The Hunter

“The Hunter, like Mr. Lescroart’s previous work, is fast-paced, constructed in short chapters that are further subdivided in rapidly moving scenes. Other strong features include dialogue that is realistic, motivations that are sound (who among us wouldn’t react the way Hunt does when he is told his mother had been murdered), and romantic tension that is taut enough to make for a well-developed story that features believable and sympathetic characters.”

In his latest outing, New York Times bestselling novelist John Lescroart delivers a fast-paced satisfying read, demonstrating how a skilled writer can weave an engaging plot and remain at the top of the literary heap.

In The Hunter, private investigator Wyatt Hunt investigates the death of his mother while unraveling the mystery of his past. The lessons are life changing and force Hunt to take a look at himself and the issues that drive him. Shortly after the story opens, Hunt begins receiving anonymous text messages asking how his mother died.

Tapping his own reservoir of skill and a seemingly endless array of sources ranging from members of the San Francisco PD to the telephone company, Hunt is able to decipher that his mother was murdered and that his father was the chief suspect having been tried twice for the crime and acquitted each time.
Hunt connects with his father’s priest and learns from the cleric that his father decided to give Hunt up for adoption after the second trial, but not before protesting his innocence in a letter he penned to his young son and that the priest has held in safe keeping all these many years.

Stymied and at a loss for leads, Hunt attempts to backtrack the location of the messenger, coming up short each time. His search for the elusive Evie See Christ or Evie Secrist—she goes by different names—a religious fanatic and friend of his late mother, occupies most of his early efforts and leads to unraveling the strange tapestry that is Hunt’s life.

The Hunter, like Mr. Lescroart’s previous work, is fast-paced, constructed in short chapters that are further subdivided in rapidly moving scenes. Other strong features include dialogue that is realistic, motivations that are sound (who among us wouldn’t react the way Hunt does when he is told his mother had been murdered), and romantic tension that is taut enough to make for a well-developed story that features believable and sympathetic characters.

But the novel has its flaws, too, and this includes some rather annoying plot clichés. For example, Hunt has latent dreams of witnessing his mother’s murder, not a particularly new plot device, even when it was featured in Marnie, the 1964 Hitchcock film featuring Tippi Hedren in the title role. And then there is Hunt’s heavy reliance on the previously mentioned well-placed collection of sources, a technique that has been used so often it has become expected.

The Hunter also suffers from a conspicuous lack of suspense until a body turns up in the Tenderloin district well into the story. Until then, there is no hint of danger or interference with Hunt’s investigation. But this isn’t a suspense novel, per se, and the mystery is compelling enough to drive the narrative and make the time spent with Mr. Lescroart’s The Hunter an enjoyable time.