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DI Hunter Wilson #2
Hunter's Revenge
DI Hunter Wilson is called to the scene of a murder. He is shocked to find the victim is his friend and colleague, George Reinbold.
Who would want to harm the quiet, old man? Why was a book worth £23,000 delivered to him that morning? Why is the security in George's home so intense?
Hunter must investigate his friend’s past as well as the present to identify George’s killer.
When a new supply of cocaine from Peru floods HMP Edinburgh and the city, the courier leads Hunter to a criminal gang, but Hunter requires the help of his nemesis, the former Chief Constable, Sir Peter Myerscough, and local gangster, Ian Thomson, to make his case.
Hunter’s perseverance and patience are put to the test time after time in this taut crime thriller.
Who would want to harm the quiet, old man? Why was a book worth £23,000 delivered to him that morning? Why is the security in George's home so intense?
Hunter must investigate his friend’s past as well as the present to identify George’s killer.
When a new supply of cocaine from Peru floods HMP Edinburgh and the city, the courier leads Hunter to a criminal gang, but Hunter requires the help of his nemesis, the former Chief Constable, Sir Peter Myerscough, and local gangster, Ian Thomson, to make his case.
Hunter’s perseverance and patience are put to the test time after time in this taut crime thriller.
262 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 8, 2018
About the author
Val Penny
22 books114 followersVal Penny is an American author living in SW Scotland. She has two adult daughters of whom she is justly proud and lives with her husband and two cats.
She has a Llb from Edinburgh University and her MSc from Napier University. She has had many jobs including hairdresser, waitress, banker, azalea farmer and lecturer.
However she has not yet achieved either of her childhood dreams of being a ballerina or owning a candy store. Until those dreams come true, she has turned her hand to writing poetry, short stories and novels. Her crime novels,The DI Hunter Wilson and Jane Renwick Thrillers are published by SpellBound Books.
She has a Llb from Edinburgh University and her MSc from Napier University. She has had many jobs including hairdresser, waitress, banker, azalea farmer and lecturer.
However she has not yet achieved either of her childhood dreams of being a ballerina or owning a candy store. Until those dreams come true, she has turned her hand to writing poetry, short stories and novels. Her crime novels,The DI Hunter Wilson and Jane Renwick Thrillers are published by SpellBound Books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
September 23, 2018
5☆ A Gritty Page Turner
Hunters Revenge is the second book in the series. Having read the first book in the series I do think you need to read both books in order as you get to know the characters alot more in this one.
Hunters Revenge is literally as the title suggests.
DI Hunter is out for revenge and will stop at nothing to get what he wants.
When one of his team is murdered, he attends the murder scene but something is wrong. The evidence just don't match up!
Hunter assumes he knows his colleague George, but he is about to uncover a whole lot more as he investigates his murder, connects the dots and seeks revenge for George!
DI Hunter is a fantastic character, he is head strong, witty, Sarcastic, knows his job but is not affraid to take risks, but can be strong and comanding when needed, and at times a lil ruthless.
I really like Hunter he certainly is a memorable DI. One I would like on my side if ever I needed a DI.
Again this definitely has a cat and mouse race against the clock feel too it.
This is a pacy, action packed Crime/Thriller, Murder Mystery that will have you on the edge of your seat.
There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you on your toes, but be warned things are not always what they seem!!
I loved it! I like to be surprised and Val Penny certainly knows how to grip her readers.
Once again Val Penny has written a fantastic second book.
I didn't think the first book could get any better, but it has. I loved how we got more connection with Hunter this time round as that is exactly what I wanted, so thank you!
I really hope there is a third book in the series. I can see this series working as a short Netflix series as the plot is gritty and the characters memorable. I for one certainly would binge watch it!
There is not much left to say.... except that I highly recommend this thrilling read.
Thank you to Rachel Random Resources for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
My Review is also on my Blog Website :-
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2018/0...
Hunters Revenge is the second book in the series. Having read the first book in the series I do think you need to read both books in order as you get to know the characters alot more in this one.
Hunters Revenge is literally as the title suggests.
DI Hunter is out for revenge and will stop at nothing to get what he wants.
When one of his team is murdered, he attends the murder scene but something is wrong. The evidence just don't match up!
Hunter assumes he knows his colleague George, but he is about to uncover a whole lot more as he investigates his murder, connects the dots and seeks revenge for George!
DI Hunter is a fantastic character, he is head strong, witty, Sarcastic, knows his job but is not affraid to take risks, but can be strong and comanding when needed, and at times a lil ruthless.
I really like Hunter he certainly is a memorable DI. One I would like on my side if ever I needed a DI.
Again this definitely has a cat and mouse race against the clock feel too it.
This is a pacy, action packed Crime/Thriller, Murder Mystery that will have you on the edge of your seat.
There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you on your toes, but be warned things are not always what they seem!!
I loved it! I like to be surprised and Val Penny certainly knows how to grip her readers.
Once again Val Penny has written a fantastic second book.
I didn't think the first book could get any better, but it has. I loved how we got more connection with Hunter this time round as that is exactly what I wanted, so thank you!
I really hope there is a third book in the series. I can see this series working as a short Netflix series as the plot is gritty and the characters memorable. I for one certainly would binge watch it!
There is not much left to say.... except that I highly recommend this thrilling read.
Thank you to Rachel Random Resources for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
My Review is also on my Blog Website :-
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2018/0...
December 14, 2022
BLOG TOUR REVIEW
Review for 'Hunter's Revenge' by Val Penny.
Read and reviewed for ZooLoos Book Tours, Spellbound Books and Val Penny.
Publication date 30th November 2022.
This is the second book I have read by this author. It is also the second book in the 'DI Hunter Wilson Crime Thriller' series but can be read as a standalone. I have also read 'Hunter's Chase' which is the first book in the series and I would highly recommend it.
I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching cover and intriguing sounding synopsis and title. I also love Val's books and if this is half as good as 'Hunter's Chase' it is guaranteed to be a page turner!! It is probably one of the weirdest reasons to want to read a book but another reason I was drawn to it is because the main protagonist is called Hunter and Hunter is in the title and sons name is Hunter!! I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Spellbound Books. I have yet to read a book published by Spellbound Books that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).
This novel consists of a prologue, 46 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is based in Edinburgh, Scotland 🏴, UK 🇬🇧. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture.
This book is written in third person perspective with the main protagonist being DI Hunter Wilson. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.
This book is extremely well written with vivid descriptions that really set the scene and kept me on the edge of my seat. The cover and synopsis suited the storyline perfectly.
WOW!! Yet another absolutely explosive addition to one of the best series I have ever read!!! I was absolutely gobsmacked from the mind blowing beginning to the very end!!
What another absolutely addictive page turner by the extremely talented Val!! I did not think this series could get any better than the first book which I absolutely loved but Val does it again!! This book is an absolutely fantastic and explosive addition to an addictive series!! I was completely sucked into the pages from start to finish and was gutted when it came to an end! The storyline is multi-layered and absolutely ram packed with mystery, deceit, murder, secrets, lies, romance, tension and suspense. I love the fact that although this is a crime thriller there is some light hearted moments throughout which had me laughing out loud on several occasions!! I also enjoyed the fact that there wasnt just the main storyline but plenty of other events going on to absolutely grip the readers attention. I enjoyed looking into the lives of several of the characters. I must admit I was not surprised when the killer was revealed in 'Hunter's Chase' but for the first time ever I gave a book when I wasn't shocked by the killer a 5/5. This time I genuinely could not work it out and was completely wrong with who I thought it may have been so a HUGE WELL DONE Val as it is get to harder and harder to shock me but you definitely managed that in this book. I really enjoyed the setting of this book and I cannot wait until the next book in this absolutely fantastic series to be released!! I would LOVE to see these books made into movies!!
DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT READING THIS UNTIL YOU HAVE CLEARED YOUR SCHEDULES AS YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PUT IT DOWN!!!
Although this is the second book in the series I had would have had absolutely no problems reading it without the others. Any details or events that have previously happened are mentioned in just the right amount of detail to let a new reader know what has happened and yet not too much to bore a previous reader.
I wasn't just 100% invested in the storyline but also in the characters. Every single one of the characters were well defined, realistic and strong. I will admit when I read the first book in this series 'Hunter's Chase' I was confused with the amount of characters for a while and even wrote our the Family tree for Jamie and Frankie 😂 but it will always be like that when starting a new series. I worked out who was who pretty quickly and I absolutely loved the majority of the characters and loved meeting them again in this amazing page turner. I really like DI Hunter Wilson and love how well he works with his team. Hunter is down to Earth, has a good sense of humour and is a great team player. I have enjoyed watching his relationship with Dr Meera Sharm develop and I'm looking forward to seeing it continue in the next book! I'm not a huge fan of DCI Mackay but I find that he is a good boss. I love DC Tim Myerscough and find him to be a lovely character who makes an absolutely fantastic addition to this team. I loved Sergeant Jane Renwick and Rachael who were partners out of work which I thought was sweet especially how well they seemed to get on in work. It was lovely to see them getting married as they make one of the sweetest couples. They both had great personalities and kick butt attitudes. I love seeing strong females in books and Jane, Rachael and Meena definitely ticked those boxes. Another team member was DC Winston Zewedu (Bear) who I absolutely adored and thought was a great team player and friend, especially to Tim. Two of the characters who were not part of the team but were big parts of the storyline in this book and 'Hunter's Chase' were Jamie and Frankie. Jamie had me in stitches on so many occasions I lost count. I absolutely LOVED his attitude and although he was on the wrong side of the law I really hope we get to meet him again. My heart went out to Frankie who was Jamie's cousin as he seemed to be dealt all the worse things in life and everything he went through was heartbreaking. I cannot wait to meet most of these characters again and am looking forward to the next book in this fantastic series.
