EXCERPT
Retribution Ridge
by Anna Willett
Author Anna Willett stops by today to share an excerpt from Retribution Ridge. Keep an eye out for my review later this year.
Description
A small hiking group in
the wilderness – with bloody revenge for company.
Milly has barely spoken to her sister Judith in years. They hardly exchanged a word at their mother’s funeral. They could not be further apart.
So when Milly gets an invitation to go on a hiking trip, she hopes it will be an opportunity for reconciliation. Inviting her school-friend Harper along with her for support, the small party head off together into the bush.
What awaits Milly is far from just a bracing hike in the wilderness, but an unexpected encounter with the past. The form it takes is revenge. But who is enacting it against Milly, and why?
Intense, gripping, and full of suspense.
Whilst the action in this book comes thick and fast, it is the relationship between the sisters and their mutual friend, Harper, that introduces the true darkness into the story.
If you enjoy nail-biting suspense fiction with great twists, Retribution Ridge is for you.
This book is set in the rugged landscape below Perth in South Western Australia, an area the author has explored in depth. You may also enjoy her first thriller, Backwoods Ripper.
Excerpt
Milly moved her head, trying to sit up, but Judith pushed her back down. “Don’t move, something might be broken.”
“Broken?” Milly repeated the word, her lips felt sloppy and wet. “Did I? What …” her voice trailed off. Her thoughts were muddy. She wanted to ask her what happened. “Where’s Drew?” The moment the words were out, she remembered. The images came in snatches and then winked on and off.
“You know where Drew is,” Judith’s tone changed from relieved to hesitant, wary. “He’s been dead for ten years.”
She knew that. Why did I ask about him? The back of her head screamed with pain and her whole scalp prickled. She let out a moan and winced. The movement of her mouth aggravated the pain.
“You had a bad fall,” Judith began. “I don’t know what happened, something with the ropes.”
“Harper?” Milly asked and tried to raise her hands to her face. A shock of agony seared through her lower back. The pain was so unexpected she tipped her head back and cried out. The movement set off another wave of scalp-raising torture at the back of her head.
“For God’s sake, Milly stop moving,” Judith’s voice trembled, the last word a wail. “You’re hurt. I don’t know how badly, but you have to keep still.” She took a deep breath. “Harper couldn’t get a signal on her phone so she and Lucas are hiking back to the beach to get help.”
[Want more? Click below to read a longer excerpt.]
Praise for the Book
"The tension here is drama and the action is unrelenting and chilling. The threads of the story are woven together like a fine fabric and the twists are clever. I haven't read much set in Australia and I really did enjoy the location descriptions which were very well drawn. The main female characters were believable and brave and human and the baddies were very bad indeed. It is brutal at times, in fact very brutal now and then but none of it is gratuitous and it is well done. The ending has a touch of sadness, a touch of left over fear and a degree of hope. What more can you ask. I finished it in two sittings and was truly gripped by it." ~ D. M. Dickson
"Oh wow - Anna has done it again! She's quickly becoming my favorite thriller author! This dark and intense thriller take you to the outback of the Australian wilderness with two sisters who are trying to reconcile after years of not speaking to each other. [...] With some nicely graphic survival scenes and deeply wrought emotion, this story was masterfully written and ensnared me from the very beginning. Full of twists and turns with plenty of surprises, I found myself holding my breath quite a few times to see what would happen next. I absolutely, thoroughly enjoyed this story and really can't wait to see what the author brings us next!" ~ Maia Silverdagger
"I highly recommend this fast paced action thriller. A group of friends set out on a hiking trip that turns deadly. I couldn’t put this book down. The action and twists kept coming. If you like scary thrill rides, you’ll love this." ~ Amazon Customer
"Plenty of action and suspense. Dark, intense and scary thriller with a few surprises thrown in. Well written and a joy to read." ~ Amazon Customer
"Wonderful thriller! Loved the outback setting and the sister relationship. Great read." ~ amazon customer
About the Author
Anna Willett is the author of Backwoods Ripper and Retribution Ridge. Raised in Western Australia, Anna developed a love for fiction at an early age and began writing short stories in high school. Drawn to dark tales, Anna enjoys writing thrillers with strong female characters. When she’s not writing, Anna enjoys reading, travelling and spending time with her husband and children.
Links
