The Hunt For The Dingo

I couldn't not read this book after reading the description. Just sounded to good a book to miss out on.

The story is actually a relatively quick read and only took me a few hours to devour. The chapters are pretty short and snappy so you have that hard task of deciding which chapter you actually stop at to take a break. I just kept telling myself one more and then all of a sudden I was nearly half way through!

The setting couldn't be anymore perfect. You really get the whole sense of the outback and how far away from everything you can be. I kept getting the Aussie accent in my head and trying to talk the lingo. Failing miserably I may add.

The book actually kind of reminded me of a television crime series but for the life of me I can't remember it's name. I think because we jump from place to place in quite quick succession due to the chapters, it makes the whole read set at a very steady pace, quite often picking up pace quite dramatically.

I have to admit I would have liked to have got to know the main characters a bit better. There is enough to be going on with but I didn't quite get the usual connection I usually would do. The epilogue had it feeling like the story was a one off but was glad to see that there is more to come from this duo as definitely want to get to know them better. I love the pairing as Jesse being a criminal psychologist, which is something that has always fascinated me, I think guarantees just what we can look forward to in future books.

The Hunt For The Dingo is a definite must read for crime fans who love a fast moving and action packed story. It certainly had me on the edge of my seat routing for James and Sanderson to catch the killer and when all is revealed, it certainly did not disappoint!

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bloodhound Books for an advance copy of The Hunt for the Dingo, the first novel in a projected series to feature DS Lawrence James of the Melbourne police and criminal psychologist Dr Jessie Sandersen.

When criminal kingpin Cyrus Bain shoots James it unleashes a series of difficulties for him. He is the witness who can put Bain behind bars but Bain isn't keen on this and puts a bounty on James's head. As an alternative to going into hiding James is sent to the New Territory to help the local force hunt for The Dingo, a killer who went dormant for 15 years but is now back killing young English backpackers.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Hunt for the Dingo. It is a tense, taut thriller which held my attention throughout. It is not so much a whodunnit as the killer's voice is heard throughout the novel but more of a hunt for the killer and his motivations. The novel mostly concentrates on James but when he co-opts former journalist, Adrian Marsh, to help with research his point of view is introduced, as it that of Cyrus Bain as he plots his revenge. This scattergun approach should make for a choppy read but I was so caught up in the story that I welcomed every scrap of information available and didn't find it distracting as I usually do. I think the short chapters keep the novel punchy and the reader immersed.

I enjoyed the writing as well. It has an inviting style which had me hooked from the first page. I'm not sure how to describe it, down to earth and plain with a dash of cop humour is my best stab but whatever it is I found it addictive.

The plot itself requires a certain suspension of disbelief, especially on how often James can survive potentially deadly attacks, but it becomes amusing after a while - I'm sure he must be a Weeble - and the motivation is not original although firmly grounded in reality but it is an exhilarating read.

I like James as a protagonist. He is smart and determined but doesn't take himself too seriously. He is well drawn and comes across as both human and very likeable. Sandersen is not nearly as well drawn and comes across as the token dame, there for glamour rather than contribution. Perhaps this will change in the next novel.

The Hunt for the Dingo is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

The first thing that attracted me to this book is that it is set in Australia, a Country I absolutely love.

The story follows a police officer, Lawrence James, and police psychologist, Jesse Sanderson, as they hunt for a serial killer dubbed The Dingo, all whilst James avoids being killed by a hitman sent by Cyrus Bain, a master criminal, who James is trying to put away for a long time.

The book is very fast paced, with short chapters meaning you can either read a couple of chapters at a time if you are short on time, or read the whole thing really quickly under the presumption that you are going to just read one more chapter and then another one. It was a very easy read for me as I love these kinds of books, especially with this one as it had the added suspense of the police officer being hunted by a third party at the same time.

Overall I thought it was a brilliant read with a lot of suspense as the killer has to be caught before he kills again.