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Gabriel Hunt #5
Hunt Among the Killers of Men
Adventure novel
223 pages, Paperback
First published June 29, 2010
About the author
Gabriel Hunt
10 books5 followers'Gabriel Hunt' is the pseudonym used by the group of authors writing this series.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 16, 2015
Adventurer Gabriel Hunt's sister, Lucy, requests his help on behalf of one of her girlfriends, Mitch, whose sister was killed at the order of a major Chinese gangster. Mitch bolts to Shanghai and Gabriel follows her, afraid she won't survive her confrontation with the gangster Cheung. Gabriel encounters Cheung's former head bodyguard, Qi, another woman bent on revenge, who knows what Cheung wants - the entombed terracotta remains of warlord Kangxi Shih-k'ai, which would solidify his position in the Chinese underworld.
Distinctively different from all of the other five books, Schow's plotting, prose, and characterization of the three lead characters were all unexpectedly head and shoulders above the rest. In many ways it felt more like a James Bond story than an Indiana Jones one, showing other points of view and beating the crap out the heroes much more than in previous entries. The darkest and most tragic of the series, it had a weight that surprised me. The characters of Mitch, Qi, Cheung, Ivory, and even some of the supporting cast were impressively well described. Hunt still fits right in, capable and intelligent without being murderous and macho. The action set pieces are excellent, and the search for the warlord's tomb is possibly the most realistic one of the series. Schow's description of the Bund in Shanghai and the culture of its underworld felt well researched and fascinating. I would have liked there to be more of Gabriel and a bit more of a challenge in fighting Cheung, but overall this is the second best entry in the series after Beyond the Frozen Fire.
In my brief messaging back and forth with the gracious Nick Kaufmann, author of Hunt At World's End, he confirmed that the Hunt series is likely complete due to sales. It's a damn shame. I'd like to read more adventures from all of these authors, and the cast of characters was just starting to grow on me.
Distinctively different from all of the other five books, Schow's plotting, prose, and characterization of the three lead characters were all unexpectedly head and shoulders above the rest. In many ways it felt more like a James Bond story than an Indiana Jones one, showing other points of view and beating the crap out the heroes much more than in previous entries. The darkest and most tragic of the series, it had a weight that surprised me. The characters of Mitch, Qi, Cheung, Ivory, and even some of the supporting cast were impressively well described. Hunt still fits right in, capable and intelligent without being murderous and macho. The action set pieces are excellent, and the search for the warlord's tomb is possibly the most realistic one of the series. Schow's description of the Bund in Shanghai and the culture of its underworld felt well researched and fascinating. I would have liked there to be more of Gabriel and a bit more of a challenge in fighting Cheung, but overall this is the second best entry in the series after Beyond the Frozen Fire.
In my brief messaging back and forth with the gracious Nick Kaufmann, author of Hunt At World's End, he confirmed that the Hunt series is likely complete due to sales. It's a damn shame. I'd like to read more adventures from all of these authors, and the cast of characters was just starting to grow on me.
May 24, 2017
A much better book than the prior one, well worth reading. Only 1 more to go.
January 23, 2011
The fifth of six projected Gabriel Hunt adventures finds our man Hunt in Shanghai and nearby, searching for a missing friend of his younger sister, hoping to find her before she can get revenge on the Chinese mobster who killed her own sister. This being a Hunt adventure, some sort of ancient treasure or ancient legend must come into play. This time it is the legendary Killers of Men -- the terra-cotta army of Chinese warlord Kangxi Shih-K'ai which is supposed to include the warlord's entombed body.