A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Val on another fantastic addition to an absolutely addictive series!!! I cannot wait to see what Hunter and his team get up to next! This is why you are on my favourite author list Val and here's to your next explosive success 🥂!!!
Overall another explosive addition to an addictive series and an absolutely action packed page turner that will keep you hooked until you've finished!!!
Genres covered in this book include Crime Thriller, Mystery, Thriller , Suspense, Crime Fiction, Police Procedural, Scottish Crime, Noir Crime, British Detective Stories, Fiction and Thriller amongst others.
292 pages.
This book is just 99p to purchase on kindle and free on kindle unlimited via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews
#HuntersRevenge #ValeriePenny #DIHunterWilson #SpellboundBooks #SpellBoundBks #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour #ZooLoosBookTours
@HuntersRevenge @DIHunterWilson @ValeriePenny @Bookworm86 @bookworm1986 @ZooLoosBT @SpellBoundBks @SpellboundBooks @Goodreads @Netgalley
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https://m.facebook.com/Bookworm1986/?...
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Review for 'Hunter's Revenge' by Val Penny.
Read and reviewed for ZooLoos Book Tours, Spellbound Books and Val Penny.
Publication date 30th November 2022.
This is the second book I have read by this author. It is also the second book in the 'DI Hunter Wilson Crime Thriller' series but can be read as a standalone. I have also read 'Hunter's Chase' which is the first book in the series and I would highly recommend it.
I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching cover and intriguing sounding synopsis and title. I also love Val's books and if this is half as good as 'Hunter's Chase' it is guaranteed to be a page turner!! It is probably one of the weirdest reasons to want to read a book but another reason I was drawn to it is because the main protagonist is called Hunter and Hunter is in the title and sons name is Hunter!! I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Spellbound Books. I have yet to read a book published by Spellbound Books that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).
This novel consists of a prologue, 46 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is based in Edinburgh, Scotland 🏴, UK 🇬🇧. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture.
This book is written in third person perspective with the main protagonist being DI Hunter Wilson. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.
This book is extremely well written with vivid descriptions that really set the scene and kept me on the edge of my seat. The cover and synopsis suited the storyline perfectly.
WOW!! Yet another absolutely explosive addition to one of the best series I have ever read!!! I was absolutely gobsmacked from the mind blowing beginning to the very end!!
What another absolutely addictive page turner by the extremely talented Val!! I did not think this series could get any better than the first book which I absolutely loved but Val does it again!! This book is an absolutely fantastic and explosive addition to an addictive series!! I was completely sucked into the pages from start to finish and was gutted when it came to an end! The storyline is multi-layered and absolutely ram packed with mystery, deceit, murder, secrets, lies, romance, tension and suspense. I love the fact that although this is a crime thriller there is some light hearted moments throughout which had me laughing out loud on several occasions!! I also enjoyed the fact that there wasnt just the main storyline but plenty of other events going on to absolutely grip the readers attention. I enjoyed looking into the lives of several of the characters. I must admit I was not surprised when the killer was revealed in 'Hunter's Chase' but for the first time ever I gave a book when I wasn't shocked by the killer a 5/5. This time I genuinely could not work it out and was completely wrong with who I thought it may have been so a HUGE WELL DONE Val as it is get to harder and harder to shock me but you definitely managed that in this book. I really enjoyed the setting of this book and I cannot wait until the next book in this absolutely fantastic series to be released!! I would LOVE to see these books made into movies!!
DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT READING THIS UNTIL YOU HAVE CLEARED YOUR SCHEDULES AS YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PUT IT DOWN!!!
Although this is the second book in the series I had would have had absolutely no problems reading it without the others. Any details or events that have previously happened are mentioned in just the right amount of detail to let a new reader know what has happened and yet not too much to bore a previous reader.
I wasn't just 100% invested in the storyline but also in the characters. Every single one of the characters were well defined, realistic and strong. I will admit when I read the first book in this series 'Hunter's Chase' I was confused with the amount of characters for a while and even wrote our the Family tree for Jamie and Frankie 😂 but it will always be like that when starting a new series. I worked out who was who pretty quickly and I absolutely loved the majority of the characters and loved meeting them again in this amazing page turner. I really like DI Hunter Wilson and love how well he works with his team. Hunter is down to Earth, has a good sense of humour and is a great team player. I have enjoyed watching his relationship with Dr Meera Sharm develop and I'm looking forward to seeing it continue in the next book! I'm not a huge fan of DCI Mackay but I find that he is a good boss. I love DC Tim Myerscough and find him to be a lovely character who makes an absolutely fantastic addition to this team. I loved Sergeant Jane Renwick and Rachael who were partners out of work which I thought was sweet especially how well they seemed to get on in work. It was lovely to see them getting married as they make one of the sweetest couples. They both had great personalities and kick butt attitudes. I love seeing strong females in books and Jane, Rachael and Meena definitely ticked those boxes. Another team member was DC Winston Zewedu (Bear) who I absolutely adored and thought was a great team player and friend, especially to Tim. Two of the characters who were not part of the team but were big parts of the storyline in this book and 'Hunter's Chase' were Jamie and Frankie. Jamie had me in stitches on so many occasions I lost count. I absolutely LOVED his attitude and although he was on the wrong side of the law I really hope we get to meet him again. My heart went out to Frankie who was Jamie's cousin as he seemed to be dealt all the worse things in life and everything he went through was heartbreaking. I cannot wait to meet most of these characters again and am looking forward to the next book in this fantastic series.
A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Val on another fantastic addition to an absolutely addictive series!!! I cannot wait to see what Hunter and his team get up to next! This is why you are on my favourite author list Val and here's to your next explosive success 🥂!!!
Overall another explosive addition to an addictive series and an absolutely action packed page turner that will keep you hooked until you've finished!!!
Genres covered in this book include Crime Thriller, Mystery, Thriller , Suspense, Crime Fiction, Police Procedural, Scottish Crime, Noir Crime, British Detective Stories, Fiction and Thriller amongst others.
292 pages.
This book is just 99p to purchase on kindle and free on kindle unlimited via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews
#HuntersRevenge #ValeriePenny #DIHunterWilson #SpellboundBooks #SpellBoundBks #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour #ZooLoosBookTours
@HuntersRevenge @DIHunterWilson @ValeriePenny @Bookworm86 @bookworm1986 @ZooLoosBT @SpellBoundBks @SpellboundBooks @Goodreads @Netgalley
https://kcmw86.wixsite.com/bookworm86
https://m.facebook.com/Bookworm1986/?...
https://m.facebook.com/Bookwork86/?__...
https://www.instagram.com/bookwormwhi...
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/3...
https://mobile.twitter.com/kcmw86
September 11, 2018
My Review Hunter's Revenge
(Edinburgh Crime Mysteries #2)
by Val Penny
#Thewar #TheGermans! #Booksdrugs and more!
The Good
What a magnificent start to this book. I loved it. Makes you want to read and read.
The Bad
Although I read and read and enjoyed the book, the start and the murder and the German was the best for me. After that, I enjoyed it and loved Edinburgh but somehow I wanted a more powerful read. I am not sure of powerful is the right word.. but I loved the war theme and the wit in the epilogue to run the whole way through the book.
The Ugly
Strong characters, that I enjoyed and got to know with the first book, but I wanted a bigger thriller mystery than there was...
3.5 Stars - I read this as part of a Blog Tour
(Edinburgh Crime Mysteries #2)
by Val Penny
#Thewar #TheGermans! #Booksdrugs and more!
The Good
What a magnificent start to this book. I loved it. Makes you want to read and read.
The Bad
Although I read and read and enjoyed the book, the start and the murder and the German was the best for me. After that, I enjoyed it and loved Edinburgh but somehow I wanted a more powerful read. I am not sure of powerful is the right word.. but I loved the war theme and the wit in the epilogue to run the whole way through the book.
The Ugly
Strong characters, that I enjoyed and got to know with the first book, but I wanted a bigger thriller mystery than there was...
3.5 Stars - I read this as part of a Blog Tour
August 21, 2019
Gritty, reminds me of Ian Rankin’s writing.
This is not a stand alone book. I would recommend reading the first book, Hunter’s Chase.
Love the characters and will definitely read Hunter’s Force, the third in the series.
Anything Edinburgh tugs at my heart...
“She hasn’t been seen by the numpties she works with since 5o’clock!”
This is not a stand alone book. I would recommend reading the first book, Hunter’s Chase.
Love the characters and will definitely read Hunter’s Force, the third in the series.
Anything Edinburgh tugs at my heart...
“She hasn’t been seen by the numpties she works with since 5o’clock!”
September 2, 2018
A riveting read which fully lives up to its stylish cover. I found it sharp, witty and impossible to put down. Having read Hunter's Chase I was expecting to enjoy this book but I actually preferred it to the first one. The opening is particularly strong and the author does a great job pulling together different strands of the story. It was good to get to know DI Hunter Wilson a bit better in this one and to also be reacquainted with some other characters from the first book. I'd like to watch this as a TV series
December 13, 2022
Firstly, let me make it clear that though this is the second in a series, you can read it as a stand-alone - though I have read “Hunter’s Chase” and appreciated the way this book developed characters and plot lines. In particular, I was very happy to see young Frankie making such a good job of looking after his twins. I have noticed that young people are complex and often sympathetic characters in this series, not one-sided thugs or criminals-in-waiting. I hope Frankie’s GP does something about the acne though…that poor lad needs a break.
The star of the book is a composite - Hunter and his team. In their interactions and conversation an almost physical setting is built up, a place where where the reader is welcome and at home. Hunter himself is a loner, the calm heart of the whirlwind, while his team cheerfully and competently restore faith in the police with their intelligence and dedication. It is a pleasure to see a group of people who get on so well working together, with no sign of drug or alcohol abuse to be seen! That said, they don’t all have easy lives, but like most people they get on with stuff with no angsty set pieces designed to ram home that they have problem relations or come from difficult backgrounds. This realism is one factor that drives the narrative, the other being the dialogue, which is witty and energetic, like Hunter’s team.
