TBR Day: HUNTERS SALVATION by Shiloh Walker

HUNTER'S SALVATION by Shiloh Walker. Copyright July 2007. Read an excerpt here. Second installment of Keishon's TBR Day Challenge.

Update on the whole tbr project: I have continued to read several older print books but some of them I'm acquiring on recommends so I can't really say they are from my tbr pile mountain. I do feel good about doing two thorough sorts this past month and I had the good fortune to come across this months selection.

I've been reading Shiloh Walker's work I believe since her first e-pub book at Ellora's Cave. One of the things I most appreciate about her work is that she's an eclectic writer. She's written contemporaries as well as the paranormal Hunter series and covered a wide range of subjects. I'm particularly looking forward to reading THROUGH THE VEIL her June 3, 2008 release from Berkley Sensation.

I've read all the Hunter books but was still surprised when I checked Ms. Walker's website to see that Salvation was book 11 in the series. While characters from other books appear in this book. It's completely stand alone and you wouldn't have any trouble reading or understanding the Hunter world if this is the first book of the series you read.

This book is the story about Vax and Jessica. Vax is a former Hunter who is a powerful witch and an empath who follows a "call" from his ranch in Montana to Indianapolis. Jessica Warner is a reporter in Indianapolis who happens to have telekinetic abilities.

Jessica is following a story about the mysterious disappearance and murders of several young women when her own sister is abducted and killed. Since Jess's sister is a very strong empath and when her broken body is found Jess picks up the horrors of her torture and death. Jess is even more determined, almost suicidal, to find the men responsible for her sister's death.

Even though Vax is retired from the Hunters, no longer having the stomach for the work, he cannot dismiss the call to find the evil lurking in Indianapolis. This particular city is not under the guardianship of any Hunter master so Vax feels honor bound to check out what's going on. Almost immediately upon his arrival he meets Jess at a night club which is one of the few links some of the missing women share. The police haven't been able to tie the club to any of the murders, but both Jess and Vax are there because they know there's more going on than meets the eye.

This isn't a typical seeking vengeance sort of book. In fact I tip my hat to Ms. Walker for having her characters, for the most part, act in a reasonable and rational manner. One of my pet peeves is when characters do something really stupid and foolish. Something that no rational minded person would consider doing. Vax comes close to this near the end of the book, but I think a reasonable explanation for his actions are given however misguided they are. I chalked it up to being a pig headed male.

There is an HEA for Vax and Jess and I'm glad it isn't a contrived or a wholly expected one. My only question is why this was in my tbr? This was an easy, quick enjoyable read.