Man of action Gunnard Landers (1944-) delivers one mean corker of a thriller here, from the very first page as the unknown killer picks his target - the group of men have come to this wilderness for a hunting trip, and of course one of them has a different sort of prey in mind. Our killer won't remain nameless for long, and we'll come to know him and all his friends very well in Landers' easy, piercing style.
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| The hardcover |
Protagonist Norm suspects there's something wrong with one of them; something more than the usual midcentury neuroses, I mean, something even more dangerous than the domestic problems and work struggles and homosocial minefield that the men navigate. But then, Norm's a little off himself, and maybe his buddies don't want to put too much stock in any random thing he says ...
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| And our author |
The Paperback Warrior blog reviewed this title back in 2022 and on the strength of their recommendation I had to search out a copy for myself. I'm glad I did! The characters live, breathe, and die with shocking emotion, and Landers writes so vividly that you can easily see the story happening here and now - this could your town! The killer isn't some slasher film maniac or wannabe Hannibal Lecter, he's the same guy you've seen a million times before on the news, and how could anyone know? He was such a family man ...
And his prey? His camouflage? His hunting buddies, all jeering and jockeying to release some pressure, to escape the rat race if just for a weekend, to prove something, to do something ... with a gun. They don't know they're playing for keeps now, though.
The Hunting Shack ranks 4/4 - very recommended! This title is available to read and download at archive dot org.
Dell Publishing, 1979
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