story were in place to create a compelling thriller. However, the execution fell a bit short. That starts with the hodgepodge group; there's little reason why the sisters would invite Naomi or Lachlan on a trip to settle their mother's estate. This isn't a glamorous vacation; it's a rugged business trip while grieving. The clunkiness extends to some of the pacing and tone of the novel. There are significant events—character deaths, for example—that at times feel rushed or even brushed aside. It's a hard thing to capture effectively in writing, and it was inconsistently handled here, particularly in the late stages of the book.

There are plenty of twists and misdirections in this one, almost to the level of a Frieda McFadden novel, and that also felt a bit overdone. Loose ends are fully tied up, but the motivations of some of the characters felt forced. It will keep many guessing, but the payoff wasn't worth the journey for me.