The Hunter [Hardcover]

In my opinion, John Lescroart is one of the best mystery / courtroom drama authors writing today. Not only does he create complex, fascinating plots that keep you glued to the page from the first words to the last, he also creates very memorable, unique characters. Add to that Lescroart's love for San Francisco, the city where his mysteries are set, and you've got the perfect recipe for a great series of mystery and suspense novels.

I have read every book Lescroart has ever written (and usually more than once) because they are such a joy to read. I have to confess that I prefer Hardy / Glitsky series to the newer Wyatt Hunt series. The reason why I never really warmed up to Wyatt Hunt is because he was always way too perfect and idealized to be likable. I always perceived Hunt as one of those cardboard Superman figures: there is no flaw in him you can put your finger on but that's precisely what makes him less than appealing. In contrast, Hardy, Glitsky and especialy Wes Farrell are very complex, fascinating characters. Their demons and their complex personal histories are precisely what makes them so interesting to follow from one novel in the series to another.

In THE HUNTER, Lescroart finally shows to his readers that Wyatt Hunt is not as simple and one-dimensional as we might have started to think he was. There is a dark secret in Wyatt's distant past. When this private investigator sets out to explore the story of his mother's murder and his father's two trials as her killer, the readers start catching glimpses of those things about Hunt's personality that have been concealed from our view until this point. Wyatt's very perfection, his perennial need to be the best at everything he undertakes find their explanation in THE HUNTER. As a result, Wyatt Hunt becomes a lot more human and easier for the readers to identify with. I never felt any connection with this character or any actual sympathy towards him in the previous Wyatt Hunt novels. After THE HUNTER, however, my attitude to this character has changed.

In this novel, you will also find some new and curious developments in Wyatt Hunt's personal life. I don't want to create any spoilers, so I'll just say that, in my opinion of a devoted fan of Lescroart's mysteries, these changes have been long overdue.

If you haven't read any Lescroart novels before, I highly recommend this great author. His books are part of a series, but you can easily start with any one of them and enjoy it greatly. Lescroart is brilliant at making sure that each novel contains all the information a new reader would need in order not to feel lost in the characters' histories, while at the same time avoiding any hint of repetitiveness that would bore old-time fans like myself. THE HUNTER is, I believe, very characteristic of Lescroart's writing, and new readers will be well-served by beginning their acquaintance with his books with this most recent one. It contains all of the elements of Lescroart's writing that have made him famous and keep his fans desperate for new books: a plot that sucks you in from the very first paragraph, a very good but also easy-to-read and uncluttered writing style, a complex mystery that drives the plot, deep secrets from the past that come to light and transform the characters' lives forever, and, of course, the loving descriptions of the beautiful city of San Francisco. What else can one possibly need for a great reading experience?

This was my first Lescroart read. The author came highly recommended and I was not disappointed. For me the book was a page turner, finished in 2 days. Each twist and turn kept my interest up, the realism and accuracy of technical cell phone and medical details was much appreciated. Anyone familiar with San Francisco will also delight not only in the accuracy but in the local references to streets and places, especially bars, restaurants, and hotels. Connecting Jim Jones to past evil done and current evildoing was a stroke of genius. If the reader who says this is Lescroart's worst is right, then I have a lot to look forward to. Can't wait to read "Damage."

Wyatt Hunt, along with his employees in "The Hunt Club," conducts private investigations, and takes center stage in John Lescroart's new thriller, "The Hunter." Wyatt's early years were difficult. He has only a vague memory of his birth parents, and at a young age, he was placed in California's foster care system. Although a loving couple named Bob and Charlene Hunt adopted Wyatt when he was six, he still bears emotional scars and has underlying abandonment issues. Hunt, who is in his early forties, recently split with his girlfriend, defense attorney Gina Roake. "We're both reluctant to commit," Wyatt tells his pal, San Francisco homicide detective Devin Juhle.

Out of the blue, Hunt receives a text on his cell phone from an anonymous source asking, "How did your mother die"? This message throws him for a loop, since he knows nothing about the subject. Thus begins a grueling odyssey that will consume Wyatt for months, bring him close to emotional collapse, and prompt a killer to commit further acts of violence. Hunt and his colleagues interview anyone who might have relevant information, carry out intensive research into the distant past, and soon discover that they have stirred up a hornet's nest.

"The Hunter" is an engrossing tale that focuses on Wyatt's visceral longing to find out who his parents were and why they were unable to raise him. Even when he is tempted to let the matter drop, Wyatt realizes that he needs to know the whole truth, regardless of the consequences. His investigation will endanger him and his staff, anger the police (who want him to back off), and threaten his relationship with the new woman in his life. On the other hand, his quest could ultimately help him fill in the blanks concerning his biological mother and father. At a bit under four hundred pages, the book is a little too long; the dialogue is, at times, irritatingly cute; and the plot requires a huge suspension of disbelief. Nevertheless, Wyatt is a likeable man whose determination, intelligence, and compassion earn our admiration and keep us invested in the mystery until the last puzzle piece is in place.