Gervais crafts intelligent and thoughtful thriller

“Hunt Them Down” (Thomas and Mercer) by Simon Gervais

Pierce Hunt has returned from a six-month forced leave after a reporter is injured during a bust even though it’s not Hunt’s fault.

On his first day back, he’s assigned to assist the transfer of a high-profile drug cartel target named Vicente Garcia. It’s personal for Hunt since he’s responsible for bringing Garcia to justice at the cost of his marriage. He also fell in love with Garcia’s daughter. When the convoy is ambushed, Hunt barely survives. Then he learns that the people responsible are not only attempting to take over the lucrative drug business, they have also kidnapped Garcia’s granddaughter and a friend of hers who happens to be Hunt’s daughter.

The new head of the cartel could not be more ruthless, and if it means killing the girls to have her demands met, so be it. Hunt has to not only work with Garcia’s daughter, the woman he tried to forget and who loathes him after his betrayal, he also has to work against the very principles he swore to uphold.

In “Hunt Them Down,” Gervais has crafted an intelligent and thoughtful thriller that mixes family dynamics with explosive action. Heroes who fight impossible odds while being likable characters are always welcome in the world of genre fiction. The possibilities are endless in this new series, and this will easily find an enthusiastic audience craving Hunt’s next adventures. Jeff Ayers, AP