In Kelly J. Ford’s The Hunt, the Hunter Is No Easter Bunny

Nell Holcomb is consumed with grief and guilt. Grief, because she mourns the loss of her brother, Garrett, guilt, because she blames herself for his death.

Nell lives in Presley, Arkansas and works the grave yard shift as a floor supervisor at the local Mayflower Plastics factory. After Garrett’s death, his wife, Tessa, found herself unable to care for their son, Elijah. Nell took over raising her nephew who is now in high school. Elijah doesn’t see his mother and would be shocked to learn that Nell is in love with Tessa and they have been meeting secretly. 

Elijah also doesn’t know the circumstances that led to his father’s death. What he does know is that Garrett is considered the first victim of the Hunter. Since 2008, in the days before Easter, the local radio station, KAOK, has sponsored a treasure hunt for a golden egg hidden somewhere in Presley. Each year, however, someone dies during the hunt and while the causes of death are often undetermined, conspiracy theorists in the town believe the victims have been killed by the Hunter.

KAOK’s Rod Halstrom announces clues to the egg’s location. Since the prize  is worth $50,000, even those who believe in the Hunter, dubbed “eggheads,” spend time hunting either solo or in teams. Nell manages to hold her stuff together most times, but when Easter draws near, she falls apart, reliving the night her brother died. This year, however, Nell’s meltdown is more severe, coming on the heels of a breakup with Tessa. At the casino, she meets a woman and drinks in the lounge soon lead to a sexual encounter in a hotel room. When the woman leaves, she tells Nell it was too bad that “Garrett had to die.” A very drunk and very nude Nell races through the casino failing to catch the woman, but going viral on the internet and the news.

In press materials, Kelly J. Ford says that the theme for her latest mystery came from her childhood in Arkansas where a similar egg hunt was held every year. “For some reason, this family-friendly event and associated clues filtered through my mind and ears as creepy,” she says. “For years, I’ve been noodling on how to write a story about that feeling I got. The Hunt is the outcome of that noodling.”

Ford certainly nails the creepiness of a hunt where not even the possibility of becoming a murder victim stops those hoping to find the $50,000 egg. But she also manages to get into the family and friend situations that serve as a backdrop for the competition. Nell steers clear of the hunt, but even her best friend, Ava, knowing that Garrett’s death is linked to the event, still convinces Elijah to join her hoping they will be the winners. When Elijah disappears, Ava and Nell go on their own hunt, hoping the young man won’t meet the same fate as his father.

The Hunt
Kelly J. Ford

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