Customer Reviews

In the Name of the Father

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I want to start by stating that I love Gerri Hill's writing; One Summer Night, Dawn of Change, Sierra City and Artists Dream are all classics to me. My fav??? Hunters Way! I was estatic when I learned there was going to be a sequel. All the hype during the long wait to publishing and finally the book is on the shelf and guess what? It was a big letdown. Two stars is all I can honestly give this slow-paced story. This story was so passive and slow-moving that I practically fell asleep several times. The usual drama and excitement were not ingredients used in this particular recipe. This book was NOT as bad as The Cottage which was a total bomb from beginning to end. (Lord, I wanted to jump off a bridge.) If you are a Gerri fan like myself, I will not shoo you away from reading this sequel, but I can't in all honesty recommend to anyone. Gerri is among my favorite 3 authors and I'm loyal. I'm not going to catagorize her with S. King (just cranking out stuff from his desk drawer that didn't fly back in the day, but will today because he has made a name for himself) and will read whatever she writes in the future. But I do have my limits. Rootin' for you, Gerri.

First of all, I must start by saying that I have read every published Gerri Hill work that there is out there. She is my favorite author in this genre. Her writing style is relaxed, humorous, sometimes witty, definitely hot, and action packed (the action depends on the book). Hunters Way was by far my favorite but the sequel did not live up to my expectations. The chemistry wasn't there and it felt rushed. The story line was weak and I almost couldn't stomach that she chose a church/priest setting. Especially with all the news of priests these days. I couldn't muster any sympathy for the dead guy and his partner because there was no background to provide that kind of emotion. It just felt too rushed and not well outlined. However, I strongly suggest reading The Target or Sierra City. I also didn't think The Cottage was as horrible as other reviewers said. I think it was a change for Gerri and I strongly encourage her to "change it up" now and again.

I've been a fan of Gerri's since One Summer Night, and I know Hunter's Way is a hard act to follow, but Father just doesn't measure up to what this author has done (or can do). Backtracking a little--I felt cheated by The Cottage (perhaps better presented as a novella or a long short story in an anthology), and am again disappointed in the lack of depth in Father. I know there are more of Hill's books in the publishing process, but I must say I'm going to be hesitant to purchase stuff that should've been worked on until it was really worth printing. Cranking out books is one thing, publishing good work is something else. However, Ms. Hill is an excellent writer and I look forward to reading her best work in the future.

As I read other reviews of Gerri Hill's newest book "In the Name of the Father" I couldn't help but wonder if I read the same book. I was never a fan of crime/cop fiction until I read "Hunter's Way". Of course like most Gerri Hill fans I got caught up in the relationship that developed between Tori and Sam and forgot I prefer light romance. When I began to read "In the Name of the Father" the first time, I was afraid Gerri was going to split that charismatic and heartwarming duo as she introduced new characters. If you want to read a story that is all about romance, then "In the Name of the Father" is certainly not for you. But if you enjoy an unraveling mystery, a twist here and there with a few steamy sex scenes thrown in, then Gerri's latest book will fill the order. There are certainly questions left unanswered like the truth behind Tori's parent's murder. And Casey is certainly another beautiful, passionate, sexy and strong woman and you can't help but want her to find love. I see "In the Name of the Father" as a transitional story that sets up all those things to happen in the next book which I'm certain will be released late this year. It's kind of like an episode of your favorite crime scene investigation show, the show is complete in and of itself. The case at hand has been concluded but there are still those underlying subplots that continue from week to week. That's what Gerri created in "In the Name of the Father". If you loved "Hunter's Way" and want to know more about Tori and her life before Sam, you aren't going to want to miss this book. It's an interesting and entertaining story not to mention a wonderful way to spend a few hours. I might add that I didn't find the story slow at all. In fact I found it progressed very smoothly and I can't wait to read the next book in the series. Gerri Hill is definitely an excellent writer and only someone of her skill could tackle a plot as tricky and sensitive as the one I found "In the Name of the Father" and do it superbly. I still say you can't miss with a Gerri Hill book and "In the Name of Father" is yet another wonderful read in her long list of amazing stories.

Most of us come to expect some form of excellence from Gerri Hill. I perhaps less so than others, as I am a greater fan of so many other writers.

My expectations were high going into this one as I thoroughly enjoy the character, Hunter from "Hunter's Way."

