Rated: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ . ♥ {4.75}
Action: ♠♠♠♠.♠ / Emotion: ♣♣♣♣ / Romance: ♥♥♥♥ / Sensuous: ♦♦.♦ / Suspense: ♠♠♠♠♠
Action: 4.5 / Emotion: 4.0 / Romance: 4.0 / Sensuous: 2.5 / Suspense: 5.0 // Laughter: 0 / Teary: 4
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Romance Reader at Heart -- A Top Pick for 2006
♥ RT Book Reviews (Top Pick!)
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Setting: Gallatin County, Montana
Era: Present Day [2006]
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Sometimes you just have the thank the Lord for a poor memory. Such was the case as I re-read The Hunt, the second book in Allison Brennan's The Predator Trilogy. Having read this wonderful, engaging, incredibly suspenseful tale six years ago (March 27, 2007), it came as no surprise that I eventually remembered who the villain was, but that knowledge in no way lessened the enjoyment of reading this thrilling story again. Brennan is gifted with the ability to spin a tale that grabs you from the first page and never lets your interest falter, even after turning that last page. The Hunt is a prime example of Brennan's skill at emotionally engaging, graphically detailed storytelling.
♥ RT Book Reviews (Top Pick!)
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Setting: Gallatin County, Montana
Era: Present Day [2006]
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Sometimes you just have the thank the Lord for a poor memory. Such was the case as I re-read The Hunt, the second book in Allison Brennan's The Predator Trilogy. Having read this wonderful, engaging, incredibly suspenseful tale six years ago (March 27, 2007), it came as no surprise that I eventually remembered who the villain was, but that knowledge in no way lessened the enjoyment of reading this thrilling story again. Brennan is gifted with the ability to spin a tale that grabs you from the first page and never lets your interest falter, even after turning that last page. The Hunt is a prime example of Brennan's skill at emotionally engaging, graphically detailed storytelling.
Brennan immediately ignites interest in Miranda "Randy" Moore's story. In the Prologue, Miranda and her best friend, Sharon Lewis, are running through the mountainous region of Gallatin County, Montana, fleeing from the man who was hunting them. Brennan writes a powerfully moving scene. You can almost feel Miranda's terror and frustration coming through the pages as Sharon stumbles and falls. Miranda is torn. She wants to keep running, but she can't leave her friend behind to face the man who had tortured and raped them before he set them free and told them to run. Miranda had no choice but to leave Sharon behind when she saw the hunter kill her. Brennan is a master at the cliffhanger. The only reason we know that Miranda escaped that hunter is because the back cover of the book explained this was to be Miranda's story.
Brennan begins the story twelve years after Miranda's flight. After an initial moment of frustration because Brennan did not detail how Miranda escaped the hunter, there was no choice but to keep reading and hope that eventually Miranda's miraculous escape would be revealed. And, yes, Brennan does explain how Miranda managed to escape the hunter, but she did it in memory flashbacks. In fact, the book is chock full of Miranda's memory flashbacks. As one might expect after having endured a week of rape and torture at the hands of a killer, Miranda suffers from nightmares and recurring memories of that terrifying time in her life that changed her forevermore.
When Brennan revealed that Nick was in love with Miranda and that the only reason they had broken up two years ago was because she was still in love with Quinn, it was impossible not to think, "please, not another love triangle." (There had been a triangular love thing going on in book one, The Prey.) Brennan did such a great job of developing Nick's character and made him come across as a strong, vibrant man with very real vulnerabilities, that it was impossible not to fall for this character given heroic qualities as well. And then there is the sympathetic factor. Who cannot help but remember what it was like to suffer from a broken heart? Nick played a very large role in this book and inspired great interest. Brennan left readers with a sense of incompleteness when she ended the book with a brief picture of Nick's status after he tangled with The Butcher. The only reason this was acceptable was because of the knowledge that Brennan eventually gave Nick his own book (Speak No Evil).
When Quinn arrived at the crime scene, he saw Miranda for the first time in ten years and felt like he'd been sucker punched. Quinn admitted that he was still in love with Miranda, but she was so stubborn and unreasonable that he had to suffer the consequences of doing the right thing ten years ago. It was at times like this that it was easy to became irritated with Miranda for her obtuseness and unwillingness to listen to Quinn's explanation. (Probably hated these personality characteristics given to Miranda because they hit a little too close to home.)
Miranda was now the director of the Search and Rescue division of the Gallatin County Sheriff's office and had been leading the week-long search for Rebecca when she went missing. To say that Miranda was driven was an understatement. Miranda's obsession with finding The Butcher and saving girls from suffering the same fate she and Sharon suffered took prominent position in the plot.
Since Miranda had such a stubborn nature, it was to be expected that she would not realize that she was still in love with Quinn and could trust him enough to make love with him until the last portion of the book. It should not come as a surprise that Brennan cut back on the spice and sizzle in the love scene either, because it seems many Romantic Suspense writers tend to concentrate on the suspense rather than the sensuality. It's too bad that Brennan didn't do both in this book (as she did in The Prey).
Brennan displayed her skill at continuing to build the suspense in this book, chapter by chapter until it was impossible to sit still as the story continued. Brennan had the reader on pins and needles as she detailed the frustration of the law enforcement officials who had been unable to find evidence to stop The Butcher from his reign of terror. The details that Brennan used to describe the terrain and why evidence became so contaminated added greatly to the depth of the story. The profile of The Butcher by the FBI's top profiler, Vigo Hans, added even more intensity and interest to the story.
Another gift that Brennan has is an ability to write a truly chilling account of how the villain, or in this case, the villains, of the story think and operate. Brennan understands that the evil inside a man or woman is not always visible. As Brennan began to paint a picture of the horrendous childhood that The Butcher endured at the hands of his mother, and then his sister, you could almost feel sorry for the abused little boy. But there was no sympathy for the man who inflicted such terror and pain on innocent young women.
Brennan begins the story twelve years after Miranda's flight. After an initial moment of frustration because Brennan did not detail how Miranda escaped the hunter, there was no choice but to keep reading and hope that eventually Miranda's miraculous escape would be revealed. And, yes, Brennan does explain how Miranda managed to escape the hunter, but she did it in memory flashbacks. In fact, the book is chock full of Miranda's memory flashbacks. As one might expect after having endured a week of rape and torture at the hands of a killer, Miranda suffers from nightmares and recurring memories of that terrifying time in her life that changed her forevermore.
She may have lived, but he'd stolen her life just the same. (Miranda, page 83)One of those memories was of the FBI Agent who carried Miranda three miles back to the road when she succumbed to her injuries after leading authorities to the site where Sharon fell. FBI Special Agent Quincy "Quinn" Peterson had been assigned to the case and even after the case turned cold and he was forced to leave it and Gallatin County behind, Quinn continued to return to spend time with Miranda because he had never seen such strength of will in a victim. Quinn is the kind of hero that a romance reader loves. Not only is he a handsome, very alpha, macho, hunky FBI man, but he revealed amazing sensitivity and patience as he became Miranda's bedrock.
Twelve years ago Quinn had been her rock, her support. (Miranda, page 31)As expected, Quinn and Miranda fell in love. Miranda changed her life's plans. She became driven to become an FBI Agent so she could catch the man who had killed her best friend and tortured her. She studied and worked and was accepted into the FBI Training Academy at Quantico. The day before Miranda was to graduate with her roommates, Rowan Smith (The Prey) and Olivia St. Martin (The Kill), Quinn felt duty bound to break the news to Miranda that Agent Clark (who must be the man running the Academy) talked to Doctor Garrett, the Academy shrink, about Miranda's obsession with her villain and was not yet ready to become an Agent for the FBI. Miranda felt betrayed and walked away from the Academy and Quinn.
He didn't coddle her like the nurses; he didn't cry like her father; he didn't shuffle his feet nervously like Sheriff Donaldson had when he interviewed her the day before.
Quinn Peterson stood like granite, tall, strong, firm, never wavering, never letting her see pity in his eyes. (Miranda, page 31)
Seeing him again brought up too many conflicted feelings, too many thoughts she had buried for the ten years since he had betrayed her and took from her what mattered most.Quinn returns to Gallatin County at the behest of Sheriff Nick Thomas, who had stayed in touch with Quinn for the past ten years. As time passed, it became obvious that a serial killer, who had been given the name The Bozeman Butcher by newspaper journalist Elijah Banks, had been operating in the area for the past fifteen years. Chapter One opens with Nick overseeing the scene of The Butcher's latest victim, Minnesota State University student, Rebecca Douglas.
Not her career, but her trust. (Miranda, page 84)
When Brennan revealed that Nick was in love with Miranda and that the only reason they had broken up two years ago was because she was still in love with Quinn, it was impossible not to think, "please, not another love triangle." (There had been a triangular love thing going on in book one, The Prey.) Brennan did such a great job of developing Nick's character and made him come across as a strong, vibrant man with very real vulnerabilities, that it was impossible not to fall for this character given heroic qualities as well. And then there is the sympathetic factor. Who cannot help but remember what it was like to suffer from a broken heart? Nick played a very large role in this book and inspired great interest. Brennan left readers with a sense of incompleteness when she ended the book with a brief picture of Nick's status after he tangled with The Butcher. The only reason this was acceptable was because of the knowledge that Brennan eventually gave Nick his own book (Speak No Evil).
When Quinn arrived at the crime scene, he saw Miranda for the first time in ten years and felt like he'd been sucker punched. Quinn admitted that he was still in love with Miranda, but she was so stubborn and unreasonable that he had to suffer the consequences of doing the right thing ten years ago. It was at times like this that it was easy to became irritated with Miranda for her obtuseness and unwillingness to listen to Quinn's explanation. (Probably hated these personality characteristics given to Miranda because they hit a little too close to home.)
Miranda was now the director of the Search and Rescue division of the Gallatin County Sheriff's office and had been leading the week-long search for Rebecca when she went missing. To say that Miranda was driven was an understatement. Miranda's obsession with finding The Butcher and saving girls from suffering the same fate she and Sharon suffered took prominent position in the plot.
Each missing girl took one more piece of Miranda's soul with her to her grave. (Miranda, page 28)Quinn and Miranda were forced to work together on the case, thus, the romance thread in the story was seamlessly woven together with the intensely suspenseful aspect of the story. Brennan is very talented at keeping the romance ever in the mind of the reader as she paints graphic pictures of the horror that The Butcher inflicts upon his victims. So as Quinn walks through the book exhibiting unlimited patience and understanding, Miranda finally comes to accept that she misjudged Quinn and that his agreement with Agent Clark and Doctor Garrett had been not so much a betrayal but an astute judgment of her character. The biggest problem with the way Brennan portrayed Quinn's acceptance of Miranda's decision was to lessen his alpha-ness. It was obvious that Quinn was anything but a wimp, but Miranda's strong, 'bull in the china shop,' characterization just simply seemed to overpower Quinn's quiet strength.
Since Miranda had such a stubborn nature, it was to be expected that she would not realize that she was still in love with Quinn and could trust him enough to make love with him until the last portion of the book. It should not come as a surprise that Brennan cut back on the spice and sizzle in the love scene either, because it seems many Romantic Suspense writers tend to concentrate on the suspense rather than the sensuality. It's too bad that Brennan didn't do both in this book (as she did in The Prey).
Brennan displayed her skill at continuing to build the suspense in this book, chapter by chapter until it was impossible to sit still as the story continued. Brennan had the reader on pins and needles as she detailed the frustration of the law enforcement officials who had been unable to find evidence to stop The Butcher from his reign of terror. The details that Brennan used to describe the terrain and why evidence became so contaminated added greatly to the depth of the story. The profile of The Butcher by the FBI's top profiler, Vigo Hans, added even more intensity and interest to the story.
Another gift that Brennan has is an ability to write a truly chilling account of how the villain, or in this case, the villains, of the story think and operate. Brennan understands that the evil inside a man or woman is not always visible. As Brennan began to paint a picture of the horrendous childhood that The Butcher endured at the hands of his mother, and then his sister, you could almost feel sorry for the abused little boy. But there was no sympathy for the man who inflicted such terror and pain on innocent young women.
While Quinn felt compassion for the abused children the killers had been, he held no such feelings for them as adults. (Quinn, page 180)Brennan introduced numerous secondary characters that drew interest. There were two in particular that Brennan failed to fully develop and gave them very little page time. Nevertheless, they leapt from the pages, demanding interest. The first was Miranda's father, Bill Moore, the owner of the Gallatin Lodge and the second was Bill's partner and jack of all trades, Ben "Gray" Grayhawk. Having been raised and supported by these two men emphasized why Miranda was strong enough to come back from her horrific time with The Butcher.
Brennan also introduced readers to the journalist that everyone hated, Elijah Banks -- a small town boy, who was trying to make it to the big times on the misery of others. Brennan cleverly used the derogatory articles penned by Eli to cause Nick to second guess his decisions and put himself in harms way. Eli was not the only minor secondary character to undermine Nick's confidence and efforts to catch a killer. Quinn and Nick had to put up with the antics of Sam Harris, the Assistant Sheriff, who lost the election to Nick. (And even though Brennan never said it, Sam had to be the inside man who was leaking information to Eli.)
It was very unique of Brennan to reveal details about events occurring in regard to the investigation by giving eleven year old Ryan Parker a voice in the story. Ryan and his two friends, Sean and Timmy McClain, had to be interviewed because they has stumbled across Rebecca's body while they were out riding. It was easy to dislike Ryan's parents, arrogant Judge Richard Parker and the cold-natured, stand-offish Delilah Parker when Quinn and Nick went out to the Parker Ranch to interview the three boys, but it was through Ryan's eyes that the true picture of these two parents were revealed. (By the end of the book, it was impossible not to wonder how Delilah had landed Judge Parker in the first place.)
One other minor character (who spent very little time on the pages of the book) was a wonderful addition to the story. Brennan so cleverly wrote in this character that he made quite an impression. Loved the tad bit of time spent with Dr. Eric Fields, the state lab director in Helena who came to Bozeman with Olivia St. Martin as they helped Quinn and Nick work the case.
Naturally, by the time the story reached the big, exciting finale in which the identity of The Butcher had been revealed and Quinn and Miranda set out to rescue Ashley van Auden, his latest victim, Brennan had increased the level of suspense to astronomical proportions. It was impossible not to continue reading with bated breath to see how Brennan was going to end the confrontation.
In summary, The Hunt, Allison Brennan's second book in The Predator Trilogy is another must-read for readers of Romantic Suspense books. This thrilling suspense contains all the characteristics of a well-written, well-developed story. {1} Special Agent Quinn Peterson, a tough, strong, dedicated, patient, determined hero who fought for right and justice. {2} Miranda Moore, a stubborn, strong-willed, driven Search and Rescue expert who was obsessed with stopping the villain who tortured her and killed her best friend. {3} Sheriff Nick Thomas, a strong, capable, intriguing supporting character. {4} Two truly terrifying and chilling villains. {5} Plenty of police procedural and adventurous action scenes moved the story along at a quick pace. {6} A renewing of the romance between Quinn and Miranda was interwoven seamlessly into fabric of the story. {7} A strong emotional connection developed between the reader and the characters. {8} The suspense rose steadily to intense, spine-tingling degrees. {9} An emotional, slightly spicy love scene was added to enhance the romance factor. {10} Excellent descriptions of the territory added realism and richness to the story. And finally, {11} the addition of memorable secondary characters added depth and a rich flavor to the book. Allison Brennan is a truly gifted author and The Hunt is another example of her skill when it comes to telling un-put-down-able stories.
--Vonda M. Reid (Wednesday, July 31, 2013 : 6:10 a.m.) [322]
It was very unique of Brennan to reveal details about events occurring in regard to the investigation by giving eleven year old Ryan Parker a voice in the story. Ryan and his two friends, Sean and Timmy McClain, had to be interviewed because they has stumbled across Rebecca's body while they were out riding. It was easy to dislike Ryan's parents, arrogant Judge Richard Parker and the cold-natured, stand-offish Delilah Parker when Quinn and Nick went out to the Parker Ranch to interview the three boys, but it was through Ryan's eyes that the true picture of these two parents were revealed. (By the end of the book, it was impossible not to wonder how Delilah had landed Judge Parker in the first place.)
One other minor character (who spent very little time on the pages of the book) was a wonderful addition to the story. Brennan so cleverly wrote in this character that he made quite an impression. Loved the tad bit of time spent with Dr. Eric Fields, the state lab director in Helena who came to Bozeman with Olivia St. Martin as they helped Quinn and Nick work the case.
Naturally, by the time the story reached the big, exciting finale in which the identity of The Butcher had been revealed and Quinn and Miranda set out to rescue Ashley van Auden, his latest victim, Brennan had increased the level of suspense to astronomical proportions. It was impossible not to continue reading with bated breath to see how Brennan was going to end the confrontation.
In summary, The Hunt, Allison Brennan's second book in The Predator Trilogy is another must-read for readers of Romantic Suspense books. This thrilling suspense contains all the characteristics of a well-written, well-developed story. {1} Special Agent Quinn Peterson, a tough, strong, dedicated, patient, determined hero who fought for right and justice. {2} Miranda Moore, a stubborn, strong-willed, driven Search and Rescue expert who was obsessed with stopping the villain who tortured her and killed her best friend. {3} Sheriff Nick Thomas, a strong, capable, intriguing supporting character. {4} Two truly terrifying and chilling villains. {5} Plenty of police procedural and adventurous action scenes moved the story along at a quick pace. {6} A renewing of the romance between Quinn and Miranda was interwoven seamlessly into fabric of the story. {7} A strong emotional connection developed between the reader and the characters. {8} The suspense rose steadily to intense, spine-tingling degrees. {9} An emotional, slightly spicy love scene was added to enhance the romance factor. {10} Excellent descriptions of the territory added realism and richness to the story. And finally, {11} the addition of memorable secondary characters added depth and a rich flavor to the book. Allison Brennan is a truly gifted author and The Hunt is another example of her skill when it comes to telling un-put-down-able stories.
--Vonda M. Reid (Wednesday, July 31, 2013 : 6:10 a.m.) [322]
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Chapter-By-Chapter Synopsis: Allison Brennan -- The Hunt
Prologue
Brennan painted a vivid picture of the terror that Miranda was experiencing as she and Sharon were running through rough terrain -- running from a man who was hunting them.
Chapter One
Brennan opened the book in Gallatin Valley, Montana at the crime scene of The Butcher's latest victim, Rebecca Douglas, a twenty year old college student who had gone missing a week ago. Brennan introduces the three main characters of the story, Sheriff Nick Thomas, Special Agent Quincy "Quinn" Peterson, and Miranda Moore.
Brennan successfully hooks the reader as she describes the horror that Rebecca suffered at the hands of The Butcher against the backdrop of the beauty of Montana. Nick, Quinn, and Miranda are experiencing anger, sadness and frustration over this latest atrocity. All three are determined to stop this villain who has been killing women for the past fifteen years, without leaving any usable evidence behind.
One of the skills that spotlights Brennan's talent is her ability to seamlessly weave underlying tones of romance through the fabric of a story edged with suspense. Nick feels inferior to Quinn for a couple of reasons, but the most dominant one being "the woman Nick loved was in love with Quinn" (page 8). Then Brennan almost brings tears as she describes Miranda being carried away from her own crime scene (that had been detailed in the prologue) by Quinn.
Chapter Two
Quinn watched Miranda's emotional devastation when she examined Rebecca's body and knew that he was right to believe that Miranda could not be an effective FBI Agent because she was obsessed with catching The Butcher. Meanwhile, Miranda is trying to hold her emotions in check because she doesn't want Quinn to see that she is still obsessed with catching the man who brutalized her and is killing all these women.
Brennan concentrated on the emotional aspect of Quinn and Miranda's story. Quinn and Miranda have not seen each other in ten years. Both of them take a punch to the solar plexus upon seeing the other. It is quite obvious that they still care for each other, in spite of the event that separated them.
Chapter Three
Another chapter filled with emotion. Miranda drove to the Student Union Building of Montana State University to commensurate with all the searchers as she reported that Rebecca's body had been found. This was a chapter of reflection for Miranda.
A chapter filled with background details about secondary characters. Miranda's father, Bill Moore, runs the popular Gallatin Lodge with the aid of his best friend, Ben "Gray" Grayhawk. What a beautiful close relationship Miranda shares with both her father and Gray. Miranda cannot help but experience guilt at the toll her obsession is taking on her, nonetheless, supportive father.
A small city journalist, who wants to write a story that will get him noticed by a major paper in a big city so he can leave the dust of small town USA behind is also introduced. Elijah Banks had been following the career of the killer he named The Bozeman Butcher twelve years ago and heads off to Cherry Creek Road to insinuate himself into the investigation for the chance at writing that eye-catching article.
Chapter Five
Brennan really hasn't been concentrating on the actual investigation as much as she had been giving the readers {1} plenty of background information regarding Miranda's miraculous escape from The Butcher, {2} detailing pieces of Miranda's relationship with Quinn and Nick, and {3} expressing Quinn's regret that he had lost Miranda to her obsession. But interest in the story has never faded. With each turn of the page, it becomes more and more difficult to put this enthralling book down.
In a suspense novel like this where there is a serial killer, who has been killing for fifteen years, each time a new character is introduced, you can't help but read every line closely to see if there is some clue in there pointing to him or her as a villain. Such was the case when Quinn and Nick went the Parker Ranch to interview the three boys that found Rebecca's body, Ryan Parker and the McClain brothers, Sean and Timmy. And because Judge Richard Parker was over-bearing, arrogant and had that "I'm Mr. Important" air about him, it was easy to hope that he is the villain and get's his comeuppance.
