The Red Hunter

The story follows two women, Zoey and Claudia, who have both suffered from traumatic events in their pasts. Zoey's parents were murdered when she was a child, and Claudia was brutally attacked in her own home. As the two women try to move on with their lives, they become linked together through a series of coincidences and shared experiences.What sets The Red Hunter apart from other thrillers is its exploration of the theme of female empowerment. Both Claudia and Zoey are strong, complex characters who refuse to be defined by their past. You get drawn into the lives of Zoey and Claudia, rooting for them as they face their fears and confront their past traumas.If you’re a fan of suspense and psychological thrillers, this is the book for you. Another perfectly written novel by Lisa Unger.

I am a fan of Lisa Unger’s and I enjoy all of her books--although I enjoy some more than others. This book was one which did not have the same impact as some of my favorites (such as Under My Skin or Blackout). The story had much complexity, including multiple plots that did fold in together eventually.All of this book quite complex and twisty to the max, as I tried to keep track of several plot lines. The complexity and numerous charactershad me puzzling as to which person belonged with which story. I found much more repetition than is usual for this author, and that had me skimming portions.There were little things that jangled as I read. I wondered: Would a woman who has a daughter who may or may not be the offspring of a psychopathic killer name her child RAVEN? Amazingly, Raven grows into her gothic-y name; she has very white skin and blue black hair. (Paraphrasing a joke from Jerry Seinfeld – A Parent should be careful when they name their child. Consider that a kid named JEEVES would seem to have his future employment mapped-out.)For me, this story just had too much—too many words—too many characters and back-stories and side-stories. A bit much for me. I feel the book should have been edited down a bit, the story tightened up, and then the truly important plot issues would not be bunched in with the clutter of minor stuff. And yes, coincidences happen – but they abound in this story.Still, I stuck with it. The plot seemed to come together a bit when I was mid-way through, and I love the author’s imagination, which allows dead people to advise Zooey without making a huge plot issue. I wouldn’t recommend to my reading group (as I did with BLACKOUT), but I was involved enough to keep with it for myself.

Claudia Bishop’s perfect life fell apart when the aftermath of a brutal assault left her with a crumbling marriage, a newborn daughter, and a constant sense of anxiety about the world around her. Now, looking for a fresh start with a home restoration project and growing blog, Claudia takes on a crumbling old house—one that unbeknownst to her has an ugly history and may hide long buried secrets. For Zoey Drake the defining moment of her childhood was the horrific home invasion murder of her parents. Years later, she has embraced the rage that fuels her. Training in the martial arts has made her strong and ready to face the demons from the past—and within. Strangers to each other, and walking very different paths in the wake of trauma, these two women are on a collision course—because Zoey’s past nightmare and Claudia’s dreams for her future take place in the very same house. As Zoey seeks justice, and Claudia seeks peace, both will confront the monsters at the door that are the most frightening of all.My Thoughts: The intertwined lives of Claudia and Zoey were fascinating, and kept me reading as they told their alternating tales. Zoey, living in the East Village, tells hers with a first person narrative, so we find something more immediate about her story. About the violence that ripped her world apart one night, in Lost Valley, and the ongoing threats that keep her on her toes, learning how to defend herself.A different kind of violence tore Claudia’s life apart, also in the East Village, but moving into her father’s old abandoned house in a town called Lost Valley, with her teenage daughter, is her way of starting over. To renovate the old house, to blog about her adventures, and to find her strength. Not knowing the history of the house allowed Claudia to feel optimistic.Who were the bad guys that murdered Zoey’s parents? How are they now connected to the apparently normal lives that each woman is trying to live? How is each woman dealing with her rage? What will finally trigger another bout of violence, and bring some answers that have plagued them for years?As  The Red Hunter: A Novel  weaves back and forth between the past and the present, we learn more about all the characters, and how the present threat has ended up right back where it started, in an old house in Lost Valley. As Claudia stands before the home that could have been a new beginning, she has a realization: “How had she gotten here? How many accidents and mistakes and choices had she made? How many of them had been wrong or right, good or bad? Maybe that’s all life was, this impossibly complicated helix of choice and accident, things you could control and couldn’t. And when the day was done, the only measure of success was how happy you were, how much you loved and were loved.”Each woman finds something in the answers that will allow her to move forward. A 5 star read.

Man, there is no end to all the different twists to this book. However, it's told in a way that it's not too hard to keep track of them all and it's very entertaining. The story is complex and the characters were interesting and easy for me to "see and hear" in my mind. I enjoyed it very much.

I love most of Lisa Unger's books. I thoroughly enjoyed this one too.

not something you would read twice

Houses hold a lot of history.Year, after year multiple family’s occupy their walls, have families, raise children,Move onto make way for the next residents.So, when Claudia (survivor of sexual assault, and the demise of her marriage to Ayer )moves to the small town of Lost Valley, with her daughter Raven, she sets about taking control of her life again whilst renovating the old house she inherited from her father.What Claudia is unaware of is,… the house has a dark history.Ten years previous, a policeman ( Chad Drake) and his wife ( Heather) were murdered.Their daughter fourteen year old Zoey was left shot, and tortured in Claudia’s new home, by a gang looking for a bag full of dirty drug money….One million dollars.And they believed Chad had it hidden.While local brothers Rhett and Josh Beckham were suspected as being part of the masked gang that committed the crime, nothing stuck.However, as Claudia continues renovate while looking after her beautiful, tempestuous teenage daughter Raven( who may, or may not, to a product of rape )Rhett Beckham returns to Lost Valley, after being in prison, bringing with him his darkness.Darkness that has also left its mark on town handyman, and his younger brother Josh, along with town PI, Seth Murphy who watched that attack, informed the police, ten years ago, and never got over it.Meanwhile.There is a million dollars drug money still missing, and Rhett and some gang members haven’t forgotten, and still firmly believes it’s in that house..Meanwhile Zoey Drake, tortured victim survivor, now grown has set out on her own journey of revenge against the men who killed her parents, much to the disappointment of her Uncle ( and ex cop) Paul - her father’s stepbrother.So.We have two women, Claudia and Zoey -both have suffered unspeakable trauma.Two sets of brothers…Policeman, Chad and Paul DrakeAndRhett and Josh Beckham.Also, through into the mix a young girl searching for her identity - RavenIs she a product of a shocking crime?Does she take the dna test ?Does it matter?All these story threads come together in a shocking, nail biting ending with more than a few twists( yeah Lisa doesn’t let us down )That will have you up reading into the middle of the night.Four stars