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For the Dogs: A Novel
When the other members of her family are murdered by hit man while she is on vacation in Europe, Ella finds her own life in terrible danger and returns home, torn by grief and driven to exact revenge.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published June 29, 2004
854 people are currently reading
1091 people want to read
About the author
Kevin Wignall
40 books560 followersArmy Child till age nine.
Settled back in a small town in the west of England.
Lancaster University - degree in Politics &
International Relations.
Writer.
Also writes as K.J. Wignall
Email: kevin@kevinwignall.com
Settled back in a small town in the west of England.
Lancaster University - degree in Politics &
International Relations.
Writer.
Also writes as K.J. Wignall
Email: kevin@kevinwignall.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 188 reviews
June 25, 2019
What a twisted book! Wignall continues to create a diverse body of work, and The Hunter’s Prayer certainly stands apart as the blackest of his manuscripts to date. It’s hard to review without spoilers, so I’ll just say that not everyone is as they seem, and the surprises keep popping up all the way to the last page.
Recommended.
(I need to amend this review after sleeping on it. Two things bother me about this book. First, the character arc of the female lead is extreme. A young woman capable of becoming the person she is at the end of the book wouldn't date the dude she's dating at the beginning. Although fiction is "the willing suspension of disbelief," her downward spiral into a deep abyss is too much, or not set up to be entirely believable.
Also, maybe for the first time in my life, I didn't fully understand the very end and a reference made to an as-of-yet unmet person. I read lots of complex books, have graduate degrees, and am not a numbskull, but a little more information would have created a clearer and more satisfying ending.
Still recommended.)
Recommended.
(I need to amend this review after sleeping on it. Two things bother me about this book. First, the character arc of the female lead is extreme. A young woman capable of becoming the person she is at the end of the book wouldn't date the dude she's dating at the beginning. Although fiction is "the willing suspension of disbelief," her downward spiral into a deep abyss is too much, or not set up to be entirely believable.
Also, maybe for the first time in my life, I didn't fully understand the very end and a reference made to an as-of-yet unmet person. I read lots of complex books, have graduate degrees, and am not a numbskull, but a little more information would have created a clearer and more satisfying ending.
Still recommended.)
January 17, 2019
WARNING FOR MINOR SPOILERS
Carefree student Ella Hatto’s happy middle-class life ends horrifically one bright summer morning in Tuscany, where she’s on holiday with her boyfriend, Chris. First of all, back home in the UK, her father, mother and younger brother are murdered in their own home, executed by a skilled assassin. Next, she herself is targeted, caught up in a whirl of unexpected violence as a kill-team closes in on her, only to walk into a storm of bullets itself.
Unbeknown to Ella, a professional bodyguard called Lucas was hired by her successful businessman and part-time gangster father, and charged with shadowing her while she was abroad. Lucas, it seems, has stepped in at just the right moment, and gunned down the killers – but now he must whisk Ella and Chris away before the law arrives and starts asking awkward questions.
The two students are shaken to the core as their unlikely guardian moves them from one safehouse to the next, constantly trying to elude both the police and any further gunmen who might still be on their tail.
In due course, he finds sanctuary for them in the very last place he would normally have chosen: his own isolated and rather spartan villa in the foothills of the Swiss Alps.
As a former contract killer-turned-protector, Lucas is already a far cry from other characters of this ilk whom we may have encountered in different crime novels. He’s good at what he does, but he’s not cold-blooded about it. There is no granite hardness in Lucas, no pitilessness, no icy indifference to the pain of others. Okay, he’s not an especially warm character … but he does start warming to Ella. While Chris is simply frightened and increasingly resentful that he’s been dragged into this disaster, Ella – the real victim, who lost her family (whereas Chris merely lost his holiday!) – handles it better. She’s obviously grief-stricken, but she’s so innocent, so polite and yet at the same time so grown up in the way she deals with her terrible bereavement that Lucas can’t help but admire her and even be influenced by her.
The truth is that this ex-hitman is already, in a way, on the road to redemption. Though he’s still immersed in his murky world – he remains friendly, for example, with another much more callous killer, the likeable and yet utterly ruthless Dan Borowski – he basically wants out. He’s much happier to be a bodyguard than an assassin, but even then, his attempts to save the two youngsters take him far beyond the call of duty, a dedication to preserving their lives which stems not so much from his conscience, perhaps, but from a burgeoning desire to improve himself, a yearning to rejoin the civilised world (which gradual change of heart has already seen him develop an interest in the arts and literature).
Partly, this is down to his own domestic circumstances. His French girlfriend Madeleine, the one genuine love of his life, ditched him a decade and a half ago when she discovered what he did for a living, and ever since has denied him access to their daughter, Isabelle, who is now in her mid-teens; Lucas strongly desires to re-acquaint with the child, and can only hope and pray that she has grown up to be as balanced and sensible as Ella.
And yet here lies the deep irony in this unexpectedly philosophical story, because while Lucas’s initial interactions with Ella have encouraged him to reconnect with his estranged family, Ella is headed the other way.
Once safe in the care of her Uncle Simon, she becomes heir not just to her father’s wealth, but also to all his business dealings, even the nefarious ones, and as she works her way through them, trying to fathom out the identities of those who wanted her family dead, her grief transforms into slow-building rage, which, given that she’s now wealthy, no longer feels impotent. Very quickly, her attempts to rebuild her shattered world morph into an obsessive pursuit of revenge …
The Hunter’s Prayer – a revised version of For the Dogs (first published in 2004) – is not simply a murder mystery or an action thriller. If anything, it’s more of a parable. A metaphorical journey, if you like, into the ultimate futility of vengeance, and at the same time a lamentation at how salvation for some often seems to come at the price of damnation for others.
Unfortunately, I can’t discuss the unfolding narrative in too much detail for fear of giving away some quite remarkable twists in the second and third acts. Suffice to say that Kevin Wignall has done it again. The master of the thoughtful crime thriller presents us here with yet another potential high-octane scenario, and though he delivers the action plentifully, he asks questions of the reader throughout, even if only at a subliminal level.
You can tell where his real interests lie, because though we’re in the world of contract killers and organised crime here, we don’t go into huge detail about the criminal networks and illegal operations that provide the background to that. Nor do we investigate the creation of the hitmen themselves, neither assessing their warped psychology nor plumbing the hellish personal experiences that first put them into this line of work and equipped them with the necessary skills. Instead, the author is more focussed in the personalities of all his central characters as they stand now, their current mindsets, how they lead their everyday lives.
For example, we watch his hitmen blend easily into the rest of society when it suits them, we watch them go home at night and relax, we see them try to maintain their own codes of ethics even when they’re out on the job, and yet at the same time we’re acutely aware of the coping mechanisms they’ve needed to develop into order to endure the isolation of this strange, stilted existence; we recognise that they live on a mental knife-edge.
Lucas is to the forefront of this, not just because he’s the novel’s antihero, but because he’s actively undergoing change. It’s not that he’s necessarily sickened by the killing, it’s just that he’s tired of being an outsider, and when he encounters a genuinely pure person, who certainly looks as if she had a stable and promising life ahead of her, he is galvanised into fighting his way back to normality.
This is certainly a cause we can root for, because we never feel that Lucas is actually evil. We can see that he’s damaged and alone, and though he’s done bad things, he’s done brave things too, so we want him on the side of right.
Much more of a challenge is the novel’s other main thread: the disintegration of Ella Hatto’s soul.
From the sweet child we met at the start of the book, she goes on to do horrible things – and again, Wignall, who remains non-judgemental throughout, wonders where we stand on this. Do we at least understand it, even if we don’t sympathise?
She’s suffered appallingly, and because of her innocent nature, only slowly does she come to realise what the massacre of her family actually means: someone she’s never even met (she assumes!) harboured such hatred of she and her people that they made a determined and expensive effort to have them all eliminated. So, is it surprising that, even in the light of her newly acquired wealth – because, and it’s hugely ironic, Ella has gained more financially from this atrocity than anyone else! – she now feels that her life has been ruined? How can she enjoy such wealth? How can she rest while this terrible offence against the Hatto name remains unanswered? And while Lucas has never encouraged this kind of thinking, she’s seen him in action; she now knows how effective a ruthless attitude can be – if you can finally right all wrongs (at least in your own mind) quickly and neatly, without waiting on the wheels of justice, which grind slowly at the best of times but you just know are not going to turn in your favour at all on this occasion, aren’t you justified in doing it?
