A Dylan Hunter Justice Thriller (Dylan Hunter Thrillers Book 1)

At the core of HUNTER lies the culmination of years of study and investigation of the criminal justice system and the correctional system in the United States.

At its heart lives an entirely different animal. A classic love story infused with joy and sorrow, trust and doubt, but most of all genuine uncontrolled passion.

Robert Bidinotto, a well known and respected voice in the arena of crime and punishment has taken these elements and blended them into a truly stunning first novel.

HUNTER A Thriller easily lives up to its title. What seemingly begins as another battle in the world of espionage quickly takes on overtones of betrayal of another sort which hits closer to home.

Annie Woods, a special CIA investigator, has discovered a traitor. But what she doesn't know is how this revelation is about to change her life in unexpected ways. Perhaps forever.

Dylan Hunter is a free-lance investigative reporter who specializes in reporting on the often times outrageous circumstances and outcomes surrounding justice system verdicts. And the even more outrageous lack of attention and respect and true justice given to the victims of crime.

A brutal attack on an unsuspecting couple becomes the catalyst for these two loners to meet. They each carry the baggage of past betrayals but incredibly to both, sparks fly , and they soon find themselves inseparable.

But when a series of unusual killings occur, Dylan and Annie suddenly find themselves unexpectedly at odds. Feelings of mistrust and doubt come to a head as they each find reasons to suspect the other is not who they seem.

And through it all, an enemy who is the embodiment of evil, has them both in his sights.

In a shocking and thrilling climax, Dylan and Annie face not only that supreme evil and danger but also their fears and doubts about each other.

And what they discover may not be what they expect.

Robert Bidinotto has truly written an exciting and thoughtful novel. He has expertly woven many traditional and, interestingly to me, non-traditional elements to create a reading experience. I truly felt I was actually there in the room with these characters which made the experience all the more real to me. Included is a cast of colorful supporting characters which is always important and I hope will appear in future installments.

Dylan and Annie were very real to me. Very genuine. Their love story is integral to the feel of this whole experience which is somewhat unusual for a thriller. But it works beautifully and is a special treat for readers. In no way does it slow the pace of the story. In fact, I was just as impatient to see what was going to happen to their relationship as I was to see the resolution of the novel's premise.

Special attention should be given to Bidinotto's many years of work investigating crime and punishment in America and the absurdities that have been wrought. He has skillfully brought attention to these issues in the story, especially that of the wrongs done to the victims of crime. We should all take note.

Read HUNTER. You won't be disappointed.

Hunter is the best book I've read in a while. I couldn't put this book down. The story and characters were riveting. The story grabs you on page one and doesn't let up till the last page. I would recommend this book and and am anxiously awaiting the next book.

I just read "The Hunter" and liked it on two levels. The novel kept my attention as an enjoyable action and romance story. And, the novel explored the important and controversial issue of the softening of the American justice system in recent decades, along with the related issue of philanthropic efforts gone wrong. I recommend reading "The Hunter" and I look forward to the next in the series!

John Christmas, author of "Democracy Society"

Hard to believe this is a first novel: the first real "page-turner" I have picked up in years. Great action, morality and the ability to leave us wanting more, more, more! The fact that the author has experienced many of these stories, first-hand, made it even more compelling. Where do I sign up for more "Dylan Hunter"?

So very disappointing. This is way beyond any premise of reality. Mr. Bidinotto is a born again preacher of what? Who knows? Only his "hero" should be immune from the justice system - because he is beyond wealthy and has supreme judgement on who should live and who should die? What a load of poo!. How in the heck did this become a best seller?

Hunter by Robert Bidinotto is truly fantastic. Absolutely one of the very best books I have read. Nonstop action and intrigue that won't let you put the book down....AND... a "wonderful" ending! A fiction book highlighting the lack of justice that has embraced our legal system... a must read!

If you check my previous reviews you'll find that I am usually a very positive reviewer, but I just couldn't get through this book. It was too black and white and good guys and bad guys without nuance. And characters that are just stereotypes. Sorry!

I feel robbed, having paid real money to buy a series of homilies on how soft the criminal justice system is, how people who take action always know best, how people with unpopular ideas are invariably fools and impediments to the American way. This writer gets a star because he can write in complete sentences, but that's the only good thing I can say. Save your money.

Good plot, nice character development, decent vocabulary - but as many of these e-books seem to do, this one suffers from poor editing. I would definitely like to see more from Dylan Hunter - but please don't make me suffer through another bout of inadequate editing; even if we all have to pay $1 more each to cover the extra expense, it would be worth it!

Too much bravado early and a little too much political rhetoric on crime and punishment. Listened to the book on audible, loved the narrator, but it took 3/4 of the book to get past character development and into some action. At first I thought the book was going to be a CIA thriller, but was disappointed when it shifted to a politically-oriented stand against plea bargains and parole. Not sure if I'll read another of his books.

Haven't been this engaged by a novel in quite a while. A rare action thriller that also integrates and explores important philosophical/ moral questions in a consistent narrative. Can't wait for more Hunter action and philosophy in the future.

Fast moving, easy to read and breathtaking till the last moment. Maybe a bit too much technical info on weapons, but that is subject to the interest of the reader. Makes you long to read another Dylan Hunter.

I managed to read up to 49% of this disturbingly one-dimensional, relentlessly preachy, narrowly focused screed before finally deleting it and looking up other one star reviews - just to see if I'm not alone in my opinion that Robert Bidinotto's book is one of the worst I've ever attempted to read. I appear to be in good company. ALL of the comments are spot on - including our common regrets that we actually PAID to download it and that we'd all like our money back. I would not like to meet Bidinotto or any of his fans in a dark alley, much less anywhere else, since his book's basic premise supports ideologically driven acts of revenge and vigilante "justice".

I wish I had not read through this book.
The Author has brought vigilante justice into a crusade which he has promoted successfully in real life. But that does not mean that he can write good thrillers.
The characters are not well drawn out and the sub plots poor. The romantic interludes irritating.
More needs to be done if Hunter is to become a successful series

Whereas I commend the author on his writing skills in composing an exciting thriller, the inherent social justice theme reflects the simplistic views of Ayn Rand, whom he acknowledges as being influential in his life. In essence, Dylan Hunter is John Galt with a gun.

I try to encourage authors, especially new authors, but it also need to be honest.
For some reason the author occasionally gets in the habit of using choppy, short, non-sentences. Too many small, seldom mentioned characters, which makes their important nuances difficult to follow.
I still found the book interesting, just not highly recommended.

This is a decent read, but I don't get the four and five star reviews. Maybe the author's prison-release hobby-horse, which he beats to death at every opportunity, appeals to those reviewers. I found it distracting and a little simple-minded. Of course, nobody in their right mind wants early release for prisoners who remain a threat to others. But we famously have the highest incarceration rate in the world, thanks largely to the notorious "war on drugs," which has put tens of thousands of people in prison for nonviolent and even victimless offenses. Contrary to what Bidinotto preaches, sentences have gotten longer over the last few years, due in part to mandatory minimums and "3-strikes" type laws. So sure, keep Willie Horton in the slammer but let's not get carried away and send every recreational drug user to a place where he can learn to be a serious criminal. And speaking of prisons, I'm sure there are some "resort" prisons--that's where you will find mainly white-collar types. But read about Pelican Bay for a different story. And finally, harkening back to my remark about simple-mindedness, if I'd read the end matter first and learned that this author is a big Ayn Rand fan, I'd have been prepared for his sermonizing. But I probably would not have read the book. (P.S. Bidinotto (in the afterword) seems proud of the fact that his Willie Horton investigations helped George H.W. Bush beat Michael Dukakis in 1988. He does not mention that Ronald Reagan also signed off on the release of prisoners in California who went on to commit further violent crimes. Selective reporting?)

If I wanted to be preached to, I'd read the bible. The writer consistently inserts his own phony "law and order" philosophy into the story. This distracts from the characters and the plot and makes the writer seem like a rank amateur. Don't waste your time: try Child, Baldacci, Connelly, Crais, Rosenfelt or Gimenez instead.

While I was fairly intrigued to find out where the story was going, his over the top political agenda completely ruined the book for me. The preachy way he talks about the criminal justice system is so pervasive that I could barely get through the book. If he had cut back on the liberal bashing and long winded tirades against the criminal justice system I might have been able to extract some enjoyment form reading the book. However, I would never recommend this book. You get enough vitriolic attacks watching political debates, I read books like this to escape. If he wants to write an indictment against the criminal justice system write a non fiction book, and then I won't pick it up by mistake. On a finer point I think the prisons he speaks of must be an anomaly (if they even exist), I have worked in or toured numerous prisons in multiple states and none of them had the amenities he espoused they had.

How to describe this book. Well it arrived in a sturdy box, undamaged.
There were no stains or marks on the contents. And THAT is why it recieved Two Stars.
It went downhill at a dangerous
angle when it was opened to the first page. It is a nice book. Just not an interesting
or entertaining one. It however, if anyone is interested in a silly premise or prepostorous presentation, just
what you may be looking for, Obviously, not m.
I found myself looking at two squirels playing in a tree outside of my
reading area. I got up to make coffee. Saw a neighbor and went to chat for a bit.
Shopped for tonight's din din (a lovely and spicy stir fry) I went back to the book and soon
was off preparing rice.
Final comment. This book and it's author get no second chance. Boring. Simply boring.

The story begins with a sting to capture a traitorous CIA chief. Annie Woods was the analyst that uncovered his activities and was responsible for bringing him down. Her efforts gain her the attention of Grant Garrett, a reknowned agent heading up a special intelligence division in Langley, who asks her to join his team. When an assassination takes place at a highly secretive safe house location, Grant and Annie realize they have another insider at large.

The beginning of this story really piqued my interest and I was prepared to settle into an intriguing espionage-type thriller. However, it quickly segued to a vigilante style killing in the Washington, DC area. The victim was responsible for a brutal crime where he was able to get off easy because of his juvenile status. The victim had been the focus of a recent article written by a mysterious writer named Dylan Hunter. As Hunter releases more articles highlighting other offenders receiving light or no sentences for heinous crimes, the subjects start dropping like flies as a result of the vigilante killer. In the meantime, Annie and Dylan, who meet through a mutual relationship, embark on a personal, passionate love affair.

It soon becomes clear that there is a clear delineation in this story of who is considered good and those evil. The legal and criminal justice system is indicted here, with those that are part of the system that provides aid and support to defendants in the evil column and law enforcement on the good side. My issue isn't with the position taken about an obviously flawed system but with the absolute sense of imbalance in portrayal of the players. It was impossible to avoid the underlying political agenda of the story and it interfered with me being able to rationally evaluate the point of view. And, the shameless celebration of the vigilante killer seemed to undermine that point of view. By the end of the story, I was frustrated, disappointed and glad to escape the diatribe.

I'm big on law and order and have little tolerance for a perpetrator's circumstances leading up to their commitment of crimes. But, I also recognize that all those involved in the system of protection and rehabilitation of those accused of a crime aren't blinded to the realities of their clients. This story doesn't attempt to provide realistic characterizations and ends up with oblique parodies that I found offensive. I was unable to ignore what I know to be true to suspend belief for this story. The writer missed an opportunity to more effectively sway the reader to his point of view and fails to engage the reader more positively.

I was turned off by this story and regret having read it. It doesn't invite meaningful discourse about our system of justice but celebrates a different kind of criminal behavior. I regret having bought the book and read this story.

Over the top with the kill everyone"I" I believe is evil! Maybe if the book started by really creating an underdog that needed saving but this begins with the "kill them because the judges and juries are wrong, prison inmates live a life of luxury, and I the great one will fix this by killing all the bad guys." Step two,then, would be to get rid of the judges and jurists as they are stupid. Terrible book!!

This book is a like a cartoon without the pictures. It was very difficult to finish, and I stopped reading about a quarter of the way through. One rule I have, though, regarding books: finish. This book has made me revisit that rule. The story was so predictable, the characters so flat, their behavior so incongruous or comical, and the the propaganda so intense, that finishing the book actually was like serving jail time.

I suspect that this author regards "nuance" as a dirty word. He identifies Ayn Rand as a positive influence. His world is black and white as defined by him, and you are a fool, hack or "enabler" if you disagree with him.

The only surprise in this book arises from trying to guess how many cliches can the author fit into it (more than I would have thought possible - so the book has that going for it, at least). As a right-wing screed, I suppose it has some value; but even that is marginal.

