The Hunter's Daughter had some great elements. The suspense is intense and it will keep you gripped to your kindle. Anna is a complex character-a police officer whose father was a serial killer. This is a complex character who is struggling with lots of conflicting emotions. From a psychological perspective, Anna is a fascinating study. She has memories of her dad that are fond, but also terrifying. She becomes desperate to unravel the mystery of her parents (what happened) and in the process, catch another killer.

The plot is great! The story is intriguing and mysterious. Throughout the suspense, there is Anna and her quest to rediscover her memories and keep her secret hidden. One issue I had with the story was the writing style. The flow of some sentences felt convoluted. This could be 100% my issue and other readers might not notice it at all.  Finally, there is a high amount of animal sacrifice in the story. At times, the book has a paranormal bend, and animals are sacrificed to the forest god. Even one event like this would turn me off a book, but multiple? I put this book down numerous times and debated not finishing. I really wanted to know how it would end, though.

This book was amazing! It was addicting, bone-chilling, and downright awesome! I loved the supernatural elements as well! It's the perfect horror / psychological novel!

**Many thanks to Berkley and Nicola Solvinic for an ARC of this book provided via NetGalley!**

Anna Koray has done her best to step out of the shadows...her father's shadow, that is. After Anna finds out at a young age that her father was a serial killer, Anna's mother did her best to fill the void left by his absence. Eventually, Anna ended up becoming ward of the state and moving in with another family, where she spent the rest of her preteen and teen years before blossoming into a successful adult. She has used her background as fuel, and now works as a detective hoping to stop men just like her father in their tracks. Nestled in a small rural town, far away from the terrifying events of her past, she is working to build a new life and deal with her trauma with a hypnotherapist's help.

But when she accidentally kills a perp in self defense in the line of duty, a flood of memories she has been working so hard to suppress comes back...and visions of her father with blood covered hands return...as well as memories of the forest God, Veles, that he claimed to serve. Even more terrifying, it seems that a copycat killer has emerged in town...one who seems to know ALL of the tiny details of her father's killing patterns. When Anna gets a note revealing that someone knows her secret, the new life she's been fighting for seems like it is slipping away...and she feels HERSELF slowly start to spin out of control. Could the true crime podcaster who's been skulking around have a DEADLY fascination with her father's crimes? Or did Anna inherit something she can't control...a lust for blood?

As true crime and detective stories can be a bit off-putting for me, I was nervous coming into this read that the police/detective element would take over and minimize the impact of the overall read for me...but I'm happy to say that Solvinic managed to dance back and forth across the boundaries of the mystery, true crime, paranormal, AND psychological thriller genres with fluent, effortless ease!

At the center of everything is the main character of Anna, and if she doesn't 'work' as a character? The story itself doesn't work. With Anna as our only narrator, everything about her past, the complicated history with her father, and the revelations of her suppressed memories relies on her to be a force we feel we can both trust AND question (as she is most definitely an unreliable narrator of sorts) and Solvinic did an excellent job of giving her the emotional depth, intelligence, and complexity necessary to keep the reader guessing AND flesh out what could kindly be called a complicated past. Since the suspension of disbelief required to really enjoy this one also requires buy-in with some paranormal elements, it makes it even MORE important that Anna and her internal battles feel grounded in reality...and luckily for us, Solvinic NAILS this aspect.

Speaking of the paranormal elements...if making sacrifices to the forest gods as a general concept is a turn off to you in the genre, that IS a large portion of the narrative, so you'd probably be wise to pass on this one. There are a few gruesome moments in terms of animal sacrifice etc. (although much is left to the imagination) but if you don't want to read ANYthing about them, it might be hard to find a way to 'neatly' skip these sections. Since so much is uncovered throughout Anna's sessions with her doctor, we sort of dive in and out of the past...but let's just say Veles the forest god is VERY much in Anna's present. (How? I cannot say...you'll have to read to find out!) If you can't stand the (at this point, basically expected) true crime podcaster's involvement, you may also find this character a bit grating at times, but he becomes central to the plot...so again, not much room for trimming the fat here.

While the 'big twist' was a touch predictable, I can't say it spoiled the enjoyment of watching everything play out in the end. The ethical and moral questions of memory repression, the role that genetics can play in the intrinsic 'good or evil' of a person, and of course the paranormal elements...THESE are the parts of the book I found most thought provoking and fulfilling. Even if the mystery felt a bit thin, it was more about the journey with Anna than the destination, and this book gave me just a sprinkling of the unreliable narrator 'buzz' I get during an A+ psychological thriller. I have every confidence that if this is only Solvinic's debut she has a BRIGHT and sparkling future in the genre ahead!

