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Pierce Hunt #2
Trained to Hunt
No limits. No rules. No mercy. Can one man take down an entire drug cartel?
Former Army Ranger Pierce Hunt is second-guessing his decision to join a CIA hunter-killer team that will take him far away from his daughter. But when a new performance-enhancing drug kills four football players—including his daughter’s boyfriend—settling down becomes the last thing on Hunt’s mind.
When Anna Garcia, Hunt’s lover and head of the largest drug cartel in Miami, becomes the prime suspect in the investigation, the stakes become even more personal. Not convinced that Anna is capable of such extremes, Hunt looks far and wide for evidence to exonerate her and stop a vicious enemy who plans to flood the US market with an addictive new drug. Outgunned, outmanned, and out of time, Hunt is the country’s last hope to stop a deadly new drug from making countless new victims.
Former Army Ranger Pierce Hunt is second-guessing his decision to join a CIA hunter-killer team that will take him far away from his daughter. But when a new performance-enhancing drug kills four football players—including his daughter’s boyfriend—settling down becomes the last thing on Hunt’s mind.
When Anna Garcia, Hunt’s lover and head of the largest drug cartel in Miami, becomes the prime suspect in the investigation, the stakes become even more personal. Not convinced that Anna is capable of such extremes, Hunt looks far and wide for evidence to exonerate her and stop a vicious enemy who plans to flood the US market with an addictive new drug. Outgunned, outmanned, and out of time, Hunt is the country’s last hope to stop a deadly new drug from making countless new victims.
311 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 24, 2019
About the author
Simon Gervais
14 books482 followersSimon Gervais is a former federal agent specializing in protective operations and counterterrorism. He spent nearly twenty years in the military and in law enforcement. His assignments took him all over Europe and the Middle East. He's the New York Times and #1 Amazon bestselling author of 13 exciting thrillers, one of these titles—Robert Ludlum's The Blackbriar Genesis—was written for the Robert Ludlum estate. Simon's Clayton White series is presently being adapted for TV by CBS Studios with Jerry Bruckheimer TV attached to produce.
Simon lives with his wife and two children. He's an avid boater, diver, and skier.
Literary Agent: Eric Myers at Myers Literary.
Film/TV Agent: Debbie Deuble-Hill and Alec Frankel at APA.
The Caspian Anderson series:
THE ELIAS NETWORK (Sept 2024)
THE ELIAS ENIGMA (2025)
Robert Ludlum's THE BLACKBRIAR GENESIS written by Simon Gervais (October 18, 2022)
The Clayton White series:
THE LAST GUARDIAN (October 2023)
THE LAST SENTINEL (August 2022)
THE LAST PROTECTOR (November 2021)
The Pierce Hunt series
TIME TO HUNT (November 2020)
TRAINED TO HUNT (September 2019)
HUNT THEM DOWN (January 2019)
The Mike Walton series:
A THICK CRIMSON LINE (April 2018)
A RED DOTTED LINE (November 2017)
A LONG GRAY LINE (Novella—March 2016)
THE THIN BLACK LINE (March 2015)
"[An] action-packed series launch by Simon Gervais..." —Publishers Weekly
"One of the most anticipated action thrillers of the year..." —The Real Book Spy
"Gervais is a thriller writer to watch..." —Library Journal
"An action-packed thrill ride with plot twists around nearly every curve" — Kirkus Reviews
"Gervais dishes out lavish suspense to keep a reader glued..." —AuthorLink Magazine
Simon lives with his wife and two children. He's an avid boater, diver, and skier.
Literary Agent: Eric Myers at Myers Literary.
Film/TV Agent: Debbie Deuble-Hill and Alec Frankel at APA.
The Caspian Anderson series:
THE ELIAS NETWORK (Sept 2024)
THE ELIAS ENIGMA (2025)
Robert Ludlum's THE BLACKBRIAR GENESIS written by Simon Gervais (October 18, 2022)
The Clayton White series:
THE LAST GUARDIAN (October 2023)
THE LAST SENTINEL (August 2022)
THE LAST PROTECTOR (November 2021)
The Pierce Hunt series
TIME TO HUNT (November 2020)
TRAINED TO HUNT (September 2019)
HUNT THEM DOWN (January 2019)
The Mike Walton series:
A THICK CRIMSON LINE (April 2018)
A RED DOTTED LINE (November 2017)
A LONG GRAY LINE (Novella—March 2016)
THE THIN BLACK LINE (March 2015)
"[An] action-packed series launch by Simon Gervais..." —Publishers Weekly
"One of the most anticipated action thrillers of the year..." —The Real Book Spy
"Gervais is a thriller writer to watch..." —Library Journal
"An action-packed thrill ride with plot twists around nearly every curve" — Kirkus Reviews
"Gervais dishes out lavish suspense to keep a reader glued..." —AuthorLink Magazine
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 167 reviews
June 3, 2020
I like the set-up and I like some of the scenarios but I’m not sure if this series is for me. After two installments it’s become obvious that the writing isn’t very polished and the characterizations are a little flat. I don’t have a sense of who Pierce is and what exactly he stands for. And unlike the plotting of Brad Taylor or Mark Greaney, the stories themselves aren’t that exotic or cool enough to make up for the deficiency.
At the end of the book you’re just left with an average story filled with average characters told in a passable style but lacking anything that pops.
I was willing to let it slide with book one because nobody’s first book in a series is the best, but with this book it’s clear it doesn’t get better from here.
At the end of the book you’re just left with an average story filled with average characters told in a passable style but lacking anything that pops.
I was willing to let it slide with book one because nobody’s first book in a series is the best, but with this book it’s clear it doesn’t get better from here.
October 17, 2020
Trained To Hunt is a pedal to the metal fast paced action thriller with an ever evolving protagonist who’s twice as lethal in this thriller as the book before.
The story picks up shortly after the events of book 1, with Pierce Hunt hunting down all the players of a crime syndicate that had even a pinky in the kidnapping of his daughter. The first chapter itself opens up with an entertaining foot pursuit, shootout, and fisticuffs in a bar. Pierce Hunt doesn’t mess around with his foes. The story takes on a new layer as Hunt is sent on the trail of new players in the drug trade who come up with a cocktail of amphetamine that kills hundreds of athletes all over US. With tensions swirling high, and discoveries leading to shocking developments of possible betrayal and threats hitting close to home for Hunt, he goes on a globe trotting mission from US to the deserts of Afghanistan and to the jungles of Venezuela to find out who’s responsible and how to stop them. The crazy part? The threat comes from highly placed officials of a struggling country. All the more dangerous.
Pierce Hunt is an enjoyable and no nonsense lethal protagonist. This is shown abundantly clear through lots of well crafted and adrenaline pumping action sequences that are technically and tactically sound in nature from the weapons to the tactics employed in the field. Each action sequence drives the story forward without feeling like a filler sequence.
The characters in Trained to Hunt feel relatable and well fleshed out. Each character goes through their own dilemmas in an interesting way that doesn’t detract from the narrative and instead adds to the driving force of the story. The character interactions feel natural and engaging for readers to get into. The motivations for the antagonists are described in a way that feel somewhat noble but executed harmfully. This engaged me even further as it kept me glued to the book to see how the evil plan would be thwarted.