But Brennan instilled even more suspense and intrigue when she painted the picture of Richard Parker's wife, Delilah. (Just using the name Delilah makes one think the word "betrayal.") There was just something "off" about Delilah, Richard, their relationship and the way they hovered over the three boys as Quinn did a fantastic job of interviewing them.
And, then, finally, Brennan introduces readers to The Butcher. Not who he is, but for the first time, she lets readers into his head as he watches Quinn, Nick and Miranda search for him. It was kind of interesting that The Butcher felt like a failure in that he'd lost the game of death to Miranda.
Brennan does a fantastic job of moving the story forward and keeping readers glued to the pages as she introduces several new characters and brings back old memories for both Miranda and Quinn. While Nick is explaining to the volunteers and the officers who are going to be searching the crime scene for evidence, Miranda sees the obnoxious, disreputable reporter who published, without remorse, her shame for the entire word to witness and confronted Eli. Nick did not like Eli any more than Miranda and had him removed from the scene.
In a surprising move, Nick paired Miranda with Quinn to search a particular grid. As they search, Brennan keeps the romantic aspect of the story alive as both Miranda and Quinn were remembering when they fell in love and made it obvious that those feelings had never gone away. As Miranda remembers her escape from The Butcher, Quinn remembers losing Miranda to honorable intentions.
Brennan so seamlessly weaves the suspense and romance together as she moves the story forward. Not only that, but Brennan also does a wonderful job of describing the countryside. Miranda finds a bullet casing as she leads Quinn through the foliage as she follows the trail that Rebecca took when she ran from The Butcher. As they search for evidence, Miranda remembers what it felt like to be touched by Quinn as Quinn regrets that he can no longer touch Miranda. As the emotions run thick, Brennan tells us why Miranda has refused to have anything to do with Quinn for ten years.
Brennan ended the chapter by addressing the question that so many of us ask. Miranda had a difficult time believing in God, like her father. How could such a benevolent, loving God allow men as evil as The Butcher to torture, rape and kill innocent women? An ages old question!
Chapter Eight
Love it when an author explains what led to the making of a monster. Brennan very descriptively detailed The Butcher's work as he traversed the wilds of Colorado to document the habits of a pair of peregrine falcons, Theron and Aglaia. Fifteen years ago, The Butcher had decided to find his own mate, like Theron, only to be reminded that all women were liars.
Chapter Nine
The story continues at a strong, steady pace as Quinn met Nick at McKay's diner after a night dreaming about Miranda. Nick and Quinn discussed the case and the steps to take when Fran, the waitress, presented the newspaper containing Eli's sheriff-bashing article. Quinn did not want Nick to think he was taking over the investigation and said he would make an official statement.
Meanwhile, Nick is considering his love of Miranda and how Quinn's presence might send her back to him. However, he was not willing to take second place with her.
Brennan finishes off the chapter by increasing the suspense levels for two reasons. First, Ryan Parker is watching the workers at the crime scene from atop a ridge, contemplating his finding of Rebecca and the fact that he didn't enjoy hunting as much as his father and uncle, but preferred the quiet and patience of fishing. There has to be a clue in this rhetoric. Second, Ryan finds fresh hoofprints and a silver belt buckle, but is afraid of his parents' ire if he approaches Sheriff Thomas with the evidence, so he just pockets the buckle.
Chapter Ten
Brennan has a wonderful way of switching from point of view characters, between Nick, Miranda, and Quinn as they gathered with the rest of the officers and searchers to began canvassing the clearing where the bullet casing was found. Brennan begins addressing the conflicting feelings Nick had for Miranda, Miranda had for Nick, Quinn had for Miranda, and Miranda had for Quinn, each remembering the past.
When Miranda found the cabin, the memories of Sharon's screams and her fears assaulted her. She could still hear The Butcher telling her to run. Miranda left the cabin to hug a tree, fearing that she was going to break in front of Quinn after all.
Chapter Eleven
Brennan does a phenomenal job of keeping Miranda believable and realistic. When Quinn and Miranda find the cabin where The Butcher kept Rebecca for a week, the fear and torture memories unforgivingly assault Miranda. When Quinn follows Miranda out of the cabin in concern, he sees Miranda pull herself together faster than a seasoned agent. Miranda's defensiveness and her efforts to keep her feelings from Quinn were so on target. Also, Miranda's attempts to make it on her own, despite the rules of always having a partner in the woods, seemed to fit her strong-willed personality.
As Miranda drives back home to the Gallatin Lodge, she remembers the day Quinn came to her at the Academy to tell her that he agreed with Agent Clark and Doctor Garrett that she had not dealt with the past in a manner that would allow her to be a good agent. And then the epiphany hit -- Miranda realized that once The Butcher was caught, she would have no purpose, no life.
Chapter Twelve
Brennan places Nick and Quinn in Nick's office in front of the work board holding all the information they had on The Butcher's victims. After Quinn recaps the information on the board, he worries about Nick's reaction to his presence. It was obvious that Eli's Chronicle article was eating at Nick and he was experiencing doubts. As they continued to work the case, Quinn was curious about why The Butcher never came back for Miranda, his one mistake.
Chapter Thirteen
Quinn arrived at the Lodge around midnight, visited with Bill and Gray, then went to his cabin to think about the case when he couldn't sleep. He headed to the Lodge kitchen to get something to eat.
Miranda dreamed about the last day she and Sharon spent with The Butcher. She went to the Lodge kitchen to get something to eat.
Chapter Fourteen
This chapter was mostly about the feelings of love that still existed between Quinn and Miranda. After their kiss, Quinn wanted to address the issues, but Miranda ran away.
Chapter Fifteen
Brennan does a skillful job of revealing the torment that The Butcher has to endure at the hands of The Bitch. One can almost feel sorry for the little boy that was so tortured that he became a serial killer. Putting two and two together, one has to assume that the woman who comes to The Butcher's loft to engage in painful sex has to be the sister he thought about in chapter eight.
Found the way that Brennan got into the mind of The Butcher to be very realistic. Even though The Butcher hated The Bitch, he had no choice but to endure her demands because she knew all his secrets and the law would never take his word over hers. Brennan answered another question about The Butcher's tendency to only hunt during the summer months -- he was a visitor to the area and The Butcher restricted his visits because he had to endure torment at the hands of The Bitch whenever he gave into the urge to hunt again.
Chapter Sixteen
Miranda is angry at Elijah's article in the Chronicle, featuring a picture of the shack where Rebecca had been held and a picture of Miranda looking white-faced near the cabin. When Quinn came by to check on Miranda, he kissed her and told her that they would eventually hold a conversation about their time at Quantico and that Olivia St. Martin (Miranda's Academy roommate) would arrive at Helena today.
Quinn got the records on the men from the University during the time frame when Penny Thompson (The Butcher's first victim) disappeared and he, Booker and Janssen began combing through them. Quinn kept trying to put himself in the place of The Butcher, tried to understand his need to exert such control over the victims and his need to hunt them afterwards but there were too many missing pieces to gain an understanding.
Nick came out to the lodge to, basically, tell Miranda good-bye (if you will). Even though Miranda denied it for all she was worth, Nick knew she was still in love with Quinn and that he'd never had a chance with her.
Chapter Seventeen
More details about the very toxic relationship between The Butcher and The Bitch as they keep an eye on the gas station so The Butcher can take his next victim. The Bitch would not allow The Butcher to go after Miranda because she liked to rub his face in his mistake.
Chapter Eighteen
Brennan's writing style is so impressive. She ratchets up the tension as she describes details regarding Ashley van Auden's car found beside the road by octogenarian Red Tucker. JoBeth Anderson had been sent to the hospital by Brad Jessup, the responding officer. Nick called the crime scene techs and Quinn when he found molasses near the gas tank.
As if that was not enough to send one into fissions of terror, Brennan increases the suspense even more by giving Ashley a voice as she finds herself naked, blindfolded, and chained to a floor. She tried to figure out what happened while she was screaming "No" in her head and thinking about her father's response when he learned his little princess was in the hands of The Butcher. Ashley screamed even louder when The Butcher entered the cabin to rape her after he got through arguing with someone standing outside.
Chapter Nineteen
Oh my goodness! The tension is mounting. Quinn finds Miranda asleep at the hospital, waiting on word about JoBeth's condition. They are both disappointed to learn from Doctor Sam O'Neal that JoBeth is in a coma.
But Brennan never lets the romance fall by the wayside. Quinn pulls Miranda into his arms to comfort her when she talks about the horror that Ashley must be feeling, knowing that she was in the hands of The Butcher. Quinn considers himself fortunate that Miranda is allowing him to touch her at all.
Obviously Ryan Parker is going to play an important role in revealing the identity of the killer. He wakes from a nightmare, seeing Rebecca's accusing eyes and decides to take the silver buckle to his father because he would know what to do with it. But Ryan is thwarted in his efforts to talk to his father because his mother arrives in the kitchen and he doesn't want to speak in front of her.
Chapter Twenty
On pins and needles. Three things happened that increased the level of suspense. First, Miranda went to talk to JoBeth, to will her to live so that Ashley could be saved. Second, at the reporter infested Sheriff's office, Quinn noticed that Nick was taking the criticisms in Elijah's article to heart as Nick left to follow a hunch. Third, Brennan gave the woman ruling The Butcher a point of view voice. If possible, this female villain seemed twice as evil as The Butcher (if there are levels of evilness). Her coldness seemed to ice over the pages of the book as she watched over The Butcher as he raped another girl. She felt it was her duty to protect The Butcher from himself.
Chapter Twenty-One
Don't you just love how an author manages the plot of a story to lead her characters in the direction they need to go. Nick has gone off to the Clerk and Recorder's Office to review land transactions for the last fifteen years and to lick his wounds. Sam Harris was second-guessing his every decision, Eli was breathing down his neck, he felt like a bumbling country cop next to Quinn, and his confrontation with Miranda revealed she was still in love with Quinn. So rather than appear incompetent, Nick goes out to Judge Parker's cabin in Big Sky -- alone -- to follow up on a hunch.
Meanwhile Quinn struggles to get through the mile-wide barriers of distrust surrounding Miranda. He even tells her that he always loved her and she still runs away in fear. When Quinn calls Olivia to ask about the evidence, she prompts Quinn to try harder to get Miranda to listen to him.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Miranda is finally beginning to wake up and smell the coffee. As she waits for Quinn to arrive to drive her to the University search center, she remembers a conversation she had with Quinn before she'd applied to the Academy. Quinn had expressed his doubts about Miranda's reason for becoming an Agent, that she was more interested in catching The Butcher than in apprehending just any criminal. More eye opening on Miranda's part when she thanked Quinn for having faith in her when he asked her to discretely check with the geology department about the red clay Olivia found.
