The hunt for Valerie

An experienced hiker's disappearance is a mystery

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Wilderness suspense novels tend to be full of simmering tension with the landscape fuelling the mood. Heartwood is set on the Appalachian Trail, a gruelling hike in the eastern US that covers thousands of kilometres. It’s the story of a race to save a woman who is lost and the people who are trying to find her.

Valerie Gillis is a solo hiker who has almost tackled the entire trail when she goes astray. Deep in the woods, as she tries to survive, she writes letters to her mother describing her experiences and telling of the way the trail has transformed her.