Trained To Hunt introduces Hunt to the world of espionage as he partakes in a CIA sanctioned operation and is drawn into the web of spy trade at the surprising end of the book. The ending promises the readers there is more of the story to come and I for one can not wait to read the third book. I enjoyed how the narrative wraps up just well enough to conclude most of the story for the book while leading directly into the third book as to not tie up everything too fast. I absolutely recommend this book for readers of the action thriller genre. It’s fun, it’s exciting, it’s viscous, and it’s brutal. Go for it!
The story picks up shortly after the events of book 1, with Pierce Hunt hunting down all the players of a crime syndicate that had even a pinky in the kidnapping of his daughter. The first chapter itself opens up with an entertaining foot pursuit, shootout, and fisticuffs in a bar. Pierce Hunt doesn’t mess around with his foes. The story takes on a new layer as Hunt is sent on the trail of new players in the drug trade who come up with a cocktail of amphetamine that kills hundreds of athletes all over US. With tensions swirling high, and discoveries leading to shocking developments of possible betrayal and threats hitting close to home for Hunt, he goes on a globe trotting mission from US to the deserts of Afghanistan and to the jungles of Venezuela to find out who’s responsible and how to stop them. The crazy part? The threat comes from highly placed officials of a struggling country. All the more dangerous.
Pierce Hunt is an enjoyable and no nonsense lethal protagonist. This is shown abundantly clear through lots of well crafted and adrenaline pumping action sequences that are technically and tactically sound in nature from the weapons to the tactics employed in the field. Each action sequence drives the story forward without feeling like a filler sequence.
The characters in Trained to Hunt feel relatable and well fleshed out. Each character goes through their own dilemmas in an interesting way that doesn’t detract from the narrative and instead adds to the driving force of the story. The character interactions feel natural and engaging for readers to get into. The motivations for the antagonists are described in a way that feel somewhat noble but executed harmfully. This engaged me even further as it kept me glued to the book to see how the evil plan would be thwarted.
Trained To Hunt introduces Hunt to the world of espionage as he partakes in a CIA sanctioned operation and is drawn into the web of spy trade at the surprising end of the book. The ending promises the readers there is more of the story to come and I for one can not wait to read the third book. I enjoyed how the narrative wraps up just well enough to conclude most of the story for the book while leading directly into the third book as to not tie up everything too fast. I absolutely recommend this book for readers of the action thriller genre. It’s fun, it’s exciting, it’s viscous, and it’s brutal. Go for it!
September 1, 2019
Veteran author Simon Gervais is back with his second Pierce Hunt thriller, Trained to Hunt. Gervais, a former infantry officer, turned federal LEO had an extensive career investigating illegal narcotics, then working along side elite anti-terrorism units from all over the world. After a rewarding career full of long hours, sacrifice, and constant training, Gervais turned to writing. He has three novels and one short novella in his international best-selling Mike Walton thriller series. His last, Hunt Them Down (2019) was the first in a new series with protagonist Pierce Hunt, a former Army Ranger (RLTW) and current DEA agent. That novel earned critical acclaim worldwide, having 4.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon, with over a thousand customer reviews. Over five thousand ratings on Goodreads and earned itself a Blast Radius of a DIRTY BOMB! (9/10) from us. His follow up, Trained to Hunt is even better. With an established list of characters, very few had to be introduced from scratch, which left more room for killing bad guys, and Pierce Hunt is very good at dishing out death to those that deserve it, especially when he’s motivated to punish everyone involved in the events that took place in the last book.
Trained to Hunt picks up roughly four months after the kidnapping and rescue of Hunt’s daughter Leila and her best friend Sophia. Due to the fact that Hunt waged an almost one-man war against the notorious Black Toska aka Valentina Mieles he was fired from the DEA, we learn later at the request of POTUS. The administrator of the DEA, Tom Hauer however hired Hunt and his team as contractors. This is actually one of the best written ways to keep an almost rogue type of agent in the game. He did disobey orders and waged his own war on the responsible cartel, but those actions also have consequences like they would in the real world. The reason this sat well with me is because the U.S. Government is notorious for outsourcing to contractors. The latest Gerard Butler movie currently in theaters, Angel Has Fallen actually revolves around military contractors. Also, as a veteran myself, I personally know how many contractors were being utilized in OIF and OEF. The ratio between contractors and troops at its peak was 3 to 1.
After receiving a tip that one of the few living high ranking members of the Black Tosca’s cartel is in New Orleans, Pierce goes hunting. Conducting surveillance on his target alone isn’t easy and Hunt gets spotted, giving chase and of course catching up to the target. Unknown to Pierce at the time, he interrupted an ongoing CIA operation to recruit this guy. This creates an opportunity for the CIA and utilizing Hunt’s extensive knowledge on the said cartel, they end up mounting an operation together. During this operation, Pierce was part of a team, but when he heard a girl’s high-pitched scream, he abandoned all of his training and charged forward, saying to himself, “if it were Leila in that room screaming for her life, what would he expect a highly trained operator like himself to do?” This stuck out to me, specifically because I remembered reading very similar dialogue in Andrews and Wilson’s latest Tier One thriller, American Operator. There, the protagonist John Dempsey says, “if you were stuck in CONUS right now and that was your daughter being held inside that hellhole – what would you want the two operators on the X to do?” Andrews and Wilson are also veteran authors, this tells me these guys all strive to build characters who are rough, violent, and tough, but also good at their core. In my mind as the reader, they’re quite successful.
Back home, Leila is still dealing with the trauma from being kidnapped a few months ago but is recovering quite well with the help of her supportive boyfriend and high school football star, with much potential. Until they’re at one of his games and he loses consciousness and ends up fighting an ultimate losing battle for his life. Along with him, over a hundred young athletes have all suffered a similar faith. Current DEA investigations have concluded that the Garcia crime family is responsible for distributing this new drug that hit the market early before proper tests were conducted. But Anna Garcia is the current head of the Garcia crime family and she struck a deal with Tom Hauer to clean up her vast family businesses and go legitimate. Was trusting Anna a mistake? Or is there more at play here? Her business is vast and not everyone that works for her is ready to give up their illegal activities and the big pay day it provides. Some would do anything to remain a criminal organization and others would really like to seize control of the business from Anna.
The mission with the CIA Hunt participated in has led the authorities to more intel in where these drugs are being made. This gives Hunt and his team the wonderful opportunity to deploy to a war zone in Afghanistan to find where these labs are located. Coming up empty after weeks of searching, Hunt utilized an old contact and gets some intelligence while fighting off multiple attacks from the Taliban. At the same time, another undercover DEA agent is running for his life through the jungle of Venezuela. While back home, Anna Garcia is being targeted for assassination if she doesn’t willingly participate in distributing this new drug.
Intense action, life threatening situations, gun fights on three continents, an assassin with no remorse, and a drug that threatens the nation’s youth. This thriller starts strong and does not let up. Pierce Hunt is as formidable as ever and targeting those he loves is a sure death sentence. Available on September 24, 2019. This Pierce Hunt thriller is a must-read.
Trained to Hunt picks up roughly four months after the kidnapping and rescue of Hunt’s daughter Leila and her best friend Sophia. Due to the fact that Hunt waged an almost one-man war against the notorious Black Toska aka Valentina Mieles he was fired from the DEA, we learn later at the request of POTUS. The administrator of the DEA, Tom Hauer however hired Hunt and his team as contractors. This is actually one of the best written ways to keep an almost rogue type of agent in the game. He did disobey orders and waged his own war on the responsible cartel, but those actions also have consequences like they would in the real world. The reason this sat well with me is because the U.S. Government is notorious for outsourcing to contractors. The latest Gerard Butler movie currently in theaters, Angel Has Fallen actually revolves around military contractors. Also, as a veteran myself, I personally know how many contractors were being utilized in OIF and OEF. The ratio between contractors and troops at its peak was 3 to 1.
After receiving a tip that one of the few living high ranking members of the Black Tosca’s cartel is in New Orleans, Pierce goes hunting. Conducting surveillance on his target alone isn’t easy and Hunt gets spotted, giving chase and of course catching up to the target. Unknown to Pierce at the time, he interrupted an ongoing CIA operation to recruit this guy. This creates an opportunity for the CIA and utilizing Hunt’s extensive knowledge on the said cartel, they end up mounting an operation together. During this operation, Pierce was part of a team, but when he heard a girl’s high-pitched scream, he abandoned all of his training and charged forward, saying to himself, “if it were Leila in that room screaming for her life, what would he expect a highly trained operator like himself to do?” This stuck out to me, specifically because I remembered reading very similar dialogue in Andrews and Wilson’s latest Tier One thriller, American Operator. There, the protagonist John Dempsey says, “if you were stuck in CONUS right now and that was your daughter being held inside that hellhole – what would you want the two operators on the X to do?” Andrews and Wilson are also veteran authors, this tells me these guys all strive to build characters who are rough, violent, and tough, but also good at their core. In my mind as the reader, they’re quite successful.
Back home, Leila is still dealing with the trauma from being kidnapped a few months ago but is recovering quite well with the help of her supportive boyfriend and high school football star, with much potential. Until they’re at one of his games and he loses consciousness and ends up fighting an ultimate losing battle for his life. Along with him, over a hundred young athletes have all suffered a similar faith. Current DEA investigations have concluded that the Garcia crime family is responsible for distributing this new drug that hit the market early before proper tests were conducted. But Anna Garcia is the current head of the Garcia crime family and she struck a deal with Tom Hauer to clean up her vast family businesses and go legitimate. Was trusting Anna a mistake? Or is there more at play here? Her business is vast and not everyone that works for her is ready to give up their illegal activities and the big pay day it provides. Some would do anything to remain a criminal organization and others would really like to seize control of the business from Anna.
The mission with the CIA Hunt participated in has led the authorities to more intel in where these drugs are being made. This gives Hunt and his team the wonderful opportunity to deploy to a war zone in Afghanistan to find where these labs are located. Coming up empty after weeks of searching, Hunt utilized an old contact and gets some intelligence while fighting off multiple attacks from the Taliban. At the same time, another undercover DEA agent is running for his life through the jungle of Venezuela. While back home, Anna Garcia is being targeted for assassination if she doesn’t willingly participate in distributing this new drug.
Intense action, life threatening situations, gun fights on three continents, an assassin with no remorse, and a drug that threatens the nation’s youth. This thriller starts strong and does not let up. Pierce Hunt is as formidable as ever and targeting those he loves is a sure death sentence. Available on September 24, 2019. This Pierce Hunt thriller is a must-read.
November 12, 2021
That was unexpected 😳
They were going to use the SUVs to dismember him. “The first minute will be the most painful, Peter,” explained Peraza. “Since your hands are tied behind your back, your shoulders will pop out of their sockets when your ligaments and tendons are stretched. Don’t fight it. You can’t win against V-8 engines.” Enough said , I was on the edge the whole time. My word I’m still shook
They were going to use the SUVs to dismember him. “The first minute will be the most painful, Peter,” explained Peraza. “Since your hands are tied behind your back, your shoulders will pop out of their sockets when your ligaments and tendons are stretched. Don’t fight it. You can’t win against V-8 engines.” Enough said , I was on the edge the whole time. My word I’m still shook
September 28, 2019
A thriller that echoes with the voice of experience given Simon Gervais' military and law enforcement background. Great tension as the protagonist must deal with his personal feelings versus his professional instincts.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
March 10, 2021
What a great action packed, edge of seat thriller!! Pierce Hunt is the real deal and he is out to kick some ass!! Simon Gervais can really develop his characters and bring you on a journey!! I love his writing and this series!!
October 7, 2021
Book Review - If you want an action-packed thriller, you needn't look any further than Simon Gervais’ “Trained to Hunt”! I feel like I have hit the jackpot in action thrillers with his Pierce Hunt series. Pierce Hunt, the former Army Ranger, turn DEA Federal Agent, takes the reader on an adrenaline injected, high octane adventure. With Gervais' tightly crafted story, the reader is whisked around the world following Hunt as he is trying to stop the manufacture and distribution of a highly addictive and destructive drug. And for Hunt, it's personal! Trained to Hunt is the second book in Simon Gervais’ Pierce Hunt series and it’s just as good as its predecessor, “Hunt Them Down.” While Gervais’ includes enough details in Trained to Hunt, I would recommend reading Hunt Them Down first. There’s a lot of relevant background info and continuation of some plots and storylines in the first book that makes this book more enjoyable. Gervais kept my attention by skillfully weaving multiple missions, assaults, and coups into one grand plot that culminates into one final action-filled showdown. The scene in the Venezuelan jungle was one of the most intense and brilliantly written action scenes that I have had the pleasure of reading. It was a ‘tour-de-force’ and kept me on the edge of my seat. Gervais has quickly become one of my favorite thriller writers. Looking forward to the third installment, “Time to Hunt.” Also, the book cover really jumps out at you. The trees around the title of the book were a nice subtle touch. I think the book cover is gorgeous. Overall, this was an entertaining book from beginning to end that ramps up the anxiety-level to 11 and rides it like a rollercoaster until the final page. A definite read for any action-thriller lover.
September 28, 2019
Trained to Hunt by Simon Gervais
Pierce Hunt Series #2
Hard-hitting, action-packed thrill ride from beginning to end. This author holds nothing back allowing the reader insight in how things work under cover, chasing down bad guys, being on missions, the thinking of both good and bad guys and also gives us a taste of what it takes to get the job done and the sacrifices that must be made.
In book one of this series Hunt’s daughter is kidnapped and he spends most of the book doing what has to be done to bring her home. He meets a woman he loved and lost and much of his backstory is shared. In this book he is sent out to bring in a man that might have information relevant to the Black Tosca Cartel’s higher value targets that might have had something to do with his daughter’s kidnapping.
After that first hair raising beginning he is sent on a mission related to information sussed out from the captured man. One thing leads to another and Hunt ends up moving around the globe from South America to the Middle East and back to the USA with some visits to these countries made more than once. The story is told from multiple perspectives and includes a number of people but I never had trouble following the story.
What I liked:
* The realness of the story
* The plotting
* The action sequences
* Hunt’s relationship with those he worked with and cared about
* Really liked it from beginning to end
* Finding out who “Queen Bee” really was
What I didn’t like:
* What I was not supposed to like – the bad guys, of course.
This book ended well and the story was complete but left me wanting to read book three because I want to find out how Hunt will save his friend and who will go along with him to do so.
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC – This is my honest review
5 Stars
Pierce Hunt Series #2
Hard-hitting, action-packed thrill ride from beginning to end. This author holds nothing back allowing the reader insight in how things work under cover, chasing down bad guys, being on missions, the thinking of both good and bad guys and also gives us a taste of what it takes to get the job done and the sacrifices that must be made.