And let's face it...there's always at least the POSSIBILITY of the Hunter's Granddaughter.

4 stars

3.7 amazing debut stars. This book filled all the sweet spots for forensic psychology nerd heart and the writing was enthralling. The sciences was somewhat solid and I liked the police side. The ending didn’t leave me fully satisfied, but this isn’t my preferred genre and I imagined other endings. I would absolutely read the author again. It blew my mind this was a debut.

This was an interesting thriller with a unique premise. Anna works for the sheriff’s department and her life changes the first day she kills a man. What Anna doesn’t know yet is her father was a serial killer and when she was a small child her psychiatrist locked away all of her memories of him and her childhood. But her own trauma and a mix of other factors has memories trickling in. I thought this gritty thriller was a wild ride and I didn’t see ever element of every twist so there were some surprises which I always love. I will admit as a person who studied psychology the premise of this book was fascinating. How much of a role does our DNA have and how much is nurture? What if we could lock away the worst things we’ve seen and how would that change the trajectory of our lives? This book was well written and an interesting ride. Definitely will be keeping an eye out for more books by this author.

The Hunter’s Daughter adeptly navigates the line between magical realism and mystery, ultimately leading readers to a satisfying conclusion.

When sheriff’s lieutenant Anna Koray kills a man in the line of duty, the dark memories that she’s held inside since childhood begin to emerge. The child of a serial killer, Anna worries that the malevolent forces that drove her father to madness have returned, and wonders if they are coming for her next.

This book stands strong on its own, but as a debut, I found it to be even more impressive. It’s ambitious in its scope and narrative arc, to a mostly successful result. I did find the pacing to be slightly uneven, ramping up in the back third to perhaps too-fast of a clip. But overall, I found the story to be interesting and unique. I enjoyed the way that author Nicola Solvinic incorporated mythology into the plot and the ways in which Anna was an unreliable narrator.

Overall, this is an enjoyable read, and I’m excited to see what Solvinic comes up with next.

This was an awesome indigenous story about a daughter of a serial killer with a potential copycat killer on the loose. This was so twisty with such complex characters! I loved the main character as she had such captivating internal monologue and she was a bad ass.

This had a great plot (even if it’s been done before), and the exploration of childhood confusion to adult experiences was powerful. This had a lot of strong themes and the plot itself was fantastic. This was thrilling, kept me on the edge of my seat, and I loved the police procedural aspect crossed with true crime! This was a little supernatural & spooky and really checked all the boxes for me.

Thank you NetGalley & Berkley for this copy in exchange for my honest opinion!

The Hunter's Daughter by Nicola Solvinic had me on the edge of my seat! I LOVED this book! I love a good thriller that keeps you guessing. Our main character is the daughter of a serial murderer and now she is a cop. The past to present memories the author wrote in gave this story so much life! I felt like I was watching a movie while reading it or a really good crime show. I can't wait to read more from this author!

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley and the Berkley Besties program, all opinions are my own.

This follows Anna, a detective with a secretive backstory that not even she completely remembers. When Anna shoots a perpetrator in the line of duty and is dosed with PCP suppressed memories from her childhood begin to surface. She thought she buried the person she used to be, but with the help of her therapist she is able to piece together her past with what she is experiencing now. This is especially helpful when she finds herself tangled up in a murder investigation that appears to be a copycat of her serial killer father. Unable to detach herself from the case, Anna is determined to use her knowledge of her father's case, and the outdoor skills he taught her to figure out the current case or if her father has returned from the dead to haunt her once more.

I found it hard to believe that Anna was able to hide her identity from so many people for so long. It is one of those plot points where you have to suspend your disbelief for the storyline to work. No one recognizes her and she makes really poor decisions throughout the investigation, yet no one picks up on it. As for the thriller aspect, this has plenty of red herrings to keep the reader on their toes and adds in a nice bit of police procedural.

Overall, this was an interesting thriller and a solid debut.

The Hunter's Daughter is a solid debut novel that shows a promising writing career for Nicola Solvinic. Anna is the daughter of an infamous serial killer, but as a child, her memories were wiped clear of who she really was. Now, as an adult, she is living a relatively normal life as a sheriff lieutenant, that is, until she is involved in an incident that ultimately starts unlocking her memories.

As her past becomes clearer, Anna struggles with what it could mean for her future, and the hunt for a copycat killer makes things even more muddy.

A mix of mystery, police procedural, and a little paranormal vibe, I found myself invested in the story and kept in suspense of how it would in. Lots of dreaming and being in the forest did take me out of the flow and would have liked to have had fewer wood scenes, but overall, it was a good read.

