Book Review: ‘The Hunt’ by Nick Wilkshire

In The Hunt, St. John’s lawyer and author Nick Wilkshire sets up two protagonists racing against the clock on an illicit killer’s tail. With four bodies connected in two different provinces, this storyline is bound to keep you intrigued and dissecting cryptic warnings. 

American diplomat, Ben Matthews, is an outsider and a stickler for rules and organization. He was recently stationed in Ottawa from California, and isn’t thrilled by it at all. A secret mission leads him to immediately leave his current murder case in Vancouver, British Columbia, to fly out to Whitehorse. He is sent to search for an American “VIP” who disappeared while on a hunting trip.

As expected of an RCMP sergeant, Yukon native Lee Sawchuk chooses efficiency over superficiality. She is rough around the edges, stubborn, independent, and comfortable in hard terrains. Her knowledge of the most popular hunting grounds, as well as local outfitters, proves imperative. A former Canadian ambassador has disappeared and his vanishing coincides with the missing American “VIP.”

Their paths now entwined — these unlikely partners must now navigate secrecy and friction, all while challenging each other. Their mutual goal? Catching a murderer.

From trekking uneven land to shooting down bait 400 yards away, Wilkshire paints a vivid backdrop filled with urgency and tension. With a merciless killer closing in, Richard Perry, former United States (U.S.) vice-president, and John Townsend, former Canadian ambassador to the U.S., have no time to waste. What was meant to be a long-awaited 20 years in the making getaway trip becomes a desperate flee from danger. Hunters now hunted — will they escape the bone-chilling cold of these woods, or will a hidden sleeve knife seal their demise?

Wilkshire’s expertise of scene-setting almost romanticizes the unforgiving wilderness. Making readers long to take a trip to the Yukon, regardless of high grocery costs and freezing cold temperatures. Excelling in contrasts, this seventh novel combines necessity and respect, opposing views and understanding, but also strength and finesse. 

Although time is running out within the book, each chapter’s pacing remains consistent and introduces details naturally. It took a while to get accustomed to a clear Canadian pride — showcased through the different cities and provinces introduced. The first few chapters overall did not immediately draw me in either. But once the murder mystery aspect was introduced, I was fully invested. Needing to know whether protocol and bureaucracy would be damned when it came to catching a killer urged me to keep the pages turning. 

I especially enjoyed the witty stereotype about Ottawa being boring and the usual retorts to that statement. Throughout this story, the author once again takes readers on a path of survival and pressure. For precaution, let us remember this saying when encountering bears: if it is brown, lay down; if it is black, fight back; if it is white, goodnight. 

It is evident through his writing that travel and mysteries shape most of his thoughts. Nick Wilshire’s passions are apparent in his writing style and recurring themes. This novel offered me an insight into a writer whose artistry will have me reading his Foreign Affairs series next, chasing crime across new borders.