In book one of this series Hunt’s daughter is kidnapped and he spends most of the book doing what has to be done to bring her home. He meets a woman he loved and lost and much of his backstory is shared. In this book he is sent out to bring in a man that might have information relevant to the Black Tosca Cartel’s higher value targets that might have had something to do with his daughter’s kidnapping.
After that first hair raising beginning he is sent on a mission related to information sussed out from the captured man. One thing leads to another and Hunt ends up moving around the globe from South America to the Middle East and back to the USA with some visits to these countries made more than once. The story is told from multiple perspectives and includes a number of people but I never had trouble following the story.
What I liked:
* The realness of the story
* The plotting
* The action sequences
* Hunt’s relationship with those he worked with and cared about
* Really liked it from beginning to end
* Finding out who “Queen Bee” really was
What I didn’t like:
* What I was not supposed to like – the bad guys, of course.
This book ended well and the story was complete but left me wanting to read book three because I want to find out how Hunt will save his friend and who will go along with him to do so.
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC – This is my honest review
5 Stars
December 7, 2020
Trained to Hunt is the second book in Simon Gervais’ Pierce Hunt series. While I think Gervais’ includes enough details that you could listen to this on on it’s own, I would recommend listening to Hunt Them Down first. There’s a lot of relevant background info and continuation of some plots and storylines in the first book that would make this more enjoyable.
At first, things seem to have settled down for Hunt – he’s finding solid ground in his relationship with his daughter and things seem to be going well with Anna. Alas, while Hunt is on assignment in Afghanistan all hell breaks loose in the United States and Venezuela. Anna is trying to go legit and not everyone is happy about it, creating danger not just for her – but her family and friends as well. Gervais kept my attention by adeptly weaving multiple missions, offensives, and coups into a one grand plot that culminates in a final engagement.
While Hunt and his team are successful, Gervais again uses the epilogue to tease a new objective and I’ve already started listening to the newly released, Time to Hunt.
Bon Shaw’s narration continues to be fantastic. His voices are consistent from the first book and he handles an expanding cast of characters spanning various ages, genders, & accents. He helps make this series binge worthy.
At first, things seem to have settled down for Hunt – he’s finding solid ground in his relationship with his daughter and things seem to be going well with Anna. Alas, while Hunt is on assignment in Afghanistan all hell breaks loose in the United States and Venezuela. Anna is trying to go legit and not everyone is happy about it, creating danger not just for her – but her family and friends as well. Gervais kept my attention by adeptly weaving multiple missions, offensives, and coups into a one grand plot that culminates in a final engagement.
While Hunt and his team are successful, Gervais again uses the epilogue to tease a new objective and I’ve already started listening to the newly released, Time to Hunt.
Bon Shaw’s narration continues to be fantastic. His voices are consistent from the first book and he handles an expanding cast of characters spanning various ages, genders, & accents. He helps make this series binge worthy.
September 18, 2019
The author's second novel featuring Pierce Hunt, a former Army Ranger and DEA agent, is a fantastic read! Even as his girlfriend Anna is shutting down her family's cartel, rogue members are importing amphetamines that kill several high school football players, including the boyfriend of Hunt's daughter. The novel features Hunt in his natural element, but shows the battles he has on the home front as well. Hunt is a great character - the action hero with human elements of self-conflict. It is nice to read a novel where the ex-wife and her new husband are not vilified, but jointly act in the best interest of their daughter and her friend Sophia (Anna's daughter). I'm already looking forward to the next installment!
March 15, 2024
I thought being a DEA officer (in this second novel a subcontractor for DEA), action would remain in US and, sometimes, it could move to Mexico..... but this is not the case in this novel: action is moving to Afghnistan and to Venezuela!!!
Moreover, not all the action is around Pierce but there are other situations involving lot of action even when Pierce is far away from it.
Story goes one step beyond of the first book.... and little threads are still open at the end enabling the follow novel in the series.
Moreover, not all the action is around Pierce but there are other situations involving lot of action even when Pierce is far away from it.
Story goes one step beyond of the first book.... and little threads are still open at the end enabling the follow novel in the series.
October 4, 2019
Absolutely as good as Pierce Hunt #1! Read my review from it which says it all:
I won the 2nd in this Pierce Hunt books via Amazon Kindle via Goodreads giveaways. I like to read the books from the series beginning so I purchased " Hunt Them Down " and just happened to have finished a book when this arrived. The only reason I put this book down was that I have begun watching Downton Abby with my spouse. This book is continuous, can't put down, action-packed, incredible book and I can't wait to begin reading Trained to Hunt! I will also be purchasing Simon Gervais Mike Walton Thrillers!!! Sincerely! And, you need to read the Acknowledgments AND About the Author
I won the 2nd in this Pierce Hunt books via Amazon Kindle via Goodreads giveaways. I like to read the books from the series beginning so I purchased " Hunt Them Down " and just happened to have finished a book when this arrived. The only reason I put this book down was that I have begun watching Downton Abby with my spouse. This book is continuous, can't put down, action-packed, incredible book and I can't wait to begin reading Trained to Hunt! I will also be purchasing Simon Gervais Mike Walton Thrillers!!! Sincerely! And, you need to read the Acknowledgments AND About the Author
September 1, 2019
Black Tosca, Garcia crime syndicate these are some of the problems for Pierce Hunt. Oh, and his relationship with his daughter, ex wife and new girlfriend. Despite this he can't keep away from leaving home to hunt. Hunt people who are out to do no good. I must thank #Thomasand Mercer and #Netgalley for letting me read Trained to Hunt this wonderful action packed second installment in the series about Pierce Hunt by Simon Gervais.
November 27, 2019
Not quite as good as the first book in my opinion but still a very good thriller if that's what you are looking for! Pierce Hunt picks up pretty much where it left off and the story definitely keeps you wanting to keep going. It leaves off with a perfect transition into book 3.
May 20, 2020
This was too fast. It felt like the latest Fast and Furious movie.
October 2, 2019
Simon Gervais has done it again! His second Pierce Hunt thriller is non stop, set up beautifully, and keeps you highly entertained while throwing the struggles of knowing people you run around with aren’t always doing what’s right. I highly recommend this and if you haven’t, pick up Simons first Pierce Hunt Them Down!!
August 18, 2019
I received this book thru Read Now on Net Galley. This is the 1st story that I have read by this author and I enjoyed it a great deal.
The story begins with Pierce in New Orleans trying to capture a member of Black Tosca, a cartel that he was previously involved with rescuing his daughter and her friend Sophia. Through his efforts, they discovered information about a meeting in Paraguay between Jorge Ramirez and members of the Black Tosca cartel. . He was dispatched to assist CIA members in gathering information and they were able to obtain a laptop which had valuable information. Once the CIA had recovered the data from the laptop, Pierce was then sent to Afghanistan to locate drug labs. During his search, he discovered that the labs had been shut down earlier and meeting up with a source from a prior adventure, he learned about Operation Butterfly.
Operation Butterfly was a program being run by General Peraza who was located in Venezuela. This had Pierce then traveling to Venezuela to recover data from a flash drive.
All of the activities seemed to tie back to Pierce's girlfriend, Anna, who was attempting to divest the activities of the Garcia Family. There was a great deal of action involving this effort.
If you want to find out how Pierce handled this, then I recommend that you read the book. The ending is well worth it.
