The Kill Line is a part-survival story, part-murder mystery set in the great expanse of the Yellowstone National Park. We follow Jane, a young student, as she attempts to survive in a situation reminiscent of The Most Dangerous Game – there’s an armed killer in pursuit of her. Jane must use her education in wilderness survival and biology to face extreme weather and wild animal encounters, all while trying to bring a murderer to justice by escaping the park.
I appreciated the descriptions of the setting! The Yellowstone National Park is written as being equal parts bleak and beautiful. The author clearly has a good understanding of Yellowstone; the characters are passionate about the wilderness and, despite the unforgiving environment, the beauty of the park and wildlife is well described throughout the story.
At times it’s a struggle to connect with the story and take the characters seriously. The dialogue was awkward in parts and felt a little unrealistic. The characters had a knack for saying everything they were thinking and feeling out loud, regardless of whether they were alone. The romance sub-plot also felt awkward; a little underdeveloped and unlikely given the situation the main characters were in.
The mystery aspect of The Kill Line was a lot more satisfying than I had expected; there is a lot more at play than it seems. I thought I knew exactly where the story was going and was wrong. There were some unexpected twists throughout the story that kept things interesting.
Overall The Kill Line is a well-paced survival story – in need of a little polish and a bit unrealistic – but is an engaging thriller if you can suspend your disbelief. Readers who love tales of survival, murder mysteries and light romance would be likely to enjoy this.
★★★★ (4/10)
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