Light-hearted touches pepper the book but don’t destroy the essentially serious nature of the job being done by these relatable people. Having said that, I loved the way that the preparations for a wedding inevitably led to a useful suspect sighting or similar.
Edinburgh herself is drawn beautifully. A good sign for me is if I have to pull up a map as I read so I can trace a character’s journey, and following Hunter on a walk through Dean Village convinced me that I need to visit soon!
The great move to a single force, Police Scotland, is coming up in the next book and I suspect several of my favourites will no longer be working in Hunter’s team. Several members of team are considering their options, and I am curious to see who replaces them and with what effect.
To sum up - a more than competent police procedural with a likeable cast of characters, that will leave the reader wanting the next in the series immediately!
The star of the book is a composite - Hunter and his team. In their interactions and conversation an almost physical setting is built up, a place where where the reader is welcome and at home. Hunter himself is a loner, the calm heart of the whirlwind, while his team cheerfully and competently restore faith in the police with their intelligence and dedication. It is a pleasure to see a group of people who get on so well working together, with no sign of drug or alcohol abuse to be seen! That said, they don’t all have easy lives, but like most people they get on with stuff with no angsty set pieces designed to ram home that they have problem relations or come from difficult backgrounds. This realism is one factor that drives the narrative, the other being the dialogue, which is witty and energetic, like Hunter’s team.
Light-hearted touches pepper the book but don’t destroy the essentially serious nature of the job being done by these relatable people. Having said that, I loved the way that the preparations for a wedding inevitably led to a useful suspect sighting or similar.
Edinburgh herself is drawn beautifully. A good sign for me is if I have to pull up a map as I read so I can trace a character’s journey, and following Hunter on a walk through Dean Village convinced me that I need to visit soon!
The great move to a single force, Police Scotland, is coming up in the next book and I suspect several of my favourites will no longer be working in Hunter’s team. Several members of team are considering their options, and I am curious to see who replaces them and with what effect.
To sum up - a more than competent police procedural with a likeable cast of characters, that will leave the reader wanting the next in the series immediately!
April 8, 2021
Fast becoming a favourite crime read.
It was good to get reacquainted with the squad again, with this 2nd book in the Edinburgh Crime Mysteries. This time they’re after the murderer of one of their friends and colleagues. With another murder and cocaine thrown into the equation, this is a great, fast paced crime thriller that keeps the reader guessing right through to the end. DI Hunter Wilson leads his squad with the authority needed, together with a touch of grit and hardness, but also with empathy and compassion, and this time it’s personal as the victim is a good friend of all.
From the first book, Hunter’s Chase, to this clever read, you can see how this group has grown. As individuals, and also as a close knit investigative squad. Each has different backgrounds, bringing their own touch to the investigations, thus allowing the squad to function at its best.
The murderers and drug traffickers are as one would expect, a nasty lot, and it takes the wonderful writing of the author to cleverly weave the story together to create a brilliant and believable read.
Five ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars for another gritty Scottish crime thriller.
It was good to get reacquainted with the squad again, with this 2nd book in the Edinburgh Crime Mysteries. This time they’re after the murderer of one of their friends and colleagues. With another murder and cocaine thrown into the equation, this is a great, fast paced crime thriller that keeps the reader guessing right through to the end. DI Hunter Wilson leads his squad with the authority needed, together with a touch of grit and hardness, but also with empathy and compassion, and this time it’s personal as the victim is a good friend of all.
From the first book, Hunter’s Chase, to this clever read, you can see how this group has grown. As individuals, and also as a close knit investigative squad. Each has different backgrounds, bringing their own touch to the investigations, thus allowing the squad to function at its best.
The murderers and drug traffickers are as one would expect, a nasty lot, and it takes the wonderful writing of the author to cleverly weave the story together to create a brilliant and believable read.
Five ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars for another gritty Scottish crime thriller.
December 13, 2022
I received an advance review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you @valeriepenny and @ZooloosBT for my #giftedbook!
I am still in love with this new series set in Scotland. It's a unique crime thriller set against the backdrop of drug lords and their relationship with the authorities.
You know you have a winner when book two is even better than book one. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this book. Like the first, this book is fast-paced and filled with drama from multiple sources.
This book has so many twists and turns, it kept me on my toes and wanting more. Full of suspense and suspicious characters, I literally could not put this one down. I had to know what was going to happen and whether my suspicions were correct.
As in the first book, The cast of characters are brilliantly written and realistic. I love their depth and can't wait to see how they develop as the series evolves. I highly recommend and will be anxiously awaiting book 3!
I am still in love with this new series set in Scotland. It's a unique crime thriller set against the backdrop of drug lords and their relationship with the authorities.
You know you have a winner when book two is even better than book one. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this book. Like the first, this book is fast-paced and filled with drama from multiple sources.
This book has so many twists and turns, it kept me on my toes and wanting more. Full of suspense and suspicious characters, I literally could not put this one down. I had to know what was going to happen and whether my suspicions were correct.
As in the first book, The cast of characters are brilliantly written and realistic. I love their depth and can't wait to see how they develop as the series evolves. I highly recommend and will be anxiously awaiting book 3!
August 6, 2026
Val Penny is fantastic with her plots and twists, and she creates books that can be read as standalones while also building such depth of character as you read the series. You really get to know individuals, and each book layers another bit of intel about each character.
This story brings us back to Hunter and a murder case (well, obvs, Ritu, the title tells us that!) But this case is a bit different in that the victim is known to most of the police force dealing with it.
The backstory of the victim is well written at the beginning, and then how things progress, how characters with history emerge, and how they are involved in an intricate web of deceit, drug trafficking, and murder comes to light.
There are also light moments with certain characters, and a romance thread that it is good to get little updates on, but ultimately, a great story. It kept me hooked!
This story brings us back to Hunter and a murder case (well, obvs, Ritu, the title tells us that!) But this case is a bit different in that the victim is known to most of the police force dealing with it.
The backstory of the victim is well written at the beginning, and then how things progress, how characters with history emerge, and how they are involved in an intricate web of deceit, drug trafficking, and murder comes to light.
There are also light moments with certain characters, and a romance thread that it is good to get little updates on, but ultimately, a great story. It kept me hooked!
December 6, 2022
Fast-paced, thrilling, and deeply satisfying: Hunter’s Revenge skilfully moves from East Berlin in 1968 to modern day Edinburgh, when the murder of his mild-mannered forensic manager forces DI Hunter Wilson to dig deep into the man’s unsuspected past …
Val Penny has created one of those series that go from strength to strength. The characters are captivating, and the plot has enough twists and turns to keep it unpredictable without ever venturing into the unbelievable. Scottish crime writing at its best.
Val Penny has created one of those series that go from strength to strength. The characters are captivating, and the plot has enough twists and turns to keep it unpredictable without ever venturing into the unbelievable. Scottish crime writing at its best.
May 20, 2020
A mystery starting with the gruesome murder of a friend and ending with drugs smuggling. It was a thrilling read and the characters especially were particularly perfect for the plot.
September 9, 2018
HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY VAL!!!!
So here we are! Book 2 in the Hunter series! If I was you, please check out the first book in the series before reading this one!
The author has not disappointed second time around if anything the series has got stronger. We get to know more about DI Hunter Wilson, well I loved him even more in this book!
This time around, Hunter is out for Revenge! No, literally he is out for revenge! The title says so! His friend is murdered! Why? Why the security? Why all the books? Well, they messed with the wrong guy!
I was sucked right in from the start, eager to pick up with Hunter and like the last book, we had twists and turns to keep me going, turning page after page until it was the last page! It was also great to pick up with the team again and the forthcoming nuptials.
We have the main plotline of investigating George’s murder and visiting the past, East Germany to be exact. But you have multiple subplots crisscrossing through the pages and it is not long until it is merged into one plot.
There is so much more to this book, but I can’t tell you everything, I want you to read the book with nothing to be spoiled for you.
I have noticed a lot of comments that this book would be suitable for TV, I completely agree! I for one would watch this if it did get created. It is a riveting read, just think what it would be like on the big screen!
God, I need a third book!
So here we are! Book 2 in the Hunter series! If I was you, please check out the first book in the series before reading this one!
The author has not disappointed second time around if anything the series has got stronger. We get to know more about DI Hunter Wilson, well I loved him even more in this book!
This time around, Hunter is out for Revenge! No, literally he is out for revenge! The title says so! His friend is murdered! Why? Why the security? Why all the books? Well, they messed with the wrong guy!
I was sucked right in from the start, eager to pick up with Hunter and like the last book, we had twists and turns to keep me going, turning page after page until it was the last page! It was also great to pick up with the team again and the forthcoming nuptials.
We have the main plotline of investigating George’s murder and visiting the past, East Germany to be exact. But you have multiple subplots crisscrossing through the pages and it is not long until it is merged into one plot.
There is so much more to this book, but I can’t tell you everything, I want you to read the book with nothing to be spoiled for you.
I have noticed a lot of comments that this book would be suitable for TV, I completely agree! I for one would watch this if it did get created. It is a riveting read, just think what it would be like on the big screen!
God, I need a third book!
September 17, 2018
*I received a free copy of this book with thanks to the author and Rachel Gilbey at Rachel’s Random Resources blog tours. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
Hunter’s Revenge is the second in Val Penny’s gripping crime series featuring DI Hunter Wilson.
Hunter’s Revenge is a classic police procedural crime novel, set in contemporary Scotland. It is the second in the ‘Edinburgh Crime Mysteries’ series, but having not read the first I can confirm that it works just as well as a stand-alone book. The author updates the reader on some of the back story of the characters and previous plot as the story progresses, seeding the information sparsely so as not to slow the action.
There are two intertwining cases here that the team of detectives, led by DI Hunter Wilson, are investigating; that of the murder of one of their own, and the seemingly peripheral drug dealings of local petty (and not so petty) criminals.
I loved that the story line doesn’t just focus on Hunter, but incorporates all of the individual members (and couples!) in his team, really bringing the large number of characters to life and giving us sneak peaks into their private lives as well as their investigatory techniques.
I was a little bit disappointed that all of the suspects were clearly either already ‘wrong ‘uns’ or associated with the various criminals in a way that pointed to the reader that there was more to them than you might otherwise suspect. I felt that this lowered the stakes somewhat as it mattered less to me which particular lowlife did the murder as I didn’t like any of them… as long as at least one of them got taken down I was going to be satisfied!
Hunter’s ‘revenge’ from the title was mentioned on a few occasions and I found it just a little confusing, as Hunter makes it clear from the start that he is after a clean investigation, arrest, trial and sentence process, which seems less like ‘revenge’ to me and more like ‘justice’. If a newspaper headline read ‘Police take revenge on cop-killer’ my first assumption would be very different from them arresting the suspect with all due legal process! However, there is plenty of motive for revenge when it comes to the murder plot, with suspects queuing up to take out that nice, elderly book-collector with the highly suspect past.
I did note a few occasions where the characters seemed to be struck down with CSI-itis (you know, where Greg and Sarah suddenly start explaining to each other how blood drops work?) and explained things to each other that they really should have already known, in order to further the plot or inform the reader. This made the dialogue a little stilted in places, where otherwise it flowed naturally. Similarly, it seemed highly coincidental that every pub or shop the police team visited seemed to yield further clues relevant to their case! However these writerly ruses did serve to keep the reader in the loop with what was quite a complex investigation, and kept the plot ticking along at a brisk pace.
Overall Hunter’s Revenge is an intricately crafted insight into police detection with an intriguing plot and an appealing team of investigators. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good, solid crime read.
People had told him that he should move, that this modest flat was not suitable for a man of his standing. But George had never planned to move, certainly not now. He was safe here. Safer than he had ever been in the German Democratic Republic, the land of his birth. He was safer than he had ever been when he knew his neighbours and they knew him. Then, they could inform on him, whether the information was true or not. He was safer than he had ever been when he escaped from his family’s humble home, without looking back. He had crossed to Europe to find refuge in Scotland; nobody would look for him here. But, even here, he was not safe enough.
– Val Penny, Hunter’s Revenge
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
Hunter’s Revenge is the second in Val Penny’s gripping crime series featuring DI Hunter Wilson.
Hunter’s Revenge is a classic police procedural crime novel, set in contemporary Scotland. It is the second in the ‘Edinburgh Crime Mysteries’ series, but having not read the first I can confirm that it works just as well as a stand-alone book. The author updates the reader on some of the back story of the characters and previous plot as the story progresses, seeding the information sparsely so as not to slow the action.
There are two intertwining cases here that the team of detectives, led by DI Hunter Wilson, are investigating; that of the murder of one of their own, and the seemingly peripheral drug dealings of local petty (and not so petty) criminals.
I loved that the story line doesn’t just focus on Hunter, but incorporates all of the individual members (and couples!) in his team, really bringing the large number of characters to life and giving us sneak peaks into their private lives as well as their investigatory techniques.
I was a little bit disappointed that all of the suspects were clearly either already ‘wrong ‘uns’ or associated with the various criminals in a way that pointed to the reader that there was more to them than you might otherwise suspect. I felt that this lowered the stakes somewhat as it mattered less to me which particular lowlife did the murder as I didn’t like any of them… as long as at least one of them got taken down I was going to be satisfied!
Hunter’s ‘revenge’ from the title was mentioned on a few occasions and I found it just a little confusing, as Hunter makes it clear from the start that he is after a clean investigation, arrest, trial and sentence process, which seems less like ‘revenge’ to me and more like ‘justice’. If a newspaper headline read ‘Police take revenge on cop-killer’ my first assumption would be very different from them arresting the suspect with all due legal process! However, there is plenty of motive for revenge when it comes to the murder plot, with suspects queuing up to take out that nice, elderly book-collector with the highly suspect past.
I did note a few occasions where the characters seemed to be struck down with CSI-itis (you know, where Greg and Sarah suddenly start explaining to each other how blood drops work?) and explained things to each other that they really should have already known, in order to further the plot or inform the reader. This made the dialogue a little stilted in places, where otherwise it flowed naturally. Similarly, it seemed highly coincidental that every pub or shop the police team visited seemed to yield further clues relevant to their case! However these writerly ruses did serve to keep the reader in the loop with what was quite a complex investigation, and kept the plot ticking along at a brisk pace.
Overall Hunter’s Revenge is an intricately crafted insight into police detection with an intriguing plot and an appealing team of investigators. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good, solid crime read.
People had told him that he should move, that this modest flat was not suitable for a man of his standing. But George had never planned to move, certainly not now. He was safe here. Safer than he had ever been in the German Democratic Republic, the land of his birth. He was safer than he had ever been when he knew his neighbours and they knew him. Then, they could inform on him, whether the information was true or not. He was safer than he had ever been when he escaped from his family’s humble home, without looking back. He had crossed to Europe to find refuge in Scotland; nobody would look for him here. But, even here, he was not safe enough.
– Val Penny, Hunter’s Revenge
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
August 15, 2026
Here’s my review for Murder In Gilmerton by Val Penny
I absolutely loved reading this intriguing, addictive Scottish crime mystery set in Edinburgh where DI Hunter Wilson and DC Tim Myerscough set out to investigate who murdered their old CSI colleague George Reinbold. The whole team is working the case as it seems George was shot as he opened the door expecting a delivery of a first edition signed children’s book which was worth a lot of money like all the books in his flat. His flat had bomb-blast curtains and reinforced front and back doors. Plus there was a Cold War pistol under his bed. A blue car was seen outside the block of flats, on the road. That same day, a young girl is reported missing by her mother and she works for Thomson luxury cars. She took someone for a test drive the night before in a blue Volvo car and hasn't turned up this morning. Could the two be connected? DI Wilson doesn't like coincidences.
This was a brilliantly written crime thriller mystery that I really enjoyed reading and I just couldn’t put down. I loved the way the author succulently revealed each clue and person of interest who had a shady past or in the wrong place. The characters are interesting, well thought out, well described and work well together. The story is superbly plotted and extremely well thought out. The scene is well set. The descriptive writing was superb and everything was described in great detail. I could visualise the story playing out in my mind in colour as I was reading it through and it brought added depth to the descriptiviness of the story. I'm loving this series and the chance to read it. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
Synopsis :
‘A thrilling series begins — and beneath the action lies a tragedy that cuts deep.’ Caro Ramsay
Behind Edinburgh’s genteel facade, a killer is settling an old score . . .
An elderly man is shot dead on his own doorstep in the leafy suburb of Gilmerton.
One bullet. Point-blank range. A professional hit on a harmless old man who lived a simple life collecting rare books.
Detective Hunter Wilson knows the victim. George Reinbold was once head of Crime Scene Investigations. He’s one of their own.
What Hunter can’t understand is why George’s modest flat is fortified with reinforced doors, bomb-blast curtains and a Cold War pistol under the bed.
That same morning, a young woman vanishes from a luxury car showroom. No struggle. No witnesses. Just a discarded coat and a missing blue Volvo.
Two cases. One killer?
In a city where everyone guards their secrets, the past has come knocking.
Detective Hunter Wilson must catch a murderer who has waited a lifetime to strike.
For fans of Ian Rankin, Caro Ramsay, Val McDermid, J.D. Kirk and Marion Todd.
Please note this book was previously published as Hunter’s Revenge.
MEET THE DETECTIVE:
Hunter Wilson is ‘a son of the manse’ as they say in Scotland. He has inherited his church minister father’s strong Scottish work ethic, and his deep sense of right and wrong. He is divorced from the mother of his two children, and lives in a two-bedroomed flat in Leith, a modest Edinburgh suburb. He rarely sees his daughter, Alison, who lives with her husband and two children in the Shetland Islands. His son, Cameron, is a troubled young man who has given Hunter cause for concern over the years. Hunter is secretly in love with Dr Meera Sharma, the local pathologist. Their heavy work schedules means their tentative relationship is fraught with difficulties.
THE SETTING
Edinburgh is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Tourists flock to admire its historic castle, elegant Georgian terraces, smoky pubs and ancient closes. But beneath the picture-postcard beauty lies a darker side, where murder can hide in plain sight.
I absolutely loved reading this intriguing, addictive Scottish crime mystery set in Edinburgh where DI Hunter Wilson and DC Tim Myerscough set out to investigate who murdered their old CSI colleague George Reinbold. The whole team is working the case as it seems George was shot as he opened the door expecting a delivery of a first edition signed children’s book which was worth a lot of money like all the books in his flat. His flat had bomb-blast curtains and reinforced front and back doors. Plus there was a Cold War pistol under his bed. A blue car was seen outside the block of flats, on the road. That same day, a young girl is reported missing by her mother and she works for Thomson luxury cars. She took someone for a test drive the night before in a blue Volvo car and hasn't turned up this morning. Could the two be connected? DI Wilson doesn't like coincidences.
This was a brilliantly written crime thriller mystery that I really enjoyed reading and I just couldn’t put down. I loved the way the author succulently revealed each clue and person of interest who had a shady past or in the wrong place. The characters are interesting, well thought out, well described and work well together. The story is superbly plotted and extremely well thought out. The scene is well set. The descriptive writing was superb and everything was described in great detail. I could visualise the story playing out in my mind in colour as I was reading it through and it brought added depth to the descriptiviness of the story. I'm loving this series and the chance to read it. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
Synopsis :
‘A thrilling series begins — and beneath the action lies a tragedy that cuts deep.’ Caro Ramsay
Behind Edinburgh’s genteel facade, a killer is settling an old score . . .
An elderly man is shot dead on his own doorstep in the leafy suburb of Gilmerton.