The story begins with Pierce in New Orleans trying to capture a member of Black Tosca, a cartel that he was previously involved with rescuing his daughter and her friend Sophia. Through his efforts, they discovered information about a meeting in Paraguay between Jorge Ramirez and members of the Black Tosca cartel. . He was dispatched to assist CIA members in gathering information and they were able to obtain a laptop which had valuable information. Once the CIA had recovered the data from the laptop, Pierce was then sent to Afghanistan to locate drug labs. During his search, he discovered that the labs had been shut down earlier and meeting up with a source from a prior adventure, he learned about Operation Butterfly.
Operation Butterfly was a program being run by General Peraza who was located in Venezuela. This had Pierce then traveling to Venezuela to recover data from a flash drive.
All of the activities seemed to tie back to Pierce's girlfriend, Anna, who was attempting to divest the activities of the Garcia Family. There was a great deal of action involving this effort.
If you want to find out how Pierce handled this, then I recommend that you read the book. The ending is well worth it.
February 1, 2022
TRAINED TO HUNT picks up right where its predecessor left off. Illicit drugs flood the streets of Miami at a level unseen since the days of SCARFACE but Pierce Hunt is a dangerous man and he's not yet done bringing his brand of justice to the drug cartel. The danger hits too close to home...again.
This is the book that dares. It dares to assert that Dan Marino is not the best QB of the Dolphins ever. Though it doesn't dare to pierce well into the psyche of the protagonist as he is a purely reactionary vigilante. Though fret not, the pace is frantic, spanning from the southeast US and Paraguay to the scenic Afghan mountains and culminating in the lush jungle of Venezuela. Pierce Hunt hates snow and it shows in the locations of this story.
What we get is a little CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER with a dash of MIAMI VICE all baked around well illustrated firefights that are tactically sound and seem to chase each other from one exotic locale to the next. In between, Pierce Hunt and his merry band of marauding friends use their lethal skills to engage in a bit of lepidopterology and that is when the book turns up the fun. Imagine the film COMMANDO, stretch the opening credits montage to about 50% of the book and take the high octane action of the end and fill out the other 50%. In the end, the Hunt keeps on and will provide an entertaining weekend detour to punch through the dreariness of corporate escapades.
January 29, 2021
This is #2 in Pierce Hunt series – and I can’t believe I finished it. #1 was just OK and I was looking for a mindless ‘action’ read – action/thrillers are often mindless – so I thought I would give the author another chance. There are pretty much the same characters as the prior novel and it picks up right where the other left off. Hunt works for the DEA but has “special skills”. The plot again involves the Mexican cartels but throws Venezuela in the mix. A new PED drug aimed at America’s youth is killing kids.
Well, 75% through, it is still just OK. The action sequences are good but the plot is still just so-so. (What? The daughter who inherits her father’s Mexican cartel – to take it legit, of course – ‘cares’ for her drug cartel gang?! Yea. Right.) While the book is little (tiny bit) better than the first book, it feels as if the plot is just ‘fill’ until the next action sequence. … And what a cop out ending!
The book is nothing special. If there’s another book in this series, I won’t be reading it. I’m done. (If you looking for an action/thriller involving DEA and/or Mexican cartels, I can HIGHLY recommend Don Winslow’s “Power of the Dog” series.)
Well, 75% through, it is still just OK. The action sequences are good but the plot is still just so-so. (What? The daughter who inherits her father’s Mexican cartel – to take it legit, of course – ‘cares’ for her drug cartel gang?! Yea. Right.) While the book is little (tiny bit) better than the first book, it feels as if the plot is just ‘fill’ until the next action sequence. … And what a cop out ending!
The book is nothing special. If there’s another book in this series, I won’t be reading it. I’m done. (If you looking for an action/thriller involving DEA and/or Mexican cartels, I can HIGHLY recommend Don Winslow’s “Power of the Dog” series.)
July 28, 2021
TRAINED TO HUNT [2019] BY SIMON GERVAIS
My Review Three Stars***
This is the second installment of the author’s Pierce Hunt Thriller Book Series, and I had actually purchased it after I had read his spectacular debut novel HUNT THEM DOWN [2018] last year. The other day I received a promotional email about Pierce Hunt Book 3 A TIME TO HUNT [2020]. It reminded me that I hadn’t read the sequel, so I bought the newest one and dived in to read TRAINED TO HUNT.
The storyline in Book Two picks up after the events that were depicted in the successful kick off to the series featuring ex-Army Ranger and rogue DEA Agent Pierce Hunt. Surprisingly the DEA (after firing him for going off the reservation and leaving a trail of bodies taking out the Black Tosca) contacts him and offers him employment as a consultant. Hunt is still with Anna Garcia who has made a deal with the DEA to gradually legitimize her family’s wide range of criminal enterprises. Anna’s niece Sophia and Hunt’s daughter Leila have remained BFFs through the traumatic turmoil they suffered as a result of their kidnapping by the Black Tosca in the introductory novel. Things are even rosy between Hunt and his ex-wife Jasmine and her rich husband the former athletic superstar with a Super Ball Ring, Maserati, and a mansion just for starters. Losing Hunt to the charms of the dark Latin beauty Anna Garcia sounds like it was a winning lottery ticket for Jasmine, the betrayed spouse.
Meanwhile, Hunt is not unhappy with the DEA’s instructions to follow up on the remaining miscreants associated with the Black Tosca. He manages to bring along his best friend Carter “Brother”]. However, intelligence information that is gathered and intercepted by our government soon discloses that the Black Tosca is no longer a threat and that the stakes have been raised geometrically with the newly identified “Big Bad”. Hunt proceeds to leave both his lover Anna and his daughter Leila behind to follow his designated assignments by the head of the DEA. This essentially amounts to one action scene dissolving into another action scene, then “rinse and repeat”.
Eventually, Hunt agrees to join a CIA hunter-killer team to carry out a black op in Venezuela with no safety net. One member of the CIA Team is a trusted comrade from Hunt’s past military engagements. The head of the DEA is anxious about the operation since Hunt, Carter and two CIA Operatives are entering an extraordinarily dangerous terrain to retrieve the intelligence that a valued undercover asset had buried before he was savagely murdered.
There is a tense predicament that unfolds in this part of the narrative which is toward the end of the novel. It was a well written action scene where Hunt and Carter survive an encounter with hostile forces on the foreign soil of Venezuela. The mission is a success of course and the team returns safely. The upshot of the final mission is that the CIA really wants Hunt to agree to run black ops for them. One of the heartless villains who was responsible for a score of the dead bodies and the distribution of dangerous drugs to young athletes is still at large. Ramirez was portrayed during the novel as an especially cunning and chilling adversary. The female head of the CIA is trying to persuade Hunt to join her organization by the conclusion of the book. She isn’t making much progress in acquiring him for black ops until she plays her trump card and reveals that Ramirez has likely kidnapped or killed Hunt’s war buddy who was one of the two CIA operatives in the Venezuela mission.
TRAINED TO HUNT was a fast read, and was certainly a decent adventure novel with military terms bandied about and Hunt demonstrating his skills as a dangerous tool in the hands of our government’s agencies. The character development that was so surprisingly sharp for an action-adventure romp was not on display this time around. There was little interaction between Hunt and his lover or daughter. Their collective legal and/or emotional struggles, i.e., Anna’s conflict with the DEA and Leila’s loss of her teenaged boyfriend due to dangerous amphetamines being released on the streets were solved quickly and conveniently. Hunt’s reflections on how much he was in love with Anna and how he adored his daughter actually got tiresome after a while, because it was so saccharin.
