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The Hunters #1
The Hunters (The Hunters 1) by Chris Kuzneski
he first in a brand new series from the international bestseller Chris Kuzneski - "If you seek, they will find"The a team of renegades - an ex-military leader, a historian, a computer whiz, a weapons expert and a thief - financed by a billionaire philanthropist are tasked with finding the world's most legendary treasures. The recover a vast Romanian treasure that was stolen by the Russians nearly a century ago. Fearing a Germany victory in World War 1, the Romanian government signed a deal to guarantee the safety of the country's most valuable artifacts until after the war. In 1916 two treasure trains full of gold and the most precious objects of the Romanian state - paintings, jewellery from the Royal family, ancient Dacien artifacts - were sent to the underground vaults in the Kremlin only to be lost to the Romanian people forever as Russia severed all diplomatic relations with the country and scattered the treasure to its outlying regions. With a haul valued at over $3.5 billion dollars, everyone wants to claim the vast treasure but its location has remained a mystery, until now.Can the Hunters succeed where all others have failed?
Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
247 people are currently reading
2191 people want to read
About the author
Chris Kuzneski
25 books1,207 followersChris Kuzneski is the #1 international bestselling & New York Times bestselling author of twelve novels and one novella. His thrillers have been translated into more than twenty languages and have sold millions of copies worldwide. One of his books (THE HUNTERS) is currently being made into a major motion picture, and another (THE PRISONER’S GOLD) won an ITW Thriller Award for Book of the Year.
Armed with witty prose, a unique narrative voice, and a penchant for blackmail, Kuzneski has garnered praise from many of the top authors in the world: James Patterson, Nelson DeMille, Lee Child, Vince Flynn, James Rollins, Tess Gerritsen, Douglas Preston, Lisa Gardner, Steve Berry, Scott Mariani, Allison Brennan, W.E.B. Griffin, Graham Brown, Boyd Morrison, John Gilstrap, Raymond Khoury, David Morrell, Andrew Gross, Joseph Finder, Jeremy Robinson, and his writing idol, Clive Cussler.
Simply put, his books are awesome.
A former football player at the University of Pittsburgh, Kuzneski worked as a journalist until he realized it was easier to make stuff up in the comfort of his own home. He has been writing fiction and sleeping in ever since. The only thing that has slowed him down is his obvious need for a pen name, since most people don't know how to spell or pronounce 'Kuzneski'. [Hint: Seven of the letters are silent.]
Armed with witty prose, a unique narrative voice, and a penchant for blackmail, Kuzneski has garnered praise from many of the top authors in the world: James Patterson, Nelson DeMille, Lee Child, Vince Flynn, James Rollins, Tess Gerritsen, Douglas Preston, Lisa Gardner, Steve Berry, Scott Mariani, Allison Brennan, W.E.B. Griffin, Graham Brown, Boyd Morrison, John Gilstrap, Raymond Khoury, David Morrell, Andrew Gross, Joseph Finder, Jeremy Robinson, and his writing idol, Clive Cussler.
Simply put, his books are awesome.
A former football player at the University of Pittsburgh, Kuzneski worked as a journalist until he realized it was easier to make stuff up in the comfort of his own home. He has been writing fiction and sleeping in ever since. The only thing that has slowed him down is his obvious need for a pen name, since most people don't know how to spell or pronounce 'Kuzneski'. [Hint: Seven of the letters are silent.]
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 247 reviews
June 30, 2020
This is not the kind of book I normally read, nor is it the kind of book I would ever read again. I was forced to read this by one book club member and came at it with an open mind.
Yet, I would say I was disappointed that the characters were entirely vapid, the plot wasn't remotely interesting, it was filled with stereotypes and the dialogue was among the worst I've ever read.
Examples include: "The team were at the best when they were working together" or "is that a sarcasm detector because you need one". Delightful.
What's worse about this book, if that’s possible, is that the author doesn't even acknowledge this is pure, unadulterated trash. He cites "several months of research" (I am guessing wikipedia and movies with Russian baddies). He occasionally dishes out cliched sayings that are obviously meant to be meaningful. And in case you didn’t get that something was meaningful, he will italicise the words for you, demonstrating his failure to show emphasis through just stringing a sentence together, like any decent writer.
One good thing has come out of reading this. I now feel confident that even I can write a better book than this one.
I don't think book even deserves one star but this is the lowest Goodreads will let me give it...
Yet, I would say I was disappointed that the characters were entirely vapid, the plot wasn't remotely interesting, it was filled with stereotypes and the dialogue was among the worst I've ever read.
Examples include: "The team were at the best when they were working together" or "is that a sarcasm detector because you need one". Delightful.
What's worse about this book, if that’s possible, is that the author doesn't even acknowledge this is pure, unadulterated trash. He cites "several months of research" (I am guessing wikipedia and movies with Russian baddies). He occasionally dishes out cliched sayings that are obviously meant to be meaningful. And in case you didn’t get that something was meaningful, he will italicise the words for you, demonstrating his failure to show emphasis through just stringing a sentence together, like any decent writer.
One good thing has come out of reading this. I now feel confident that even I can write a better book than this one.
I don't think book even deserves one star but this is the lowest Goodreads will let me give it...
July 19, 2019
Δείτε επίσης και στο Chill and read
Ένα βιβλίο δράσης που κυλάει σαν κινηματογραφική ταινία είναι ότι πρέπει για να βυθιστεί κάποιος στις σελίδες του και να μη βγει μέχρι να διαβάσει τη λέξη «Τέλος». Ένα τέτοιο βιβλίο είναι και το «Στα ίχνη του θησαυρού» του Chris Kuzneski που κυκλοφορεί στα Ελληνικά από τις Εκδόσεις Χάρτινη Πόλη! Δεν είχα διαβάσει κάτι δικό του και όταν είδα τη νέα κυκλοφορία, αποφάσισα να το τολμήσω. Μπορώ να πω πως δικαιώθηκα.
Μια ετερόκλητη ομάδα δράσης στρατολογείται από έναν εκκεντρικό δισεκατομμυριούχο για να φέρει σε πέρας μια αποστολή που ακόμα δε γνωρίζει. Σύντομα γνωρίζονται μεταξύ τους και μαθαίνουν πως σκοπός τους είναι να ανακαλύψουν ένα θησαυρό που έχει χαθεί εδώ και κάμποσα χρόνια.
