I’m delighted to welcome back my lovely friend, Val Penny to talk about the themes of her latest release, Hunter’s Secret.
Thank you for inviting me on to your blog today, Jo. It is always lovely to chat with you. The new book coming out in my DI Hunter Wilson Crime Thriller series is Hunter’s Secret published by SpellBound Books.
As with all crime fiction, the basic theme of the book is the struggle between good and evil and in my novels I take the readers on a journey exploring how good triumphs. However, each of my books also considers the importance of loyalty, teamwork and family.
In Hunter’s Secret, the team from Police Scotland is led by DI Hunter Wilson. He is always a strong leader and a good team player. He works within the police force team, he is a member of the darts team in his local pub and, although he is no longer young enough to play football, he acts as a referee for the junior teams in Edinburgh.
Even off duty Hunter’s team at Police Scotland look out for each other, socialise together and watch each other’s backs. The importance of loyalty and teamwork throughout the novel cannot be overstated.
Hunter’s Secret also explores the importance of family. The local criminals, the Thomsons, are a family and, although the head of the clan, Ian Thomson is in prison, they maintain a fierce bond between the family members and look out for one another.
However, in Hunter’s Secret, other themes are explored. These are the themes of ‘do as you would be done by,’ mental health and relationships. In this book, Hunter has a historic secret that he has been hiding from his partner, Dr Meera Sharma and a recent secret that he is keeping from her. The novel considers the toll on Hunter’s mental health of keeping that secret from years past and also the problems created in his relationship as he tries to keep his new secret from Meera.
Then, when some of the characters display prejudice towards those who are different to themselves. The reader must confront their own feelings when they witness the way Bear Zewedu is treated because he is black, another character is mistreated because he enjoys cross dressing, and yet more are abused because they are members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Hunter must strive to resolve his own demons while he and his team fight for the rights of those who are despised because they wish to be different. Hunter and his team must keep Edinburgh safe again.
I hope your readers will enjoy this new thriller, Jo. It is quite a departure for DI Hunter Wilson and marks a new beginning for him.
The Blurb
Detective Inspector Hunter Wilson is called to the scene of a murder. DCs Tim Myerscough and Bear Zewedu found a corpse, but when Hunter arrives it has disappeared, and all is not as it seems.
Hunter recalls the disappearance of a dead body thirty years earlier. The Major Incident Team is called in but sees no connection – it is too long ago. Hunter is determined to investigate the past and the present with the benefit of modern DNA testing.
Tim has other problems in his life. His father, Sir Peter Myerscough, is released from jail. He, too, remembers the earlier murder. There is no love lost between Hunter and Sir Peter. Will Hunter accept help from his nemesis to catch a killer?
Hunter’s own secret is exciting and crucial to his future. Will it change his life? And can he keep Edinburgh safe?
The Author
Val Penny has an Llb degree from the University of Edinburgh and her MSc from Napier University. She has had many jobs including hairdresser, waitress, banker, azalea farmer and lecturer but has not yet achieved either of her childhood dreams of being a ballerina or owning a candy store.
Until those dreams come true, she has turned her hand to writing poetry, short stories, nonfiction books, and novels. Her novels are published by SpellBound Books Ltd.
Val is an American author living in SW Scotland. She has two adult daughters of whom she is justly proud and lives with her husband and their cat.
The Links
https://www.facebook.com/Authorvalpenny
http://www.facebook.com/valerie.penny.739
www.facebook.com/groups/296295777444303
https://www.facebook.com/groups/167248300537409
https://twitter.com/valeriepenny
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17300087.Val_Penny
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Val-Penny/e/B07C4725TK?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1611574956&sr=1-1
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/val-penny
Hunter’s Chase – https://geni.us/ic7r
Hunter’s Revenge – https://geni.us/a13c
Hunter’s Force – https://geni.us/f5eJb
The First Cut – https://linktr.ee/spellboundbks
Hunter’s Blood – https://tinyurl.com/8rrpp59x
Hunter’s Secret – https://tinyurl.com/ezer746e
