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The Red Hunter
The Red Hunter
The Red Hunter
Audiobook11 hours

The Red Hunter

Written by Lisa Unger

Narrated by Julia Whelan

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

4.5/5

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About this audiobook

What is the difference between justice and revenge? In this “heart-stopping thriller” (Publishers Weekly) with “plenty of action” (Kirkus Reviews) by New York Times bestselling author Lisa Unger, two wronged women on very different paths find themselves in the same dark place…

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.

The Red Hunter succeeds as a suspense novel on every level. It has a meticulously-woven plot, multi-layered characters, and the irony most desired by storytellers: Where the reader can’t wait to see how it ends, but then is remorseful when it does.” —Sandra Brown, #1 New York Times bestselling author
LanguageEnglish
Release dateApr 25, 2017
ISBN9781508233459
Author

Lisa Unger

Lisa Unger is a NYT and internationally bestselling author. Her books are published in 32 languages, with millions of copies sold worldwide. In 2019, she received two Edgar Award nominations, an honor held by only a few writers including Agatha Christie. Her work has been named on "Best Book" lists from Today, People, GMA, EW, Amazon, IndieBound and many others. She has written for the NYT, WSJ, NPR, and Travel+Leisure. She lives in Florida with her family.

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Reviews for The Red Hunter

Rating: 4.2540192694533765 out of 5 stars
4.5/5

311 ratings37 reviews

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Absolutely riveting. Intricate characters, I felt for each one. And then shocking twists as well.

    4 people found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Interesting characters with a fast moving, interesting, and suspenseful story. I will be reading more of this author’s books!

    2 people found this helpful

  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    decent it hold your interest. Somewhat hard to follow each character story as it jumps around a lot and main female characters have similarities.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I enjoyed the narration and the old house… but that’s about it.
    The story itself was a tornado of implausible lifetime movie tropes… murders, stolen/hidden money, vigilantism, rape, paternity tests, affairs, dysfunctional brothers, rumors of dirty cops … I have no problem suspending belief for entertainment purposes but when you have ALLLLL of those things going in one book… no, just no.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I need more! This is the first book I've listened to from Lisa Unger and it was fantastic. I'll be listening to more of her books!

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    this book was very suspenseful, and storylines were well woven together!

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Good Advice for readers of this book: Take your time with this one. It's not a speed read. It's one to really immerse yourself in and enjoy. You get to know and love the characters through glimpses of their past and their present. More than a mystery or thriller, this is a book about strong women: warriors. They're fighters. They are very different and they fight in different ways for different things, but their traumatic past and determination to make their future their own unites them.
    Claudia has undertaken a new project: renovating a giant old house. She's also writing a blog about it, and with blogging, remodeling, and caring for her teenage daughter... she has her hands full. Daughter Raven is having some trouble adjusting to her new school. Beautiful in the kind of way that can make some other women viciously jealous, she's not fitting in. The blog is not Claudia's first. She also documented her recovery process after she was brutally raped years ago. That was the night Raven was conceived. Because she was with her husband earlier that terrible night, they're unsure who Raven's biological father is. Her real father is without a doubt Ayers, Claudia's ex-husband who lives in the city and is everything a father should be to Raven. They've always been honest with their daughter, and now that Raven is getting older she wants to know for sure exactly where she comes from.
    Zoey lives in the city, miles away. She's trained in martial arts, closed off, and a bit of a vigilante. She spends most of her time devoted to teaching young women to defend themselves, turning "kittens into dragons". She, of all people, would know the importance of the training. She was the survivor of a home invasion where her mother and father were killed and she was tortured. The men who broke into her house that night were after something they didn't get... and it might still be hidden.
    The house where Zoey experienced the worst night of her life and the house Claudia is lovingly trying to transform is one and the same. And neither woman's troubles are over. Characters form the past are reappearing, and they're after something they would kill for.
    Lots of characters to keep track of here, I had to look back a few times but it was so worth it. This is a great book, gripping and absorbing.
    Excellent and well-written book very organized and interesting take on the actions of the heroine. In the end, she got her life back and many more purposes for what actually went wrong. Seeking the very truth sometimes ends up not being what we want to believe.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Fast read. My favorite POV was Zoey's. Always good to throw in a psychopath.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is a great story about what is the meaning of family. It also deals a lot on how people faced trauma differently. All that wrapped up in a thrilling storyline and quite a surprising ending.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Fast pace--gripping story. I can see it as a movie. A little bit of Girl with the Dragon Tatoo -character in it.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is my first book from this author. I enjoyed the book and the narration!

