Review copy was received from NetGalley, Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Hunter's Daughter by Nicola Solvinic
Narrator: Samantha Desz
Published by Ace, Penguin Audio on May 14, 2024
Genres: Mystery, Thriller
Pages: 384
Length: 11 hours, 21 minutes
Format: Audiobook, eARC
Source: NetGalley, Publisher
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Anna Koray escaped her father’s darkness long ago. When she was a girl, her childhood memories were sealed away from her conscious mind by a controversial hypnosis treatment. She’s now a decorated sheriff’s lieutenant serving a rural county, conducting an ordinary life far from her father’s shadow.
When Anna kills a man in the line of duty, her suppressed memories return. She dreams of her beloved father, his hands red with blood, surrounded by flower-decked corpses he had sacrificed to the god of the forest.
To Anna’s horror, a serial killer emerges who is copying her father – and who knows who she really is. Is her father still alive, or is this the work of another? Will the killer expose her, destroying everything she has built for herself? Does she want him to?
I really enjoyed listening to this police procedural but much more. Anna is a police detective of fairly high rank. When murders which resemble her father’s crimes of 20 years ago, she starts remembering that time. We follow her point of view with the present of wanting to figure out the crime, and the past memory flashbacks from what happened when he was at home with his family.
Anna loved the woods and learning about the plants and wildlife. She spent quite a bit of time with her dad in the forests near their home. Then he went away to prison. She and her mother were protected for a bit partly to help shield them from the media. Anna (then Elena) was in a mental hospital briefly to help with her trauma but more because her mother was horrible, and gave her up for adoption. She then had a wonderful life with loving foster parents.
Now Anna is afraid of her past being discovered. She is working on the history of the “Forest Strangler” to find out who was close enough to carry out the current crimes with the held back aspects. It’s twisty with many possibilities. There’s the reporter who is a fan boy of the crimes. There’s Anna herself who is losing time as her memories resurface. There’s her boyfriend Nick who has some strange disappearances and a big new SUV. There are other possibilities too. And there is her stalker who says he knows who she is.
Anna works the case and learns much about her father and his death. She learns a lot about her history and what became of her mother. Anna does many things which are not allowed in the police, because she is too close to the case. She does a few things outside the law to get more information. I worry for her and about her. I was glad to have a strong resolution to the case.
Narration:
I have listened to this narrator previously. I enjoyed her performance and she became Anna for me. Most of the book is Anna’s stream of thoughts with a bit of her dialogue with others. I listened at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 24-COYER
I’m glad you enjoyed this. For some reason I didn’t realize it was a police procedural, but now I’m even more excited to read it😁
It’s not exactly a police procedural. It’s more a personal journey of a police officer. But it’s a fascinating story.
I don’t read a lot of thrillers, but the repressed memory trope seems like a popular one. I think I’d have nightmares reading this!
It’s pretty gruesome.
It stresses me out (in a good way, at least in fiction 😂) when we have stories like this where we have officers who are close to the case… there’s just so much more room for depth and intrigue. So glad you enjoyed this!!
Thank you. I did enjoy it. It had more layers and aspects than a regular police procedural.
Glad you enjoyed this one, Anne💜
Thank you.
Now, this sounds pretty good for a thriller. Thanks for putting it on my radar.
yes I thought it was pretty good. There was a lot of depth and many possible suspects.
Great title.
yes the father was a hunter as in wild game they ate from the forest behind their home, but also of women.
Glad to hear your thoughts on this one. It’s on my TBR list and one I hope to read soon.
It’s interesting. There are some twists.
Sounds like a good thriller and that you were heavily invested in the main character. Great review Anne.
Thank you. I was certainly concerned about the main character.
OMG I am so far behind in commenting X_X
No worries. I am catching up myself.