Hour of the Hunter

Diana Ladd is not Joanna Brady, but HOUR OF THE HUNTER keeps you turning the pages in this departure for J.A. Jance. Andrew Carlisle is released from prison after serving a short sentence of the beating death of a Papago Indian girl. He has one thought in mind to sneak revenge on a widowed school teacher whose testimony sent him to prison. Diana Ladd and her young son are terrorized as Andrew draws closer to their home with his vengeful intentions. The themes of the Papago Indian culture, which remind the reader of both James Doss and Tony Hillerman give you a glimpse of a different world. A must read to get the full flavor of Jance. Writing as a Small BusinessSins of the Fathers: A Brewster County NovelGuns Across the Rio: A Texas Ranger in Old Mexico

HOUR OF THE HUNTER is very suspenseful and has one of the most diabolical villains created for the reading audience. Overall it's very good, but minor flaws detour from making this an excellent read. Widow Diana Ladd is raising her son, David, on the Tohono O'Othham Indian Reservation near Tucson, Arizona, with the help of Rita Antone. Rita is a Papago Indian basket-weaver/wise woman and has taught David the O'Othham language and customs since he was a toddler. Six years ago, Diana's testimony had put Andrew Carlisle in prison for the murder of Rita's granddaughter, which also resulted in the death of Diana's husband (Carlisle was involved with her husband and his death was staged to appear as a suicide). Now Carlisle is out of jail and looking for revenge. Sounds like a typical mystery, but it's definitely not typical. Gruesome is the one word I would use to define Carlisle. His signature is to bite the nipples off of his victims. He thrives on torture, and a quick kill does not make him happy. He has plans on exactly how he wants Diana Ladd to suffer and this is described in great detail, sometimes to the point of turning my stomach. The victims he encounters on his hunt for Ladd are tortured and eventually killed but instead of appeasing his appetite for death, they only add to his need to reach Diana Ladd. The Papago legends are written at the beginning of each chapter, which give an interesting twist to the story. At times it does take away from the tale, and I found myself wanting to skip the legends and get to the story at hand. Every chapter seemed like overkill. The O'Othham language is translated, but is difficult to read and understand. It does not flow smoothly. Character development was excellent. Jance delved into each personality so I felt as if I personally knew each character. She left little to the imagination in this aspect. But in story development, she left a lot to the imagination, or lack thereof. It seemed as if her outline dictated the droning on of the story. It was predictable for the most part. The ending left me wondering why Jance had done the unthinkable to her heroine. What Ladd endured at the hands of Carlisle was unnecessary. There were so many surprises during the story and for there to be no twists at the end made it very anti-climatic.

Neither a J. P. Beaumont nor a Joanna Brady story, this is a real page-turner. A widowed mother and her son are the targets of an ex-college professor who is a sadistic serial killer, who has just been released from jail after serving a sentence for the killing of a Native American girl. The sympathetic portrayal of a native american culture is reminiscent of Tony Hillerman's novels. A thoroly enjoyable story. [email protected]

This book was a treasure of native american lore. As one who has lived in Arizona for most of my adult life, I welcome interesting books that contain anecdotal information about the native americans that we (anglos) have displaced. The stories from the native americans of southern Arizona that headline the chapters made this a very interesting read. The rest of the story may not have been the best mystery fiction I've read, but the fact that she included these stories about creation of the various tribes and families of animals and man, make this a memorable novel...I just wanted more of it. I think this is a better book than some of her Joanna Brady novels and the JP Beaumont series, but then I am a romantic where the Native American culture is concerned. I will read the sequel and hope the author adds to the repertoire of stories from the native americans to keep a bit of enchantment wound throughout another murder mystery where some of the characters are psycho dregs of society.

Protagonist Diane Ladd may not be strong woman Joanna Brady, but J.A. Jance's native American lore and unveiling the evilness stalking Ladd was page-turning. Although another reviewer berates Ladd's stupidity during the climax of the story, a parent might understand her actions. Or any reader who has experienced unexplainable violence. The fluidness of Joanna Brady series is missing, so thus the 4 stars. But I liked the break from Brady and J.P. Beaumont series, and look forward to reading Kiss of the Bees.