The Hunter
A riveting atmospheric suspense debut that explores the dark side of a small town and asks: How can we uncover the truth when we keep lying to ourselves? “Herrera has a gift for drawing vivid characters and rich settings. A voicey and compelling debut that is not to be missed.”--Karin Slaughter After reckless behavior costs NYPD detective Leigh O’Donnell her job and her marriage, she returns with her four-year-old daughter to her beautiful hometown of Copper Falls, Ohio. Leigh had stayed away for more than a decade—even though her brother and a trio of loving uncles still call it home—because, while the town may seem idyllic, something rotten lies at its core. Three men in town have drowned in what Leigh suspects to be a triple homicide. She hopes that by finding out who killed them, she just might get her life back on course. Headstrong and intuitive, Leigh isn’t afraid to face a killer, but she has to do more than that to discover the truth about what happened to those men. She must unravel a web of secrets going back generations, and, in doing so, plumb the darkness within herself. Perfect for fans of Mare of Easttown, this taut debut is a haunting look at how the search for truth often leads back to the most unlikely of places.
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The Hunter by Jennifer Herrera has an intriguing plot, and I liked the initial build-up of the mystery, as well as the blending of the historical context of Copper Falls with the strange disappearances that happened in the past. However, after a while, there were too many threads to the narrative and my attention began to wander. Between the history of her growing up years, the backstory of her suspension from the NYPD, and her troubled marriage, I kept getting distracted from the central plot. All the diversions slowed the pace which in a novel like this, really kills my enjoyment. I also found some of the dialogue a bit clunky. Not reflective of how real people talk. And I have to say that the resolution left me unsatisfied. Too many loose ends were not explained. This is a debut and all in all, a solid effort. I would definitely read more from the author but I'd hope future efforts are more honed and tight when it comes to the narrative through-line.
My thanks to Net Galley and G.P. Putnam for furnishing me with an Advanced Reader Copy for review.