I've read plenty of thiller books in my day and this book should be listed as a romance novel because it was definitely not a thriller. It was very cliche and predictable, with most of the plot being centerd on if the main characters could ever trust enough to love. The characters ended up being both boring and annoying. With a climatic "fight" that was yawn worthy at best this book failed to garner any hint of excitement. As I said if it was listed as a romance story,as it should be, I wouldn't even comment but it says its a "thriller" in the title and it falls way short of thrilling.

it is true we like hapy endings and a few common elements in a thriller, but this one is one cliché after another. there's nothing new or in the least intriguing. it is predictable, borring and lacks elemental common sense. i'm sorry for the money i paid but sorrier for the wasted time for read it. i put it a star because there is no option fon none.

Simply put this book HUNTER: A Thriller (A Dylan Hunter Thriller) was a total waste of time and money. At best it can be described as a bad romance intertwined with an even worse thriller. Poorly written with an improbable story line. I have nothing against the theme itself but please make it sound plausible! Don't offend me by telling me a story of an ex-agent going on a killing spree of criminals and then getting away with it because in the last killing he defended his girlfriend and all (however little of it) evidence against him is dismissed. The dialogue and the descriptions are so poorly written that I felt like throwing the book against the wall and the only reason why I didn't was because I really like my Nexus tablet on which I was reading the book. The only reason why I read it to the end was because I wasn't going to have anybody tell me that the punch line was at the very end. There wasn't one and my opinion of this book has not changed. If I learned anything from reading this book it would be the fact that I will not give my time and patience to books that don't deserve it. I will put them away/remove from my device/return for refund at the slightest indication of mediocrity.

Do yourselves a favour and skip this title if you don't want to be disappointed.

ps. Having an agenda on any given topic does not make one qualified to write a book, so let's everybody do what we are best at :)

I was looking forward to reading this after reading all the great reviews on the store and it started off interesting enough. Once I got in to it I was disappointed. I couldn't help but feel the author was pushing some insane right-wing agenda. Half way through the book I had to give up.
The romance was ridiculous, the "hero"/reporter was a joke and pacing was all over the place.
A real disappointment and a waste of money.

Dylan Hunter isn't any Jack Reacher. Dylan Hunter - the sum of the parts don't add up... too egotistical, too much vengeance, too much trying to make Dylan too mush in all things including Mr. Sensitive. I'm glad I paid the Kindle price of almost nothing for this loser of a book

Although a formulaic structure, it was a page turner until reaching the point in the book where it becomes clear that the vigilante was going to be the hero. This reader then decided to cease and desist but finally resumed reading hoping that the author was truly talented and was a man of good conscience, supporting legal justice versus vigilantism. Having fantasies about being a vigilante is one thing, as the legal system is not always just, but acting on those impulses and rewarding it is unconscionable. After finishing this book and then learning that the author supports Ayn Rand's philosophy and is an anti-environmentalist, this writer now realizes that even simply reading for entertainment and escape now necessitates knowing about the author and more comprehensively reading reviews because Dylan Hunter would never been purchased. There is now a sense of shame and embarrassment at having financially contributed to the wealth of a person so antithetical to this writer's core moral values.

It's hard to read this book and not feel fed up with authors opinion on the prison and judicial system in US. There were moments I felt the book is written by a raging teenager, rather than a person who's done any serious research on the topic.

On top of that the book is poorly written. The whole "love story" is completely uncompelling - both characters and the situation they end up in seem forced on the paper. I think that comic book heroes like Peter Parker or Superman had better romances than what this book delivers.

Overall I think the book was hardly worth 2$ I had to pay for it. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

I purchased this e-book last week. Realized at the 6% mark, a major mistake, missing part of a sentence. Ok, I thought well it must be a fluke. Kept reading, another major mishap with the sentence, which is so obvious.
Kept reading until the park where Garrett "spraw-crashes"?
Can someone please explain?
There were a few more and decided that I wanted my money back.
Seriously! At this point, someone needs to tell the author of his major writing flaws.
P. S. I want my money back or a better and/coherent copy.
Thank you!

It's a boring book bout american penal system. The beginning is giving a hope for something like а thriller with the main character struggling for her career and personal life but it turned to be a reading of morality principals

This is not a thriller. It is a mishmash of contrived coincidences that could not happen in real life by any stretch of the imagination. The characters and situations are so beyond belief in the first 12% that there was no point in going any further.

I don't generally write reviews of another writer's work, but the lame and two-dimensional politics underneath this fluffer got me off the chair. While the writing itself isn't terrible, and it could be argued, isn't half bad, the story is for morons. I read every thriller that comes out, so I have a feel for the genre. This one was 1) predictable, 2) lazy, 3) uninspired & 4) predictable. There was no suspense. How bad, ultimately, was this? Bidinotto gives James Patterson a run for the money.

I also don't understand where those 5 star reviews come from. Fans of Goodnight, Moon? Victims of arrested development? Is America loaded with serial killer revengist wannabes? This is a bad book. The author isn't stupid, so maybe he'll listen when I tell him don't do this again. Bury Dylan Hunter (can you dig the macho name? why didn't he call him Wyatt Earp?). Other reviewers have pointed out additional shortcomings. No need to be redundant.

Hunter is a perfect example of how Kindle and self-publishing may come to be a mixed blessing inasmuch as the good is going to get buried under such a load of crap no one will ever be able to find it. It may also be an indicator that America's dumbing down has at long last reached critical mass (author claims book has sold 56,000 copies, which I will cite as evidence for this hypothesis).

Don't waste your time. Fix the plumbing. Watch Top Chef.

I write this review in the hopes of saving at least one other person from the mistake of reading this book. Having significant knowledge of the U.S. criminal justice system, I found the book to be incredibly counter-factual. Bidinotto's depiction of U.S. criminal courts and prisons is so inaccurate that, even in the context of a fiction crime "thriller," he losses all credibility as an author.
Some quick internet research reveals that Bidinotto is a crazy person. Almost everything he says in one essay I found online is demonstrable wrong. Unless you are completely ignorant of the realities of the court system, prisons, and crime in America, or you share Bidinotto's delusions, then you will find the inaccuracies in Hunter too distracting to enjoy the storyline--which is not very good to begin with.

I bought this book on the strength of 50+ customer reviews, all of them glowing, and on the sample, which was reasonably interesting. Boy, was I wrong. Looking back at those reviews, I have to wonder if I was reading the same book. The writing was terrible, and seemed to get worse as it went on, the supposed non-stop action was dishwater dull, the exposition was clunky, and the dialogue... Oh, the dialogue. People do not talk like that.

The premise of the book is good, if a little extreme in its anyone-who-tries-to-help-a-criminal-is-a-bleeding-heart-liberal ideology, but the execution was less than stellar. I had to force myself through to the fittingly ludicrous ending.

I made it to 25% and stopped reading. If you can't hook a reader by then, it's not going to happen.

The writing has the potential to be so much better than it is. I guess the only reason I made it that far was because I kept hoping it would get better. The characters are one-dimensional and Hunter is such a walking cliche. I really wanted to like this because I'm a fan of the subject matter, but I was left scratching my head as to why this has book has such positive reviews. It was even one of the the store Editor's Picks. Did they even read it?

I do not understand how this book got so many positive reviews. The writing was terrible and predictable. All of the characters were very one dimentional. The author clearly dislikes "bleeding heart liberals" who have any empathy for criminals. He uses his poorly developed, black and white story line-- all the criminals are psychopaths with no remorse, and everyone involved in defending or attempting to rehabilitate criminals is an idealistic ignoramus-- as a thinly veiled excuse to continuously and repetitively preach his viewpoint. And the romance was awful and predictable, with no real chemistry. I'm a sucker for romance, but I still skimmed through those parts of the book.

I decided to give this book a try because it was $1.99 and had so many good reviews, but after reading it I would not recommend it...and would like my money back.

This was a great mystery suspense book by a great author. I loved the characters, the plot, and the ending. The author gave the reader closure with this book, but still made you want to read more books about these characters. Many authors of e-books try to cheat their readers and just quit in the middle of the story in the current book as a way to get you to buy the next book in the series to find out the ending. Those authors are not good enough to sell other books in the series without dishonest actions. THIS AUTHOR IS NOT THAT KIND OF AUTHOR! HE IS THE REAL DEAL!!! This book kept the reader interested with its many surprise twists. I could hardly put it down. I also appreciated the author bringing to light, in an entertaining way, the social injustice by our legal system to victims and their families who have no recourse to fight the system which no longer stands for justice. The system has been corrupted by too many bleeding heart liberals who think that the rights of the criminal are more important than the rights of innocent citizens who have been victimized by them or will be their future victims when they are allowed to serve little or no time for their criminal actions. Criminals should be incarcerated not only rehabilitation, but also as a punishment to deter future crimes by those individuals. If other criminals see that violent crimes will be punished severely, they will be less likely to commit violent crimes. It is a shame that so many people have sympathy for the criminals to the point that they are easily led into supporting legislation and plea bargains that make it easier on violent criminals, while at the same time deceiving them into turning a blind eye to the victims of these criminals. Most of the people who sympathize with violent criminals really don't want to know the results of heartbreak and destruction to innocent families and lives their actions have caused by allowing the violent criminals to be turned loose in a society of innocent people who will have no defense against criminals who have no qualms about hurting them or impediments to stop them. This author should be applauded for bringing this injustice into the spotlight. And, he has donned it in a way that is totally entertaining to his readers. I highly recommend this author!

Fine read. Spoiler alert.

This one starts with Annie Wood. Wood works for the CIA and she and a team of FBI agents are on the way to the airport to catch a traitor. They do catch him but the idiot FBI Agent in Charge calls it to early and Annie ends up on the floor and between the two men.

Once captured the man, Muller by name, will speak with them but he wants to be taken away from Quantico and to a safe house. That's where they end up. Its a safe house no one knows about so they think he will be safe.

In DC a man is getting into his car and hears the news about Muller. This man, Dylan Hunter, will be on his way to that safe house. A safe house he knows all about. Its the place where he will be killing Mulller a man who betrayed him while he was in the field. A man who almost got him killed and has had many others killed by his treason.

Annie and her Garrett Grant the CIA's deputy director of National Clandestine Services move Muller to the safe house. Muller, a smoker just like Grant, wants to go out for a smoke. The house they are in is in the middle of nowhere with security and a sniper on the hill above. Grant and Wood agree and head out with Muller. This is when Muller has the back of his head blown out and Wood and Grant and everyone else hit the dirt. Guess Muller won't be telling them anything.

Grant and Wood who Grant gets to come work for him as she is one hell of an investigator begin to try to figure out who killed Muller. They think it may have been the Russians who he was working for but they will have to really dig to get the answers. They know the gun used was an American Barrett Model 99 and the tracks left showed the shooter to be around six feet tall and not more than one hundred and ninety pounds. The American gun leads Grant to believe the shooter was America as the Russians prefer their own sniper rifles. Grant and Wood decide they are looking for ex LEO's or ex military and an American. Canvasing the area the FBI found only two people staying at two different motels and both paid in cash. R. Lasher and BJ Stoddard. Little do they know but Stoddard is an old friend.

So begins one damned fine read.

This one has Dylan, Annie, Grant, Lunda Dylan's cat, Bronowski who's Hunters editor and boss, Wonk who is Hunters computer guru, Danika who is the receptionist for his answering service, the Department of Corrections, a Dr. Frankfurt who has no problem thinking he's rehabilitating criminals, criminals who are conning him, criminals who get out of jail on plea bargains, lazy lawyers, even lazier Judges, Bracey and Valenti two criminals who raped Susan Copland and forced her husband to watch, a husband who later killed himself, Bracey and Valenti who will be the first two to die when the vigilante strikes, a vigilante who will kill many more of these scum bags, a police Detective named Cronin who while he believes in what the vigilante is doing he still has to catch him, Adrian Wulfe the third member of the Copland rape, a man who has thoroughly conned Frankfurt, Annies Father who thinks his Foundation is helping these more misguided criminals but is actually getting many of them released back into society so they can commit more crimes, an Annie and Dylan who grow close, an Annie and Dylan who aren't honest with each other, a Wulfe who gets released for the Christmas Holidays by an idiot named Frankfurt and Dylan Hunter taking them all down, dispensing some much needed Justice while keeping himself alive.

