In the Name of the Father

Hunter #2

by Gerri Hill

Dallas Homicide Detectives Tori Hunter and Samantha Kennedy investigate the murder of a Catholic priest who is found naked and strangled to death. A sex scandal threatens to erupt and cover-ups are soon revealed as their only suspect is found shot dead—mere hours after the murder.

Soon details of the murder begin to surface and the secret life of a well-loved priest is exposed. Lies and deceptions unfold as the detectives work to solve the case—even as their superiors demand it be closed.

Genres: LGBT, Mystery, Lesbian, Romance, Crime, Lesbian Fiction, Lesbian Romance

238 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 22, 2007

About the author

Gerri began writing lesbian romance as a way to amuse herself while snowed in one winter in the mountains of Colorado, and hasn’t looked back. Her first published work came in 2000 with One Summer Night. Many more romances have followed, with the occasional murder mystery in the mix.
Gerri’s love of nature and of being outdoors usually makes its way into her stories as her characters often find themselves in beautiful natural settings. When she isn’t writing, Gerri and her longtime partner, Diane, can be found at their home in East Texas, where their vegetable garden, orchard, and five acres of woods keep them busy. They share their lives with an ever-changing cast of furry friends.
Her favorite pastimes include camping, hiking, birdwatching (though she insists she doesn’t wear funny hats yet!), photography, and cooking. She collects things nature offers, like an unusual pinecone, colorful rocks, or an abandoned bird feather. Dawn is her favorite time of day, the moment right before sunrise...
"I love the morning... the beginning of a brand new day. Because even things that we know are unattainable flutter within our grasp. In the early morning—at that cusp of a new day—everything is possible."

Reviews

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Forgive me father for I have skimmed.

There are two topics in books that I generally don't like reading about; 1 religion 2 politics
This book however went with option 3, religion and politics! Despite those not being my favorite subjects to read about it's not why I didn't like this book as much. It's because the mystery build up and gradual unravel from book one was missing.

This story line was quite frustrating to read. It seemed every step the main characters took was blocked by red tape. Though this made sense plot wise, it also killed the mystery aspect of the book for me. It was a constant game of stop and go only to completely unravel within 5 minutes with information that was never once hinted at throughout the book.

Of the two new characters introduced I liked Marissa the most. She's outspoken, ballsy, confident and not afraid to go toe to toe with Tori. It was a nice contrast of behavior because she gets along fine with Sam but Tori turns her into the Hulk.

Casey on the other hand initially only irritated me. At first I thought she was similar to Tori but where Tori is brash and impatient, Casey is simply cocky and arrogant. I have no idea why the author chose to write her as an obnoxious dudebro because in the end I really softened up to her character.

The one thing that made my blood boil in this book was the dyke bashing. During a conversation between Casey and Tori an off screen character in her mid 50s was described as a dyke's dyke and Casey said the following:

"Now, see, I wouldn't want people thinking you had bad taste. So I'd confess that no, it wasn't old, ugly Teresa you were having an affair with, but that cute, young Detective Kennedy." ... "And I'd confess even if I knew it would get you into all sorts of trouble because being with Teresa Fillmore would just be gross."
^ Not cool Gerri Hill, not cool!

TW: (gun) violence, homophobia, (possible) sexual assault, mentions of pedophilia and drug abuse.

[Tere · Rating 5 out of 5]

After arguing with Scribd to fix this one (was crashing the app), so happy I did! This is the second book in the Hunter series (which I messed up by listening to book 3 first; yep, idiot, why didn’t I listen in order?!!). This was a great installment with conspiracy involving church, politics, government. I mean, juicy and frustrating all around. The romance was established in book 1 but characters are shuffled around and the main in book 3 introduced. Would definitely recommend.

[Guerunche · Rating 4 out of 5]

It would be nearly impossible to top how great Hunter’s Way was - it really is one of Hill’s best. But I loved seeing the progression of Samantha and Tori’s relationship, even though that wasn’t the focus of this book. Which is probably why I didn’t like it quite as much. It was still good, and the premise was interesting, but I felt like there were a few loose ends that needed to be wrapped up that weren’t.

It’s also kind of tough listening to audiobooks back to back that were recorded years apart. I finished re-listening to Hunter’s Way and moved right into this one, which was recorded three years later. And unfortunately the voices of all the characters changed. Abby Craden was the narrator for both but it didn’t seem like she reviewed the voices she did in book one so that took a lot of getting used to.

New character Casey O’Connor was introduced - a detective from the special victims unit brought in to help Tori wrap up a case. She brought some lighter moments to an otherwise dark story and she had a little side romantic story as well - which was good because we got so little of Tori and Sam together.

Overall I liked it, just not as much as book one. I wanted a refresher to prepare for book five - Hunter’s Revenge. I’m really looking forward to that!

[pipsqueakreviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sam was finally pulled from the team because of her relationship with Tori - which is kinda sad because I really miss them working together.

Casey was introduced into this book as Tori's new colleague. She's bubbly and is a friendly character with some good working chemistry with Tori. I like her and shes really good for Tori and Sam. But its bittersweet really that she can replace Sam at work.

I love how Sikes is now a good friend rather than a bitter man.

[Frank Van Meer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the fourth Gerri Hill book I've read, and I'm going to to say it flat out: Ms Hill can't write an ending for shit.

I had to content with a missing monster and an unaccounted Hogan family member in Keepers of the Cave. There was a completely missing explanation about the ghost in Weeping Walls. And now I'm supposed to accept a completely out of character decision in this one.

Thing is, for the most parts, I really like what I am reading. The characters are great, and the cases are interesting. But then I reach the conclusion, and it all goes down the drain. I just cannot believe the decision Tori made in the end. It devaluates everything we learned about her.

[currentlyreadingbynat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abby Craden once again nails the narration! ❤️

Book two was a great follow-up to Hunter's Way. Although it wasn't as death-defying, I think that was a good thing for my anxiety 🤭😆

I loved being back with Tori and Samantha, but have to say I loved getting to know Casey and Marissa too. Marissa is such a character and I'm intrigued at whether we'll see her again.

Can't wait to read book three!

[KT · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 rounded down.

I am enjoying this series a lot! What keeps this one from a 4 star rating is mostly some outdated dialogue carrying some racist and sexist undertones. It was implied that because Juan Hidalgo is Hispanic and his family doesn't speak a lot of English, he was less intelligent and would not understand that leaving his fingerprints and DNA at a crime scene was bad... Nevertheless, I find that I'm mostly able to overlook it and chalk it up to what was considered acceptable 15 years ago. There is also quite a bit of abrupt and unmarked POV switches, which at times was definitely jarring to read.

I really admire that Gerri Hill is able to create such a compelling romance between our FMCs while keeping up a well written, fast paced murder mystery plotline. I will definitely be finishing the series.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a sequel to Hunter's Way and I think it fell a little flat. I really enjoyed the interaction between Tori and Samantha in the first book but Samantha is not in this book much. The femmes are what make a book enjoyable for me. The characters that are left to solve the case are Tori and Casey, both butch, so not really my thing.

[Statum · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was pretty weak compared to the others. It did introduce new characters and I enjoy the dynamic of Sam & Tori. It just wasn’t all that great. The crimes committed were terrible and the investigation itself got a little too complicated. I love the new character, Casey, that is introduced and I’m super excited to read the next installment about her.

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Until now my only experience with lesbian detectives came from the Kate Delafield books (which I love), and the first pages of In the Name of the Father had me doubt whether I would like this book. This was primarily because the first pages were packed with police lingo, especially abbreviations which I did not always recognize immediately. In addition there were quite a lot colloquial phrases in the first pages, and I did not think that was appropriate for a detective. It created something like a 'Tori Hunter is still in puberty' idea, and since she is definitely beyond that, it did not fit. What I found rather exaggerated was that somehow Tori and some of her colleagues have perfect gaydar, but then again somehow Gerri Hill made this fit well into the story. This 'spot the lesbian' kind of approach was not too realistic, but it served its purpose, namely to speed up some of the relationship developments that you can find in the book.
Anyways, the plot was great from the beginning, and as I read on I saw that the initial problems I had simply disappeared, and Gerri Hill's style of writing is one that let me read on. I was hooked and enjoyed the suspense and romance. Since I was a bit reluctant when I started, but Gerri Hill managed to overcome any reservations I might have had, this is definitely a 5 star story for me.

All in all, I enjoyed the book, and

[Dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hill’s written great murder mystery.
I always think I’m going to figure out who the murder is but I never see the twists coming, and I can’t get enough of the ride.
I can’t get enough of the still developing relationship between Tori and Sam. Tori is still so vulnerable and afraid of loosing Sam. Sam just keeps showing her she loves her and that she wants the rest of forever with her.
Ugh we knew the separation of Tori and Sam was going to come. I hate the way the higher ups did it though. I felt they speed up the separation to help aid in the cover up they are trying to fool the media with and to keep Tori in line.
I love Casey! She is just the friend Tori needs. I love the interactions and commentary between them. She’s there for Tori while Sam is off training for the new position. I think the two of make excellent partners. Now Casey just needs a Sam of her own.

[Celina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved everything about this book!!! But I don't like this "Casey-Marissa" thing!! I just want Tori and Sam!!! But that's ok!!! Just so amazing!!! I wish there will be more in the Hunter Series!!! I want more CJ and Paige too!!! Gerri Hill The books are just so amazing!!!

[Tory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anything by Gerri Hill is great. This book included.

[bookster · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

[Katia M. Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a relatively straightforward police procedural. I got through it in a single sitting. I enjoyed the plot, but picked up a clue and figured out who the killer was about halfway through so the reveal was not so much of a big thing for me. The reasons why were interesting though. Once again, the characters have chemistry and I enjoyed the back and forth banter of the dialogue. For such a serious topic, it was actually kind of a fun read. I suggest people read Hunter's Way before this one just so they get more of a feel for Tori and Sam's back story. I haven't read it and it didn't really affect my understanding of this book, but it would be nice to learn how they initially got together. From what I picked up in this book it sounds kind of angsty. You have to love a bit of lesbian angst.

[R T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting case but Sam was not in #2 much.

[J H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read of the second book in the Hunter series

SAPPHIC BOOK BINGO: established couple, bet or dare, not a romance, full-time writer, out of your comfort zone, possibly other categories

Tori and Sam were assigned to a new case that involved the murder of a priest found naked and strangled. Less than a day later, the groundskeeper was a suspect, but when our two detectives went to question him, he had been been murdered, too. Unknown to the department, the purpose of the rush to solve the murder by the chain of command all of the way up to the mayor was politically motivated by a well kept secret.

During the events, Tori and Sam's relationship somehow became known outside of the department, and they had to be assigned to different departments. The introduction of a new character ended up being a later blessing in disguise for Tori. Unfortunately, Sam was assigned to the Criminal Investigative Unit (CIU), which didn't make sense to me. That department's cases included crimes of a sexual nature, and she was raped in the last book, so why did she get assigned there?

Tori was assigned with Sikes, one of the other guys from the homicide department, but they had been gradually working on a friendship, so neither had issues with that new arrangement. (There were a couple of funny moments between them which was good, too.) More and more secrets were revealed, and primary suspects had changed a few times due to those revelations. The killer was finally revealed, but the involvement of an outsider with influence left me hanging, and I hope that their role will be continued in a later book.

[Merredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the name of the father is the second book in a series (trilogy?) that i didn't read the first one of, but they do enough explaining that i wasn't lost. a catholic priest is murdered and someone, the church, the mayor, everyone? wants to cover it up. lots of politics going on, making it hard for the detectives to do their jobs. it was a bit weird at the ending, were they inferring what i think they were? it doesn't seem like she would do that... anyways, good solid mystery cop story. the only weird thing was that every female in their town is a lesbian. no, it's true. here's the news reporter, and she's apparently known for trying to sleep with the detective. both the main detectives are, and the specialist hired to cover things up, and the new detective brought in... it's a bit ridiculous..even san francisco, even oakland, doesn't have such a ratio of lesbians lol. other than that, i appreciated that this was first a police mystery whose characters just happened to not be straight. too many lesbian books have to be about hey! i'm a lesbian! it's nice to see characters living normal lives (well as normal as you can get as a homicide detective) and acting just like straight people would in a similar book. i will go back and read the rest of this series, because they seem like good cops.

[Kaye · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second book in the Hunter series by Hill (2007). Starts months after the first with the death of a priest. Sam and Tori are still partners working in homicide but changes are coming. With the church involved a media specialist is brought in from Boston. Everyone from the church, Mayor's office and Chief of Police wants the story to be quickly be solved and out of the press. Casey O'Connor is brought in from special victims unit to help with the case.

My favorite character from the first book is Sam and she gets sidelined 1/3 the way through. Casey is a fun addition. A new buddy for the now happier and calmer Tori Hunter. Their banter and friendship is fun. This is mostly police work with a quick romantic hook up for Casey. I only gave it three stars as it left with one murder possibly left unanswered.

[MEC · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sequel to Hunter's Way, this one follows Sam and Tori on another case. This time there's a priest found naked and strangled in a rectory and the investigation is being hampered by politics from Police Chief, Mayor's Office and the Church.

I think I may have liked this one more than the first as it was focused more on the case and less on the burgeoning romance (now firmly established relationship) between Sam and Tori. There were a few loose ends that didn't get tied up regarding the case (and I won't put the spoilers in) but the "most shocking" part of the murder that everyone wanted to sweep under the rug was never really explained.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining follow up to Hunter's Way, my favorite thing about this book was Casey. Emotionally intelligent, funny and charismatic she was a good foil for Hunter and her childish, overblown reactions, churlish manner and poor people skills.

Abby Craden did a good job with the narration giving distinctive voices to the characters and getting the emotions in the dialogue right.

I'll look forward to listening to the third installment in the series at a future date.

[Gaelle Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gosh, I'm getting infatuated with Gerri Hill's books. I have to read someone else!! lol It's gonna be hard. She has a writing that pulls us in right away. It was nice to see Hunter and Kennedy again. And introducing Casey who I can't wait to read more about in Partners. It was a good story. I was a bit scared of the ending because of a few reviews I read but turns out I LOVED the ending. I loved it.

[Jam · Rating 4 out of 5]

love this as much as the first time around

[Jane Hinton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Skip it.

[Kay read by Gloria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adding Casey as a new MC really boosts the story. It was good to back away from the Samantha and Tori relationship which allowed me to see a new side to Tori. Casey is light and fun.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cover up & murder in the church

An action-packed, entertaining story with interesting characters & riveting plot lines. It was a very enjoyable read. I recommend this book.

[Just Read · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was conflicted between giving this book 2 stars or 3. I gave the first book 3 stars, so i just went with 3 for this one too. It's hard describing my feelings for this book. There are parts that i like better in this but parts i didn't like more than the first book.
1. There are more crime story than romance in here, which i liked. But in the end there's no resolution to the mystery, i was disappointed. And Tori was basically useless in this book, she was angry most of the time but then at the end of the book she just gave up on the case, which is so not like her. I actually like Casey better, she was more useful, or maybe i just had my expectations too high for Tori that i got disappointed.
2. I criticized Samantha in the previous book, in this book, Sam was more useful. Which i liked. Her Compassion that's been mentioned repeatedly in book one was actually useful for the case here, other than to break Tori's walls. Since Tori kept getting angry, Sam was the one to dissolve the intense atmosphere. And i liked that Sam was the one to get promoted, not Tori. Yes Tori is more skillful than Sam, but Sam feels more of a calm person, fit for the CIU. And from the previous book Sam didn't feel fit for field work, anyway. She was no where near as capable as Tori, she kept getting kidnapped, i hated it. But then again she's basically out of this book pretty soon so... I guess i wanted to see more of her.
3. I love Casey O'Connor! She's a refreshing character and i was sad thinking she might not last until the end of the book, i was glad she stuck till the end. And i liked her story with Goddart. And of course, her friendship with Tori!
4. There's no action in this book. At all. In the previous book, it's highlighted that Tori has great physical capabilities. I wanted to see more of that. But nope. In fact, none of Tori's skills were used in this book. As i said, Tori seemed useless here.

I'm giving this book 3 stars instead of 2, just because at least in this book i wasn't frustrated because i figured out the Culprit's location early. At least in this book i kept racking up my brain trying to figure out the case until the end. Well, until i got disappointed, anyway, whatever. Honestly at this point i'm not sure why i'm even considering to read book 3.

[Ari Wagner · Rating 3 out of 5]

what?

Spicy: 1/5

Did the ending go over my head? What secret is Toni keeping from Sam?

Tori and Sam have been partners for a year, and things are going great! Until the Chief decided that since they were in a physical relationship, it was time to move people around. However, it's not so bad! Sam gets a promotion, and Tori gets partnered with Sikes, who is now a good friend.

Two new characters are introduced into the series. Marissa is a publishing consultant and is working for the major and church. She is giving Ice Queen vibes, and I would like to see her character progress in book 3. There’s also Casey, who is with assault but gets partnered up with Tori during this case to help “solve” it. Politics, money, and greed are the three significant factors behind this novel.

[Dee I · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really liked the first book. With the second, I was disappointed to find such a completely different book. I felt like this book got hijacked by 2 new characters. It felt like Hill didn’t know what to do with Tori and Sam’s relationship after book 1. So she got rid of Sam, put Tori in the background and added 2 other people to take over. Well jeez, why not just end Tori and Sam’s story at the first book and start a new book with Casey and Marissa.

And what happened to Tori? No more the brash, tough leader. What happened to the exciting action? There was so much emotion for me with first book. With this one I couldn’t get into any of the characters. Compared to the first book, this was just some generic mystery.

This was my first experience reading Gerri Hill. It might be my last.

[Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into this hoping to read more about my favorite characters Tori and Sam, and their relationship. But was introduced to the two new ones. At first, I thought Casey and Marissa were there to create some tension between Tori and Sam, only to see Sam being shipped away at the beginning of the investigation.

I liked both Marissa and Casey and their interactions, but I just didn't care enough about them.

The mystery itself was fine, even though I found the whole church/politics a bit boring. The end was unexpected and I don't think we needed it unless it will be a main point of the next book.

I liked this one less than the first book, but will still recommend it if you are a fan of ‘Hunter's way’