Guest Review: Hunter’s Need by Shiloh Walker

Judith‘s review of Hunter’s Need by Shiloh Walker

This riveting suspense thriller from the pen of Shiloh Walker is built on the premise that the world is a not-nice place. As people go about their daily routines, few if any are aware that they are in close proximity to or even living in the same house with a serial killer. But Walker’s serial killer is different–a person with extraordinary psychic powers who can cloud the minds of law enforcement humans and gifted Hunters like Duke and Ana alike.

As is so often the case, Walker populates her stories with rare and unusual individuals–vampires, shapeshifters, psychics, were-creatures, etc. Living side by side with humans, these unusual individuals can be evil and self-serving, or they can be committed to the undoing of evil as in the case of these two main characters. Given their history, it is no wonder that they were uneasy and long-distance from each other. Taking into account the part she played in betraying Duke, Ana has yet to overcome her deep and unrelenting sense of failure and weakness. Apart from being convinced that Duke hates her, she feels completely unworthy of his kindness or love. Duke, on the other hand, can’t seem to get past the questions of “Why” Ana would become the pawn in the hands of a crazy vampire like Cat. It is only when he is sent to Alaska that their being forced to work together begins to overcome the distance they have intentionally placed between each other and the sparks fly.

This is a very well crafted tale of suspense. Finding the serial killer is made even more frustrating by the interaction with Duke and Ana of the ghosts of the killer’s victims. A homeless guy who was in love with the first victim is also a person that begins to have a place on Ana’s “radar screen.” There are some twists and turns in the investigation, frustration and just plain good old detective work; but in the end the reader will be surprised because the identity of the killer seems to come out of nowhere.

Underneath the crime solving, this is a story that embraces two individuals who were initially drawn together and attracted to one another. That attraction has never waned. But there are the issues of poor personal regard, a sense of betrayal, self-loathing, fear of being vulnerable to one another, and fear of abandonment that keep these two “dancing” around each other and often ill at ease with one another. How they resolve some of these issues also plays heavily in the flow of the love story that is at the core of this novel.

I love romance novels, and yet there are so many where the sexual encounters are hanging on a very poor plot framework. Such is not the case here. Walker has a plot and sub-plots, questions without easy answers, hitches galore in the personal relationships, pain and hurt on the part of the victims and their families–not lightweight by any means. It is a book that will engage the imagination and emotions as it satisfies the desire to read a romance that is substantive as well as entertaining. Walker is also one of those authors who seem to be able to write books as part of series with a sure hand, keeping the tension and excitement alive even after the 12th book.

Romance fans will have a very good time with this novel as will mystery fans. Don’t count out the lovers of the paranormal. This will be great for their literary “diet.” I can’t imagine that anyone who reads will find this book a disappointment.

I give this book a rating of 5 out of 5.

You can read more from Judith at Dr. J’s Book Place.

This book is available from Berkley. You can buy it here or here in e-format.