Five Stars

The problem I have as a book reviewer is that when I really enjoy a book I am too busy lapping up the story to note the literary merits or demerits. Such is the case with Hunter. It is the kind of thriller which lives up to its name by grabbing your attention at the first moment and not letting you go until the end. The protagonist Dylan Hunter is an intrepid journalist dedicated to fighting for the rights of victims by exposing criminals and those who enable them. His adventures are set in the Washington, DC area where there is always plenty of crime as well as behind-the-scenes intrigue.

The hero and heroine, Dylan and Annie, are both complex characters who struggle with loneliness and angst as part of their chosen professions: Dylan as a journalist and Annie as a CIA operative. Dylan, of course, has no idea that Annie secretly works for the CIA and Annie has no clue about some of Dylan's hidden activities. Yet the two are overwhelmingly drawn together by their mutual brilliance and emotional need. Their relationship is a scorching roller coaster ride which appears to be more and more doomed as each other's secrets are revealed.

What sets the novel apart from so many others is that there is nothing gratuitous in the scenes of violence; the author keeps his finger on the pulse of the human tragedy in a soul-searing manner. The incalculable cost of the loss of innocent lives is painfully assessed as are the psychological scars borne by the survivors. The story is a scathing indictment of contemporary society which expends more effort towards protecting the rights of violent criminals than it does to those who are their victims.

Robert Bidinotto, you are officially on my list of favorite authors. As I understand it, this is his debut book and I couldn't stop reading. Thankfully I'm retired and was able to do it in one day. The story is fast paced, characters are well thought out, and the narrative is descriptive. I am appreciative for the content of the storyline. Chapter 10 describing the extensive leisure activities available to convicted criminals, likely felons is ludicrous. Mr. Bidinotto explains this is straight from a prison in Massachusetts. Life is better in prison then not for many, that's a given after reading about that. I look forward to reading the next book.

FBI agent Annie Woods starts out as the protagonist in author Robert Bidinotto's , "Hunter: Dylan Hunter 1". However Hunter takes over protagonist role as story unfolds. "Hunter", is a different type of crime thriller that I haven't really read like anything before. I have to admit the first 50-100 pages did kind of confuse me some. Author Robert Bidinotto has a knack of misdirection while his story is opening up. As the novels opens Annie Woods works for Grant Garrett who is the CIA Deputy Director of National Clandestine Services. Their team taking down a double agent spying for Russia goes awry quickly before the suspect can be debriefed. A serious pro shoots their double agent from over 1200 yards away with a very rare rifle. Next we meet Dylan Lee Hunter, who is an investigative reporter who routinely stuns Washington D.C. residents with exclusive stories that have serious far reaching consequences. Hunter ruffles feathers and enjoys doing so. Hunter's current project is exposing the MacLean Foundation's "Inmate Rehabilitation Program" for first time and non violent crime offenders. The foundation uses a "Psychological Services Program" in order to ease the offenders back into society and not start committing new crimes causing them to become repeat offenders. Hunter isn't fooled as he sees these programs as a way for really bad offenders to be released too early and fooling the foundation that they've turned over a new leaf. Yes the foundation is easily conned by these inmates somewhat easily. The inmates who've been released have begun far worse criminal careers once released. One by one offenders who've been released through this program are tracked down by an unknown vigilante and brutally killed as they are about to commit new horrible crimes. What Hunter doesn't know is that the foundation is run by Annie's father. When romance breaks out between Annie and Hunter things get very hot and heated as they become a new couple. Hunter also has no clue Annie is a CIA operative. However when Hunter starts trashing and exposing MacLean's programs run by her father through the press Annie is devastated and pulls away and goes hiding from Hunter. Hunter doesn't realize Annie has teamed up with a local Alexandria P.D. homicide team to research Hunter's background. Until about three years ago Hunter is a mystery man. Author Robert Bidinotto weaves a cleaver puzzle in and around his characters starring in this yarn. Newer and newer characters seem to be introduced and their relativity to the plot stay mysterious. It's when Hunter and the tale of Matt Malone ease into the plot things really start kicking in with non stop suspense and action. Malone a "highly educated and brilliant CIA legend agent" who was double crossed on a mission and badly wounded has also been missing for years. During recovery of his injuries he just up and walked out of the hospital into the unknown forever. Somehow the vigilante and the long missing Malone have numerous similarities. Woods, Garrett, and the local PD can't understand how Hunter fits into all of this. He is certainly involved at some level. Once I really got going with this suspense thriller it became very difficult to put down. Author Bidinotto's characters are exceptional. The front shown by some of his characters is a deep cover for their actual mission in this story. Coming in at just over 400 pages this one really starts to fly 50-100 pages in. The last 200 pages are absolutely riveting. With the weaves and jukes in the plot it had me guessing most of the way through it. I'm giving, "Hunter", four stars out of a possible five stars. Really could be a 4.25 star book in reality. I know there are more books in this series and I plan to read more into this series. As suspense thrillers go this one is really pretty good. Check it out. Series could turn out being something special. Author Robert Bidinotto is becoming a master story teller.

I REALLY liked this book. This is the first book in a series about a vigilante and victim's rights activist, Dylan Hunter. I cannot wait to start the next book. It has action, suspense, thrills, and even some romance. I listened to the audio book and I really enjoyed the narrator, Connor Hall. He gave such different voices to all the characters, and his female voices did not sound forced (which is something I really appreciate since many narrators doing opposite genders just don't sound right and can grate on the nerves). If I had to knock one thing on the narration, it is that the volume of the different voices was sometimes very different. I found that I would turn up the volume to hear a particular voice, then feel like I was hurting my hearing because the next character would speak particularly loudly. This may be a problem with my hearing, as I find it hard to hear really low voices sometimes, and not necessarily a problem that others would experience while listening. That being said, I really was blown away by the range of the narrator, and look forward to listening to more books narrated by him. If you like stories about vigilantes, check this one out. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

I really enjoyed this book! It is compelling from the very beginning and had me hooked while trying to figure things out. I received the Audible version of this book in exchange for an honest review and it was a pleasure to listen to this story.

The character development was excellent especially for Dylan Hunter and Annie Woods. The narrator, Conor Hall, was fabulous. He was the perfect choice for this book. The characters really came to life with the distinct voices that he gave each one. He even did the female voices very well and all conversation among various characters was smooth and seamless.

This book is an excellent combination of mystery, thriller, romance and crime. It was so interesting reading the background of author Robert Bidinotto. His expertise in crime and vigilante reporting shines through and that makes this story all the more plausible.

Now I can’t wait to read (listen to) the next book in the Dylan Hunter series, Bad Deeds: A Dylan Hunter Thriller. And I am so happy to see that Conor Hall has narrated this one as well.

I highly recommend this book! You won’t be disappointed.

I am very impressed with Mr. Bidinotto's style, and I am not an expert, but I love to read thrillers, and this one, is intriguing, it is tricky, it is deceiving, I was almost at the middle of the book, and I almost gave up on it, too detached, each of the characters where running parallel sotries, and not converging, until, right on 29, boom, it all started to click, and make sense, what a surprise. I definetely recommend Mr. Bidinotto, read him, you will be very pleased, if you like thrillers, of course.

This is a compelling and somewhat disturbing story of vigilantism, murder, flawed legal system, naivety and love. The story highlights the gaps and faults in the criminal justice system and shows how well meaning, naive people can sometimes be misled into provide support in the wrong places. It has a good mix of mystery, intrigue, suspense and romance. The characters were appealing and I particularly liked how the development of the romance between the protagonists caused their characters to grow and change. The plot has numerous twists and enough complexity to keep you entertained but not confused. Though it is a work of fiction, the authors background shines through in this novel, it is well written, thought provoking and very enjoyable. The narration fit the book well and he managed to do both male and female voices convincingly. I received this audiobook from the author at no cost in exchange for an honest review

I didn't know what to expect when I began reading this debut novel, but what I walked into stunned me as much with its depth and authenticity as its pedal-to-the-metal action.

Some of the most bestial of violent criminals, prematurely (read: criminally) released from the cages they've earned, have been turning up dead in ways and places that suggest a distinct message: "Have you misplaced this?" The police are stumped, and so are the military intelligence personnel brought in when a treasonous double agent is similarly dispatched before their eyes. Thus begins an intense search for a killer who targets killers, and who leaves not a trace of evidence behind.

"Hunter" begins as breakneck action suspense and almost immediately traverses into an engaging intellectual quest, sort of a "thinking man's 'Death Wish,'" but in which moral choices, not chance or simple physical conflict, are the plot's navigation points. Questions of guilt and innocence, justice and the proper objects of compassion, suspicion and trust, legality and morality, integrity and conflicting loyalties, are laid out before the reader as puzzles, woven ingeniously into a drama whose action is cinematic in its realism.

The elegant romance that develops simultaneously, hinges too on moral questions and choices rather than arbitrary emotions and events - something that's rare to nonexistent in contemporary fiction. The central relationship in "Hunter" is not mere embellishment, it is integral to both plot and theme. Into that romantic structure Bidinotto deftly blends mistaken assumptions, erroneous conclusions and tantalizing details of a hidden past, to achieve a stunning richness of character development. I've read a number of post-Rand novels purporting to represent the romantic school of fiction, and almost to a one the relationships in them come across as stilted, wooden and implausible. Not Bidinotto. What's particularly amazing in the central romance of "Hunter" is that he's able to project a relationship that's uncommon in its grace and elegance, yet as authentic in feel as direct experience. These people do not seem like fictional characters, yet they're still appropriately - and necessarily - larger-than-life. It's a unique combination, and the result, again, is uncommon authenticity and character depth in a thriller.

The theme at its core is an intense, often visceral parable of justice: of justice misplaced, justice denied, justice betrayed, justice recaptured and justice restored. It's a parable as gratifying as it is overdue.

"Hunter" is a truly fantastic first novel that announces Bidinotto's arrival into the company of blockbuster thriller authors, the first of a series that will doubtlessly have people impatiently glaring at their calendars with every approaching release date. The word "Bravo" seems woefully inadequate here - this novel is an instant out-of-the-park Grand Slam from the new kid on the block. Now, may we please have another!

My first book by this author and I already bought book two. This is a great story, very fast passed and very well fleshed out.
Dylan and Annie both have reason to not trust people and they both get involved by helping the same group of people to get justice or so they thing. Circumstances are not always what they seem and this book will have you reading quickly to figure out what is going on. Just when you think, you have it, something else pops. Start to know this characyers they will be with you for another ride.

Until I read the author blurb, I thought this book had been written by one of those formula romance writers who are trying to get into a different genre since romance isn't doing well. After reading the blurb, I think that his wife wrote some of the book. The romance parts are very badly written - full of florid, stilted language. The thriller parts have a different writing style - much tighter. And be warned, the sample is the best written part of the book and doesn't include any romance elements.

I call it a romance because of the awful writing and the plot. Stripped of the crimes, the plot is: 2 damaged people, who are of course amazingly good-looking, find each other and fall in love despite not being able to trust each other. They struggle with their feelings and finally break up because neither one of them has been honest with the other. Then, the heroine finds herself in serious jeopardy and the hero rescues her. Standard formula romance.

Dylan Hunter like all memorable protagonists has a name that is easy to remember.Tanner, Jet and now Hunter describes him perfectly/ A ,man born to hunt those who prey on the weak and clueless. This first novel was a joy to read. Full of action, suspense, subterfuge and trade craft. It is a right on statement about what is wrong with what passes for our justice system. And a statement on how to cure some of the wrongs. Ultimately we are all responsible for our safety.

Fast paced with a moral message I liked. Lots of action. Not very much drivel (Drivel is what authors put in to pump of the word count. And Mr. Bidinotto is sparse with it. Thank you) Hunter is an exciting read and I highly recommend it. I am on to book two Bad Deeds now. BTY, Mr. Bidinotto you have a Sean Connery look to you. Born to write action thrillers. Keep up the good work.

The introduction of Dylan Lee Hunter is an incredible one. As a crime writer with a complicated and shadowy past, he has a unique capability of getting the scoop and exposing the mockery that the American justice system has become and the people who profit from its demise. Aside from the very elite feathers he is constantly ruffling, a string of brutal, vigilante type killings have broken out against the backdrop of his exposes. He is a man very much in demand, including by Annie Woods, a sexy CIA operative with her own conflicted past who can't resist the pull of this mysterious character, all the while knowing that there has to be more to his story. Then things really jump off...

Through multiple plot twists and a tightly woven narrative, Robert Bidinotto has crafted a smashing debut. Dylan Lee Hunter is a thoroughly compelling character and his exploits in what I'd call "principled vigilantism" make for compelling, relevant reading. Not to mention it's a helluva ride. As one looks out at the smoldering ruins of our busted criminal justice system, we hope for men like Hunter to knock some sense back in to the world, awake our elites from their "righteous" slumbers and to right unspeakable wrongs. I cannot wait for the next book in the series and think that at some point, Dylan Lee Hunter will be making a different kind of debut: on the screen as a film or television series.