Hunt books are always a thrill-ride. This one is no exception. There are a number of "set-piece action sequences" that you can easily picture being in the next Bourne or Salt movie. Where previous Hunt installments felt like "Indiana Jones in the modern era" thanks to most of the objects being sought having mythological qualities (the fountain of youth, sphinxes, a city under the polar ice cap), this book felt more like a modern spy thriller thanks to the treasure being of more recent vintage and less mystical (the statues are needed for purely mundane, gangster-war reasons). In fact, I didn't realize how heavily I was expecting things to take a supernatural bend until the final end-gambit started and I realized there would be no actual supernatural event this time. "Co-author" David J. Schow actually writes a bit against type here. He's known for horror, especially splatterpunk, and for the scripts for various slasher flick franchises. I expected a more horror-based story and was pleasantly surprised to get this spy-thriller instead. The action sequences fly fast and furious, the dialogue is pretty snappy. Another change from previous Hunt books: there are almost as many scenes without Gabriel as there are with. Schow takes full advantage of his movie script experience to write a Hunt book that really feels like it's ready to be a movie: high on action, decent on character, low on CGI needs.
Characterization is always present at some level. Over the course of five books Gabriel, his brother Michael, and even their sister Lucy, have all been drawn well. At first Gabriel and Michael were fairly stock -- if Gabe was Indy, Michael was a young Marcus Brody; if Gabe is Doc Savage, Michael is Renny. Lucy appears not at all in the first few books, and we don't get too much of her personality in the one book before this that she's a main part of. Schow uses her sparingly, but gives us more of her personality and more of her relationship with Gabriel (although notably not with Michael) from when they were kids. Series editor Charles Ardai also smartly lets Schow add some detail to the mystery of the Missing Hunt Parents. Ambrose and Cordelia Hunt have been missing since a mass disappearance off of an ocean liner on the eve of "the millenium," and we learn a little bit about what they were investigated prior to that cruise in this tale. Schow also gives us the requisite Hunt femme fatales / damsels in distress, but puts a welcome different spin on them.
So, final verdict: if the more Indiana Jones stylings of the earlier books in the series were not your thing, give KILLERS OF MEN a try and I think you'll enjoy it. And if those earlier stylings were your thing -- well, variety is the spice of life, and it's good for series characters to have their adventures break from the formula occasionally!
Hunt books are always a thrill-ride. This one is no exception. There are a number of "set-piece action sequences" that you can easily picture being in the next Bourne or Salt movie. Where previous Hunt installments felt like "Indiana Jones in the modern era" thanks to most of the objects being sought having mythological qualities (the fountain of youth, sphinxes, a city under the polar ice cap), this book felt more like a modern spy thriller thanks to the treasure being of more recent vintage and less mystical (the statues are needed for purely mundane, gangster-war reasons). In fact, I didn't realize how heavily I was expecting things to take a supernatural bend until the final end-gambit started and I realized there would be no actual supernatural event this time. "Co-author" David J. Schow actually writes a bit against type here. He's known for horror, especially splatterpunk, and for the scripts for various slasher flick franchises. I expected a more horror-based story and was pleasantly surprised to get this spy-thriller instead. The action sequences fly fast and furious, the dialogue is pretty snappy. Another change from previous Hunt books: there are almost as many scenes without Gabriel as there are with. Schow takes full advantage of his movie script experience to write a Hunt book that really feels like it's ready to be a movie: high on action, decent on character, low on CGI needs.
Characterization is always present at some level. Over the course of five books Gabriel, his brother Michael, and even their sister Lucy, have all been drawn well. At first Gabriel and Michael were fairly stock -- if Gabe was Indy, Michael was a young Marcus Brody; if Gabe is Doc Savage, Michael is Renny. Lucy appears not at all in the first few books, and we don't get too much of her personality in the one book before this that she's a main part of. Schow uses her sparingly, but gives us more of her personality and more of her relationship with Gabriel (although notably not with Michael) from when they were kids. Series editor Charles Ardai also smartly lets Schow add some detail to the mystery of the Missing Hunt Parents. Ambrose and Cordelia Hunt have been missing since a mass disappearance off of an ocean liner on the eve of "the millenium," and we learn a little bit about what they were investigated prior to that cruise in this tale. Schow also gives us the requisite Hunt femme fatales / damsels in distress, but puts a welcome different spin on them.
