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Hunter's Pursuit
When the hunter becomes the hunted…do you trust your instincts or your heart?
A killer for hire, Katarzyna Demetrious has grown weary of her violent and solitary life. Contemplating retirement, she has gone into hiding in her remote bunker home as a blizzard rages outside. But her seclusion is shattered by the appearance of a mysterious stranger, and, with a price tag on her head, Kat is thrust into the most perilous situation she has ever faced. Can she outwit the assassins on her trail? And could the woman she rescues…and is unexpectedly attracted to…be the deadliest of them all?
A killer for hire, Katarzyna Demetrious has grown weary of her violent and solitary life. Contemplating retirement, she has gone into hiding in her remote bunker home as a blizzard rages outside. But her seclusion is shattered by the appearance of a mysterious stranger, and, with a price tag on her head, Kat is thrust into the most perilous situation she has ever faced. Can she outwit the assassins on her trail? And could the woman she rescues…and is unexpectedly attracted to…be the deadliest of them all?
335 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2004
16 people are currently reading
471 people want to read
About the author
Kim Baldwin
32 books241 followersKim has made her living as a writer for more than three decades, working as an Emmy-winning journalist in network news for twenty years before she began penning fiction. She resides in a national forest in Michigan, with few neighbors and a long drive to get to the nearest airport, movie theater, or ethnic restaurant. She never imagined herself a novelist, her first book, Hunter’s Pursuit, was written as a way to fight off cabin fever during a long winter and was sent off to a publisher at the encouragement of friends. The positive feedback she received from readers hooked her to continue writing more romantic lesbian adventures.
Travel is a major obsession. Kim first went to Europe at age fourteen, traveling with her parents on a five week excursion through a dozen countries. Four years later, she returned as part of a singing and dancing troupe, performing in town squares and castles and staying with local families.
The decades since have been filled with many more far-flung excursions... riding a camel at the Pyramids of Giza, crossing the U.N. green line at Cyprus, dogsledding above the Arctic Circle in Alaska, watching Paris awaken from atop Notre Dame Cathedral, motorcycling the Blue Ridge parkway, watching shuttles launch from a kayak near Cape Canaveral, skiing Whistler/Blackcomb, British Columbia, climbing Diamondhead in Hawaii. Her travels and journalism background provide great fodder for her novels. And her younger years in community theater have paid off in her new passion--narrating audiobooks.
Kim is a member of PAN (Published Author’s Network), Romance Writers of America, and the Rainbow Romance Writers, Chapter #217 of the RWA. She's also a 2008 Recipient of an Alice B. Readers Appreciation Award The Alice B. Medal: This award is given annually to living writers who have careers distinguished by consistently well-written stories about lesbians. The award is given once, only, in appreciation of career achievement. (from the author's website)
Travel is a major obsession. Kim first went to Europe at age fourteen, traveling with her parents on a five week excursion through a dozen countries. Four years later, she returned as part of a singing and dancing troupe, performing in town squares and castles and staying with local families.
The decades since have been filled with many more far-flung excursions... riding a camel at the Pyramids of Giza, crossing the U.N. green line at Cyprus, dogsledding above the Arctic Circle in Alaska, watching Paris awaken from atop Notre Dame Cathedral, motorcycling the Blue Ridge parkway, watching shuttles launch from a kayak near Cape Canaveral, skiing Whistler/Blackcomb, British Columbia, climbing Diamondhead in Hawaii. Her travels and journalism background provide great fodder for her novels. And her younger years in community theater have paid off in her new passion--narrating audiobooks.
Kim is a member of PAN (Published Author’s Network), Romance Writers of America, and the Rainbow Romance Writers, Chapter #217 of the RWA. She's also a 2008 Recipient of an Alice B. Readers Appreciation Award The Alice B. Medal: This award is given annually to living writers who have careers distinguished by consistently well-written stories about lesbians. The award is given once, only, in appreciation of career achievement. (from the author's website)
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
January 18, 2021
This one had a cool premise but unfortunately did not work for me. Boring for long stretches where the mains fall instantly in love even with amnesia, broken wrist, bad knee and a ruthless reputation turned into teddy bear. Took me forever to read because picked up other books in the middle. Not Baldwin’s best.
January 29, 2015
Okay, this is just foolish.
Hunter (Kat) is a professional assassin bailed up in northern Michigan; sealed inside her concrete, fortified bunker, she is hiding from an old boss who has put out a contract on her life. Hidden deep in the woods and shrouded by snow, she has a fair chance of riding out her change in fortunes in relative comfort while she plots her next move. Alas for her, she stumbles over a car-crash and rescues the amnesiac blonde involved – an amnesiac in a stolen car with a sophisticated long-gun in the boot. Now Hunter/Kat needs to outwit her enemies, figure out her friends, and put an end to the threats on her life once and for all.
