Kellerman has written another good mystery about Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus and their family and the young people who attach themselves to the family because Peter and Rina are so warm and welcoming. The mysteries are still well written and intriguing and the characters are like friends now. The plots still hold your attention... Kellerman is going strong with this now this 27th book in this series.

This novel brings together some unfinished business for Peter and his team. There is a body found int he woods in New York where previously a man went missing. Now there seems to be a trail of blood leading to people missing from an assisted living home Peter and his partner have figure out.

Then there is the adopted son, Gabe, who Peter and Rina took into their home years ago. His mother couldn't take care of him and his father is a notorious crime boss. This novel takes Peter back to Los Angeles and Las Vegas to find Gabe's mother, Teresa in danger, involved in a messy divorce from a second marriage. Gabe's half siblings get entangled when they are kidnapped and Gabe calls in a favor from his father, Christopher Donatti, a former hit man from a known criminal family who’s now a millionaire in Nevada. Everyone is working together to find the children but it means that Peter and Gabe may have sold their souls to the devil in an effort to do a good deed.

Always fast paced, with a little Jewish ethics and practice thrown in. Another fun read.

As a Decker fan I wanted more of Decker and Rina. The story of Terry and Chris was very over the top and rather upsetting at times - readers should be forewarned, I skimmed most chapters getting back to Decker’s story. As this is the last Decker book the ending seemed rushed. As a fan I was disappointed with this book. 2.5 stars.

Another perfect Bookclub selection. Plenty of drama and intrigue which always makes for a good discussion.

3.5/5 stars

This was my introduction to Faye Kellerman and after finding out that THE HUNT is actually book 27 in this Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus series I was concerned that I might be missing out on a ton of information. That’s one thing I’ve grown to love about crime fiction series, yes it’s always better to start from the beginning of the series and be able to fully appreciate the character growth, but you won’t have any issues starting in the middle and being able to follow along. After seeing some other reviews, this is supposedly the last book in the series, and I find it pretty funny I’m starting at the end, but this is a series I want to start from the beginning with.

Murder, kidnapping, trying to evade court in a messy divorce, and that’s not even all of it. Certainly seems like there is going to be a lot going on in this book, but I feel like Kellerman was able to effortlessly weave all of these elements together without losing the readers or causing too much confusion. From what I’ve seen from other readers, there is a lot of backstory with some of these characters that would be beneficial to already know and a cast of characters that are coming back from previous installments. I feel like I would have been able to appreciate these cameos and inclusions better, but it didn’t take away from the events in the book.

While there was plenty of drama and suspense to go around, I feel that there were some parts that didn’t need to be in such graphic detail. A good warning before starting this, is that there is a lot of graphic and violent sexual parts in the book, so if that’s something you want to avoid then this might not be the book for you. Seeing other reviews, this seems to be an outlier in the series. Overall, I really did enjoy the book and the pacing was nice and quick. A solid introduction to this author and a new series for me. I can’t wait to get to know Peter and Rina better!

I really didn't enjoy the whole Chris and Terry subplot. I understand that it was needed to explain how Juleen and her brother come into Cindy's families care, but there needs to be a trigger warning about the amount of violent sex and rape.

Unfortunately, this was only ok to me. I really was hoping it'd keep me on my feet a little more. From the jump, the cover and title reminded me something of "The Shining" and "Maze Runner". When I read the previous books, I really liked them so this one I had higher expectations.

Loved all of Faye Kellerman's books. Really disliked this one. Sorry that the last Peter/Rita book was uncomfortable, brutal, and pointless.

“The Hunt,” by Faye Kellerman, William Morrow, 496 pages, Aug. 23, 2022.

Detective Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus are about to travel from Greenbury, New York to Israel when their foster son, Gabe, gets a call from Teresa McLaughlin, his biological mother.

She says she was badly beaten and that her two younger children, Sanjay and Juleen, have been kidnapped. She is in Los Angeles where she fled amid a messy divorce from her current husband, Devek. She took the kids out of India without permission from the court.

Her first husband, Christopher Donatti, a former hit man from a known criminal family, is now a millionaire in Nevada. Decker suggests that Gabe call Donatti because he could get to L.A. faster. Donatti is Gabe’s biological father.

While he is on the flight, Decker hears from his partner, Detective Tyler McAdams. A body has been found in the woods in upstate New York where a man, Bertram Lanz, previously went missing. The victim is Pauline Corbett, who was tied to the Lanz case. Lanz was in a group home and disappeared during an outing. The disappearance was featured in the novel “Lost Boys” and “The Hunt” picks up where “The Lost Boys” left off.

