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Joe Hunter #7
No Going Back
Jameson Walker approaches Joe Hunter when his daughter Jay and her friend Nicole go missing at a gas station in the Arizona desert while on a cross-country trek across the North American interior. He mentions that a robbery/homicide at the gas station as worrying as the girls were due to be in the vicinity at that time. Joe accepts the job of locating the girls, though not at first convinced there's much to worry about. As Joe picks up the girls' trail he discovers that other young women have also disappeared in the area, and comes across the brutish Logan family.
310 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 2012
47 people are currently reading
201 people want to read
About the author
Matt Hilton
89 books241 followersMatt Hilton worked for twenty-two years in private security and the police force in Cumbria. He is a 4th Dan blackbelt and coach in Ju-Jitsu. He lives in Cumbria with his wife and son.
Matt is the author of the best-selling Joe Hunter thriller series, as well as standalone horror thrillers and short stories that have appeared in a number of collections and anthologies. Matt's first novel - Dead Men's Dust - was a Sunday Times best-seller and was shortlisted for the ITW New Novel Award 2009.
Matt is the author of the best-selling Joe Hunter thriller series, as well as standalone horror thrillers and short stories that have appeared in a number of collections and anthologies. Matt's first novel - Dead Men's Dust - was a Sunday Times best-seller and was shortlisted for the ITW New Novel Award 2009.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
June 22, 2012
Are you a fan of Matt Hilton's "Joe Hunter" series ? As a fan of the adventure hero type novels , I decided to give Matt Hilton's a go when his first book arrived in the library and now seven books later I am still enjoying his writing and personally I have to say that in a way Book #7 was one of my favourite reads.
In Book #7 we meet best friends Jay and Nicole who are going road-tripping , they had everything planned right down to their hotels, itinerary but what they didn't count on was how one tiny detour could end up in a fight to survive and live.
It seems that somebody is going around and kidnapping females who all look eerily similar and now with the latest news of Jay and Nicole going missing, Jay's father has hired Joe Hunter to help find out and discover what has happened to his daughter. When Joe arrives to the destination though, it seems that he has stumbled across something more sinister and now when another girl named Ellie disappears, Joe will put all he has into finding the girls , even if of course it means getting himself into the midst of trouble as what's a typical day for Joe Hunter if he can't find himself in trouble with the law as he takes the matters into his own hands.
Joe Hunter is a law upon himself and he won't stop until the good people are rescued and the bad are stopped and often with no=holds barred.
A favourite feature of mine with No Going Back by Matt Hilton was that at the back of the book it featured a CV of Joe Hunter and a bit about him and any guesses of what his favourite movie is ? Get ready for it ........................................... A Wonderful Life.
Did you Know ? - That we have never seen Joe Hunter's face as he is always facing with his back towards us on the front covers of Matt Hilton's novels .
In Book #7 we meet best friends Jay and Nicole who are going road-tripping , they had everything planned right down to their hotels, itinerary but what they didn't count on was how one tiny detour could end up in a fight to survive and live.
It seems that somebody is going around and kidnapping females who all look eerily similar and now with the latest news of Jay and Nicole going missing, Jay's father has hired Joe Hunter to help find out and discover what has happened to his daughter. When Joe arrives to the destination though, it seems that he has stumbled across something more sinister and now when another girl named Ellie disappears, Joe will put all he has into finding the girls , even if of course it means getting himself into the midst of trouble as what's a typical day for Joe Hunter if he can't find himself in trouble with the law as he takes the matters into his own hands.
Joe Hunter is a law upon himself and he won't stop until the good people are rescued and the bad are stopped and often with no=holds barred.
A favourite feature of mine with No Going Back by Matt Hilton was that at the back of the book it featured a CV of Joe Hunter and a bit about him and any guesses of what his favourite movie is ? Get ready for it ........................................... A Wonderful Life.
Did you Know ? - That we have never seen Joe Hunter's face as he is always facing with his back towards us on the front covers of Matt Hilton's novels .