I was provided an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I tried really hard to get into this one, but I just wasn't able to. I am still really thankful to the publisher, author, and netgalley for granting me advanced access to this digital collection before publication day.

3-3.5 Stars
The Hunter's Daughter follows sheriff's lieutenant Anna Koray whose memories were sealed away as a child. As a result, she grew up not knowing she was the daughter of a notorious serial killer. When she shoots and kills a man in the line of duty, her suppressed memories start to return. To add to her horror, a copycat emerges who knows her true identity. Anna finds herself wondering if her father is still alive or if he had a partner all those years ago.

This book is a combination of a police procedural and psychological thriller with supernatural/horror elements and makes for an engaging, intense read. I loved the idea of the main character being a police officer and the child of a serial killer. I enjoyed the glimpses of her childhood as her memories resurface but I wasn't fond of her decision-making throughout the book.
I liked the question of whether Veles was real, or if Anna was suffering the same delusions her father did. Adding to this was the fact that Anna is an unreliable narrator so you never quite know what's real or if it's all in her head.

I did go into this expecting it to be more focused on the police procedural side as Anna hunts for the serial killer but it leans pretty heavily on the psychological. I typically don't mind this but I think it just took me by surprise so it took longer for me to finish than I thought it would.
I had my suspicions but was still surprised by the final twist!

Overall, this is a solid debut and I would definitely recommend it to fans of psychological thrillers that incorporate the supernatural.
I'm looking forward to seeing what Solvinic writes next!

I was blown away by how much I loved The Hunter's Daughter. Nicola Solvinic had me right from the hook - "The first time I killed a man was on Tuesday." How could I not be instantly obsessed, but then a serial killer, mysteries of the forest, repressed memories, and a strong female police officer with a tendency to go rouge kept me riveted right to the end. I am not one to pick favorites, but this book is going on my list for top debuts of the year, and I can already tell that I've added a new must-buy author to my list.

This debut novel is chilling! The daughter of a serial murderer, Anna's memories were erased through an experiment with a therapist. But, after she kills a man in the line of duty as a cop, the memories begin resurfacing. Anna wants to understand the mind of her father, and why he killed so many women. Now, more women are dying, and Anna is seeking answers, without revealing her connection to the case.
There is a supernatural element/fantasy aspect to this novel. There is also a lot of suspicion around all the players, and you wonder throughout: who is good and / or bad? It all wraps to a satisfying conclusion.
I am excited to see what this author does next!

4.5 stars, rounded up

The Hunter’s Daughter by Nicola Solvinic is a compelling, dark thriller and debut novel. It is well-written and I found it compulsively readable, grabbing me from the very beginning and not letting go until the final words of the story.
The protagonist is Lt. Anna Koray, a respected and decorated sheriff’’s detective. No one in her present life knows that, as a child, she was raised as Elena Theron by an ineffectual mother and a father who taught her to track and hunt in the forest. He is eventually found out to be a sadistic serial killer and sent to prison for life. In an effort to protect her daughter, her mother has a psychiatrist manipulate Elena’s memories through hypnosis, and she grows up to be Anna, the police sheriff, with no recollection of the horror she saw as a child.
A series of new murders she investigates trigger remembrances of seeing the past victims after being killed by her father—until now sealed in her “memory vault.” The rest of the tale is a thrilling search by Anna for the current killer and for the truth about her past.
For a debut novel, this is stunning! Anna is a wonderfully complicated character. She is a heroine who is also deeply flawed by her upbringing. The story is complex, with revelations about Anna’s past and present unveiled at just the right time to keep up the dramatic tension. The plotting is clever with many twists and a touch of folktale spirituality, referencing the obscure Slavic Forest God Veles, whom her father reveres. The nuanced prose is highly descriptive and is a pleasure to read, giving depth to the story explores the role of repressed memories, seriously disturbed parenting, and the struggle of good vs evil.
This is an excellent police procedural with plenty of suspense and drama. I look forward to more works by this talented author!

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest review.

Have you guys heard about this book? It’s a debut that was published this week. When I saw the cover I was a little unsure thinking vampires, but I was wrong. It’s kinda a crime procedural. Anna, the main character, is a police detective, but it is really more about her than her job.

She has a big secret that no one in her life knows about and she is trying to solve a series of crimes that are related to her secret. I instantly connected with her. She is complex and deeply flawed. In the first couple pages of the book, she is exposed to a lot of PCP. I waffled through the entire book about whether she was reliable or hallucinating.