This author knows what he is writing about intimately, having worked in the trenches. Gervais, a former Royal Canadian Mounty, then recruited as a federal agent, worked international drug cases, and joined DEA Officers in solving crimes that were to their mutual interests. This second adventure with his hero Pierce Hunt just doesn’t move the needle past the “Average” mark in my opinion. I see that I am solidly in the minority here with a Three Star Rating. There is the caveat that my personal reading tastes lie primarily in crime fiction and its sub-genres (police procedurals, hard boiled mysteries, and serial killer thrillers). I really do enjoy the occasional espionage novel or international thriller, but I am far more discriminating (hard to please?) than the huge population of readers out there who live to read action-adventure thrillers. Gervais does not fail to deliver the adrenaline rush and his action scenes are well crafted. The rich character development and emotional investment are simply missing here. I mean no disrespect to the talented Gervais, but contrast the depth and complexity of compelling spy novels by Lindsey [ABSENCE OF LIGHT, FACE OF THE ASSASSIN, REQUIM FOR A GLASS HEART] or the trilogy of BOURNE novels by the late Ludlum. There is no comparison.
DISAPPOINTING SEQUEL TO “HUNT THEM DOWN” WITH ACTION OVERSHADOWING CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
My Review Three Stars***
This is the second installment of the author’s Pierce Hunt Thriller Book Series, and I had actually purchased it after I had read his spectacular debut novel HUNT THEM DOWN [2018] last year. The other day I received a promotional email about Pierce Hunt Book 3 A TIME TO HUNT [2020]. It reminded me that I hadn’t read the sequel, so I bought the newest one and dived in to read TRAINED TO HUNT.
The storyline in Book Two picks up after the events that were depicted in the successful kick off to the series featuring ex-Army Ranger and rogue DEA Agent Pierce Hunt. Surprisingly the DEA (after firing him for going off the reservation and leaving a trail of bodies taking out the Black Tosca) contacts him and offers him employment as a consultant. Hunt is still with Anna Garcia who has made a deal with the DEA to gradually legitimize her family’s wide range of criminal enterprises. Anna’s niece Sophia and Hunt’s daughter Leila have remained BFFs through the traumatic turmoil they suffered as a result of their kidnapping by the Black Tosca in the introductory novel. Things are even rosy between Hunt and his ex-wife Jasmine and her rich husband the former athletic superstar with a Super Ball Ring, Maserati, and a mansion just for starters. Losing Hunt to the charms of the dark Latin beauty Anna Garcia sounds like it was a winning lottery ticket for Jasmine, the betrayed spouse.
Meanwhile, Hunt is not unhappy with the DEA’s instructions to follow up on the remaining miscreants associated with the Black Tosca. He manages to bring along his best friend Carter “Brother”]. However, intelligence information that is gathered and intercepted by our government soon discloses that the Black Tosca is no longer a threat and that the stakes have been raised geometrically with the newly identified “Big Bad”. Hunt proceeds to leave both his lover Anna and his daughter Leila behind to follow his designated assignments by the head of the DEA. This essentially amounts to one action scene dissolving into another action scene, then “rinse and repeat”.
Eventually, Hunt agrees to join a CIA hunter-killer team to carry out a black op in Venezuela with no safety net. One member of the CIA Team is a trusted comrade from Hunt’s past military engagements. The head of the DEA is anxious about the operation since Hunt, Carter and two CIA Operatives are entering an extraordinarily dangerous terrain to retrieve the intelligence that a valued undercover asset had buried before he was savagely murdered.
There is a tense predicament that unfolds in this part of the narrative which is toward the end of the novel. It was a well written action scene where Hunt and Carter survive an encounter with hostile forces on the foreign soil of Venezuela. The mission is a success of course and the team returns safely. The upshot of the final mission is that the CIA really wants Hunt to agree to run black ops for them. One of the heartless villains who was responsible for a score of the dead bodies and the distribution of dangerous drugs to young athletes is still at large. Ramirez was portrayed during the novel as an especially cunning and chilling adversary. The female head of the CIA is trying to persuade Hunt to join her organization by the conclusion of the book. She isn’t making much progress in acquiring him for black ops until she plays her trump card and reveals that Ramirez has likely kidnapped or killed Hunt’s war buddy who was one of the two CIA operatives in the Venezuela mission.
TRAINED TO HUNT was a fast read, and was certainly a decent adventure novel with military terms bandied about and Hunt demonstrating his skills as a dangerous tool in the hands of our government’s agencies. The character development that was so surprisingly sharp for an action-adventure romp was not on display this time around. There was little interaction between Hunt and his lover or daughter. Their collective legal and/or emotional struggles, i.e., Anna’s conflict with the DEA and Leila’s loss of her teenaged boyfriend due to dangerous amphetamines being released on the streets were solved quickly and conveniently. Hunt’s reflections on how much he was in love with Anna and how he adored his daughter actually got tiresome after a while, because it was so saccharin.
This author knows what he is writing about intimately, having worked in the trenches. Gervais, a former Royal Canadian Mounty, then recruited as a federal agent, worked international drug cases, and joined DEA Officers in solving crimes that were to their mutual interests. This second adventure with his hero Pierce Hunt just doesn’t move the needle past the “Average” mark in my opinion. I see that I am solidly in the minority here with a Three Star Rating. There is the caveat that my personal reading tastes lie primarily in crime fiction and its sub-genres (police procedurals, hard boiled mysteries, and serial killer thrillers). I really do enjoy the occasional espionage novel or international thriller, but I am far more discriminating (hard to please?) than the huge population of readers out there who live to read action-adventure thrillers. Gervais does not fail to deliver the adrenaline rush and his action scenes are well crafted. The rich character development and emotional investment are simply missing here. I mean no disrespect to the talented Gervais, but contrast the depth and complexity of compelling spy novels by Lindsey [ABSENCE OF LIGHT, FACE OF THE ASSASSIN, REQUIM FOR A GLASS HEART] or the trilogy of BOURNE novels by the late Ludlum. There is no comparison.
DISAPPOINTING SEQUEL TO “HUNT THEM DOWN” WITH ACTION OVERSHADOWING CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
August 18, 2019
This is pretty standard thriller fare as Pierce Hunt returns as a "consultant" for the DEA with a girlfriend trying to take her crime syndicate legit. I enjoyed the previous book (Hunt Them Down), but was less impressed with Trained to Hunt. This was okay as thrillers go, but nothing that really got me excited. It ranged all over the place--Miami, Afghanistan, Valenzuela--and never seemed to establish a flow.
I received a digital ARC via NetGalley.
I received a digital ARC via NetGalley.
August 10, 2019
This was OK. It had its moments, but it was a little dark for me and seemed over-written at times. Some of the characters were fully formed, but much of the dialog was not. Plenty of action for those fans. Probably enjoyed it less since I didn't read the previous book.
I really appreciate the comp copy for an honest review!!
I really appreciate the comp copy for an honest review!!
October 3, 2019
A return of 80's style Men's Adventure.
While his girlfriend tries to go legit, Pierce travels the world killing bad guys. It seems he's never home. His daughter's boyfriend dies from bad dope, sold by his girlfriend's organization, and he's rocketing around to Afghanistan and Venezuela.
