I am always thrilled when I learn that a reader has enjoyed one of my books, but occasionally, there is a review that just shows that the reader understood what I am trying to do. This recent review of Hunter's Revenge is one of them. I am so grateful to every reader who takes time to leave a review, even just a few words. That is the ultimate compliment.
The Blurb
Hunter by name – Hunter by nature.
Detective Inspector Hunter Wilson is a loyal friend and a fair leader.
He is called to the scene of a murder in Edinburgh where the corpse has been fatally shot. He is dismayed to find the victim is his friend and colleague, George Reinbold. Hunter must investigate Reinbold’s murky past in Germany to identify George’s killer.
At the same time, Hunter is tasked with looking into a previously undetected criminal gang supplying drugs from Peru. There seems to be no connection between the murder and the drug supply until Hunter unexpectedly secures help from inmates of the local jail.
Hunter’s investigations are hampered by distracted members of his team and unobservant witnesses.
Reinbold was not the quiet, old man Hunter believed him to be and his killer bore their grudge for a lifetime.
Hunter's Revenge is the explosive second book in the DI Hunter Wilson thriller series.
The Review
Firstly, let me make it clear that though this is the second in a series, you can read it as a stand-alone - though I have read “Hunter’s Chase” and appreciated the way this book developed characters and plot lines. In particular, I was very happy to see young Frankie making such a good job of looking after his twins. I have noticed that young people are complex and often sympathetic characters in this series, not one-sided thugs or criminals-in-waiting. I hope Frankie’s GP does something about the acne though…that poor lad needs a break.
The star of the book is a composite - Hunter and his team. In their interactions and conversation an almost physical setting is built up, a place where where the reader is welcome and at home. Hunter himself is a loner, the calm heart of the whirlwind, while his team cheerfully and competently restore faith in the police with their intelligence and dedication. It is a pleasure to see a group of people who get on so well working together, with no sign of drug or alcohol abuse to be seen! That said, they don’t all have easy lives, but like most people they get on with stuff with no angsty set pieces designed to ram home that they have problem relations or come from difficult backgrounds. This realism is one factor that drives the narrative, the other being the dialogue, which is witty and energetic, like Hunter’s team.
Light-hearted touches pepper the book but don’t destroy the essentially serious nature of the job being done by these relatable people. Having said that, I loved the way that the preparations for a wedding inevitably led to a useful suspect sighting or similar.
Edinburgh herself is drawn beautifully. A good sign for me is if I have to pull up a map as I read so I can trace a character’s journey, and following Hunter on a walk through Dean Village convinced me that I need to visit soon!
The great move to a single force, Police Scotland, is coming up in the next book and I suspect several of my favourites will no longer be working in Hunter’s team. Several members of team are considering their options, and I am curious to see who replaces them and with what effect.
To sum up - a more than competent police procedural with a likeable cast of characters, that will leave the reader wanting the next in the series immediately!
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