Review of ‘Desolation Point’ by Cari Hunter,

Audiobook narrated by Nicola Victoria Vincent

After a rather emotional time with E. J. Noyes’s ‘Ask Me Again’, I needed a change of pace. So yeah, a story about being hunted by white supremacists in the wilderness didn’t sound traumatic at all. This is an adrenaline-filled lesbian thriller with badass women and it turned out to be a really good choice.

After a drunk driver shattered her life, Sarah has left England to enjoy some me-time. While hiking in the North Cascades National Park, near Seattle, in the U. S., she stumbles upon a murder and ends up involuntarily stealing the murderer’s duffel bag, all while a storm prevents her from getting to safety.

Alex, a former L. A. police officer, was on her own hike when the storm hit. On hearing about the lone hiker who has not yet made it back, her instincts kick in and she goes looking for Sarah.

Of course, there’s a lot more to the story than that, but I’ll let you find out on your own, it’s too good for me to add too many details.

I’m still bewildered that it’s taken me so long to read Cari Hunter’s books (my first was Breathe last summer). ‘Desolation Point’ is an excellent thriller, the events are frightening, the main characters endearing and perfectly matched. They’re both incredibly brave in an unconscious way, they simply do what needs to be done. I like when characters are sweet, I also like when, like these two, they’re tough and resilient. I loved the banter between them too, and the way their feelings for each other grew in a hostile environment. That’s one trope I genuinely like, how shared danger makes insta-love believable.

The narration is outstanding, and I have to honest here, coming after Abby Craden is no mean feat. Last time I listened to one of her narrations (Ask, Tell), I had to take a few days off audiobooks to give the next one a chance. Nicola Victoria Vincent and her seamless accents didn’t need any buffering. I am always most impressed by narrators who manage to make me forget they are narrating, that what I’m hearing is a sole person’s voice, and I’m even more in awe when there are accents involved. So naturally my next listen will be ‘Tumbledown’, this book sequel. 4.5 stars.

Duration: 7 hours, 46 minutes