The Soul Hunter

Day of Evil #2

by Melanie Wells

Peter Terry Returns

A knock at her door. A bloody axe. A murder weapon in her own living room. The elusive white man with the slash on his back is out hunting again, chasing souls. Peter Terry is haunting minds, invading dreams, and wrecking lives. As Dylan Foster searches for answers, she stumbles upon a dark cult of angel worship. Harking back to the days of Noah, it’s now blinding and intoxicating young people, leading them to their deaths. In this battle for souls, everything’s up for grabs, leaving Dylan grasping for strength as the battle rages around her. When at last she discovers the truth, it is far from the truth she expected.

“What does Peter Terry want with my son?”

“The same thing he wants with all of us. Peter Terry is a hunter,” I said. “He’s hunting souls.”

Dylan Foster, a psychology professor at Southern Methodist University, is preparing for a Saturday night date when she hears something at her front door. She opens the door—and a bloody ax falls into her entryway, bringing a young woman’s murder, quite literally, into Dylan's living room. Caught up in a desperate search for answers, Dylan must use her psychologist’s mind and acute spiritual radar to unearth the connections between the murdered girl; the accused murderer and convicted rapist Gordon Pryne; and Peter Terry, the elusive white man with the slash on his back.

Peter Terry is hunting again, chasing souls, haunting minds, invading dreams, and wrecking lives. As Dylan draws closer to the answer she seeks, she stumbles upon a discovery that draws her ever deeper into danger. But Dylan cannot find the truth—not until she realizes nothing is as it seems in the fight for the human soul…

Genres: Christian, Christian Fiction, Fiction, Supernatural, Thriller, Mystery, Adult

320 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2006

About the author

Melanie Wells began her writing career by telling lies on the playground. An accomplished fiddle player (she went to SMU on a music scholarship), she is the author of the critically acclaimed Dylan Foster series of psychological thrillers: When the Day of Evil Comes, The Soul Hunter, and My Soul to Keep (Waterbrook/Multnomah, a Division of Random House). Melanie holds two masters degrees and is a licensed psychotherapist and licensed marriage and family therapist. She is the founder and director of The LifeWorks Group, P.A., a collaborative, creative community of psychotherapists (www.wefixbrains.com), with offices in Dallas and Ft. Worth. She lives in Dallas with her dog, Gunner, who wishes she would not spend so much time at her computer. Fun fact: Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl Keen have both signed her fiddle case.

Reviews

[Victoria Montoya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoy Melanie Wells writing style. Dylan foster is a main character that I have grown to love even though some of her decisions are a bit hard to accept and believe as admissible or plausible. I read her first book, When the Day of Evil Comes, in one sitting and read most of The Soul Hunter in one sitting. I can't seem to put these books down once I start them. I'm looking forward to the end of the trilogy in her next book. If you're into spiritual suspense fiction, I'd recommend you read these books.

[Kyler Rigsby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this one even better than the first, and I liked the first! I’m surprised at how much I love this series.

[Ameryn Peters · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot kept me thinking and I found the information on angels, the bible etc riveting. I wish there'd been more exploration of the biblical aspects of demons.

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first time reading this author and I quite enjoyed it. When i started it I dint think I'd like it much as the main character starts talking about reading her bible and how god loves.im just not much of a godly type of reader but it picked up with the little odds and ends of facts about the supernatural and occult like affairs and I settled in to finish.come to find out out this was book 2 in a series that I'm gonna look for. It's about a woman who has a demon that pops up in her life periodically and when he dose it's a wild ride to fill in the blanks of why. In this story she finds an axe on her porch that has been recently used to kill someone. In the process of trying to find out who and why she discovers that her demon is also connected to the people involved. Each in a different way. She dose some good detective work and finds out alot . That's about all I can say with spoilers.

[Wyeth Doty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the first book in the series but honestly I think I loved this one even more! The story was so captivating, I couldn't put the book down. I totally recommend it!

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dylan Foster's life has settled into a comfortable "spiritual status quo" after her terrifying encounter with Peter Terry two summers ago. However, her comfortable routine is shockingly disrupted when trouble quite literally appears on her doorstep in the form of a bloody ax. Suddenly Dylan is the suspect in a murder investigation and must scramble to find a link, however tenuous, between herself, the killer, and the victim. On the heels of this nauseating discovery, Peter Terry once again invades her life, reminding her that the spiritual warfare his presence awakened her to is still very much a force to be reckoned with. The demon is once more on the move, hunting souls and seeking to destroy lives, and Dylan is once again thrust into the role of a reluctant warrior in a fight for survival against the darkest spiritual forces imaginable.

