The Hunted

This story scared me. I would get so engrossed in reading the story that anytime someone walked in the room, I'd startle and scream. (ask my husband and sons if you don't believe me!) If you want to read a story that will have you holding your breath one minute - well, maybe for a few pages - then relaxing in the local diner over a cup of coffee the next, then you MUST read this story! I cannot believe this is Mike Dellosso's first novel! Move over Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti, there is a new star on the horizon! I love suspense thrillers. But I especially love suspense thrillers with a good, believable element of true faith. Mike Dellosso blends these elements in a beautiful way that allows him to fictionally portray the spiritual battle taking place all around us for the souls of men. This book may be fiction, but the battle is real, and Mike captures both the darkness of human depravity (very scary character!!) and the awesome grace and forgiveness offered to all from the loving hand of God. (The struggle Joe and Rosa face as God works through them to help uncover the town's long held secret is very realistic!) Fair warning - this is not a book for the big honkin' chicken club members! This is a very suspenseful and sometimes scary story. But you will devour its pages from front cover to back so fast that you will feel the breeze!! This well-written, fast-paced novel is a GREAT STORY! I highly recommend it and anxiously await another book from Mike Dellosso!! P.S. Please take time to read Mike's blog. He was recently diagnosed with colon cancer, and the testimony he shares as God walks with him through this trial is extremely powerful! Also, if you go to his website and sign up for his newsletter, you will receive a FREE short story entitled The Last Hunt (not related to The Hunted)! Check it out!!

When Joe hears that his nephew Caleb has gone missing, he immediately sets off for the town where his sister-in-law and nephew live to help out with the searching. Through God's grace Caleb is found-horribly mauled by some strange animal, but alive. Unfortunately, the next people to meet the beast weren't as lucky, and it soon becomes apparent that it's on a mission and that it will take extraordinary strength to stop it. But how, when they don't even know what it is? Those who've caught a glimpse of it claims it's a lion, and the remains would indicate the same thing, but who has ever heard of a lion loose in America? The first hunting trip goes terribly amiss, and after that the local chief of police, Maggie Gill, suddenly clams up and will reveal nothing further about its whereabouts. It's therefore up to Joe to puzzle the pieces together: Chief Maggie's silence; a retarded reclusive who knows more than he lets on; and the return of a mysterious beast that terrorized the woods 80 years ago. Mike Dellosso has been named the next Frank Peretti and with good reason. He manages to build and hold a level of suspense I've yet to find in the writings of any other author. Also regarding plot, The Hunted is very similar to The Oath, and if you liked one, you're bound to enjoy the other as well. I'm among those who liked The Oath so I had very high hopes for The Hunted, and fortunately I wasn't disappointed. This is a very impressive first book from a new author who shows great potential. The level of suspense he manages to sustain is unmatched by most other authors, and had my eyes racing ahead of me to see what would happen next. Mike's love for God is very obvious, and he manages to make these views a natural part of the book, instead of falling into the trap of having it seem tacked on and sermonizing. Don't read this book if you're home alone after dark. But do read it in broad sunlight and enjoy this fascinating page-turner from a promising new author. Armchair Interviews agrees.

While playing in the woods with his friends, eleven-year-old Caleb Saunders is viciously attacked by a large, snarling, mysterious animal. His uncle Joe, a man struggling with his newfound faith, sets out on a mission to find the creature. Along the way he rekindles a friendship, and maybe something more, with the local Chief of Police who's on a mission of her own. The two uncover things about themselves and the monster terrorizing their community they wish they hadn't. As you read The Hunted you can't help but draw comparisons to another celebrated monster story--The Oath by Frank Peretti. Both feature heroes bent on finding a rogue animal (a bear in The Oath, a lion in The Hunted) who's either killed or hurt someone they love. Their female counterparts are law enforcement officers with pasts, and there's a spiritual battle raging behind what's happening in the physical realm. The Hunted has a little less gore and symbolism than The Oath but fits the horror/supernatural vein perfectly. I cut my Christian fiction teeth on Frank Peretti, so it was a pleasure to find a worthy counterpart in The Hunted. It's refreshing to pick up a novel like this one which engages us right from the start and doesn't shy from Biblical truths. It's a dark world. We need more light in our books, and The Hunted lets it shine. It still delves into the gritty reality of its characters, but with a restraint that's appreciable. A recent trend in Christian fiction is toward vague spiritual references and good stories that don't include swearing, sex or graphic violence but also don't include much in the way of Christian content, either. There's certainly a place for all types of novels, but it can be disappointing to pick up a book from a Christian publisher that really has no spiritual takeaway other than the characters believing in God. Dellosso's first novel doesn't disappoint. It's sure to earn him shelf space alongside the "greats" like Peretti and Dekker. I was honored to have the chance to endorse The Hunted as follows: From page one The Hunted grabbed me by the collar and wouldn't let go. It's full of intrigue, supernatural undertones, and true-to-life characters. I highly recommend this superb debut novel. Mike Dellosso could very well be the next Frank Peretti--if you liked The Oath and Monster, you are going to love The Hunted. --Reviewed by C.J. Darlington for TitleTrakk

The Hunted grabbed me from the beginning and didn't let go. Joe Saunders left Dark Hills long ago, but returns when he learns his nephew is missing. What he discovers is incomprehensible. A rogue lion roaming the woods and terrorizing the town? In Pennsylvania? Joe, along with Maggie who knows more about the "secret" than she lets on, is pulled into the mysterious and deadly attacks on the residents of Dark Hills. As he draws closer to the truth, he must choose whether or not to draw closer to the God who has let him down. I was intrigued with the storyline and the "secret" plaguing the little town of Dark Hills. This book kept me reading way past my bedtime! The writing was exceptional for a debut novel and the pacing kept me turning pages. Though I'm squeamish with "bloody" descriptions and not a fan of "horror," The Hunted didn't overdo the violence. This is definitely an author to watch!

If you like Frank Peretti (The Oath, Monster), you'll love this Christian novel by Mike Dellosso. This powerful, edge-of-your-seat suspense tale has everything you'd expect from a good Peretti: scary scenes, a supernatural battle between the forces of good and evil, flawed Christian characters who struggle with their faith, spiritual warfare, a town with a dark secret, a touch of romance, a freakish monster on the prowl for his next victim, nail-biting suspense, and lots of well-crafted action. This novel has everything going for it. The mysterious plot is fresh and original, and Mike does an excellent job of dangling the mystery over the head of the reader and very slowly revealing it bit by bit. He kept me guessing and the pages turning. The novel also offers several powerful spiritual themes about prayer and about returning to the God we sometimes turn our back on. The story's message has stayed with me long after I finished the last page. This is an amazing debut novel that kept me hooked from the first chapter. I had a hard time putting this book down, and I'm eager to see what Mike does next. Check out this novel. You won't be disappointed. It's better than most Ted Dekker I've read. Deeper. More complex. More spiritually satisfying. I especially enjoyed the ending. Just when I thought the story was over, culminating in a creepy hunt in the fog, more was yet to come. Don't miss it. This novel delivers. Just be sure to keep the light on.