O mundo foi devastado por uma praga mortal. Após anos nas força especiais, John Hunter permanece assombrado pelas lembranças violentas do seu passado. Quando sua irmã é assassinada por um vil chefe do tráfico, John toma a lei nas suas próprias mãos.
Na fuga pela sua vida e desejando um santuário, John segue para o Norte e encontra refúgio em um lugar chamado Haven... e em Lakota Grae.
Envolvido em uma luta com um grupo de fanáticos inclinado a implementar suas ideias perversas para a nova Ordem Mundial, John percebe que tem uma última guerra para lutar – e uma última chance de redenção.
Born in a village in Malaysia and delivered by underpaid midwife, and Ann, an irritable new mother (who wouldn’t be after 48 hours in labour?), X was named by a deranged grandmother with too much creativity for her own good. Once out of her pain-induced stupor, Ann decided to give her new daughter a proper middle name to avoid the risk of being put into a home later in life.
And so, she was called Linda.
Linda was an unremarkable child, save a few notable incidents, the discovery that a pot lid is not a substitute for Wonder Woman’s tiara (five stitches), four-year old don’t need to shave (no stitches but lots of toilet paper) and utility truck drivers are not necessarily qualified operators of their vehicles (seventy stitches).
At eight, Linda received religious enlightenment when she saw Star Wars at the Odeon Theatre and hence began her writing career.
For many years, the cages of various pets in the Thackeray household were littered with pages from Linda’s scribblings. Subjects usually ranged from whatever science fiction show was on television or at the movies. There was lots of Star Wars.
At 17, Linda moved to Sydney, Australia and was disappointed it was not occupied by Paul Hogan types with big knives and croc skin jackets but pot-bellied blokes with zinc cream and terry towel hats. Linda’s father (also known as that bloke who buys me stuff to piss mum off when she’s mad at him) settled in the town of Young, a community of 6000 people with no movie theatre.
Linda survived this period in the wilderness by raising kangaroos and writing original works but eventually got saddled down with the necessities of life and though she continued to write, work came first. Work, HBO, comic books and rent. It’s a kaleidoscope.
Even the kangaroos left out of boredom.
In 2014, Linda decided to start writing seriously again. Mostly because Australia’s strict gun laws make it very difficult to go postal in the workplace. Moving to Woy Woy, which is Aboriginal for ‘Big Water’, she’s dipped her toes into the Indie pool and found she needs a pedicure. Her books are labours of love and championed by her friends on Facebook.
Eventually Creativia Publishers, appalled by Linda’s inability to conduct any marketing, offered to publish her books out of sheer exasperation.
Supported by two cats named Newt and Humphrey, she spends her days trying to write novels while having unclean thoughts about Michael Fassbender and Jason Statham, sometimes together.
This was a different twist to an end-of-the world story, one that you could imagine really happening. I liked the characters. If I was present during these events, I would have wanted to be in Haven. I liked how they all worked together and had hope for a new world.
I really did enjoy this book. I do have one problem. Quit with the excuses. Geez. They are bad because they are just not nice people. Don't give me the lame excuse that they are a product of their environment, they do not have access to medication, they were bullied. Wah wah wah. Some people are just bad and we need Hunter to come in and kick butt and forget their names.
I like to read action and thriller books. When I read the blurb for Linda Thackeray’s Hunter’s Haven, I knew I had to read it. I was not disappointed!
Synopsis (from the Author): After taking revenge on a drug lord and his crew for murdering his sister, John Hunter is a wanted man. It’s 2030 and in the aftermath of the great plague, John makes his way to Haven, craving sanctuary and peace but instead runs into a rogue religious group who wants to play God even as they run rife with corruption. But they haven’t counted on meeting big bad John who’s meaner than they could ever be. And just when they think they’ve put him out of their misery, he’s resurrected from his hospital bed and hell hath no fury like a hunter scorned…who’s become a devil with a cause!
What I liked: If you are looking for gritty action, then this is a book for you. John Hunter, decorated war hero turned police officer, becomes a fugitive when he wipes out the gang responsible for his sister’s murder. He flees to Canada to start fresh in a world devastated by disease. That dystopian feel along with the enigmatic Hunter makes for a terrific read. Great characters on both the good and evil side kept the book moving along at a terrific pace. Add in the religious zealots who want to remake the world in their image, and you have all the makings of a great novel!
What I didn’t like: About the only thing I didn’t like was the sex scene was a bit graphic for me. I like my imagination to do some of the work in those situations, but there wasn’t much left for my mind to do. Other than that, what’s not to like?
Overall impression: Well-written, great pace, and great characters. I would recommend it for anyone (over 18) who enjoys a gritty look at a bleak future with just a little bit of hope thrown in for good measure! Well done, Linda Thackeray!
John Hunter signed up to protect his country. Proving his abilities on the fields of war, he was quickly recruited to special ops - where he lost himself in the inanity of killing, feeling less like a man fighting for freedom and more like a killer for hire. If it weren't for the letters from a little sister desperate to connect with a much older big brother she barely knew, John felt he would have toppled over the edge.
He comes home to join the police force, still protecting those who needed it. He couldn't be bought, and when the gang lord killed his little sister as an act of retribution, Hunter let the rule of law fall away, and rampaged wielding the sword of revenge.
And then the plague decimated the world, leaving little to run from and nowhere to run to, Hunter roamed the highways. Until he heard of a place called Haven.
This story begins with Hunter's attack on the drug lord. I was immediately drawn in. If you like your heroes hard, gritty, and realistic this is a book for your TBR shelf. The action never stops, and while the story gets dark, you never have the feeling that what you're reading was written for shock value. This author either knows a veteran or is one - I have a hard time thinking this amount of realism: in details, hardware, and emotion, was written from searching the internet.
Action packed, plots, romance (without being overbearing - just the way I like it) John Hunter reminded me of Bruce Willis, all man and ready for anything! Read it in two sittings, it kept my interest. The author has done a great job, the novel is well written. I look forward to reading mre from Linda Thackeray.
Loved loved loved the protagonist of this book. A thrill ride from the first page to the last-- this fast-paced novel ran the gamut from revenge killing, romance, self-discovery, and betrayal. Well done. I'll want to read more from this writer!
As another reviewer said, 'Hunter's Haven' was more of a combination of an action-adventure post-apocalyptic romance novel than a thriller. The author is skillful at weaving these genres together and all I can say is that it works. There's a lot of violence typical with a genre that includes gangs, roaming thugs, and organised settlements of violent predators. It can be dark and gritty, but surprisingly, it also offers love, hope, compassion, dedication to a cause, a spirit of camaraderie and brotherhood. The bad guys are evil and the good guys are determined and willing to do whatever it takes to protect the innocents and to exact retribution and revenge. (Males aren't the only heroes and villains; women also fulfill both roles and are strong characters.)
Characterisation is generally good with some characters, like the hero, being three dimensional and likeable, while others are slightly over the top and/or despicable.
This isn't a genre I would normally choose but this book was one of several that I 'bought' when they were free, quite a while ago, and I decided that it was time to see if they were worth reading. This book caught my interest right away and I very much enjoyed it. I am definitely glad I read it.
Some reviewers mentioned that characters recovered far too quickly from major injuries and serious gun shots. A few reviewers weren't happy about the one explicit see scene. Another reviewer commented that the author made a lot of mistakes about firearms. I don't know anything about guns, so that wasn't an issue for me. As for the over the top recovery, that reminded me of older adventure authors like H. Rider Haggard or Geoffrey Household. Their protagonists could take the proverbial licking and keep on ticking. Think Bruce Willis or Arnold Schwarzenegger. As for the sex scene, I can take them or leave them, but it may be a deal breaker for some people. Personally, I have never understood people who can enjoy extremely sadistic violence in movies and books but balk at a bit of nudity or consensual sex. To each his or her own, I guess.
I recommend this book for readers who like this action-adventure, genre and to readers who would like to stretch their reading wings. I believe that this is the author's first book and it shows real promise. It isn't perfect but it is thoroughly entertaining and well written.
*A Copy of this Book Was Given To Me By The Author In Exchange For An Honest Review*
Imagine the character played by Bruce Willis in the Die Hard movies. Now give that character Special Forces training and weapons skills together with a face and build most women find attractive and you have some idea of John Hunter. This work is by far the best action/adventure tale I have read in the last twelve months and I heartily recommend it. Every character, even the bad ones are believable. My only complaint, not enough to detract from the five stars is that the book could have benefited from a little more editing: there are still one or two grammar or tense errors left overlooked: you just have to ignore them (assuming you even notice) and enjoy the action- fest.
Review has been done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official. For more information regarding our reviews please visit our Fansite: www.facebook.com/NerdGirl.ng ***
Great book. Loved John Hunter. He's a man of many personalities from war hero, to cop, to mass murderer. It's a story of his redemption back into a world that has been almost destroyed and shows we all have some goodness in us while he makes his way back.