Decker does manage to turn off his cell phone. Peter and Rina are in the process of buying a home and moving to Israel. When they return two weeks later, Sanjay is still missing. Teresa believes her five-year-old son was kidnapped by people Devek owes.

While I enjoyed this series, this novel focuses too much on Donatti’s rather bizarre violent psychosexual tendencies. While some readers may find the ending disturbing, I thought it was the right way to end it. This is the 27th in the series. In the dedication, Faye Kellerman said it is the final installment. She didn’t say if she is retiring or if she will write other novels.

In accordance with FTC guidelines, the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

I was provided this book through Netgalley to get back an honest review. Reading this book was like pulling teeth. While I kept holding out hoping that something was going to happen that surprised me or grabbed me as a reader that just never happened. Honestly the two plot lines did not do a good job mirroring each other and both of them were drawn out to the point that it felt like the writer was just continuing to write in order to meet some sort of goal. Be that a word count or just to make the reader fall asleep. I loved the short blurb about this book. There is little to no hunt in this book. Unless you want to count the hunt for Teresa’s son, and honestly that was given such little space in this book that you can barely call it a hunt. I mean the kidnappers call and Christopher, he tells them hey I’ll pay you the money owed by the dad no problem. Let’s just draw this out over like five chapters where we have two pages of dialogue about the boy now and then and we will be good. Even just the toxic relationship between Teresa and Christopher is horrible. How to portray one of the most toxic relationships ever and then try to justify it at the same time. That was a goal this author struggled with. As for the other case. It was pretty no eventful. Honestly it could have been dropped. That and some of Teresa’s interactions with Christopher. Even the big reveals at the end were super lack luster. Overall, this book was not my cup of tea. I had never read anything by this author previously and I am sorry to say I doubt I will again.

3.5*
This is book 27 of one of my long-running favorite series. If you’re new to the series this may not be a good place to jump in for several reasons. With expansive back stories to every character I can’t imagine stepping in at this point and truly understanding or appreciating this series.

This latest release is truly two separate stories running concurrently.

Peter Decker is wrapping up his final case as a homicide detective before settling into retirement, and moving with his wife Rina to Israel.
As always, I would have enjoyed having more time with this amazing couple and their ever expanding family. The case Peter was working on simply didn’t hold my interest.

The second storyline revolves around Chris Donatti and his ex-wife Teresa. Both characters are from earlier in the series, who have since grown up with children of their own. Now Teresa needs help.
Her son was kidnapped and she, after a brutal beating escaped with her daughter. With nowhere else to turn, her ex is the only man powerful enough to bring her son home.
This storyline was shocking to read at times due to its graphic nature. I completely understand that it’s a prominent part of Chris’ character but it still felt a bit excessive.

Overall, I always enjoy my yearly visits with Rina and Peter. While this wasn’t a favorite,
I would never pass up my opportunity to spend time with one of my favorite fictional couples.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow

This is the 27th book in her series about Detective Peter Decker and his wife, Rina, and their family. This book involves two separate cases. In the first case, Peter and his young partner, Tyler McAdams are on the trail of several missing people, but it quickly becomes a homicide case when one of them turns up dead. This part of the story is fairly easily resolved and never gets all that interesting.

The far more interesting part of the book revolves around two characters originally introduced in one of Kellerman's much earlier books, Chris Donatti and Teresa McLaughlin, the parents of the Decker's foster son, Gabe. Years earlier, Teresa left Chris when she became pregnant by another man. Now, Gabe asks his father to step in and help his mother, She has left her second husband and has been severly beaten, and her young son was kidnapped. Just like that Teresa is sucked back into Chris Donatti's world. Their relationship is at least as interesting if not more so than the mystery of what happened to her son and how Chris goes about trying to get him back. Their relationship is extremely toxic. He is controlling and can be abusive, and yet you can see how much he really loves her and how much he wants to change for her. Their relationship will really stir up your emotions. The two seem made for each other, and yet in so many ways, he is clearly so bad for her. You won't know whether to root for them or against them. If you like your mysteries with a healthy dose of relationship drama, you will really enjoy this one.

The Hunt was a ok read for me. I didn’t overly enjoy parts of it as they were just a bit too much for me. Some of the scenes were just a bit disturbing.
Definitely a fast paced story, Just not a favorite in the Peter Deckter/Rina Lazarus series.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I wanted to read this but didn't realize it was expiring. My apologies for bad time management. Will leave a better review when I can find the book on Libby or something. Appreciate the gifted copy.

