In The Name Of The Father by Gerri HillIn The Name Of The Father by Gerri Hill is a cop mystery and something that Gerri Hill excels at. In the previous book, Hunter’s Way, we discovered that Dallas Homicide Detective Tori Hunter is an excellent detective but notoriously difficult to get along with. That is, until she was partnered with Samantha Kennedy.

This book opens with them looking at the dead body of a Catholic priest. The victim is found naked and strangled. Samantha and Tori are on the case and when the report comes back that the victim seemed to be sexually active in a homosexual relationship they are forced to team up with someone from special victims, Casey O’Connor, in order to prove that it was not a consensual relationship.

The pressure starts mounting for them to close the case and the church hires a PR firm to address the media and keep the scandal to a minimum. And when a second murder intersects with the first it looks like someone will do anything to keep the truth hidden.

To make matters even more complicated Samantha is moved to a different department half way through the case. It’s not a complete surprise though as both Tori and Samantha knew they couldn’t be romantically involved and work together. This leaves Tori to partner with Casey in order to solve the case.

Can Tori solve the murders or will she buckle under the mounting pressure of the higher ups trying to shut down the case, the PR firm putting incorrect information out to the media and the loss of the only partner she has ever worked well with?

The Characters

We first meet Tori and Samantha in Hunter’s Way, where they become partners in their job and then fall in love. In this one we watch as they move in together and how their relationship evolves.

Sadly Tori and Sam are separated at work but Tori ends up working with Casey who is from another unit.  Casey and Tori get along famously. Even so, the loss of no longer seeing Sam at work has turned Tori’s world upside down and she has to deal with the emotions of that.

Casey is an interesting character and I was happy to have her added to the story. She is a good cop and it was fun to see her thrown into the deep end of the case. On a fun side note, Casey is the main character in the next book of the series.

The Writing Style

I do like the way Gerri Hill writes, her cases are always interesting and never the same, the personal journeys of the main characters are unique and tug at the heart and I love some of the side characters in this book.

For those who are into steamy sex scenes you get a couple of good ones in this series.

The Narration

Abby Craden is a legend. All the voices are the same across the series, so you can move from book one to book two without issues.

Also, I really love Casey’s vocalisation and accent.

Craden’s male voices are gruff but not forced, so it’s clear who is who.

Pros And My Favourite Parts

I loved the case and I enjoyed the side characters that Hill brought in, especially Marissa, the PR woman.

I also really appreciated the way Tori and Sam’s relationship has evolved. There are times in the book when Sam knows Tori is feeling frustrated or angry and before Tori can blow up Sam squeezes her thigh. This kind of thing rings so true for me, my wife does exactly that to me because I too have a quick temper in certain cases.

Cons And Heads Up

I found the case to be a really interesting one but was a teeny bit disappointed with how it wrapped up. The ending felt a little bit awkward. Still, it didn’t detract enough for me to be anything but a fan of this audiobook.

The Conclusion

sheena's favouriteThis is a great addition to the series and can absolutely be read as a stand alone but do yourself a favour and start with book one because then you see Tori and Sam come together as a couple and it’s delightful.

I highly recommend the audiobook because Abby Craden is a legend and can pair up with Gerri Hill any day of the week and make me a happy listener.

Side note: for lovers of romance, there is a strong romantic theme in the first and third books of the series but there isn’t one in this book. There is a lot of sex and Casey ends up having a fling with someone but no actual romance.

TLDR (too long didn’t read)

If you want a cop mystery with fun twists and turns in the case, main characters you fall in love with and awesome side characters then read this book. If you want a sexy narrator then get the audiobook.

Excerpt from In The Name Of The Father by Gerri Hill

Chapter One

“Hunter, get in here.”

Tori Hunter looked up from her computer, nodding at Lieutenant Malone as she slid her chair back and walked into his office.

“Where’s Kennedy?” he asked, motioning for her to sit.

Tori glanced at her watch. “She had a lunch date.”

“Oh, yeah?” He cleared his throat. “Is everything okay with you two?”

Tori blushed slightly. It was still unsettling to know that her lieutenant, of all people, knew about her love life. It was one thing for Sikes to tease them, quite another to have her lieutenant asking about her relationship. “Sam was meeting her friend Amy, that’s all.”

“Okay. Well, you’ll need to call her in. Got a situation out at Saint Mary’s, downtown,” he said, reading from a scribbled note in his hand. “We need to be sensitive about this one, Hunter.”

“Like I don’t know how to be sensitive,” Tori said dryly as she crossed her arms. “And if you want sensitive, maybe you should send Sikes. We’ve got a solid lead on our case, Lieutenant. I think we found a witness who can put Stewart at the scene. I hate to take time away from it.”

“Sorry, but now you’ve got another case. I want you two on this one.” He fingered the note again. “Father Michael was found dead this morning in the rectory. The responding unit is there, and the crime lab’s already on the scene.”

“A priest?” Tori asked, leaning forward. “Homicide?”

“Appears so. He was found naked.” He looked at her. “Like I said, sensitive, Hunter. Let’s try to keep the gory details from the press.”

“Naked? Shouldn’t this fall to the new Special Victims Unit?”

“Special Victims investigates sexual crimes, Hunter,” he said, his voice tense. “This is a homicide. Nothing more.”

“I understand.” Tori took the piece of paper from Malone. “You’re Catholic, Stan? I never knew.”

He nodded. “I knew Father Michael. He was a good man.”

“Okay. Sensitive.”

Tori grabbed her jacket off the back of her chair. The January day was cold and rainy, making her long for summer. It had only been a couple of months since they’d gone to the boat regularly, but still, it had been an ideal summer and Tori missed it. She and Sam had spent nearly every weekend on the lake, getting to know each other without a murder investigation hanging over them. They had grown so close, Tori wondered how she had managed before Sam came into her life. But she knew, didn’t she? She hadn’t really been living, she had merely been existing.

She called Sam while she drove the short distance to Saint Mary’s. She and Amy were still at the deli.

“Why don’t you have Amy drop you off at the church?”

“Okay. We’re finished anyway. I’ll meet you there.”

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Series

Hunter Series

Hunter’s Way

In The Name Of The Father

Partners

Bits and Bobs

  • ISBN number: 9781594931086
  • Publisher: Bella Books
  • Audiobook Publisher: Tantor Audio
  • Narrator: Abby Craden
  • Gerri Hill Online

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