It’s an interesting question. But another one would be – and again, the author asks us this – just how much leeway should a bad experience give you? Can it really forgive or even explain the complete erosion of all human feeling? And just because you’ve given up on the prescribed concept of right and wrong, and in fact have invented your own, does that mean the original concept no longer exists? Does that mean there’ll be no consequences? Don’t bank on it.
Be under no illusion, The Hunter’s Prayer is a very, very dark novel. But at 210 pages it’s a slim volume too, clearly and concisely written, and as such, it provides a quick, tense read, which, while it wouldn’t be true to call it enoyable - certainly not near the end, at which point it becomes utterly horrific - is more than a little bit thought-provoking.
Carefree student Ella Hatto’s happy middle-class life ends horrifically one bright summer morning in Tuscany, where she’s on holiday with her boyfriend, Chris. First of all, back home in the UK, her father, mother and younger brother are murdered in their own home, executed by a skilled assassin. Next, she herself is targeted, caught up in a whirl of unexpected violence as a kill-team closes in on her, only to walk into a storm of bullets itself.
Unbeknown to Ella, a professional bodyguard called Lucas was hired by her successful businessman and part-time gangster father, and charged with shadowing her while she was abroad. Lucas, it seems, has stepped in at just the right moment, and gunned down the killers – but now he must whisk Ella and Chris away before the law arrives and starts asking awkward questions.
The two students are shaken to the core as their unlikely guardian moves them from one safehouse to the next, constantly trying to elude both the police and any further gunmen who might still be on their tail.
In due course, he finds sanctuary for them in the very last place he would normally have chosen: his own isolated and rather spartan villa in the foothills of the Swiss Alps.
As a former contract killer-turned-protector, Lucas is already a far cry from other characters of this ilk whom we may have encountered in different crime novels. He’s good at what he does, but he’s not cold-blooded about it. There is no granite hardness in Lucas, no pitilessness, no icy indifference to the pain of others. Okay, he’s not an especially warm character … but he does start warming to Ella. While Chris is simply frightened and increasingly resentful that he’s been dragged into this disaster, Ella – the real victim, who lost her family (whereas Chris merely lost his holiday!) – handles it better. She’s obviously grief-stricken, but she’s so innocent, so polite and yet at the same time so grown up in the way she deals with her terrible bereavement that Lucas can’t help but admire her and even be influenced by her.
The truth is that this ex-hitman is already, in a way, on the road to redemption. Though he’s still immersed in his murky world – he remains friendly, for example, with another much more callous killer, the likeable and yet utterly ruthless Dan Borowski – he basically wants out. He’s much happier to be a bodyguard than an assassin, but even then, his attempts to save the two youngsters take him far beyond the call of duty, a dedication to preserving their lives which stems not so much from his conscience, perhaps, but from a burgeoning desire to improve himself, a yearning to rejoin the civilised world (which gradual change of heart has already seen him develop an interest in the arts and literature).
Partly, this is down to his own domestic circumstances. His French girlfriend Madeleine, the one genuine love of his life, ditched him a decade and a half ago when she discovered what he did for a living, and ever since has denied him access to their daughter, Isabelle, who is now in her mid-teens; Lucas strongly desires to re-acquaint with the child, and can only hope and pray that she has grown up to be as balanced and sensible as Ella.
And yet here lies the deep irony in this unexpectedly philosophical story, because while Lucas’s initial interactions with Ella have encouraged him to reconnect with his estranged family, Ella is headed the other way.
Once safe in the care of her Uncle Simon, she becomes heir not just to her father’s wealth, but also to all his business dealings, even the nefarious ones, and as she works her way through them, trying to fathom out the identities of those who wanted her family dead, her grief transforms into slow-building rage, which, given that she’s now wealthy, no longer feels impotent. Very quickly, her attempts to rebuild her shattered world morph into an obsessive pursuit of revenge …
The Hunter’s Prayer – a revised version of For the Dogs (first published in 2004) – is not simply a murder mystery or an action thriller. If anything, it’s more of a parable. A metaphorical journey, if you like, into the ultimate futility of vengeance, and at the same time a lamentation at how salvation for some often seems to come at the price of damnation for others.
Unfortunately, I can’t discuss the unfolding narrative in too much detail for fear of giving away some quite remarkable twists in the second and third acts. Suffice to say that Kevin Wignall has done it again. The master of the thoughtful crime thriller presents us here with yet another potential high-octane scenario, and though he delivers the action plentifully, he asks questions of the reader throughout, even if only at a subliminal level.
You can tell where his real interests lie, because though we’re in the world of contract killers and organised crime here, we don’t go into huge detail about the criminal networks and illegal operations that provide the background to that. Nor do we investigate the creation of the hitmen themselves, neither assessing their warped psychology nor plumbing the hellish personal experiences that first put them into this line of work and equipped them with the necessary skills. Instead, the author is more focussed in the personalities of all his central characters as they stand now, their current mindsets, how they lead their everyday lives.
For example, we watch his hitmen blend easily into the rest of society when it suits them, we watch them go home at night and relax, we see them try to maintain their own codes of ethics even when they’re out on the job, and yet at the same time we’re acutely aware of the coping mechanisms they’ve needed to develop into order to endure the isolation of this strange, stilted existence; we recognise that they live on a mental knife-edge.
Lucas is to the forefront of this, not just because he’s the novel’s antihero, but because he’s actively undergoing change. It’s not that he’s necessarily sickened by the killing, it’s just that he’s tired of being an outsider, and when he encounters a genuinely pure person, who certainly looks as if she had a stable and promising life ahead of her, he is galvanised into fighting his way back to normality.
This is certainly a cause we can root for, because we never feel that Lucas is actually evil. We can see that he’s damaged and alone, and though he’s done bad things, he’s done brave things too, so we want him on the side of right.
Much more of a challenge is the novel’s other main thread: the disintegration of Ella Hatto’s soul.
From the sweet child we met at the start of the book, she goes on to do horrible things – and again, Wignall, who remains non-judgemental throughout, wonders where we stand on this. Do we at least understand it, even if we don’t sympathise?
She’s suffered appallingly, and because of her innocent nature, only slowly does she come to realise what the massacre of her family actually means: someone she’s never even met (she assumes!) harboured such hatred of she and her people that they made a determined and expensive effort to have them all eliminated. So, is it surprising that, even in the light of her newly acquired wealth – because, and it’s hugely ironic, Ella has gained more financially from this atrocity than anyone else! – she now feels that her life has been ruined? How can she enjoy such wealth? How can she rest while this terrible offence against the Hatto name remains unanswered? And while Lucas has never encouraged this kind of thinking, she’s seen him in action; she now knows how effective a ruthless attitude can be – if you can finally right all wrongs (at least in your own mind) quickly and neatly, without waiting on the wheels of justice, which grind slowly at the best of times but you just know are not going to turn in your favour at all on this occasion, aren’t you justified in doing it?
It’s an interesting question. But another one would be – and again, the author asks us this – just how much leeway should a bad experience give you? Can it really forgive or even explain the complete erosion of all human feeling? And just because you’ve given up on the prescribed concept of right and wrong, and in fact have invented your own, does that mean the original concept no longer exists? Does that mean there’ll be no consequences? Don’t bank on it.
Be under no illusion, The Hunter’s Prayer is a very, very dark novel. But at 210 pages it’s a slim volume too, clearly and concisely written, and as such, it provides a quick, tense read, which, while it wouldn’t be true to call it enoyable - certainly not near the end, at which point it becomes utterly horrific - is more than a little bit thought-provoking.
August 19, 2015
I met Kevin Wignall at Crimefest 2015 and knew I'd want to read his work. It has taken a free advanced copy of this book via net galley to realise that desire sooner rather than later. This is a Revised edition: It was previously published as For the Dogs: A Novel, and will be known to fans; this edition of The Hunter's Prayer includes editorial revisions.
It is set within shady business practices and the world of contract hits and the people who perform them.
When Ella is caught up in a real attempt to end her life, only saved by a bodyguard sent to protect her. Her life is shattered beyond any immediate expectation that she can live on as innocently within the world; her way of thinking has been changed and her motivation turns to want answers, a reason why her family were killed and ultimately revenge.
It is a story of journeys. From life to death, guilt to the hope of redemption and hope to bitterness and destruction, way beyond the act of killing another human being.
It is a tense and thrilling read full of involvement and questions about how we would react in such horrific moments. We are drawn close to characters only to be shocked by their thoughts and actions. Led into a world where our logic and reason cannot find sense.
This isn't a book though that glorifies in violence or crimes without consequences rather it is about excuses others may make to justify themselves and their own reality.
The writing is crisp, factual and unsympathetic, I don't feel manipulated by the author but taken up in a story which made me think and value life differently.
I can think of no better reason to read a book.
It is set within shady business practices and the world of contract hits and the people who perform them.
When Ella is caught up in a real attempt to end her life, only saved by a bodyguard sent to protect her. Her life is shattered beyond any immediate expectation that she can live on as innocently within the world; her way of thinking has been changed and her motivation turns to want answers, a reason why her family were killed and ultimately revenge.
It is a story of journeys. From life to death, guilt to the hope of redemption and hope to bitterness and destruction, way beyond the act of killing another human being.
It is a tense and thrilling read full of involvement and questions about how we would react in such horrific moments. We are drawn close to characters only to be shocked by their thoughts and actions. Led into a world where our logic and reason cannot find sense.
This isn't a book though that glorifies in violence or crimes without consequences rather it is about excuses others may make to justify themselves and their own reality.
The writing is crisp, factual and unsympathetic, I don't feel manipulated by the author but taken up in a story which made me think and value life differently.
I can think of no better reason to read a book.
July 25, 2020
Revenge!
After her parents and teenaged brother are assassinated, Ella is protected by Lucas, a former hit man.
But Lucas becomes disturbed by Ella’s fascination with revenge.
Unable to talk her out of it, because he does not want to return to the lifestyle, he hands her off to a friend.
His friend, Dan, is more than happy to help Ella out...at first.
After her parents and teenaged brother are assassinated, Ella is protected by Lucas, a former hit man.
But Lucas becomes disturbed by Ella’s fascination with revenge.
Unable to talk her out of it, because he does not want to return to the lifestyle, he hands her off to a friend.
His friend, Dan, is more than happy to help Ella out...at first.
December 8, 2018
I am really beginning to enjoy the books of Kevin Wignall. They are intelligent thrillers, each a standalone, that have an above average vocabulary. Where else could one discover the word "shambolic." Good word.
The protagonist is an interesting character. Lucas, an ex-assassin (although it's never made quite clear), he has been hired to protect, Ella, on vacation in Italy, the daughter of a wealthy man who made his money in rather heinous ways. At the start of the book, Ella's father, mother, and brother have all been assassinated. As the book moves from perspective to perspective, we follow Lucas, doing his best to protect his charge. (One nice touch: Lucas is an inveterate reader, never going anywhere without a book. When was the last time you saw a movie hero carrying a book around with him on missions.) Fascinating as Ella begins to go off the rails with a most satisfactory ending.
The movie is vastly different with a different premise. One thing that has always bothered me about these kinds of stories both in print and film. The protagonists never, ever, have money problems. Needs a flight to athens, no problem, first class ticket, no problem. Yet there never seem to have a job or source of income. Nor do they ever have to pee or get their periods, or have diarrhea from eating strange food. Got to be a lucky group of people.
The protagonist is an interesting character. Lucas, an ex-assassin (although it's never made quite clear), he has been hired to protect, Ella, on vacation in Italy, the daughter of a wealthy man who made his money in rather heinous ways. At the start of the book, Ella's father, mother, and brother have all been assassinated. As the book moves from perspective to perspective, we follow Lucas, doing his best to protect his charge. (One nice touch: Lucas is an inveterate reader, never going anywhere without a book. When was the last time you saw a movie hero carrying a book around with him on missions.) Fascinating as Ella begins to go off the rails with a most satisfactory ending.
The movie is vastly different with a different premise. One thing that has always bothered me about these kinds of stories both in print and film. The protagonists never, ever, have money problems. Needs a flight to athens, no problem, first class ticket, no problem. Yet there never seem to have a job or source of income. Nor do they ever have to pee or get their periods, or have diarrhea from eating strange food. Got to be a lucky group of people.
January 12, 2021
Quick read with more "skip over" material than I usually see with Wignall. Some predictability and some interesting twists. Worth the read for those who enjoy his work.
June 26, 2010
Great little shorty. The whodunit part of the story was slightly predictable, but the subplots are interesting. I liked watching Lucas as he tries for redemption and a new life, while Ella spirals downward in her need for revenge. I would have liked even more about Lucas and his past. I love it that he's a book freak. 3.5 stars
September 8, 2015
The fall from grace for one and redemption for another…
A hitman walks into a home in England and shoots the occupants, a husband, a wife, and a teenage son are no more. The story opens with vivid poignant details of the last moments and thoughts of the son and then we’re shown the gruesome scenes the hitman left behind as he retraces his steps exiting the home. This reader was thoroughly intrigued by this beginning and left wondering why? What had this family done to deserve such coldhearted deaths that can only be described as executions? At the same time as the events occurred in England, the twenty year old daughter of the targeted family who is on vacation in Italy with her boyfriend is attacked by gunmen. Unbeknownst to Ella Hatto, her father had hired a man to look after her while she was in Europe and for that reason she survived as did her companion.
At the age of forty-two Stephen Lucas considers himself retired from the business of killing. But can a hitman ever retire? When a man he once worked for that he respected asks for a favor he finds that he cannot say no. Leaving his reclusive home in Switzerland he follows the young couple as they tour Italy. They don’t see him but he finds himself liking them, they’re young and in love, innocent of the darkness in life that he’s known. Though he’s been out of the business for a while he spots those sent to hurt Ella in time and now he has to journey these two to safety.
You don’t always know those that you love for they try to protect you. Ella was oblivious to the secrets of her father’s past, secrets that may have caused the family their lives. Life is no longer beautiful and full of promises, there is no future without redress for actions taken. A young woman needs answers but in finding them will she fall from grace? She’ll need to cross the line to see things through for vengeance is bittersweet, it chills you to the bottom of your soul and is outside the realm of conscience.
I loved Lucas as he liked to be called. He was a fascinating man for a hitman, reclusive, well read and inside him there is much hidden emotion. We got to know what made him tick and the reasons why he retired but it was meeting and helping Ella that was the catalyst to fulfilling desires that he longed for but had not yet taken the final steps towards.
This was a very interesting suspense and psychological piece. Though it was possible to figure out who the culprit had to be this story is more about the changes to a person’s humanity brought about by a horrific act, the vengeance it led to as well as the redemption of one who had previously fallen into a life of darkness and escaped it’s claws refusing to be dragged into it again, how two people meeting due to tragedy led to one’s salvation and another’s damnation. The storyline was very well done with an unexpected twist at the end which seemed apropos, the style of writing was mesmerizing.
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley. This review is in regards to the revised edition.
4.5 stars
A hitman walks into a home in England and shoots the occupants, a husband, a wife, and a teenage son are no more. The story opens with vivid poignant details of the last moments and thoughts of the son and then we’re shown the gruesome scenes the hitman left behind as he retraces his steps exiting the home. This reader was thoroughly intrigued by this beginning and left wondering why? What had this family done to deserve such coldhearted deaths that can only be described as executions? At the same time as the events occurred in England, the twenty year old daughter of the targeted family who is on vacation in Italy with her boyfriend is attacked by gunmen. Unbeknownst to Ella Hatto, her father had hired a man to look after her while she was in Europe and for that reason she survived as did her companion.
At the age of forty-two Stephen Lucas considers himself retired from the business of killing. But can a hitman ever retire? When a man he once worked for that he respected asks for a favor he finds that he cannot say no. Leaving his reclusive home in Switzerland he follows the young couple as they tour Italy. They don’t see him but he finds himself liking them, they’re young and in love, innocent of the darkness in life that he’s known. Though he’s been out of the business for a while he spots those sent to hurt Ella in time and now he has to journey these two to safety.
You don’t always know those that you love for they try to protect you. Ella was oblivious to the secrets of her father’s past, secrets that may have caused the family their lives. Life is no longer beautiful and full of promises, there is no future without redress for actions taken. A young woman needs answers but in finding them will she fall from grace? She’ll need to cross the line to see things through for vengeance is bittersweet, it chills you to the bottom of your soul and is outside the realm of conscience.
I loved Lucas as he liked to be called. He was a fascinating man for a hitman, reclusive, well read and inside him there is much hidden emotion. We got to know what made him tick and the reasons why he retired but it was meeting and helping Ella that was the catalyst to fulfilling desires that he longed for but had not yet taken the final steps towards.
This was a very interesting suspense and psychological piece. Though it was possible to figure out who the culprit had to be this story is more about the changes to a person’s humanity brought about by a horrific act, the vengeance it led to as well as the redemption of one who had previously fallen into a life of darkness and escaped it’s claws refusing to be dragged into it again, how two people meeting due to tragedy led to one’s salvation and another’s damnation. The storyline was very well done with an unexpected twist at the end which seemed apropos, the style of writing was mesmerizing.
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley. This review is in regards to the revised edition.
4.5 stars
April 10, 2019
I discovered a good author, Kevin Wignall.
This is an exciting book. The plot is well developed and characters well designed. I was surprised by the end of the book which is also totally bewildering. It was difficult to guess the end of the story even when passed reading of the half of the book.
Kevin Wignall describes the merciless context of the organised crime, human greed and revenge throughout the story of a retired hitman and the tragic aftermath of the assassination of an entire family. Even though the characters are disconcerting, I think Kevin Wignall's writing allows readers follow their evolution in an easy way throughout the book.
Violence is omnipresent, goes crescendo during the story and reaches its maximum at the end of the book. This is the main reason for my "4 stars" (not 5*) rating. I recommend this book for those who want to discover the author and those who love dark thrillers.
Read - March, 2019
Published: September 2015
This is an exciting book. The plot is well developed and characters well designed. I was surprised by the end of the book which is also totally bewildering. It was difficult to guess the end of the story even when passed reading of the half of the book.
Kevin Wignall describes the merciless context of the organised crime, human greed and revenge throughout the story of a retired hitman and the tragic aftermath of the assassination of an entire family. Even though the characters are disconcerting, I think Kevin Wignall's writing allows readers follow their evolution in an easy way throughout the book.
Violence is omnipresent, goes crescendo during the story and reaches its maximum at the end of the book. This is the main reason for my "4 stars" (not 5*) rating. I recommend this book for those who want to discover the author and those who love dark thrillers.
Read - March, 2019
Published: September 2015
November 3, 2018
Writing/dialogue/plot....not the greatest. However, I am stuck with migraine, so that may have colored my response. Since I saw Breeders Cup race results and beautiful horses...I will proceed to Amazon Prime Video and watch the movie made from this book and see if I like it a bit better. Probably a poor decision? We shall soon see.
Update after watching movie:
Substantial changes to places, people, plot....who'd have thought it? Which presentation wins the prize imho?
Kevin Wignall, author of source book; more interesting locations, family dynamics, killers for hire, etc. Migraine gone, thinking more clearly now. Book better, but then that is usually the case methinks.
Update after watching movie:
Substantial changes to places, people, plot....who'd have thought it? Which presentation wins the prize imho?
Kevin Wignall, author of source book; more interesting locations, family dynamics, killers for hire, etc. Migraine gone, thinking more clearly now. Book better, but then that is usually the case methinks.
May 16, 2019
Je remercie NetGalley pour cette découverte. Je ne connaissais ni l'auteur ni même la maison d'éditions. Un coup double pour un policier, thriller.
Ben, 17 ans, est dans sa chambre à écouter de la musique très forte dans son casque. Il pense à celle qui fait battre son coeur. Arrivera-t-il à se déclarer, ou bien va-t-il préférer faire croire que ce n'est qu'une amie ? Pour lui, le choix est vite fait, un homme entre dans sa chambre. Ben n'a pas le temps de prononcer le moindre mot : il est abattu. Personne ne bouge pour tenter de le sauver, son père et sa mère son déjà mort. Le meurtrier disparait sans laisser de traces. Seule rescapée de ce carnage ? Ella, la fille ainée, se trouvant en Italie, ignorant ce qui c'est produit. Jusqu'à ce qu'un homme tue devant elle deux autres et l'embarque elle et son petit ami dans les ruelles de la ville. Une menace place au-dessus de sa tête. Recommencer à vivre dans ces conditions n'est pas simple. Et si le seul moyen était de se laisser aller à la vengeance ?
Le livre est découpé en trois parties. La première, la chute est dure, la perte de sa famille, le fait de devoir suivre un inconnu, d'être à la merci de cet homme sans vraiment savoir de quoi sera fait son avenir. La seconde, la séparation, l'apprentissage de réussir à vivre avec tous ces éléments, de voir ce qui peut être fait. La troisième, la vengeance, le moment où plus rien ne pourra lui faire faire demi-tour.
Une intrigue qui laisse pas mal de monde sur le carreau. Qui peut bien en vouloir à cette famille qui semble parfaitement "normale" si ce mot existe vraiment. Une famille meurt, une seule survivante parce qu'elle était en vacances avec son petit ami. Un garde du corps qui la suit pour la protéger. Un homme qui semble être tout sauf ça. Pourquoi son père a envoyé ce Lucas à ses côtés ? Se savait-il en danger ? Beaucoup de questions tout au long du récit, beaucoup de suppositions également. On a des doutes, on imagine, on n'imagine pas et puis on tombe des nues. L'argent est vraiment un moteur pourri. C'est l'escalade, autant dans les enchaînements qui tuent des personnages, que dans les émotions de Ella, notre "héroïne". Un suivi psychologique aurait été pas mal, plus approfondi dans son cas, après j'avoue que les médicaments n'est peut-être pas la solution. La perte d'un être cher est douloureuse, celle d'une famille complète devient destructrice. L'auteur a montré un personnage qui perd tout, ou presque tout et l'envoie dans une spirale auto-destructrice. Il n'y a plus que la vengeance en bouche. Et ce plat est terriblement glacé.
J'ai beaucoup aimé le rôle de Ben, car même s'il est court, nous le retrouvons dans les pensées de sa soeur. Que serait-il devenu s'il avait pu vivre ? Ella a un comportement de soeur éplorée et en même temps elle ne cesse de se poser des questions sur lui, sur elle, sur eux deux. Est-ce qu'ils étaient proches ? Se connaissaient-ils vraiment ? Et l'éternel pourquoi ? Ella a une évolution phénoménale. De jeune femme aimante envers Chris, nous la voyons passer par plusieurs étapes. L'obligation d'apprendre à se méfier de tout le monde, de suivre son instinct, de prendre les choses en main, de décider, de perdre sa capacité à aimer. Ce n'est pas une évolution classique, la colère, la tristesse, la dépression, tout y passe et bien plus encore. Des plans se forment, des poursuites, des recherches ne cessent de lui tourner autour. Je suis restée sur ma faim dans le sens où j'aurai aimé lire un peu plus de descriptions au niveau du changement d'Ella. Sa vision des éléments est perturbée, elle change radicalement de caractère. La vengeance est un bon moteur, par contre j'aurai aimé plus de subtilités et de descriptions de ce côté.
Lucas est un personnage important. En dehors de ces meurtres, il y a également une partie de sa vie qui se dévoile. La fatigue qu'il peut ressentir, le fait de vouloir se mettre à la retraite. Et puis son nom, CE nom qui fait trembler les plus anciens. Il n'est pas grade du corps, pas de la façon dont il achève ses victimes, ses ennemis. C'est un tueur, reconverti, par choix ? Par obligation ? Par lassitude ? Toujours est-il que nous en apprenons plus sur lui, sur son passé, sur cette promesse faite qui le ronge. Il y a également Dan qui m'a surprise en un sens. Au niveau de la fin, c'est vraiment la surprise, il faut savoir décrypter ce qui s'est produit. Est-ce qu'il fallait vraiment en terminer ainsi ? Peut-être, peut-être pas, n'empêche, je ne m'y attendais pas du tout et c'est une bonne surprise. Nous suivons également des personnages secondaires qui prennent de plus en plus de place. Il reste l'oncle de Ella qui est marié, deux enfants, l'inspectrice qui la suit comme une ombre, ceux qui sont de près ou de loin des acteurs des meurtres de sa famille. Un petit mot sur Chris : je comprends tout à fait ses réactions : il n'est pas concerné comme il le désirerait, s'en veux. Il est jeune et entraîné dans une histoire pareille... Qui arriverait à suivre vraiment le mouvement ?
En conclusion, une enquête doublée d'une vie d'un ancien tueur qui ne fait pas dans le détail. Pas de gore, juste de l'efficacité. L'histoire est rapide, franche, directe avec quelques flottements au niveau de la fin surtout, un peu plus de détails auraient été apprécié. J'ai aimé suivre Ella dans ce parcours atypique et Lucas dans une reconversion qui aboutira peut-être à une suite heureuse.
http://chroniqueslivresques.eklablog....
Ben, 17 ans, est dans sa chambre à écouter de la musique très forte dans son casque. Il pense à celle qui fait battre son coeur. Arrivera-t-il à se déclarer, ou bien va-t-il préférer faire croire que ce n'est qu'une amie ? Pour lui, le choix est vite fait, un homme entre dans sa chambre. Ben n'a pas le temps de prononcer le moindre mot : il est abattu. Personne ne bouge pour tenter de le sauver, son père et sa mère son déjà mort. Le meurtrier disparait sans laisser de traces. Seule rescapée de ce carnage ? Ella, la fille ainée, se trouvant en Italie, ignorant ce qui c'est produit. Jusqu'à ce qu'un homme tue devant elle deux autres et l'embarque elle et son petit ami dans les ruelles de la ville. Une menace place au-dessus de sa tête. Recommencer à vivre dans ces conditions n'est pas simple. Et si le seul moyen était de se laisser aller à la vengeance ?
Le livre est découpé en trois parties. La première, la chute est dure, la perte de sa famille, le fait de devoir suivre un inconnu, d'être à la merci de cet homme sans vraiment savoir de quoi sera fait son avenir. La seconde, la séparation, l'apprentissage de réussir à vivre avec tous ces éléments, de voir ce qui peut être fait. La troisième, la vengeance, le moment où plus rien ne pourra lui faire faire demi-tour.
Une intrigue qui laisse pas mal de monde sur le carreau. Qui peut bien en vouloir à cette famille qui semble parfaitement "normale" si ce mot existe vraiment. Une famille meurt, une seule survivante parce qu'elle était en vacances avec son petit ami. Un garde du corps qui la suit pour la protéger. Un homme qui semble être tout sauf ça. Pourquoi son père a envoyé ce Lucas à ses côtés ? Se savait-il en danger ? Beaucoup de questions tout au long du récit, beaucoup de suppositions également. On a des doutes, on imagine, on n'imagine pas et puis on tombe des nues. L'argent est vraiment un moteur pourri. C'est l'escalade, autant dans les enchaînements qui tuent des personnages, que dans les émotions de Ella, notre "héroïne". Un suivi psychologique aurait été pas mal, plus approfondi dans son cas, après j'avoue que les médicaments n'est peut-être pas la solution. La perte d'un être cher est douloureuse, celle d'une famille complète devient destructrice. L'auteur a montré un personnage qui perd tout, ou presque tout et l'envoie dans une spirale auto-destructrice. Il n'y a plus que la vengeance en bouche. Et ce plat est terriblement glacé.
J'ai beaucoup aimé le rôle de Ben, car même s'il est court, nous le retrouvons dans les pensées de sa soeur. Que serait-il devenu s'il avait pu vivre ? Ella a un comportement de soeur éplorée et en même temps elle ne cesse de se poser des questions sur lui, sur elle, sur eux deux. Est-ce qu'ils étaient proches ? Se connaissaient-ils vraiment ? Et l'éternel pourquoi ? Ella a une évolution phénoménale. De jeune femme aimante envers Chris, nous la voyons passer par plusieurs étapes. L'obligation d'apprendre à se méfier de tout le monde, de suivre son instinct, de prendre les choses en main, de décider, de perdre sa capacité à aimer. Ce n'est pas une évolution classique, la colère, la tristesse, la dépression, tout y passe et bien plus encore. Des plans se forment, des poursuites, des recherches ne cessent de lui tourner autour. Je suis restée sur ma faim dans le sens où j'aurai aimé lire un peu plus de descriptions au niveau du changement d'Ella. Sa vision des éléments est perturbée, elle change radicalement de caractère. La vengeance est un bon moteur, par contre j'aurai aimé plus de subtilités et de descriptions de ce côté.
Lucas est un personnage important. En dehors de ces meurtres, il y a également une partie de sa vie qui se dévoile. La fatigue qu'il peut ressentir, le fait de vouloir se mettre à la retraite. Et puis son nom, CE nom qui fait trembler les plus anciens. Il n'est pas grade du corps, pas de la façon dont il achève ses victimes, ses ennemis. C'est un tueur, reconverti, par choix ? Par obligation ? Par lassitude ? Toujours est-il que nous en apprenons plus sur lui, sur son passé, sur cette promesse faite qui le ronge. Il y a également Dan qui m'a surprise en un sens. Au niveau de la fin, c'est vraiment la surprise, il faut savoir décrypter ce qui s'est produit. Est-ce qu'il fallait vraiment en terminer ainsi ? Peut-être, peut-être pas, n'empêche, je ne m'y attendais pas du tout et c'est une bonne surprise. Nous suivons également des personnages secondaires qui prennent de plus en plus de place. Il reste l'oncle de Ella qui est marié, deux enfants, l'inspectrice qui la suit comme une ombre, ceux qui sont de près ou de loin des acteurs des meurtres de sa famille. Un petit mot sur Chris : je comprends tout à fait ses réactions : il n'est pas concerné comme il le désirerait, s'en veux. Il est jeune et entraîné dans une histoire pareille... Qui arriverait à suivre vraiment le mouvement ?
En conclusion, une enquête doublée d'une vie d'un ancien tueur qui ne fait pas dans le détail. Pas de gore, juste de l'efficacité. L'histoire est rapide, franche, directe avec quelques flottements au niveau de la fin surtout, un peu plus de détails auraient été apprécié. J'ai aimé suivre Ella dans ce parcours atypique et Lucas dans une reconversion qui aboutira peut-être à une suite heureuse.
http://chroniqueslivresques.eklablog....
February 4, 2017
"Seventeen year-old boys die in car crashes, they die of meningitis, rare forms of cancer, suicide. Mostly, they don't die at all. They pass through the age, shedding awkwardness and anger and self-loathing on the way" .
I knew from the opening paragraph that Kevin Wignall knows how to write, and that I was in for a treat. For the Dogs did not disappoint. Meet Ella Hatto. She's the older sister of the aforementioned 17 year old boy, and she's on holiday in Italy with her boyfriend. They're sitting on a cafe patio, people watching, and enjoying each others company when a mysterious semi-ex hit man named Lucas crosses the street, and kills two gun men who were about to murder Ella. He then spirits her and her boyfriend inside, and discloses the fact that Ella's father hired him to protect her.
Ella had always assumed her family was of the nondescript upper middle class business sort. She can't understand why she would need a body guard, let alone be a target for a hit man. She descends even further into confusion when she learns that her parents and younger brother were all assassinated in their home at almost the same time the attempt was made on her life. Ella's choices at this point begin a trajectory that is noir in flavor. It's interesting though that her path is counterbalanced by Lucas and his choices. I won't say more because I don't want to spoil the novel.
Wignall gives much food for thought though. When is revenge/vengeance warranted? Do we sanction violence when we don't punish it, or does that just perpetuate the cycle of violence? What role does a personal moral system play, and is it possible to hold onto one's moral compass when faced with personal tragedy? How much of our life is fate, and how much is determined by the choices we make each day when faced with adversity? Is there a point when it becomes too late to change?
There's a scene I love where Lucas is sitting in a hotel bar reading Pride and Prejudice, and an elderly lady engages him in conversation about Jane Austin...and her favorite novel--Persuasion. She says "It's poignant, of course, when one thinks of it in terms of Jane Austen's own life, but life-affirming nevertheless. Don't you think? It's never too late to make amends for the wrongs of the past." Lucas muses "He hadn't given much thought to why he liked the book, but maybe that was it--the hope it offered for the future, no matter how blighted the past."
Can Ella make amends for the wrongs done her? That's for you to read and find out! Given 4 stars or a rating of "Excellent". Definitely recommended!
I knew from the opening paragraph that Kevin Wignall knows how to write, and that I was in for a treat. For the Dogs did not disappoint. Meet Ella Hatto. She's the older sister of the aforementioned 17 year old boy, and she's on holiday in Italy with her boyfriend. They're sitting on a cafe patio, people watching, and enjoying each others company when a mysterious semi-ex hit man named Lucas crosses the street, and kills two gun men who were about to murder Ella. He then spirits her and her boyfriend inside, and discloses the fact that Ella's father hired him to protect her.
