Happy Friday! Today I am in one of my happy places, and what better way to relax is with a book set just a few miles (as the crow flies) down the road. Trail of Danger by Hope Welborn is action-packed right from the beginning — I love a fast-paced suspense!
Here’s the first line:
Scott Hutton, Jr. Sloshed through the shallow waters at the edge of the Chattahoochee River and trudged up the bank to dry ground.
A mysterious toxin leads to a deadly pursuit along the Appalachian Trail
Scott “Huck” Huxton, Jr. has returned to his hometown, a place full of painful reminders of his troubled childhood. An urgent plea from his sister spurs him to find the cause of the puzzling illness plaguing her and her infant son. Utilizing his skills from the Army’s Environmental Command, Huck discovers toxic waste in the Chattahoochee River.
Forest Ranger Jenna Davenport thought she would never see Huck again, after her mistake destroyed his family. But when he asks for help, she can’t turn him down. This could be the second chance she’s hoped for, as long as he doesn’t discover the terrible secret she has carried for over a decade.
Targeted by the criminals behind the contamination, they escape along the Appalachian Trail. But danger follows them, leading them on a perilous journey through the national forest. As Huck and Jenna fight for survival, they must also face their past and the secret that could destroy their future.
Hope Welborn writes spine-tingling suspense, sprinkled with romance, and saturated with faith. Her manuscripts have won the ACFW Genesis Contest and the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference Foundations Awards in romantic suspense.
As a #writerwithadayjob, she spends her lunch hours creating small town characters who face big suspense with faith in a big God. By day, she masquerades as a digital content marketing technology specialist, and by night, she stays up too late putting words on the page.
Hope also serves as editor and web manager for Spark Flash Fiction and is a member of the Suspense Squad.
Great first line!
This sounds like a very interesting plot.
My snippets: https://headfullofbooks.blogspot.com/2026/04/review-why-fathers-cry-at-night.html