Κατά τη διάρκεια του Πρώτου Παγκοσμίου Πολέμου, η Ρουμανία, φοβούμενη μια επίθεση της Γερμανίας και τι θα σήμαινε αυτό για το θησαυρό της χώρας, αποφασίζει να στείλει στη Ρωσία ολόκληρο τον κρατικό θησαυρό. Χρυσός, κοσμήματα, πετράδια αλλά και πολύτιμα έργα τέχνης μεταφέρονται στην τσαρική Ρωσία όπου και αποθηκεύονται στα υπόγεια του Κρεμλίνου το 1916. Δυο χρόνια αργότερα και αφού ο τσάρος έχει εκδιωχθεί, η σοβιετική πλέον Ρωσία κηρύσσει τον πόλεμο στη Ρουμανία και αρνείται να επιστρέψει το θησαυρό. Κανείς πια δεν ξέρει τι έχει απομείνει από το μυθικό θησαυρό και που μπορεί να βρίσκεται.
Η ομάδα των κυνηγών του θησαυρού αποτελείται από μία ιστορικό αυθεντία στις ξένες γλώσσες, έναν πρώην στρατιωτικό, έναν ειδικό στους ηλεκτρονικούς υπολογιστές, έναν από τους πιο έμπειρους χειριστές όπλων και μια πρώην πράκτορα της CIA ειδική στα συστήματα ασφαλείας. Είναι δηλαδή εγγύηση για κάτι ενδιαφέρον και περιπετειώδες.
Ήδη από την πρώτη σελίδα καταλαβαίνουμε πως πρόκειται να δούμε κάτι με ιστορικό παρελθόν, καθώς βρισκόμαστε στη Ρουμανία τη μέρα που ο θησαυρός φορτώνεται στο τραίνο που θα τον μεταφέρει στη Ρωσία. Ο πρώτος ήρωας που θα γνωρίσουμε, θα είναι κάποιος για τον οποίο θα διαβάσουμε πολύ αργότερα. Μόλις μεταφερόμαστε στο παρόν, η δράση αναλαμβάνει πρωταγωνιστικό ρόλο για να αρχίσουμε να γνωρίζουμε τους βασικούς ήρωες, κάποια δηλαδή από τα μέλη της ομάδας των κυνηγών.
Η αφήγηση ακολουθεί καταιγιστικό ρυθμό σκηνών δράσης και περιπέτειας, ενώ παράλληλα μεταφέρει τόσο τα ιστορικά στοιχεία που είναι απαραίτητα για τη ροή της ιστορίας, όσο και τα γεωγραφικά. Οι ρυθμοί είναι τόσο γρήγοροι που μέχρι να αντιληφθεί ο αναγνώστης τη μία σκηνή, έχει ήδη περάσει στην επόμενη. Έτσι κρατάει αμείωτο το ενδιαφέρον, χωρίς να κάνει κοιλιά και προσφέρει ένα ευχάριστο αποτέλεσμα.
Ο αγαπημένος μου χαρακτήρας του βιβλίου, είναι ο παλιός μηχανικός τραίνων που γνωρίζουμε στη Ρωσία. Είναι ένας άνθρωπος που αγαπάει πολύ τα τραίνα, κάποιος που επέλεξε να κάνει αυτή τη δουλειά, όπως ο πατέρας του και ο παππούς του. Ξέρει ακριβώς τι χρειάζεται και συμπεριφέρεται στη μηχανή σαν να είναι άνθρωπος με συναισθήματα. Ένας υπέροχος χαρακτήρας.
Ένα βιβλίο δράσης που κυλάει σαν κινηματογραφική ταινία είναι ότι πρέπει για να βυθιστεί κάποιος στις σελίδες του και να μη βγει μέχρι να διαβάσει τη λέξη «Τέλος». Ένα τέτοιο βιβλίο είναι και το «Στα ίχνη του θησαυρού» του Chris Kuzneski που κυκλοφορεί στα Ελληνικά από τις Εκδόσεις Χάρτινη Πόλη! Δεν είχα διαβάσει κάτι δικό του και όταν είδα τη νέα κυκλοφορία, αποφάσισα να το τολμήσω. Μπορώ να πω πως δικαιώθηκα.
Μια ετερόκλητη ομάδα δράσης στρατολογείται από έναν εκκεντρικό δισεκατομμυριούχο για να φέρει σε πέρας μια αποστολή που ακόμα δε γνωρίζει. Σύντομα γνωρίζονται μεταξύ τους και μαθαίνουν πως σκοπός τους είναι να ανακαλύψουν ένα θησαυρό που έχει χαθεί εδώ και κάμποσα χρόνια.
Κατά τη διάρκεια του Πρώτου Παγκοσμίου Πολέμου, η Ρουμανία, φοβούμενη μια επίθεση της Γερμανίας και τι θα σήμαινε αυτό για το θησαυρό της χώρας, αποφασίζει να στείλει στη Ρωσία ολόκληρο τον κρατικό θησαυρό. Χρυσός, κοσμήματα, πετράδια αλλά και πολύτιμα έργα τέχνης μεταφέρονται στην τσαρική Ρωσία όπου και αποθηκεύονται στα υπόγεια του Κρεμλίνου το 1916. Δυο χρόνια αργότερα και αφού ο τσάρος έχει εκδιωχθεί, η σοβιετική πλέον Ρωσία κηρύσσει τον πόλεμο στη Ρουμανία και αρνείται να επιστρέψει το θησαυρό. Κανείς πια δεν ξέρει τι έχει απομείνει από το μυθικό θησαυρό και που μπορεί να βρίσκεται.
Η ομάδα των κυνηγών του θησαυρού αποτελείται από μία ιστορικό αυθεντία στις ξένες γλώσσες, έναν πρώην στρατιωτικό, έναν ειδικό στους ηλεκτρονικούς υπολογιστές, έναν από τους πιο έμπειρους χειριστές όπλων και μια πρώην πράκτορα της CIA ειδική στα συστήματα ασφαλείας. Είναι δηλαδή εγγύηση για κάτι ενδιαφέρον και περιπετειώδες.
Ήδη από την πρώτη σελίδα καταλαβαίνουμε πως πρόκειται να δούμε κάτι με ιστορικό παρελθόν, καθώς βρισκόμαστε στη Ρουμανία τη μέρα που ο θησαυρός φορτώνεται στο τραίνο που θα τον μεταφέρει στη Ρωσία. Ο πρώτος ήρωας που θα γνωρίσουμε, θα είναι κάποιος για τον οποίο θα διαβάσουμε πολύ αργότερα. Μόλις μεταφερόμαστε στο παρόν, η δράση αναλαμβάνει πρωταγωνιστικό ρόλο για να αρχίσουμε να γνωρίζουμε τους βασικούς ήρωες, κάποια δηλαδή από τα μέλη της ομάδας των κυνηγών.