Ella had always assumed her family was of the nondescript upper middle class business sort. She can't understand why she would need a body guard, let alone be a target for a hit man. She descends even further into confusion when she learns that her parents and younger brother were all assassinated in their home at almost the same time the attempt was made on her life. Ella's choices at this point begin a trajectory that is noir in flavor. It's interesting though that her path is counterbalanced by Lucas and his choices. I won't say more because I don't want to spoil the novel.
Wignall gives much food for thought though. When is revenge/vengeance warranted? Do we sanction violence when we don't punish it, or does that just perpetuate the cycle of violence? What role does a personal moral system play, and is it possible to hold onto one's moral compass when faced with personal tragedy? How much of our life is fate, and how much is determined by the choices we make each day when faced with adversity? Is there a point when it becomes too late to change?
There's a scene I love where Lucas is sitting in a hotel bar reading Pride and Prejudice, and an elderly lady engages him in conversation about Jane Austin...and her favorite novel--Persuasion. She says "It's poignant, of course, when one thinks of it in terms of Jane Austen's own life, but life-affirming nevertheless. Don't you think? It's never too late to make amends for the wrongs of the past." Lucas muses "He hadn't given much thought to why he liked the book, but maybe that was it--the hope it offered for the future, no matter how blighted the past."
Can Ella make amends for the wrongs done her? That's for you to read and find out! Given 4 stars or a rating of "Excellent". Definitely recommended!
September 5, 2017
English review below
Review en español
Llegué a este libro por casualdiad, pero ha sido una de las sorpresas de este año. Un thriller bien escrito, frío como el mundo que retrata, pero con una calidad emocional en los personajes principales. Ella, y su descenso desesperado a los infiernos, mientras que Lucas intenta subir a la superficie del abismo solitario en el que se haya metido, buscando algo parecido a la redención. En el medio, se cruzan, se tocan en un únicó momento común, y sus mundos no permanecen como estaban.
Una lectura breve, con una historia simple, pero un poco impactante.
PD: también podría haberse llamado "El Asesino de Goodreads" ;)
PD2: Espero encontrar más libros de Kevin Wignall.
_________________________________________
English review
I came to this book by chance, but it has been one of the surprises of this year. A well-written thriller, cold as the world portrays, but with an emotional warmth in the main characters. Ella, and her desperate descent into the hell, while Lucas attempts to rise to the edge of the solitary abyss where he is sunk, seeking something resembling redemption. In the middle they cross, they touch one common moment, and their worlds do not remain the same.
A brief reading, with a simple story, but a little shocking.
PS: you could also have been called "the Goodreads killer";)
PS2: I hope to find more books by Kevin Wignall.
Review en español
Llegué a este libro por casualdiad, pero ha sido una de las sorpresas de este año. Un thriller bien escrito, frío como el mundo que retrata, pero con una calidad emocional en los personajes principales. Ella, y su descenso desesperado a los infiernos, mientras que Lucas intenta subir a la superficie del abismo solitario en el que se haya metido, buscando algo parecido a la redención. En el medio, se cruzan, se tocan en un únicó momento común, y sus mundos no permanecen como estaban.
Una lectura breve, con una historia simple, pero un poco impactante.
PD: también podría haberse llamado "El Asesino de Goodreads" ;)
PD2: Espero encontrar más libros de Kevin Wignall.
_________________________________________
English review
I came to this book by chance, but it has been one of the surprises of this year. A well-written thriller, cold as the world portrays, but with an emotional warmth in the main characters. Ella, and her desperate descent into the hell, while Lucas attempts to rise to the edge of the solitary abyss where he is sunk, seeking something resembling redemption. In the middle they cross, they touch one common moment, and their worlds do not remain the same.
A brief reading, with a simple story, but a little shocking.
PS: you could also have been called "the Goodreads killer";)
PS2: I hope to find more books by Kevin Wignall.
June 20, 2019
Je remercie l’auteur et Amazon Publishing France, ce fut un plaisir de découvrir ce roman et une fois de plus j’ai découvert un auteur et un véritable talent.
La couverture est vraiment parfaite pour ce livre,mystérieuse elle ne dévoile rien et pourtant correspond très bien.
J’aime beaucoup les thrillers, c’est l’un des genres que je lis le plus et je ne me lasse jamais d’un bon thriller.
Alors qu’elle est avec son petit copain à la terrasse d’un café Ella se retrouve menacée par des hommes armés et est sauvée par un garde du corps, ses parents ont été assassinés ainsi que son frère, avec l’aide d’un tueur à gage elle va mettre au point sa quête de vengeance.
La plume de l’auteur est efficace du début à la fin de ce thriller haletant, bourré d’actions et de suspens qui se révèle être un parfait page-turner et une véritable tuerie.
La fin est je trouve particulièrement surprenante voire déroutante et risque de decevoir peut être certains lecteurs car elle m’a moi même laissé un peu sur ma faim, ce qui est mon opinion et ne doit pas vous empêcher de découvrir ce roman, vous ne le regretterez pas loin de là!Cela va vous permettre de découvrir un livre mémorable.
Merci à Net Galley.
La couverture est vraiment parfaite pour ce livre,mystérieuse elle ne dévoile rien et pourtant correspond très bien.
J’aime beaucoup les thrillers, c’est l’un des genres que je lis le plus et je ne me lasse jamais d’un bon thriller.
Alors qu’elle est avec son petit copain à la terrasse d’un café Ella se retrouve menacée par des hommes armés et est sauvée par un garde du corps, ses parents ont été assassinés ainsi que son frère, avec l’aide d’un tueur à gage elle va mettre au point sa quête de vengeance.
La plume de l’auteur est efficace du début à la fin de ce thriller haletant, bourré d’actions et de suspens qui se révèle être un parfait page-turner et une véritable tuerie.
La fin est je trouve particulièrement surprenante voire déroutante et risque de decevoir peut être certains lecteurs car elle m’a moi même laissé un peu sur ma faim, ce qui est mon opinion et ne doit pas vous empêcher de découvrir ce roman, vous ne le regretterez pas loin de là!Cela va vous permettre de découvrir un livre mémorable.
Merci à Net Galley.
September 21, 2015
I really enjoyed The Hunter's Prayer by Kevin Wignall but also felt is was sightly lacking in character development. It's fast paced with dual points of view, which for me is a big plus. You can grab this book and read it one sitting without any problems.
Ella is in Italy enjoying her time with her boyfriend when Lucas, a retired hitman approaches with a gun. It's Lucas's job to get her to safety. They form an unusual bond and when she asks for his help he cannot say no. Needless to say the story starts off with one heck of a fast pace and will keep you glued to your e-reader.
Over all it was an intriguing story and quick read. I was not fully invested in the characters but the entertainment quality was great. I look forward to reading more from author Kevin Wignall in the future.
*ARC received via publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Ella is in Italy enjoying her time with her boyfriend when Lucas, a retired hitman approaches with a gun. It's Lucas's job to get her to safety. They form an unusual bond and when she asks for his help he cannot say no. Needless to say the story starts off with one heck of a fast pace and will keep you glued to your e-reader.
Over all it was an intriguing story and quick read. I was not fully invested in the characters but the entertainment quality was great. I look forward to reading more from author Kevin Wignall in the future.
*ARC received via publisher in exchange for an honest review.
February 29, 2020
Competent Thriller
Nicely paced book about revenge and its consequences, the characters are given just enough depth without being overdone with too much detail.
Worth a read.
Nicely paced book about revenge and its consequences, the characters are given just enough depth without being overdone with too much detail.
Worth a read.
November 5, 2015
Ella is caught up in a world full of contract hits, she is in deeper than she needs to be.
All her dreams and aspirations have gone......
This is also about family revenge.
Ella wants answers to her questions and she won't stop until she gets them.
We see in this book how the human trait is.... to justify actions that are other known as bad.
My thanks go to Thomas & Mercer via Net Galley for my copy
December 28, 2015
Meh. I picked this one up because I'd just read and enjoyed another by the same author, but this one was disappointing. The main character was flat and annoying, and there were two different storylines that didn't really mesh with each other. The ending was weird and disjointed; I kind of expected what happened, but it was just sort of tossed in like an afterthought.
April 22, 2020
Huh, What Happened?
This was marching along at a five-star clip when it all went awry. It felt like a second writer showed up who did two things. 1) He broke off a budding relationship, bringing in a new main character, and 2) seemed to run out of ideas , so he quickly ended the story without an appropriate denouement. Too many loose ends.
This was marching along at a five-star clip when it all went awry. It felt like a second writer showed up who did two things. 1) He broke off a budding relationship, bringing in a new main character, and 2) seemed to run out of ideas , so he quickly ended the story without an appropriate denouement. Too many loose ends.