Pretty exciting, with lots of shooting. A fun read.
While his girlfriend tries to go legit, Pierce travels the world killing bad guys. It seems he's never home. His daughter's boyfriend dies from bad dope, sold by his girlfriend's organization, and he's rocketing around to Afghanistan and Venezuela.
Pretty exciting, with lots of shooting. A fun read.
September 30, 2019
That Was Awesome
Sometimes you get lucky when you pick up a book to review much after its release date. I picked up Hunt Them Down just a week ago and loved it only to find out that book two in the series was coming out a mere few days later. I felt like I hit the jackpot.
Within a few minute of diving into Trained to Hunt I’m already nervous for Anna. I know things are about to get awful for her and I know that Hunt will move the heavens and the earth to protect her but Gervais sets this anxiety up so early that I knew I was in for a non-stop action-packed thriller from the get go. The irony is that the specific scene I was worried about wasn’t even the bad part. Gervais sets up a really nice bait and switch here and threw me for a complete loop.
Trained to Hunt was a tour-de-force and kept me on the edge of my seat so much I might need to replace it. The action was fast-paced and relentless and the non-action set up scenes had me falling even more for certain characters. Gervais has quickly become one of my favorite Thriller writers.
There are little things that can make a cover jump out at you. One of them is the little details in the scenery around the titling of a book. If you look closely at this one you’ll see that some of the trees are “over” the letters in Trained to Hunt. It’s a subtle touch but one that jumps out at readers like me. I love that they took the time and energy to do it and I think it paid off. This cover is gorgeous.
Obviously, including Bon Shaw (I won’t out the pseudonym here, but google it or for god’s sake just listen and you should be able to figure it out) as the narrator for this was a fantastic idea. He is able to take any story and make it great. Obvious great writing allows for him to perform, and Gervais is not short on that at all.
Overall, this was a fun book from beginning to end that ramps up the anxiety to 11 and rides it like a rollercoaster throughout. A definite for any thriller lovers out there.
Sometimes you get lucky when you pick up a book to review much after its release date. I picked up Hunt Them Down just a week ago and loved it only to find out that book two in the series was coming out a mere few days later. I felt like I hit the jackpot.
Within a few minute of diving into Trained to Hunt I’m already nervous for Anna. I know things are about to get awful for her and I know that Hunt will move the heavens and the earth to protect her but Gervais sets this anxiety up so early that I knew I was in for a non-stop action-packed thriller from the get go. The irony is that the specific scene I was worried about wasn’t even the bad part. Gervais sets up a really nice bait and switch here and threw me for a complete loop.
Trained to Hunt was a tour-de-force and kept me on the edge of my seat so much I might need to replace it. The action was fast-paced and relentless and the non-action set up scenes had me falling even more for certain characters. Gervais has quickly become one of my favorite Thriller writers.
There are little things that can make a cover jump out at you. One of them is the little details in the scenery around the titling of a book. If you look closely at this one you’ll see that some of the trees are “over” the letters in Trained to Hunt. It’s a subtle touch but one that jumps out at readers like me. I love that they took the time and energy to do it and I think it paid off. This cover is gorgeous.
Obviously, including Bon Shaw (I won’t out the pseudonym here, but google it or for god’s sake just listen and you should be able to figure it out) as the narrator for this was a fantastic idea. He is able to take any story and make it great. Obvious great writing allows for him to perform, and Gervais is not short on that at all.
Overall, this was a fun book from beginning to end that ramps up the anxiety to 11 and rides it like a rollercoaster throughout. A definite for any thriller lovers out there.
September 28, 2019
I won a signed copy before this book came out and finished it in 2 days. This review is getting out a bit late.
This is an excellent sequel to HUNT THEM DOWN. A superbly woven together plot by Simon Gervais. He is just absolutely masterful at this.
This book continues the story of Pierce Hunt, former DEA agent. If you have not read the previous novel, I highly recommend you do so first. This one picks right off where the last one left off. We see him in New Orleans going after the last of the Black Tosca Cartel which helps kick off his side of the mission for the book in part. We also see his Anna trying to legitimize her former cartel and getting push back from that from what seems to from force within her own cartel.
The story plot unravels with a story pulled straight from the headlines. Involving the corrupt government of Venezuela, Afghanistan, and the CIA. With his daughter being pulled right into the middle of things. As it turns there is a new drug on the street killing hundreds young athletes and now Hunt, working as a contractor for the DEA, must assemble as team of fellow former DEA agents to stop this. This have him and his team criss-cross the globe while the crisis with Anna is unfolding back home and it is all tied together.
Hunt and his team barely make it out it alive at times, while Hunt stacks the bodies. His skills tested to their absolute limits. Anna is up against a force far more powerful than she can reckon with, needs Hunt's help to overcome and even the DEA. How is the CIA involved in all of this?
The action is so superb and excellently written, from gun battles to hand to hand combat that will you breathless.
The plot so finely interwoven together that you will not want to put this book down.
This is an excellent sequel to HUNT THEM DOWN. A superbly woven together plot by Simon Gervais. He is just absolutely masterful at this.
This book continues the story of Pierce Hunt, former DEA agent. If you have not read the previous novel, I highly recommend you do so first. This one picks right off where the last one left off. We see him in New Orleans going after the last of the Black Tosca Cartel which helps kick off his side of the mission for the book in part. We also see his Anna trying to legitimize her former cartel and getting push back from that from what seems to from force within her own cartel.
The story plot unravels with a story pulled straight from the headlines. Involving the corrupt government of Venezuela, Afghanistan, and the CIA. With his daughter being pulled right into the middle of things. As it turns there is a new drug on the street killing hundreds young athletes and now Hunt, working as a contractor for the DEA, must assemble as team of fellow former DEA agents to stop this. This have him and his team criss-cross the globe while the crisis with Anna is unfolding back home and it is all tied together.
Hunt and his team barely make it out it alive at times, while Hunt stacks the bodies. His skills tested to their absolute limits. Anna is up against a force far more powerful than she can reckon with, needs Hunt's help to overcome and even the DEA. How is the CIA involved in all of this?
The action is so superb and excellently written, from gun battles to hand to hand combat that will you breathless.
The plot so finely interwoven together that you will not want to put this book down.
September 29, 2019
Trained to Hunt is a fantastic follow up to the first Pierce Hunt book. I hadn't ready any of Simon Gervais' books in the past so when I read Hunt Them Down late last year I was pleasantly surprised. That book kicked serious butt and I was eagerly anticipating the next installment in the series. Thankfully, Trained to Hunt is also a killer read and this series has quickly embedded itself as one of my favorites in the spy/military thriller genre.
Without spoiling anything, Trained to Hunt is simply wonderful. I devoured it in 24 hours and could not put it down. The pace is incredibly fast, has tons of action and does a great job developing the characters introduced to us in Hunt Them Down while also bringing depth to new characters. The action takes the reader from the US to Afghanistan to Venezuela with a plot that feels all to realistic and scary. The writing is superb which makes it easy to visualize exactly what is happening and to feel the emotions that the characters are going through. Simon Gervais is quickly becoming one of the best in the genre and this series is now a must read.
Lastly, even though Trained to Hunt wraps up nice and clean with the main plot, it also clearly sets up the next one in the series with a cliffhanger of a decisions for Pierce to make. While it will be painful to wait for the next book, it's very comforting to know Pierce Hunt will be back keeping the US safe from those who would do us harm.
