Judgement and Wrath is the second in Matt Hilton's Joe Hunter series, following on from the bestselling Dead Men's Dust. Published by Hodder & Staughton in the UK, it hits the streets on 15th October 2009.
Hilton is something of a phenomenon, having received a record-breaking 5 book deal in the UK, as well as a number of foreign translations and a 3 book deal with William Morrow and Co. in the USA, and it's fair to say that Joe Hunter is keeping up a punishing schedule with a new book to be released every six months as Hodder look to build Hilton's name and shelf-presence.
Hilton's books are tough, cinematic, no-nonsense action thrillers with a main character who is drawing a lot of comparisons to genre mainstays like Lee Child's Jack Reacher, Robert Crais' Joe Pike and Don Pendleton's Mack Bolan. And for good reason, and not simply because he's a former military operative turned problem solver. It's no surprise, Hilton, an ex-cop, is a highly ranked martial arts instructor, has brought brought what The Daily Mail describe as "ruthless, dramatic violence" to life.
"Whereas Hunter's contemporaries tend to be analytical and 'detectives' in their own right, Hunter is more headstrong and is likely to charge in with all guns blazing, with a do-or-die attitude to the problem," Hilton explains. "It's evident early on in the Hunter books who the bad guys are, and the story isn't about Hunter attempting to uncover the villain, but how he's going to deal with them."
Of course it isn't just about memorable heroes, as with many thrillers, the real 'thrills' come with the villains, as Hilton's more than happy to tell you. "I absolutely love writing about the villains. They're so much fun. Getting inside their heads gives me the freedom to do just about anything, without folding under any moral dilemma. Obviously there are things my villains do that are abhorrent, but that only makes it more satifying when Hunter finally meets them. I had a ball writing Tubal Cain, to a point I began to see him more as an anti-hero than a through and through bad guy. I ended up liking him! With Dantalion, I went much darker, so there's no fondness for the villain in Judgement and Wrath."
This time out, Hunter, having barely escaped with his life while trying to save his half-brother, has a new life in Florida. The word calm doesn't fit into Hunter's philosophy. A man like him can't escape his past-or in this case a desperate father who needs him to find his daughter, Marianne, and bring her home. Of course it's never going to be that simple. For a start, Marianne is happy with her millionaire lover, Bradley Jorgenson, and has no intention of leaving her lover's exclusive island compound.
The situation is complicated by a fellow called Dantalion, a contract killer on the hunt for Jorgenson and Marianne. Dantalion has an agenda of his own, and nobody is going to stand in his way. Even Joe Hunter.
Hunter intervenes, saving the couple, and what started out as a simple matter of snatch-and-grab turns into a deadly game of cat-and-mouse that sets hunter and hunted on a grueling chase deep within the Florida swamplands.
Steven Savile's novel PRIMEVAL: SHADOW OF THE JAGUAR was a #1 bestseller in the UK. Primarily known for his fantasy and media tie-in work his debut thriller SILVER is due out from Variance in January 2010.
