Hunter Morgan, Unspoken Fear

Unspoken Fear

Hunter Morgan

Zebra, May 2006, $6.99, 448 pp.

ISBN: 082177946X

Rachel, accompanied by her four year old daughter Mallory arrives at the Sussex County Correctional Facility to take home her former spouse Noah, who spent five years there for vehicular homicide while driving under the influence. Noah, an ex-priest, blames himself for his still beloved Rachel no longer smiling, while also pondering who the father of the little girl is. His two children with Rachel are both dead.

Not long after Noah returns to the vineyard home of his parents where Rachel, Mallory, and idiot savant Mattie McConnell live, someone stones their neighbor Johnny Leger to death. Detective Chief Snowden Calloway and Detective Sergeant Delilah Swift believe Noah knows something about the homicide, but is not forthcoming with information. As they make enquiries, Noah wonders if he might be dangerous as he blacked-out at the time the murder occurred.

This is a terrific thriller, that from the start has the audience wondering if a fallen angel is doing the killing, yet with potential paranormal intervention, the tale holds together as a police procedural mostly from the perspectives of Noah and Rachel. The storyline is fast paced as Noah holds himself at fault for what happened, especially as he sees the sadness of Rachel and how much Mattie displays he let him down too. The strong support cast keeps the thriller from collapsing into a maudlin serial killer second chance at love, if he is not the culprit. Though at times over the top, especially with Azrael and the voice, fans will enjoy Hunter Morgan's solid tale.