The suspense continues to escalate as The Butcher needs The Bitch's help to get rid of the Sheriff's Truck. For the first time in his life The Butcher slaps The Bitch and takes her power away from her -- he sees her fear. The Butcher was not willing to move to California because he could not leave Theron and Aglaia behind. Naturally, one is left to assume that the reason The Butcher had been able to avoid detection was because he had someone covering his actions, but now that he is making his own decisions, he will finally make that mistake that will get him caught.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Nick woke up in the cabin with Ashley. He was in pain, cold, bound so tightly he couldn't feel his legs. Nick tried to calm Ashley and told her which direction to run if given the chance. He held little hope for their chances of survival.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Wonderful description of the absent-minded Professor Glen Austin's office when Miranda went to Traphagen Hall to discuss the red clay sample Olivia had found. When Miranda checked in with Quinn to ask for a sample to be delivered to the Professor, she learned that Nick was missing. Miranda had a bad feeling about Nick's disappearance when she found his house empty.
Sam Harris, wasted no time in taking charge at the Sheriff's office and began bothering Quinn about keeping the mayor appraised of the investigation and bringing in more agents. It was so easy to hate this little man and it was also easy to assume that he was the inside source who was feeding details to Elijah Banks in order to make Nick look bad. The investigation heats up as Quinn and Miranda head to the Clerk and Recorder's Office and have no idea what Nick was looking for.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Brennan keeps the story moving at a fast pace and has one on pins and needles even as Miranda effusively greets Olivia at Traphagen Hall. Brennan prompts readers to pick up the next book in the trilogy by detailing a bit Olivia's history. In three weeks, Olivia was planning to attend another parole hearing scheduled for the man who raped and killed her sister. Brennan never lets the relationship between Quinn and Miranda fall by the wayside as Olivia asked Miranda if she had patched things up with Quinn. Miranda realizes that she has come to depend on Quinn again.
The investigation takes another step forward when Dr. Eric Fields, the director of the state lab, joins the group in Professor Austin's office to learn that the red clay sample came from either Utah or western Colorado. Quinn reports that Nick's truck has been found, but no sign of Nick.
Chapter Twenty-Six
The suspense just continues to intensify. After Quinn watched Eric politically maneuver Harris once Quinn, Miranda, Olivia, and Eric arrive at the scene of Nick's abandoned vehicle, Quinn and Miranda head back to the Sheriff's office to find that Booker has four suspects from the University files. Quinn begins making assignments to agents and cops to interview each of the men, his instincts telling him that one of them is The Butcher.
Meanwhile, Miranda finally stares her fears in the face and realizes that Quinn had been right all along. She didn't know if she was strong enough to face The Butcher head on. But Quinn knows that Miranda is strong and a survivor and believes in her and tells her to trust her instincts.
When The Butcher comes to the cabin to rape and torture Ashley, Nick screams at him with hate and frustration. Nick is still determined to find a way to save Ashley.
The Butcher has no fear any more. He is excited about the idea of hunting the sheriff, is no longer afraid of The Bitch, and decides it is time to go after the one that got away.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Sitting on the front porch with Quinn, Miranda finally acknowledged that Quinn had been right. She had gone to the Academy for all the wrong reasons. After Quinn talked to Colleen Thorne (his occasional partner), who was headed to Denver to interview David Larsen's boss, they discussed why The Butcher had left Nick's vehicle to be found. Brennan finished off the chapter by sending Miranda to Quinn's room to make love. The scene was well-written, full of emotion and included enough spice to make it intriguing.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
The story so intense that almost pacing the floor in anxiety. Colleen's call woke Quinn. After talking to Sarah Tyne, the University of Denver's wildlife biology department director, it was obvious that David Larsen was The Butcher. Quinn began making arrangements to pursue Larsen as he headed to the Sheriff's office after dropping Miranda off at the search center. After sending Deputy Lance Booker to watch over Miranda, Quinn found Sam had taken over Nick's office and was reading the fax Bonnie Blair had sent to him on Larsen. When Quinn finally realized Sam was headed to Judge Parker's house to warn him about his brother-in-law being a suspect, he was too late to stop him.
Ryan was home when Sam Harris arrived after eavesdropping on the conversation, snuck out of the house to find Uncle Davy. When Ryan found Uncle Davy, his uncle was not wearing his silver bird buckle.
Chapter Twenty-Nine through Chapter Thirty-Nine
Story too intense to stop to write about the events and feelings that Quinn and Miranda experienced during the exciting, finale with The Butcher and his sister.
Brennan painted a vivid picture of the terror that Miranda was experiencing as she and Sharon were running through rough terrain -- running from a man who was hunting them.
Chapter One
Brennan opened the book in Gallatin Valley, Montana at the crime scene of The Butcher's latest victim, Rebecca Douglas, a twenty year old college student who had gone missing a week ago. Brennan introduces the three main characters of the story, Sheriff Nick Thomas, Special Agent Quincy "Quinn" Peterson, and Miranda Moore.
Brennan successfully hooks the reader as she describes the horror that Rebecca suffered at the hands of The Butcher against the backdrop of the beauty of Montana. Nick, Quinn, and Miranda are experiencing anger, sadness and frustration over this latest atrocity. All three are determined to stop this villain who has been killing women for the past fifteen years, without leaving any usable evidence behind.
One of the skills that spotlights Brennan's talent is her ability to seamlessly weave underlying tones of romance through the fabric of a story edged with suspense. Nick feels inferior to Quinn for a couple of reasons, but the most dominant one being "the woman Nick loved was in love with Quinn" (page 8). Then Brennan almost brings tears as she describes Miranda being carried away from her own crime scene (that had been detailed in the prologue) by Quinn.
Chapter Two
Quinn watched Miranda's emotional devastation when she examined Rebecca's body and knew that he was right to believe that Miranda could not be an effective FBI Agent because she was obsessed with catching The Butcher. Meanwhile, Miranda is trying to hold her emotions in check because she doesn't want Quinn to see that she is still obsessed with catching the man who brutalized her and is killing all these women.
Brennan concentrated on the emotional aspect of Quinn and Miranda's story. Quinn and Miranda have not seen each other in ten years. Both of them take a punch to the solar plexus upon seeing the other. It is quite obvious that they still care for each other, in spite of the event that separated them.
"If you'd had me booted from the FBI Academy the day before graduation, I'd hate you. But she doesn't." (Nick, page 22)It is quite curious that Brennan has a triangular relationship going on in this second book of the series. (She had a triangular relationship going on in book one, The Prey.) Quinn and Miranda had been a couple for two years before they broke up. Nick and Miranda had been a couple for a while, but they broke up two years ago because, as Nick said to Quinn, "If she hated you, she'd already by my wife." (page 22).
Chapter Three
Another chapter filled with emotion. Miranda drove to the Student Union Building of Montana State University to commensurate with all the searchers as she reported that Rebecca's body had been found. This was a chapter of reflection for Miranda.
Each missing girl took one more piece of Miranda's soul with her to her grave. (Miranda, page 28)Brennan took readers back in time as Miranda remembered what it had been like twelve years ago after she had been found by the banks of the Gallatin River. Miranda's injuries were detailed as she remembered how Quinn treated her (compared to everybody else) as she took authorities to the site where Sharon lay and to the hovel where The Butcher had held Miranda and Sharon.
Twelve years ago Quinn had been her rock, her support. (Miranda, page 31)Chapter Four
A chapter filled with background details about secondary characters. Miranda's father, Bill Moore, runs the popular Gallatin Lodge with the aid of his best friend, Ben "Gray" Grayhawk. What a beautiful close relationship Miranda shares with both her father and Gray. Miranda cannot help but experience guilt at the toll her obsession is taking on her, nonetheless, supportive father.
A small city journalist, who wants to write a story that will get him noticed by a major paper in a big city so he can leave the dust of small town USA behind is also introduced. Elijah Banks had been following the career of the killer he named The Bozeman Butcher twelve years ago and heads off to Cherry Creek Road to insinuate himself into the investigation for the chance at writing that eye-catching article.
Chapter Five
Brennan really hasn't been concentrating on the actual investigation as much as she had been giving the readers {1} plenty of background information regarding Miranda's miraculous escape from The Butcher, {2} detailing pieces of Miranda's relationship with Quinn and Nick, and {3} expressing Quinn's regret that he had lost Miranda to her obsession. But interest in the story has never faded. With each turn of the page, it becomes more and more difficult to put this enthralling book down.
In a suspense novel like this where there is a serial killer, who has been killing for fifteen years, each time a new character is introduced, you can't help but read every line closely to see if there is some clue in there pointing to him or her as a villain. Such was the case when Quinn and Nick went the Parker Ranch to interview the three boys that found Rebecca's body, Ryan Parker and the McClain brothers, Sean and Timmy. And because Judge Richard Parker was over-bearing, arrogant and had that "I'm Mr. Important" air about him, it was easy to hope that he is the villain and get's his comeuppance.
But Brennan instilled even more suspense and intrigue when she painted the picture of Richard Parker's wife, Delilah. (Just using the name Delilah makes one think the word "betrayal.") There was just something "off" about Delilah, Richard, their relationship and the way they hovered over the three boys as Quinn did a fantastic job of interviewing them.
And, then, finally, Brennan introduces readers to The Butcher. Not who he is, but for the first time, she lets readers into his head as he watches Quinn, Nick and Miranda search for him. It was kind of interesting that The Butcher felt like a failure in that he'd lost the game of death to Miranda.
He still wanted to kill her, be couldn't.Chapter Six
She'd won, after all. (The Butcher, page 58)
Brennan does a fantastic job of moving the story forward and keeping readers glued to the pages as she introduces several new characters and brings back old memories for both Miranda and Quinn. While Nick is explaining to the volunteers and the officers who are going to be searching the crime scene for evidence, Miranda sees the obnoxious, disreputable reporter who published, without remorse, her shame for the entire word to witness and confronted Eli. Nick did not like Eli any more than Miranda and had him removed from the scene.
In a surprising move, Nick paired Miranda with Quinn to search a particular grid. As they search, Brennan keeps the romantic aspect of the story alive as both Miranda and Quinn were remembering when they fell in love and made it obvious that those feelings had never gone away. As Miranda remembers her escape from The Butcher, Quinn remembers losing Miranda to honorable intentions.
He made the most difficult decision in his life ten years ago; he now had to live with the consequences. (Quinn, page 78)Chapter Seven
Brennan so seamlessly weaves the suspense and romance together as she moves the story forward. Not only that, but Brennan also does a wonderful job of describing the countryside. Miranda finds a bullet casing as she leads Quinn through the foliage as she follows the trail that Rebecca took when she ran from The Butcher. As they search for evidence, Miranda remembers what it felt like to be touched by Quinn as Quinn regrets that he can no longer touch Miranda. As the emotions run thick, Brennan tells us why Miranda has refused to have anything to do with Quinn for ten years.
Seeing him again brought up too many conflicted feelings, too many thoughts she had buried for the ten years since he had betrayed her and took from her what mattered most.Miranda was unable to sleep that night (even though she was drop dead tired) so she thought about the slow courtship between herself and Quinn and about their first kiss a year after her escape. Miranda then realized that she wanted to go into law enforcement and talked with Quinn about joining the FBI.