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The book started out moving from character to character. But after a few chapters you start seeing how they are going to intermingle later on. I couldn’t stop listening to it. The narrator did a wonderful job too.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book is so good! Julia Whalen is my favorite narrator. She makes audiobooks so much more than they probably would have been. I definitely love Lisa unger. This is the second book I’ve listened to and there’s always a really good twist you didn’t see coming. Would definitely recommend.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This story had enough mystery, excitement, and of course somewhat of a happy ending to make it interesting throughout the whole book. My only question is what happened to Seth?
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Very suspenseful. Liked the way writer unveiled characters lives. Recommend
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I am hooked on Lisa Unger. After this book, I can’t wait for all the others. She is fantastic!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is the first time I've heard anything written by Lisa Unger, and I'm going to seek out more of her work now. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There were many layers to it. I liked the parallel lives that she wrote about - that live unaware of each other yet share the story because of the farmhouse. They're believable characters and well developed. There is suspense, but I'd call this more a psychological novel that studies human nature and the choices we make, based upon our life experience(s). Highly recommend.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Excellent! I thoroughly enjoyed this book! A thriller and suspenseful, even though at times you knew what was going to happen (or thought you knew), it was just for a moment bc there’d be an unexpected twist. I appreciate how the author gave closure to all the characters individual stories. I loved the strength of all the female characters, especially. And as always I LOVED the flawless narration by Julia Whelan. She is my favorite narrator. Just an excellent book all around! I’m looking forward to more from this fantastic author.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Excellent and exciting, love the author and the narrator pulled me in!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I loved Julia Whelan’s narration, she is always amazing. Story was great!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A very good novel. Will keep you want to read more
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I’m not the biggest thriller fan but I did enjoy this one. Great story and characters.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    4.5 stars
    Lisa Unger weaves gripping stories with lots of layers. Raven is the child of Aires and Claudia and a child with lots of questions and teenage rage. Zoe has a troubling past from a home invasion in her childhood with terrible consequences. Both are making their own lives attempting to write some wrongs and move on from their troubled pasts. When they meet on common ground, Claudia farmhouse Renovation project and Zoe's site of her childhood trauma. It's going to leave you gasping and questioning many things. Great resolution and wonderfully paced. The very talented Julie Whalen narrates the audio book. For a double treat, listen and enjoy.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I really enjoyed this book! I thought it kept your attention all of the way through the entire thing!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The Red Hunter by Lisa Unger is a 2017 Touchstone publication. A horrific home invasion, and a certain unresolved element of the crime, still haunts one survivor, who is now bent on seeing justice done- or maybe it’s just good old-fashioned revenge? Meanwhile, a new family moves into the long empty house- a single mother, with a teenage daughter, who are also recovering from and dealing with the aftereffects of violence. The new owners are unaware of the property’s criminal past- but will find out soon enough... This book has reached my ‘five-year’ rule date, (a bit overdue, really), which I established a little while back to help me tame my TBR list. Naturally, I am not going to remove a Lisa Unger novel off the pile without reading it. So, here we are…It is always nice to have a good crime fiction novel stashed back, though, and because Lisa Unger is a favored author, I do have a tendency to stockpile her books so I’ll always have one on hand while I wait for her next release- though now I have a stack of them I need to read. Back in 2017, I might have held this book to a higher standard because I’d have been comparing it to the quality of other thrillers released during that time- but with the current crop of mystery/thrillers remaining tepid and ‘meh’- this one really stood out by comparison. I was totally absorbed in the drama, the various moral conundrums, while the atmosphere was thick with foreboding. The story is gritty at times, and evoked some deep emotions- the characters are well-drawn and the revelations were not just stunning twists, but were gut-punching, too. Overall, this is very solid, engrossing effort by Unger. Now I need to get started on her other back-listed titles languishing on my Kindle… 4 + stars
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I enjoy this one. I always enjoy Lisa Unger's books. I wouldn't say it was one of her best. Not a lot of plot twists. Worth the read though.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Claudia Bishop and her husband Ayers had a perfect life and perfect marriage until one night when she was brutally raped by a stranger who broke into their apartment. Claudia found out she was pregnant soon afterward and chose to believe Ayers was the father. They are now divorced and for some bizarre reason they felt compelled to inform their daughter Raven that her father potentially could have been a rapist. Raven is now fifteen and is contemplating a paternity test to find out who her real biological father is.

    In the meantime, Claudia has decided to remodel an old farmhouse that her father once owned and that, unbeknownst to her, has a violent history. The family that lived there were all murdered in a horrific home invasion, with the exception of Zoey Drake, the daughter. Zoey now lives in New York and is hell bent on a plan of revenge. The two women, both who have lived through personal trauma, are now on a path that will connect them to some very violent criminals.

    Lisa Unger is a fantastic writer who flawlessly weaves together a fascinating thriller narrated through the eyes of several characters. This novel explores the gray area of revenge or forgiveness. The ending is filled with suspense and all the loose ends are tied up in an engrossing and believable way. I highly recommend anything written by Lisa Unger.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Two women, two crimes, one house, and they are strangely linked together. Claudia Bishop was happily married, when she was raped in her home. She tries to rise above the horrible crime that victimized her. She has a beautiful daughter, Raven. When her marriage falls apart, she moves to Hidden Valley, a small town outside New York. Her father had purchased the property with a house and barn years before and when he died, he left it to her. Zoey Drake witnessed the murder of her parents and was herself tortured inside that house ten years earlier. She did not try to rise above the crime, she became "The Red Hunter" with the goal of revenge.

    All three of the female characters are strong women, although sometimes doubt their decisions. The relationship between Raven and Claudia is amazing. They have their normal mother/daughter issues, but they are honest and share information with one another that perhaps should not have been shared. Claudia never wants to know if Raven was the result of the rape and raises her to believe that her father is her father. Raven grows in this story and learns to become a more self-confident person. Zoey, is small but mighty. She tries to help others find their strength and tries to protect those being hurt, but she has such anger inside that nothing seems to help. She and her Uncle Paul have a loving father/daughter relationship and she takes care of him as he has emphysema, but she is very much a wanderer and is searching for whatever can bring her peace, if anything can.

    This book is a mystery, who killed Zoey's parents as well as a psychological thriller. It kept me on the edge of my seat as I wanted to know what would happen next. This is not a neat and tidy story, there is some violence and still some mystery left at the end, but it is a good book that I recommend any thriller or mystery lover to read. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book to read, and I thank them as Lisa Unger is one author that I read all of her books.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    There are several characters intertwined with multiple storylines that makes this, at times, a difficult read to sort out. I've read several Lisa Unger books and have always found her to be very good at writing a story that is suspenseful as well as "spooky" at times. I think the entire essence of the story was the question of "how would you react if something horrible and violent happens to you?".
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    What’s it about . . .Two women, strangers to each other, each experienced a horrific trauma in their past.Claudia Bishop’s life fell apart after a brutal assault left her with constant anxiety and a crumbling marriage. She is now rebuilding her life and has immersed herself in a home restoration project.Zoey Drake experienced trauma as a child when her parents were murdered and she barely survived the attack. The crime was never solved. She has spent subsequent years training in the martial arts hoping to someday find the people responsible for killing her parents.The two women are destined to meet. The house that is providing Claudia with the hope of rebuilding her life is the same house where Zoey’s parents were murdered. And urban legend says that a million dollars is hidden somewhere in that house – money stolen from drug dealers.What did I think . . .I enjoyed this psychological thriller. It had lots of action, a tight plot, fast pacing, and a tense storyline. The narration switches between Claudia and Zoey in what first appears to be two unrelated stories. Gradually, connections are revealed, secrets are exposed, and their stories converge in an exciting ending.I read a lot of psychological fiction and although I guessed the twist at the end, I still found it very entertaining.Audio production . . .The audio was read by Julia Whelan. Excellent performance. She is a pleasure to listen to. Because the point of view switches and occasionally recounts the past, the listener needs to pay a little extra attention, but overall a fine performance and one that audio listeners both new to the format and experienced will enjoy.