The Hunter

Starred review from January 4, 2016
Byrne follows The Highwayman with a powerful and dramatic second Victorian Rebels romantic thriller. Christopher Argent was born in Newgate; he spent his childhood behind bars and his adulthood as London’s most feared assassin. He believes he has no emotions and doesn’t care about anything, but when he has to kill actress Millie LeCour, he can’t face the thought of destroying her spirit and joy. So he strikes a bargain: protection for her and her son, Jakub, in exchange for one tempestuous night in his bed. Millie is terrified of the coldhearted killer, but she wants to know who wants her dead. Soon she falls in love with the giant who treats Jakub gently and who hide flashes of heat behind his icy mask. Millie wants to save Argent from loneliness, but Argent has to walk a tortured journey of self-discovery before he can accept her love. Their affair was forged out of desperation, but if Argent can shake off the shackles of his past, they can have a happy ending that would rival the best theater. Previous protagonists Farah and Dorian Blackwell have enjoyable cameos in this deeply satisfying story of passion and mutual rescue. Agent: Christine Witthohn, Book Cents Literary Agency.