Η αφήγηση ακολουθεί καταιγιστικό ρυθμό σκηνών δράσης και περιπέτειας, ενώ παράλληλα μεταφέρει τόσο τα ιστορικά στοιχεία που είναι απαραίτητα για τη ροή της ιστορίας, όσο και τα γεωγραφικά. Οι ρυθμοί είναι τόσο γρήγοροι που μέχρι να αντιληφθεί ο αναγνώστης τη μία σκηνή, έχει ήδη περάσει στην επόμενη. Έτσι κρατάει αμείωτο το ενδιαφέρον, χωρίς να κάνει κοιλιά και προσφέρει ένα ευχάριστο αποτέλεσμα.
Ο αγαπημένος μου χαρακτήρας του βιβλίου, είναι ο παλιός μηχανικός τραίνων που γνωρίζουμε στη Ρωσία. Είναι ένας άνθρωπος που αγαπάει πολύ τα τραίνα, κάποιος που επέλεξε να κάνει αυτή τη δουλειά, όπως ο πατέρας του και ο παππούς του. Ξέρει ακριβώς τι χρειάζεται και συμπεριφέρεται στη μηχανή σαν να είναι άνθρωπος με συναισθήματα. Ένας υπέροχος χαρακτήρας.
December 24, 2016
The Hunters is the first in a series by Chris Kuzneski. The story revolves around a team of experts (military, burglary, computers, history, munitions) that are hired to recover the lost treasure of Romania.
During World War I, fearing a German victory, the Romanian government decided to transport all of its national wealth to Russia for safekeeping. In 1916, the treasure was loaded onto 2 trains and sent on its way to Russia. However, in the confusion of war and then the Russian revolution, the treasure was lost.
I had high hopes of finding another ensemble adventure series (similar to the Oregon Files) but found myself somewhat disappointed in this book. The story itself was interesting and there is potential with the team that has been established but the storytelling was lacking. There were several instances of “whoa, where did that come from?” when information would be introduced out of the blue. There were also gaps in the storyline where the reader had to connect the dots.
Rating: 3.5 Stars
During World War I, fearing a German victory, the Romanian government decided to transport all of its national wealth to Russia for safekeeping. In 1916, the treasure was loaded onto 2 trains and sent on its way to Russia. However, in the confusion of war and then the Russian revolution, the treasure was lost.
I had high hopes of finding another ensemble adventure series (similar to the Oregon Files) but found myself somewhat disappointed in this book. The story itself was interesting and there is potential with the team that has been established but the storytelling was lacking. There were several instances of “whoa, where did that come from?” when information would be introduced out of the blue. There were also gaps in the storyline where the reader had to connect the dots.
Rating: 3.5 Stars
April 26, 2014
This is one of those books that is so far up my street that it's bought a house, moved in and is popping round to borrow a cup of sugar. It's a tale of a team of people brought together by a mysterious benefactor to retrieve missing/stolen/lost historical treasures from around the globe.
Imagine that Andy McDermott, Matthew Reilly and Clive Cussler (and/or everyone he writes with now), Scott Marianni and the like were mushed together to form one writing body, then you'd come somewhere close to this one.
I bloody loved it. And it's the first in a series which, like all good things, drip-feeds a bit of the bigger picture at the end like you're watching for the extra scenes in a Marvel Universe movie.
More please!
Imagine that Andy McDermott, Matthew Reilly and Clive Cussler (and/or everyone he writes with now), Scott Marianni and the like were mushed together to form one writing body, then you'd come somewhere close to this one.
I bloody loved it. And it's the first in a series which, like all good things, drip-feeds a bit of the bigger picture at the end like you're watching for the extra scenes in a Marvel Universe movie.
More please!
January 2, 2016
Shockingly bad. Reads like something written by a 12 year old who has just learned about similes and metaphors. Made my eyes bleed, so had to give up after a few chapters. My head hurts now just thinking about it.
June 8, 2025
This is a good book, but it was bogged down by a few problems. Maybe because I've been reading Xander Weaver lately, I feel dialogue is important, and the dialogue in this book does not meet the standards. And the ending leaves a lot to be desired. But for an action series, it is pretty good, there are some good characters and some iffy characters, but overall worth reading.
August 30, 2013
Kuzneski returns with a fresh approach and new characters to reclaim his high standard writing tradition. Creating a group of quasi-superheroes funded by a reclusive billionaire (so cliché, right?!), Kuzneski creates a thriller full of historical drama and action that has the reader ensnared from the opening sentence. During the Great War, the Romanian government chooses to hide its cache of gold and royal valuables while the Germans are marching towards them. Tsarist Russia agrees to hold onto the collection and train cars full of jewels, artwork, precious metals, and countless items leave for the Motherland. The Revolution befalls Russia and the cars of valuables is nowhere to be found. Enter 'The Hunters' who are tasked with finding the items and returning them to Romania. From their varied backgrounds, these five must work together, scouring Russia and back country Romania, to find the treasure and return it to its rightful owner. When a Rasputin-era religious sect sets their target on the Hunters, nothing is guaranteed, be it life, liberty, or the pursuit of riches. Kuzneski has heeded his readers’ advice and resurrected the strong interaction between characters, while offering strong history lessons on issues not covered in most texts.
I was unsure what to expect from Kuzneski, after a few lacklustre novels of late. When I started reading, I found that I could not put the book down and became enthralled with the story, the characters, and the action, which culminates in the last 15 chapters. Filled with great history around the Revolution not mentioned in anything I have read to date, as well as history surrounding Romania, Kuzneski is able to infuse a great deal of teachable moments as well as an entertaining novel. Sarcasm drips from every page and the constant banter between characters keeps the writing fresh and begs for more in the series.
Kudos Mr. Kuzneski for this fresh look at an action packed thriller, with strong historical undertones. I cannot wait to see what you have up your sleeve for the next installment, and how this return to writing superiority will reflect on your work in general.
I was unsure what to expect from Kuzneski, after a few lacklustre novels of late. When I started reading, I found that I could not put the book down and became enthralled with the story, the characters, and the action, which culminates in the last 15 chapters. Filled with great history around the Revolution not mentioned in anything I have read to date, as well as history surrounding Romania, Kuzneski is able to infuse a great deal of teachable moments as well as an entertaining novel. Sarcasm drips from every page and the constant banter between characters keeps the writing fresh and begs for more in the series.
Kudos Mr. Kuzneski for this fresh look at an action packed thriller, with strong historical undertones. I cannot wait to see what you have up your sleeve for the next installment, and how this return to writing superiority will reflect on your work in general.
January 24, 2023
Who would’ve thought someone could create a group of characters who don’t particularly like each other and keep that same energy throughout the whole book?? And yet they still work as an exceptional team?
Chris Kuzneski… that’s who.
