‘Hunted’ by Emlyn Rees.

Published by Constable and Robinson, 2012.
ISBN:  978-1-84901-884-5

This is an excellent thriller set in modern-day London with the action moving back and forth from various well-known parts of the capital.  When Russian agent, Colonel Zykov, picks up an attractive Scottish girl in a bar and takes her back to his luxury penthouse for sex, he discovers she is really a Russian-born agent. Aided by two brutal henchmen, he is beaten and tortured and fears his life is in danger. 

On the other side of London, Daniel Shanklin and his current girlfriend return to his canal boat after a night out; she believes he is employed by a security firm to protect VIP businessmen but, in truth, he is a British ex-army agent working for military intelligence. His wife and son have been killed in the course of his work, but he still has a young daughter whom he is determined to protect at all costs.

When he finds he has been cleverly set up for the brutal murder of the Russian colonel, he turns for help from The Kid - his hi-tech support friend whom he trusts implicitly. There follows a fast-moving and exciting series of events as he struggles to escape the police and to  discover who has set him up for this brutal crime and why. The plot become more complex as he runs from the police, copes with threats to himself and his young daughter and meets with violence and finally a cruel betrayal. Daniel is a convincing character, so are the frightening and ruthless villains in a book which has many surprising twists and turns. This is a fast-moving, exciting novel written in a terse, convincing style. A must for those who enjoy a good thriller.

Highly recommended.  

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Reviewer: Edna Jones

Emlyn Rees spent his early twenties traveling around Asia and pouring drinks in London for the likes of Sylvester Stallone and Princess Anne. He published his first crime novel aged twenty-five, his second a year later, and then co-wrote seven comedies with Josie Lloyd, including the Number One Sunday Times bestseller Come Together. Emlyn is the editor of Angry Robot's new crime fiction imprint, Exhibit A. For all enquires about this, please go and visit the brilliant angryrobot.com. Emlyn is currently working on the sequel, to Hunted, entitled Wanted.


Edna Jones has been writing novels, articles, book reviews and short stories for some years. Using the pseudonym Clare Dawson for crime novels and short stories, a few other pseudonyms had been used for romantic fiction etc. Born in the West Midlands she has had a variety of jobs, is now retired and lives in Cambridgeshire. Has had two crime novels published (one as an e-book) and several short stories in various anthologies and magazines here and abroad. Single. As well as reading, enjoys outdoor life, travel, and crosswords.