forests and woods Archives - fundinmentalfundinmental

MY REVIEW

All too often prequel’s are just a tease and set up for Book I of a series. I do so love with an author can make a prequel novella that stands alone yet makes me want the next one. Especially when a female FBI agent is looking for a woman that went missing on the 87 mile stretch of Jade Forest section.

We are off to a quick start, when a young girl goes missing in the Jade Forest.

Small town mystery with a couple of characters brought together under tragic circumstances. How much danger will they face? I think plenty. The big question is, where will it come from? Is it two legged or four legged? Will there be a romance?

Vanished by Jade Madden is a complete novella, an entire story, in one fell swoop. YAY!

It is written with a light touch. Though there is plenty of gruesome death, it’s over quick. I never really felt the sense of urgency and suspense I love so much. That’s okay. It is a novella and I don’t believe it was meant to. NOW…

What’s next in the Faith Black Case Files? Bring it on.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Vanished by Jade Madden.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos — 4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

An FBI Agent. A missing hiker. And a secret to die for…

FBI Agent Faith Black was damn good at her job.

But considering the events of her last case, she is lucky to still have her badge.

Her latest assignment lands her in a sleepy backwoods town where people are disappearing.

She’s less than enthused.

She partners with the local sheriff who’s desperate for answers. They agree that their only option is to retrace the footsteps of a college grad who recently vanished while hiking.

Together they scour the hiking trail over 87 miles through the thick mountain forest. They can’t shake the eerie feeling they are not alone.

Whatever was lurking in the shadows wants them gone.

And nothing could have prepared them for what they find.

It was a secret that the ominous forest has been hiding.

A secret only the dead knew…

Vanished is the prequel to the Faith Black FBI Crime Files series; it can be read as a standalone.

Disclaimer: This book is for mature audiences and contains mild profanity and violence.

102 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 1, 2022

ABOUT JADE MADDEN

Jade Madden lives in Minnesota with her husband and dogs. When she’s not writing mystery, thriller, and suspense books, she loves to travel, long-distance hiking, gardening, clean eating, learning about healthy lifestyles, bushcraft, herbalism, and staying fit.

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MY REVIEW

The Forest is a familiar story…they go into the forest and they don’t all come out. It’s what the author does to the characters more any original idea that will be the deciding factor. Having read some of Michaelbrent Collings stories, I expect something…surprising.

Alex and Trish are best friends. They are highly intelligent and keep to themselves…until Sam. He fits right in with them.

Now, Sam’s lost…in the forest…and they are going in to find him. They believe in science, regardless of what they saw, and they are looking for scientific answers. They have a need to understand…WHAT IN THE HELL IS IN THE FOREST?

The writing takes us to the past and back to the present again and again. In the beginning, I was confused, but quickly got the hang of it. As I reached the end, it all became clear.

I had a high level of anticipation when I opened The Forest, because I have read some of his other work and loved it. Though this was not my favorite Michaelbrent Collings novel, I did enjoy reading it. I am sorry to say that I was, at times, bored, finding my mind wandering. Could it be the writing (this is an ARC), the story being familiar, or Covid and the fact that I have been at home for almost six months now…

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of The Forest by Michaelbrent Collings.

GOODREADS BLURB

Three kids went in.
Now, twenty years later, the two survivors are going back…
***

For Tricia and Alex, the idea is simple: find and rescue their friend, Sam, from his insane mother.

But when they enter the forest, they discover that their idea is anything but simple. Because this forest isn’t like any other. In this forest, a silver mist hangs. In this forest, a simple trip of a few miles can turn into a nightmare.

In this forest, the monsters are real.

Twenty years later, Tricia and Alex remember nothing of what happened that day they lost their friend. They know only that three kids went in, but only two came out.

Now, they are going back. To find their lost memories. To discover what happened to Sam that day.

To encounter fear itself.

The forest, as Alex and Tricia will discover, is a place where madness reigns. A place where a simple path becomes an ordeal. A place where the past comes to life, and the future is anything but certain.

Because the dead don’t stay dead… in The Forest.

ABOUT MICHAELBRENT COLLINGS

Michaelbrent Collings is an internationally-bestselling novelist, multiple Bram Stoker Award nominee, produced screenwriter, and one of the top indie horror writers in the United States.

He hopes someday to develop superpowers, or, if that is out of the question, then at least to get a cool robot arm.

Michaelbrent has a wife and several kids, all of whom are much better looking than he is (though he admits that’s a low bar to set), and also cooler than he is.

Michaelbrent also has a Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/MichaelbrentC… and can be followed on Twitter through his username @mbcollings. Follow him for cool news, updates, and advance notice of sales. You will also be kept safe when the Glorious Revolution begins!

STALK MICHAELBRENT: Website / Twitter

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