Hunter of Shadows by Nancy Gideon

NGideon-Hunter of ShadowsI’ve been half dreading, half anxiously waiting to read Hunter of Shadows by Nancy Gideon.  A book in the Moonlight series without Max and Charlotte, don’t you do that to me!  Who wants Silas and Nica?? Not me, I want Max and Charlotte!  I was ready to send off a personal message to Ms. Gideon begging for them to come back.

The secrets he knows about her could get him killed.
Transferring to the New Orleans Police Department, Detective Silas MacCreedy has a hidden agenda: to secure his clan’s place once again in the Shifter hierarchy.What he didn’t count on was stumbling upon a sexy assassin who could shred his best intentions and lead him into a dangerous dance that threatens to engage his heart.

But the ones he doesn’t know . . .
Monica Fraser knows just how to make a man beg—for his life. But she has no clue how to fight her attraction to the fiercely intense detective who seems determined to get in her way, both professionally and intimately.

. . . could kill them both.
When emotional attachments to the past and an unexpected glimpse of a different future have her questioning her deadly purpose, Nica must discover the truth about her secret abilities in order to free herself from the forces that control her. But that freedom comes with a price—trusting those she’s been ordered to eliminate.

Yeah it’s safe to say I had every intention of hating Silas and Monica, aka Nica.  There’s no way they could make me fall in love like Max and Cee Cee did.  Nope.  I fought it long and hard, but then finally it happened.

I kinda like Silas, he’s tough but he’s not one of those egotistical, masochistic types.  I like that.  Silas holds back when most male characters would burst through the door.  He thinks things through, he takes the best path that gets him closer to his goal but protects his family, because his family is his everything and they come first.  He’s given up his life to keep his parents spirits alive, following through with a plan he didn’t like just to keep his remaining family safe.  And yet, he finds his family isn’t the image he thought it was, it’s worse and yet better. Then he has to make a decision to turn his back on his entire life’s purpose for the ones he loves or lose the only woman who accepted him as is.

Nica, who is complicated and strange,makes 100% sense.  She’s an orphan who has been on her own practically her whole life.  She’s a ruthless killer because she’s had to be, it was the only way for her to survive.  She has no sense of family or trust or companionship.  A life on her own, doing someone else’s bidding because she has no choice, has left her not only scarred, but scared of having a normal life.  She wants it badly but she’s come to the harsh reality that it’s not in the cards for her considering her ‘job’….

These two broke down my defenses, but I still want Max and Cee Cee *grin*. Oh! I have to say, they are in this book. In fact, they play a huge role in this book, so you don’t actually miss them…shh I did not say that!

After reading Hunter of Shadows, I see the reason behind switching the looking glass to these two characters.  It brings a whole new perspective on this world of shape shifter, shining a brighter light on what is going on.  It’s kind of like asking for a new opinion, or another version of a story, and then you understand the significance and importance of the situation as a whole.  I wasn’t sure how Ms. Gideon was going to pull off having these two step in, but she did it smoothly and effortlessly.  It makes sense now and I think it’s a brilliant way of telling a story.

The plot itself was good, and not what I was expecting.  The connections with all the characters (I will not give this away) make me curious to see what other connections there are.  Not to mention what they are going to cause down the line, most especially the decision that Silas makes. There’s no way it ends easily.  There was a moment when my heart stopped; I got tears in my eyes and I started saying ‘No, no, no’.  I was sitting in my truck, waiting in line to get my son from school, and I’m positive the couple next to me thought I’d lost my mind as I was visibly upset over a book.  I almost put the book down; I could not face the outcome of that one scene.  Once I got through this heartbreak, I read Hunter of Shadows as fast as I possibly could.  I loved Hunter of Shadows before but something about that scene grabbed a hold of me and wouldn’t let me go.  The rest of the story didn’t disappoint me at all, in fact it geared me up and now I’m like well crap, where’s the next book?  What happens next?!  You can’t leave me hanging like this!

I refuse to admit, that I love Hunter of Shadows as much as the ones before it. It would betray Max and Charlotte, you know.  But I will say, I cannot get enough of this series.  Each book has a new twist and a new step in one hell of a world.  You don’t have that ‘how many times do I have to read this plot with a new spin on it’ feel at any time.  You never get bored.  You may think you know what’s coming but you truly don’t; it always ends up more complicated or more fantastic than you imagined.  Go get Hunter of Shadows, and the rest of the Moonlight series, if you don’t have it.

Reader Order:
Masked by Moonlight
Chased by Moonlight
Captured by Moonlight
Bound by Moonlight
Hunter of Shadows

About Nikki R 120 Articles
SAHM of 2, happily married bookworm, blogger and aspiring author. If I could read/write all day, every day, I would. Luckily I have a very understanding, and patient, husband who lets me get away with it as much as possible. Now if only the kids would understand my obsession, and the house would clean itself, then I'd be all set.