Customer Reviews

The Hunt: A Novel

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Twelve years ago Miranda Moore escapes a serial killer who tortured her and a friend for days before letting them loose for a sick kick of hunting his wounded prey. Miranda escapes but her friend doesn't. As a result Miranda has made it her life's work to find missing people and to hunt "the Butcher" and to bring him to justice. But, when another body turns up mutilated and dead it's obvious the killer is still active. She's prepared to do what she must to catch him...at least she thinks she is. When Special Agent Quinn Preston returns to help with the case...all of the old feelings Miranda has tried to bury comes flooding back. At one time she loved Quinn-deeply. Will she be able to work with him while trying to stay one step ahead of killer who hasn't forgotten she is the one that got away?

This was a graphic read but not gratuitous in its nature. Ms. Brennan has done a fine job of building the back story between Quinn and Miranda without loosing the tension of the murder storyline. This was a very well rounded fast-paced read. I truly enjoyed the romance between Quinn and Miranda. I look forward to reading this author in the future.

Twelve years is a long time to eat, sleep and breathe revenge. But if that revenge is the result of miraculously surviving a week of rape and torture--and the loss of a friend--at the hands of a madman the world calls The Butcher, it is understandable.

Miranda Moore's past haunts her daily. And with the horrible discovery of The Butcher's latest mutilated victim in Montana, Miranda becomes even more determined to stop him at all costs.

But when the local sheriff calls in Miranda's former lover, FBI agent Quinn Peterson, to help with the case, her pain surfaces yet again. It was Quinn who helped her recover from her ordeal and loved her, but he also prevented her from becoming an FBI agent. And she hasn't forgotten that betrayal.

The race to prevent another murder is on and Miranda knows she must stop the madman before he kills again. But this time he just might try to finish the job left undone when Miranda escaped with her life.

Allison Brennan's The Hunt is stunning! Her story is detailed without being overblown, her descriptions put you right into the heart of the story and she leaves you breathless as she weaves tenderness, love, loyalty and determination into the violence of murder.

Armchair Interviews says: For a roller coaster ride of suspense, you won't want to miss reading The Hunt. You won't believe who did it. Brennan does murder better than almost everyone writing in the suspense genre.

"...a taut, well-paced romantic thriller that will leave you desperate to read the third and final book in the series. Hunt it down in the shops now!"

Miranda Moore is no ordinary woman. Twelve years ago she escaped from a serial killer, The Bozeman Butcher, but her best friend, Sharon, wasn't so lucky. Neither were several other young girls from the local college who he hunted and tortured for fun. In an effort to control her life and deal with 'survivors guilt', she enrolled with the FBI under the watchful eye of her mentor and lover, Quinn Peterson. But when he forced her out of the programme because he felt she hadn't joined the FBI for the right reasons, Miranda never thought she'd see Quinn again. Not that she wanted to, after how he treated her.

However, with The Butcher still on the loose, and holding another victim captive, Miranda felt compelled to assist in her capacity as a search and rrescue specialist. She owed it to the victim's families, her dead best friend and perhaps her sanity. Unfortunately she is still vulnerable, and before long Miranda and Quinn are reunited and their old feelings resurface. Is it now too late to return to how they were? With the killer back on the scene, and Miranda his latest quarry, they may never have the chance to find out.

When I picked up this book I wasn't sure what to expect. How could it be as good as The Prey, Ms Brennan's debut book? Nothing could beat that, or so I thought. As you can tell, I was not disappointed. The Hunt, the second book in this trilogy is just as good. In fact, in some ways The Hunt is even better. Allison Brennan has yet again pulled out all the stops to create another gripping masterpiece. As an entertainer she knows how to pack a punch!

From the meaty dialogue to the thrilling, nail-biting plot, Allison sends her protagonist and all those who are dear to her to hell and back several times. Readers who love to hear gruesome details from inside a serial killer's mind, whilst peeking inside the forensic investigations as they unravel hidden clues, will be enthralled by her talented storytelling capabilities.

Also, if it's love you want, there are some great romantic and tender scenes to keep you happy, too. What a plot! It is obvious that a huge amount of planning and thorough research has been undertaken to produce such a believable and exciting story. I could quite easily imagine this being made into a film or a TV drama series. I only hope we get a chance to see it over here in the UK! This is a taut, well-paced romantic thriller that will leave you desperate to read the third and final book in the series The Kill, coming soon!

Jeepers creepers!

I didn't know if Allison Brennan could top the creepy atmosphere she created in her debut, THE PREY.

She did. In THE HUNT, she doubled it.

Oh man...

THE HUNT is fantabulous. With a gutsy heroine, a truly twisted killer, an explosive storyline and a number of crafty suprises, this gritty, often horrific, thriller is almost impossible to put down.

Miranda Moore lived through a week of hell 12 years ago at the hands of an elusive serial killer, the Bozeman Butcher. Since then, the haunted, driven Miranda-the only survivor of the Butcher-is obsessed with stopping this cold, cruel monster who destroyed her life.

Miranda, the Butcher and several other notable characters, including FBI agent Quinn Peterson (from THE PREY) and Sheriff Nick Thomas, are wonderfully sketched. Miranda, in particular, is finely tuned-a conflicted character alternating between strength and vulnerability. Her internal struggle is, at times, gutwretching.

In truth, a reader may even feel a stab of pity for the Butcher as the story of his horrifying childhood unravels within THE HUNT.

Ms. Brennan's fluid style of writing, her remarkable talent for pacing suspense and her intriguing characters combine for a killer thriller. The dynamite romance in this story is just icing on the cake.

THE PREY propelled Ms. Brennan to the top of her genre. THE HUNT should cement her position there.

Debbie Jett, reviewer
romancereaderatheart.com

Miranda Moore heads up the search-and-rescue squad in Montana - ever since she left Quantico the day before graduation. Quinn Peterson is the FBI agent in charge of the killings of a serial killer dubbed The Butcher - the serial killer that Miranda escaped years before. Miranda's past haunts her - most of all her escape when her best friend died at his hands. With Miranda's knowledge of the local area and the help of the local sheriff, Quinn focuses in on the clues left by the latest victims, despite his feelings for Miranda surfacing painfully. Meanwhile Miranda is facing the same problem - she's trying to ignore Quinn and her painful past so that she can catch the man that tortured her and killed her best friend. Interesting stories with good plots - a little heavy on the romance for a mystery, though.

In this second in Brennan's trilogy, the deft, creative twist to words breathes life into an unimaginative plot and characters with internal and relationship flaws that are too common in serial killer fiction.

Miranda Moore and a friend were once captured and tortured by a serial killer. Miranda survived and fell in love with an FBI agent working on her case. Their relationship ends badly, but after 10 years, the two people who never forgot each other are thrown together as the killer murders the seventh known victim.

The serial killer in this book tortures his victims, then releases them into the woods and hunts them down, shooting them or using a hunting knife to cut their throats. This has not only been featured in several fictional crime dramas, but also the focus of a killer in Australian Tara Moss' "Split" and other novels.

Miranda and Quinn Peterson, the FBI agent, are well-rounded, well-written characters, though the details of their relationship is stereotypical to this plot line.

Also, I had the whodunit figured out pretty quickly, but please note that I read a lot of suspense and faithfully watch CSI and Law and Order.

Though the plot and charactes were unimaginative, I could not, in good conscious, give this book less than 3 stars because the writing is THAT good. If you are unfamiliar with this serial killer method - and cannot pick out killers as quickly as I can in books - you will likely enjoy this installment.

Allison Brennan's second romantic suspense had a hard act to follow behind her NYT best selling THE PREY. But she managed to top that incredible debut book with THE HUNT.

Miranda Moore survived a week of torture no woman would want to face. The Butcher likes to rape and torture women chained to the floor...then turn them loose to hunt. Allison created a refreshingly non-stereotypical serial killer that creeps out the strongest readers. The story starts out fast and just keeps ratcheting up until the thrilling climax.

FBI agent Quinn never stopped loving Miranda. He helped her climb back into the daylight after she escaped the Butcher. But she never forgave Quinn for barring her from entry into the FBI. He's back and determined to regain her trust...if she'll let him. Suspense and romantic tension at its best.

One can only wonder about THE KILL...Allison's third book due out in March. Kudos on a brilliant start to a long writing career.

Miranda and Sarah were fleeing the killer, but the latter was falling behind. Miranda wants to live, but cannot ignore her friend. She goes back to help Sarah, but the predator closes in on them with his rifle, aims and fires. Sarah is dead while Miranda manages to escape.

Twelve years later in Montana, the seventh mutilated victim Rebecca Thomas of the serial killer the Butcher shakes up Sheriff Nick Thomas, who is pleased his friend FBI Agent Quincy Peterson will help on the investigation. Quin needs to end the reign of terror for Miranda Moore, a tough survivor who he carried to safety when she fled the Butcher twelve years ago. He loves her, but she is fixated on the Butcher, the reason he kicked her out of the FBI Academy. When another young woman is abducted, Quin leads the investigation with Miranda, a member of a Bozeman search-and-rescue unit, on his team.

The second Allison Brennan FBI thriller (see THE PREY) is an exhilarating tale that grips the audience from the moment that Nick, Quin, and Miranda converge on the latest murder scene and never slows down until the final conflict with the Butcher. The police procedural serial killer story line grips readers as they hope the cops can rescue the college coed before she becomes the latest brutalized Big Sky victim. The romantic subplot between Quin and Miranda adds tension as they love one another, but she has not forgiven him for flunking her at the FBI Academy, the hardest thing he ever did. Nick augments the pressure as he wants Miranda as his wife. Romantic suspense fans will cherish this taut thriller and look forward to more with THE KILL coming soon.

Harriet Klausner

I have read this entire series and just have to say I love it! I am a slow reader, so when i decide to pick up a book it had best be good and it had better get my attention! I just love the twists and turns Allison takes! I actually reread this set as well! That from a slow reader should speak volumes! I also love that each of these books can stand alone and if you miss one you really are not left out in the cold! I love the crossover of charachters. Currently working my way through the 'Evil' Series and am still happy with her! Thank you!!

I absolutely adore Allison Brennan's books. Although I have not read one if a very long time, they were always page turners, suspenseful, and I could never put the books down. I enjoyed her way of having the books suspenseful mysteries, with a little romance thrown in with the hero in the book, whether it was the cop, detective, or other hero in the book. Some of her books spooked me out a little, and I can only describe it as me making sure my back was against the wall, and that I could see every inch of the room I was in. Great books, great reads, great author, really recommend!