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Table of Contents
About The Book
A poacher-turned-game-warden is on the hunt for a bloodthirsty cult in this unnerving thriller from the authors of the “artful chiller” (Lincoln Child, #1 New York Times bestselling author) Wilderness Reform.
Clark Rickert was once the most prolific big game poacher throughout the Rocky Mountain west but when he lost both his son and his wife, he turned away from hunting. Now a game warden working for the very law enforcement officers that once pursued him so aggressively, Clark is overwhelmingly successful at his job.
So, when there’s a string of disappearances in rural Montana, Clark is selected to join a task force on an operation targeting a mysterious, violent cult in the area. As he works to uncover the truth, Clark begins to be plagued by visions and starts to realize that there is a deeper purpose to his assignment and the cult might up to something far more terrifying than anyone could have guessed.
From two authors who “set themselves apart with sterling prose” (Publishers Weekly), Blood Trail is an eerie and suspenseful horror novel that will sink its teeth in you.
Clark Rickert was once the most prolific big game poacher throughout the Rocky Mountain west but when he lost both his son and his wife, he turned away from hunting. Now a game warden working for the very law enforcement officers that once pursued him so aggressively, Clark is overwhelmingly successful at his job.
So, when there’s a string of disappearances in rural Montana, Clark is selected to join a task force on an operation targeting a mysterious, violent cult in the area. As he works to uncover the truth, Clark begins to be plagued by visions and starts to realize that there is a deeper purpose to his assignment and the cult might up to something far more terrifying than anyone could have guessed.
From two authors who “set themselves apart with sterling prose” (Publishers Weekly), Blood Trail is an eerie and suspenseful horror novel that will sink its teeth in you.
About The Authors
Photograph by Sonya Query
Matt Query, born and raised in Boulder, Colorado, is a wildland firefighter and a litigator who focuses on legal issues related to water rights, natural resources, public lands, and fish and wildlife management. He and his brother are the authors of Old Country, Wilderness Reform, and Blood Trail.
Photograph by Chelsea Fisher
Harrison Query is a Colorado native whose work as a writer has spanned multiple genres. He has developed screenplays for a variety of film companies and has worked with Ridley Scott, Chris Columbus, Robert Zemeckis, and more. He and his brother are the authors of Old Country, Wilderness Reform, and Blood Trail.
Product Details
- Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books (October 14, 2025)
- Length: 320 pages
- ISBN13: 9781668024232
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Raves and Reviews
"The Querys set themselves apart with sterling prose...supernatural thriller fans will find plenty to enjoy."
– Publishers Weekly
“Eerie, brooding, and immersive. Wilderness Reform is underscored by an ever-rising tone of dread that builds to a terrifying crescendo.”
– Marcus Kliewer, author of WE USED TO LIVE HERE
“Wilderness Reform simmers with a veritable furore of adolescent rage infused with a rich vein of crawling terror. Its claws held me in a vice-grip until the very end. Genuinely unnerving, unfolding horror of the very best kind.”
– Matt Wesolowski author of the SIX STORIES series
* Praise for OLD COUNTRY *
“What started as the spookiest of tales on Reddit--I should know, as I love them--sparked a tour-de-force of a novel that perfectly renders the tensions of living in isolation and the unforgiving passage of the seasons of the natural world. On top of that, OLD COUNTRY delivers an unyielding sense of dread and suspense. I can’t wait for more from the Query brothers.”
– Thomas Olde Heuvelt, author of HEX and ECHO
“An artful chiller. OLD COUNTRY stirs up our primal dread of a hostile wilderness, indifferent to man, that‘s reminiscent of such great works as Algernon Blackwood‘s THE WENDIGO.”
– Lincoln Child, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“Action-packed horror... Fans of Stephen King and Paul Tremblay will find this a satisfying escape into the woods.”
– Kirkus Reviews
“An extraordinarily assured debut: uncanny yet real, both lyrical and brutal, rich with truth about life and death.”
– Michael Rutger, author of THE ANOMALY
“Propulsive. The Querys nicely work the worldbuilding into the action [and] when the horror elements hit, they hit hard. Fans of Joe Hill and Paul Tremblay will want to check this out.”
– Publishers Weekly
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): Blood Trail Hardcover 9781668024232
- Author Photo (jpg): Matt Query Photograph by Sonya Query(0.1 MB)
Any use of an author photo must include its respective photo credit
- Author Photo (jpg): Harrison Query Photograph by Chelsea Fisher(0.1 MB)
Any use of an author photo must include its respective photo credit