Not her career, but her trust. (Miranda, page 84)
Brennan ended the chapter by addressing the question that so many of us ask. Miranda had a difficult time believing in God, like her father. How could such a benevolent, loving God allow men as evil as The Butcher to torture, rape and kill innocent women? An ages old question!
Chapter Eight
Love it when an author explains what led to the making of a monster. Brennan very descriptively detailed The Butcher's work as he traversed the wilds of Colorado to document the habits of a pair of peregrine falcons, Theron and Aglaia. Fifteen years ago, The Butcher had decided to find his own mate, like Theron, only to be reminded that all women were liars.
They said one thing and did something completely different. (The Butcher, page 95)The Butcher then went on to remember the pain his mother inflicted upon him when he failed to touch her inappropriately. He could not understand how his father could have left him with such a woman at the young age of six.
His own father hadn't wanted him. (The Butcher, page 96)The Butcher then remembered hunting Rebecca and the thrill of the hunt. It was difficult for The Butcher to resist the urge to hunt again.
Chapter Nine
The story continues at a strong, steady pace as Quinn met Nick at McKay's diner after a night dreaming about Miranda. Nick and Quinn discussed the case and the steps to take when Fran, the waitress, presented the newspaper containing Eli's sheriff-bashing article. Quinn did not want Nick to think he was taking over the investigation and said he would make an official statement.
Meanwhile, Nick is considering his love of Miranda and how Quinn's presence might send her back to him. However, he was not willing to take second place with her.
Brennan finishes off the chapter by increasing the suspense levels for two reasons. First, Ryan Parker is watching the workers at the crime scene from atop a ridge, contemplating his finding of Rebecca and the fact that he didn't enjoy hunting as much as his father and uncle, but preferred the quiet and patience of fishing. There has to be a clue in this rhetoric. Second, Ryan finds fresh hoofprints and a silver belt buckle, but is afraid of his parents' ire if he approaches Sheriff Thomas with the evidence, so he just pockets the buckle.
Chapter Ten
Brennan has a wonderful way of switching from point of view characters, between Nick, Miranda, and Quinn as they gathered with the rest of the officers and searchers to began canvassing the clearing where the bullet casing was found. Brennan begins addressing the conflicting feelings Nick had for Miranda, Miranda had for Nick, Quinn had for Miranda, and Miranda had for Quinn, each remembering the past.
When Miranda found the cabin, the memories of Sharon's screams and her fears assaulted her. She could still hear The Butcher telling her to run. Miranda left the cabin to hug a tree, fearing that she was going to break in front of Quinn after all.
Chapter Eleven
Brennan does a phenomenal job of keeping Miranda believable and realistic. When Quinn and Miranda find the cabin where The Butcher kept Rebecca for a week, the fear and torture memories unforgivingly assault Miranda. When Quinn follows Miranda out of the cabin in concern, he sees Miranda pull herself together faster than a seasoned agent. Miranda's defensiveness and her efforts to keep her feelings from Quinn were so on target. Also, Miranda's attempts to make it on her own, despite the rules of always having a partner in the woods, seemed to fit her strong-willed personality.
As Miranda drives back home to the Gallatin Lodge, she remembers the day Quinn came to her at the Academy to tell her that he agreed with Agent Clark and Doctor Garrett that she had not dealt with the past in a manner that would allow her to be a good agent. And then the epiphany hit -- Miranda realized that once The Butcher was caught, she would have no purpose, no life.
Chapter Twelve
Brennan places Nick and Quinn in Nick's office in front of the work board holding all the information they had on The Butcher's victims. After Quinn recaps the information on the board, he worries about Nick's reaction to his presence. It was obvious that Eli's Chronicle article was eating at Nick and he was experiencing doubts. As they continued to work the case, Quinn was curious about why The Butcher never came back for Miranda, his one mistake.
Chapter Thirteen
Quinn arrived at the Lodge around midnight, visited with Bill and Gray, then went to his cabin to think about the case when he couldn't sleep. He headed to the Lodge kitchen to get something to eat.
Miranda dreamed about the last day she and Sharon spent with The Butcher. She went to the Lodge kitchen to get something to eat.
Chapter Fourteen
This chapter was mostly about the feelings of love that still existed between Quinn and Miranda. After their kiss, Quinn wanted to address the issues, but Miranda ran away.
Chapter Fifteen
Brennan does a skillful job of revealing the torment that The Butcher has to endure at the hands of The Bitch. One can almost feel sorry for the little boy that was so tortured that he became a serial killer. Putting two and two together, one has to assume that the woman who comes to The Butcher's loft to engage in painful sex has to be the sister he thought about in chapter eight.
Found the way that Brennan got into the mind of The Butcher to be very realistic. Even though The Butcher hated The Bitch, he had no choice but to endure her demands because she knew all his secrets and the law would never take his word over hers. Brennan answered another question about The Butcher's tendency to only hunt during the summer months -- he was a visitor to the area and The Butcher restricted his visits because he had to endure torment at the hands of The Bitch whenever he gave into the urge to hunt again.
Chapter Sixteen
Miranda is angry at Elijah's article in the Chronicle, featuring a picture of the shack where Rebecca had been held and a picture of Miranda looking white-faced near the cabin. When Quinn came by to check on Miranda, he kissed her and told her that they would eventually hold a conversation about their time at Quantico and that Olivia St. Martin (Miranda's Academy roommate) would arrive at Helena today.
Quinn got the records on the men from the University during the time frame when Penny Thompson (The Butcher's first victim) disappeared and he, Booker and Janssen began combing through them. Quinn kept trying to put himself in the place of The Butcher, tried to understand his need to exert such control over the victims and his need to hunt them afterwards but there were too many missing pieces to gain an understanding.
Nick came out to the lodge to, basically, tell Miranda good-bye (if you will). Even though Miranda denied it for all she was worth, Nick knew she was still in love with Quinn and that he'd never had a chance with her.
Chapter Seventeen
More details about the very toxic relationship between The Butcher and The Bitch as they keep an eye on the gas station so The Butcher can take his next victim. The Bitch would not allow The Butcher to go after Miranda because she liked to rub his face in his mistake.
Chapter Eighteen
Brennan's writing style is so impressive. She ratchets up the tension as she describes details regarding Ashley van Auden's car found beside the road by octogenarian Red Tucker. JoBeth Anderson had been sent to the hospital by Brad Jessup, the responding officer. Nick called the crime scene techs and Quinn when he found molasses near the gas tank.
As if that was not enough to send one into fissions of terror, Brennan increases the suspense even more by giving Ashley a voice as she finds herself naked, blindfolded, and chained to a floor. She tried to figure out what happened while she was screaming "No" in her head and thinking about her father's response when he learned his little princess was in the hands of The Butcher. Ashley screamed even louder when The Butcher entered the cabin to rape her after he got through arguing with someone standing outside.
Chapter Nineteen
Oh my goodness! The tension is mounting. Quinn finds Miranda asleep at the hospital, waiting on word about JoBeth's condition. They are both disappointed to learn from Doctor Sam O'Neal that JoBeth is in a coma.
But Brennan never lets the romance fall by the wayside. Quinn pulls Miranda into his arms to comfort her when she talks about the horror that Ashley must be feeling, knowing that she was in the hands of The Butcher. Quinn considers himself fortunate that Miranda is allowing him to touch her at all.
Obviously Ryan Parker is going to play an important role in revealing the identity of the killer. He wakes from a nightmare, seeing Rebecca's accusing eyes and decides to take the silver buckle to his father because he would know what to do with it. But Ryan is thwarted in his efforts to talk to his father because his mother arrives in the kitchen and he doesn't want to speak in front of her.
Chapter Twenty
On pins and needles. Three things happened that increased the level of suspense. First, Miranda went to talk to JoBeth, to will her to live so that Ashley could be saved. Second, at the reporter infested Sheriff's office, Quinn noticed that Nick was taking the criticisms in Elijah's article to heart as Nick left to follow a hunch. Third, Brennan gave the woman ruling The Butcher a point of view voice. If possible, this female villain seemed twice as evil as The Butcher (if there are levels of evilness). Her coldness seemed to ice over the pages of the book as she watched over The Butcher as he raped another girl. She felt it was her duty to protect The Butcher from himself.
Chapter Twenty-One
Don't you just love how an author manages the plot of a story to lead her characters in the direction they need to go. Nick has gone off to the Clerk and Recorder's Office to review land transactions for the last fifteen years and to lick his wounds. Sam Harris was second-guessing his every decision, Eli was breathing down his neck, he felt like a bumbling country cop next to Quinn, and his confrontation with Miranda revealed she was still in love with Quinn. So rather than appear incompetent, Nick goes out to Judge Parker's cabin in Big Sky -- alone -- to follow up on a hunch.
Meanwhile Quinn struggles to get through the mile-wide barriers of distrust surrounding Miranda. He even tells her that he always loved her and she still runs away in fear. When Quinn calls Olivia to ask about the evidence, she prompts Quinn to try harder to get Miranda to listen to him.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Miranda is finally beginning to wake up and smell the coffee. As she waits for Quinn to arrive to drive her to the University search center, she remembers a conversation she had with Quinn before she'd applied to the Academy. Quinn had expressed his doubts about Miranda's reason for becoming an Agent, that she was more interested in catching The Butcher than in apprehending just any criminal. More eye opening on Miranda's part when she thanked Quinn for having faith in her when he asked her to discretely check with the geology department about the red clay Olivia found.
The suspense continues to escalate as The Butcher needs The Bitch's help to get rid of the Sheriff's Truck. For the first time in his life The Butcher slaps The Bitch and takes her power away from her -- he sees her fear. The Butcher was not willing to move to California because he could not leave Theron and Aglaia behind. Naturally, one is left to assume that the reason The Butcher had been able to avoid detection was because he had someone covering his actions, but now that he is making his own decisions, he will finally make that mistake that will get him caught.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Nick woke up in the cabin with Ashley. He was in pain, cold, bound so tightly he couldn't feel his legs. Nick tried to calm Ashley and told her which direction to run if given the chance. He held little hope for their chances of survival.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Wonderful description of the absent-minded Professor Glen Austin's office when Miranda went to Traphagen Hall to discuss the red clay sample Olivia had found. When Miranda checked in with Quinn to ask for a sample to be delivered to the Professor, she learned that Nick was missing. Miranda had a bad feeling about Nick's disappearance when she found his house empty.
