Blood on the Trailhead - A Lost Grove Mystery

Blood on the Trailhead by Charlotte Zang and Alex Knudsen is a captivating mystery set in the lush, ancient woods of Northern California’s Humboldt Bay region. The story follows Hannah Albrecht, an archaeologist, who becomes obsessed with deciphering mysterious glyphs and petroglyphs along the park’s ridges, believing they lead to a lost ceremonial site of the Wiyot Tribe. Meanwhile, in the present day, a series of chilling events unfold as a young boy, Kevin Marlow, is mauled to death in Devil’s Cradle State Park, echoing the earlier spectral visions Hannah encounters as authorities scramble to piece together the clues—glyphs, animal attacks, and ancient legends. Chief of Police Seth Wolfe is not quite sure about what to think when a boy disappears and the signs of something even more sinister appear.

I was drawn in from the first page, and what immediately struck me was the backdrop against which the narrative unfolded. The authors, Charlotte Zang and Alex Knudsen, skillfully create an atmosphere that reinforces the chilling scenes that are scattered throughout the story. It is suspenseful, and the tension grows from page to page with dark supernatural elements hinted at before gory events. You’re never sure of what to expect, but the premonitions are strong. I enjoyed the vividly drawn characters, from the dedicated Hannah, whose passion for uncovering lost histories drives her into dangerous terrain, to the community members and law enforcement caught in the storm of tragedy and suspicion. The setting is vividly detailed, capturing the haunting beauty of redwood-draped landscapes, overgrown trails, and mysterious caves that seem to breathe with ancient power. The central conflict revolves around the mystery of the glyphs and the mystical presence that may be influencing events, culminating in a tense clash between scientific investigation and folklore. You’ll enjoy the crispness in the prose with the beautiful sentences, the sparkling dialogues, and the characters that refuse to be forgotten.