Hunter’s Revenge by Gerri Hill explores the darkest part of Detective Tori Hunter’s past, the murder of her family that left her alone and burning for revenge.
One night when Tori was twelve years old a man broke into the house and shot everyone in her family dead, except for Tori. The event scarred her and created a driven police detective who had a reputation as a difficult partner, and the best investigator on the force. She never stopped looking for the killer, but did eventually find love and a found family who righted her world.
An old man found murdered in his home gives Tori the first real leads in her family’s cold case, but following the clues becomes more dangerous the closer she comes to the truth. With her beloved wife Sam and their close friend and partner Casey, Tori goes on the hunt for a killer who ruled her life. Capturing him is optional in her book. She wants revenge.
Writing
Mildred As the fifth book in a series a reader might be better served reading some of the earlier works, but it’s not entirely necessary. Over time the character of Tori Hunter has changed in some ways because of events in her life in the earlier books, but she remains essentially the same. If a reader hasn’t read the earlier works, they will miss experiencing the changes, but the person she is by the fifth book is still someone easy to root for and care about.
Rach I agree with Mildred although Hill gives enough of her back story for this book to be read as a standalone, why deny yourself the pleasure of following Tori from the beginning of her story in Hunter’s Way because this entire series is brilliant.
Mildred This book is a solid example of a police procedural, with the leads being hard won and difficult to follow. It showcases Tori’s strengths as a detective as the story plunges ever more deeply into deceptions and old hurts and dangerous secrets. The best part of a book like this is the feeling of thinking you know what’s going on and how it might end, but continually discovering you do not.
Rach I love the knowledge this author shows through her writing. Hill manages to put you in the situation and shows you how the characters are feeling. It’s thrilling to be in a car chase and this author makes my heart pound when her characters are in danger. Her descriptions of what’s happening and how the character is feeling are exceptional and I’m always engrossed when reading one of her books.
Pros And My Favourite Parts
Mildred Finally getting to the heart of the enduring mystery and life changing horror of her family’s murder was a huge draw to read this book. The character of Tori Hunter is a paragon of strength and determination, and a woman with a rock hard shell protecting a tenderness she shows only to her wife and closest friends. Even if a reader is coming to this series for the first time, Tori is a great character and who wouldn’t want her to finally get to the root of such a horrible event.
Rach I adore Tori and having read all the books in the series I was eager to read this final installment. Mildred explains Tori’s character well and I’m so happy that we got to witness Tori finally put her past to bed. This woman has been through a lot, and I’m thrilled that she now has some peace and can truly finally fully relax.
Mildred Probably my favorite aspect of the book is how closely Tori holds her found family, how important they’ve become to her life and how much they have managed to heal the deep wounds in her psyche. Yes, she does push them away to hunt for the killer, but they love her so much they don’t let her go it completely alone, and she loves them so much it doesn’t destroy their relationships.
Rach The ‘found family’ aspect of this book is also a favourite part for me. Tori, her wife Sam, her partner Casey and Casey’s wife Les are as close and as loyal to each other as you can get. The love and trust these women have for each other are palpable and it was a joy to catch up and spend time with them.
Mildred If the reader is familiar with the earlier books they will enjoy some callbacks to earlier stories and will of course have a deeper understanding of Tori and her relationships. But if not, this is a very solid story that stands on its own. The last line of the book made me a little misty because it evokes a lot of feels.
Rach Agreed this is a strong story as a standalone, but knowing the characters for me made the banter all the funnier and loving moments all the sweeter.
Heads Up
It’s a police book about the dangerous journey to solve the murder of a family. There is violence.
The Conclusion
Mildred After nearly a lifetime of searching for the man who murdered her family, Detective Tori Hunter finally finds a path to follow at the scene of a reclusive old man’s homicide. Following those clues leads her further down a dark and dangerous path that not only unlocks the mysteries of the old crime, but puts her in danger of losing her job, her family and even her own life.
The book marks the end of the Tori Hunter series that introduced her as a driven detective who worked alone and lived only to find the killer of her family. Along the way, she has found love and surrounded herself with a new family that has softened her hard edges but left her heart determined to find a killer at all costs.
Rach If you love crime thrillers then this one is for you. If you’ve read the previous books in this series, then you absolutely have to read this one. This book is full of puzzles, pieces of the crime being investigated coming together and slowly getting to a conclusion. The case Tori is trying to solve is personal and the author does a fantastic job of letting the reader see how each new piece of information affects Tori. It’s emotionally deep as well as thrilling which keeps you engaged and routing for our ‘good guy’ to keep her cool and solve the case.
This book had me guessing for a while. Hill took me on a ride full of twists and turns full of truths I wished weren’t true and a conclusion that left me knowing that Tori and her ‘family’ are happy. Would I like more from Tori, Sam, Casey, and Les? Hell yes! Knowing this is the last in this series leaves me sad but also completely satisfied all the I’s are dotted and the T’s crossed and I can leave these ladies happy in the knowledge that they are on the boat, on the lake together fishing, grilling and secure in each other’s company.
Excerpt from Hunter’s Revenge by Gerri Hill
“Detectives…you want to take a look at the pictures we found first?” Officer Garza asked. “The neighbor was pretty shook up. Maybe give him time to settle down before you talk to him.”
Tori arched an eyebrow, but it was Casey who spoke.
“Yeah, we kinda like to talk to the witnesses as soon as possible, make sure they don’t forget something, you know.”
It wasn’t Casey he looked at, though. It was her. “I think you’re going to want to see these pictures. They cover a whole wall.”
She glanced at Casey, who shrugged.
“I guess it’s okay with me. Okay with you, Hunter? I don’t suppose the neighbor is going anywhere. We’re parked in his driveway. He’s kinda blocked in.”
Before she followed Garza and Casey out, she asked Rita, “What’s this guy’s name?”
“Charles Griffin. According to his driver’s license, he was seventy-one.”
She nodded. It didn’t ring a bell, yet there was something so familiar about him. She stared at the body a moment longer before leaving. Back into the living room, she raised her eyebrows questioningly. The officers pointed down the hallway. She found Casey staring at, yes, a wall of pictures. Photos. Some black and white. Some color.
“Jesus Christ, Hunter. What the hell do you make of this?”
Tori moved closer, her brow furrowed. Her gaze darted from picture to picture before it finally registered.
They were all of her.
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Series: Tori Hunter
Hunter’s Way
In the Name of the Father
Partners
Angel Fire
Hunter’s Revenge
Bits and Bobs
ISBN number: 978-1642474473
Publisher: Bella Books
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