This book had it all. Humour, history, enjoyment and also sorrow. Kept me interested throughout the entire book and got me engaged in the customer’s individual thought processes.
The only reservation I had with the book was the writing style. The author would write in multiple perspectives within the same paragraph. While I got used to it by about half way though, I still had to continuously look back in the paragraph and sometimes the whole page to see who’s perspective he was actually writing from.
Seeing as though it’s book number one and I didn’t have a clue what it was going to be, I can say I’ll be reading book #2 at some point.
Chris Kuzneski… that’s who.
This book had it all. Humour, history, enjoyment and also sorrow. Kept me interested throughout the entire book and got me engaged in the customer’s individual thought processes.
The only reservation I had with the book was the writing style. The author would write in multiple perspectives within the same paragraph. While I got used to it by about half way though, I still had to continuously look back in the paragraph and sometimes the whole page to see who’s perspective he was actually writing from.
Seeing as though it’s book number one and I didn’t have a clue what it was going to be, I can say I’ll be reading book #2 at some point.
couldnt-get-into
May 13, 2016Oh dear. There is a chance that if you like The Da Vinci Code or Andy McDermott's books or Sigma Force, and you think Die Hard 2-4 were the height of filmmaking art, you might like this too.
It is just so obviously trying to be a movie, but unfortunately that means point of view errors, action that doesn't make sense, and embarrassing references to movies. In the first 9% of the book, he references Raiders of the Lost Ark, Shrek, and the The Hunt for Red October. Ouch.
It is one of those action books in which the laws of physics are suspended. Bullets do not ricochet off of stainless steel or concrete, size 3 gals can deck 7-foot tall bodyguards, telescoping metal doohickies change circumference because the author wants them to, blahblahblah. Maybe in another mood, I would've stuck with it, but not today. Maybe if I tried reading it drunk, to reduce my higher brain functions...?
Anyway. DNF
It is just so obviously trying to be a movie, but unfortunately that means point of view errors, action that doesn't make sense, and embarrassing references to movies. In the first 9% of the book, he references Raiders of the Lost Ark, Shrek, and the The Hunt for Red October. Ouch.
It is one of those action books in which the laws of physics are suspended. Bullets do not ricochet off of stainless steel or concrete, size 3 gals can deck 7-foot tall bodyguards, telescoping metal doohickies change circumference because the author wants them to, blahblahblah. Maybe in another mood, I would've stuck with it, but not today. Maybe if I tried reading it drunk, to reduce my higher brain functions...?
Anyway. DNF
January 29, 2016
Typical quest story. Four characters: tough soldier, beautiful and brilliant historian, geeky computer whiz and feisty female superwoman thief are mysteriously hired to recover lost Romanian treasures from WW1. Could have been really good. Fascinating historical back story, set in modern Russia and the railroads of Eastern Europe, and full of action as Rasputin followers take up arms against our questers. But the nerve jangling moments have a comic book feel to them, the dialogue is awful and the characters are complete stereotypes. Some decent research but facts bolted on and clunky. First one in a series...pass!
January 5, 2018
I had no idea what to expect from The Hunters - I have never read Chris Kuzneski before - but what I got was a pageturning, thrill-a-minute, brilliantly characterised and edge-of-the-seat adventure. I'd hate to call it an old-fashioned adventure story but somehow that's how it felt. No gimmicks just great action, characters, setting and writing. Perfect start to the reading year - a thriller that will be hard to beat. More please, Chris.
July 3, 2017
I have had all three books in this series on my Kindle for a while, and somehow they got buried. That is a shame, because this was a very enjoyable start to a series. I loved the history that was mixed in with the action , and enjoyed the characters in the story. I have already started the second book so that I can continue the journey!
January 17, 2016
A new team is brought together, although they do not know by whom, and we’re not much wiser at the end of the novel. Jack Cobb, a former soldier, is grouped with Sarah, a renowned art thief, Garcia, and absolute expert in all things technological, Jasmine, fluent in many languages and well versed in ancient cultures and religions, and Josh McNutt, not just a weapons expert, but a deadly marksman with a penchant for killing. Their task is to locate the treasure so long hidden away, formerly from the Romanian Royal Family. The task involves a wonderful character who lives his dream – Dobrev, an engineer on the Russian Railways, who gets to drive his most favourite railway engine in the world, plus two Russian Detectives, a village full of people who have been sheltered from the world for most of their lives, and a group known as The Black Robes who wish to find evidence concerning their inspiration, namely Raputin.
The story moves at a cracking pace with barely a pause for breath. The detail is almost overwhelming and I must admit that I did have to put the book down on occasions just to make sure that I was keeping up with the plot. Belief may have had to be suspended on some occasions, but I certainly enjoyed the read and already have the next book in the series to look forward to.
The story moves at a cracking pace with barely a pause for breath. The detail is almost overwhelming and I must admit that I did have to put the book down on occasions just to make sure that I was keeping up with the plot. Belief may have had to be suspended on some occasions, but I certainly enjoyed the read and already have the next book in the series to look forward to.
November 30, 2016
I must admit to being slightly disappointed in this book. Chris Kuzneski is one of my favourite authors and I simply adore the Payne and Jones Series. In comparison the dialogue felt a bit more stilted in this one, the characters not as likeable and there just felt a lack of flow and information in this book. Admittedly it was the first in the series so he had to introduce a lot of new characters and this possibly stopped the flow to a certain extent and that future books in the series will be much better! I will be persevering in the series because I do like him as an author, I do like the concept set up in this book and the link within the book to a character from the other series. I would most probably give it 3.75 stars but have rounded it up to 4 as I know what the author is capable of. The theme in this book was interesting and particularly the link to the Russian Revolution and Rasputin.
February 7, 2016
I read this as it was recommended, and I can only say I'm glad I didn't have to pay for it. The writing is sophomoric, the characters predictably "perfect" ("stunning ... handsome ... gorgeous blonde ..." etc.), and the plot is ludicrous. I enjoy thrillers, historical mystery, suspense ... and outside of a bit of history, The Hunters misses the mark all the way around. It seems like a poor imitation of James Rollins' "Sigma Force" series (which is not one of my favorites), without the benefit of Rollins' at least developed protagonists. The potential is there, but in my opinion, Kuzneski does not provide any depth or even a semi-credible plot line. This is just my opinion, but I won't be picking up any more of this author's books.
May 13, 2015
This is the first book by this author that I have ever read and I must say that I was not disappointed with my choice in reading this book. I breezed through it just two days.
This book shows us a team of personnel that were put together to find treasure that belonged to TSAR Nicholas II. The storyline is very intricate and keeps you involved with thinking about what is going to happen next.