Soul Hunter contains all of the elements that made the preceding volume in the series such an engrossing read - fast-paced action, snappy dialogue, richly drawn characters, nail-biting suspense, and a dash of humor that keeps you up well into the night turning pages. Wells doesn't shy away from attacking tough, weighty issues here, such as mental illness and rape, and she handles them with grace and sensitivity and an authentic understanding borne of her background as a counselor. I love Dylan's voice - she's sassy, sarcastic, and genuine. Wells has a conversational, matter-of-fact style to her narrative that makes Dylan so relatable she feels like she could be your best friend (albeit a slightly prickly one *wink*).

The events in Soul Hunter force Dylan to re-examine her faith as she navigates the depths of depravity to which a human can sink without the saving grace of God in their lives. Wells also examines how easy it is for a believer's faith to become complacent without "exercising" it and developing their relationship with God. She touches on how an individual's view of God is often tied to their view of their earthly father as in Dylan's case, where the intimacy of her relationship with God is conditioned by her view of her father, whose disinterest in her life has translated to the belief that God is there, just not involved. A big part of Dylan's appeal as a character is how her experiences with Peter Terry force her faith to develop in a society that devalues any reliance on God. Equal parts spiritual thriller and mystery, with just a dash of chick-lit humor, Soul Hunter is highly recommended.

[Alisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though there are things in this book that don't make sense and are theologically irreverent in certain places--such as calling the Fruits of the Spirit--"all that nonsense"; I still loved it. The writing is very comical, intriguing, and suspenseful, all at once. These are the only novels that I can't put down until I finish them. I wish that Dylan would pray more in her turbulence, though; but I'm glad she didn't tell lies through this whole book like the first one. I do really LOVE her character though. She totally reminds me of myself; and so many details of the book, I have experienced in my own life.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I was a little confused at first who Peter terry was cause I didn't read the first book. I don't think David is right for her. I really thought Peter terry was going to kill Melissa. I'm happy he didn't cause well me and the rabbit have the same name so I'm pulling for her. I hope I get my hands on the rest of the books, I got this one at a book sale.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book! It's the second in a series about a psychologist at SMU in Dallas whose life is suddenly turned upside down by a demon. It's hard to put down until you finish! The first book was just as good...

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one's a bit more tightly plotted than When the Day of Evil Comes, and there's a lot more signs that Melanie's got an overarching story in mind -- but you can still get by without having read the first book.

[Sherri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like Wells' writing style, and her sense of humor seems similar to mine, so her writing resonates with me. This book is second in a series of three -- I admit I liked the first one better - but this was still an enjoyable read.

[Kahri · Rating 4 out of 5]

almost as good as the first, but not quite as sarcastic and I missed all of the asides she used in the first one. The story is good, but she changed her style.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dylan Foster is again swept up into spiritual warfare when, on her birthday, a bloody ax is left on her front porch and her "nemesis" Peter Terry resurfaces.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another AWESOME read!!!!

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sequel to "When The Day Of Evil Comes". Same main character and same demon!

[fleegan · Rating 3 out of 5]

just as creepy as the first book!

i'm puzzled though that she's dealing with a demon and yet, doesn't seek out help from clergy. perhaps that's too traditional?

[Bcgrad · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Jesus provides patience for His followers during moments like these. I, of course, was too irritated to wait for mine to arrive."

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I had a hard time putting it down. Looking forward to reading more from Melanie Wells.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll do a review for this soon but it's a Christian book that will not only make you shiver, but you'll keep glancing behind you to see if you're really alone. ;)

[Lucinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just really like this series. Christian evil suspense.

[Dawn Golec Summers · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was better than the first. And I liked the first! But the main character, Dylan, can really get on your nerves at times. I read this book in one day! I truly liked it!

[Jacqui · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story unlike anything I have read before. A haunting mysterious spirit orbits the protagonist with the greedy ominous threat of misery. An interesting read with lots of suspense.

[Michele Rees · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even better than the first!

[Bree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

An all around arousing read with religion in ties to reality and a good consequential outlook on the supernatural itself.

[Shana Nathan DSouza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally finished the book! I'm relieved that David wasn't the murderer but I wished the author could have written more about their reconciliation.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

book 2.
Gordon Pryne rapes Dr. Maria. She keeps Nicholas. Bloody ax at Dylan's door. Her wacky co-worker murdered a girl. Turns out to be his 1 date in high school daughter.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Similarly to the first book, it was interesting enough to finish the book but not a book I would pick up and read again. Will move on to book #3 to see if any sort of resolve comes.

[Gigi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing!! Can hardly wait to read the last book of the series!!