Title: The Hunt
Authors: J.M. Dabney and Davidson King
Publisher: Amazon/Kindle Unlimited
Length: 218 Pages
Category: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense
At a Glance: The Hunt is a well-written mystery that grabbed me from the start and became a page turner for me. Well done!
Reviewed By: Maryann
Blurb: Disgraced detective turned private investigator, Ray Clancy, left the force with a case unsolved. Finding the killer was no longer his problem, but it still haunted him. How long would he survive the frustration of not knowing before he gave into the compulsion of his nature to solve the crime?
Server, Andrew Shay, existed where he didn’t feel he belonged, living behind the guise of a costume. Yet it paid the bills, and he refused to complain about the little things in life. One night he returned home from work to find his roommate dead and the killer still there. Afraid and alone, his life spiraled and he didn’t know what to do. Could a detective at his core and a scared young man join forces to bring down the killer in their midst?
Review: Detective Raymond Clancy was working on a serial murder case for the New West PD when he found himself being offered and then taking a raw deal from the District Attorney. Regardless of what his life was like when he was younger, Raymond had turned himself around and become a good cop. Now, he’s a private investigator chasing down cheating spouses and barely holding his life and business together.
Andy Shay works as a server in a high-class restaurant. He and his roommate, Francis, have struggled just to get what little they have. They don’t live beyond their means, don’t complain, but they do hope that the future will be better. When Andy comes home one evening, he finds himself in the middle of a horrific murder scene—and comes face-to-face with the murderer. Now, no matter that Andy knows he’s now being followed, the police aren’t doing their job. He also knows that anyone who tries to help him will be in danger, so he starts to do his own investigating, which connects him to Ray.
When Andy and Ray begin their own investigation, Ray calls in some favors from some infamous characters. With bodies pilling up and the cryptic message “Come back to me” a part of it all, Andy and Ray remain puzzled. Who does the murderer want? They’re both left with the realization that no matter how long you’ve known someone, you may not really know them.
I was thoroughly entertained by this collaboration by J.M. Dabney and Davidson King. The Hunt is a well-written mystery that grabbed me from the start and became a page turner for me. The plot is a definite puzzle, and it wasn’t easy to figure out who the murderer is. Andy Shay and Raymond Callahan have a great chemistry, Ray being older and somewhat grumpy, and Andy being just a sweetheart. The authors really give a thorough and in-depth look at both of these characters, along with some very interesting supporting characters added to the mix. I especially liked Theodore Bradford, whose alter-ego wants to be a cop…but being a mob boss doesn’t work in his favor. Richie Callaghan, Bradford’s right-hand man, and Donnelly, who works in the ME’s office, were great too.
I don’t know if the authors would consider making this a series, but I see potential and would invest in another novel with Andy and Callahan. Well done!
You can buy The Hunt here:
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