Right from the beginning the author grabs your attention.
Victims of crime need encouragement and this novel can help with that. I remember when I once masked my identity by hiding behind sunglasses to keep track of my target whom I believed was an evil criminal. I wasn’t in the world of espionage ... I was in the world of a housewife becoming a real life sleuth to help solve the heinous murder of my ex-husband.
This well-written and very interesting work reminds me of the twists and turns law enforcement have to take in their fight for justice. Thank God that we have agents and dedicated people who are fighting evil and oft times risking their lives. I believe decent and law abiding citizens also have to constantly fight evil, if and when we see it.
If the writer needs more compliments ... I hope more readers step up to the plate and write reviews.
Why us? If we don’t write reviews for authors ... then who will?
I know I want authors to keep writing good works ... so it is up to readers to help them keep up the inspiration.
Every author wants to tell the story to the best of their ability, and I think Robert James Bidinotto has lots of talent in this area. He draws upon his experiences in a great way. He is unique and so is his work.

Jeannie Walker (Award-Winning Author) "Fighting the Devil" - A True Story of Consuming Passion, Deadly Poison, and Murder

I loved the premise behind this audiobook.  “A spy mystery...a crime thriller...a passionate romance.”  I’ll be honest; the passionate romance was what grabbed me.  I am finding myself enjoying romantic suspense more and more.   Hunter did not disappoint me one bit.  A vigilante taking out career criminals with the cops and the CIA on his tail; I was hooked from the start, also, I could listen to Conor Hall read the phone book.  Sigh. 

I loved this audiobook from start to finish and I have already grabbed book two Bad Deeds. I can’t wait to immerse myself once again into this world....Sara 

Rated 4.75
Dylan Hunter is a complex, mysterious man. He is a hard hitting reporter who goes after injustice in his articles. He exposes criminals and the prosecutors, judges and psychiatrists who help them go free or get out of prison when they should have stayed behind bars. He doesn't let people close as he has a past and secrets to protect. Then he meets Annie Woods who has secrets too and trust issues resulting from her cheating ex-husband. Not to mention her wariness due to her work with the CIA. As their relationship deepens, neither knows the past or truth about the other and Annie's past is soon to collide with Dylan's present in a way that is hazardous to all involved.

Annie introduces Dylan to a group of hurting crime survivors - people who have lost a loved one to brutal criminals. Dylan writes about the horrible and tragic deaths and then the vicious perpetrators begin to show up dead with copies of his articles placed at each crime scene. There are no leads to the vigilante killer and, needless to say, the police aren't too broken-hearted about the deaths. Annie is assigned to a special task force to find the vigilante.

This story kicks off with intrigue and it continues at a steady, high pace. I liked how Mr. Bidinotto presented the stake outs and the murders with methodical detail that built the tension for each scene. The characters are well developed and it was hard not to like Dylan even though his actions are outside of the law. The ideological arguments are interesting: that misguided sympathy and well-minded idealists are enabling the criminals and making the judicial and penal system completely ineffective in fighting true criminals. This is really a great thriller that kept my attention from beginning to end as I waited for the collision of secrets to hit Annie and Dylan.

Audio Notes:
I enjoyed the narration by Conor Hall. He does a fairly good job with the different voices. Although the female voices were a bit rough, this didn't distract from the overall effect for me. Mr. Hall does a good job of conveying the sense of tension and danger and carries the intensity throughout the reading.

This title was provided to me for an honest review.

Definitely a thriller! Fast moving and action packed. Exciting character in Dylan Hunter. I was a bit disappointed in the lead female character. For someone who was so tough and smart in the beginning, that diminished as the story progressed. The book does cause one to consider the recidivism of violent criminals and their impact on society. I found the date & time headings for each chapter a little annoying. Chapter numbers would have done just as well. Good read though. It has a way of hooking you!

I loved the storyline and general topics of this book and the way it was written kept me ploughing through the pages, definitely a hard to put down read and I am looking forward to starting on the next book in the series soon. The character development was excellent and I found myself really identifying with the lead in his all too true to life quest against a soft justice system and his desire to see real justice. Highly recommended.

I have always been told that life is made up of many shades of gray. Maybe so, but I must be color blind because I see life more in black and white with limited shavings.
It was easy to identify with the hero/anti-hero in this first book. I believe there are others like Hunter in the world (but without the financial assets and martial arts skills in the book).

I had a hard time getting into this book. After two of three chapters I would have been generous to give it three stars. However it improved as the story, the characters, and information, to give this book a five plus rating at the end.

Robert Bidinotto is a writer with impeccable credentials, but this is his first novel. I daresay he could have gotten it published by traditional publishers instead of going the Indie route, and he has done wonderfully well. I published my Indie thriller at the same time and he has outsold me by a factor of thousands, I'm embarrassed to say.
I give him top marks on craft, editing, absence of formatting goofs--all the things that can trip a self-pubbed author.
He begins with a fantastic hook and for awhile I was enthralled. I started to get lost when an underlying preachy tone emerged. I should say I agree 100% with the thesis that the criminal justice system releases far too many sociopaths back into a defenseless society. When I detect an authorial voice delivering opinions in the middle of a novel I think of the Sam Goldwynism: "If you want to send a message, use Western Union." It's a trap into which I have sometimes strayed and try to abolish from my writing. Let the characters tell the story and the reader will get the point.
When I pick up books written by John Grisham, I also detect a preachiness and a liberal POV that I despise, so I've stopped reading him.
The only other criticism I have is that the middle of the book started to drag for me. It probably was the romance scenes. I found myself rushing along, trying to get back to the action. But that's just me. I know other readers really liked it.

This was a "strong" 3.5 star read. I loved the pacing in this book. I was able to put it down so it wasn't earth-shattering but it kept my interest and I definitely wanted to get back to it when time allowed. Bidinotto is very polished in his writing style and his story, especially the criminal justice aspects, were most interesting to learn about in the context of a fictional story. I loved Hunter, the man he was and what motivated him were spot-on for my taste. I loved the ending. Especially the climatic fight scene, well-done. Bidinotto knows that we're not all martial arts experts and he was absolutely brilliant at describing the fight scene in a way that painted it accurately for us novices while losing not one bit of the momentum. Superb!

What I liked: Hunter. He was just flat-out alpha male with a dash of sensitive. His idealism made him wonderful to read about and "watch." I loved how the vigilante justice was dispatched. Cleverly done and oh-so satisfying. The villains were awful and we wished for their demise as readers. I liked the third person narrative ( I usually do) as it offered a deeper understanding of what all the characters thought processes were.

What I didn't like as well: the mystery. Okay, maybe Bidinotto intended for us to know who the vigilante was from the inception of the work (like we were voyeurs while he executed his tasks), but it left me feeling like there was nothing to "find out" later. So, this is more intrigue than mystery. If he intended for it to be a mystery, it was entirely to obvious from the beginning. The vernaculars and tastes of Hunter. For a guy in his late 30s, he uses idioms/expressions that are completely too old for his age. Some references are those my folks used. He needed to use phrasing that was relevant to his generation. Also, Cole Porter? I had to do a wikipedia check on him! I felt Annie was weak as a woman and should have been more honest in her interaction with Hunter. However, that was the tension point of the novel... so, I let it go.

Those things aside, it is definitely worth reading if you like the following: intrigue, romance, strong male leads, government espionage, thriller undertones. Bidinotto has a solid series here if he chooses to expand on it. He has the writing chops to do so!

this is one of thebest books i have read in the past 5 years
very comparable to writing by flynn,berenson,greaney,thor,child,silva, to name a few
i wont write a detail review about the plot , this has been already been done 400+ times
suffice it to say , i have been reading 60+ years and this man can write
look at the reviews- u cant go wrong on this book and he has a sequel coming the end of may that is going to be a ballbuster
last comment - robert takes time to respond to his readers- this is really appreciated since the man is writing full time for a living and doesnt have much time left over to give updates to retired people like me

A thriller needs to grab hold of you and propel you forward. It must let you disappear into a world where unbelievable occurences and people seem believable. Never can you be bored or want to stop reading. Bidinotto's debut thriller meets all of these requirements. Spys, government secrets, politics, vigilantes. These aren't uncommon things in the thriller world, but every author brings a different spin and their own voice to it. Bidinotto's background in crime writing allows him to weave that knowledge in his breakneck adventure. Readers will no doubt want him to continue the series. I wouldn't be surprised if a big publisher picks up this indie entry. It has everything they look for. For more great thrillers, see The Overton Window or The Charlemagne Pursuit. More indie fiction, see Omerta: Code of Silence (historical fiction) or Sygillis of Metatron (sci-fi).

Bidinotto covers all bases in his debut novel with hero Dylan Hunter, an investigative reporter, and heroine Annie Woods, a special investigator for the Central Intelligence Agency. His research is rich in detail and shows his lifelong interest in criminal justice. This novel won't disappoint as it hooks the reader with suspense, rich details, and a love story central to the plot, which surely softens things when needed. Secrets abound and show the power each character has over the other. Won't offer spoilers here, but enjoyed and recommended to others.

A very good plot, a great main character, a minor love story, and a story that keeps moving throughout the book caused this reader to want to keep turning the pages to the very end.

I would rate Hunter by Robert Bidinotto a 4.4 stars out of 5 (I wish the store would let me rate this way). It was a pleasure to read Hunter.

Looking at the reviews, there are two camps of readers. The 5 star review group and the 1 star review group. If you are a fan of what I would consider "John Grisham" style of novels: a fast pace, good character development, just enough background, and a political statement on the legal system - then Hunter by Robert Bidinotto is a perfect fit and an entertaining read that I would recommend.

Anthony Wessel - Owner of DigitalBookToday.com and reviewer at KindleBookReview.com.

This is an author with lots of writing experience but just starting a fiction series. I enjoyed this first one so much that I am now reading his second, Bad Deeds. Dylan Hunter is an interesting main character and one I am enjoying as the many sides to him unfold. His now fiancé, Annie Wood, isn't as clearly drawn so far, but I'm hoping that changes.

Robert Bidinotto, long-time essayist and true-crime reporter, has just published his first novel, "Hunter: A Thriller." The book begins, not too uncommonly, with a CIA interrogation gone horribly awry, and from its first pages, the suspense never lets up.

"Hunter" has all the right elements to keep me interested as a reader, and it flows beautifully. Once Bidinotto sets up the reader with the novel's opening fiasco, he drops it -- for almost half the length of the novel. A nice touch, because as a reader, it was always in the back of my mind. Much of the book's suspense comes just from waiting for it to be revisited.

But, best of all, it's largely free of literary excesses that keep me from reading most new novels - its focus is on the story itself, moving it forward, and not indulging in anything that does not aid itself towards those goals. The backstory of the novel's protagonist, Dylan Hunter, is doled out in measured doses, just enough to alternately keep the reader guessing, or to fill in what otherwise would have been the story's ambiguities. But, Bidinotto doesn't dwell on backstory, or in being an armchair psychoanalyst, rationalizing away Hunter's motives. Hunter is no cardboard stand-in for the author's particular views, but rather what readers want to see in crime thriller - a man of action. Dylan Hunter is also the book's moral center, but I never felt for a moment that I was being subjected to a moralizing treatise in which the author uses his characters to score philosophical points, which is a mistake of too many amateurish writers, who believe their calling is to "change the world." Hunter comes off as an honestly and inwardly motivated hero, and we the readers are along for a hell of a wild ride.

Also, the story construction is excellent in that it never lingers, and is episodic, like watching a movie. For the majority of readers - who don't spend their time observing a novel's mechanics - this is refreshing: Too many writers these days show off their brilliance with the pen, as though the purpose of novel writing is to please the literati. Not Bidinotto; he's a writer who crafts his fiction for readers. He employs just the right and light touch, that always works brilliantly in crime thrillers. He doesn't dwell on the morose, nor does he expound for pages on end about the hero's and the villians' reasoning. Like the CIA operatives whose exploits he dramatizes, Bidinotto gets in and out quickly, and doesn't overindulge.

The characters struck me as quite real, and a couple law enforcement supporting cast members - crusty CIA op Grant Garrett and amicable local Virginia Police Detective Cronin - remind me of a couple Army guys I've known over the years. Bidinotto's writing made me cheer on the heroes, hate the villains, and hope for the redemption of Ken MacLean, a philanthropist who wants to do good for society, but doesn't weigh the consequences of his charity.

