The Silent Places

March 8, 2010
Thin characterization mars Hunt's formulaic fourth novel featuring St. Louis homicide detective George Hastings (after 2009's The Assailant
). After a falling-out with the police brass, Hastings gets assigned to the security detail of presidential aspirant Sen. Alan Preston, a Missouri Republican and former federal prosecutor. When John Reese, an ex-CIA operative Preston convicted for selling arms to Syria more than a decade earlier, escapes from prison bent on revenge, Preston declines FBI protection because he fears attracting unfavorable national media attention. Hastings, who takes an instant dislike to the politician, soon suspects Preston is being less than frank. Hunt adds nothing new to the familiar device of alternating between the perspectives of the would-be assassin and the person working frantically to thwart him. Since Preston comes across as such an unlikable phony, readers may root more for the assassin than the senator.

Starred review from April 1, 2010
After making a politically incorrect comment to his boss, St. Louis homicide lieutenant George Hastings and his team get assigned to protecting Sen. Alan Preston from a prison escapee who has threatened to kill the senator. As Hastings tries to do his job, he uncovers the real story of former CIA agent John Reese, whom Preston had prosecuted when he had been a U.S. district attorney. VERDICT Hunt's fourth George Hastings title (after "The Assailant") is an exciting, action-packed tale. Hunt, a practicing attorney, stays away from the courtroom and focuses on the gritty reality of police work in a big city where politics and favoritism often overshadow justice. Readers who like Michael Connelly's early books will especially appreciate.

Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2010
John Reese is a former CIA agent who was framed as a traitor while negotiating a Middle East gun deal as a deep-cover operative. As an ambitious young federal prosecutor, Alan Preston headed the legal team that put Reese away. Fifteen years later, Preston has presidential aspirations, and Reese has escaped from prison. St. Louis police lieutenant George Hastings, at odds with the police hierarchy, is pulled from his homicide beat to coordinate security for Preston until Reese is recaptured or killed. Prestons naked ambition, arrogance, and allegiance to a shadowy security-mercenary firm repel Hastings. He investigates the original case and learns strong indications of prosecutorial misconduct were swept under the rug. Deftly combining an issue-driven political thriller with a crisp police procedural and a bit of international intrigue, Hunt produces a fascinating dual narrative highlighted by the growing respect between Reese and Hastings, the man assigned to catch him. Fine entertainment for fans of thought-provoking thrillers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)