Arlene Hunt

In this crime novel set in Dublin, Ireland, Arlene Hunt shows the violent underbelly of the vice world. If the girls were just left to themselves, they would be able to live quite an easy life, but they are surrounded by violent men who want to take their money away from them.

A vicious pimp, Paul McCracken, uses every sort of extortion and physical violence to keep Irish prostitutes under his control, while strategically replacing them with girls from Eastern Europe and Algeria. But woe betide any Irish girl who decides to break away from him and go it alone. A psychopathic and very sick killer decides to target prostitutes working by themselves. The Dublin police force finds itself trying to collar McCracken, find the serial killer and calm dissension in its own ranks.

This novel is set a time when the Irish establishment panders to its national media by deciding to crack down on prostitution, by raiding brothels and fining their "madames". A question implicit throughout the novel is whether the "cure", administered by the police and the courts, leads to a situation worse than the "crime" of prostitution.

The writing is very assured and the plot springs one surprise after another. A real page turner.… (lisätietoja)

Teacher Jessie risks her life during a high school shooting and becomes a local hero. The ensuing media spotlight, however, reveals details of Jessie's past that not even her husband Mike was aware of. On top of that, it brings Jessie to the attention of a hunting-obsessed serial killer who believes Jessie would prove to be an exciting, worthwhile object for his next hunt.
This was quite a decent storyline and deserves some praise for being a bit different from the usual serial killer thriller. But it also had a couple of flaws. The side story about the reporter was left unfinished, and there was too much detailed information on some side characters that felt unnecessary for the progression of the plot, slowed the pace and never went anywhere. The beginning and the final third were pretty gripping, but in-between there was a bit of a lull.
Nonetheless, I liked all the characters and the different perspectives, including Caleb's, the serial killer's, worked well. For me, the star of the show was Jessie's brother-in-law, Ace, and his dog. Loved them. An enjoyable read if you like action coupled with a small town and wilderness setting and want something different from the police-based serial killer procedurals. 3.5 stars.
I received an ARC from Bookouture via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.… (lisätietoja)

Located in the mountains of North Carolina near the Tennessee border, the sedate town of Rockville is rocked to its core when two students pull a Columbine-style shooting at the local high school early one morning.

Though three are killed and five wounded, the final toll would have been much worse but for the efforts of teacher Jessie Conway, who rushes into the cafeteria and confronts the shooters. When the dust settles both shooters lie dead, one at the hands of Jessie, who is also injured in the confrontation.

And while the shooting may be over, the fallout and healing are just beginning. Even after her physical wounds heal, Jessie continues to struggle to come to terms with the lingering psychological trauma from seeing people shot around her… and having taken a teenager’s life herself.

That kind of stress would be difficult enough even if Jessie and her husband, Mike, had the luxury of regrouping at their own pace, but the local media, desperate to exploit the “big city” tragedy for paper sales and TV ratings, relentlessly hounds Jessie for her firsthand account of events. Frustrated at her lack of cooperation, one local reporter digs into Jessie’s history and publishes a story with inflammatory information about Jessie’s past. And just when Jessie thinks things can’t possibly get any worse, she finds out how disturbingly wrong she is.

Enter Caleb Switch, an accomplished bowhunter who long ago grew tired of the lack of challenge hunting animals presented him. Having moved on to hunting humans, Caleb becomes fascinated with the story that unfolds in Rockville, particularly that of the tough as nails teacher who confronted two armed young men empty-handed. Believing that Jessie would present a worthy challenge, Caleb sets his sights on her, plunging both Jessie and the reader into a nightmare fight for survival.

Though she’s well known in her native Ireland and the UK, The Chosen marks author Arlene Hunt’s highest profile release here in the U.S., and what a tremendous “Pleased to meet ya!” it is. The intense outburst of violence that beings the book serves as a springboard into an exploration of the ripples and aftershocks that such an event sends throughout any community in which it occurs. On top of that stress, Hunt adds the dynamic of a very clever, and ruthless, serial killer becoming increasingly obsessed with Jessie, a plot device that adds increasing layers of tension as the story unfolds.

And though the action present in The Chosen is palpable and undeniable, it is at heart a character driven story. The stress put on Jessie’s marriage in the aftermath of the shooting is very realistically portrayed, demonstrating the frustration and confusion Mike feels over not being able to help or “fix” something tormenting his wife, as well as the hurt and anger Jessie experiences over not being allowed to work through her feelings in her own time. The small town dynamics are also spot-on, especially the closing of ranks among families and locals. Caleb Switch is also more than just a caricature, as Hunt presents portions of the book from his point of view allowing the reader insight into his thought process. Mike’s brother, Ace, initially presented as a person of questionable character and integrity, also comes to play a satisfyingly prominent role as the story progresses.

Hunt did extensive on location research for The Chosen in the U.S., specifically in the Pisgah National Forest (read her guest post). She explored the terrain, learned about hunting and weapons, and spent time in local watering holes to get the feel and pace of the people. And she completely nails it. In fact, if you didn’t know it going in there is absolutely nothing about the book that would tip you to the fact Hunt wasn’t a North Carolina or Tennessee native, let alone that she was Irish. And if Hunt can provide such a well-written and entertaining read as The Chosen presents set in a place she’s only briefly visited, I for one will definitely be going back to get acquainted with her QuicK Investigations series, which is set in her native land.… (lisätietoja)

This is a face-passed thriller about a toddler, Katie Jones, who goes missing at a beach and is presumed to have drowned. 26 years later an unknown woman shoots dead a local GP and then turns the gun on herself. The woman turns out to be Katie Jones. Local PI firm QuicK (Sarah Kenny and John Quigley) is hired to find out what happened to Katie and where she has been all these years. The investigations are split between Dublin and London with strong, interesting characters and some funny situations emerging between them.
I liked this book, the storyline was original and interesting. I wanted to find out what had happened to Katie and why, but the development of the other characters such as Sarah and John was also an integral part of the book that made the story all the more interesting. This is the type of storyline that would interest Hollywood so you never know, it may well be turned into a movie at some stage! Well worth the read.… (lisätietoja)