Sam Harris, wasted no time in taking charge at the Sheriff's office and began bothering Quinn about keeping the mayor appraised of the investigation and bringing in more agents. It was so easy to hate this little man and it was also easy to assume that he was the inside source who was feeding details to Elijah Banks in order to make Nick look bad. The investigation heats up as Quinn and Miranda head to the Clerk and Recorder's Office and have no idea what Nick was looking for.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Brennan keeps the story moving at a fast pace and has one on pins and needles even as Miranda effusively greets Olivia at Traphagen Hall. Brennan prompts readers to pick up the next book in the trilogy by detailing a bit Olivia's history. In three weeks, Olivia was planning to attend another parole hearing scheduled for the man who raped and killed her sister. Brennan never lets the relationship between Quinn and Miranda fall by the wayside as Olivia asked Miranda if she had patched things up with Quinn. Miranda realizes that she has come to depend on Quinn again.
The investigation takes another step forward when Dr. Eric Fields, the director of the state lab, joins the group in Professor Austin's office to learn that the red clay sample came from either Utah or western Colorado. Quinn reports that Nick's truck has been found, but no sign of Nick.
Chapter Twenty-Six
The suspense just continues to intensify. After Quinn watched Eric politically maneuver Harris once Quinn, Miranda, Olivia, and Eric arrive at the scene of Nick's abandoned vehicle, Quinn and Miranda head back to the Sheriff's office to find that Booker has four suspects from the University files. Quinn begins making assignments to agents and cops to interview each of the men, his instincts telling him that one of them is The Butcher.
Meanwhile, Miranda finally stares her fears in the face and realizes that Quinn had been right all along. She didn't know if she was strong enough to face The Butcher head on. But Quinn knows that Miranda is strong and a survivor and believes in her and tells her to trust her instincts.
When The Butcher comes to the cabin to rape and torture Ashley, Nick screams at him with hate and frustration. Nick is still determined to find a way to save Ashley.
The Butcher has no fear any more. He is excited about the idea of hunting the sheriff, is no longer afraid of The Bitch, and decides it is time to go after the one that got away.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Sitting on the front porch with Quinn, Miranda finally acknowledged that Quinn had been right. She had gone to the Academy for all the wrong reasons. After Quinn talked to Colleen Thorne (his occasional partner), who was headed to Denver to interview David Larsen's boss, they discussed why The Butcher had left Nick's vehicle to be found. Brennan finished off the chapter by sending Miranda to Quinn's room to make love. The scene was well-written, full of emotion and included enough spice to make it intriguing.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
The story so intense that almost pacing the floor in anxiety. Colleen's call woke Quinn. After talking to Sarah Tyne, the University of Denver's wildlife biology department director, it was obvious that David Larsen was The Butcher. Quinn began making arrangements to pursue Larsen as he headed to the Sheriff's office after dropping Miranda off at the search center. After sending Deputy Lance Booker to watch over Miranda, Quinn found Sam had taken over Nick's office and was reading the fax Bonnie Blair had sent to him on Larsen. When Quinn finally realized Sam was headed to Judge Parker's house to warn him about his brother-in-law being a suspect, he was too late to stop him.
Ryan was home when Sam Harris arrived after eavesdropping on the conversation, snuck out of the house to find Uncle Davy. When Ryan found Uncle Davy, his uncle was not wearing his silver bird buckle.
Chapter Twenty-Nine through Chapter Thirty-Nine
Story too intense to stop to write about the events and feelings that Quinn and Miranda experienced during the exciting, finale with The Butcher and his sister.
❀ . Top . ❀ . Review . ❀ . Synopsis . ❀ . Series . ❀ . Characters . ❀ . Quotes . ❀ . Comments . ❀ . Links . ❀ . End . ❀
Books In The Series: "The Predator Trilogy"
| # | Date | Title | Hero | Heroine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01. | 01-2006 | The Prey | John Flynn: ex-Delta Force, ex-DEA, bodyguard for family security business | Rowan Smith: ex-FBI, best-selling crime novelist |
| 02. | 02-2006 | The Hunt | Quincy "Quinn" Peterson: FBI Special Agent | Miranda "Randy" Moore: director of Bozeman Sheriff Department's Search and Rescue division |
| 03. | 03-2006 | The Kill | Zack Travis: Seattle Homicide Detective | Olivia "Liv" St. Martin: director of Trace Evidence and Materials Analysis |
❀ . Top . ❀ . Review . ❀ . Synopsis . ❀ . Series . ❀ . Characters . ❀ . Quotes . ❀ . Comments . ❀ . Links . ❀ . End . ❀
Characters Found In "The Hunt"
| Character | Description |
|---|---|
| Quincy "Quinn" Peterson | [Hero] FBI Special Agent (5) 10-y acquaintance with Nick (5) looked like cover model; 15-year veteran of the FBI (7) quiet confidence; knack for seeing through bullshit; always getting to the heart of the matter; square jaw (8) low, warm, smooth as melting butter voice (16) few random strands of silver shot through his sandy hair, falling just a little too long across the top; dark eyes saw everything; faint lines fanned edges of eyes; physically fit (17) intense dark eyes cut through Miranda's defenses like a laser (18) hadn't coddled Miranda, like nurses; hadn't cried like Miranda's father; stood like granite, tall, strong, firm, never wavering, never letting her see pity in his eyes (31) strong; compassionate (34) hated playing politics (45) 4 years of college; master's degree in criminology; 16 weeks at Quantico; parents wanted him to be a doctor (48) 39-y-o (51) handsome; windswept dark blond hair; solid, square jaw; slightly uneven angle of his nose; sexy (70) all-too-masculine scent (74) almost chiseled profile (85) FBI Agent nearly 17 years (99) of FBI field office in Seattle (103) no longer fidgeted; stood tall and erect; confident; intelligent; wiser; seasoned (119) plain soap under a hint of expensive aftershave; handsome; sexy; smart; understanding (127) not a talker, not reticent; "said what he meant and meant what he said" (128) lean, tanned chest; muscles clearly defined; gunshot wound in upper right shoulder; large hands; calloused palms; surprising elegant fingers (156) |
| Miranda "Randy" Moore | [Heroine] 21-y-o (1) // 21 + 12 = 33-y-o (5) red jeep (11) sharp blue eyes (11) 5'9"; nothing intimidated her; a survivor; didn't expose her fear (11) had a temper (12) great resolve (15) beautiful gaunt face (20) Quinn booted from FBI Academy day before graduation (22) worked for Sheriff's office in small Search and Rescue division (24) found on the bank of the Gallatin River (33) mother died of ovarian cancer when she was 8 (25-y-a); father moved from Spokane to Gallatin Valley (35) father called her Randy (36) lived in private cabin near Gallatin Lodge father built for her when she returned from FBI Academy 10-y-a; carried .45 automatic (37) blue eyes (38) drive, steadfast, unwavering in her pursuit of a killer; "the case ate at her until it consumed her existence" (54) director of Search and Rescue (55) intense; strong; strong sense of right and wrong; passionate; quest for justice (56) beautiful; bundle of barely contained energy and strength (57) taught self defense classes at University (61) if someone touched her when she wasn't expecting it, her fear was almost palpable (71) intelligent; used combination of common sense, knowledge and instinct (77) deep midnight blue eyes (81) scarred, her body permanently damaged; major: business administration; minor: English lit (85) a spine as hard as steel (99) accepted lead position after 4 years on Search and Rescue team (110) long, narrow face (112) nine-millimeter Beretta; came in third in Academy shoot-off (116) claustrophobia (124) master's in criminology; minor in psychology; wanted to go into profiling (128) taken by The Butcher on 05-27-94 (139) beautify; strong; vibrant; smart; passionate; intelligent; stubborn (198) jumped in with both feet, from the beginning (201) part of her strength was her tenacity; insecure (271) |
| . . . | . . . |
| The Bozeman Butcher | [Major Secondary Character] killer; camouflage pants; thick black coat; dry, grave, monotone, emotionless voice (3) killing for the past 15 years (6) had never left evidence or clue behind (7) named by Elijah Banks (40) used molasses to disable car of victims (42) Quinn's profile: white male; now around 40-y-o; physically strong; methodical; obsessive planner; patience; fortitude; didn't lack confidence (44) hit during the spring, April, May, June (75) Vigo Hans' profile: needed to be in total control of victims; had no control over his life or his job; as a child, would have been subject to a domineering, abusive parent (both physical and mental); punishment for his disobedience would have been severe; likely restrained as child in small locked room or tied up; job would not necessitate lot of contact with public; would be able to function normally on the surface; wouldn't do well where he had constant communication with people (76) wouldn't have lot of control over career; relegated to low-level employment because of his inability to associate with people on a day-to-day basis; above-average intelligence; no close relationships with fellow workers; above-average physical strength; great patience; superior knowledge of the wilderness between Bozeman and northern boundary of Yellowstone National Park (77) used .270-caliber rifle (81) demanding job of tracking, documenting, and logging peregrines, took their eggs for captive breeding (95) his father left him with abusive mother when he was 6-y-o (96) smart; cunning; hadn't made a mistake (140) patient; methodical; planner; strong enough to carry slender woman; used to long, arduous labor (141) |
| The Bitch | [Villain] blond hair pulled back in braid (170) disciplined body; almost 40; trim figure; firm; graceful; body of dancer; face of an angel; soul of a demon (171) the Butcher under her thumb for 15 years (172) always had an air of being in charge; had released Penny (174) |
| . . . | . . . |
| Doc Abrams | [No Appearance] coroner (16) |
| Aglaia | [Animal] female peregrine; Theron's mate; "Splendor"; waiting willingly on cliff for Theron (93) |
| JoBeth Anderson | [Rare Appearances] riding with Ashley van Auden; victim of The Butcher; MSU identification (189) from Minnesota (196) in a coma (201) red hair (206) |
| Corinne Atwell | [No Appearance] no one had seen her since her car was found in a ditch on Route 191 outside Gallatin Gateway; probably a victim of The Butcher (24) |
| Professor Glen Austin | [Several Appearances] taught Miranda's Geology classes (2) MSU professor; Miranda took his class; old man; white hair stood straight up; beard needed a trim; sparkling emerald eyes (244) |