One bullet. Point-blank range. A professional hit on a harmless old man who lived a simple life collecting rare books.
Detective Hunter Wilson knows the victim. George Reinbold was once head of Crime Scene Investigations. He’s one of their own.
What Hunter can’t understand is why George’s modest flat is fortified with reinforced doors, bomb-blast curtains and a Cold War pistol under the bed.
That same morning, a young woman vanishes from a luxury car showroom. No struggle. No witnesses. Just a discarded coat and a missing blue Volvo.
Two cases. One killer?
In a city where everyone guards their secrets, the past has come knocking.
Detective Hunter Wilson must catch a murderer who has waited a lifetime to strike.
For fans of Ian Rankin, Caro Ramsay, Val McDermid, J.D. Kirk and Marion Todd.
Please note this book was previously published as Hunter’s Revenge.
MEET THE DETECTIVE:
Hunter Wilson is ‘a son of the manse’ as they say in Scotland. He has inherited his church minister father’s strong Scottish work ethic, and his deep sense of right and wrong. He is divorced from the mother of his two children, and lives in a two-bedroomed flat in Leith, a modest Edinburgh suburb. He rarely sees his daughter, Alison, who lives with her husband and two children in the Shetland Islands. His son, Cameron, is a troubled young man who has given Hunter cause for concern over the years. Hunter is secretly in love with Dr Meera Sharma, the local pathologist. Their heavy work schedules means their tentative relationship is fraught with difficulties.
THE SETTING
Edinburgh is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Tourists flock to admire its historic castle, elegant Georgian terraces, smoky pubs and ancient closes. But beneath the picture-postcard beauty lies a darker side, where murder can hide in plain sight.
September 10, 2018
This book started out really promisingly with the dramatic murder of a senior member of the Pathology department, so the murder is one that the police take personally and are determined to solve, so the whole team throw all of their efforts at it.
Everyone is back from the first book and, although it isn’t necessary to enjoy the book, I think the reader would benefit from having read the first book and having the back stories of the main characters so they can fully immerse themselves in the story. Val does include a lot of the characters’ personal live and activities outside of work in the stories as part of the plot so understanding who they are, who they have relationships with and why they are in the places they are in helps to unravel everything. I enjoy this aspect of the books, as it makes the police very human, but it is done to an unusual degree in these books so it can take some getting used to for fans of other authors who include less personal lives for their police officers.
There are also lots of links back to the plot from the first book, so having read that will make sense of why Tim’s father is in prison, along with some other important characters in the book, and why certain civilians are so closely connected with the police. Some of this could be a bit confusing to a reader coming to this book cold, although there is a certain amount of explanation to help you along.
Another of the great strengths of the book are the beautiful descriptions of Edinburgh that are included. There is a particular part where DI Hunter is walking through the city and describing his route, which I really enjoyed. As someone who is inordinately fond of Edinburgh, I think Val really does a wonderful job of making the city almost like another character in the books and really making it an integral part of the plot.
As the book went on, the plot got very convoluted and required a lot of explanation. This is a book that relies less on really dramatic events, and more on deduction, interviews and police discussing the case to move the plot along. It is not particularly gritty, and some of the interactions between the police are actually very light and amusing. There were also a couple of points where things that happened to move the plot along felt a bit too coincidental and convenient to me. None of this is necessarily a negative, just something for readers to be aware of when they pick up the book, as I think the cover could make the book seem a lot darker than the plot actually is.
A couple of small criticisms I did have were, a times the dialogue was a little unconvincing and sounded more like the author was using it to get necessary details in, rather than have people talking in a way that is natural. This was not a persistent problem, just in a couple of places but it did grate a little. The other issue was, at the end when all the suspects were in custody and the interviews were being conducted to conclude the plot, I just got lost and I am not sure I even got the sense of how the police had drawn the conclusion that the ultimate murderer was guilty. It was just a tiny bit too complicated.
This aside, I did enjoy the book, it was a good read and there is plenty to enjoy, especially learning more about the characters and how their stories are developing and how things have moved on from the first book. From the clues dropped here, it looks like there are some big changes afoot for the force in the next book and look forward to seeing what is in store for them going forward.
Everyone is back from the first book and, although it isn’t necessary to enjoy the book, I think the reader would benefit from having read the first book and having the back stories of the main characters so they can fully immerse themselves in the story. Val does include a lot of the characters’ personal live and activities outside of work in the stories as part of the plot so understanding who they are, who they have relationships with and why they are in the places they are in helps to unravel everything. I enjoy this aspect of the books, as it makes the police very human, but it is done to an unusual degree in these books so it can take some getting used to for fans of other authors who include less personal lives for their police officers.
There are also lots of links back to the plot from the first book, so having read that will make sense of why Tim’s father is in prison, along with some other important characters in the book, and why certain civilians are so closely connected with the police. Some of this could be a bit confusing to a reader coming to this book cold, although there is a certain amount of explanation to help you along.
Another of the great strengths of the book are the beautiful descriptions of Edinburgh that are included. There is a particular part where DI Hunter is walking through the city and describing his route, which I really enjoyed. As someone who is inordinately fond of Edinburgh, I think Val really does a wonderful job of making the city almost like another character in the books and really making it an integral part of the plot.
As the book went on, the plot got very convoluted and required a lot of explanation. This is a book that relies less on really dramatic events, and more on deduction, interviews and police discussing the case to move the plot along. It is not particularly gritty, and some of the interactions between the police are actually very light and amusing. There were also a couple of points where things that happened to move the plot along felt a bit too coincidental and convenient to me. None of this is necessarily a negative, just something for readers to be aware of when they pick up the book, as I think the cover could make the book seem a lot darker than the plot actually is.
A couple of small criticisms I did have were, a times the dialogue was a little unconvincing and sounded more like the author was using it to get necessary details in, rather than have people talking in a way that is natural. This was not a persistent problem, just in a couple of places but it did grate a little. The other issue was, at the end when all the suspects were in custody and the interviews were being conducted to conclude the plot, I just got lost and I am not sure I even got the sense of how the police had drawn the conclusion that the ultimate murderer was guilty. It was just a tiny bit too complicated.
This aside, I did enjoy the book, it was a good read and there is plenty to enjoy, especially learning more about the characters and how their stories are developing and how things have moved on from the first book. From the clues dropped here, it looks like there are some big changes afoot for the force in the next book and look forward to seeing what is in store for them going forward.
September 11, 2018
This is a multi-layered story that kept me interested until the end.
When the book began I had not read the previous novel which meant at times I was confused as to what had happened before. If I had read “Hunter’s Chase” would I have known who the victim was at the beginning of the novel?
I liked the two characters of Dc Tim Myerscough and DI Hunter Wilson.
I liked Tim because he was still being a police officer and working in the same area where his dad the former Chief Constable Sir Peter Myerscough had been sent down. In the story, you could also tell how much Tim cared for people the way he was willing to splash cash around if it helped others. For example, putting money behind the bar at the wedding and offering to pay for extra police officers to watch over Jamie and his kids. In a way, it felt like at times he was trying to make amends for what his dad had done wrong.
The other characters were all well thought out and likeable. Though at times I felt confused as to who was who due to the use of nicknames. They all seem to be in a relationship with each other as well which also added to the confusion. At times it felt like if the character was single take Tim, for example, he had to end up with someone in the story. DI Hunter was even in a relationship with someone in the pathology department which also confused me due to the way he spoke about his family at the beginning of the novel. I guess I automatically assumed he was still with his wife. Which added to the confusion of why was he suddenly in bed with a colleague.
There is a same-sex relationship in this novel, and I liked how the author didn’t go out of her way to show this, they were just written about exactly the same as the other character’s. They were just your normal everyday character’s who happened to be getting married.
This isn’t a fast-paced crime novel which I am used to, you get to learn about all the character’s and you are part of almost every police interview that’s in the novel. There was no skating over that such and such interviewed someone and this was the result. Though at times I did find this frustrating! I kind of felt that was probably due to the types of novels I am used to.
The be all and end all is that I REALLY liked the novel and enjoyed the story and will be certainly looking out for more from this author in the future.
When the book began I had not read the previous novel which meant at times I was confused as to what had happened before. If I had read “Hunter’s Chase” would I have known who the victim was at the beginning of the novel?
I liked the two characters of Dc Tim Myerscough and DI Hunter Wilson.
I liked Tim because he was still being a police officer and working in the same area where his dad the former Chief Constable Sir Peter Myerscough had been sent down. In the story, you could also tell how much Tim cared for people the way he was willing to splash cash around if it helped others. For example, putting money behind the bar at the wedding and offering to pay for extra police officers to watch over Jamie and his kids. In a way, it felt like at times he was trying to make amends for what his dad had done wrong.
The other characters were all well thought out and likeable. Though at times I felt confused as to who was who due to the use of nicknames. They all seem to be in a relationship with each other as well which also added to the confusion. At times it felt like if the character was single take Tim, for example, he had to end up with someone in the story. DI Hunter was even in a relationship with someone in the pathology department which also confused me due to the way he spoke about his family at the beginning of the novel. I guess I automatically assumed he was still with his wife. Which added to the confusion of why was he suddenly in bed with a colleague.
There is a same-sex relationship in this novel, and I liked how the author didn’t go out of her way to show this, they were just written about exactly the same as the other character’s. They were just your normal everyday character’s who happened to be getting married.
This isn’t a fast-paced crime novel which I am used to, you get to learn about all the character’s and you are part of almost every police interview that’s in the novel. There was no skating over that such and such interviewed someone and this was the result. Though at times I did find this frustrating! I kind of felt that was probably due to the types of novels I am used to.
The be all and end all is that I REALLY liked the novel and enjoyed the story and will be certainly looking out for more from this author in the future.
December 9, 2022
This month I’ve been privileged to read a pre-release copy of Hunter’s Revenge. I can tell you straight up — this second of Val Penny’s sizzling Hunter Wilson crime thrillers more than delivers.
