Hunter by name – Hunter by nature: DI Hunter Wilson will not rest until Edinburgh is safe.
 
 Detective Inspector Hunter Wilson knows there is a new supply of cocaine flooding his city, and he needs to find the source, but his attention is transferred to murder when a corpse is discovered in the grounds of a golf course.

#HuntersChase @valeriepenny @SpellBoundBks @Zooloo’s Book Tours @zooloo2008 #ZooloosBookTours 

Shortly after the post-mortem, Hunter witnesses a second murder, but that is not the end of the slaughter. With a young woman’s life also hanging in the balance, the last thing Hunter needs is a new man on his team: Detective Constable Tim Myerscough, the son of his nemesis, the former Chief Constable Sir Peter Myerscough.
 
 Hunter’s perseverance and patience are put to the test time after time in this first novel in The Edinburgh Crime Mysteries series.

My Review

When young, cocky, useless burglar Jamie Thompson is caught stealing valuables from the house of former Chief Constable and now Justice Minister, Sir Peter Myerscough, he makes a run for it. Unfortunately, with Sir Peter hot on his heels across the grounds of the prestigious Merchant’s Golf Club, he stumbles and breaks his ankle. But it’s not a tree stump or the 18th hole he trips over – it’s the decomposing body of a woman.

And so it begins. The body has barely been taken away and the post-mortem carried out, when DI Hunter Wilson witnesses another death – this time it’s that of a well-known local felon (allegedly) and it looks like murder. And if two bodies are not enough, we have a third though the young girl’s life is hanging in the balance. Finally we have the addition to the team in the shape of Tim Myerscough, son of Sir Peter, and Hunter is not well pleased. Not a fan of the father, it will take a lot for the over-privileged son to prove himself. Give him a chance – I really liked him.

Hunter’s Chase is a real mixture. A crime drama and police procedural, it also features drugs, fraud, stolen cars and some surprises. It’s clever and witty and at times it broke my heart. Some of the scenes are quite graphic – none more so than the in-depth description of Frankie’s treatment of his severe acne. Give me chopped up body parts and ritual crucifixions any day.

There are a lot of characters in this book. I really had to concentrate – all the members of the team including Jane, Rachael and ‘Bear’ (who I am sure we will meet again in the next three books), the pathologists, and also the families of Jamie, Frankie and the victims. Then we have the very shady car dealer Arjun Mansoor.

I loved the Edinburgh setting, the names of the pubs – eg The Persevere – that’s a new one on me and the way the author is slowly building the characters, fleshing them out ready for Book Two.

Plenty of twists to keep you guessing and plenty of police banter and dark humour. Loved it!

Many thanks to @zooloo2008 for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

About the Author

Val Penny has an Llb degree from Edinburgh University and her MSc from Napier University. She has had many jobs including hairdresser, waitress, banker, azalea farmer and lecturer but has not yet achieved either of her childhood dreams of being a ballerina or owning a candy store. Until those dreams come true, she has turned her hand to writing poetry, short stories, nonfiction, and novels. Val is an American author living in SW Scotland. She has two adult daughters of whom she is justly proud and lives with her husband and their cat.

Follow her at:
Twitter : https://twitter.com/valeriepenny
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/Authorvalpenny
Website : www.valpenny.com

Buy Link – https://geni.us/sMr9O