"Relentless"

So you already know that Clair M. Poulson is my favorite author, which means that I love to share his books. "Relentless" is one of his that I really relate to because my over active imagination loves to think about what I would do if I were kidnapped. I like to think that most people have thought about how they would act in that kind of situation, but maybe I am just weird.

"Relentless" is about Erika, a young girl that is on a camping trip in Colorado with her family and, after deciding that she is tired of campfire food, she goes into the small town near her campsite to pick up some groceries. The town is buzzing with the news of how local boy Butch Snyder escaped prison and is coming back to exact revenge. The townsfolk are a little on edge and a friendly police officer warns Erika to hurry back up to her family in case Butch were to decide to come back.

Erika stops by a little gas station to grab her groceries and then get out of there, but her quick stop turns into a living nightmare as a handsome young man pulls a gun on the old man behind the cash register and tells nobody to move. Butch isn't stupid, he knows that he has to have hostages for the cops to let him leave alive. For different reasons though it seems like his hostages are slipping through his fingers. All but one. He is not letting Erika go. He knows she is too frightened to try and run, plus she is very attractive so she wouldn't be too bad to have around through all of this. With a gun in her ribs and a knife to her throught he manages to escape the gas station where the cops had him cornered. Once they leave town though the cops are hot on their trail and Butch, with Erika in tow, flees to the mountains. This leads to an intense game of cat-and-mouse between the cops and Butch, all the while Erika is wondering if she will make it out of this alive.

This book is gripping right from the start and will keep you on the edge of your seat with it's fast-moving story line and plot twists. You won't be able to put it down because you are afraid of what will happen to Erika if you're not there to keep reading the story. Poulson sucks you in and makes you feel like you are right there in Butch's clutches. It also has a kind of coming-of-age story intertwined as young and immature Erika grows during her time with Butch and realizes that there are more important things than her own safety. If you are looking for a book that is not very long but will completely take over your life while you are reading it, then this is it. It's fun, it's clean, and it's thrilling. Go get your copy right now!
And then, of course, let me know what you think!