The ladies as well get the same treatment: They come across as real women, and not just stand-ins for whatever particular ideological axe the author has to grind. Hunter's warmhearted girl Friday Danika reminds me a little of Effie in "The Maltese Falcon," and Bidinotto keeps the reader guessing whether Hunter's love interest, the hard-headed but sultry Annie Woods, is one of Charlie's Angels, or a devil cut from the same bolt of cloth as Mata Hari or Tokio Rose.

The best thing I can say about Hunter is that it is not preachy. It has a hell of a moral, one I agree with wholeheartedly, but the book's politics - as strong as they are - never get in the way of the story. If a novel were merely a vehicle for the book's message, it would fail on both counts. Again, Bidinotto puts the horse before the cart in that regard.

First and foremost, "Hunter" entertains. This is Bidinotto's first entry as a novelist, and it comes rather late in his career as a veteran writer for nearly 35 years. Usually, non-fiction writers do not make the transition to fiction with ease. Such is not the case with "Hunter": Bidinotto's debut novel reads more like a third, or fourth novel, written with all the polish and panache I'd expect from a top-tier, seasoned professional.

The author knocked this out the park! It was a great read from beginning to end, and though you knew what the outcome was going to probably be, I couldn't put the book down in anticipation of finding out the how.
Great job and thank you!

In Hunter, former Reader's Digest crime writer Robert James Bidinotto makes the transition from non-fiction to fiction look seamless, delivering one of the best vigilante thrillers since Without Remorse.
I'll admit, I was slightly wary when I first picked up Hunter a few weeks ago. Forget the fact that this was a debut novel--I knew from Bidinotto's former work that he had a message to deliver with Hunter: the US criminal "justice" system is broken.
Fine, but a thriller has to be more than just a message delivery system, and I was concerned that the story would trip over the message.
In the end, I needn't have worried: Hunter delivers in a way few thrillers do. From the opening kill shot to the climactic showdown, Hunter strikes home with the pinpoint accuracy of a Barrett M99. Dylan Hunter is thoroughly authentic as the highly-trained operative who takes to the streets of urban Virginia and D.C. to deliver justice. And now the very government that gave him his training is hunting him.
The characters, from Dylan Hunter, to Annie Woods, the woman assigned to track down the shadowy assassin, and Ed Cronin, an Alexandria homicide investigator, are well-drawn and believable. And when it comes to delivering his message, Bidinotto lets his characters do that, in a way that is as organic and subtle as the rest of the novel.
In short, may I congratulate Mr. Bidinotto on a fantastic debut thriller. If you're in the market for a quick-moving read--if you enjoy action, romance, and memorable characters, you could do little better than to pick up a copy of Hunter. A solid five stars.

I would recommend this book unhesitatingly to anyone who enjoys crime or espionage thrillers. I liked the idealism throughout as well as the deep character development. As a first novel, it is outstanding. I hope Bidinotto writes many more.

Hunter, the first in the series is the absolute, hands down best thriller I've read in many years! From the first pages to the last it grabbed me and held my attention. It's the right mix of intrigue, romance and vigilante justice to keep you reading in wanting desperately to understand WHY?

The author has done a fantastic job of bringing to light what is needed today in the world of criminal justice . I feel like he does they cannot be rehabilitated because once a bad seed grts started it just keeps growing

l had high expectations for this book but I was very disappointed. The book opens with the finding of a Russian spy within the Central Intelligence agency. The spy is taken to a safe house to be interrogated. Shortly after they arrive the spy is killed by a sniper before He can be interrogated. A number of individuals tries to find the motive for the killing as well as the shooter. Very little mention is made of the harm the shooter may have done in killing the spy before he can be interrogated.Great opening to the book but the story rapidly goes downhill after that. Most of the book is about the killing of former prisoners who got out of jail on early release programs.They then go on to murder and torture innocent people. They deserve to die and are killed by a vigilante group. I knew early on who the killer(s) were. I read half the book then skimmed to the end. The author seemed more concerned with his political agenda against rehabilitation services for prisoners than writing a thriller.

It kept your interest through the whole book. I liked that you could feel for the victims while not having to read alot of gory details. I really liked the love matched made. By page 100 i wanted to go out and fight justice for thoughs who can't. Mr. Bidinotto got the exact end result he was aiming for.

Intriguing plot, complex characters, great dialogue and gratuitous violence, everything a girl could ask for. I enjoy a good modern morality play, where evil is clearly identified and loses its shirt, and everything else.

It starts off action packed with bad guys running, with FBI and CIA running over each other...then turns into a love story with a CIA that doesn't see what's right in front of her. She should have been an insurance investigator from the start.

I LOVED reading "HUNTER" and I blame my mother because it was she who talked about and fostered an anger for people who get away with wrongdoing of all kinds because of "politics".

Robert has provided us with a dynamite story of those wronged, those trying to make things right by going through proper channels and then comes Dylan Hunter who has his own way of seeking justice! I can't say I fully support vigilantes but certainly can understand their motivation and often can't help that "YES YES YES" when they've succeeded!! Throw in a love story, lots of twists and turns, the CIA and a cool cat named Luna and I'm ready for the next book!!

On a more personal note, I enjoyed the fact that I'm familiar with the location that Robert writes about...on an even more personal note, I know Robert and his Cynthia (Cindy to we singers in the chorale she accompanies!) I've told Robert I can't wait for his next book!! Oh, and I'll never look at flag poles in the same way again!!

A refreshingly honest analysis of our soft-on-crime legal system wrapped in a entertaining story of likeable characters. While I did not believe the (rather forced) romance sub-plot, the author convinced this reader of our hero's conflicted identity and desire for true justice.

A great weekend read. A very engrossing story with an emphasis on victim rights and the "criminal justice" system. Using this story as a backdrop is an indictment of our revolving door of criminals and their enablers.

Gave this book (Audible version) a go after a recommendation from a friend. Loved the characters, plot and story. This one sucked me in and I often had to be snatched back to the real world when responsibilities arose. I'm having a serious book hangover having finished it this morning. "Bad Deeds," the next in the Hunter series will be consumed soon...

First of all, I'll start off by saying I don't write reviews for products, but given the overwhelming popularity of this book, I felt compelled to warn people, after reading the entire thing.

I wanted a thriller to read, so I picked this one up because it was cheap and well rated. I was PROFOUNDLY disappointed. This book is little more than a thinly veiled attempt to push the writer's own political agenda and views on the reader, while belittling any opposing political views. Beyond that, it advocates for vigilante justice, which is just horrible.

As for the writing technique used in the book, the plot was incredibly predictable and formulaic. I will often forgive that in writers and in the producers of movies if they come up with something to make up for it, such as compelling characters, beautiful language and/or scenery, or a twist that I didn't expect. Instead, all I got from this book was the uncomfortable feeling that I personally was being belittled as naive and/or evil for holding the political views that I do.

This book was such a terrible reading experience that I not only want a refund, I'd love to have an apology from the author, though I know I won't get one.

Dylan Hunter is both and plays both parts very well. I like spy and crime novels and this has both. Not in equal parts but enough to keep you reading and wanting to find what happens next.

Really enjoyed this book and look forward to more.

This book is fantastic, a true page turner, and very dynamic. I loved the characters. This author knows the human psyche and presents the story from various p.o.v. which keeps the thrill alive and intensely real. Can't wait to read the next one!

This was a great book recommended by a friend. I did not look into its theme - justice - before starting out and was pleasantly surprised that such a book could be written. The story is enjoyable and the message is clear. I would recommend it to anyone. I listened to the Audible audiobook straight through with just one 5-minute break. It never got boring.

If you like a good revenge story, where good triumphs over evil, you'll love Robert Bidinotto's Hunter. The author presents a thrill ride of action and suspense, while debunking the political correctness that has affected the criminal justice system. He makes it clear that the victim should receive compassion, not the criminal. As if that wasn't enough to keep the reader's interest, the author throws in a CIA Special Ops theme that heightens the tension and action.
I look forward to the sequel.

I gave this two stars because I actually listened to the end, albeit fast forwarding through several sections. My curiosity took over and I wanted to know how it ended. The story offers such a one-dimensional view of human beings that it was impossible for me to suspend disbelief. All thrillers are unrealistic to some extent, which is why I like them: for the fast-paced escapism. But the characters in this book were cartoonish, like Snidely Whiplash and Dudley Do-Right in the old Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons: 100% evil or 100% good or 100% stupid and naive. Not my cup of tea.

I'm not a huge fan of fictional novels, but I absolutely loved this book. I think it's because the scenarios presented in "Hunter" could have come right out of today's newspaper. The protagonist, Hunter, does, and gets away with, what I believe many of us wish we could do to violent criminals and their enablers. Can't wait to read Bidinotto's next novel in this series.

A little preachy at times, this story keeps you completely entertained! I agree that the justice system is often too lenient, but that is in response to its having been too harsh for so long, especially on people of color. Having said that, I thoroughly enjoyed this story! I look forward to reading more Bidinotto thrillers in the future!

So the romance part of this story kind of bored me (but that's my own personal issue...I've read too many amazing romance novels).

Now the plot of this story...freakin' amazing! The mystery...blew me away! And I absolutely loved the character Dylan Hunter.

So although the romance didn't capture my interest, everything else about this story had me at the edge of my seat reading like a mad woman. What a great read!

Superbly crafted action thriller! The story builds with great suspense and attention-getting details. It is thought-provoking as your personal morality is tested. There is an underlying theme of romance that complicates the story yet enhances the story at the same time. The climactic ending is unbelievably rousing as you root for the safety of some of the main characters and are unsure of the outcome of Dylan Hunter. The ending of the story is brilliantly woven together to make a most satisfying culmination. I heartily recommend this novel. - Don M

Already an accomplished author of previously published works of non-fiction, Robert Bidinotto has literally exploded onto the fiction scene with the debut of his thriller, HUNTER.

In keeping with his previous works dealing with criminal justice (or the lack thereof) and victims' rights, his hero Dylan Hunter works to right the wrongs of a criminal justice system that is, in many ways, broken. Mr. Bidinotto's brilliant use of mystery, suspense, high action and romance makes HUNTER an absolute must read for lovers of the thriller genre.

After reading the sections entitled "A Note to Readers" and "Behind the Scenes", which follow the end of this novel, readers might also view this captivating story as a fictional essay concerning the weaknesses in our system of justice.

In any event we can only hope to read more from Robert Bidinotto and hopefully experience further exploits of Dylan Lee Hunter.

Bravo!

Loved this book could not put it down, Dylan is a very believable character, it was enthralling, mesmerizing, and definitely filled me with rage at the programs designed to release "changed" criminals. Have several friends who were department of corrections, officers they have told me that truly evil men are just that evil despite all pretend behaviors. *****

Fair disclosure: I'm an old friend of Bidinotto's. I don't write book reviews.
I've also read literally hundreds of thrillers, so I know whereof I speak, and I've
gotten very picky over the years.

I read "Hunter" straight through in one sitting. It brought back fond memories of
the Alistair Maclean can't-put-it-down thrillers I used to devour back in college.
Terrific story with more than a little bite - might even wake a few people up about
what a perverted mess our criminal courts have become. But strong moral core aside,
"Hunter" grabbed me instantly and kept me running at top speed all the way to the
finish - the very definition of a thriller. Tight, logical plot, with none of the
"I don't believe this" moments or implausible choices one often hits with other
writers, even guys like Lee Child or Vince Flynn, some of whose books I've simply
stopped in the middle of. Believable characters, especially Annie, and particularly
for a plot-driven adventure tale. I was sorry it wasn't longer - more than enough
meat that it could have been, I think. I'm hoping Bidinotto will have a lot more to
say about them in the future.

Highly recommended.

Having only read Ian Fleming and Mickey Spillane in my youth and no suspense novels since, I am no connoisseur of thrillers. That said, I found Robert Bidinotto's first, HUNTER, absorbing from beginning to end. Not only did it hold my attention but more importantly it resonated deeply with my own value system by going beyond "who done it" into questions regarding the morality of vigilantism. As his heroine Annie wonders: "What is the boundary line between a man of principle and a fanatic? Between a person moved to violence by a passion for justice, and a person motivated to violence by blood-lust and nihilism? Surely there was a difference, not in degree but in kind . . . . A moral difference. He seemed a reluctant warrior, someone for whom violence had become a last resort, not a preferred alternative." HUNTER also exposes an all-too-real justice system in America that releases "blood-lust" killers back into society to let them repeat (or continue) their heinous crimes. So the novel is not just a good read. It's a good think.