| Elijah "Eli" Banks | [Secondary Character] worked for Gazette (39) had source in sheriff's department (40) driven to escape small town USA for a choice job at a major paper (41) long, dirty-blond hair tied in a leather band; wire-rim glasses; narrow face; skinny frame; made Miranda's life a living hell 12-y-a; half smirk never left his face; Eli (62) condescending, mocking tone; disreputable (63) did his job in the most obnoxious way possible (65) |
| Bonnie Blair | [One Appearance] worked in Seattle's FBI office; pro at background research (298) |
| Lance Booker | [Frequent Appearances] Gallatin County Sheriff's Deputy; clean-cut; good cop; mite wet behind the ears (5) best shot in the department (112) pale eyes (262) |
| Candi | [No Appearance] Rebecca Douglas's best friend (12) |
| Brian Collie | [No Appearance] Elijah Bank's editor at the Chronicle (40) editor of Bozeman Chronicle (41) |
| Elaine Croft | [No Appearance] victim of The Butcher; found dead 3-y-a (5) from Denver (75) |
| Ellen Croft | [No Appearance] victim of The Butcher; found dead 3-y-a (5) from Denver (75) |
| Charlie Daniels | [Rare Appearances] member of Miranda's search team (200) |
| Sheriff Donaldson | [No Appearance] sheriff when Miranda had been attacked by the Butcher (31) believed Penny killed by her boyfriend (102) lax in his reports and investigations, particularly with the missing girls (142) |
| Rebecca Douglas | [No Appearance] 20-y-o; victim (5) hundreds searched when she went missing; student (6) beautiful; long blonde hair (8) contagious laugh; cared about those less fortunate; volunteered one night a week reading to the infirm at Deaconess (12) straight-A student; wanted to be a veterinarian (13) born and raised in the small, mountain community of Quincy, California (26) body discovered four miles west of Cherry Creek Road and ten miles south of Route 84 (29) worked at Pizza Shack (42) 5'2" (113) |
| Matt Drake | [No Appearance] Delilah liked in high school (367) |
| Dora Feliciano | [No Appearance] disappeared 2 years after Penny (140) |
| Dr. Eric Fields | [Brief Appearance] state lab director; small, wiry guy; silver-rimmed glasses; looked barely old enough to shave (256) huge list of credentials; ran Oklahoma City crime lab (260) |
| Fran | [One Appearance] waitress at McKay's diner (100) |
| Ben "Gray" Grayhawk | [Secondary Character] cook, general handyman and friend to Bill and Miranda (38) Miranda loved; worried constantly about Miranda: few years older than Bill; long, braided silver hair; high cheekbones; flat face bespoke his Indian heritage; green eyes favored European mother; born in Bozeman; moved away when a teen; returned after serving 3 tours of duty in Vietnam; taught Miranda about guns (38) Bill's partner; jack of all trades (146) crooked white teeth; taught gun safety class (147) |
| Mitch Groggins | [Secondary Character] suspect; cook at MSU cafeteria; still on campus; been there 17 years; mother lives in Green River, Utah (262) whiny, nasal tone of voice (269) |
| Sam Harris | [Rare Appearances] Assistant Sheriff; lost election to Nick; 50-y-o; Miranda didn't like; undermined Nick every chance he got (60) short man; stood rigid in his attempt to appear taller; enjoyed the power his uniform endowed (249) loose cannon (307) |
| Jed | [One Appearance] Parker ranch hand (46) |
| Jorgenson | [Rare Appearances] deputy on traffic duty (301) |
| Brad Jessup | [Rare Appearances] responding officer at crime scene (189) |
| Karen | [No Appearance] victim of the Butcher (37) |
| Karl Keene | [One Appearance] part of group searching for Rebecca Douglas; young teaching assistant (28) reached out to comfort Judy Payne (29) |
| Pete Knudson | [Rare Appearance] a ranger Miranda worked with often on searches (110) |
| Susan Kramer | [No Appearance] victim of the Butcher (37) disappeared 06/97, along with roommate Jenny; hunters found body 4 months later; shot in leg and chest (140) |
| David Larsen | [Secondary Character] suspect; had one class with Penny, advanced biology; graduated year after Penny went missing; didn't live on campus; left town after graduated; got master's in wildlife biology at the University of Denver; on staff there; 37-y-o (263) small apartment near the university (270) born and raised in Portland, Oregon; abusive mother; removed from home twice by Children's Protective Services; arrested for rape at age of 18 (299) |
| Kyle Larsen | [No Appearance] David's father; left home when son was 3; killed in drug deal gone bad 9 years later (299) |
| Sharon Lewis | [One Appearance] running from killer with Miranda (1) blond (2) Miranda's best friend (32) taken by The Butcher on 05-27-94; killed 06-02-94 (139) |
| Greg Marsh | [One Appearance] Rebecca Douglas's biology teacher (13) Rebecca's biology teacher; a squat, round man; rimless glasses (29) |
| Sean McClain | [One Appearance] found Rebecca's body (9) older brother; acting tough and important (49) 12-y-o (50) |
| Timmy McClain | [One Appearance] found Rebecca's body (9) smaller boy; couldn't stop moving; eyes wide with interest (49) |
| Mary Sue Mitchell | [No Appearance] Delilah 's high school classmate; hated her because she held hands with Matt Drake (367) |
| Bill Moore | [Secondary Character] Miranda's father; devastated when wife died of ovarian cancer 25-y-a; quit high-level marketing job in Spokane and relocated with daughter to Montana's Gallatin Valley; loathed paperwork (35) 57-y-o; abundant salt-and-pepper hair; wrinkles lined his ruddy complexion; once strong body, almost imperceptibly sunken; never stingy with hugs; unique combination of spicy aftershave, rich coffee beans, and pipe tobacco (36) well liked and admired; owned 88 acres (37) blue eyes, paler than Miranda's (38) |
| Doctor Sean O'Neal | [One Appearance] operated on JoBeth Anderson; tall; skinny doctor; full head of dark, graying hair; dark eyes; wore glasses (201) |
| Ron Owens | [One Appearance] Rebecca Douglas's career counselor (12) |
| Brad Palmer | [Secondary Character] suspect; 45-y-o; teaching assistant in one of Penny's classes; left shortly after her disappearance; they'd been involved; big ex-football type; football scholarship at Stanford; busted out his knee; graduated; coached high school; MSU for mechanical engineering; lived in Grand Junction, Colorado (264) |
| Karen Papadopoulis | [no Appearance] freshman biology major from Florida; disappeared in 2001; her body discovered before her vehicle found west of Old Norris in neighboring Madison County; shot in thigh by high-velocity rifle; throat slit (140) |
| Delilah Parker | [Secondary Character] Richard's wife; impeccably dressed; blonde; vivid green eyes; blank expression; surprisingly strong grip; looked fragile; icy cold fingers; smooth and cool voice (51) The Stepford Wife of Montana (52) always knew when Ryan was lying (108) "she had this look, and the look was scarier than any punishment (109) searched Ryan's room (203) had worked as secretary in the Board of Supervisor's office (301) had a "How to be a mother checklist"; doesn't really like anyone (303) married 16 years (368) |
| Richard Parker | [Secondary Character] mover and shaker in the state; federal political connections; locally elected Supervisor; arrogant; blowhard; aged well; 50-ish; bond hair, no gray; wrinkles around his dark eyes were minimal; 6' tall; lean; broad shoulders; defined muscles of a man comfortable working a ranch; Judge (45) attorney (49) formerly on the Board of Supervisors; a state Superior Court justice; up for consideration to the Appellate Court; has friends in high places (53) Superior Court Judge (103) loved hunting (106) |
| Ryan Parker | [Secondary Character] with McClain brothers when found Rebecca's body; parents had spread 3-4 miles west of crime scene (9) almost 11; image of his father; blond hair; brown eyes; unusually handsome for a young boy; seemed older, almost worldly, compared to McClain brothers (48) didn't like hunting; loved fishing (106) patient (107) loved The Untouchables and Without a Trace (109) attended Gray's gun safety class (147) |
| Judy Payne | [One Appearance] Rebecca's roommate; hadn't left headquarters since it had opened (27) young, pretty blond (28) |
| Jeanne Price | [One Appearance] assistant clerk for Clerk and Recorder's Office (252) |
| Ranger | [Animal] Ryan's horse (108) |
| Manny Rodriguez | [No Appearance] leader of Bozeman Search and Rescue until accepted job in Colorado (110) |
| Cliff Sanderson | [Rare Appearance] a Bozeman cop; Miranda respected (60) helped teach self defense classes at University; boyish dimples; 30-y-o (61) |
| Rowan Smith | [Heroine of Book 1] [The Prey] [One Appearance] Miranda's roommate at the academy; Miranda's first real friend since Sharon (128) |
| Olivia "Liv" St. Martin | [Heroine of Book 3] [The Kill] [Several Appearances] Miranda's roommate at the academy; Miranda's first real friend since Sharon (128) one of the best lab tech's at Quantico; personal friend of Quinn's; dedicated; specializes in trace evidence (133) always serious; by the book (221) didn't laugh much, but when laughed it warmed anyone within earshot (222) did not like hugs and casual touches; class act; hair a chin length bob (255) parole hearing for her sister's killer in 3 weeks (256) Dr. (259) |
| Theron | [Animal] male peregrine falcon; nest hidden in natural recess on the ledge of the sheer cliff; details about male peregrines (92) |
| Nick Thomas | [Speak No Evil] [Major Secondary Character] Gallatin County Sheriff; wet behind the years 12-y-a; elected sheriff 3-y-a (5) dark green police-issue truck (7) felt inferior to Quinn (8) 6'2"; 100 pounds heavier than Miranda (11) Miranda's best friend (18) 23-y-o rookie when Quinn met 12-y-a = 35-y-o; lines crossed his face; knowledge burned in his eyes (100) ruggedly handsome face (111) |
| Steve [Thomas] | [No Appearance] Nick's brother (241) |
| Penny Thompson | [No Appearance] Nick found her remains (7) victim of the Butcher (37) disappeared 15-y-a; car recovered down a steep ravine (43) the Butcher's first victim (101) disappeared 3 years before Miranda and Sharon taken (102) went missing 05-14-91 (139) |
| Colleen Thorne | [No Appearance] FBI Agent (10) processed Croft Sisters' crime scene 3-y-a (10) Quinn's partner; told Quinn about Nick and Miranda's relationship (55) Quinn's on-again, off-again partner; went to Grand Junction to interview Palmer (269) facts and logic agent (361) |
| Red Tucker | [One Appearance] found JoBeth Anderson and Ashley van Auden's car; owned the saloon at the 191/85 junction; rumored to be oldest man in Gallatin County; called the Sheriff's department; thick shock of white hair in need of trim; weathered face full of wrinkles (189) |
| Sarah Tyne | [No Appearance] University of Denver; wildlife biology department director (290) |
| Ashley van Auden | [Secondary Character] 21-y-o; from San Diego, California; student at University; owner of Blue Honda Civic (191) hated Montana; MSU had great wildlife biology program; wanted to work with the endangered Bighorn Sheep in Southern California (192) |
| Hans Vigo | [No Appearance] FBI's key profiler; consulted on the Butcher case (76) top profiler in department; Quinn's friend (148) |
| Dick Walters | [Rare Appearance] deputy guarding Lodge (373) |
| Toby Wilkes | [No Appearance] FBI Agent; Colleen's current partner (361) |
| Jenny Williams | [No Appearance] disappeared 06/97, along with roommate Susan; body never found (140) |
| Bryce Younger | [Secondary Character] suspect; 35-y-; freshman at time of Penny's disappearance; same dorm as Penny, North Hedges; from St. George, Utah; returned to St. George after graduation; never married; no kids; in construction (263) building science wing at the University of Montana in Missoula (264) |
| Deputy Zachary | [Rare Appearance] assigned to guard Miranda's lodge (361) |
Locations, Organizations Found In "The Hunt"
| Location / Organization | Description |
|---|---|
| Big Sky | (43) |
| Boulder Gulch | narrow 2,000-acre canyon cut through the mountain with a seasonal creek (318) |
| between Bozeman and Yellowstone | millions of acres where the Butcher hunted (24) |
| Bozeman Chronicle | Elijah Bank's former employer (40) |
| Bruce | moose head; Miranda named (35) Gallatin Lodge mascot (36) |
| Cherry Creek Road | Rebecca Douglas's body discovered four miles west of Cherry Creek Road and ten miles south of Route 84 (29) |
| Clerk and Recorder's Office | above the courthouse; thousands of parcel maps of the Butcher's hunting grounds(214) |
| Craig | location of University of Denver research facility (279) |
| Deaconess | Rebecca Douglas volunteered one night a week reading to the infirm at Deaconess (12) |
| Demver | Ellen and Elaine Croft from Denver (75) |
| Dinosaur National Monument | in northeast corner of Colorado; Larsen works near here (279) |
| Gallatin County, Montana | book setting |
| Gallatin Lodge | Bill Moore's residence and business (35) did well with both summer tourist trade and winter skiers; locals came in for dinner and Sunday brunch throughout the year; 8 suites upstairs for guests; 16 cabins dotted the 88 acres (37) near Big Sky (43) |
| Gallatin Valley | location where Rebecca Douglas found (6) |
| Gazette | Elijah Banks' employer; in Missoula (39) |
| Grand Junction, Colorado | Colleen Thorne went to Grand Junction to interview Brad Palmer (269) |
| Green River | where Mitch Groggins's mother lived (262) |
| Helena | State Crime Lab location (100) |
| Herbie | Sharon's name for her Volkswagen bug; named after the Love Bug (135) |
| Idaho | state in which Quinn guessed the Butcher might have come from (179) |
| Junction | where JoBeth and Ashley stopped to get something to eat (197) |
| Madison County | neighboring county; where Karen Papadopoulis's vehicle found (140) |
| McKay's | a diner around the corner from the police station; description (100) |
| Montana | "vast beauty and sheer majesty of its mountains, its swift rivers, green valleys, big sky"; down-to-earth, good people; cared about their neighbors; took care of their own (6) |
| Montana State University | in Bozeman (23) |
| Mossy Creek | Gray told Ryan, Sean and Timmy about Indian burial ground above Mossy Creek (50) |
| North Hedges | dorm where Bryce Younger and Penny Thompson lived (263) |
| Pizza Shack | where Rebecca Douglas worked (42) |
| Quincy, California | the small, mountain community where Rebecca Douglas was born and raised (26) |
| Parker Ranch | residence of Judge Richard Parker and his family (45) |
| San Diego, California | Ashley van Auden's home town (191) |
| Search and Rescue | a division of the Sheriff's Department (55) |
| Spokane | where Bill and Miranda Moore lived before he quit high-level marketing job and relocated to Montana's Gallatin Valley (35) |
| St. George, Utah | where Bryce Younger from (263) |
| State Crime Lab | in Helena: where evidence of crime scene to be sent for processing (100) |
| Student Union Building | of Montana State University; where search teams headquartered (24) |
| Traphagen Hall | building where Professor Austin's office located (244) |
| University of Denver | David Larsen got master's in wildlife biology at the University of Denver; on staff there (263) |
| Wyoming | state in which Quinn guessed the Butcher might have come from (179) |
| between Bozeman and Yellowstone | millions of acres where the Butcher hunted (24) |
❀ . Top . ❀ . Review . ❀ . Synopsis . ❀ . Series . ❀ . Characters . ❀ . Quotes . ❀ . Comments . ❀ . Links . ❀ . End . ❀
"The Hunt" Quotations
| 15 | How could she have walked away from their relationship without giving him a chance to explain? (Quinn) |
| 24 | Why did it take death for people to see the value of life? (Miranda) |
| 28 | Each missing girl took one more piece of Miranda's soul with her to her grave. (Miranda) |
| 36 | He smelled like home and love and everything good in her life. (Miranda) |
| 53 | The very reasons why Miranda would have made a damn good FBI agent were the same reasons why she would likely have gotten herself killed. (Quinn) |
| 78 | He made the most difficult decision in his life ten years ago; he now had to live with the consequences. (Quinn) |
| 83 | She may have lived, but he'd stolen her life just the same. (Miranda) |
| 84 | Seeing him again brought up too many conflicted feelings, too many thoughts she had buried for the ten years since he had betrayed her and took from her what mattered most. Not her career, but her trust. (Miranda) |
| 87 | "Nothing's ever going to be the same." (Miranda) |
| 87 | "you're the strongest woman I've ever met. Your will to survive, not just what happened a year ago, but also reclaiming your life, humbles me." (Quinn) |
| 89 | she almost wished she believed in God like her father. Somehow, faith comforted her dad as it never had her. (Miranda) |
| 98 | Some wounds could never be fixed, especially when the wounded continued to peel the scabs. (Quinn) |
| 128 | Her life was her own again. A new life. Whole. Complete. She felt reborn. (Miranda) |
| 130 | "You need to deal with the past so you can have a future." (Quinn) |
| 158 | She didn't want to care. (Miranda) |
| 168 | Until she opened up and talked to him, as well as listened to what he had to say, there was no hope of mending his broken relationship with the only woman he'd ever loved. (Quinn) |
| 220 | But both his decision and her subsequent actions had snowballed into a huge web of complex feelings he didn't know how to untangle. (Quinn) |
| 271 | Even if she had seen the truth then, she was too stubborn to admit it. (Quinn) |
| 282 | "I don't know if I have the courage to make it through tomorrow without you." (Miranda) |
❀ . Top . ❀ . Review . ❀ . Synopsis . ❀ . Series . ❀ . Characters . ❀ . Quotes . ❀ . Comments . ❀ . Links . ❀ . End . ❀
Comments, Snarky Remarks, and Politically Incorrect Responses to Reviews Encountered Online
"Allison Brennan -- The Hunt"
So many times I want to respond to a reviewer's comments about a book . . . but common courtesy and the rules of the site prevent me from spouting off. But here on my own site, I'm doing so.
"Allison Brennan -- The Hunt"
So many times I want to respond to a reviewer's comments about a book . . . but common courtesy and the rules of the site prevent me from spouting off. But here on my own site, I'm doing so.
| Reviewer | Link / Brief Synopsis | Response Wanted To Make |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon L. Casey ★☆☆☆☆ | . . . Miranda . . . is really annoying for many reasons. . . . | First. "Miranda . . . is really annoying for many reasons." To validate your opinion, the reasons should be listed! Second. "I was inclined to skim through most of the pages." Skimming invalidates your opinion! How can you determine the content of the story through skimming? |
| Amazon Sheena S. McKinney ★★★☆☆ | I don't like reading about . . . | You can fool some of the people all the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all the time. --Abraham Lincoln No matter how great a book an author writes, there are going to those that don't like something about it. To paraphrase this memorable quote -- this review made me think: "You can please some of the people most of the time, but you cannot please all of the people all of the time." |
❀ . Top . ❀ . Review . ❀ . Synopsis . ❀ . Series . ❀ . Characters . ❀ . Quotes . ❀ . Comments . ❀ . Links . ❀ . End . ❀
"Allison Brennan -- The Hunt" Review and Information Links
| Rated | Posted | Site | Notes, Comments, Etc. |
|---|---|---|---|
| -- | -- | Allison Brennan's Website | Author |
| -- | -- | Allison Brennan's Facebook | Author |
| -- | -- | Allison Brennan's Twitter | Author |
| -- | -- | You Tube | The Prey trailer |
| . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . |
| B / warm | 04-11-2006 | All About Romance | --Jane Jorgenson // excellent / thought provoking |
| 4.10 average | {30 reviews} | Amazon | as of: July 30, 2013 |
| -- | -- | American Author's Association | Biography |
| 4.00 | 02-08-2006 | Armchair Interviews | --Andrea Sisco {a29} // great |
| 4.24 average | {37 ratings} | Barnes & Noble | as of: June 27, 2013 |
| Article | 02-08-2010 | Barnes and Noble | Allison Brennan Article |
| -- | -- | Books n Bytes | List of Allison Brennan's Books |
| Thread | 06-13-2010 | Coffee Time Romance | A.B.'s detailed response about "Series, Trilogies, Stand-Alones" |
| Article | 08-24-2012 | Criminal Element | Allison Brennan's article on what makes a Romantic Thriller // excellent |
| 4.50 | ....-....-2006 | Curled Up With A Good Book | --Rashmi Srinivas // great review |
| -- | -- | Fantastic Fiction | List of Allison Brennan's Books |
| -- | -- | Fict Fact | List of Books In The Predator Series |
| -- | -- | Fiction DB | List of Allison Brennan's Books |
| positive | 01-09-2006 | Fresh Fiction | --Paula Meyers // succinct, but good review |
| 4.14 average | {64 reviews} | Good Reads | as of: July 30, 2013 |
| 3.81 average | {41 ratings} | Library Thing | as of: July 31, 2013 |
| positive | 03-07-2006 | Milady Insanity | brief review of entire Predator Trilogy books |
| Interview | 11-20-2012 | Mysterious Writers | A.B. Interview (tied to Kiss Me, Kill Me) // very interesting |
| -- | -- | Order of Books . com | List of Allison Brennan's Books |
| 4.00 average | {239 ratings} | Paperback Swap | as of: July 31, 2013 |
| -- | -- | Publisher's Marketplace | details about A.B.'s books, PR quotes, awards, etc. |
| Top Pick | 02-06-2006 | Romance Reader At Heart | --Debbie Jett {a20} // excellent |
| Article | 03-30-2010 | RT {Romantic Times} Book Reviews | Message From The Author // excellent |
| 4.50 / Top Pick | 02-....-2006 | RT {Romantic Times} Book Reviews | --Jill M. Smith // standard PR review |
| 4.20 average | {11 reviews} | Shelfari | as of: June 31, 2013 |
| 4.00 | 02-20-2013 | South African Vampyre News | --Octarine Valur {gr31} // good |
| -- | -- | Stop, You're Killing Me | List of Allison Brennan's Books |
| Interview | -- | Suspense Magazine | Allison Brennan / March 2008 Author of the Month |
| 5.00 | 01-24-2006 | The Best Review | --Harriet Klausner {a31} // invalid, doesn't read the books |
| -- | 12-27-2005 | To Be Read | Allison Brennan's feelings about the day of first publication |
| 4.75 | 08-01-2013 | Wolf Bear Does Books | shorter post on Amazon, Fiction DB, Good Reads, Library Thing, Shelfari |
❀ . Top . ❀ . Review . ❀ . Synopsis . ❀ . Series . ❀ . Characters . ❀ . Quotes . ❀ . Comments . ❀ . Links . ❀ . End . ❀
♥ Disclaimer: I Purchased This Book
♥ Very Subjective Rating
♣ Will add your review link of The Hunt to table, just ask
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