I loved how the author set the book up with me learning about her past as she was remembering it. And I need to do a shout out for chapter headings. I have been seeing them a little more, but this one had them. I love them and think they add a lot to the read.

I was also fascinated by the people in Anna’s life. Her ex, her parents, and others. I suspected almost everyone, so bragging that I figured it out is really not all that impressive. Having everyone around Anna having their own secrets was a great way to keep me wanting to know more.

Very character driven, but I also enjoyed the exploration of childhood trauma, the patient therapist relationship, and how to determine who you can trust with your secrets.

At times this is a little gritty and has moments that border a little paranormal/horror.

I highly recommend this one. I know I already thanked Berkley but this one wasn’t on my radar prior to receiving it. So this is a big thank you!!!

this was everything I wanted it to be and more! it gave the chestnut man vibes with the spooky creepy serial killer on the loose and the paranormal lore surrounding it 😳

while I’m not usually one for horror, this felt just the perfect amount of scary mixed in with a typical detective procedural! the “daughter of a murderer” trope is a bit overdone, in my opinion, but this one was written so well! I was fully invested in finding out the detective’s lost memories and what really was the truth about her childhood…

the length of the book was pretty heavy and dragged on at times, but I enjoyed it all the same. for a story with extremely gruesome detail, it read like a spooky halloween thriller and didn’t spend much time on the actual deaths of the victims (which my gentle soul appreciates)

I did guess the ultimate plot twist as I was able to figure it out based on the clues the author dropped, but it played out was fun and intriguing and kept my interest until the end. what a fabulous debut thriller!!!!!

thank you to berkley and netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

rating: 4 stars
wine pairing: dry creek zinfandel

I am in shock that this is a debut, it blew my mind! Nicola Solvinic is able to create an atmosphere that made the hair on the back of my neck rise, my heartbeat quickened, my stomach churn, and my mind go to the deep dark crevasses that you never want to think about. When I hear the word serial killer, I know that someone out there is hunting people. Can you imagine if that person was your father? How would that make you look at life, think about yourself, and wonder if you are like him in any way?

Anna is a cop that is determined to play by the rules, and she wants to be a good, no, the best cop she can possibly be. She grew up in the most disturbed environment you could ever dream up. She was close to her father; never thought he could do anything wrong. Until the day the FBI came knocking on their door. Anna's father had disappeared days before, but she knew she could find him. He had shared all the secrets of the forest with her. When she stumbles into a situation that no child, let alone adult, should witness. She is left with confusion, hurt, and not knowing where she truly stands as the floor of her life drops from beneath her. When a copycat killer begins leaving a trail of bodies in the same way her father did. All bets are off. Anna needs to work on this case, to find out who is behind it, and if it will give her closure with her past. She quickly becomes lost in her mind, losing time, spending more time in the forest, and has the feeling she is being watched. She knows she must find the killer before he exposes her past.

This book is all about the ultimate power. The killer needing to know that they have control of the situation and the only way they can do that is through controlling every situation. The characters in this book are phenomenally written. They draw you into the story and never let you go. The twists will leave you with your mouth dangling open. I was shocked so many times, that I lost count. Do yourself a favor and read this book! Thank you to Nicola Solvinic and Berkley Publishing for this terrifying read.

This book was a creepy page-turner that blended real(ish) world and supernatural elements. It wasn't quite one or the other. It wasn't scary or gory necessarily, though there were several on-page deaths as well as depictions of corpses. I thought the author did a great job capturing the eerie tone and reflecting Anna's uncertainty about whether she was hallucinating or whether things were real. The cover captures the repeated imagery of the deer antlers well.

Thank you to the publisher - I received a complimentary eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

Anna Koray had her memory wiped as a child. As the daughter of a serial killer, that was probably for the best. When she shoots and kills a man in the line of duty something inside of her comes undone, and the gruesome memories start emerging alongside something sinister.

To add to Anna’s horrors, a serial killer emerges, mimicking her father’s past murders. Is her father still alive, did he have a partner all that time? Or is there something truly wrong with Anna?

I’ll start by pointing out that there are a lot of supernatural aspects to this story. I wasn’t expecting this. I of course loved the use of it (in this case the god, Veles, is haunting Anna). It was even more enhanced by Anna, our very unreliable narrator. Is the god real? Is Anna imagining things? Is someone messing with her? I’m honestly still not sure!

For a serial killer story I kept waiting for it to get really gruesome and dark, but this was much more psychological. I found the story engaging overall, but I figured out what was going on quite early on and the ending felt a bit rushed.

Definitely an entertaining read. I will be keeping an eye out to see what this author writes next.

*Thank you to Berkley Pub and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC to read and review.