Highly recommend diving head first into this series if you haven't already. If you're a fan of Brad Taylor, Brad Thor and Mark Greaney, then you won't be disappointed.
Without spoiling anything, Trained to Hunt is simply wonderful. I devoured it in 24 hours and could not put it down. The pace is incredibly fast, has tons of action and does a great job developing the characters introduced to us in Hunt Them Down while also bringing depth to new characters. The action takes the reader from the US to Afghanistan to Venezuela with a plot that feels all to realistic and scary. The writing is superb which makes it easy to visualize exactly what is happening and to feel the emotions that the characters are going through. Simon Gervais is quickly becoming one of the best in the genre and this series is now a must read.
Lastly, even though Trained to Hunt wraps up nice and clean with the main plot, it also clearly sets up the next one in the series with a cliffhanger of a decisions for Pierce to make. While it will be painful to wait for the next book, it's very comforting to know Pierce Hunt will be back keeping the US safe from those who would do us harm.
Highly recommend diving head first into this series if you haven't already. If you're a fan of Brad Taylor, Brad Thor and Mark Greaney, then you won't be disappointed.
April 20, 2023
Better Than the First Book!
I liked the first Pierce Hunt book very much. If I hadn't liked the characters so much, though, I probably would have given up on the book because of one major sticking point, which was a major component of the storyline. When the woman who had just inherited her family's cartel decided to turn it into a legitimate business, all I could think was that this was completely implausible. It would completely blow up in her face.
Welcome to book two, where it does indeed blow up.
I'm so glad the rich characterizations had me sticking around even when I thought the story was headed into inescapable quicksand. I liked that Hunt valued his family so much that he worked hard with his ex-wife to maintain a peaceful and even-keeled relationship with her and their daughter. I liked that he was able to ignore his pride and admit that his ex-wife's new husband is a really good guy, even though he's someone nearly any ex-husband would be jealous of. I liked that Hunt had a set of values that could not be swayed and that he used his intelligence, strength, training, and sense of justice to make the world a better place. Because this story is excellent.
Fans of brutally intense, testosterone-fueled, black-ops reads have much to love here. But don't start with this novel. Go back to book one to get the full history of these characters and the convoluted, deceitful, and deadly plans that are at work here. Then run headlong into this book. As for me, I'm grabbing the third book right now...
I liked the first Pierce Hunt book very much. If I hadn't liked the characters so much, though, I probably would have given up on the book because of one major sticking point, which was a major component of the storyline. When the woman who had just inherited her family's cartel decided to turn it into a legitimate business, all I could think was that this was completely implausible. It would completely blow up in her face.
Welcome to book two, where it does indeed blow up.
I'm so glad the rich characterizations had me sticking around even when I thought the story was headed into inescapable quicksand. I liked that Hunt valued his family so much that he worked hard with his ex-wife to maintain a peaceful and even-keeled relationship with her and their daughter. I liked that he was able to ignore his pride and admit that his ex-wife's new husband is a really good guy, even though he's someone nearly any ex-husband would be jealous of. I liked that Hunt had a set of values that could not be swayed and that he used his intelligence, strength, training, and sense of justice to make the world a better place. Because this story is excellent.
Fans of brutally intense, testosterone-fueled, black-ops reads have much to love here. But don't start with this novel. Go back to book one to get the full history of these characters and the convoluted, deceitful, and deadly plans that are at work here. Then run headlong into this book. As for me, I'm grabbing the third book right now...
September 24, 2019
I was grateful enough to have a small conversation through Twitter messages with Mr. Gervais after I read and loved Hunt Them Down. He was very kind, humbled, and offered to send me an ARC of Trained to Hunt when it was ready. I was very excited but somewhat had my doubts since this conversation took place in mid January and Trained to Hunt didn't come out for 9 more months. Low and behold and to my surprise, Simon messaged me and sent me a signed ARC of the novel just as he said he would. I'm very grateful of that and it shows the type of person he is. Anyway, on to the review. Which by no means is a professional review in any way lol.
Hunt them Down was one of my favorite novels in the last year and Trained to Hunt topped it! Pierce Hunt, the ex DEA agent is back, but now, he teams up with the CIA. The book starts perfectly, grabbing the reader's attention with Hunt..."hunting" down a Black Tosca member who had a hand in the kidnapping of his daughter from the previous novel. This hunt runs right into the middle of a CIA operation though and that is when everything changes. Pierce joins them as a contractor leading his own team. Pierce Hunt with a team of badasses. Yep, Awesome!
With a new drug killing kids across the country including his daughter's boyfriend, and Hunt's woman involved as the leader of the Garcia Crime Family, this becomes very personal for Hunt as him and his crew travel the world to dare I say, "save the world". Pierce Hunt is a badass with a heart and morals, and as a US Army Infantry veteran with two beautiful daughters that are my entire world, He is the character I can relate to. This novel is not only action packed, but it's also drama filled and hits many emotions. Simon once again has out done himself and I'm sad that it's over. I can not wait for book 3!
I also can't wait for the audio book to hear Bon Shaw as Hunt! The 1st one was great!
This is easily a 5 star goodread for me
Hunt them Down was one of my favorite novels in the last year and Trained to Hunt topped it! Pierce Hunt, the ex DEA agent is back, but now, he teams up with the CIA. The book starts perfectly, grabbing the reader's attention with Hunt..."hunting" down a Black Tosca member who had a hand in the kidnapping of his daughter from the previous novel. This hunt runs right into the middle of a CIA operation though and that is when everything changes. Pierce joins them as a contractor leading his own team. Pierce Hunt with a team of badasses. Yep, Awesome!
With a new drug killing kids across the country including his daughter's boyfriend, and Hunt's woman involved as the leader of the Garcia Crime Family, this becomes very personal for Hunt as him and his crew travel the world to dare I say, "save the world". Pierce Hunt is a badass with a heart and morals, and as a US Army Infantry veteran with two beautiful daughters that are my entire world, He is the character I can relate to. This novel is not only action packed, but it's also drama filled and hits many emotions. Simon once again has out done himself and I'm sad that it's over. I can not wait for book 3!
I also can't wait for the audio book to hear Bon Shaw as Hunt! The 1st one was great!
This is easily a 5 star goodread for me
September 24, 2019
Trained To Hunt picks up where Hunt Them Down leaves off. The Black Tosca cartel is in shambles and the leaders dead. But some members survived and Pierce Hunt isn’t going to allow that to stand. Pierce gets a tip on where they are, but someone beats him to it and now he has more trouble. Meanwhile, Anna is following through on her promise to dismantle all of the illegal holdings run by her father and brother. Competitors smell blood in the water and Anna has problems of her own. All sorts of threads to pull on here. Her attempts to go straight are being sabotaged. Not everyone in her organization wants to go legit and someone appears to be pulling their strings. Some dirty amphetamine pills are killing student athletes and it appears Anna’s crime family is behind it without her knowledge. Pierce and his team have been sent to Afghanistan to find the drug lab. The lab might be there, but the party is in Venezuela. Hunt can’t be in 3 places at once, it only seems like it. A quick stop in Miami to kill those that are about to kill Anna and then he and Carter are off to Venezuela to get the evidence they need to put a stop to this drug being smuggled in to the States. All the action in this book leaves you wanting more and the ending makes it clear that we will get it. Highly recommend this one!
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