Hunter: When all seems lost...

by Nick J. Brown

In the business of recovering the lost, Hunter is used to odd investigations. Premier League strikers missing their scoring touch. Shadowy death cults with local links. A stray dachshund who may or may not be a fully qualified general practitioner.

So when renowned author Thornton Pyle mysteriously disappears in Manchester following a very public faux pas, there’s only one man for the job.

Following leads down streets old and new, dodging agents, aged relatives and long-coated stalkers, Hunter will need all his skills and contacts to locate the missing scribe.

But in a race to solve his Pyle problem before sales slump and careers burn, might there be those who wish Hunter to fail?

Taking the leash off the hardboiled detective story, this laugh out loud shaggy dog tale set in Salford and Manchester is a must read for fans of Bob Mortimer and Magnus Mills.

267 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 12, 2025

About the author

Nick J. Brown was born in Salford sometime between the death of Elvis Presley and the release of Never Mind the B******s, Here’s the Sex Pistols. He has worked at Royal Mail for over twenty-five years, and lives in Manchester with his partner.

Reviews

[Nicola Mostyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taking the tropes of hard boiled fiction, and transplanting them to modern day Manchester and Salford, Hunter is a hilarious, daft, clever take on the detective story, in which the titular character is besieged by bizarre and seemingly impossible cases, all of which seem to intertwine with one another. Where Philip Marlowe had whiskey and cigarettes, Hunter has knock off Irish cream and an endless supply of ginger biscuits with which to fortify himself as he attempts to wrap up his cases. There are so many brilliant lines in this novel, and a host of colourful and memorable characters and scenes. If the Big Lebowski hailed from Salford, he might have ended up like Hunter. A must read if you like your fiction, clever, daft, funny and unique!

[Juliette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a celebration of lots of things; the people and places of Salford and Manchester, the detective fiction genre, the wierdness of strangers and the joy of true friendships. Neatly and tenderly inserted is a discreet but important reflection of what good parents really are; shown through how they talk and do.
'Hunter' is funny, pacey and pleasingly circular, yet inventive. Villains and heroes, near misses and confusion make for a a highly entertaining journey around two great cities; Salford and Manchester. I loved the main character, and hope to see him again in a new adventure.

[Leila Pitchford · Rating 3 out of 5]

It has a dachshund. What more does one need?

[Alex Elliott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent book by thoroughly good bloke Nick J. Brown following on from his debut 'To Rise in the Dark'. A great bit of Manchester/Salford noir, with plenty of humor mixed in as well and a great cast of characters