I got the opportunity to read one of my new series newest books before it is published, and it did not disappoint. ​I absolutely love Kellerman’s style and her details about Jewish culture.

This was a little different pace than her usual Decker/Lazarus book as we also see Chris Donatti’s side of things. Donatti is an ex-con psychopath that Decker helped save and they play tit-for-tat on who owes who. Peter and Rina are coming back from Israel to settle things in the U.S. before they head back to Israel to renovate their new home. Meanwhile, Chris’s ex-wife, Terry, has a lot of problems with her current husband and he comes to her rescue. We ride along Chris and Terry’s rocky relationship and how they come back together as well as how Peter and Rina have to assist Chris in finding Terry. The ending is surprising but at the same time a little predictable. It still leaves you hanging because we’re unsure if Chris is still alive and if Peter is going to end his career. ​

If you haven’t started this series, you need to get to it. The 27th volume is released on 8/23/22 so you might have a little time to start. If you have started, then get ready for the ride of a life!

The story line that involved Pete and Rina Decker in The Hunt by Faye Kellerman was great. The explicit sexual encounters between Terry and Donatti were too explicit and violent for me. I've read Faye Kellerman for years and don't recall anything like that in her books.

I’m giving this book 5 stars because I love these people. This was really two books. The normal Peter and Rina book, but with a second story that was so unlike Faye Kellerman. I never read Fifty Shades of Gray, but the parts with Terry and Chris made me think of that. Two much graphic sex for a Decker novel. After all was settled, the very ending made me cry.

3.5 Talented Stars
* * * 1/2 Spoiler Free-A Quick Review
I first discovered the Decker/Lazarus books many, many years ago. I had been reading mysteries/thrillers and found Jonathan Kellerman and binged on his books from the library. Then his wife, Faye Kellerman wrote her first book! Oh, it was so good and I was overjoyed to have a woman be so good and thrilling.

Over the years I have lost touch with Ms. Kellerman but still was aware of her successful series. Low and Behold, The Hunt is the 27th entry! Although this is possible to be a stand-alone, there is so much reference to past characters and situations, I would suggest touching base with the previous other books.

I enjoyed the crafting, felt all the conflicts, and emotions, and will be going back to start over my binge reading of Faye Kellerman.

I’ve been a fan of most of Faye Kellerman’s books but admit I’ve missed many before reaching for this 27th book. This book is written like two separate -plot lines pushed together. One story is to solve the mystery tying up Decker's last case in Greenbury and the other plotline, the darker more- triggering story (sodomy, rape,) is the relationship between Terry and Chris. There is little connection between the two cases except that Terry abandoned her son Gabe years before and Lazarus and Decker raised him.
The Greenery murder case moved along at a slow pace, and I found myself spinning through pages to get a solution. Too twisty and “turny” with over-written explanations.
The Chris and Terry story involves detailed descriptions of rape of every kind but does not make for a page-turner. I stopped reading. It’s rare I nearly abandon a book by swiftly moving through the pages, but this is one, I did. No surprises at the end, and not worth the read for me.
2.5 rating
Thank you to Faye Kellerman, William Morrow and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

This is the last, LAST Rina Lazarus/Peter Decker book. Hard to believe, I remember reading them way way way back. I learned quite a bit about the Jewish faith reading those early books!

In this thriller, Gabe (Peter and Rina's adopted son) receives a call for help from his mother Terry. Rina and Peter are gearing up to move to Israel, and Peter is tied in to one last case. Peter calls Gabe's birth father, an incredibly wealthy criminal underworld type to step in to help. Much of the story is about Chris and his relationship with Gabe's mother, Terry.

The Hunt pulls in past characters and weaves together a story that will tie up all loose ends. I wouldn't recommend this for your first Kellerman read - many of the books can be read stand alone, but a lot of past characterizations and events are needed to make this a palatable book. Little is focused upon Rina and Peter, and much more on the ancillary characters.

It is well written and gripping. There are very graphic violence and sex scenes entwined with past abuse that turned me off. It's hard to say if the author ties this violence into true love and past abuse.

The true fans, however, will love this book and the send off it give the entire family. If you are a Rina Lazarus / Peter Decker fan, then The Hunt is for you! #WilliamMorrow

I can't believe that I've just completed reading the last Decker/Lazarus book in the series.

I've been with these two since The Ritual Bath and have enjoyed every moment and The Hunt is no different.

Kellerman's way of tying up old story lines and bringing everything to its conclusion kept me glued to the pages from beginning to end.

I'm sorry to see the series come to an end, but it definitely goes out on a high note.