GENE HACKMAN brings his richly diverse literary voice to a gripping
new thriller that pits a devoted police sergeant against a predator who
may cost her everything that matters.
“I’ll say this for the last time. Take your hand off the shotgun.” In a tense standoff with a shopping mall shooter, Sergeant Juliette Worth has the suspect about to surrender—then in a few explosive seconds, she takes him down.
Usually a by-the-book cop, Julie has too much at stake, raising her daughter on her own, to break protocol—until the mall killer pushes her over the line. Instead of kudos for saving his hostage, the Missouri State Criminal Investigation Unit hands Julie cold case duty. Among the forgotten files, she uncovers a disturbing connection between disappearances from years ago—all pretty girls, all presumed runaways. Now Julie’s instincts have her hunting a predator still very much in the picture. Someone who pulls Julie into a harrowing chase—by abducting her own daughter. . . .
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| AMAZON |
“I’ll say this for the last time. Take your hand off the shotgun.” In a tense standoff with a shopping mall shooter, Sergeant Juliette Worth has the suspect about to surrender—then in a few explosive seconds, she takes him down.
Usually a by-the-book cop, Julie has too much at stake, raising her daughter on her own, to break protocol—until the mall killer pushes her over the line. Instead of kudos for saving his hostage, the Missouri State Criminal Investigation Unit hands Julie cold case duty. Among the forgotten files, she uncovers a disturbing connection between disappearances from years ago—all pretty girls, all presumed runaways. Now Julie’s instincts have her hunting a predator still very much in the picture. Someone who pulls Julie into a harrowing chase—by abducting her own daughter. . . .
A Reader's Opinion
This was a surprise read for me, and I'll admit I picked it up because I'm a fan of Gene Hackman, the actor. I was curious what he could do as a writer. Pursuit is an edgy thriller that reads a little like some of Hackman's movies, and it was a great ride. Julie Worth is an interesting character. I'm not sure if she was supposed to be likable because that wasn't my initial reaction, but I liked her all the same. Charles Clegg—a veritable bad guy—gives a whole new meaning to evil. You don't often see serial killers written with such control, but this one does, and it's beyond creepy. There were some predictable moments, but even then, the suspense and pace didn't ease up. With an interesting cast of secondary characters, and a few surprises, this is one thrill ride that leaves a reader wanting more from this author.
Content note: There is a lot more language than I prefer to read in a book, but otherwise it was a surprisingly clean read for the darker subject matter.
