In the ring, Cameron King is known as The Hunter. A celebrated champion. A warrior.
But when her brother, science genius Nate, deliberately crashes the car they’re in and vanishes without trace Cameron is left with a career in ruins, a reconstructed body and one burning question: why?
18 months later, working to find bail-jumping fugitives, Cameron discovers a dead body – apparently killed with her gun. As a detective comes through the door, she receives a panicked call from her missing brother: ‘They’re coming, Cam. Get out.’
Sucked into a lethal and sinister conspiracy hidden in the darkest shadows of power, Cameron is forced to fight her toughest, bloodiest battle yet – not only to survive, but to uncover the terrifying truth.
In my experience, action thrillers fall into one of two camps. First you have those wonderfully insane big budget affairs that dance between the realms of action and sci fi. You know the sort of thing, Matthew Reilly’s novels are a perfect example. Unstoppable heroes halo jumping out of exploding airplanes straight into a dastardly ego-maniac’s underground secret lair made from a hollowed-out volcano. Great fun and hugely enjoyable but, let’s be 100% honest, utterly bonkers. This category is undeniably entertaining but they’re ephemeral. An hour after you finish reading, the chaotic rush is over and you are looking for your next thriller fix. The Hunter by Andrew Reid falls into a second far more exclusive group. Rather than spectacle and over the top action, this category has thrillers grounded more in reality. These are stories that have genuine substance and a far grittier view of the world.
The thing that struck me most about Cameron King is her inner dialogue. The author takes time to explore the reasons for her actions. You get to appreciate what is behind the split- second decisions she makes when sizing up her opponents. The other really refreshing component to Cameron is her, sometimes brutally, honest approach to her life. She is good at what she does, but she also knows when she is outmatched. There are moments when she chooses to surrender rather than continuing a fight she knows she will lose. I’d imagine that is the mark of someone who isn’t just a good fighter, but a good tactician. The skills Cameron developed in the ring serve her well in her second career.
Cameron’s unwitting partner is police officer Ray Perada. In a John McClane-ian moment of bad luck, Ray happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and finds himself embroiled in the same conspiracy as Cameron. Forced to go on the run and work together, Cameron and Ray’s relationship gets off to a rocky start. I liked how their attitudes to one another evolved as the plot went on. Slowly you see there is that sense of grudging respect appearing between two people who appreciate the other knows their respective craft.
Reid also displays skill when it comes to describing the kinetic action of the fight scenes. Cameron’s mixed martial arts training ensures every time she gets into a situation where she has to defend herself, the reader is in for a rare treat. Speaking of the MMA elements in the novel, it would be rude of me not to mention how much I enjoyed the characters Pickaxe and Ophelia. The bond of sisterhood Cameron has with her ex in-ring adversaries feels palpable within a handful of pages. The novel’s final scene had me grinning from ear to ear. I hope* we see more of them both in future.
The Hunter is a rock-solid debut. Cameron King is the sort of protagonist who is never going to back away from a fight. No challenge is too big. She has a tenacious attitude and the fighting ability to back that up. Reid exhibits a visceral flare in his writing, I was caught up by the back and forth of all the action. If you’re listening out there Netflix, this is exactly the sort of thing that should be getting optioned for the screen. I’ll get cracking on putting together my dream cast immediately. I already have some ideas.
From an entirely selfish viewpoint, I hope The Hunter does well, I’d love to read further novels featuring these characters. Reading The Hunter feels like we are just witnessing the beginning of Cameron’s journey. I certainly hope that this is the case. Sign me up for as many sequels as the author is willing to write, I’ll gladly be back for more.
The Hunter needed a musical companion piece that captured the frenetic pace and energetic action that Reid’s thriller evokes. I think I found the perfect choice. The album Antisleep Vol 1 by Blue Stahli feels just entirely badass enough to be Cameron King’s personal playlist.
The Hunter is published by Headline and is available now. If you’re a fan of action/adventure thrillers and you fancy something more Sicario than San Andreas** then I strongly suggest you give it a try. You will not be disappointed.
*by “hope” I obviously mean “we better had” or I’ll be upset. No-one wants to see that. Imagine Sasquatch bubbling away with snot candles running down his nose. Not pretty.
**I should stress for the record I appreciate the merits of both movies, but as far as action thrillers go you have to admit they are markedly different.
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