Hunted begins with a bloody bombing in a Los Angeles mall. FBI agent Shreya Mistry identifies a young Muslim woman as the bomber. She is part of a group calling the Sons of the Caliphate. They are claiming responsibility, for the bombing and are threatening future attacks. This is all occurring along side a tight presidential race between a right-wing ideologue and the country’s Democratic vice president. This new conflict could spark a resurgence of Islamist terrorism and effect the political outcome. Shreya uncovers the bomber’s connection to a small town outside of Portland, Oregon and teams up with fellow FBI agent Susan Kramer. Together they discover another potential bomber on the loose: Aliyah Khan, a young British woman radicalized by her sister’s death during a political protest.
While the characters can get confusing, the cast is diverse, and well-portrayed as they conduct clever investigative work, at breakneck speed.
This is a pulse pounding thriller in a all to familiar scenario.

Many thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

I love AM's Sam Wyndham historical mystery series, and appreciate the author's desire to try something new & contemporary. This is a decent, quick-paced thriller.

Overall, 3.5 out of 5 stars.

The pros: twisty, unexpected plot. Quick pace. Good character development.

The cons: some stilted dialogue. Very UK perspective of U.S.; feels like author has only visited the American locations via Google, which occasionally took this reader out of the story (i.e. you can't get $90 out of an ATM that only dispenses 20s... )

A decent, if not completely successful, first attempt at a modern day thriller with two parallel plots involving terrorism and family. I appreciated the thoughtful author's note at the end.

This is a story about every day people who become radicalized and an FBI agent trying to stop terrorist attacks. There are a lot of POVs and I would find myself feeling like I was pulled in too many directions - I would've liked this better getting close to just 1 or 2 characters stories.

It was heavy action, blockbuster vibes. Not a ton of mystery/psychological suspense but you do get a twist reveal. Overall okay, just felt kinda like a crime show like NCIS and that's not my favorite vibe.

Thank you to the publisher for granting me access to an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The book was good! I couldn’t put it down. It had my attention from the very first page. I was completely hooked. I couldn’t put it down until I read the very last page

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of Hunted.

Without summarizing the plot, I can say that the characters were fully fleshed out and people who we cared about who moved the story rapidly forward. Three groups of people, radicalized young people, their parents and the FBI all racing to circumvent a catastrophic event.

There were a few quirks of character I wish were better explained. Did the FBI agent have a diagnosed mental problem? How did Greg's mom afford her quest to find him? How was she so skilled in subterfuge and driving? A few too many unexplained background things for me.

Still 4 stars. Worth reading.

Two parents of different children risk everything to run to the aid of them after they've been accused of terrorism. Have the kids been sucked into a cult, or are they participating of their own volition? Twists aplenty will keep readers guessing. Great for fans of thrillers.

I went into this hating it. I don’t know if it’s because as an American who was a child during 9/11 I have a sour taste in my mouth for terrorism, or because it was very slow to take off, but I am so glad I stuck with this to the end.

The scariest part of this entire premise is I can 💯% see this happening in the near future. The government is so far gone, and pulling this country into a bottomless chasm.

The idea of a cult like group working to reset it, and two parents doing everything in their power to find their children that get caught in the middle is very real.

The one thing I have to say is the ending is rather abrupt.
And the chapters all end on a sudden note too. And it gave me mental whiplash. I would have appreciated smoother transitions.

Thanks to Net Galley and the author for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest opinion.

4 ⭐️

In London, the police storm Heathrow Airport to bring in a father for questioning about his missing daughter. In Florida, a mother makes a connection between her son and the bomber, fearing he has been radicalized. And in Oregon, an unknown organization’s conspiracy to bring America to its knees unfolds…

This was not what I was expecting at all but I did really enjoy it. Well plotted and very tense.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mullholland Books Publisher for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book.

I immediately fell under the spell of this book, mesmerized by its haunting whispers of trees. Shreya Mistry, the fearless FBI agent, became my trusted confidante, drawing me into her thrilling quest for truth. As we raced across continents, I felt my heart pounding in sync with hers, my mind whirling with theories and suspects. The rain-soaked streets echoed my own turmoil, as if the skies themselves were conspiring with the author to keep me turning the pages. This book wrapped itself around my soul, a seductive embrace that left me breathless and craving more. If you're ready to surrender to a thriller that will own you, body and mind, then join me in this addictive adventure.

I am probably not the best reader for this book, since I'm not generally fond of thrillers, and this is very much a thriller, complete with car chases, shootouts, and breakneck flights from powerful enemies.

The story involves three parents. Two have children who have become enmeshed in a shadowy group that is responsible for a deadly bombing that was set off by a young Muslim woman who realizes, as she tries to flee, she has been lied to. The parents, one a headstrong American woman looking for her veteran son, the other a Bangladeshi asylum seeker long settled in Britain whose young daughter has disappeared, apparently to join a terrorist cell. The third parent is a driven FBI agent who is in trouble for following her instincts against orders, who can't find the time to talk to her daughter until the unthinkable happens. The two children who have been caught up in the secret cell are beginning to have doubts and find themselves up against powerful foes. All of this unfolds against the backdrop of a looming presidential election between an establishment woman candidate, estranged from the common people, and a loudmouthed populist with an enthusiastic following. Sounds very familiar.

Those who enjoy political thrillers with lots of action and twists and turns will probably love it. I ... didn't, but it's partly because it's not my kind of book and partly because I dislike plots that rely on extraordinarily competent secret organizations that can anticipate every move and have the skill sets of super heroes (or villains). (It kind of felt like an evocation of the so-called "deep state" which in reality is just a large bureaucracy full of civil servants doing their best but without the power or, in many cases, the skills, to set national agendas or accomplish their goals. I also don't like blaming everything on "polarization" as if there are two equally extreme factions vying for power, but that's a rant for another venue...)

I did find most of the characters nicely developed as real human beings who I cared about, and the pacing is just as breakneck as a thriller should be. I'm sure it will hit the spot with many readers.