January 18, 2016
A good holiday read, interesting ideas, very light on character development and a kind of baffling ending - I got the impression maybe the author was sick of it and just wanted to finish.
December 27, 2025
Thanks to Brilliance Publishing and Netgalley for this eARC.
The Hunter’s Prayer
By Kevin Wignall — Narrated by Virtual Voice
Kevin Wignall’s The Hunter’s Prayer begins with a gripping setup: Ella Hatto, relaxing on holiday in a Tuscan town, has no idea her entire family has been murdered and that she is next on the list. It’s a clean, high‑stakes premise that promises emotional depth and moral ambiguity. Wignall’s minimalist style suits the story’s noir roots, but the novel doesn’t always capitalize on the psychological richness built into its own plot.
What Works
- A lean, efficient narrative. Wignall writes with restraint, avoiding the bloat common in revenge thrillers. The story moves quickly from shock to survival, and the stripped‑down prose gives the violence a stark, unsettling quality.
- A compelling duo. Ella and Lucas — the retired hitman watching over her as a favor to her father — form an unusual partnership. Their dynamic is the novel’s emotional core, and the contrast between Ella’s raw grief and Lucas’s practiced detachment creates genuine tension.
- A strong thematic backbone. The book is at its best when exploring the cost of vengeance and the way violence reshapes identity. Ella’s transformation from sheltered student to someone capable of ruthlessness is one of the novel’s most effective threads.
Where It Falters
- Emotional underdevelopment. Despite the devastating premise, Ella’s grief and trauma are often handled at a distance. The narrative’s cool detachment, while stylistically intentional, sometimes blunts the emotional stakes.
- Lucas’s interiority feels limited. His past is hinted at but rarely explored in depth. For a character whose moral ambiguity should drive the story, he remains more archetype than fully realized person.
- Abrupt pacing. The novel’s brevity is a strength, but it also means some transitions feel rushed. Key turning points — especially Ella’s psychological shifts — could benefit from more space to breathe.
This audiobook uses a Virtual Voice narrator rather than a human performance. While technically clean and consistent, the delivery lacks the nuance needed for a story built on emotional tension and moral complexity. Moments that should feel raw or intimate instead come across as flat, reducing the impact of both Ella’s trauma and Lucas’s quiet menace. For a novel so dependent on atmosphere, this is a noticeable drawback.
The Hunter’s Prayer is a sleek, morally dark thriller with a strong premise and a memorable central pairing. Its minimalist style creates momentum, but that same sparseness limits the emotional resonance the story is capable of. The Virtual Voice narration further distances the listener from the characters, making this audiobook feel more clinical than compelling.
A sharp, fast read that delivers on mood and premise, but the audiobook’s synthetic narration and the novel’s emotional restraint keep it from reaching its full potential.
The Hunter’s Prayer
By Kevin Wignall — Narrated by Virtual Voice
Kevin Wignall’s The Hunter’s Prayer begins with a gripping setup: Ella Hatto, relaxing on holiday in a Tuscan town, has no idea her entire family has been murdered and that she is next on the list. It’s a clean, high‑stakes premise that promises emotional depth and moral ambiguity. Wignall’s minimalist style suits the story’s noir roots, but the novel doesn’t always capitalize on the psychological richness built into its own plot.
What Works
- A lean, efficient narrative. Wignall writes with restraint, avoiding the bloat common in revenge thrillers. The story moves quickly from shock to survival, and the stripped‑down prose gives the violence a stark, unsettling quality.
- A compelling duo. Ella and Lucas — the retired hitman watching over her as a favor to her father — form an unusual partnership. Their dynamic is the novel’s emotional core, and the contrast between Ella’s raw grief and Lucas’s practiced detachment creates genuine tension.
- A strong thematic backbone. The book is at its best when exploring the cost of vengeance and the way violence reshapes identity. Ella’s transformation from sheltered student to someone capable of ruthlessness is one of the novel’s most effective threads.
Where It Falters
- Emotional underdevelopment. Despite the devastating premise, Ella’s grief and trauma are often handled at a distance. The narrative’s cool detachment, while stylistically intentional, sometimes blunts the emotional stakes.
- Lucas’s interiority feels limited. His past is hinted at but rarely explored in depth. For a character whose moral ambiguity should drive the story, he remains more archetype than fully realized person.
- Abrupt pacing. The novel’s brevity is a strength, but it also means some transitions feel rushed. Key turning points — especially Ella’s psychological shifts — could benefit from more space to breathe.
This audiobook uses a Virtual Voice narrator rather than a human performance. While technically clean and consistent, the delivery lacks the nuance needed for a story built on emotional tension and moral complexity. Moments that should feel raw or intimate instead come across as flat, reducing the impact of both Ella’s trauma and Lucas’s quiet menace. For a novel so dependent on atmosphere, this is a noticeable drawback.
The Hunter’s Prayer is a sleek, morally dark thriller with a strong premise and a memorable central pairing. Its minimalist style creates momentum, but that same sparseness limits the emotional resonance the story is capable of. The Virtual Voice narration further distances the listener from the characters, making this audiobook feel more clinical than compelling.
A sharp, fast read that delivers on mood and premise, but the audiobook’s synthetic narration and the novel’s emotional restraint keep it from reaching its full potential.
February 12, 2024
This was a very quick read but it wasn’t anything special, which isn’t a bad thing. A standard people escaping from a hired hit man thriller. Ella is on vacation in Italy with her boyfriend when her parents and brother are killed by a hit man back home. Before she knows they are dead, they come to kill her but she is saved by the bodyguard her father had hired, unbeknownst to her, to watch her while she traveled. Lucas gets Ella and her boyfriend to a safe house until another attempt is made on her life because her boneheaded boyfriend called home. They finally manage to escape and head back to England but not before Ella gets Lucas’s phone number in case of an emergency. Several months later, Ella is living with her Uncle Simon and getting ready to go back to school, the boyfriend now gone, and the police are no closer to finding the killers. Ella, now rich since she inherited her father’s money, hires Lucas to find the hit man. When he does track him down, Ella goes alone for the ride and demands that Lucas kill him. Although he was the one to pull the trigger, he wasn’t the one who ordered the hit. Next they find the fixer who leads them to the off shore account that paid for the hit. Lucas refuses to kill him so Ella goes back later and does it herself but she was sloppy and the police connect the dots pretty quickly. Lucas refuses to work with her anymore once he figures out that it was her uncle who ordered the hit, choosing instead to go find his teenaged daughter who he has never met, and pawns Ella off on another colleague in the business. Ella then kills her uncle and his family before Lucas’s friend kills Ella. It is a bit unclear if her was protecting Lucas by killing Ella or himself but it was clear that she had become unhinged.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 5, 2025
The Hunter’s Prayer by Kevin Wignall
Kevin Wignall delivers a tight, atmospheric thriller that keeps you second-guessing every motive and connection. The Hunter’s Prayer follows Ella and Lucas through a tense, unfolding story of revenge, morality, and survival. The pacing feels deliberate yet absorbing—every chapter adds a new layer to the mystery, slowly pulling you deeper into their dangerous world.
I’m listening to the audiobook, and while I’m not completely sold on the virtual narrator’s tone, the story itself more than makes up for it. Wignall’s writing is cinematic and precise, with just enough emotion beneath the surface to make you care about the outcome. I especially enjoyed the plot twist near the end��it was unexpected, sharp, and honestly pretty depraved in the best thriller way.
Overall, The Hunter’s Prayer is an intelligent, suspense-driven read that fans of Lee Child or Harlan Coben will enjoy. A gripping exploration of what happens when ordinary lives intersect with extraordinary violence.
Thank you to Brilliance Publishing and NetGalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
Kevin Wignall delivers a tight, atmospheric thriller that keeps you second-guessing every motive and connection. The Hunter’s Prayer follows Ella and Lucas through a tense, unfolding story of revenge, morality, and survival. The pacing feels deliberate yet absorbing—every chapter adds a new layer to the mystery, slowly pulling you deeper into their dangerous world.
I’m listening to the audiobook, and while I’m not completely sold on the virtual narrator’s tone, the story itself more than makes up for it. Wignall’s writing is cinematic and precise, with just enough emotion beneath the surface to make you care about the outcome. I especially enjoyed the plot twist near the end��it was unexpected, sharp, and honestly pretty depraved in the best thriller way.
Overall, The Hunter’s Prayer is an intelligent, suspense-driven read that fans of Lee Child or Harlan Coben will enjoy. A gripping exploration of what happens when ordinary lives intersect with extraordinary violence.
Thank you to Brilliance Publishing and NetGalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
May 25, 2020
To succinctly summarize this book; hatred and revenge can become all consuming to the point that nothing else matters. What I really like about the Kevin Wignall books I have read so far is that each one its own interesting twist on the loose formula he uses to craft his tales. Each has a flow to it that develops the characters while building to a satisfying ending. The interplay between Ella Hatto and Lucas was interesting and satisfying. It was interesting to see how the professional killer Lucas was about simply doing a job and that it had its own protocols and nuances and that there was no malice involved, it was simply a job. On the other hand Ella, robbed of her family, hatred ate at her until it became all consuming to the point that vengeance was all she lived for.
For me, the real twist was in the ending, in how Lucas was finally discovering how to attain what Ella had, and had taken away from her by others. Lucas, had taken that away from himself, but found a way to work hard to get it back. Ella simply went too far the other way to the point of being beyond redemption.
The ending was a surprise, but it was fitting after thinking about it, and I liked the way that Dan reasoned why he had to do what he did, and went right back to his normal routine.
For me, the real twist was in the ending, in how Lucas was finally discovering how to attain what Ella had, and had taken away from her by others. Lucas, had taken that away from himself, but found a way to work hard to get it back. Ella simply went too far the other way to the point of being beyond redemption.
The ending was a surprise, but it was fitting after thinking about it, and I liked the way that Dan reasoned why he had to do what he did, and went right back to his normal routine.
January 30, 2024
The movie "The Hunter's Prayer" was based upon this novel - an enjoyable flick, but not mesmerizing. When watching the credits, I saw "Based upon the novel "For the Dogs" by Kevin Wignall. About 15 years ago, I had read a couple of earlier books by Wignall and enjoyed them but at that time he had put nothing new out and I forgot about him until the movie mentioned him. Anyway, knowing that books are normally better than films, I searched out his more recent works. The premise is simple - a former contract killer takes the job of guarding a young girl on holiday as a favor for a friend. The friend and family are killed and the girl escapes because of the bodyguard. Revenge on the assassins is forthcoming....
The book was a quick read - I read it in less than a day - and was considerably darker than the film. A decent noir mystery/thriller. It was rather predictable but I've spent longer on less enjoyable books. Because it held my interest I give it 5 stars for the pleasure it afforded me and 3 stars for the triteness of the plot
The book was a quick read - I read it in less than a day - and was considerably darker than the film. A decent noir mystery/thriller. It was rather predictable but I've spent longer on less enjoyable books. Because it held my interest I give it 5 stars for the pleasure it afforded me and 3 stars for the triteness of the plot
November 5, 2025
“The Hunter’s Prayer” audiobook is an interesting listen. Why? The source material? Well, yeah, but this is my first audiobook that is done completely using an AI voice. And not that robotic voice. This sounds like a real person reading the book. Sorta.
I won’t spend much time on the novel. It actually released ten years ago. I’m not really sure what prompted them to release an audiobook version now. I’m not mad that they did. The novel is really good. It’s a story of revenge. Our protagonist, Ella, has her family eliminated by a hitman. She doesn’t want to heal. She wants to kill. She wants those involved to pay. And she begins to spiral out of control.
Now, the AI voice. It is pleasing to listen to. Not really anything to let you know that it isn’t a human reading the novel. However, there is no changing of voice for the different voices (not all narrators do this anyway) and there is no inflection to show emotion. That bothered me more than anything.
Novel is great. The AI narrator is good, not great.
I won’t spend much time on the novel. It actually released ten years ago. I’m not really sure what prompted them to release an audiobook version now. I’m not mad that they did. The novel is really good. It’s a story of revenge. Our protagonist, Ella, has her family eliminated by a hitman. She doesn’t want to heal. She wants to kill. She wants those involved to pay. And she begins to spiral out of control.
Now, the AI voice. It is pleasing to listen to. Not really anything to let you know that it isn’t a human reading the novel. However, there is no changing of voice for the different voices (not all narrators do this anyway) and there is no inflection to show emotion. That bothered me more than anything.
Novel is great. The AI narrator is good, not great.
August 16, 2020
While this is not my first book by this author, suffice to say that the prior book encouraged me to buy The Hunter's Prayer.
I am sad to say that this book was not worth reading and was a disappointment on all levels.
The story has no provocateur. It has no characters with anything resembling a moral compass worth reading about. It had no mystery and nothing that anyone did not figure out. It had no reason to be.
It contains horrible gratuitous violence and the only victims worth that title are the minor children.
It may be a very long time before I try this author again. If I want this sort of unexplainable depravity, I can watch the evening news.
But it isn't all his fault. He has agents, editors, pre-readers, publishers and maybe more people involved in assisting him make a book that fits the marketing parameters. It must be that none of them had the courage or the talent to see he was creating the example of 'how not to' write a mystery/action/thriller
I am sad to say that this book was not worth reading and was a disappointment on all levels.
The story has no provocateur. It has no characters with anything resembling a moral compass worth reading about. It had no mystery and nothing that anyone did not figure out. It had no reason to be.
It contains horrible gratuitous violence and the only victims worth that title are the minor children.
It may be a very long time before I try this author again. If I want this sort of unexplainable depravity, I can watch the evening news.
But it isn't all his fault. He has agents, editors, pre-readers, publishers and maybe more people involved in assisting him make a book that fits the marketing parameters. It must be that none of them had the courage or the talent to see he was creating the example of 'how not to' write a mystery/action/thriller
November 9, 2025
Thank you to Brilliance Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook.
This was my first book by Kevin Wignall, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. The story starts off in a very intriguing way: Ella Hatto, a young middle-class woman, narrowly escapes a contract killer…with the unexpected help of another contract killer. At the same time, her entire family is murdered. Later, she and her savior develop a rather unusual relationship, and from there the story begins to shift in unexpected directions.
That’s all I can say without giving away spoilers, but believe me, the girl we meet at the beginning is nothing like the woman she becomes by the end. I wholeheartedly recommend this book.
I listened to it almost in one sitting, but I’m not a fan of virtual voices; they lack the nuance and emotion you get from real narrators. Hence the 3.5* rating.
Audiobook, English
This was my first book by Kevin Wignall, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. The story starts off in a very intriguing way: Ella Hatto, a young middle-class woman, narrowly escapes a contract killer…with the unexpected help of another contract killer. At the same time, her entire family is murdered. Later, she and her savior develop a rather unusual relationship, and from there the story begins to shift in unexpected directions.
That’s all I can say without giving away spoilers, but believe me, the girl we meet at the beginning is nothing like the woman she becomes by the end. I wholeheartedly recommend this book.
I listened to it almost in one sitting, but I’m not a fan of virtual voices; they lack the nuance and emotion you get from real narrators. Hence the 3.5* rating.
Audiobook, English
August 24, 2020
An interesting plot, some good suspense and action
I found the start of this story to be action filled and a page turner...worthy of making it onto a film label some day. The development of the Lucas hit man character was also very interesting, and flowing through into his relationship with Ella, was great! It is a pity that he wasnt somehow entwined into the end of the story. I am still not sure how the book’s title has anything to do with the story itself? The dark corridor of revenge, which Ella chooses to take does naturally lead to the conclusion at the end...I did feel though that there was some narrative or depth lacking to make it a great story for me to give it five stars...otherwise, I enjoyed the read!
I found the start of this story to be action filled and a page turner...worthy of making it onto a film label some day. The development of the Lucas hit man character was also very interesting, and flowing through into his relationship with Ella, was great! It is a pity that he wasnt somehow entwined into the end of the story. I am still not sure how the book’s title has anything to do with the story itself? The dark corridor of revenge, which Ella chooses to take does naturally lead to the conclusion at the end...I did feel though that there was some narrative or depth lacking to make it a great story for me to give it five stars...otherwise, I enjoyed the read!
Read
May 21, 2020After seeing the film.
I had just started reading the book when the film was shown on T.V. I thought the film messy and poorly constructed and therefore determined to read the book through to see what difference there might be. Needless to say really that the book was much better.
I had just started reading the book when the film was shown on T.V. I thought the film messy and poorly constructed and therefore determined to read the book through to see what difference there might be. Needless to say really that the book was much better.
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