Here’s a snippet from the beginning to whet your appetite:
Hunter’s Revenge Blurb
“Hunter by name – Hunter by nature.
Detective Inspector Hunter Wilson is a loyal friend and a fair leader. He is called to the scene of a murder in Edinburgh where the corpse has been fatally shot. He is dismayed to find the victim is his friend and colleague, George Reinbold. Hunter must investigate Reinbold’s murky past in Germany to identify George’s killer.At the same time, Hunter is tasked with looking into a previously undetected criminal gang supplying drugs from Peru. There seems to be no connection between the murder and the drug supply until Hunter unexpectedly secures help from inmates of the local jail.
Hunter’s investigations are hampered by distracted members of his team and unobservant witnesses.
Reinbold was not the quiet, old man Hunter believed him to be and his killer bore their grudge for a lifetime.”
The action just keeps on heating up, all the way through to the terrific twist at the end — no spoilers here! I loved the carrying over of so many great characters from the first Hunter Wilson mystery, including people from beyond the police station. If you’ve read Hunter’s Chase, you’ll know about Sir Peter Myerscough, who is still being detained at Her Majesty’s Pleasure (as it was then). Expect him back with a pivotal and delightful role to play in the new book, despite the restrictions of being in prison.
It’s touches like that that make Val’s stories such a pleasure. Plus finding out the magnificence of Hunter’s full name. And having a ringside seat at the Edinburgh wedding of the year.
In brief, Hunter’s Revenge is pacy, absorbing, with plenty of twists and clues to puzzle out. And a cast of great developing characters I sincerely hope we’re going to meet again in the next book.
Bravo, Val!
Hunter’s Revenge is published by SpellBound, and on sale from St Andrew’s Day, 30th November.
Here’s a snippet from the beginning to whet your appetite:
Hunter’s Revenge Blurb
“Hunter by name – Hunter by nature.
Detective Inspector Hunter Wilson is a loyal friend and a fair leader. He is called to the scene of a murder in Edinburgh where the corpse has been fatally shot. He is dismayed to find the victim is his friend and colleague, George Reinbold. Hunter must investigate Reinbold’s murky past in Germany to identify George’s killer.At the same time, Hunter is tasked with looking into a previously undetected criminal gang supplying drugs from Peru. There seems to be no connection between the murder and the drug supply until Hunter unexpectedly secures help from inmates of the local jail.
Hunter’s investigations are hampered by distracted members of his team and unobservant witnesses.
Reinbold was not the quiet, old man Hunter believed him to be and his killer bore their grudge for a lifetime.”
The action just keeps on heating up, all the way through to the terrific twist at the end — no spoilers here! I loved the carrying over of so many great characters from the first Hunter Wilson mystery, including people from beyond the police station. If you’ve read Hunter’s Chase, you’ll know about Sir Peter Myerscough, who is still being detained at Her Majesty’s Pleasure (as it was then). Expect him back with a pivotal and delightful role to play in the new book, despite the restrictions of being in prison.
It’s touches like that that make Val’s stories such a pleasure. Plus finding out the magnificence of Hunter’s full name. And having a ringside seat at the Edinburgh wedding of the year.
In brief, Hunter’s Revenge is pacy, absorbing, with plenty of twists and clues to puzzle out. And a cast of great developing characters I sincerely hope we’re going to meet again in the next book.
Bravo, Val!
Hunter’s Revenge is published by SpellBound, and on sale from St Andrew’s Day, 30th November.
December 13, 2022
In 1968 a teenager called George Reinbold accidently killed Stasi officer Hans Merkel and had to flee East Germany, leaving his family to be tortured and murdered. Now 2013, he has lived in fear in Edinburgh for many years, working as the Head of Crime Scene Investigations for the police and collecting rare valuable first edition books. Based at Fettes Station in Edinburgh, DI Hunter Wilson and his team of DS Jane Renwick and DCs Colin Reid, Winston Zewedu (Bear), Mel Grant, Tim Myerscough, Rachael Anderson and newest addition Nadia Chan are called to the scene of what can only be descried as an execution, an almost point-blank bullet to George’s brain. A blue car has been spotted at the scene. Is it coincidence that a blue Volvo has been left and then stolen from Thompson’s Top Cars which is now being run by cousins Jamie and Frankie while Jamie’s Dad Ian Thompson is in prison, and is later found burnt out, with links to a drug smuggling route from Peru. Jamie’s mother’s new boyfriend Lenny The Lizard Pratt and his henchman Big Brian Squires have threatened the lads and word is that Lenny is over from Spain for a job. Add to the mix that Hans’ son, a renowned art expert, is staying at the same hotel as Lenny where George’s nephew is the new manager and Thompson’s former manager Arjun Mansoor, also now in prison, seems to be popping up everywhere. With no one appearing to tell the whole truth, it looks like Hunter and his team have a really tangled web of cases to solve.
This is a clever and complex plot with absolutely loads happening, and lots of different characters appearing, all with their own stories to tell which get neatly woven together as the book unfolds. Hunter and his detectives are all great characters and really work well as a team as well as being close and loyal friends. Thoroughly enjoyable and I am looking forward to meeting them again in book 3. 5*
This is a clever and complex plot with absolutely loads happening, and lots of different characters appearing, all with their own stories to tell which get neatly woven together as the book unfolds. Hunter and his detectives are all great characters and really work well as a team as well as being close and loyal friends. Thoroughly enjoyable and I am looking forward to meeting them again in book 3. 5*
September 6, 2018
DI Hunter Wilson, of the Edinburgh police force, iis called to the home of crime scene investigator George Reinbold, who has been murdered. He was shot in the forehead once, and killed instantly, to be found not long after by a young woman delivering a package he'd ordered.
He quickly finds that George had unusually strong security for his home, which is only partly explained by insurance requirements for the valuable collection of first edition children's books his friends and colleagues also didn't know he had. Investigating George's murder is going to mean investigating George, both his present, and his past, in East Germany, which he left when he was eighteen.
Meanwhile, there's also a new supply of high-quality cocaine coming into Scotland from Peru, and the two cases don't remain separate for long. A dealer in high-end cars, now in jail for bank robbery, the drug dealer who used the car dealer's business as a distribution point, and the corrupt former head of the Edinburgh police force and father of Hunter's second, are all locked up in the same prison. This proves useful.
Two of them have some motive to cooperate, if approached the right way.
It's a tangled and fascinating case, and yet meanwhile, life goes on. DCs Jane and Rachel are getting married. Hunter is worried about his son, Cameron, who has checked himself out of rehab and taken a job that seems a little too convenient. DC Meyerscough, son of the corrupt former Chief Constable who is now in prison, is unhappy about reminders of his father, and sees no point in being rich if he can't use some of that money to quietly make the lives around him a little easier.
And I haven't even touched on how tangled the relationships among various people connected to the case(s) are.
It's a compelling, absorbing story, with excellent, well-developed characters.
Recommended.
I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher and am reviewing it voluntarily.
He quickly finds that George had unusually strong security for his home, which is only partly explained by insurance requirements for the valuable collection of first edition children's books his friends and colleagues also didn't know he had. Investigating George's murder is going to mean investigating George, both his present, and his past, in East Germany, which he left when he was eighteen.
Meanwhile, there's also a new supply of high-quality cocaine coming into Scotland from Peru, and the two cases don't remain separate for long. A dealer in high-end cars, now in jail for bank robbery, the drug dealer who used the car dealer's business as a distribution point, and the corrupt former head of the Edinburgh police force and father of Hunter's second, are all locked up in the same prison. This proves useful.
Two of them have some motive to cooperate, if approached the right way.
It's a tangled and fascinating case, and yet meanwhile, life goes on. DCs Jane and Rachel are getting married. Hunter is worried about his son, Cameron, who has checked himself out of rehab and taken a job that seems a little too convenient. DC Meyerscough, son of the corrupt former Chief Constable who is now in prison, is unhappy about reminders of his father, and sees no point in being rich if he can't use some of that money to quietly make the lives around him a little easier.
And I haven't even touched on how tangled the relationships among various people connected to the case(s) are.
It's a compelling, absorbing story, with excellent, well-developed characters.
Recommended.
I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher and am reviewing it voluntarily.
September 15, 2018
There's nothing simple and straightforward about this crime thriller; a murder, a missing person and an influx of drugs mean that DI Hunter Wilson and his team have plenty to keep them busy!
With the cold-blooded murder of forensic manager George Reinbold, Hunter's team have to deal with an investigation closer to home than they would like. With the additional pressure of a missing persons report and the discovery of a flourishing drug trade in the local prison, they really have their work cut out.
Hunter divides up the work across everyone in the team. This is a close knit group of colleagues whose working life merges into their personal relationships, due very much to the nature of the job. A new member of the team fits in seamlessly and they all get their heads down and deal with whatever task they are given. The waters are fairly muddy in this one, and things get a lot more confusing before any clarity appears. With several story lines intertwined, I didn't see the solution until it was dangled on the page in front of me.
This is a cracking read, complex and original and with lots of details about the city of Edinburgh. I appreciated that the personal lives of the detecting team are a part of this book but not to the detriment of the investigation. Exceptionally well plotted and skilfully written, this is one to keep your wits about you. I raced through it and loved everything about it. My only criticism would be that it gives spoilers for the preceding book in the series, so I won't go back and read it now. However, that doesn't take away from this being a gripping read and one I fully recommend.
My thanks to Rachel's Random Resources, both for my copy and for including me on this blog tour. This is my honest, original and unbiased review.
With the cold-blooded murder of forensic manager George Reinbold, Hunter's team have to deal with an investigation closer to home than they would like. With the additional pressure of a missing persons report and the discovery of a flourishing drug trade in the local prison, they really have their work cut out.