So, final verdict: if the more Indiana Jones stylings of the earlier books in the series were not your thing, give KILLERS OF MEN a try and I think you'll enjoy it. And if those earlier stylings were your thing -- well, variety is the spice of life, and it's good for series characters to have their adventures break from the formula occasionally!
March 31, 2015
David J. Schow in his book, “Hunt Among the Killers of Men” Book Five in the Gabriel Hunt series published by Titan Books gives us another adventure with Gabriel Hunt.
From the Back Cover: From the towers of Manhattan to the jungles of South America, from the sands of the Sahara to the frozen crags of Antarctica, one man finds adventure everywhere he goes: GABRIEL HUNT. Backed by the resources of the $100 million Hunt Foundation and armed with his trusty Colt revolver, Gabriel Hunt has always been ready for anything–but is he prepared for
The Killers of Men
The warlord’s men came to New York to preserve a terrible secret – and left a dead body in their wake. Now Gabriel Hunt is on their trail, a path that will take him to the treacherous alleyways and rooftops of Shanghai and a showdown with a madman out to resurrect a deadly figure from China’s past…
Gabe has a sister, Lucy. Lucy has a best friend, Mitch(Michelle). Mitch was thrown out of the Air Force to cover for the mistake of a superior officer. Mitch has come to New York to visit with her sister who, later, is found dead and Mitch is blamed. And we haven’t even gotten into the meaty part of the book yet. In the course of this adventure Gabe is going to have to travel to Shanghai and go up against a gangster warlord. “Hunt Among The Killers Of Men” is the perfect read to get your adrenalin going as there is plot, action, a cliffhanger, out of danger, more plot, more action then another cliffhanger all throughout the book. This is a wild ride read that will keep you on the edge of your seat, flipping pages as fast as you can read them just trying to keep up with a runaway roller coaster ride story. I enjoy this series immensely and am really looking forward to reading about Gabriel Hunt’s next adventure.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Titan Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
From the Back Cover: From the towers of Manhattan to the jungles of South America, from the sands of the Sahara to the frozen crags of Antarctica, one man finds adventure everywhere he goes: GABRIEL HUNT. Backed by the resources of the $100 million Hunt Foundation and armed with his trusty Colt revolver, Gabriel Hunt has always been ready for anything–but is he prepared for
The Killers of Men
The warlord’s men came to New York to preserve a terrible secret – and left a dead body in their wake. Now Gabriel Hunt is on their trail, a path that will take him to the treacherous alleyways and rooftops of Shanghai and a showdown with a madman out to resurrect a deadly figure from China’s past…
Gabe has a sister, Lucy. Lucy has a best friend, Mitch(Michelle). Mitch was thrown out of the Air Force to cover for the mistake of a superior officer. Mitch has come to New York to visit with her sister who, later, is found dead and Mitch is blamed. And we haven’t even gotten into the meaty part of the book yet. In the course of this adventure Gabe is going to have to travel to Shanghai and go up against a gangster warlord. “Hunt Among The Killers Of Men” is the perfect read to get your adrenalin going as there is plot, action, a cliffhanger, out of danger, more plot, more action then another cliffhanger all throughout the book. This is a wild ride read that will keep you on the edge of your seat, flipping pages as fast as you can read them just trying to keep up with a runaway roller coaster ride story. I enjoy this series immensely and am really looking forward to reading about Gabriel Hunt’s next adventure.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Titan Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
June 16, 2010
What I read was actually a PDF file sent by the publisher. The book is scheduled for release next week(the 22nd).
Hunt's baby sister, Lucy, pops up after a nine years absence asking gabriel for help. Her best friend, Mitch(Michelle), had been framed for the murder of her sister.
Mitch had been drummed out of the Air Force after an accident that destroyed a helicopter. She hadn't done anything, but a scapegoat was needed to cover for the real culprit, a superior officer. She'd come to New York to stay with her sister and had hardly arrived before she had to go to a meeting with a shadowy Chinese official.
It was the last time Mitch saw her alive. She was found in a dumpster, throat cut and shot in the chest, and Mitch had been charged in the death.
