by: Amity Gaige
Goodreads synopsis:
Heartwood takes you on a journey as a search and rescue team race against time when an experienced hiker mysteriously disappears on the Appalachian Trail in Maine.
In the heart of the Maine woods, an experienced Appalachian Trail hiker goes missing. She is forty-two-year-old Valerie Gillis, who has vanished 200 miles from her final destination. Alone in the wilderness, Valerie pours her thoughts into fractured, poetic letters to her mother as she battles the elements and struggles to keep hoping.
At the heart of the investigation is Beverly, the determined Maine State Game Warden tasked with finding Valerie, who leads the search on the ground. Meanwhile, Lena, a seventy-six-year-old birdwatcher in a Connecticut retirement community, becomes an unexpected armchair detective. Roving between these compelling narratives, a puzzle emerges, intensifying the frantic search, as Valerie’s disappearance may not be accidental.
Helen says: 🤓🤓🤓🤓
What a welcome relief from What We Can Know! This was also unputdownable…I have a keen interest in the Appalachian Trail and a romanticized notion that I will one day hike a portion of it (at least). I am starting to get a little old for that now though (tick tock). Enough about me…on to the book…Heartwood started as a thriller and ended as a family drama. Great character development…it had a fantastic beginning but seemed to have a bit of a rushed ending…Regardless, I really enjoyed it.
Holly says:🤓🤓🤓🤓
Another winner – interesting and original. I know this – I am never hiking alone, and I am never leaving the trail. I read this book in two days because I could not wait to see how this all came together and how it ended. I was hooked! Again, likeable, but flawed characters – and plenty of them. I also thought the writing style was varied and really great. Not sure which character was my favorite (Lena is a popular choice), but this book was my favorite of the month.
Helen and Holly Hit the Books 