Hunter divides up the work across everyone in the team. This is a close knit group of colleagues whose working life merges into their personal relationships, due very much to the nature of the job. A new member of the team fits in seamlessly and they all get their heads down and deal with whatever task they are given. The waters are fairly muddy in this one, and things get a lot more confusing before any clarity appears. With several story lines intertwined, I didn't see the solution until it was dangled on the page in front of me.
This is a cracking read, complex and original and with lots of details about the city of Edinburgh. I appreciated that the personal lives of the detecting team are a part of this book but not to the detriment of the investigation. Exceptionally well plotted and skilfully written, this is one to keep your wits about you. I raced through it and loved everything about it. My only criticism would be that it gives spoilers for the preceding book in the series, so I won't go back and read it now. However, that doesn't take away from this being a gripping read and one I fully recommend.
My thanks to Rachel's Random Resources, both for my copy and for including me on this blog tour. This is my honest, original and unbiased review.
September 19, 2018
DI Hunter is rocked when one of his team is murdered in his house. But when he gets to George’s house things don’t add up. Why is there so much security even if he has a collection of books? Did anyone really know George? It’s clear that Hunter is going to put his killer behind bars but he is going to have to learn more about George and his past to do so.
At the same time there is an increase of drugs from Peru. Hunter is going to have to visit someone from his past to find out more about this drug dealer. But there is more happening than just new drugs. But the question is how is it related to George’s death?
This is my first book from author Val Penny and I was worried that I might be lost since it was the second book in the series. No worries, I’m sure if I had read the first I might get more of the connection between the team but I had no problem following along. This is a great story with lots of threads running throughout it and the further you go the more you find they are all connected and NOT in the way you might have thought.
Nothing is what it seems and you will be kept on the edge of your seat trying to figure out how it connects. I loved how each of the team’s personal lives helped make them more real without bogging down the overall story. They all worked well together and were there to solve the murder. But I have to say that the title is a little misleading. No one was out for Revenge, Hunter wanted to bring the killer to justice.
Overall this is a great story and one that I recommend checking out. As for me, I’m going to go back and catch up with Hunter’s Chase.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
At the same time there is an increase of drugs from Peru. Hunter is going to have to visit someone from his past to find out more about this drug dealer. But there is more happening than just new drugs. But the question is how is it related to George’s death?
This is my first book from author Val Penny and I was worried that I might be lost since it was the second book in the series. No worries, I’m sure if I had read the first I might get more of the connection between the team but I had no problem following along. This is a great story with lots of threads running throughout it and the further you go the more you find they are all connected and NOT in the way you might have thought.
Nothing is what it seems and you will be kept on the edge of your seat trying to figure out how it connects. I loved how each of the team’s personal lives helped make them more real without bogging down the overall story. They all worked well together and were there to solve the murder. But I have to say that the title is a little misleading. No one was out for Revenge, Hunter wanted to bring the killer to justice.
Overall this is a great story and one that I recommend checking out. As for me, I’m going to go back and catch up with Hunter’s Chase.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
October 1, 2018
Hunter’s Revenge is the second in The Edinburgh Crime Mysteries series and follows on from the events depicted in the first book: Hunter’s Chase. I came to Hunter’s Revenge without having first read Hunter’s Chase and I did feel that I would have benefited from reading the first book before tackling Hunter’s Revenge. While the author does explain the key details that a new reader will need to know to follow the friendships and dynamics, there were a few instances where I felt I had missed something or that I was reading a spoiler from the earlier book.
But that should not detract from the fun to be had with Hunter’s Revenge. A colleague of DI Hunter Wilson has been gunned down in his own home. The killer escaped undetected but the clinical efficiency which they displayed when committing the murder suggests a professional hit.
The background of the dead man is something of a mystery to the police, despite their long association with him and some digging into his past will be required. Readers get a head-start in this regard as the prologue takes us back to Eastern Europe some decades ago and a tragic accident which will define a life and end more than one.
This is a complex multi-layered tale and we get more to ponder than a single murder. Drugs are causing unwelcome problems in Edinburgh prison and the police will need to use all resource available to try to stem the influx of the produce.
The dynamic between the characters was pleasing and there was a good level of dark humour on display – something I find important in my Scottish crime fiction!
Good reading in Hunter’s Revenge and I enjoyed the time I spent with this one.
But that should not detract from the fun to be had with Hunter’s Revenge. A colleague of DI Hunter Wilson has been gunned down in his own home. The killer escaped undetected but the clinical efficiency which they displayed when committing the murder suggests a professional hit.
The background of the dead man is something of a mystery to the police, despite their long association with him and some digging into his past will be required. Readers get a head-start in this regard as the prologue takes us back to Eastern Europe some decades ago and a tragic accident which will define a life and end more than one.
This is a complex multi-layered tale and we get more to ponder than a single murder. Drugs are causing unwelcome problems in Edinburgh prison and the police will need to use all resource available to try to stem the influx of the produce.
The dynamic between the characters was pleasing and there was a good level of dark humour on display – something I find important in my Scottish crime fiction!
Good reading in Hunter’s Revenge and I enjoyed the time I spent with this one.
November 30, 2022
Detective Inspector Hunter Wilson and his team are at the start of a murder investigation. Every murder case brings sorrow and horror; but that is even more the case when the victim is a work colleague. It would appear that quiet, unassuming George Reinbold has a hidden past. A past that the reader learns about right from the start of the book, but which Hunter and co need to uncover in order to solve the murder and bring the culprit to justice. At the same time, Hunter is dealing with a new source of drugs coming into the city.
The back story to Reinbold’s death makes this seem a much more wide-ranging book than the first in the series, even though most of the action still takes place within Edinburgh, a city that Val Penny knows well and uses to great effect as the setting for her novels. The continuing development of Hunter’s character is enjoyable as is that of friends Tim and Bear. The upcoming nuptials between Jane and Rachael provides light relief and question marks about whether their somewhat explosive relationship will survive (but we will have to wait for more in the series to find the answer to that particular question.). Once again, there is an element of light relief provided by cousins Frankie and Jamie, the hapless petty criminals. And the unexpected turn of events involving two very different members of the local prison community was a delightful outcome. As usual, there were lots of red herrings and, although the suspects were rather more obvious this time around, I did not work it all out before the answer was revealed. Another very enjoyable read from Val Penny. I look forward to reading more about DI Hunter Wilson
The back story to Reinbold’s death makes this seem a much more wide-ranging book than the first in the series, even though most of the action still takes place within Edinburgh, a city that Val Penny knows well and uses to great effect as the setting for her novels. The continuing development of Hunter’s character is enjoyable as is that of friends Tim and Bear. The upcoming nuptials between Jane and Rachael provides light relief and question marks about whether their somewhat explosive relationship will survive (but we will have to wait for more in the series to find the answer to that particular question.). Once again, there is an element of light relief provided by cousins Frankie and Jamie, the hapless petty criminals. And the unexpected turn of events involving two very different members of the local prison community was a delightful outcome. As usual, there were lots of red herrings and, although the suspects were rather more obvious this time around, I did not work it all out before the answer was revealed. Another very enjoyable read from Val Penny. I look forward to reading more about DI Hunter Wilson
December 9, 2022
The story starts off in Germany during the 2nd World War. Eighteen-year-old George Reinbold gets drunk one evening and does the unthinkable. It was supposed to be a prank, but it went terrifyingly wrong. The repercussions were huge and horrendous and he was forced to flee, never to return or see his family again. Until now.
Because George was not the quiet old man his colleagues believed him to be. His past has followed him to Edinburgh – you can tell by the security he had installed in his flat that he was worried about something. Rightly so, because when DI Hunter Wilson is called to investigate a murder, he realises the victim is none other than his friend George Reinbold. George had been shot in the head at point blank range – he never stood a chance.
But who would do such a thing? Someone from his past who blamed him for what happened after he fled his homeland, or someone he helped incarcerate during his career. And how is any of it linked to the drugs that are coming into the country from darkest Peru? And no, it’s not Paddington bringing them in under his hat with the marmalade sandwiches, but every time Peru was mentioned I did a little titter.
We will be reunited with Hunter’s colleagues such as Tim ‘young Myerscough’, whose father Sir Peter was sent to prison in book one, other members of the team including Jane, Rachael, Mel and ‘Bear’, pathologist Meera, plus a few new ones.
We also meet up again with Jamie Thompson, our hapless burglar from Hunter’s Chase, his cousin Frankie, whose girlfriend was killed, leaving him with twins and no sign of his acne improving (the descriptions of zit-popping are just as graphic and revolting as before), and Jamie’s father Ian, also incarcerated at Her Majesty’s pleasure (will it be ‘His’ in the next book), in the same prison as Sir Peter.
We also have some new villains and an interlinked plot which comes together satisfyingly at the end. Plenty of twists, plenty of banter and some dark humour as before. A great series!
Many thanks to @zooloo2008 for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.
Because George was not the quiet old man his colleagues believed him to be. His past has followed him to Edinburgh – you can tell by the security he had installed in his flat that he was worried about something. Rightly so, because when DI Hunter Wilson is called to investigate a murder, he realises the victim is none other than his friend George Reinbold. George had been shot in the head at point blank range – he never stood a chance.
But who would do such a thing? Someone from his past who blamed him for what happened after he fled his homeland, or someone he helped incarcerate during his career. And how is any of it linked to the drugs that are coming into the country from darkest Peru? And no, it’s not Paddington bringing them in under his hat with the marmalade sandwiches, but every time Peru was mentioned I did a little titter.
We will be reunited with Hunter’s colleagues such as Tim ‘young Myerscough’, whose father Sir Peter was sent to prison in book one, other members of the team including Jane, Rachael, Mel and ‘Bear’, pathologist Meera, plus a few new ones.
We also meet up again with Jamie Thompson, our hapless burglar from Hunter’s Chase, his cousin Frankie, whose girlfriend was killed, leaving him with twins and no sign of his acne improving (the descriptions of zit-popping are just as graphic and revolting as before), and Jamie’s father Ian, also incarcerated at Her Majesty’s pleasure (will it be ‘His’ in the next book), in the same prison as Sir Peter.