The trail lead Hunt to China after Mitch, out on bail, takes off to kill the man responsible for her sister's murder: a criminal named Cheung, shadowy head of one criminal organiztion who wanted to control all in China. Actually Russian, he'd have to prove his legitimacy as a Chinese before that could happen. To that end, he claimed to be a descendant of the last great Chinese warlord, Kangxi Shih-K-ai, and to prove that he was loking for the legendary Terra Cotta statue that supposedly held his bones.
Hunt had to stop him.
Hunt's baby sister, Lucy, pops up after a nine years absence asking gabriel for help. Her best friend, Mitch(Michelle), had been framed for the murder of her sister.
Mitch had been drummed out of the Air Force after an accident that destroyed a helicopter. She hadn't done anything, but a scapegoat was needed to cover for the real culprit, a superior officer. She'd come to New York to stay with her sister and had hardly arrived before she had to go to a meeting with a shadowy Chinese official.
It was the last time Mitch saw her alive. She was found in a dumpster, throat cut and shot in the chest, and Mitch had been charged in the death.
The trail lead Hunt to China after Mitch, out on bail, takes off to kill the man responsible for her sister's murder: a criminal named Cheung, shadowy head of one criminal organiztion who wanted to control all in China. Actually Russian, he'd have to prove his legitimacy as a Chinese before that could happen. To that end, he claimed to be a descendant of the last great Chinese warlord, Kangxi Shih-K-ai, and to prove that he was loking for the legendary Terra Cotta statue that supposedly held his bones.
Hunt had to stop him.
March 28, 2017
Another solid outing for Gabriel Hunt. As of now, you should know that each book of the series is the pen of a different author. This author chose to put the spotlight more on the secondary characters than on the Hunt brothers. Gabriel Hunt is still present, but act more as a back up player than the star. Even without the ever-presence of Gabriel, the story retains all the quality that makes a great action-adventure romp: historical lost-treasure, shady organisation, beautiful lady killer and action. I found this entry in the series to be my least favorite so far, but still a recommended 4 star read
February 5, 2012
I can't say that any of the Gabriel Hunt series is high literature. They are pretty much modern day pulp fiction, the literary equivalent of pixie sticks. In spite of that, most of the series have been enjoyable to read, except this one.
For one reason or another, I just could not get into this book. I'm not sure if it was the writing style this time around, or if it was because it seemed more focused on a Mack Bolan/Executioner anti-mob plot than the previous globe trotting adventures. Regardless, I found it to be the weakest of the series that I have read so far.
For one reason or another, I just could not get into this book. I'm not sure if it was the writing style this time around, or if it was because it seemed more focused on a Mack Bolan/Executioner anti-mob plot than the previous globe trotting adventures. Regardless, I found it to be the weakest of the series that I have read so far.
February 26, 2011
Not my favorite of the series. Had a tough time getting into it and finishing it. I think the problem was not enough of the exploration aspects of the other stories. This one felt less pulpy, too.
I made it through. I liked the characters, especially Ivory, so I suppose that is what kept me from giving this one a 2 stars.
I made it through. I liked the characters, especially Ivory, so I suppose that is what kept me from giving this one a 2 stars.
May 16, 2016
Following his adventure in Antarctica, where things got a bit...well...weird, this instalment in the Gabriel Hunt series feels grounded in comparison. Don't get me wrong, there are hidden treasures, outrageous action sequences and all the good stuff, but this felt a lot darker and nastier than the books before it. Still pulpy adventure fare - not much to write home about but an entertaining romp.
November 25, 2010
by far the best in a good series.
June 3, 2011
Not at all in-keeping with the series. Rather than pulp madness this is actually an excellent thriller in the James Bond style. Well worth the read but not what I'd come to expect from this series.
December 17, 2014
A fairly good Gabriel Hunt romp, as he travels the world to prevent a villain from resurrecting a bigger villain.
Enjoyable.
Enjoyable.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews