What would you do if you thought your daughter was teaching English in Japan, only to find out she has been radicalised and involved in a plot to plant bombs in the upcoming presidential election? This is what how we meet Sajid Khan in Hunted.

Hunted has a brilliant opening chapter that sucks you right into the heart of the action. There are multiple narratives from the parents of two radicalised teenagers, one of the teenagers and the FBI trying to dodge protocol to prevent the next bombing. The pace drops a little in the middle and so did my interest. It can be implausible at points. However, it finishes well, and you will find yourself holding your breath through the last few frenetic chapters.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to review an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this. A daughter ends up involved with a terrorist group, and a father is desperate to rescue his daughter, especially as his other detail lies in a coma. Fast-paced between the race to save his daughter and to evade capture. As the book unravels, so does the truth, and it becomes clear that all is not what it seems. It becomes a battle not just about saving his daughter but also a fight to stop darker forces with the American security services.

There is a lot going on within this tale of subterfuge, terrorism and action.

A couple enter a shopping mall and soon after, a terrifying incident occurs. The key character in the aftermath is an FBI agent called Shreya who goes rogue in order to find answers to the crime she believes she understands.

There is action, unexpected plot changes and an unusual story. However, I struggled with the characters and it does require a suspension of disbelief at times. I also wasn’t aware the content was terrorism focused which isn’t something I would normally choose. I did stick with it though and found it a decent read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Vintage for the opportunity to preview.

I've read a few of Abir Mukherjee's historical novels and really enjoyed them so I was keen to see what this novel, a modern day thriller, would be like. It starts, quite literally with a bang, and doesn't let go. We meet several characters who are hunting and being hunted - as the title suggests - and the author's slick writing is fast paced, atmospheric and full of tension. I was hooked from start to finish wanting to know how everything would work out.

Each chapter in Hunted is written from the perspective of a different character. It did take me some time to get used to who was who and how they were connected to each other, but I did appreciate the insight that this approach gave me into the different characters. It also meant that I was never completely sure which characters I could trust and this added a extra element of intrigue.

Hunted is a political novel that deals with some very relevant political issues. Although I am obviously aware that the issues raised in the novel are very real, I actually know very little about it and I was fascinated to learn from the author's obviously detailed research.

The ending of Hunted is explosive and the tension rises even higher. Abir Mukherjee has plotted this story really well and I was completely gripped following the different directions in which the author took us.

I was pleased to receive an advance copy of this book for review. Unfortunately I have found it a difficult book to get into. The mix of American election politics, with a terrorist bomb plot, and the possibility of a cult at work, whilst frantic parents search for their missing young people was almost too much for me to get to grips with. At times the narrative moved quickly, at other times it became bogged down in politics, which slowed the pace down significantly. There are many characters introduced along the way, who I found it difficult to keep track of as the story progressed.
I confess that I skim read parts of the book. . Then it ended abruptly, which was disappointing. Possibly there is to be a sequel, but I would prefer to know in advance if that is the case.
It is well written, but my personal feeling is that the author has possibly chosen to cram too much into one novel.
My thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this book.

Wow! What a change of pace and style from the talented Mr Mukherjee. This is a fast-paced thriller centred around the topic of terrorism. The plot is tremendous, the characters fascinating and the writing exemplary. I was drawn into the story from the start and didn't want to stop reading. Brilliant!

An intense action-packed political thriller. I was hooked from start to finish with a gasp out loud ending. I wanted more. Easy to read full of intrigue. Politics vs terrorism but all is not as it seems. Told from multiple viewpoints, 2 parents of potential terrorists doing anything to find their children, a rougue FBI agent that can't follow orders; and a potential terrorist and a twist i didn't see coming. It's brilliant and well executed. Set in political turmoil with an election race in the USA, but it is so much more. Radicalised, racism and parental love are key themes, so a fast-paced book which also makes you think. The only negative is how the parents manage to out fox the multiple agencies in the US bordering on the unbelievable. But that did not detract from the utter brilliance of this book. The first I've read by this author, it certainly encouraged me to read his other books. I heartedly recommend reading this book. Fantastic heart in mouth excellent read.

Abir Mukherjee is best known for his five volume historical crime Wyndham and Banerjee series set in India in the 1920s. Given that, his new novel Hunted is a complete change of pace. A day-after-tomorrow (or even possibly day-after-today) thriller set in the United States featuring terrorists, politics and the FBI, but also a couple of parents who just want to save their children who have become enmeshed in the violence.
Hunted opens with the bombing of a shopping mall in Los Angeles. It is five days before the American elections and the Trumpian candidate Costa is trailing in the polls to his rival the female vice-president Greenwood and this event starts to impact the polling. Reckless but intuitive FBI agent Shreya Mistry knows there is more to this than meets the eye and despite being ordered to return to the San Diego field office takes herself to Portland where the young female bomber was last seen. Meanwhile in the UK, after being roughed up and questioned by the police Sajid Khan and his wife get a visit from a woman called Carrie who claims that their daughter Aliyah is caught up in the plot as is her son Greg. She convinces Greg to sneak into the States to try and find and save their children. The closer all of them get to the truth the more they realise that things are not quite what they seem.
Hunted is pretty standard American thriller fare of the type that we have seen recently from writers like Matthew Quirk, Chris Hauty, David Baldacci and Mike Lawson. Tropes include terrorism being used a lever for other ends, a conspiracy that might go all the way to the top, one plucky agent who keeps having to ignore orders to get to the truth, and of course a ticking clock) or more than one. But Mukherjee deploys all of these elements well and adds an element of nuance in his consideration of what makes a terrorist and how young people can be manipulated by ideologues of all stripes. And his wildcard is the introduction of the parents into the mix which adds both an amateur lens and some emotional depth, even while it makes not a lick of sense.
If Hunted succeeds it is because of this heart and that the plot moves fast enough for readers not to ask too many questions. The final act, in particular, requires so many things to have coincidentally worked and for various characters to deliberately not know things that they otherwise should have known or revealed that it is not worth thinking about. The good thing is that Mukherjee delivers engaging characters and writes in a propulsive enough style that it is easy to turn the pages and go with the vibe rather than thinking about the logic.

Not my usual sort of read but this was such an easy read I did enjoy it a lot. Told from different POV’s running along a tense and taut timeline kept the level of excitement high for the whole book. A super read for your holiday.

If you love a good thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat constantly wanting to read on, this is the book for you!

Told from the perspective of several key characters, this book grips you from the very beginning chapter where a young girl has been groomed by an activist group out to cause major political upheaval whatever the cost. Two parents race against time to try and find their children, who have been groomed to commit terrorist atrocities on a large scale. Shreya Mistry is the agent that thinks outside the box and there begins a desperate attempt to try and discover the true ambitions of the terrorists and prevent further unnecessary, brutal and cruel deaths of innocent people, including those being groomed.

I have read many terrorism themed thrillers however none have kept me turning the pages as much as this one did, I devoured it!

Also reviewed on Amazon.

This wouldn’t have been a book of choice but I’m so glad I read it. What an absolutely superb read.

Full of tense moments and twists and turns, some of which I don’t see coming until they were on top of me. This was written in several different narratives, mostly in Shreya, the special agent in the FBI and Sajid, the father of the girl on the run.

I don’t want to spoil it too much but it tells the story of Aliyah and Greg who have seemingly been recruited by terrorists - Greg is ex-army who can put the bombs together and Aliyah has been recruited by Miriam, the leader of their organisation. Greg realises all is not what it seems after a bombing in a shopping centre appears to go wrong and he knows to save himself and Aliyah, he needs to escape.

Gripping storyline 5⭐️

Sajid Khan works in a low-paid job, just scraping by but when armed police arrest him and tell him his daughter Aliyah is connected to a terrorist plot he is concerned. FBI agent Shreya is called in to investigate a bomb explosion at a shopping mall but at every turn her investigation is thwarted, seemingly from the inside. Ex-Army Greg realises that he in way over his head but doesn't know how to escape destiny. The US election is just a week away.
I had read some of Mukherjee's previous novels but not all and was quite shocked by this. Looking at the reviews it is a departure and one which will catapult his writing career to a different level. It's a real 'airport' novel, the sort of breathless thriller that sells loads but doesn't necessarily provide much substance. Of its genre its great to read but will it linger, I doubt it.

unbelievably good. fast and tense while still having enough bandwitdh to have something worthwhile to say about race, parenthood, etc. so good

Told in multiple perspectives, this thriller is fast-moving and engaging. Contemporary issues such as American elections, radicalisation, racism, and suspicion of people of colour are interwoven to produce a political thriller that grips from start to finish.

I've not read anything by this author before and I found this a fast-paced, page-turning thriller with a clever set-up.
An FBI agent is on the trail of a group of bombers in the USA, as are the parents of two of the gang members , desperate bid to find their adult children.
This was a tense novel, set against the backdrop of an American election. The ending came rather abruptly for me, and I had some unanswered questions but figure that might because there is more of this story to come down the line.
If you like a pacy thriller, this novel is recommended.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the advance reader copy of this book.

This intriguing, complex thriller is cleverly written, full of tension and suspense.
Told in multiple POV the characters were very well developed and the author manages to portray the oppression and vengeance that the characters feel as well as maintaining a menacing undercurrent running throughout the book.
The helplessness of the main characters experiencing such a believable scenario made it suspenseful throughout.
Unfortunately I found the ending very abrupt leaving several questions unanswered.
Despite the abrupt ending this novel is a tense and chilling read, told at a breathtaking pace, a real page turner.
Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley UK for the ARC

Just before the American election a bomb goes off. Parents of two of the suspects attempt to find their children before the FBI can catch them.
This results in a journey across the US in the hope of tracing them. A fast paced thriller.

Abir Mukherjee cannot write a bad or boring book, he can only write exciting, adrenaline fuelled and gripping novel regardless of the genre.
This is an excellent thriller, original and action packed. I knew I was holding my breath at times and trying to turn pages in synch with the rhytm of the story.
Read and enjoyed it.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

My first read by this author and it was a cracking one! A really fast-paced, tense political thriller.

The book starts with a terrifying piece of action, then moves settings between the UK and back to the USA, constantly reflecting on past events that have happened in both places, enabling the reader to build up a picture of the causes behind where we are now.

This plot is layered so cleverly that every time I had an inkling what was going to happen or who was responsible, the rug was well and truly pulled out from under my feet. The tensions, the pains and the urgency of so many situations were all conveyed brilliantly.

There are so many elements covered in this book, radicalism, politics, a US presidential election, the importance of family and the lengths parents go to trying to protect their children, unenviable decisions being made, relationships, terrorism, religious and cultural racism to name just a few.

For me, the lasting impact is the way the young people felt, understandably, but how they were unknowing pawns in a much bigger game that they would never comprehend. It was quite mind-blowing!

This book would make a fabulous film! It had a real feel of ‘24’ in it. Totally recommend it!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.


Hunted by Abir Mukherjee is set in America during an unspecified election year,


During the campaign a bomb explodes in a shopping mall in what looks like a suicide bombing, however FBI agent Shreya Mistry seems to think theevidence is different.

Meanwhile in England Sajid Khan whose daughter flew into America with the bomber is freed by the police after being taken in at his place of work.

Shortly after his release the mother of someone involved in the making of the bomb comes to Kahn's door and a desperate race to save their children ensues.

As a review I am having difficulty trying to review Hunted by Abir Mukherjee, not because it is a bad book, in fact it was a very enjoyable thriller to read and I can see it doing well as a beach read.

Having said that, if you take a more in depth look at the novel it fails to rise above the level of competence.


Yes you have a gripping thriller with danger above those that are directly involved, along with, the incompetence and prejudice from those who are in control,

Added into this you have a character like Sajid Khan, because of his past experiences and the death of his daughter has a mist trust of authority.

This leads to people making decisions that seem to be over the top and can lead to misunderstandings, as people interpret desperate actions done on the spur of the moment for those that are planned.

The problem I have with Hunted as a novel is that it seems to me is about the 2024 American election while desperately trying not to seem like it.

My judgement on this may be wrong and if it is I apologise, but it is being released in a USA election here so it must have been at the back of the writer's mind.

Having said that, if you are looking for a thriller that fully allows you to take a break from the world then Hunted by Abir Mukherjee is the book for you.