The Hunter by Jennifer Herrera

THE HUNTER by Jennifer Herrera is a complex blend of police procedural, psychological study, and murder mystery – pretty impressive for a debut novel. The main character is Leigh O’Donnell, an impulsive former NYPD detective. She’s relocating, at least temporarily, to Copper Falls, Ohio where her brother is on the police force and has wrangled a job for her. Corruption abounds in the small town, but Leigh is more interested in solving the multiple homicides: three men died recently in a pattern similar to that of several years ago when three high school students were also found dead near the falls. Questions about drug use, a history of illegal activities, and thwarted family relationships add to the tension and the elaborate plot. Herrera is not afraid of raising questions about discrimination, abuse of power, and the lies we tell ourselves. For me, that connected to some real world reflection in the New York Times piece “What These 11 Cops Think People Don’t Understand About Crime.” I am curious to see how Herrera further develops some of these themes in future adventures for Leigh O’Donnell, a brash risk-taker with extraordinary insight. THE HUNTER by Jennifer Herrera received a starred review from Publishers Weekly.