What do you think?
The Hunter Inside
You can lock your windows and your doors, but you cannot lock your mind from The Hunter Inside.
Paul Wayans and Bill Arnold have something in common. They are being stalked by a vicious killer.
Sandy Myers, rushing from home with her 7 year-old twins in tow, grabs a letter from the mailbox. It is addressed to Sandy Carson. Her maiden name. Contained within the plain manila envelope is a photograph. A photograph of a corpse.
The past has caught up with them, and now their lives are in jeopardy. A monster more fearsome than any the world has ever seen is hunting them, bringing with it echoes from the past and threatening the future of civilisation.
Should they run, or should they stand and fight?
FBI Special Agent Sam O’Neill will fight desperately to solve a case that he could not solve ten years before. Then, he had no clues as to the identity of the vicious killer. This time, it’s different.
But can he find them before it’s too late? And if he does not, will ANYONE survive?
The Hunter Inside is a psychological thriller with a twist. It is a page-turning roller-coaster of a novel that you won’t be able to put down until all of its secrets, twists and turns have been revealed. Packed full of gruesome murders, fear and suspense, it harbors a monster so fearsome it will give you nightmares.
Shimasou is here – and no-one is safe.
Paul Wayans and Bill Arnold have something in common. They are being stalked by a vicious killer.
Sandy Myers, rushing from home with her 7 year-old twins in tow, grabs a letter from the mailbox. It is addressed to Sandy Carson. Her maiden name. Contained within the plain manila envelope is a photograph. A photograph of a corpse.
The past has caught up with them, and now their lives are in jeopardy. A monster more fearsome than any the world has ever seen is hunting them, bringing with it echoes from the past and threatening the future of civilisation.
Should they run, or should they stand and fight?
FBI Special Agent Sam O’Neill will fight desperately to solve a case that he could not solve ten years before. Then, he had no clues as to the identity of the vicious killer. This time, it’s different.
But can he find them before it’s too late? And if he does not, will ANYONE survive?
The Hunter Inside is a psychological thriller with a twist. It is a page-turning roller-coaster of a novel that you won’t be able to put down until all of its secrets, twists and turns have been revealed. Packed full of gruesome murders, fear and suspense, it harbors a monster so fearsome it will give you nightmares.
Shimasou is here – and no-one is safe.
- GenresThriller
318 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
About the author
David McGowan
7 books30 followersDavid McGowan was born in Liverpool, in the United Kingdom.
He is the author of gritty urban crime fiction. The Alan Whitby Thriller series is new for 2026 and follows a detective who moves from village life to Liverpool to take up a role as a detective constable in the Homicide Investigation Team.
He is also the author of the epic alien invasion science fiction trilogy, From the Sky, an epic tale of the pilgrimage of a small group of survivors who survive an alien invasion and must go on a mission to the most famous top secret base of them all.
Two Miles Down is a dystopian tale of survival in a futuristic underground prison, following the lives of two prisoners, one of them a wrongly convicted fifteen-year-old child.
He is the author of gritty urban crime fiction. The Alan Whitby Thriller series is new for 2026 and follows a detective who moves from village life to Liverpool to take up a role as a detective constable in the Homicide Investigation Team.
He is also the author of the epic alien invasion science fiction trilogy, From the Sky, an epic tale of the pilgrimage of a small group of survivors who survive an alien invasion and must go on a mission to the most famous top secret base of them all.
Two Miles Down is a dystopian tale of survival in a futuristic underground prison, following the lives of two prisoners, one of them a wrongly convicted fifteen-year-old child.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
December 28, 2014
I really enjoyed this book.
This is a tight thriller about fear and suspense.It concentrates on times 10 years ago and brings things up to date with what happens now.
A really good read and a very good set of characters, especially the" monster"
This is a tight thriller about fear and suspense.It concentrates on times 10 years ago and brings things up to date with what happens now.
A really good read and a very good set of characters, especially the" monster"
May 14, 2012
This book crosses the genres in a really good way. It's part thriller, part mystery, definitely deeply into the supernatural and it does them all well. Three people are being stalked and threatened with death. The killer had previously killed members of their families and they find themselves targeted in the same way. It's very tense and an exciting read. I got into the book quickly and enjoyed reading it.
I found the writing good and engaging, the dialogue well observed and believable. The only down side for me was that I could see why one person was the target of this killer but I couldn't see the connection with the other two families. It seemed a bit arbitrary and I would have liked to see them connected in some way to the 'import from China' (trying not to give away plot!) The writing was well crafted, effective and the ending was exciting and bitter-sweet. A very good read!
I found the writing good and engaging, the dialogue well observed and believable. The only down side for me was that I could see why one person was the target of this killer but I couldn't see the connection with the other two families. It seemed a bit arbitrary and I would have liked to see them connected in some way to the 'import from China' (trying not to give away plot!) The writing was well crafted, effective and the ending was exciting and bitter-sweet. A very good read!
