A honeymoon couple from New York go on a camping trip in upper NY State, but it turns into a nightmare. Getting lost is one matter; Natalie and Doug are not that far from civilisation. But the rugged country quickly injures them, and someone with a vicious way of settling disputes has been hiding out in the wilderness.

WICKED RIVER could as easily be wicked mountains or wicked forest. However challenging, the countryside is neutral towards people, but madman Kurt is not. No, Kurt has built a survivalist shelter and traps, and he's picked off a hiker who came too close. Now he's got a hankering for company.

The story jumps rapidly among the many characters, which I'm starting to see a lot in today's books, a sign perhaps of a Twitter and social feed-filled life. We have to keep up with each one in bite-size packages, even if we don't much like them or care about what they are doing. Mia, the young teen niece of Natalie, occupies a chunk of the book in this way, simply in order to hint that some shady men are interested in Doug. This just pads out the plot and shows us some normal life, until Mia takes reckless action toward the end of the account.

The issue of Natalie and Doug seems fogged over. Why didn't Natalie know very much about her husband's early years, and why didn't she ask him pertinent questions before marriage? Like many a bride in the past, Natalie wants Doug to be her leader and hero, so she comes across as a simple personality until she starts standing up to Doug about survival techniques. Doug was supposed to be showing her how to canoe, hike and camp; he wasn't supposed to get them lost without gear. Natalie does begin to emerge as a stronger person full of determination and wits once she makes her own decisions and learns from her experiences.

Anyone who would enjoy a vivid suspense story about the rugged Adirondacks should consider Jenny Milchman's book WICKED RIVER. The author founded Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day, which is a great recommendation, even if this current thriller is not a book for children.