Blurb
DI Hunter Wilson is looking forward to spending a holiday in India with his girlfriend Dr Meera Sharma, away from the cold, wet winter of Edinburgh. He looks to share his happiness with others when he is attacked by Santa Claus, he says. His team swing into action to catch his attackers but then receive information about an elf found dead in a car park and a car stolen by Mrs Claus. Are the crimes by these Christmas characters connected? Can Hunter’s team restore peace and good will to Christmas?
Hunter’s Christmas and Other Stories includes tales about DI Hunter Wilson and DS Jane Renwick along with those about new and different characters in this gripping collection of short stories especially for crime fiction readers.
Review
As always, Val Penny does a great job with her character dynamics. While Hunter's team investigate a series of brutal crimes, the snarky dialogue between them creates some great black comedy. A lot of this stems from how incredulous the detectives are that Hunter was attacked by Santa. In one example, DC Tim Myerscough gives Hunter an ice skating magazine as a joke, which Hunter is...not amused by. Speaking of which, Hunter himself becomes determined to close the case, despite having a broken wrist and leg. All in all, it's another great crime thriller in a city with a small town feel.
Of course, that's not the only story in the collection. I'll take the time to talk through some of my favourites:
- "The Bruntsfield Book Group" follows DS Jane Renwick and DC Rachael Anderson as they go to a highland lodge for an annual retreat organised by a book group Rachael's a member of. At the lodge, another member of the group - a former Lord Provost named Simon - is murdered. Stuck in the remote lodge in heavy snow without a mobile or WiFi signal, Jane learns that all the other members had an axe to grind with the victim. It's a classic murder mystery scenario, and really plays up the "asshole victim" trope with some truly poignant exposition.
- "In Plain Sight" follows a drama between four high school friends in Charlottesville over the span of eleven years: Jerome Sheriff, his fiancée Barbara "Babs" Potter, Andy Wright, and Andy's girlfriend Lillian. Kicked off by an incident between Andy and Jerome at a university graduation party hosted by Andy Wright's wealthy family, it later seems to be resolved when Babs is hired to design a new garden for Lillian (now Andy's wife), and Andy offers Jerome a highly lucrative job at his father's accounts firm. What follows lays bare the evils of capitalism, with workaholic culture destroying family life and even targeting integrity, all with the empty promise of wanting for nothing.
- "The Corpse in the Catacombs" provides a story with a weird element. Taking place in Paris and told from a first-person perspective, we follow Elise and her grandparents as they are visited by Elise's rude and impulsive cousin Cossette. During her stay, Cossette expresses a desire to see the Catacombs, but it's clear that she has no intention of visiting respectfully. It grows tense when she disappears, and the payoff is harsh.
There are plenty of other stories, some of which are part of Val's ongoing Hunter Wilson and Jane Renwick series, and some which are stories of their own. They're not all Christmas stories (so I don't feel too silly about posting this in January), but they certainly do have their fair share of gruesome moments. All in all, I thoroughly recommend it.
Hunter's Christmas and Other Stories is available from Amazon here.
About the Author
Val Penny has an Llb degree from the University of Edinburgh and her MSc from Napier University. She has had many jobs including hairdresser, waitress, banker, azalea farmer and lecturer but has not yet achieved either of her childhood dreams of being a ballerina or owning a candy store.
Until those dreams come true, she has turned her hand to writing poetry, short stories, nonfiction books, and novels. Her novels are published by SpellBound Books Ltd.
Val is an American author living in SW Scotland. She has two adult daughters of whom she is justly proud and lives with her husband and their cat.
Happy writing.
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