October 4, 2012
Good thing this book was free on Kindle. In over two months, I have only gotten halfway through. It started out with an interesting idea and story line. And then it just got so boring I deleted it off my Kindle. The author describes EVERY.SINGLE.THOUGHT.OF.EVERY.SINGLE.CHARACTER! There was an entire paragraph describing how the FBI agent ate a cheeseburger and french fries. Not to mention everyone drives crappy cars and we have to read each time how unreliable that car is when the character needs to go somewhere. Too many boring, unnecessary details made the book way to slow to finish.
October 26, 2019
Well...
This story was pretty far fetched, but that is okay. All the parts of the legend, they just didn’t seem to connect. Small snippets were missing or something. I am left more confused than anything.
This story dragged, a lot. Then bam it’s over.
This story was pretty far fetched, but that is okay. All the parts of the legend, they just didn’t seem to connect. Small snippets were missing or something. I am left more confused than anything.
This story dragged, a lot. Then bam it’s over.
June 19, 2012
Brief synopsis: Paul Wayans, Bill Arnold, and Sandy Carson are being tormented by a creature which thrives on their fear. Sam O’Neill is the detective trying to solve a spate of grisly murders, linked to a series from 10 years past. The four find themselves thrown together, as they fight to save their own lives, and the future of the world.
McGowan has acheived an absolute rarity in this age. He has created a new monster, the Shimasou. With a nice little mythology behind it, a credible raison d’etre, posing a viable immediate and major threat, and with a perfectly balanced counterpart, the Shimasou is a nice new addition to the monster’s pantheon.
He’s also introduced three pleasant leads in Carson, Wayans, and Arnold. For a monster-type story, they are well written and defined, each unique and easy to identify with.
However, there are a number of issues with the story itself, which unfortunately detract from McGowan’s intent. I could very easily see this as developing into a good-great Dean R Koontz-type tale. Sadly, there are too many problems taking away from this. From the unbelievable character of O’Neill (who was crying out to be written as a Morgan Freeman in Se7en-type), through to the structure of chapters, inconsistences, switches in perspective, jarring phrases (“…such was…” deserves to be stricken from the book totally), poor dialogue, and every single action, thought, emotion, etc, being told rather than shown.
With a degree of polish, this could be a far better book. McGowan, in terms of the story he tells, has balls. He has created a great monster, some great characters, and is not afraid to give an emotional kick here or there. He also gives (depending on your point of view) a great ending. I liked it, anyway. It marks McGowan as someone who has a great story to tell, but whose skill is not there yet. And please note that all important word, “yet”.
McGowan strikes me as one with an abundance of ideas, and a willingness to invent, develop, and evolve as a writer. I’m looking forward to seeing how much further his new novel is in terms of his skills.
McGowan has acheived an absolute rarity in this age. He has created a new monster, the Shimasou. With a nice little mythology behind it, a credible raison d’etre, posing a viable immediate and major threat, and with a perfectly balanced counterpart, the Shimasou is a nice new addition to the monster’s pantheon.
He’s also introduced three pleasant leads in Carson, Wayans, and Arnold. For a monster-type story, they are well written and defined, each unique and easy to identify with.
However, there are a number of issues with the story itself, which unfortunately detract from McGowan’s intent. I could very easily see this as developing into a good-great Dean R Koontz-type tale. Sadly, there are too many problems taking away from this. From the unbelievable character of O’Neill (who was crying out to be written as a Morgan Freeman in Se7en-type), through to the structure of chapters, inconsistences, switches in perspective, jarring phrases (“…such was…” deserves to be stricken from the book totally), poor dialogue, and every single action, thought, emotion, etc, being told rather than shown.
With a degree of polish, this could be a far better book. McGowan, in terms of the story he tells, has balls. He has created a great monster, some great characters, and is not afraid to give an emotional kick here or there. He also gives (depending on your point of view) a great ending. I liked it, anyway. It marks McGowan as someone who has a great story to tell, but whose skill is not there yet. And please note that all important word, “yet”.
McGowan strikes me as one with an abundance of ideas, and a willingness to invent, develop, and evolve as a writer. I’m looking forward to seeing how much further his new novel is in terms of his skills.
June 19, 2012
This thriller with supernatural and horror twists by David McGowan has been quite a discovery. I was sent a copy to review by www.caveab.com. It has been a very interesting read. The different characters lead the reader into separate journeys, in which we can see their thoughts and their development. The plot is very original and it is quite surprising. When I started reading the book, I didn't expect what was going to start happening quite soon.
When police discovers that a man has been brutally murdered, Special Agent Sam O'Neill cannot imagine that he is going to be involved in a very complicated case, in which he will have to deal with a mysterious stalker, who seems to be terrorizing, menacing, and haunting three other possible victims. Even when that is bad enough, he will soon discover that this stalker can be a bigger danger to what everybody could have expected. This stalker has bigger plans that only a few know. The reader follow this man's journey, as well as the victims', to try to find and solve this case, preventing the murder of more people.
It is really well-written, because you can almost feel, touch, smell, what the characters are feeling, touching, smelling. By the use of a very evocative language, the reader gets involved in the story. You just have to read and read. You cannot put the book down. The characters evolve along the story, and you go with them in that symbolic process of changing, in the process of learning about what is threatening them.
Highly recommended. A great read for every occasion. However, I gave it 4 stars because there are some parts of the novel that I found repetitive. Notwithstanding, apart from that, it is a 5-star novel.
When police discovers that a man has been brutally murdered, Special Agent Sam O'Neill cannot imagine that he is going to be involved in a very complicated case, in which he will have to deal with a mysterious stalker, who seems to be terrorizing, menacing, and haunting three other possible victims. Even when that is bad enough, he will soon discover that this stalker can be a bigger danger to what everybody could have expected. This stalker has bigger plans that only a few know. The reader follow this man's journey, as well as the victims', to try to find and solve this case, preventing the murder of more people.
It is really well-written, because you can almost feel, touch, smell, what the characters are feeling, touching, smelling. By the use of a very evocative language, the reader gets involved in the story. You just have to read and read. You cannot put the book down. The characters evolve along the story, and you go with them in that symbolic process of changing, in the process of learning about what is threatening them.
Highly recommended. A great read for every occasion. However, I gave it 4 stars because there are some parts of the novel that I found repetitive. Notwithstanding, apart from that, it is a 5-star novel.
May 18, 2012
I thought I had placed a review for this book before, but I don't see it. So here it is again. This is a great read if you like supernatural thrillers with twists and turns. A fun, awesome ride which crosses the boundaries of genres perfect.
I loved the way some scenes were written from the point of the antagonist. Don't we all wonder what the bad guy was thinking every now and again. It was beautifully written in this book. I was also impressed with the bold ending, something many authors will not do transpires here. But this is where indie authors prevail, by being able to write how they see fit, and David McGowan hit the nail on the head.
In closing...David, I am fan.
I loved the way some scenes were written from the point of the antagonist. Don't we all wonder what the bad guy was thinking every now and again. It was beautifully written in this book. I was also impressed with the bold ending, something many authors will not do transpires here. But this is where indie authors prevail, by being able to write how they see fit, and David McGowan hit the nail on the head.
In closing...David, I am fan.
June 28, 2013
A good story line with strong characters, I liked the detail of emotion and thought as it helped me understand and feel more related to the characters. Maybe the stories journey could have been given more detailed descriptions and a longer defined outline to really get me into the heart of its creation, but this didn't detract from it being a good psychological thriller that shows the strength that people have in attempting to challenge the unknown. I felt the sinister power of the monster take me on a journey that willed it to stop the madness, if a book can do this for me then its objective has been fulfilled. This was as great read, by a talented writer.
July 15, 2012
David McGowan has just shot to the top of my favorite authors list with the very powerful The Hunter Inside.
The story was told as if by a master of the genre, David sucked me into the terrifying world of Shimasou, without possibility of escape.
I cannot say to much about the story without giving it away, so I will say this: READ IT NOW !
I look forward with excitement for David's next novel.
The story was told as if by a master of the genre, David sucked me into the terrifying world of Shimasou, without possibility of escape.
I cannot say to much about the story without giving it away, so I will say this: READ IT NOW !
I look forward with excitement for David's next novel.
August 15, 2012
Nice blend of paranormal and thriller... Captivating from the start and the suspense was intriguing..But the end was a bit disappointing for me..Mainly because there was so much confusion in the end,I couldn't get the actual picture.But overall a good read.
October 24, 2012
The book started out with a bang but after a few chapters I found myself skimming through most of the over-description of places/weather/feelings/etc. Got to be very repetitive. The ending jolted me I must say. Not my kind of book at all.
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November 4, 2012I'm sorry to say, but I couldn't turn another page more.
It was DRAGGING. I know that the first part of the book is naturally like that, but it was hard for me to read the lines and feel like nothing is registering in my brain.
I didn't finish it.
It was DRAGGING. I know that the first part of the book is naturally like that, but it was hard for me to read the lines and feel like nothing is registering in my brain.
I didn't finish it.
September 14, 2014
Glad it's over, had to finish it to see if it improved. It did not! The main victims were nice people and I felt for them. The FBI agent was just ridiculous. The story was odd and at times over far fetched. It killed some time but ..well, just glad it's over.
June 8, 2012
I really enjoyed this tale, and read it quickly to see what was about to happen. I felt let down by the ending, but that's because I loved the characters. A good mix of genres.
August 27, 2012
The story was good & I finished this book because I wanted to find out how it ended.
But the story telling was laboured & repetitive.
Good ending.
But the story telling was laboured & repetitive.
Good ending.
October 7, 2012
This book was a slow read. I did not like a supernatural killer. I usually like reading supernatural things but this may have been a stretch even for me.
December 16, 2012
Really didn't enjoy this but I finished it because I'm stubborn. Just a little too far fetched, but with not enough action to back it up. Awful ending too
April 22, 2013
Predictable! If I could give it 2 1/2 stars I would.
September 14, 2014
This book is SO slow. At 17% I just gave up.. Uninteresting. Over detailed and SLOW. SO SLOW. I couldn't take it anymore. Thank goodness it was free from Kindle.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews