A Hunting We Will Go

by Hal Friedman

"[A] thriller from page one until the final shocker . . .Hal Friedman gives grand master Mary Higgins Clark a run for her money."-- James PattersonThe Ultimate Hunter . . .Arthur Combs is LA's hottest story. Dubbed Starman, this terrifying serial killer is a monster who preys on beautiful, famous women--guided by the sadistic urges of a mysterious partner.The Perfect Prey . . .Katlyn Rome is LA's hottest TV news anchor. Intelligent and ambitious, she is the leading reporter on this career-making story--and Starman's next target.In A Deadly Battle For SurvivalAs Starman closes in, Kate turns to the one person who can help her survive, veteran cop and department outsider Dan Jarrett. Together they must outwit a diabolical psychopath in a game with only one rule--kill or be killed."Friedman has a gift for capturing LA's obsession with publicity." --PublishersWeekly

Genres: Thriller

448 pages, Paperback

First published August 5, 1998

About the author

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=1...
A connection between mental illness and the immune system . . . help for OCD and Tourette's

Reviews

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clearly, author Hal Friedman was hoping to be the next James Patterson. A HUNTING WE WILL GO feels like a carefully calculated attempt to mimic Patterson's bestselling formula for books like KISS THE GIRLS: tiny chapters, breezy writing, thinly-drawn characters, life in the fast lane, a crazy but highly capable serial killer, a rugged police detective, a strong female "would-be victim," absurd plotting, and a couple of big twists toward the end. It even has a title based on a children's nursery rhyme. Such similarities are not accidental. Friedman and Patterson are long-time friends and once collaborated on a book together. Patterson contributed a blurb for A HUNTING WE WILL GO's front cover, and Friedman thanks him on the Acknowledgments page for his "example."
In other words, if it's a Patterson knock-off you want, this novel fits the bill. The only difference being that Friedman's prose isn't as sloppy as that of the "Man Who Can't Miss."
A HUNTING WE WILL GO takes a long time to get going. For the entire first half, Friedman's storytelling is weak and the plot predictable. The main characters feel like supporting players who simply refuse to leave the stage. It's not bad, per se; just dull and uninspired.
Thankfully, the story gains traction as you move into the second half. There are several nice surprises, a couple moments of genuine suspense. You even begin to care about the characters a tad bit. However, the final confrontation is pretty dumb.
Despite the fact that A HUNTING WE WILL GO received little attention and lousy reviews, it's still a moderately enjoyable way to pass the time. Better than the last James Patterson book I read.

[Dave Ackerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good story with some interesting twists. With each "conclusion", there comes more intrigue! I enjoyed this one!

[P. K. Gallagher · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave this book three stars not because it did anything wrong, but because it failed to do anything exceptionally. The characters were realistic but archetypal--I've seen them all a dozen times in novels by Dean Koontz and Sue Grafton. The pacing didn't drag, but my fingers weren't stumbling over each other trying to turn the pages. The plot was a tad formulaic, though certain gimmicks did throw me for a loop. I was also distracted by an unexpected number of typos and punctuation errors. Maybe it's because I moonlight as an editor, but these tiny errors were glaring in my eyes, and often took me out of the story. Someone described it as a beach read, and I think that's about right. It's not bad, it's not boring, and it's not difficult, but it's not a book you want to spend a lot of time pondering over. Good for anyone who likes thrillers and is looking to kill a bit of time.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Friedman has written a disturbing thriller about a serial killer in LA who preys on beautiful, famous women. The book is a fast read whose the plot does not end with the usual "monster" in custody. I appreciated the first 100 pages as I sat in a doctor's office trying not to scratch a severe witchy itch from an allergic reaction!

[Cindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Psycho killer pursues celebrities with a few twists. I found it a slow read and hard to get into. I finished it because it would get interesting now and then, but was disappointed by a soft plot and vacuous characters.

[Cws]

M Fri

[Kandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

very good

[Rajesh · Rating 3 out of 5]

An above average Thriller.

[Mrs Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

very very very good thriller book

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent!