Customer Reviews

Bewildered

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Intrigue and adventure in a fascinating, original setting - this book had me hooked from the beginning. Like in Mr. Foertmeyer's previous works, the scene set for this story was described so well that it made me feel like I was right there with the characters. I could see the dense forests and treacherous cliffs of Appalachia, and I could see myself walking down the streets of a town from another era. More importantly, he made me want to be there. I cared about the characters, and I was anxious to know how their wild tale unfolded. This story had all the elements I look for in a good read - love, mystery, suspense, justice. Way to go, Mr. Foertmeyer!

C.H. Foertmeyer is the award nominated author of seven previous books in the fantasy genre. Fans will find no time travel, shape shifting Native Americans, or other fantasy storylines in Bewildered. What readers will experience is a nifty suspense thriller, a reality based adventure with cunning twists and turns of plot that will keep you guessing until the end.

Annie and Charlie McVee plan to hike two hundred miles of the Appalachian Trail as a tenth anniversary gift to themselves. Never one to stick with the ordinary, Charlie plots a hike offtrail, in uncharted territory. Annie is uneasy when they discover impassable cliffs, then a small 18th century town with no inhabitants in sight. They decide to return to the trail, which takes them on a grueling experience that turns deadly when their GPS is damaged in a fall. Charlie wakes up in the Harlon County Tennessee hospital with two broken legs and a fractured hip. The hospital is staffed by one doctor and one nurse, and the facts don't match up with what Charlie remembers. He's told Annie died in a fall. After six weeks of recuperation, he returns to their home in Cincinnati to resume life without Annie. He's transported home by Michael McClellan, a resident of the tiny town they ran across while hiking. The town is Jessup, a Puralist community of people who do not believe in modern technology or violence.

After several weeks at home to think about his experience, Charlie discovers chilling truths. His family doctor says x-rays show no sign of badly fractured legs or hip. No medical bills have been sent or insurance claims filed for his six weeks in the hospital. And the hospital, town, and county where he recuperated do not exist on any map or record. He enlists a long time friend to accompany him back to Tennesee in search of answers.

Dr. John Roberts joined the Jessup community five years prior to Charlie's accident. He masquerades as a Puralist, who practice pure motives, when in truth he is after gold rumored to be buried nearby Jessup. He's developed an elaborate series of lies to throw Charlie off the truth and convinced the Puralists to go along. Roberts' sanity hangs by a thread as he bides his time anticipating a life of wealth with contraband gold. He definitely does not live by the Puralist philsophy of non violence and is prepared to kill everyone who interferes with his plans. People die. Horrible lies are concocted. And in the end, no one will be the same -- not Charlie, and certainly not the shy Puralists whose way of life is changed forever.

Bewildered features appealing characters and wild Appalachian terrain in an exciting storyline. Foertmeyer's first venture into the suspense thriller genre is a heart pounding experience.