Hunting Time

FREE ARC from Net Galley

Fantastic, fantastic, fantastic

Shaw is an everyman and not a superman, detailed to be interesting without the Clancy overkill.

TWISTS?!?!? You want twists, you will have to re-read a part or two by the 60% mark.

Superior writing and plotting, a refreshing break in the cardboard cutout stories that we are drowning in today!

Thriller fans untie, this one you will enjoy!!!

I’ve been a fan and have read everything Jeffrey Deaver has written since I stayed up all night in 1995 binging “A Maiden’s Grave”. Although the spotlight shines brightest on the Lincoln Rhyme series, the Colter Shaw series also provides well-drawn, interesting characters and tight plot lines. “Hunting Time” was an engrossing read with enough twists and turns to keep me completely engaged. The main character, Allison Parker, is a strong, intelligent woman. Colter is hired to protect her from her ex-husband who, fresh out of prison, has sworn to kill her for past betrayals. As the plot progresses, the gremlins of doubt creep in. Are people who they seem to be? What makes someone a good person or a bad person? The suspense mounts to a satisfying crescendo, where all is revealed and mostly resolved, leaving an open door for the next book and hopefully, though Colter rides alone, some room for a recurring character in Sonja Nilsson, a mysterious woman who connects with Colter in many ways. I completely enjoyed this book and will look forward to the next in series. A huge thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advance copy.

I love Colter Shaw and this latest does not disappoint! He's met his match with a smart engineer and her daughter...but you won't see this ending coming. Keep them coming, Jeffrey Deaver!

Multi-talented and award winning author, Jeffery Deaver may be the best thriller author in modern times, and his character, Colter Shaw, survivalist and reward seeker, is back in a fast-moving and exciting novel, Hunting Time , the fourth in the series. Colter is hired to search for Allison Parker, a brilliant engineer whose ex-husband has been released early from prison, and who is determined to kill her because she previously pressed charges against him and sent him to prison for a brutal assault on her. Jon Merritt was a police officer, so the police are on his side, which causes undue pressure and makes it difficult to find her as she tries to protect their daughter and stay safe by fleeing.

Deaver’s storytelling abilities are borderline genius, and readers will be hooked almost immediately in Hunting Time. And while readers are fairly sure that their hero (Colter Shaw in this case) will come out okay in the end, it won’t be without unexpected twists and turns that will keep readers on the edges of their seats. This novel is well-written and easy-to-follow. The characters are well-developed and believable.

Hunting Time is clearly the best Colter Shaw novel yet, and is highly recommended to thriller aficionados who want good writing, constant building suspense, and spine-chilling story-line with a unanticipated dénouement. Deaver is a master and if it were possible, this novel deserves more than 5 stars.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

In Jeffrey Deaver's Hunting Time (GP Putnam's Sons), Book 4 in the Colter Shaw Novel series (and separate from Deaver's Lincoln Rhymes series), former cop and alleged wife beater Jon Merritt is released from prison as a model prisoner. He is reformed and now sets his sights on revenge against the wife who caused him to be incarcerated. Allison is a brilliant engineer, loving mother, but her child, Hannah, may be too sympathetic to her dad and the dad's former police colleagues were never convinced he was guilty. Colter is hired by the wife's boss to protect her until the father reveals himself as a danger to his wife and can be thrown back into prison. Why is her boss to one interested in her safety? Allison is the brains behind his new product. 

As always, Deaver writes compelling descriptions and has a storytellers knack for revealing details. Hunting Time can be read as a stand alone, but I’m glad I read at least one of the prequels first (see my review of The Final Twist) Why? Consider this: On Page One, Colter Shaw is already in a situation ordinary detectives might not survive, but because I knew Colter Shaw, his spot on instincts, his MacGyver-esque survival skills, the brilliance and speed of his brain--I knew I was in for a fun scene.

Two characteristics make this book stand out from other thrillers. One: The author includes rules taught to Cole by his dad on how to survive:

"Never let surprise dull your awareness"

"Never banter"

"Never extend a handgun out in front of you when entering a blind doorway"

"Never engage unless you have to"

"Never let discomfort trick you into taking a risk"

Two. Colter makes decisions based on probabilities--

"Only when he assessed minimal threat--less than ten percent--did he turn fully to the man"

Couple these with Deaver's clever mind for dropping breadcrumbs and then connecting seemingly disparate clues, I never wanted to put this book down. Having said that, there were two problems not serious enough to rate a star deduction. One, there was lots of backstory, probably how Deaver chose to build drama. Two, there was not enough of Colter Shaw and his amazing survival skills in the early parts.

Overall, an excellent series for Deaver fans, survivalists, and those who love surprises in their thrillers.