Alexandra York
President, American Renaissance for the Twenty-first Century(ART)foundation: [...]
Author: CROSSPOINTS A Novel of Choice
Crosspoints: A Novel of Choice

I would like to recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a very good book where the action never stops I will be looking forward to reading the next book from this author. I am finding these books to be very difficult to put down.

"Hunter" is Robert Bidinotto's first foray into the thriller genre, and this is my first review. My taste in literature could be described as eclectic, and although I have certainly counted thrillers amongst them, I would not have gone so far as to say they have been my favorite. Until now. With "Hunter," Robert has propelled "romantic thriller" to the top of my reading list! I fully expected a smart, thoroughly researched story, particularly knowing Robert's background and experience. What took me, quite pleasantly, by surprise, was Robert's skillful interweaving of a real "love story" into the fabric of this fast-paced crime and punishment(or lack thereof), mystery thrill ride! The "love" thread is absolutely integral to the development of the central characters, Dylan Hunter and Annie Woods.Without it, "Hunter" may well have been a dead-end, single novel. Fortunately for us, we are left clamoring for more, and it's a pretty good bet Robert Bidinotto will deliver.

Hunter by Robert Bidinotto is the best book I've read this year! (And I probably read three dozen books every 12 months.) I hope to see much more of Dylan Hunter and Annie Woods in print. From the first sentence (what a spellbinder) to the last paragraph that left the promise of the next book in my mind, the author kept me entranced. Bidinotto's characterizations are all compelling, from the lovers themselves to the criminals, from the FBI and CIA operatives to Dylan's secretary. Hunter is fast paced, yet full of detail. Bidinotto has a knack for giving the reader what they need to know, want to know--minute detail when appropriate--yet never bogging down the storyline. With multiple deadlines in my personal and professional life looming, I still couldn't put Hunter down until my brain registered the last period.UNDER THE GALLUS FRAME

I really enjoyed this story and look forward to the next instalments of Dylan Hunter. As an advocate for victims of violent crimes and a true crime author of 15 books, I know that the foundation of this book is really non fiction. The justice system protects the criminals ... Sad but true

HUNTER:A Thriller is one of the best books that I have read in a long time. The plot, the characters, and the themes were all integrated perfectly with the heroes being in every way the type of people I would want to know and be like, while the villains were almost just as horrifying.

Admittedly, I have been a fan of Bidinotto's previous nonfiction work for a long time, but that did not mean I came into this story ready to like it. Quite the opposite. I have read a number of novels written by non-fiction writers who I admire and almost each time I have been disappointed. Unlike with those writers, who would just try to write stories which were nothing more than vehicles for their views, Bidinotto crafts a completely realistic, self-contained masterpiece that also happens to have a strong moral core. The characters, no matter how minor, each have a real soul and come off as completely believable. From the most despicable to the most admirable- they are all very real.

The book has a lot of realism working in its favor, from the way that firearms are used and the way that the vigilante operates to the arguments, rationalizations, and general outlooks that the villains hold. This realism serves to ground the novel, but could have potentially made the story more of a horror than a romance if it were not for the heroes. And how the heroes shine! No matter how horrible the murderers, rapists, or their enablers are, the heroes live at such a grand scale that they are able to physically and mentally take them down and protect the innocent. So, the realism is important, but the heroism, which in this novel is better realized than in just about any other thriller I have read, elevates the story into something just classic.

I hear that a sequel is in the works and I cannot wait to read it. This book has set the bar pretty high, but considering the technical and aesthetic know-how that Bidinotto has exhibited, I expect that things can only get better.

Hunter is an entertaining story about the intriguing Dylan Hunter. The action sequences and detail of the crime scenes are very well done. Robert Bidinotto obviously honed these skills while spending years as a journalist. The ambitious story line is moved along quite well with very few lulls. The retribution aspect fills a need that is missing in the real world, its refreshing seeing criminals actually punished for their actions. I would recommend this book for anybody looking for an entertaining thriller.

For the first time in his career, the noted essayist, Robert Bidinotto, directs his considerable writing skills towards fiction, crafting a compelling novel of suspense, intrigue and action, all of which converges in an exploration of a number of important moral questions. Those who enjoy a good mystery, and who have the fortitude for the occasional depiction of violent acts, will find Hunter an engaging read; one which I can highly recommend.

Starting slowly, we are introduced to Annie Woods and Grant Garrett of the CIA, FBI agent Rick Groat, Detective Ed Cronin of the Alexandria, VA police department, and the protagonist, Dylan Lee Hunter, an independent investigative journalist, currently writing for the Capitol Inquirer newspaper. As the story unfolds, we encounter a colorful cast of supporting characters such as Hunter's beautiful secretary, Danika Cheyenne, his researcher, Feddie "Wonk" Diffendorfer, editor Bill Bronowski, and others, including a string of bad guys of every color and stripe.

It doesn't take long for the mystery -- along with the pace of the action -- to accelerate as Dylan Hunter investigates and reports on the backgrounds of various criminals who slip through the courts and prisons, effectively unpunished for their past deeds. The task facing the law enforcement personnel is to identify and track down a group of vigilantes who appear intent upon rendering their own personal sense of justice in the face of a badly broken system. As events unfold, the lives of all the characters become entangled in a complex web of subterfuge, lies, passion and danger that will keep you turning the pages until the story's climatic resolution.

The author's literary style is well polished for a first time novelist, as witnessed by the following sample of effecting, descriptive passages, each setting a mood in support of the accompanying thoughts or actions:

"They sat in the gathering gloom as Garrett torched his way non-stop
through the last of his Luckies. The periodic flare of his lighter
cut deeper fissures into his stony features."

"Yet that stray thought now seemed an irrelevant intrusion, like a
scarecrow hanging impotently in some distant field."

"Watching the oak leaves flail helplessly in the grip of the rising
wind, as a cool low front moved in. Watching gray squirrels scramble
and dig in last fall's brown, rotting drifts. Watching flocks of
black birds wheel under gunmetal sky and scudding clouds."

"The thin bare limbs of the trees around the CIA campus clawed at the
darkening sky like black, skeletal fingers. The clouds reminded her
of dirty padding spilling from a torn mattress."

But of greater interest is the moral component to this story. In the tradition of romantic realism, this is not principally a book about actions and events, but one concerned with important, life-affirming -- or destroying -- ideas. Its true meaning is to be found in the exploration of the choices to be made when faced with questions of loyalty vs. betrayal, cynicism vs. idealism, courage vs. fear, justice vs. compassion, or fealty to either truth, deception or treachery. These are not theoretical issues confined to the pages of fiction, but practical concerns involving decisions every person ultimately faces in the conduct of their daily life. A novel such as this, by dramatizing the conflict inherent in these matters, can help crystallize and make clearer the underlying principles involved. And in the course of judging the appropriateness of the actions taken by the novel's characters, the reader implicitly reflects upon the corresponding meaning and application to their own life.

Give Hunter a try and I do not think you will be disappointed.

Note: An expanded version of this review can be found at the following link:

(...)

The best thing I love about kindle is that it brings hitherto unknown authors to the forefront. Hunter is by far the best book I've ever read. Simply stunning, brilliantly executed and masterfully depicted, hunter is a must-read for those lovers of action. Dylan hunter is the best novel character ever created. Confident, calm, suave, professional and just about as believable as to have existed. Every page holds some fresh insight into the characters. I found myself turning the pages with increasing speed as I was so eager to know what happened next. In the one of the last chapters, when Dylan makes an predictable but neverthless awesome entrance, I couldn't help but feel as if I were annie and the surge of happiness at seeing him arrive. Bidinotto makes you want for more. Just go for it.

I don't usually read thrillers but the blurb on this caught my attention. The book has good tension with twists & turns. The main characters are well developed and you care what happens to them. The author has a cause which comes throughj clearly. For this reason I found the author`s note following the book interesting. I`m looking foreward to further Hunter thrillers.

Page turner! Very well written. I enjoyed the characters and loved and hated them where necessary. I love the vigilante genre and this did not disappoint. I will be moving on to the next in the series. Highly recommend. gbash

I had first come across "Hunter A Thriller" while goggling my name. I have lived a very interesting life filled with romance, heartbreak and revenge, so I wasn't the least bit surprised that someone had wrote a thriller about me. I soon found out the novel was not about me. The novel is about a fictional hero "Dylan Hunter" who is not even loosely based on me. Meanwhile, "Hunter A Thriller" is in route to my apartment via USPS. When it had first arrived I had set it on my coffee table where it sat for about three weeks. It wasn't until about a month ago I picked it up late night after not being able to sleep and could not put it down. I thoroughly enjoyed Hunter A Thriller, I gave it 5 stars and recommend it to all my friends and family. Excellent read! Thank you Robert.

The Denver
Dylan Hunter

As Mr Bidinotto crafts an exciting novel in Hunter, fun in and of itself, he uses his long background in the criminal justice industry to give the reader a sorely-needed outlook on our criminal "justice" system, and the carnage that can result from the "do-gooders" and their crazy policies that procreate the - he isn't a bad guy, he just had a lousy upbringing - meme that causes untold grief to yet more victims of the same criminal as these do-gooders ignore reality to salve some misplaced guilt they seem to require of themselves, at the cost of other's lives. Fun story - good read - needed view. Recommend.

My husband and I read this fast paced thriller together. We take turns reading out loud to each other and it was both captivating and exciting to to see the story unfold little by little. Ok, so there was a romance and some may think it a bit cheesy but they are human!!! Advocates for the criminals say they (the criminals) are also human and should be reformed or given a thousand second chances. The difference is that these guys wont change and will continue to kill, rape, torture, abduct, molest, etc... I could go on. In prison, they get to work out, eat three square meals a day, get a degree for cryin out loud, learn a trade, they can get drugs, alcohol, they continue to rape in prison or make drug deals and other crimes from within. "Oh, you must be watching too much CSI" one advocate might say. Wrong, I know plenty of people in law enforcement, a couple of Feds, several actual friends that work as correction officers, etc... I could go on, again! I also know what violence looks like first hand as a Firefighter/EMT and as an Army Soldier. I believe what Mr. Bidinotto is trying to do is raise awareness of a twisted and corrupt criminal justice system. Not since "Death Wish" has there been a hero like Dylan Hunter.

I was drawn to this book by the overwhelmingly positive user reviews on the store, plus it was cheap so it looked like a win win. Right off the bat the book shows promise but from there it progressively gets worse and worse. The concept is interesting enough, but the book has no flow and the romantic aspect just kills whatever little potential the book has. The dialogue between Hunter and his love interest is corny to the point where I had to skim through it. Don't waste your time on this one, this book sucks.

This is my go-to genre for casual escape-from-it-all reading. HUNTER did not disappoint me with the predictable up and down model that some of these stories take on. I believe Bidinotto is the the same kind of idealist as Dylan Hunter who still embraces his core beliefs in all that is good in spite of his knowledge of all that is bad. And Bidinotto spins a yarn that kept me tangled up till the end that I was diligently pursuing yet so sad to see. I so love/hate that experience in a book!!!

I cannot wait to get my hands on BAD DEEDS.

Cops know this stuff but are constantly indoctrinated with psuedo academic gibberish in an attempt to change their reality. It's nice to have a work of entertaining fiction validate what we experience daily.

Didn't even have to buy it. The preview was enough to show me this author, like so many others today, has never been within a mile of an FBI or CIA agent and is only parroting Hollywood's and other authors' falsehoods and myths. Silly dialogue, agents behaving in ways real agents would never behave (like children), and a Deus ex machina on the first page or two (the bad guy's gun).

Whatever happened to the old dictum, "Write what you know?"

This is the fiction equivalent of false news. Two stars simply because it could have been much worse.

What a great book! The good news is that this is Bidinotto's first in this series. The bad news is at this time there are only two in the series. I finished this at 2:00 AM today; no way could I have put it down without finishing it. I hope he writes another and very quickly. I am so excited to find a new favorite author!

Hunter, the first novel by Robert Bidinotto, is an exciting, action packed thriller. Think Batman meets Jason Bourne. The plot of the book centers around the actions of a vigilante who is avenging the victims of a porous legal system by taking out the brutal criminals who have thus far escaped justice. It also raises interesting philosophical questions about justice, the legal system, and punishment. Oh, and it's a love story, too. I'm looking forward to more Dylan Hunter novels.