This book shows us a team of personnel that were put together to find treasure that belonged to TSAR Nicholas II. The storyline is very intricate and keeps you involved with thinking about what is going to happen next.
October 13, 2017
The Hunters is a fantastic new series by Mr Kuzneski, full of action, interesting treasure hunting, and great characters. I can't wait for the next installment.
Originally read 29 Jan 2013; Re-read 30 June 2017
Originally read 29 Jan 2013; Re-read 30 June 2017
April 15, 2013
By Chris Kuzneski. Grade: B+
I have a confession : I had not read Chris Kuzneski before The Hunters. After this book, does that change my opinion and catapult him into “definitely want to” read set of authors? Not really…Well so to say, he’s not knocked the socks off my feet with this new book, but he’s definitely got the chops to do it. So yeah why not? I will read the next in this series and see what he develops the “Hunters” team into.
The first in a brand new series from the international bestseller Chris Kuzneski – “If you seek, they will find”
The Hunters: a team of renegades – an ex-military leader, a historian, a computer whiz, a weapons expert and a thief – financed by a billionaire philanthropist are tasked with finding the world’s most legendary treasures.
The Mission: recover a vast Romanian treasure that was stolen by the Russians nearly a century ago. Fearing a Germany victory in World War 1, the Romanian government signed a deal to guarantee the safety of the country’s most valuable artifacts until after the war. In 1916 two treasure trains full of gold and the most precious objects of the Romanian state – paintings, jewellery from the Royal family, ancient Dacien artifacts – were sent to the underground vaults in the Kremlin only to be lost to the Romanian people forever as Russia severed all diplomatic relations with the country and scattered the treasure to its outlying regions. With a haul valued at over $3.5 billion dollars, everyone wants to claim the vast treasure but its location has remained a mystery, until now.
The Hunters by Chris Kuzneski
Can the Hunters succeed where all others have failed?
So Hunters is Kuzneski’s latest book – where he veers away from his time-tested and New York times bestselling ‘Dan Brown’ type thriller series (“Lost Thone, Sword of God, Sign of the Cross). His previous novels were set against the backdrop of the Crusades (The Hundred Year Wars for you history buffs!) and was mainly cashing in on the hype created by Da Vinci-Code with such pulpy papal thrillers.
Hunters is the first novel in a brand new series, the story follows a crack team of stereotypical renegades – a wisecracking ex-military sharp shooter, a ninja-trained thief, a computer-whiz geek, a linguist/historian – all under the command of an ex-soldier and hired by an eccentric billionaire trying to track down vast amounts of lost treasures of Romanian royalty lost to the world in 1916. History still remains a focus of his, this time the book settings being the Carpathian Mountains and Transylvania on the borders of Romania and Russia.
To tell you the truth, reading Hunters was like watching a Michael Bay movie – all bluff and bravado, but sadly no heart. Lots of pulsating action, but no real characters with whom you would fall in love or root for. But for those of you looking for a good old fashioned adventure ride filled with heart stopping never ending action right from the word go till the last page, this one’s custom-made. From cover to cover, make no mistake, Christ Kuzneski has let it rip in terms of high octane action set pieces. The book begins by introducing the “Hunters” through a heist pulled off dramatically. It sets the tone for the book, the author hits the pedal to the floor right from chapter one and never lets up until the last chapter. So all in all, if you’re an action buff looking for a glossy Indiana Jonesque adventure full of thrilling train rides, mad monks, lost treasures and Carpathian Mountains cloaked in a dash of history including the World War I thrown in for good measure – The Hunters hits the mark right on the bull’s eye.
In fact the whole time, I was reading the novel, I was debating who would be the best actors to fit into the shoes of the main set of characters. It seemed like the perfect book to be adapted into a movie franchise without too many difficulties.
Some pet peeves – personally while I absolutely loved the thrill-ride, I never connected to any of the characters. While the leader of the group – the quiet composed and brilliant Cobb – most obviously the “hero” of the series is set up as the one the reader can most sympathize and identify with, there was nothing outside of the fact that he is a cool calculating man with nerves of steel under situations of extreme pressure (GRIN!!)– that helped me identify with him. But then again, I don’t think showing the vulnerable “human” sides of him would agree to the pacing of the book. The crackshot marksman, McNutt with his irreverent attitude and terrible sense of humor was just plain annoying. The women, while painted to be the sexy stereotypes sadly don’t have much of a meaty role through the book. The secondary characters too remain sketchy caricatures of shallow unbelievable men or women. While Chris does a great job of painting out a believable setting for the story – seamlessly meshing history and facts with fiction – the only thing I found lacking was the presence of a realistic conflict that is a shade too difficult to solve, and yet not too daunting so to dissuade our “hunters”. The “mad monks” angle was just a little too absurd and hurried to make a dent and I wasn’t willing to suspend my belief enough to buy into this conflict angle presented.
All things said, excellent story telling, superb plotting and a well executed action thrill-ride that will delight the fans of Dan Brown, Steve Barry, Indiana Jones franchise etc. A significant voice in the realm of thrillerdom, Chris Kuzneski does a good job of giving us a book that is tailor-designed to be lifted off by Michael Bay for his next testosterone-filled action adventure.
Originally reviewed at http://vaultofbooks.com/
I have a confession : I had not read Chris Kuzneski before The Hunters. After this book, does that change my opinion and catapult him into “definitely want to” read set of authors? Not really…Well so to say, he’s not knocked the socks off my feet with this new book, but he’s definitely got the chops to do it. So yeah why not? I will read the next in this series and see what he develops the “Hunters” team into.
The first in a brand new series from the international bestseller Chris Kuzneski – “If you seek, they will find”
The Hunters: a team of renegades – an ex-military leader, a historian, a computer whiz, a weapons expert and a thief – financed by a billionaire philanthropist are tasked with finding the world’s most legendary treasures.
The Mission: recover a vast Romanian treasure that was stolen by the Russians nearly a century ago. Fearing a Germany victory in World War 1, the Romanian government signed a deal to guarantee the safety of the country’s most valuable artifacts until after the war. In 1916 two treasure trains full of gold and the most precious objects of the Romanian state – paintings, jewellery from the Royal family, ancient Dacien artifacts – were sent to the underground vaults in the Kremlin only to be lost to the Romanian people forever as Russia severed all diplomatic relations with the country and scattered the treasure to its outlying regions. With a haul valued at over $3.5 billion dollars, everyone wants to claim the vast treasure but its location has remained a mystery, until now.
The Hunters by Chris Kuzneski
Can the Hunters succeed where all others have failed?