We also have some new villains and an interlinked plot which comes together satisfyingly at the end. Plenty of twists, plenty of banter and some dark humour as before. A great series!
Many thanks to @zooloo2008 for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.
September 9, 2018
This is the first book I have read by the author Val Penny and I wasn’t disappointed. Although this is the second book in the Hunter series, it certainly works as a stand alone and it was easy to connect all the relationships. I shall be definitely be reading the first book Hunter’s Chase now too.
The close knit detective team are rocked when one of their own is shot dead in his own home. Although he had worked closely with the team it soon becomes evident that the team didn’t know him as well as they thought they had.
Hunter feels responsible for not protecting a friend and the book follows as he and the team unearth his life secrets. They find that any number of people wanted the elderly man dead but was it something from his past or present that resulted in his death. There is also a new source of cocaine flooding the city, can Hunter find the dealers and how is this linked to his friends death?
The book introduces lots of different characters and some that appeared in the first book, but they are all explained clearly so there is no confusion to the reader at all.
The author, Val Penny has created a very believable and likable ‘family’ of detectives, all with their own trials and tribulations, who all come together to make a successful force. I could easily see the Hunter series being made into a television series. I read it in less than a day and recommend it as a fast paced, detective novel.
The close knit detective team are rocked when one of their own is shot dead in his own home. Although he had worked closely with the team it soon becomes evident that the team didn’t know him as well as they thought they had.
Hunter feels responsible for not protecting a friend and the book follows as he and the team unearth his life secrets. They find that any number of people wanted the elderly man dead but was it something from his past or present that resulted in his death. There is also a new source of cocaine flooding the city, can Hunter find the dealers and how is this linked to his friends death?
The book introduces lots of different characters and some that appeared in the first book, but they are all explained clearly so there is no confusion to the reader at all.
The author, Val Penny has created a very believable and likable ‘family’ of detectives, all with their own trials and tribulations, who all come together to make a successful force. I could easily see the Hunter series being made into a television series. I read it in less than a day and recommend it as a fast paced, detective novel.
November 12, 2018
“The last thing Georg did on his eighteenth birthday was kill a man.” Author Val Penny grabbed my attention with that killer of an opening line and kept the action going throughout this fast-paced crime mystery set in Scotland. Move ahead 45 years and the tables were turned on George Reinbold — he had made himself a new life in Edinburgh as the head of crime scene investigations after fleeing East Germany. But now he’s the victim.
DI Hunter Wilson and his crack team of detectives have the difficult challenge of solving the murder of someone who was a friend and colleague. This is personal. But as the investigation unfolds, they find out he had a rather mysterious private life.
Of course, for Hunter’s team, there isn’t the luxury of tackling one crime at a time. That is the situation here as two cases, George’s death and the supply of cocaine flooding the city, intersect.
Val Penny has created a great cast of characters, good and bad. My favorites are the complex Hunter, a serious and determined man of principle (glad he got a bit of romance in this one), and the generous DC Tim Myerscough, who I will say has a most complicated father-son relationship.
This is the second book in the Edinburgh Crime Mysteries Series. I read the first and recommend you do, too, although this book stands on its own. I look forward to the next case Hunter and his team tackle.
DI Hunter Wilson and his crack team of detectives have the difficult challenge of solving the murder of someone who was a friend and colleague. This is personal. But as the investigation unfolds, they find out he had a rather mysterious private life.
Of course, for Hunter’s team, there isn’t the luxury of tackling one crime at a time. That is the situation here as two cases, George’s death and the supply of cocaine flooding the city, intersect.
Val Penny has created a great cast of characters, good and bad. My favorites are the complex Hunter, a serious and determined man of principle (glad he got a bit of romance in this one), and the generous DC Tim Myerscough, who I will say has a most complicated father-son relationship.
This is the second book in the Edinburgh Crime Mysteries Series. I read the first and recommend you do, too, although this book stands on its own. I look forward to the next case Hunter and his team tackle.
December 4, 2022
Another gritty police procedural from author Val Penny.
Beginning in a freezing winter in East Germany in 1968, the story catapults you forward to spring in Edinburgh in 2013. George Reinbold is a collector of books - children's books, but his past is a far cry from the innocence that exists between the pages of those stories. When his body is found by an unsuspecting delivery agent, Hunter Wilson and his team - Myerscough and Renwick - are on the case immediataly. But this time it's personal - the body is that of a colleague from the Crime Scene Investigation unit.
And thus begins a fast-paced, page-turning murder case that keeps you guessing right to the very end. As book 2 in the series we find out more about the central characters and the city of Edinbrugh, once again, plays its own unassuming role as the backdrop for the action. A brilliant read that I had great difficulty putting down. An easy and flowing narrative voice and characters that are engaging and believable. An excellent follow-up to the first book.
Beginning in a freezing winter in East Germany in 1968, the story catapults you forward to spring in Edinburgh in 2013. George Reinbold is a collector of books - children's books, but his past is a far cry from the innocence that exists between the pages of those stories. When his body is found by an unsuspecting delivery agent, Hunter Wilson and his team - Myerscough and Renwick - are on the case immediataly. But this time it's personal - the body is that of a colleague from the Crime Scene Investigation unit.
And thus begins a fast-paced, page-turning murder case that keeps you guessing right to the very end. As book 2 in the series we find out more about the central characters and the city of Edinbrugh, once again, plays its own unassuming role as the backdrop for the action. A brilliant read that I had great difficulty putting down. An easy and flowing narrative voice and characters that are engaging and believable. An excellent follow-up to the first book.
September 11, 2018
You know you’re reading a fantastic series when the second book is even stronger than the first book. Val Penny does not disappoint this time around.
I love the interweaving relationships among the people connected to the case. I was instantly absorbed into this plot and was hungry to find out more all the way through. The twists and turns are strong, and Val Penny is certainly very talented when it comes to connecting the drama and suspense with a little bit of humor to create a fascinating murder mystery that I wasn’t able to guess from the beginning.
Many of the reviews have mentioned that this should be a TV show and I just want to say I concur! It would be a riveting and compelling show and I would definitely watch it.
I highly recommend this book if you love mysteries that keep you on the edge of your seat and give you compelling characters to learn about and love.
*I received this book as part of a blog tour. All opinions are my own.*
I love the interweaving relationships among the people connected to the case. I was instantly absorbed into this plot and was hungry to find out more all the way through. The twists and turns are strong, and Val Penny is certainly very talented when it comes to connecting the drama and suspense with a little bit of humor to create a fascinating murder mystery that I wasn’t able to guess from the beginning.
Many of the reviews have mentioned that this should be a TV show and I just want to say I concur! It would be a riveting and compelling show and I would definitely watch it.
I highly recommend this book if you love mysteries that keep you on the edge of your seat and give you compelling characters to learn about and love.
*I received this book as part of a blog tour. All opinions are my own.*
December 7, 2022
HUNTER’S REVENGE
Another masterpiece by Val Penny, I loved this book. I never imagined I would enjoy crime fiction, so much, but what has happened is magical. I am now a detective. One of DI Hunter Wilson’s Team, totally, embroiled in the plot, searching for answers. This is a brilliant plot full of intrigue, and twists and turns. It keeps the mind engaged, longing for the truth about why a £23,000 antiquarian book was delivered to a dead man, and who is involved in smuggling cocaine into Edinburgh; you just have to keep turning those pages. The murder of a colleague and friend George Reinbold is hard for all the team to handle but Hunter is determined to solve this horrid crime. Worse, a lovely innocent girl gets caught in the drug crime and is also murdered so two difficult cases to solve. The great thing is you do not know the culprits right until the very end so lot of suspense too. I highly recommend this book. Elizabeth Beetham
Another masterpiece by Val Penny, I loved this book. I never imagined I would enjoy crime fiction, so much, but what has happened is magical. I am now a detective. One of DI Hunter Wilson’s Team, totally, embroiled in the plot, searching for answers. This is a brilliant plot full of intrigue, and twists and turns. It keeps the mind engaged, longing for the truth about why a £23,000 antiquarian book was delivered to a dead man, and who is involved in smuggling cocaine into Edinburgh; you just have to keep turning those pages. The murder of a colleague and friend George Reinbold is hard for all the team to handle but Hunter is determined to solve this horrid crime. Worse, a lovely innocent girl gets caught in the drug crime and is also murdered so two difficult cases to solve. The great thing is you do not know the culprits right until the very end so lot of suspense too. I highly recommend this book. Elizabeth Beetham
December 17, 2022
I loved the first in this series so had high hopes for the second. It certainly did not disappoint. With such an explosive start set in Germany 1968 I knew I was going to be in for a brilliant read. And then I was straight into the action with the murder of one of the police force’s own.
With Hunter and his team determined to find the killer, there’s plenty of action on every page. Each character is so well written I can imagine who would play each part in a movie or t.v. series. I loved the way many of the people from the first book, Hunter’s Chase, are in this one, and I have to admit I do have a soft spot for Jamie and Frankie. There’s also a good amount of humour throughout, especially with the discovery of Hunter’s full name.
Hunter’s Revenge is a fabulous second book and although you could possibly read it as a stand-alone, I would definitely recommend reading the first as it gives you the full sense of the different characters. Roll on book three!
With Hunter and his team determined to find the killer, there’s plenty of action on every page. Each character is so well written I can imagine who would play each part in a movie or t.v. series. I loved the way many of the people from the first book, Hunter’s Chase, are in this one, and I have to admit I do have a soft spot for Jamie and Frankie. There’s also a good amount of humour throughout, especially with the discovery of Hunter’s full name.
Hunter’s Revenge is a fabulous second book and although you could possibly read it as a stand-alone, I would definitely recommend reading the first as it gives you the full sense of the different characters. Roll on book three!
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