Having read some of Robert Bidinotto's non-fiction articles, I expected Hunter to be well written and perceptive, and it is. But beyond that, WOW!!! This is a book for people who enjoy roller-coaster reads and don't mind losing some sleep and letting chores go for a while! Intriguing from the first, I was hooked!

All of the characters are fully developed and all too human - even Dylan Hunter and Annie Woods show flaws and have their moments. This isn't a typical "romantic suspense" novel. It's much deeper than most. There's a sensual current throughout but not the "bodice ripping" kind. These are people that are as passionate about their principles as they are about others. Robert's research is evident. Hunter is a great read that will make you think, and maybe question the way we handle some things today.

I can't wait for the next book! I recommend that you get it now for your e-reader then pick up the paperback as soon as it comes out. Definitely worth your time!

HUNTER: A Thriller Having read my share of suspense/thriller fiction over the years, I can tell within a few pages if a new selection is going to satisfy my requirements. "HUNTER" goes way beyond satisfying and is, easily, the best novel I have read of any genre within the last five years.

From the beginning, Bidinotto rapidly propels the reader forward with unanticipated twists and turns that never disappoint. His characterizations are detailed and thought-provoking and realistically bring to life not only the story's two main characters, Dylan and Annie, but also its victims, bureaucrats, misguided do-gooders and criminal low-lifes. Interwoven throughout the story are provocative questions that serve not only to further explore the psyches and intentions of Dylan and Annie but also to give the reader some reason for self-reflection and reflection on our society's version of criminal justice. This is rare in fiction genres that so often serve only as "entertainment."

Perhaps, for me, the most satisfying aspect of "HUNTER" is Bidinotto's magnificent use of language. An earlier reviewer refers to the author as a "word smith," and indeed he is! His use of descriptive language and the care with which he selects just the right word or phrase elevate Bidinotto's writing above that of many popular authors. Equally superb is his command of realistic dialogue.

I will join other readers in awaiting impatiently a sequel to "HUNTER." It is an amazing first novel that merits 5 Stars and More!

This is my first read by Robert Bidinotto. Totally loved it!! Dylan Hunter is my hero and is very exciting. Hunter is one of the best books I have read. Can't wait for more! I can promise you, you will not be able to put it down. Thank you, Mr. Bidinotto.

This is an outstanding thriller by an author who's sense of justice is grounded firmly in reality - not in the make believe world where criminals aren't really responsible for their reprehensible actions because of their bad childhoods.

Hunter is simply a must read novel. I am an avid reader but I have never felt compelled to write a review. From the first chapter I was hooked and could not put the book down. I am a law enforcement officer and this book hit close to home with me. I can tell you that the authors description of the long rap sheets and the fact that criminals dont often serve enough jail time is completly accurate. Personal opinions of the justice system aside, Hunter is the best book I have read in a long time and I read often. It's a page turner that you will have difficulty putting down. Im looking forward to more Hunter, hopefully in the near future.

Hunter is everything a good read, a Great read should be. The plot, the characters, the pace, the order of the revelations, THE THEME - exquisite. It has heart, it has mind, it has body, it has spirit. And peopled with characters who are now a part of my life; and whom I look forward to seeing again. Well done, Bidinotto. And - thanks...

I don't write reviews, for this book I am making the effort. I read a novel a day, struggle to find quality writing. This is the best debut novel I've encountered in 30 plus years. My only tip? do not get bogged down worrying about dates or who is who in the beginning, it will all come together quite nicely later. Enjoy

I just finished reading Hunter - I really enjoyed reading this book. I do a lot of reading at lunch and have to admit that my lunch breaks have been a little longer than usual as I did not want to stop reading this book. I am really looking forward to additional books in this series. I totally enjoyed all of the main characters and am looking forward to see where Robert takes them.

Rick Arsenault

This is an easy, fun read that grabs you immediately, engages your need for action, softens it with some surprisingly hot romance, and then finishes with a satisfying dose of justice. The author has his screwed on right and is coming with a follow-on novel. Buy it. You won't regret it.

A Boring Alt-Right Sermon.

The characters are stereotypes—cartoonish—their dialog, ridiculous. The hero is no hero. He's a cold-blooded killer—the kind of guy a woman might meet in a redneck bar on a deserted gravel road far from civilization.

I was looking for a Thriller not a poorly written sermon.

This author is perfect for employment at Fox News.
They keep it simple there.
He should give O'Reilly and Hannity a call.

I don't understand how this book got such good reviews. Must have been from friends and family of the author, who never actually read it. Stupid story, stupid characters that were hard to follow. The fact that each segment is date/time/location stamped meant absolutely nothing and also made no sense. And the fact that the idiot main character chick would condone her "lover" going around killing people is unbelievable. The "bad guys" were just stupidly sinister. Very annoying story, very annoying characters. DON'T BOTHER!

I just finished reading this book, and i loved it from the beginning until the end.
It is fast paced with a lot of action, i just couldn't put it down.
HUNTER is a real good caracter and i totally agree with his opinions.
Hopefully mr. Bidinotto does not take too long in publishing the sequels, because i was very disappointed when i visited the store to find that until now this is the only HUNTER book.

Hunter is an amazing, descriptive, and believable thriller that captivated me right from the start. I am not one to normally read this type of book, nor one to continue reading a book unless it captures me early on. I know the author personally and I was very eager and anxious to read his first novel. I downloaded Hunter to my Android phone because I didn't want to wait for the paperback to come out and I do not own a Kindle. I started the book late one afternoon and ended up finishing the book at 4 a.m. the next morning. I literally could not put it down, and I was reading the book on a phone, mind you. I love that the characters are portrayed so realistically, each character with his/her own complexities, in such a way that you will find yourself easily relating to them or strongly reacting to them. I found myself reeling with an array of emotions as I totally became entwined and drawn into all the varied aspects of the individual personalities and descriptive scenarios involved in this book. The imagery produced in my mind was so vivid, it made me feel as if I was watching a movie. Just when I thought I could find a stopping place, I would peek ahead at the next chapter, start reading a few sentences... hooked again. I was compelled to continue on, searching for more nuggets of pertinent information that would help unravel this intricate mystery. There is never a dull moment as the drama continues to build in each chapter with new twists and turns, right up to its brilliant climactic ending. Hunter is also a very believable story due to the author's background with the criminal justice system and his knowledge is very evident by the facts and figures he uses to describe the operations of the various law enforcement agencies and our judicial system. Put a love story into the mix and you have a winning combination, a thriller that will appeal to all types of readers. As I came to the conclusion of the book, I sensed a feeling of disappointment. I didn't want to see the story end. I can't wait for the sequel to this book and look forward to following Mr. Hunter on his next array of adventures.
Bravo, Robert!

I recently came across this book. The plot line deals with a hot topic- how our criminal justice system favors the criminal over the victims. The book passed my test; while reading it I could picture this as a real life news story and I could "see" the characters in my mind. In fact I could suggest actors to cast for the main roles.
Read it and see if you agree with me!

Ignored the housework for 3 days and didn't want to put this book down when I had to. Cannot wait for a sequel and see what Dylan Hunter's next move will be, how he'll advance his cause. I couldn't believe this was a first novel for the author. Loved the short chapters. This would be ideal for a Bravo or Lifetime movie...and seems like Mr. Bidinotto has already done most of the screenwriters' job with the real-time style of the action. As a retiree from the legal profession and hobby dog handler and enthusiast, I appreciated the details, especially the dog and the DNA....The action in this book gave me a real lift, detailed but never weighed me down, and the romance was sweet without giving me a hangover. Geez, can't wait, can't stop saying I can't wait...for the next one. Bravo! Encore! Mary Beth McManus, W. Palm Beach, FL

I have never been tempted to pick up a book in this genre, but I happened to stumble upon it because of the great reviews and low Kindle price. I ended up enjoying it very much. Despite the somewhat sluggish beginning, the story is quite complex and filled with exciting and intriguing characters. The author's personal experience with crime victims and knowledge of injustice in our legal systems based on years of journalism is apparent. You can tell this topic is very close to the author's heart. He really helped to open my eyes.

This book is not for the faint of heart. There are several gruesome crime scenes, as well as talk of rape and suicide. The way I look at it, though, it's no worse than watching CSI on television! Bottom line, this book was exciting (though at times far-fetched) and I do hope that Dylan Hunter returns for more exciting adventures!

The only thing disappointing about "Hunter" is that it is Mr. Bidinotto's first fiction thriller and we will not be able to go to the book store an pick up six or eight of his previous books. I read fiction for enjoyment and "Hunter" delivers as well as, if not better than, the biggest names in the industry. This book has it all. Main characters in Dylan and Annie that are real and believable that will emotionally draw you into the action. A great cast of supporting characters, each of which could have their own book. Plenty of twists and turns that leave you guessing all the way through. A disturbing story line that will have you searching the internet for Mr. Bidinotto's long and distinguished career in non-fiction writing on the subject.

Robert Bidinotto will not be able to write Dylan Hunter books fast enough for me and I will definitely read "Hunter" again, it is that good.

HUNTER is one of the best novels I have read in a very long time. I couldn't wait to turn to the next page. It's a real thriller and has a couple of main characters that will leave you wanting so much more of their story. Thank you Robert Bidinotto for creating them. Keep your books coming.

I could go on and on about how great I think this book is but I won't bore you with all that, I'll keep it short and sweet and simply say this is about the best book I've ever read. Loved every minute of it and was just bummed that there isn't another Dylan Hunter book out there so Mr. Bidinotto PLEASE continue to write more great stuff and keep Dylan Hunter alive.

There are only a few books that I've read that I simply cannot put down. This is definitely one of them! I'm a fan of Grisham and I truly think this is as much, if not more thrilling than anything I've read of his work. I couldn't put the book down and was totally immersed the entire way through. Nice job!

Full Disclosure, though we've never met in person, I've corresponded with Robert Bidinotto for some time and was looking forward to reading his first novel. Robert has written one hell of a first novel folks. There are only a very few "thriller" writers including Flynn, Hunter, and Thor that can grab me from the first, and other writers such as Asimov, Shakespeare and Campbell are included though they don't write "thrillers."

Hunter is simply amazing, From the opening pages to the final chapter you are in for a treat to beat all treats. Don't listen to any "bad reviews." Those folk are either unapproachable or they just don't appreciate the skill that Robert has put into this first effort. Can't wait for the next book and I hope this is a long, long series.

The moral simplicity of the characters and obvious promotion of objective philosophy overshadow the reality of complex social issues. This thriller suffers from the author's mission to promote a unidimensional world view.

This book had so much hype and was a really decent price so as an avid mystery\thriller reader I decided to give it a try. I think this would be a great novel for a reader who is new to the genre but for those who read thrillers often I can say this missed the mark. The twist in the novel can be seen coming long before its exposed to the reader. Ann is supposed to be an intelligent CIA agent who has doubts about a man but dismisses them like a tweve year old school girl who wants nothing but to fully believe her crush is perfect and not at all flawed. As a criminal justice professional I also have an issue with the ideals shoved down the throats of the reader. If you are used to reading thrillers by the likes of King, Coben and Iles, pass on this novel.

Let me note that I don't read much fiction. The most recent novel I read before Hunter was the third Harry Potter. In any case I liked Hunter very much. It tells a compelling story that moved quickly with no lags in it. It hooked me from the first page. I liked how almost every chapter ends with a quote that had a double meaning. The descriptions of the characters and scenes were just enough to give the reader a good image without bogging down in details. Bidinotto's writing style comes across as though he has been writing fiction for a long time. I found his writing style crisp and confident.

Well done. This was a joy to read and it kept me guessing all the way. The action was good, the characters real, and the storyline was well done. I am glad that this is the first. I look forward to the next in the series.

Pretty much by any standard this is an incredible book. Great, real characters, that have deep flaws and deep feelings. Spot on dialogues, and constant action. This was a very enjoyable book, very well written.

The plot is less nuanced then a 1960's comic book. The cardboard cutout characters consist of pure evil criminals with their enabling dupes of lawyers, judges, prosecutors, and politicians. The vigilante hero races through the pages murdering the inhuman "scumbags" when not seducing the beautiful and talented CIA agent who can't resist his animal magnatism and who is not allowed to say no in the bedroom. But why would she? I only got through half of the book. I'm regretting those lost hours that ill never get back.

What a book! I agree wholeheartedly with the previous positive comments. This book had me from page one. It is a non-stop action thriller, a mystery ride, a lesson of the injustice of the justice system, all rolled into one. Dylan Hunter is a bit like Jack Bauer from"24", a guy who gets things done. It's also a love story; the characters are so real you relate to them as if you are in the story yourself. Toward the end of this book, I started to read as slowly as I could because I didn't want the book to end. That's how good it is.

Robert Bidinotto's first venture into the world of thriller fiction is a wonderful journey in which you as a reader will find it hard to step away from. It is a fast paced story with unexpected turns and at the heart of it a love story which even a guy can appreciate.

The characters were fleshed out beautifully, human in every aspect and completely relate-able. Their pains and joys are realistic and as the reader it's easy to identify with one or both and cheer them on through their adventures.

The writing style shows an author who truly takes time to develop the story and knows how to draw the reader in. I truly loved the way the various story arcs which seemed to be so seperate merged together as one to culminate in a specatcular action ending.

In short, Bidinotto's Hunter is an extremely enjoyable piece of thriller fiction and I for one am hopeful that there will be many more adventures with Mr. Dylan Hunter.

The depiction of the influence by the "do-gooders" in the justice system is on point. The many examples of weak kneed judges allowing real bad folks getting off with little to no punishment is well documented. Worse are the actions of attorneys and prosecutors making deals to settle cases without punishing perpetrators properly..the novel was gripping in depicting how Mr. HUNTER evolves and does the "right thing".

An excellent novel which I enjoyed and which I recommend to other readers. The author has great depth of feeling concerning the problems in our legal system today. This book is an eye opener for me for sure.

Bidinotto takes his place among top notch authors of the thriller genre with "Hunter."
Best of all is the way the book turns in uniquely unexpected ways. Man, I love the heart-pounding pace and the flag pole scene rocks. Don't want to give too much away but Flynn, Clancy, Berenson and Cussler have some major competition now. Looking for intense action and fleshed out characters? Robert Bidinotto brings it!

I agree with the philosophy that we are way too soft on criminals and too many are being freed or given small sentences by left-wing do-gooders. But Annie’s acceptance of Dylan’s lifestyle lacked credibility and the ending was absurd.

Bidinotto earns all the 5-star reviews in the store's Reviews category. His first novel is right up there with the Lee Child books, and that is strong praise in my estimation. If you enjoy thrilling mysteries, read Hunter !

Mr. Bidinotto, please do not wait too long for the sequel!! I loved this book. I had a hard time putting it down. I enjoy finding new authors and love when their first books keep me reading and wanting more. You won't be dissapointed!

I found Robert Bidinotto via following Brad Thor. If you enjoy Brad Thor or Vince Flynn, I think you will really enjoy this book. "Hunter" is a fast paced thriller set in the DC area, with a ton of accurate detail in the premise, weapon systems, and capabilities of the modern world. "Hunter" is well written, thought provoking, and throughly entertaining. I can't wait to see what happens to Dylan Hunter next.

Robert Bidinotto's nonfiction works evidence a passion for justice. I can't think of a nobler obsession, and neither can the protagonist of his first novel, who takes big risks in its name. Add to that a scary villain, plot twists, and a conflicted romance that adds suspense on yet another level, and you have a romantic thriller that will leave you hungering for a sequel.
-Larry Abrams, author, The Philosophical Practitioner

Yet another very satisfied reader. Mr. Bidinotto's first novel (of hopefully many. introduces us to Dylan Hunter, a journalist with a resumè full of extracurricular activities. I found myself cheering Hunter on at every turn, even as he involves himself with people he's better off leaving alone. The author's style of revealing more about Hunter as the story progresses keeps the reader wanting more and more, and has the pages flying by. As the story progresses, the twists and turns pile up to an ending so climactic you'll wonder how it hasn't been optioned by Warner Brothers yet.

Bottom line: if you like Clancy, Flynn, and Thor, you'll love Bidinotto.

Can't recommend it highly enough.

I am hard pressed these days to find a novel by James Patterson, Tami Hoag, David Baldacci or Dan Brown that I have not read already. So whats next? Dylan Hunter!!! I read this book in a day and can't wait to read the next one. The characters come to life on every page and I found myself torn between loving Hunter and hating him, but by the last page all I wanted was more Hunter!!!! The emmotion of each character is relatable and the mystery a page turner!! I can't wait to see what Binidotto has in store for Hunter. A must read for adventure seekers!!

If you like Dexter and/or Jason Bourne stop reading this and make the purchase. This is an excellent novel that you likely won't be able to put down as the story never stops. This could easily be a movie and would do great, but hopefully another novel will come out first with another action packed story line that is just as fulfilling. 5 stars all the way.

I couldn't put it down. I await more from this series. Thanks for writing it Robert. I was as intriqued & hooked as with any James Patterson novel. That's saying a lot as he is my favorite author.

Interesting first book. The book has a good plot line and the story moves along. However, the author needs to pick up a book or two on writing fiction. His writing makes abundant use of adverbs and adjectives, and is more cliche ridden than a good book should be. As a first effort at writing novels, he made a decent effort. In the future, he might want to attend a writer's workshop or pick up a handbook on fiction writing where he would be encouraged at cutting the extraneous. Or find a decent editor, if there are any left.

Hunter, a crime/thriller, introduces Dylan Hunter and author Robert Bidinotto to the genre.

Bidinotto has crafted a complex and satisfying character in Hunter. One who I believe will be around to entertain us in a number of novels in the coming years. The plot is a tight one, which rolls along at breakneck speed. If you are a fan of Michael Connelly, think of Bidinotto as Connelly on 5 cups of espresso.

Be warned--if you like to read in bed, you will be doing lots of reading and very little sleeping.

A magnificent read. A Lee Childs type character with a poignant social comment. The best first-time author I have ever read.
I hope we see more. Tremendous insight into the legal system and society's idea of punishment and reform.

Mr. Bidinotto has written a great thriller, great plot, well developed characters, and a very believable love story. Although a work of fiction, the realities included in the story sent shivers up my spine. I anxiously await the next book.

I had the pleasure of reading the manuscript before it went to press. I wasn't entirely surprised by how well it was written as I know Robert to be an articulate writer and speaker. What did surprise me was how caught up I found myself in the story. I love the Dylan Hunter character. Without giving too much away, Robert has done a superb job of capturing the interaction between Dylan and Annie and the story itself left me wanting more. I'm already begging for a sequel!

Besides the complex hero and strong female lead, the most interesting aspects of Robert Bidinotto's Hunter were the questions it raised. Can one sympathize with a violent vigilante? Halfway through, I wasn't so sure. But with a brilliantly crafted climax, Bidinotto puts our sympathies--and someone else's--squarely where they belong.

Wonderfully written book. From the first page I couldn't stop reading until I finished the book. I loved Dylan Hunter's character and can't wait until Robert writes the next one to see what he has in store for Dylan. In fact I hope he has several books in mind for Mr. Hunter's character. Hope you have already started the next sequel. Again great book.

I knew the reviews were good, but let me tell you for a first novel, I think this was the best I've read. After I got into it, I couldn't put it down.He also transmits a good message. i look forward to his next novel.

For a first novel, how can you complain. It has heart, its exciting, great great scenes. Love the press conferance, formal dinner scene, and climax. Great descriptive writing. The characters make this book, finding out who hunter is and how he became who he is makes this a rereadable journey. i cannot wait to see what happens next. oh and more luna next time!

Felt like the writer was making more of a political statement. While I understand that our legal system has flaws, it still stands as one of the best out there. Glamorizing vigilante justice just didn't do it for me...

As Henry James once said: "action is character." One line was enough to show why the book is not worth reading (Thanks, the store "read first chapter free" feature!). In it the author attempted to describe the emotion a character was feeling, instead of describing the actions that alone could reveal the character's emotional state. That's just bad writing. A good editor might have caught this, and sent the book back. But there are no good editors any more, and no back to send books to --no rejections-- in the world of e-publishing.

What I thought would be a drama turned into a sappy romance where the woman, who is suppose to be accomplished and intelligent, falls for a man just because he is a man. Forsaking all professional training and caution; really? Who thinks people want to see idiots behaving poorly; it does not make them more approachable or human; just stupid. I had to stop reading.

Robert knocks it out of the park in his first fiction at-bat. Hunter is a cerebral thrill ride which takes the reader from the summit of professional accomplishment to the deepest, darkest valley of vengance, and back to the aerie of human emotion: a deep, firey love story.

Read 'Hunter'. You will not be disappointed.

A thriller about a vigilante who sets out to right the wrongs of the justice system, HUNTER is character-driven, propulsively plotted, exciting, provocative, and a real page-turner. I wish I'd written it. I'm glad I read it.

I bought this book under the impression that the top-ranked reviewers were accurately representing it... boy, was I disappointed.

The protagonist is a simplistic unbelievable character, a virtual superhero who has the mental, physical, and martial arts abilities to easily overcome anyone and save himself from any situation regardless of how ridiculous and unrealistic. Of course, he is independently wealthy with several residences, vehicles, and an arsenal that Saddam Hussein would have envied. His advantages are counterbalanced by the angst that goes along with surviving an assassination by the Russians, but thank goodness the government paid to rebuild him so that his ruthless death-dealing skills are matched by his rugged handsomeness. I won't go into the fact that he's also a raving sociopath who's also suffering from either schizophrenia or narcissistic personality disorder (depending on the page), and completely unsympathetic... Jack Handy has more interesting and persuasive deep thoughts. And of course, there's a love interest, a savvy CIA agent who also happens to be a hysterical indecisive female. You get that all the time in the CIA, I guess. No wonder we can't seem to get ahead of the terrorists. And, speaking of bad guys, the antagonists are equal parts evil and stupid, and the cops are equal parts stupid and incompetent. Maybe the truly bad guys are the bleeding-heart liberal types that the author goes off on, who evidently like nothing better than hanging around with serial killers and sexual predators and using some of that trust fund money to pay for lots of get-out-of-jail-free cards.

The plot was predictable after a couple of chapters, there were no surprises, and I feel like I should have been paid for wasting a few hours of my life to read this book. In short, it read like something you might get from a high schooler. It could have been a good book; the raw ingredients were there, but if you're looking for something along the lines of a Lee Child or a Michael Connelly... keep hunting.

Since the book's sole purpose seems to be the demonisation of violent criminals and to excoriate the leniency of the American justice system, it is surprising that the main male character comes across as a rapist. For example, the following is quoted from the book, after the two main characters have spent their first night together:

"'My God, Dylan, I can't. Not again.' She moved his hand away. 'No!'

He grabbed the back of her hair. Pressed his lips into light contact with hers. His eyes, so close, bore into hers.

'You listen to me, Annie Woods. The one word that's forbidden when we're in bed is "no".'"

This is only one example; it carries on in this vein. I would strongly advise all rape survivors to stay away from this book - it is triggering! I am pretty sure most feminists would find this pretty off-putting too.

Besides the general "rapeyness" of the book, it's not very well written. The plot is silly and the author's not-too-subtle agenda gets boring really quickly.

This book was written by someone with a limited vocabulary and a thesaurus. Every noun has one to three adjectives, and every sentence an adverb or two:

"Her eyes were what first riveted him. Smokey gray, set wide, crowned by brows that arced up and outward. The subtly feline look accentuated by her mouth--wide, full-lipped, turned up at the corners when she smiled. Short, tousled chestnut hair framing a pale oval face. Her neck, like the rest of her, gracefully long-lined and slender, suggesting an incongruous delicacy."

Yeah, her neck, which is just like the rest of her, is incongruous. Not even sure what he's trying to say there.

Plus, the political commentary in this book is about as one-sided and blatant as, say, Captain Planet. I get it, the author thinks that criminals should be punished, and that nobody is doing anything about it. I just couldn't make it through one more scene of this tripe:

"We just can't let the sentences be slashed on all the vicious criminals who did these things to us and our families," added Bob West, Jeri's husband. "Once they're out again, they'll just prey on others."
"After what that monster did to my little Loretta, I don't think I could deal with it if he got out."

Gag a maggot.

Two issues with the book.

1) Cardboard sterotypical characters

2) It is a long gory "justification" of murdering bad guys.

this is vigilantism at its worst by showing it in somehow a good light. I can't deal with this. I want a land that is ruled by law where at least if you are troubled enough to take the law into your own hands you will have to deal with consequences of your actions.

Why, why why? Horrible, bad writing, preachy boring plot, flat characters. Really no redeeming quality at all. I am only thankful that I "borrowed" the book from the the store lending library and didn't spend a cent for it!