Indeed, the storyline in this sequel is the opposite of refreshing, at times too twisted to feel realistic, and in many places the author puts too much force into highlighting Hunter's impatience and anger. This alone should have made the novel a disappointment for me. But it wasn't.

Three things make this novel work for me: the author has learned how to let go of the mundane; the relationship between Casey and Marissa is intense; and the ending illustrates superb development of Hunter's character.

I would like to see more of Casey and Marissa as the central figures. I think there is a lot more to Marissa's identity than was fully revealed here and I can only hope the author is developing this as we speak.

The main characters from Gerri Hill's previous book Hunter's Way reappear in this sequel. Homicide detectives Tori Hunter and Samantha Kennedy, who are partners both at work and at home, are still trying to clarify their new relationship when they are called in to investigate a controversial case. A popular priest is found murdered and naked in the rectory and a sex scandal threatens to engulf the Catholic Church and the Dallas political structure. Dead bodies begin to mount up as attempts are made to cover up the story and authorities try to force the police to close a case that really hasn't been solved. The situation becomes more stressful when Tori and Samantha are separated by the department and put in different divisions. The pressure from their professional lives and the disruption to their private lives threatens their relationship. Tori finds herself battling public relations experts, the police department and City Hall by herself as she tries to settle the crime and adjust to not having Samantha with her on the job. Each clue leads in a new direction and Tori wonders if she has finally encountered the case that can't be resolved.

In the Name of the Father is a way to spend an afternoon reading. If you're a Gerri Hill fan, you'll enjoy catching up with the characters from the previous book; however, this is not one of Hill's better books. The plot never clicks. The reader never really cares that this priest was murdered and there's no connection with the other characters. Tori seems to have been weakened from the figure she was in Hunter's Way and the relationship with Samantha doesn't progress in this book. What Hill does well is to keep the solution to the murders a puzzle until the end of the book and there is a quirky twist to the end of the book that is rather nice. If you're a Gerri Hill fan, you can tolerate this book. If this is the first Hill book you're reading, don't let it keep you from trying the others.

I am a big fan, and Hunters Way was just one of those books which you want to read the sequel of, so when I saw that a sequel was in the making, I made big plans for when the book arrived - well, 5 months later and 1 evening of reading the book thinking, I am sure it is going to get better I have to admit that I am disappointed - one of the main focuses in Hunters Way were the intimacy between Sam and Tori but in this book, everything is left up to your imagination - there is so little connection between the main characters who touched your heart in Hunters Way and such disjointed bits and pieces making up this story that the only way it can be saved is if she writes another book that indicates this major disappointment was nothing else than a foundation for the fabulous future books she intends to write to carry on this story. As for The Cottage - I was extremely disappointed because the whole issue should have been the two characters building a gay life while one of them came from a straight lifestyle - that should have been where the depth of the story came from - story was a cop out.

Not generally a fan of mysteries, I am a big fan of Gerri Hill. My partner and I own every one of her books. Some are better than others and you're never sure exactly what you're going to get. I must say `Name' is certainly one of her better books.

I won't rehash the plot because the description here is more than adequate. However, I will gush about the quality of the mystery. It wasn't until the last few chapters that I figured out `who dunnit.' Hill adeptly kept the clues subtle until she was ready to reveal the guilty party. I won't spoil the whole thing by revealing anything, but it was a surprise.

Bottom line... Whether you're a Hill fan or not; whether you're a mystery fan or not; this is an all-around good book that would be a valuable addition to any shelf. It will remain a permanent part of my personal collection.

Let me start out by saying that I really love a lot of the work by this author, however, this book was not one them.

The storyline was weak, no development with Tori & Sam's relationship at all. Everything about the book was very vague. The murder itself wasn't even a surprise because you find out right away who did it. It seemed like the objective of this book was for you to find out why it was done. After only reading half of the book I had to put it down, then forced myself to read the rest.

I am not giving up on this writer because she is one of the best in the genre, but this one missed the mark.

i am a bit amazed about the harsh critique the book has received from several reviews. as a thriller, it worked quite well and was not paced as slowly as people have criticized. maybe some readers were disappointed since "in the name of the father" is not a bit as steamy as "hunter's way". the mystery in "hunter's way" in my opinion was a feeble excuse for the development of tori and sam's relationship. i had a nice read and thought that "in the name of the father" is quite a likeable book.