So Hunters is Kuzneski’s latest book – where he veers away from his time-tested and New York times bestselling ‘Dan Brown’ type thriller series (“Lost Thone, Sword of God, Sign of the Cross). His previous novels were set against the backdrop of the Crusades (The Hundred Year Wars for you history buffs!) and was mainly cashing in on the hype created by Da Vinci-Code with such pulpy papal thrillers.
Hunters is the first novel in a brand new series, the story follows a crack team of stereotypical renegades – a wisecracking ex-military sharp shooter, a ninja-trained thief, a computer-whiz geek, a linguist/historian – all under the command of an ex-soldier and hired by an eccentric billionaire trying to track down vast amounts of lost treasures of Romanian royalty lost to the world in 1916. History still remains a focus of his, this time the book settings being the Carpathian Mountains and Transylvania on the borders of Romania and Russia.
To tell you the truth, reading Hunters was like watching a Michael Bay movie – all bluff and bravado, but sadly no heart. Lots of pulsating action, but no real characters with whom you would fall in love or root for. But for those of you looking for a good old fashioned adventure ride filled with heart stopping never ending action right from the word go till the last page, this one’s custom-made. From cover to cover, make no mistake, Christ Kuzneski has let it rip in terms of high octane action set pieces. The book begins by introducing the “Hunters” through a heist pulled off dramatically. It sets the tone for the book, the author hits the pedal to the floor right from chapter one and never lets up until the last chapter. So all in all, if you’re an action buff looking for a glossy Indiana Jonesque adventure full of thrilling train rides, mad monks, lost treasures and Carpathian Mountains cloaked in a dash of history including the World War I thrown in for good measure – The Hunters hits the mark right on the bull’s eye.
In fact the whole time, I was reading the novel, I was debating who would be the best actors to fit into the shoes of the main set of characters. It seemed like the perfect book to be adapted into a movie franchise without too many difficulties.
Some pet peeves – personally while I absolutely loved the thrill-ride, I never connected to any of the characters. While the leader of the group – the quiet composed and brilliant Cobb – most obviously the “hero” of the series is set up as the one the reader can most sympathize and identify with, there was nothing outside of the fact that he is a cool calculating man with nerves of steel under situations of extreme pressure (GRIN!!)– that helped me identify with him. But then again, I don’t think showing the vulnerable “human” sides of him would agree to the pacing of the book. The crackshot marksman, McNutt with his irreverent attitude and terrible sense of humor was just plain annoying. The women, while painted to be the sexy stereotypes sadly don’t have much of a meaty role through the book. The secondary characters too remain sketchy caricatures of shallow unbelievable men or women. While Chris does a great job of painting out a believable setting for the story – seamlessly meshing history and facts with fiction – the only thing I found lacking was the presence of a realistic conflict that is a shade too difficult to solve, and yet not too daunting so to dissuade our “hunters”. The “mad monks” angle was just a little too absurd and hurried to make a dent and I wasn’t willing to suspend my belief enough to buy into this conflict angle presented.
All things said, excellent story telling, superb plotting and a well executed action thrill-ride that will delight the fans of Dan Brown, Steve Barry, Indiana Jones franchise etc. A significant voice in the realm of thrillerdom, Chris Kuzneski does a good job of giving us a book that is tailor-designed to be lifted off by Michael Bay for his next testosterone-filled action adventure.
Originally reviewed at http://vaultofbooks.com/
November 19, 2019
I almost put this book down. I was not happy about the idea that the Hunters were just a bunch of thieves that would steal historical artifacts for their own personal gain. I am glad that I finished.
I am scratching my head as to what happened to Papineau? Did the new guy kill the leader of the Black Robes? What happened to the treasure?
I loved that Ulster made an appearance in the end. Those that know the Payne and Jones series, knows that Peter is a good guy and will do the treasures justice, IF he received the treasure at his archives.
I guess I will continue with book two, but I hope that there is a book 10 of the Payne and Jones series.
I am scratching my head as to what happened to Papineau? Did the new guy kill the leader of the Black Robes? What happened to the treasure?
I loved that Ulster made an appearance in the end. Those that know the Payne and Jones series, knows that Peter is a good guy and will do the treasures justice, IF he received the treasure at his archives.
I guess I will continue with book two, but I hope that there is a book 10 of the Payne and Jones series.
April 4, 2019
Really liked this good fast action and characters with character also witty and human.
Enjoyed the way at the end this series began to meld in with the Payne and jones books.
Enjoyed the way at the end this series began to meld in with the Payne and jones books.
dnf
November 27, 2024Dnf 16%
This one wasn't working for me. Will stick to the payne and jones series
This one wasn't working for me. Will stick to the payne and jones series
June 29, 2017
Excellent book and a wonderful storyline. Interesting characters, too. So now on to the next one in the series!
December 1, 2016
The Hunters by Chris Kuzneski
3.5★'s
THE TEAM:
Financed by a billionaire philanthropist, this elite team—a soldier, an historian, a computer whiz, a weapons expert, and a thief—is tasked with finding the world’s most legendary treasures.
THE MISSION:
Fearing a German victory in WWI, the Romanian government signed a deal with Russia to protect the country’s treasures. In 1916, two trains full of gold and the most precious possessions of the Romanian state—paintings, jewelry, and ancient artifacts—were sent to the underground vaults of the Kremlin. But in the turmoil of war, the Romanian treasure was scattered and lost.
THE PRIZE:
The collection is now valued at over $3.5 billion. Despite several attempts to find it, its location has remained a mystery…until now.
From The Book:
THE TEAM:
Financed by a billionaire philanthropist, this elite team—a soldier, an historian, a computer whiz, a weapons expert, and a thief—is tasked with finding the world’s most legendary treasures.
THE MISSION:
Fearing a German victory in WWI, the Romanian government signed a deal with Russia to protect the country’s treasures. In 1916, two trains full of gold and the most precious possessions of the Romanian state—paintings, jewelry, and ancient artifacts—were sent to the underground vaults of the Kremlin. But in the turmoil of war, the Romanian treasure was scattered and lost.
THE PRIZE:
The collection is now valued at over $3.5 billion. Despite several attempts to find it, its location has remained a mystery…until now.
My Thoughts:
In order for a the reader to have a visual in their minds of what is taking place on the page, the author needs to be able to provide enough dialog for this picture to form since there is no wide screen TV. This didn't happen in this book. Lots of action...almost too much if that is possible...but not enough interaction among the characters for the reader to get the "why" this was happening.
The "Team" was composed of a mix of personalities that had never worked together before. This is fine in the office but when you are planning to steal a treasure that more than one group of people are willing to kill you to keep....this is far from ideal. Of course these are strong minded stubborn types for the most part, with a computer nerd and a translator that the author was actually thinking we would buy that she learned to drive a train just from watching the old engineer...who was one of the best characters in the book by the way.