August 17, 2021
Digging deep in my tbr pile I found this series again. No Going back by Matt Hilton is another great book about Joe Hunter. Hunter is asked to find the missing daughter and her friend who disappeared on a cross country drive somewhere in the Arizona desert. When he gets there he finds that they are not the only ones who has disappeared but the local police doesn't seem to do much about it. Even though an entire family was murdered almost at the same time the two girls vanished. I knew there were a reason I had these books and it's because they are good, really good. They are brutal and dark but Hunter has a way of dealing out justice that is final.
September 29, 2012
Finished this book today and loved it as it showed a slightly vulnerable side to him, especially as Rink is not around. Also enjoyed that the book was in almost two halves as the main part ended midway through and you weren’t quite sure where it was going. Then you get the second part that allows the story to go a bit further, twist at the end as it doesn’t go as expected.
Probably one of my favs from Matt Hilton and still going well and more scope to expand his character.
Probably one of my favs from Matt Hilton and still going well and more scope to expand his character.
September 18, 2012
I'll start by saying that this is my first encounter with Joe Hunter, therefore I have no line to compare previous works.
The book starts with a chapter in third person which launches you in the middle of a chase, introducing us to two friends whose trip went wrong for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The following chapter was however written in first person which caught me off guard, but now I assume this is the way each book is written. First person chapters represents Joe Hunter's perspective. This allows to quickly shift where the action is taking place effectively moving the story forward in a quick pace.
It may not be the most amazing book ever but once you have bitten the hook you will most likely devour the chapters. I was positively pleased the story was past the point I thought would the aim for the end of the book in a third of its pages.
Through his thoughts Joe Hunter relate things to his past battles and enemies, which serve as small winks to old fans, as well as an invitation to newcomers to the saga to check on those past adventures.
The locations where the story take place are a mixture of real landmarks with adaptations to make the story work. So the events and characters are made up and the places that do exist may not match the book descriptions; no surprise, this is fiction after all.
There were of course a few things that I didn't like as much. For example, the hero hunches didn't fail him once in the whole book. There's a point near the end where I expected more of one of the villains as he get an upper hand, takes methodical care of some details and... Decides to do exactly what he knew his enemies were expecting him to do.
'No going back' is definitely one of the few books that will not overflow with symbolisms nor will offer you wall text about dreams or things that are difficult to read and won't serve a purpose in the future. There is a theme through the book laid for you and that's it. If there is more go for the fishing, if not just keep on reading and focus in the story.
In short, the book is a very good read, whether you know Joe Hunter already or not.. It will keep you entertained and will hook you until the end.
The book starts with a chapter in third person which launches you in the middle of a chase, introducing us to two friends whose trip went wrong for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The following chapter was however written in first person which caught me off guard, but now I assume this is the way each book is written. First person chapters represents Joe Hunter's perspective. This allows to quickly shift where the action is taking place effectively moving the story forward in a quick pace.
It may not be the most amazing book ever but once you have bitten the hook you will most likely devour the chapters. I was positively pleased the story was past the point I thought would the aim for the end of the book in a third of its pages.
Through his thoughts Joe Hunter relate things to his past battles and enemies, which serve as small winks to old fans, as well as an invitation to newcomers to the saga to check on those past adventures.
The locations where the story take place are a mixture of real landmarks with adaptations to make the story work. So the events and characters are made up and the places that do exist may not match the book descriptions; no surprise, this is fiction after all.
There were of course a few things that I didn't like as much. For example, the hero hunches didn't fail him once in the whole book. There's a point near the end where I expected more of one of the villains as he get an upper hand, takes methodical care of some details and... Decides to do exactly what he knew his enemies were expecting him to do.
'No going back' is definitely one of the few books that will not overflow with symbolisms nor will offer you wall text about dreams or things that are difficult to read and won't serve a purpose in the future. There is a theme through the book laid for you and that's it. If there is more go for the fishing, if not just keep on reading and focus in the story.
In short, the book is a very good read, whether you know Joe Hunter already or not.. It will keep you entertained and will hook you until the end.
August 27, 2021
Another enjoyable read in the highly likeable Joe Hunter series. This one sees the vigilante rescuing some kidnapped girls from a trio of sadistic rednecks. All the characters are credible & I was certainly convinced by their actions & words, Jay in particular was likeable &I thought they made a good team...she obviously had hopes for Joe but sadly her hopes were dashed - I must have missed the book where Joe gets a girlfriend but hey, you can't blame a girl for trying!
Comparisons to Jack Reacher are inevitable but they do have their differences. Hunter works for money & is employed to track the girls, whereas Reacher would have just happened upon events & butted in. Reacher is a loner & Hunter has the back up of friends & contacts at his disposal. They are both, however, appealing to the ladies ;o)
A really good read -I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed this series
Comparisons to Jack Reacher are inevitable but they do have their differences. Hunter works for money & is employed to track the girls, whereas Reacher would have just happened upon events & butted in. Reacher is a loner & Hunter has the back up of friends & contacts at his disposal. They are both, however, appealing to the ladies ;o)
A really good read -I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed this series
October 15, 2013
very much enjoyed this book. The character of Joe Hunter is growing by each novel. The dynamic is different to his other novels as he has played down the character Rink. I missed him but it would have been far fetched if suddenly he arrived. I see why he done it this way. A nasty villain in Logan and a charismatic hero in Hunter. There is only ever one winner. I would recommend reading the series but do it in order.
July 24, 2012
I really enjoyed this latest book. Joe Hunter all on his own for a change. No Rink and the gang to back him up and the better for it. Not the type of guy you'd like to cross, would make as good a film as his rival Jack Reacher!
September 23, 2014
Another great read from Matt, really felt the punches and got into the characters.
March 14, 2013
Once Again Matt Hilton has written a cracking thriller, He is in my opinion in the same league as Lee Child. For any one who has not read any of his novels grab steal or borrow.
January 5, 2014
Joe Hunter. Need I say more? Moves along at a pace you feel like you need to strap yourself in at times, hard action from an author who isn't scared to add a dash of brutal, cruel reality.
September 1, 2012
In my opinion, the best Joe Hunter so far,
thank you Matt Hilton :)
thank you Matt Hilton :)
September 25, 2018
No Going Back is the 7th book in the Joe Hunter series, This time round we find Hunter hired by a desperate father to find his daughter Jay and her friend that have gone missing during a road trip across the Arizona desert.
Its good to see that Hilton has changed things up here as we find Hunter alone and that Hilton has taking him outside the comfort zone that many other such characters never leave.
The action sequences were as tightly written as ever and I felt the sense of real danger that Hilton intended its good to see Hilton staying well on top of a difficult genre.
7 books in and well worth your time and money.
Its good to see that Hilton has changed things up here as we find Hunter alone and that Hilton has taking him outside the comfort zone that many other such characters never leave.
The action sequences were as tightly written as ever and I felt the sense of real danger that Hilton intended its good to see Hilton staying well on top of a difficult genre.
7 books in and well worth your time and money.
February 10, 2018
A very good read with a varied cast of characters.
Joe Hunter, an ex-military special ops, is taxed to find two missing girls. The Logan bunch, Dad, son and crazy cousin are suspected of holding them as ell as others in their homestead out in the Arizona desert. Will Joe find them before they are hurt or worse?
Joe Hunter, an ex-military special ops, is taxed to find two missing girls. The Logan bunch, Dad, son and crazy cousin are suspected of holding them as ell as others in their homestead out in the Arizona desert. Will Joe find them before they are hurt or worse?
September 22, 2019
Predictable macho ex services guy hates baddies especially those that pick on vulnerable women (sounds like a dating add) and goes out to put that right. Lots of violence, black and white badies vs goodies. Easy read and dosnt require much thought. Not quite Lee Child (much better).
April 23, 2019
Predictable, cliched & truly awful.
November 28, 2019
Really good read. Fast paced and kept me interested.
Read
April 1, 2020action from start to finish great book.
February 21, 2022
Reads at a good pace. Wanted to get to the end as many twists and turns
October 23, 2022
good read
August 5, 2023
another excellent book in the series
March 26, 2017
A great read.
February 23, 2014
I got this book out of the library because I wanted to read a thriller. It was my first encounter with Matt Hilton, so therefor my first encounter with Joe Hunter.
Women are going missing in the desert. A stereotypical family of lunatics are Joe's main suspects. He saves the girls and kills the whole family.
For the moment I will assume the first book in the series was good, and that is what has prompted 6 other installments of this one man A-Team. I have to say Joe Hunter is a massive cliche. I found nothing of interest with his character. He is a tough, ex military man, who saves the good guys and kills the bad guys. And that seems to be it.
The other characters in the book suffer with the same cliched traits, and there was no one I felt I could focus on.
The story was predictable. In the first few chapters I thought it might surprise me and when it got to the part where the reason for the kidnappings was about to be revealed, part of me got excited that it was going to be something I hadn't thought of. I was let down, because I had predicted it in chapter 1.
The writing was not impressive. A large number of sentences should have been removed in another draft. Each of the characters were described by the author telling the reader about them, rather than showing us who they were. "Show don't Tell" must be something Matt Hilton hasn't come across yet, or decided to ditch for this installment. There were many sentences where the author told the reader something he'd told them earlier. There was repeated scenes from different viewpoints that added no dimension or interest to the story.
There must be fans out there who love this. Other reviews here have been positive. But I am sorry, the only positive thing I can say is that this book, being 7th in what must be a successful series, was rushed through the publication process without anyone highlighting its flaws and all involved made a few quid.
Perhaps I'll read the first one and see if it is better, I suspect it will be because it apparently won a prize.
Women are going missing in the desert. A stereotypical family of lunatics are Joe's main suspects. He saves the girls and kills the whole family.
For the moment I will assume the first book in the series was good, and that is what has prompted 6 other installments of this one man A-Team. I have to say Joe Hunter is a massive cliche. I found nothing of interest with his character. He is a tough, ex military man, who saves the good guys and kills the bad guys. And that seems to be it.
The other characters in the book suffer with the same cliched traits, and there was no one I felt I could focus on.
The story was predictable. In the first few chapters I thought it might surprise me and when it got to the part where the reason for the kidnappings was about to be revealed, part of me got excited that it was going to be something I hadn't thought of. I was let down, because I had predicted it in chapter 1.
The writing was not impressive. A large number of sentences should have been removed in another draft. Each of the characters were described by the author telling the reader about them, rather than showing us who they were. "Show don't Tell" must be something Matt Hilton hasn't come across yet, or decided to ditch for this installment. There were many sentences where the author told the reader something he'd told them earlier. There was repeated scenes from different viewpoints that added no dimension or interest to the story.
There must be fans out there who love this. Other reviews here have been positive. But I am sorry, the only positive thing I can say is that this book, being 7th in what must be a successful series, was rushed through the publication process without anyone highlighting its flaws and all involved made a few quid.
Perhaps I'll read the first one and see if it is better, I suspect it will be because it apparently won a prize.
July 18, 2012
I picked this book up because it had a caption on the front cover - "If you like Lee Child you will love Matt Hilton". And it is very much in the category of "action-packed and fast pace" of a Lee Child's rescue operation. Joe Hunter is the new Jack Reacher. He is ex-SAS and works in a private investigator capacity in a friend's business. I'm half way through it and so far - so good.
September 8, 2015
Joe Hunter just gets better with each book and I look forward to learn more about the character and I love what he gets himself into. His style of helping people is just great and I really enjoy everyone who helps him. This story was great and the Logan's were a really interesting bunch of characters. Great story with wonderful twists, turns and action. Great read.
November 6, 2014
Joe Hunter once again puts himself in the danger zone to rescue women in distress and kill lots of bad guys.
If you like that sort of thing (Lee Child etc), you should like this. It's well written with a good pace. It's my perfect beach holiday read.
If you like that sort of thing (Lee Child etc), you should like this. It's well written with a good pace. It's my perfect beach holiday read.
May 9, 2013
Fast and furious, as usual and just as I like it. People who like Lee Child will like this series.
August 15, 2013
Three words:
Splendid.Thrilling.Amazing. <3
Splendid.Thrilling.Amazing. <3
August 13, 2013
Good read , plenty more joe hunter novels read dead mans dust first
January 17, 2014
it was ok, not as good as Lee Child but still good enough.
January 29, 2014
great, fast paced
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews