Take the Bait [Mass Market Paperback]

S.W. Hubbard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2003

In remote Trout Run, a tiny town in the upper Adirondacks, a high school girl disappears on her way home one day. Was she kidnapped, or did she run away? Was a stranger involved, or was it someone local? When new Police Chief Frank Bennett tries to investigate, he finds himself blocked at every turn by the close-knit townsfolk. No one wants to believe a local was responsible, yet everyone seems to have secrets to hide. Is one of them hiding knowledge about her disappearance? And as the clock ticks for the girl, there's the biggest question of all: is she alive...or dead?

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The plot elements all add up to make an exciting and unpredictable read. I highly recommend Take the Bait." -- Mystery News, Robyn Glazer

John Westermann A heart-pounding mystery. -- Review

About the Author

S.W. Hubbard, an avid hiker and canoeist, has spent many happy hours exploring the High Peaks area of the Adirondacks, where her family built a vacation home on the banks of the West Branch of the Ausable River. She has worked for more than twenty years as a marketing promotions writer and lives in Morristown, New Jersey, with her husband, two children, and cat. Take the Bait, her debut mystery featuring Police Detective Frank Bennett, was published by Pocket Books.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Pocket (April 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743466535
• ISBN-13: 978-0743466530
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,073,990 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Strong Debut Mystery, April 2, 2003

By 

Martha E. Crites (Seattle, Wa United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Take the Bait (Mass Market Paperback)

Police Chief Frank Bennett is a man on the rebound--from a career cut short by a serious mistake, from the death of his wife. In the small town of Trout Run, New York, he gets a second chance and considers himself lucky. But when a local girl goes missing, he realizes how tenuous his new role is. The town guards its secrets and doesn't appreciate a stranger who tries to dig beneath the surface of the idyllic small town image. A powerful local family blocks his investigation and even threatens to terminate his contract.

Penny Stevenson, another outsider, married into the quintessential American dream in Trout Run and describes it this way: "It all seemed so perfect, so Norman Rockwell. I guess I fell in love with the whole package--the small town life surrounded by a big family. But I can't seem to get this family solidarity thing right....I guess it's like royalty. You have to be born into it."

Frank has a theory--that the missing teen was not kidnapped or abducted by a stranger, but instead that she went on her own, or maybe with the help of someone nearby. And she had a good reason to go. Despite the complaints and roadblocks thrown in his way, Frank continues his search. When he uncovers the truth, he finally earns the respect of his new town.

Take the Bait is reminiscent of traditional British mysteries, but with a moody setting in New York's Adirondack Mountains. In both setting and mood, it reminded me of Julia Spencer-Fleming's In the Bleak Midwinter, a recent Agatha Award winner for best first novel. I recommend that readers watch for more from debut writer S. W. Hubbard.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A satisfying read for mystery lovers, April 23, 2003

By 

Elizabeth Zelvin "www.elizabethzelvin.com" - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Take the Bait (Mass Market Paperback)

S.W. Hubbard makes the most of the Adirondacks setting, which comes alive with such details as the mud in spring and the categorization of the population as "from around here" and "not from around here," to launch a series featuring likeable, intelligent police chief Frank Bennett in a suspenseful story that kept the plot twists coming and also managed to keep them both plausible and pleasantly baffling. I'm looking forward to the next in the series. :)

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kept me up past my bedtime, July 13, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Take the Bait (Mass Market Paperback)

I picked up this book planning to read just a few chapters before bed. Immediately, I got hooked by this story of a small town girl who isn't quite who she seems to be. I read well into the night, because I kept thinking I could figure out what was going on if I just read one chapter more. The author has created teriffic characters, laid out lots of red herrings, and tells the story with suspense and flashes of wry humor. Ultimately, I was surprised and amazed by how Hubbard pulls together all the plot elements into a coherent and satisfying conclusion. Read this book !