Review | Cricket Hunters by Jeremy Hepler

When Cel was a teenager, she was part of a group who call themselves the Cricket Hunters. One of them disappeared without a trace and was never found. Fifteen years later, Cel’s husband goes missing and the police have set their suspicions on her. But is her husband’s disappearance related to their past? And will Cel be able to find out the truth?

She’d been raised to believe that if spells and rituals were used in the right way, cast or performed by a dedicated, well-versed bruja with an enlightened spirit, they could influence anything from hair thickness to emotions.

Cricket Hunters is a compelling horror story that isn’t afraid to get dirty! With spells, rituals, incantations and Cel’s practice of brujería, this book brings something different than the usual horror story. I liked this aspect of the story and how other characters dismiss Cel’s beliefs as it felt like a realistic depiction. I thought the flashback interspersed with the present story successfully sheds light on the mystery and gives an added dimension to the characters’ relationship with each other. The ending is really satisfying with no loose ends.

As much as I was pulled along by the plot, I had a hard time connecting with the characters. I found Cel, her husband Parker and their friends to be really unlikable which I don’t think it was meant to be that way. Also, these are purely personal issues but I’m not a fan of the cheating trope and animal cruelty, both of which feature quite prominently here. While I was ultimately fine with the former as it served the story, I thought the latter is unnecessary and soured my enjoyment of the book.

Overall, Cricket Hunters is a unique horror story and while I didn’t love it, the right reader would definitely enjoy this!

I received a copy from the publisher and Netgalley for review purposes.

About the author: Jeremy Hepler

Photo by Dan Farrell