The book received the half-star because I read with a group where we took the book in sections and each person added there comments. Seeing the others perspective on the story let me see the story from a different angle. I really like this author and have read others of his books and enjoyed them immensely. I enjoyed this one more because of the group I read it with. Anyone who likes non-stop action thrillers combined with lots of history will love this book.
3.5★'s
THE TEAM:
Financed by a billionaire philanthropist, this elite team—a soldier, an historian, a computer whiz, a weapons expert, and a thief—is tasked with finding the world’s most legendary treasures.
THE MISSION:
Fearing a German victory in WWI, the Romanian government signed a deal with Russia to protect the country’s treasures. In 1916, two trains full of gold and the most precious possessions of the Romanian state—paintings, jewelry, and ancient artifacts—were sent to the underground vaults of the Kremlin. But in the turmoil of war, the Romanian treasure was scattered and lost.
THE PRIZE:
The collection is now valued at over $3.5 billion. Despite several attempts to find it, its location has remained a mystery…until now.
From The Book:
THE TEAM:
Financed by a billionaire philanthropist, this elite team—a soldier, an historian, a computer whiz, a weapons expert, and a thief—is tasked with finding the world’s most legendary treasures.
THE MISSION:
Fearing a German victory in WWI, the Romanian government signed a deal with Russia to protect the country’s treasures. In 1916, two trains full of gold and the most precious possessions of the Romanian state—paintings, jewelry, and ancient artifacts—were sent to the underground vaults of the Kremlin. But in the turmoil of war, the Romanian treasure was scattered and lost.
THE PRIZE:
The collection is now valued at over $3.5 billion. Despite several attempts to find it, its location has remained a mystery…until now.
My Thoughts:
In order for a the reader to have a visual in their minds of what is taking place on the page, the author needs to be able to provide enough dialog for this picture to form since there is no wide screen TV. This didn't happen in this book. Lots of action...almost too much if that is possible...but not enough interaction among the characters for the reader to get the "why" this was happening.
The "Team" was composed of a mix of personalities that had never worked together before. This is fine in the office but when you are planning to steal a treasure that more than one group of people are willing to kill you to keep....this is far from ideal. Of course these are strong minded stubborn types for the most part, with a computer nerd and a translator that the author was actually thinking we would buy that she learned to drive a train just from watching the old engineer...who was one of the best characters in the book by the way.
The book received the half-star because I read with a group where we took the book in sections and each person added there comments. Seeing the others perspective on the story let me see the story from a different angle. I really like this author and have read others of his books and enjoyed them immensely. I enjoyed this one more because of the group I read it with. Anyone who likes non-stop action thrillers combined with lots of history will love this book.
December 28, 2012
Review
The Hunters started like many other action thrillers. An introduction to the hero’s who have a certain high level hero skill set and then give them a mission.
What makes a good or a great thriller is making those hero’s into people you like and care about, people who despite their skills seem real.
Add to that a mission that nots too outlandish, but is still of a scale to boggle the mind, just a little. and finally write it with great skill and pace.
There are only a few thriller writers around these days who can do this, some get 2 out of three (and that’s still a great thriller, usually its the outlandish bit and they end up in the cheesy bracket…but they are fun in a different way)
So how does The Hunters stack up? for me it has all 3 of the ingredients needed to make a stunning thriller, and i can see why it has been chosen as his first ever hardback. The book literally explodes into life with a mission impossible style robbery. This is used exceptionally well to hook the reader, but also to then introduce the cast of the book and showcase their skills.
The book then quickly leads on to their true mission, the recovery of the missing Romanian treasure, the wealth of a nation. The backdrop for the story gives the author some stunning scenic imagery to play with which he weaves into the plot with style, and also a sense of love for the land, it wasnt until i had finished that I understood the family connection (the passion showed).
The book / team has humour, history, passion, talent, weapon skills, unarmed combat. It introduces famous figures from history in the Romanovs and also less savoury characters. Secret societies, neo nationalist organisations and all this in the back drop to a massive treasure hunt with an employer who is not all he seems. It leads to one of the best thrillers i have read this year. One of the best things at the end of the book was finding out that this is the start of a whole new series, im always after a good thriller, and now it looks like I have one a year on the way for a while.
So thank you Mr Kuzneski, this is a total hit with me, and I hope a hit with the world of thriller readers. A truly explosive action packed thrill ride of a treasure hunt.
Highly recommended
(Parm)
The Hunters started like many other action thrillers. An introduction to the hero’s who have a certain high level hero skill set and then give them a mission.
What makes a good or a great thriller is making those hero’s into people you like and care about, people who despite their skills seem real.
Add to that a mission that nots too outlandish, but is still of a scale to boggle the mind, just a little. and finally write it with great skill and pace.
There are only a few thriller writers around these days who can do this, some get 2 out of three (and that’s still a great thriller, usually its the outlandish bit and they end up in the cheesy bracket…but they are fun in a different way)
So how does The Hunters stack up? for me it has all 3 of the ingredients needed to make a stunning thriller, and i can see why it has been chosen as his first ever hardback. The book literally explodes into life with a mission impossible style robbery. This is used exceptionally well to hook the reader, but also to then introduce the cast of the book and showcase their skills.
The book then quickly leads on to their true mission, the recovery of the missing Romanian treasure, the wealth of a nation. The backdrop for the story gives the author some stunning scenic imagery to play with which he weaves into the plot with style, and also a sense of love for the land, it wasnt until i had finished that I understood the family connection (the passion showed).
The book / team has humour, history, passion, talent, weapon skills, unarmed combat. It introduces famous figures from history in the Romanovs and also less savoury characters. Secret societies, neo nationalist organisations and all this in the back drop to a massive treasure hunt with an employer who is not all he seems. It leads to one of the best thrillers i have read this year. One of the best things at the end of the book was finding out that this is the start of a whole new series, im always after a good thriller, and now it looks like I have one a year on the way for a while.
So thank you Mr Kuzneski, this is a total hit with me, and I hope a hit with the world of thriller readers. A truly explosive action packed thrill ride of a treasure hunt.
Highly recommended
(Parm)
February 4, 2015
It was all about the recovery of gold artefacts and jewellery given to the Russians by Romania for safe keeping in 1916. The story began in Romania when a coin is found on a bitterly cold December night.
It could be regarded as a grown-up story of Enid Blyton’s ‘Famous Five’. A group of fine individual’s with different skills sets were brought together by Papineau (Papi) who financed the group to ‘rescue’ the treasure lost in 1916 Romania and Moscow.
Getting back the treasure started with a possible art sale in New York and finished in Romania. It spanned the continents of America and Europe using high tech GPS equipment and villagers defending themselves with pitch forks and nets, bringing in the cult sect, the Black Robes, devotees of Rasputin.
The best part was the adventure sequence at the beginning of the novel, set in New York, the hairs really went up on the back of my neck, also the description of Ludmilla (the steam train) going into thw Carpathian region driven by the amazing Dobrev. The area invited thoughts of vampire bats and other legends including a valuable ring given to Rasputin by the tsarina. The 3 ½ billion dollar haul was a mind blowing concept – what treasure!!
An adventure bringing in, the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Lots of facts and lots of fiction – how to define which was which was the interesting part.
It could be regarded as a grown-up story of Enid Blyton’s ‘Famous Five’. A group of fine individual’s with different skills sets were brought together by Papineau (Papi) who financed the group to ‘rescue’ the treasure lost in 1916 Romania and Moscow.
Getting back the treasure started with a possible art sale in New York and finished in Romania. It spanned the continents of America and Europe using high tech GPS equipment and villagers defending themselves with pitch forks and nets, bringing in the cult sect, the Black Robes, devotees of Rasputin.
The best part was the adventure sequence at the beginning of the novel, set in New York, the hairs really went up on the back of my neck, also the description of Ludmilla (the steam train) going into thw Carpathian region driven by the amazing Dobrev. The area invited thoughts of vampire bats and other legends including a valuable ring given to Rasputin by the tsarina. The 3 ½ billion dollar haul was a mind blowing concept – what treasure!!
An adventure bringing in, the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Lots of facts and lots of fiction – how to define which was which was the interesting part.
November 6, 2015
This book wasn't what I expected, although I don't know what I was expecting. I bought the sequel when it came out and then found out it was book two so put it down and figured I'd get the first one and then read this one. Took me a while to get this one. Thrilled I did!!
The two cops at the beginning had me thinking one of them was going to be a main character. Never been more wrong in guessing a plot line. When I met Sarah I got instant recognition of Parker form Leverage (which was one of my absolute favorite TV shows) so I expected a hashing of the Leverage team and thought, yeah this is going to be good. But these characters were not the team from Leverage. They were better. McNutt with his quirky sci-fi assassin thing going on made me laugh my heart out. The only thing with it is I struggled with the Romanian aspect even though I have a great friend in Romania who taught me alot about the native history, but still I was left a little confused. That might have just been me though.
The action in was non stop and easy to follow (even though the only weapon I recognized was the P-90 - too much SG1 there!) and the extra characters were believable and lovable especially Andrei Dobrev who was so sweet!
For my first dabble into Adventure/Thriller away from Crime and Mystery I think I made an awesome choice and am looking forward to reading the next one.
The two cops at the beginning had me thinking one of them was going to be a main character. Never been more wrong in guessing a plot line. When I met Sarah I got instant recognition of Parker form Leverage (which was one of my absolute favorite TV shows) so I expected a hashing of the Leverage team and thought, yeah this is going to be good. But these characters were not the team from Leverage. They were better. McNutt with his quirky sci-fi assassin thing going on made me laugh my heart out. The only thing with it is I struggled with the Romanian aspect even though I have a great friend in Romania who taught me alot about the native history, but still I was left a little confused. That might have just been me though.
The action in was non stop and easy to follow (even though the only weapon I recognized was the P-90 - too much SG1 there!) and the extra characters were believable and lovable especially Andrei Dobrev who was so sweet!
For my first dabble into Adventure/Thriller away from Crime and Mystery I think I made an awesome choice and am looking forward to reading the next one.
June 12, 2014
Oh my goodness, one of the best books I've read in a long time! The storyline was just ugh, near perfection not to mention that my country (Romania) is quite heavily included in this book as it talks about Queen Maria's lost treasure.
First thing first, the characters are so different and you almost feel like they are alive. McNutt or Sarah have to be my favorites. I really can't wait for the movie version of this to see these characters come to life.
Secondly, I really love the setting and the history behind this plot. I am a huge history geek and couldn't help but geek-out a bit. I love books with even the smallest bit of awesome history or even any type of history in general.
But of course there were a few draw backs of this wonderful book. Some parts were unnecessary long parts which dragged on and some were just unnecessary. I actually wished there were more action scenes and less talking (well some of it was important but some of the conversations weren't).
All in all, I really enjoyed this book and desperately need to get my hands on the second book!Totally recommend this book to any one who likes adventure/history novels.
First thing first, the characters are so different and you almost feel like they are alive. McNutt or Sarah have to be my favorites. I really can't wait for the movie version of this to see these characters come to life.
Secondly, I really love the setting and the history behind this plot. I am a huge history geek and couldn't help but geek-out a bit. I love books with even the smallest bit of awesome history or even any type of history in general.
But of course there were a few draw backs of this wonderful book. Some parts were unnecessary long parts which dragged on and some were just unnecessary. I actually wished there were more action scenes and less talking (well some of it was important but some of the conversations weren't).
All in all, I really enjoyed this book and desperately need to get my hands on the second book!Totally recommend this book to any one who likes adventure/history novels.
August 13, 2013
I downloaded this as an audio book to pass the time whilst working-it did not disappoint. I've read a couple of his last year and found them quite a good yarn; a goodly blend of thriller, history, blood, and tongue-in-cheek action men. The Hunters, however, wasn't what I was expecting. A new crew, starting from a totally different angle, and a less historical bias. It took me a while to warm to the new crew, but wasn't sure if that was due to a slight dislike of the false accents the narrator presented? At times It was like listening to a top trumps game of arms and gadgets, which flew over my head rapidly! But, overall, it entertained, which gives it a 4, as I'm still not sure how to mark in halves!
May 13, 2016
Great action book! A group of four persons, all specialists in their field, are put together as a team to find a long lost treasure. Of course, they are not the only ones searching, and much action ensues. We learn a little of the hunters' backgrounds and personalities, but I would have loved to discover a little more. Hopefully as the series unfolds, more and more will be revealed. I love history and this has quite a lot of historical content...If that's not your thing, then this book might not be for you. The action scenes were intense...I just wish there was a little less description of the weapons involved. It was obvious that the author has a keen interest in weaponry. All in all a solidly entertaining read for action fans.
January 13, 2013
I've always loved Chris Kunzneski's previous lead characters, Payne and Jones, so I was a little sceptical that this new series and new characters would ever live up to them, but I needn't have worried. The new team are every bit as intriguing, fun and kick ass! Could hardly put the book down. Compelling and engaging story about lost treasure, but you can never quite work out who is the 'good guy' and who the 'bad'! And the cameo appearance of a character from the Jones and Payne books just made me grin. Can't wait for the next one - Hunters or Jones and Payne - either works for me :-)
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