This sounds like a cool premise, right? Elite-Operatives-meets-Ice. How could assassins possibly be boring?
Well, they can be boring like this. This book is boring.
First up; Hunter is a very unbelievable deadly badass assassin with an industry-wide reputation. A girlscout would be embarrassed by her lack of competence. She is hiding from deadly hunters in a bunker she can’t easily escape, and which has the actual security of cheese. She casually rescues a lady she finds outside for no reason, leaving obvious tracks back to her poorly fortified home. (Two things about that – one she just dumps her rifle in the snow, which no self-respecting firearms owner would do (can anyone sing “obstruction/stoppage followed by rust”?) and two she actually thinks about the tracks she’s leaving but does nothing about them, and they are visible to the baddies days later.) Why doesn't she immediately kill the lady in the car? Lady (so bland, forgotten her name) has guns and convenient memory loss. None of this matters anyway I suppose, because everyone who wants to kill her knows where Hunter lives.
Hunter literally kills no one in this book. This is in spite of the narrator (and every other character) constantly saying between themselves "wow, so ruthless, what a mighty and dangerous slayer of men, the ground quakes as she passes, etc". The no killing thing means she is incredibly not deadly in situations where even normal rational people would probably put a bullet into the problem and then shrug at the body in a Gallic fashion – there are so many times it would have been justified/sensible/the most ethical decision I can’t even count them. Literally every named character breaks into her “super-secret fortress”, except for the main villain in his own super-secret fortress (at least the author is consistent – that had laughably poor security as well.) The other main villain you learn nothing about, until about the last chapter. Then she’s the focus of a tremendous amount of narrative effort, not entirely successfully. Everything is wrapped up so neatly it was almost garish.
But aside from its obvious flaws, it was also just dull. People I didn’t care about doing things that felt like they should be exciting, but weren’t. There was no spark of electricity, no joie de vivre. The two main characters just felt like cookie-cutter Uber, and cardboard cookie-cutter Uber at that. Uber is fine when done well – this just wasn’t. The characterisations… I was definitely meant to layer on previously understood dynamics, and I just wasn’t prepared to do that in a work of supposedly original fiction I shelled out actual money for.
I cannot recommend this book.
Hunter (Kat) is a professional assassin bailed up in northern Michigan; sealed inside her concrete, fortified bunker, she is hiding from an old boss who has put out a contract on her life. Hidden deep in the woods and shrouded by snow, she has a fair chance of riding out her change in fortunes in relative comfort while she plots her next move. Alas for her, she stumbles over a car-crash and rescues the amnesiac blonde involved – an amnesiac in a stolen car with a sophisticated long-gun in the boot. Now Hunter/Kat needs to outwit her enemies, figure out her friends, and put an end to the threats on her life once and for all.
This sounds like a cool premise, right? Elite-Operatives-meets-Ice. How could assassins possibly be boring?
Well, they can be boring like this. This book is boring.
First up; Hunter is a very unbelievable deadly badass assassin with an industry-wide reputation. A girlscout would be embarrassed by her lack of competence. She is hiding from deadly hunters in a bunker she can’t easily escape, and which has the actual security of cheese. She casually rescues a lady she finds outside for no reason, leaving obvious tracks back to her poorly fortified home. (Two things about that – one she just dumps her rifle in the snow, which no self-respecting firearms owner would do (can anyone sing “obstruction/stoppage followed by rust”?) and two she actually thinks about the tracks she’s leaving but does nothing about them, and they are visible to the baddies days later.) Why doesn't she immediately kill the lady in the car? Lady (so bland, forgotten her name) has guns and convenient memory loss. None of this matters anyway I suppose, because everyone who wants to kill her knows where Hunter lives.
Hunter literally kills no one in this book. This is in spite of the narrator (and every other character) constantly saying between themselves "wow, so ruthless, what a mighty and dangerous slayer of men, the ground quakes as she passes, etc". The no killing thing means she is incredibly not deadly in situations where even normal rational people would probably put a bullet into the problem and then shrug at the body in a Gallic fashion – there are so many times it would have been justified/sensible/the most ethical decision I can’t even count them. Literally every named character breaks into her “super-secret fortress”, except for the main villain in his own super-secret fortress (at least the author is consistent – that had laughably poor security as well.) The other main villain you learn nothing about, until about the last chapter. Then she’s the focus of a tremendous amount of narrative effort, not entirely successfully. Everything is wrapped up so neatly it was almost garish.
But aside from its obvious flaws, it was also just dull. People I didn’t care about doing things that felt like they should be exciting, but weren’t. There was no spark of electricity, no joie de vivre. The two main characters just felt like cookie-cutter Uber, and cardboard cookie-cutter Uber at that. Uber is fine when done well – this just wasn’t. The characterisations… I was definitely meant to layer on previously understood dynamics, and I just wasn’t prepared to do that in a work of supposedly original fiction I shelled out actual money for.
I cannot recommend this book.
July 31, 2021
4 stars
It was good. Kinda predictable, but still fun to read.
It was good. Kinda predictable, but still fun to read.
on-hold-will-finish-one-day
January 28, 2025ok, i'm pausing at about 20% in. (lol story of books this year. i just keep starting ones and stopping). i'll come back to this one, since i bought it in a sale, but i'm not rlly vibing with it atm.
November 2, 2015
The beginning did a great job to get my attention. It was engaging until the middle part and ending.
What I don't like about this book:
-Multiple person's point of views.
-Predictable twist
-An assassin that doesn't seem so ruthless afterall
-Unsatisfy ending and romance development
With that said, that doesn't mean the whole book is bad. There are some very intriguing scenes, and there are some scenes that I just want to skip page.
What I don't like about this book:
-Multiple person's point of views.
-Predictable twist
-An assassin that doesn't seem so ruthless afterall
-Unsatisfy ending and romance development
With that said, that doesn't mean the whole book is bad. There are some very intriguing scenes, and there are some scenes that I just want to skip page.
July 24, 2011
Kim Baldwin's "Hunter's Pursuit," introduces a female character in a world normally populated by men.
She has a bunker home cut into a hillside in a wilderness area in northern Michigan.
Kat Demetrious is known as Hunter. She's a confident woman who takes command in any situation. She's a freelance bounty hunter and assassin with exceptional instincts for survival.
As she inspects the land near her hideaway, she sees a car skid off the the icy road. The woman inside the car is injured and unconscious. Kat brings her back to her bunker, fearing that if didn't, the woman would freeze to death.
Later, when Kat turns on her computer, she discovers that there is a bounty on her head and that two people have accepted the mission. One of them is a woman.
When the injured woman awakens in Kat's bunker, she can't remember her name and tells Kat to call her Jake. Even though Kat is concerned that Jake might be the woman hunting her, as Kat administers to Jake's injuries, Kat begins to feel drawn to her.
There is good action in this adventure story with other assassins on Kat's trail. As Kat avoides these would be killers, she wonders if Jake might be the person she should fear the most.
Both Kat and Jake are likable characters who are well described. In addition, the wilderness area of northern Michigan is vividly depicted. The frigid conditions that exist outside of Kat's bunker provides a good juxtaposition for the cozy atmosphere inside and the warm feelings that develop between Kat and Jake.
She has a bunker home cut into a hillside in a wilderness area in northern Michigan.
Kat Demetrious is known as Hunter. She's a confident woman who takes command in any situation. She's a freelance bounty hunter and assassin with exceptional instincts for survival.
As she inspects the land near her hideaway, she sees a car skid off the the icy road. The woman inside the car is injured and unconscious. Kat brings her back to her bunker, fearing that if didn't, the woman would freeze to death.
Later, when Kat turns on her computer, she discovers that there is a bounty on her head and that two people have accepted the mission. One of them is a woman.
When the injured woman awakens in Kat's bunker, she can't remember her name and tells Kat to call her Jake. Even though Kat is concerned that Jake might be the woman hunting her, as Kat administers to Jake's injuries, Kat begins to feel drawn to her.
There is good action in this adventure story with other assassins on Kat's trail. As Kat avoides these would be killers, she wonders if Jake might be the person she should fear the most.
Both Kat and Jake are likable characters who are well described. In addition, the wilderness area of northern Michigan is vividly depicted. The frigid conditions that exist outside of Kat's bunker provides a good juxtaposition for the cozy atmosphere inside and the warm feelings that develop between Kat and Jake.
October 27, 2012
Wish I could give this one three and a a half stars. Strong characterization and setting. Not the biggest fan of the ending. Also, I feel as though Kim could make a series with these characters. Perhaps she will revisit them in the future. Overall....really good story. Give it a shot, it's worth your time.
no-thanks
December 24, 2018Read sample, not for me.
August 14, 2019
This was ok. I got my device to read it to me to keep my brain working while I did some boring spreadsheet work. The premise was exciting and the writing was good enough, I could follow the fight scenes, but I didn't feel invested in the characters. Everything seemed a little too obvious and convenient. None of the twists came out of left field, you could see them a mile away. And I can't help but feel a deadly assassin with a price on her head who knows she is being hunted, is not very good at her job if she keeps all the people who are after her (or she thinks are after her) alive. Why? So they can be used as convenient props for the rest of the story and help tie everything up in a neat little bow, I guess. This was all right for a few hours escapism, but don't look too deeply for any nuances. It is what it is, girl rescues girl, finds herself immediately attracted to her, falls in love amid some fighting, and it all works out ok in the end.
May 4, 2019
I'm always looking for LGBT books that aren't *about* being gay. This looked like it would be just what I was looking for. While that was true of the lesbian content in the book, I found it was not terribly well-written.
The story kept getting hamstrung by rather boring perspective-switches every time it got exciting. Every main character had, like, three different names, which quickly became tedious. There was dozens of passive voice, which is a big detractor in an action novel.
I liked the main character and her love interest. If I skipped the perspective switches, the plot was simple but effective and kept me reading. This novel would be a lot better if it was cleaned up a good deal. It kind of reads like a first draft.
TL;DR: It's nice to see this kind of LGBT content, but it's difficult to get past the poor technical writing.
The story kept getting hamstrung by rather boring perspective-switches every time it got exciting. Every main character had, like, three different names, which quickly became tedious. There was dozens of passive voice, which is a big detractor in an action novel.
I liked the main character and her love interest. If I skipped the perspective switches, the plot was simple but effective and kept me reading. This novel would be a lot better if it was cleaned up a good deal. It kind of reads like a first draft.
TL;DR: It's nice to see this kind of LGBT content, but it's difficult to get past the poor technical writing.
July 25, 2021
Killer For Hire
Kat Hunter is a free lance assassin for hire but she only takes righteous cases. On the verge of retirement she witnesses a car accident in the remote forests near her bunker. Rescuing the woman who may be hired to kill her, she fights the attraction while evading others. A thriller and romance. Great performance.
Kat Hunter is a free lance assassin for hire but she only takes righteous cases. On the verge of retirement she witnesses a car accident in the remote forests near her bunker. Rescuing the woman who may be hired to kill her, she fights the attraction while evading others. A thriller and romance. Great performance.
March 18, 2018
Definitely an action/adventure! I really enjoyed the story and it's twists. Just enough action to make it fun and keep you reading. The romance part of the story didn't distract from the action but was a strong story line. A little bit forced perhaps but this is still an enjoyable ride of a book!
August 14, 2020
Action & attraction
An awesome, action-packed adventure with multiple assassins, attraction & attacks. Never a lull in the tension as the story develops & it holds your interest until the very end.
An awesome, action-packed adventure with multiple assassins, attraction & attacks. Never a lull in the tension as the story develops & it holds your interest until the very end.
October 9, 2017
Loss of action
More of a thriller with the romance in the background. Pretty tense, edge of your seat writing with a couple of twists. Great author!
More of a thriller with the romance in the background. Pretty tense, edge of your seat writing with a couple of twists. Great author!
December 28, 2018
Really thrilling read. Lots of suspense. Lots of close-combat action. A bad-ass chica assassin who has her heart melted. Excellent.
September 24, 2022
Lots of action. Hunter really put a lot of thought into her next actions depending on the current situation.
October 22, 2024
2.5. This wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t really for me. Instant love, dragged on in the middle, there was one sex scene and it was literally at the very end. Eh.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 29, 2016
This is definitely a book you could read in just one evening! Very good plot, with an unexpected development I really didn't see coming, and that makes a great book.
Amazing setting, like in every Kim Baldwin books! The way she describes the landscapes always makes my mind travel and I feel like I were there!
The love story is however too much predictable, but I enjoyed it though.
Don't hesitate, just read it!
Amazing setting, like in every Kim Baldwin books! The way she describes the landscapes always makes my mind travel and I feel like I were there!
The love story is however too much predictable, but I enjoyed it though.
Don't hesitate, just read it!
May 16, 2016
Entertaining story with mystery and intrigue. Once I started it was hard to put down. I wanted to know what was going to happen next and I wanted to know right away. Kat (Hunter) wants out of the business but trouble comes knocking at her door. Her "house" and the surrounding area was so well described, I felt I could see it in the mind's eye.
January 7, 2015
Excellent story. One of my all time favorites. Hunter is a very serious woman with her own agenda. Kim told this story in such a way that your interest was always piqued. Would love to see this on the big screen.
June 25, 2020
I "read" this book via Audible. I was a decent story and well performed. My only issue was the titular character's quick fall for the damsel in distress. Hunter let her guard down fast and fell for the girl just as fast. A good read nonetheless. It will end up in my re-read pile for sure.
February 11, 2019
very very very good
read it 3 times
read it 3 times
January 9, 2018
I always seem to be captivated by Kim Baldwin's characters. She does such a great job of building them up and making them very strong and likeable
November 16, 2025
Enjoyed reading this again, had not picked it back up since it was first published in 2004, and decided to go for it for the "trapped together" trope.
July 18, 2021
Awesome page turner.
June 5, 2012
NEEDS ANOTHER BOOK
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews