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Ryan-Hunter #3

Murder on the Isle of Capri, Italy

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Murder on the Isle of Capri

The Donahues deliver a mystery/thriller that will keep you on the edge of your cozy reading

An Italian friend and colleague of Criminology Professor Marin Ryan dies in an accidental fall from a ladder. The community in Genoa is devastated by the tragic end of a beloved father, grandfather, and loving husband. Marin and John Hunter are equally in sorrow as they walk down the street in the classic Italian burial procession. The wife asks Marin to finish a project her husband had been working on for their grandson—a historical book on sixteenth-century pirates. Honored, she agrees.

Marin and John review the documents and her friend’s notes to discover his disturbing connection between those historical pirates and three present-day wealthy families. It’s a secret the patriarchs kill to keep. Was their friend’s death an accident? No!

They journey across the Atlantic and the Pacific in an attempt to know the truth. The more they find, the more they are at risk. At each stop, from Italy to New York to Hawaii and back, they are the in the sights of the modern pirates.

Over 1000 reviews across all book 79% 5 and 4 star.

Reader “This was a vacation in a book.”
Reader “This should be a movie.”
Reader “I think I felt every kick, punch, and sword injury! LOVED IT!!!!”.

466 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 17, 2011

169 people are currently reading
572 people want to read

About the author

Karen Donahue

10 books5 followers

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5 stars
251 (32%)
4 stars
245 (31%)
3 stars
184 (23%)
2 stars
67 (8%)
1 star
31 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
Profile Image for Carlin.
1,758 reviews18 followers
January 21, 2015
It's difficult to start a series at #4. So much about the characters was assumed. I could read more but not sure I will unless I get them free. .
Profile Image for Paul DiBara.
190 reviews1 follower
February 8, 2015
I gave this book two stars because I finished it but that's not to say I enjoyed the experience. Some folks will enjoy the zigs and zags, the murders, the near misses, a peek into the lives of the .01 percent, and reading about the brainy and the beautiful. I know it sounds pretty good.

But there's such a thing as excess. This is more of a fantasy set in contemporary times than a murder mystery based upon the lives of real people. A computer genius who can break any, and I mean any, system in a matter of moments with a minimum of keystrokes. A former female FBI femme fatale who aced every exam she ever took and, she may actually be faster than a speeding bullet - and with more lives that nine cats!

There is a semi-interesting story line though. It's just the characters that mess up the narrative.
80 reviews3 followers
January 1, 2015
really????

The plot of this book was very good and it kept your interest. What I found hard to stomach was the two protagonists who have it all and do it all. John Hunter is a billionaire who owns his own jet and yacht. His partner, Marin Ryan is a Criminology professor who is a former FBI agent. They have connections to the CIA and even the President of the United States knows them. They have an Intelligence Officer as their yacht captain who is gorgeous. They jet off to places around the world to follow a case oh, and while they're at it, they take time to surf which of course they do expertly. It was a bit too much for me.
Profile Image for Mary Ellen Dryden.
67 reviews2 followers
January 2, 2015
Money Talks

This is a tale of money Nd the quest for more money. Good and evil fight it out to the end. Fun story, exotic travels make it enjoyable.
3 reviews
January 4, 2015
Very good. Surprise ending.

A lot of action. Interesting way of connecting something that happened hundreds of years ago to modern day events. A fun read.
1 review
February 24, 2015
Great reading

I enjoyed this so much. I liked the pirate theme.
I read all night. Great story about something you don't normally read about.
111 reviews
March 24, 2015
A decent thriller (a Book Bob free title to have something to read).
8 reviews1 follower
June 29, 2015
Kept me on the edge of my seat!

Well written and a great plot. The characters came to life in this thrilling pirate story. I'll definitely look for more from these authors.
Profile Image for Annie.
314 reviews
April 12, 2014
Like the story. Dialogue needs a lot of help. Will keep reading the series, but it's not easy.
Profile Image for S SKAER.
1 review
January 2, 2019
Exciting, and captivating, fresh ideas kept me turning pages enjoyed the characters and getting to know them.

Gave the book a five star because I couldn't put the book down. I enjoyed the story line as well as getting to know the characters.
Profile Image for bex.
2,435 reviews24 followers
June 22, 2017
Bad guy POVs give way, way too much away. No fun left with all revealed
Profile Image for HELENE JOHNSON.
16 reviews
December 8, 2017
Interesting money, murder mystery

The idea behind a pirate planned swindler was interesting. Having female captain and the use of the internet was reminder of today's world.
Profile Image for Ann.
76 reviews1 follower
June 3, 2018
I liked the characters and the intrigue. It does get a little far-fetched, especially toward the end. I enjoyed it with a willing suspension of disbelief.
12 reviews
February 12, 2019
Fantastic

This book kept me wanting more in each chapter. Love the book, it was interesting to read. Recommend to all .
2 reviews
August 13, 2019
Review

Great read, kept me on the edge, I had no idea how it would end. Now I have to read them all.
Profile Image for Pam.
474 reviews14 followers
June 24, 2023
I enjoyed the book. John and Marlin broke the pirate ring and almost lost their lives. Loved the beagle who had an affinity to Guinness beer.
4 reviews
September 7, 2018
Great read

Fast paced and gets you hooked quickly. I love that there are several quirky characters and I especially love the dog.
Profile Image for Pam.
4,625 reviews68 followers
January 9, 2015
Murder on the Isle of Capri, Italy is book 4 in the Ryan-Hunter series by Dr. Karen Donohue and Thomas Donahue. The characters are realistic and the plot is twisted. This makes for a very good book.
Marin Ryan is an American Criminology professor who is on vacation in Italy with billionaire computer genius John Hunter. Marin is also presenting a keynote address with Professor Samuele Renzo at the Rome Conference on International Law. Samuele tells her about a caller who tells him not to continue writing a book about seventeenth century pirates and then threatens him. Samuele is writing the book for his grandson because he likes pirates. However, it is clear he has wandered into something quite different with this phone call. However, Samuele Renzo has no idea what. He does, however, have some papers he would like Marin to look at which he promises to get to her. Marin heads for Capri while Renzo heads home after purchasing a lime green dinosaur for his grandson Samuele and a necklace for his wife. On the train, he reads Kenneth Young’s The Pirate Roundsmen.
When the Professor reaches home, he is visited by two men who say they are with the police. However, Gareth Baxter and his son Quinton are not the police; but are there to murder the professor and obtain his research. They set the scene up to look as though the Professor fell while changing a light bulb.
Marin decides to call the Professor to continue their talk. Instead of getting Sophie, the Professor’s wife, she gets Inspector Orso who tells her of the Professor’s death. When Marin is told of the professor’s death, she is stunned and insists she attend the funeral and help Sophie as much as she can. When Sophie asks her to finish the Professor’s book for little Samuele, Marin agrees.
As she begins to look into the death of the Professor and to finish his book, Marin finds herself and John drawn into the darker side of Italy. Death lurks around each corner and threatens John’s brother and sister-in-law who are visiting, as well as John and Marin. What is so important about three seventeenth century pirates?
Profile Image for Gay.
Author 153 books6 followers
March 20, 2015
I picked out this book because it is set in Capri, a place I love. But there wasn’t a lot about the island. The heroine and hero, Dr. Marin Ryan and John Hunter, are owners of Ryan-Hunter investigations, and are also engaged. John is a billionaire having sold his computer company. This money helps them fly around the world in their own plane with pilot, Kim, and also sail around in their own yacht. Money is no object. But they are investigating in the world of rich men. Their stalker, Bulldog also has his own resources.
The story focuses on modern day piracy, and is set in motion when a colleague of Marin’s who is writing a book on piracy is murdered in Italy. Are the descendants of old pirates still around? What research did her colleague uncover that led to his death? If the pirates are still operating, what is their ‘booty’ because it’s not obvious piracy.
This is the fourth book in the series. The duo jet and yacht off to Genoa, Hawaii and Capri, with the man who wants to murder them not far behind. Some sex scenes, some violence, and lots of alcohol. Perfect Wave
Publishing 2013
415 reviews7 followers
January 25, 2015
I enjoyed this book on modern-day piracy. Dr. Marin Ryan & her boyfriend, John Hunter, are shocked to learn about what appeared to be the suicide death of a friend. Upon checking the facts, they discover it was a staged suicide, performed to stop the deceased's piracy research.

Marin follows-up on her late friend's research & soon finds herself the target of the Baxter family (Gareth & son Quentin), whose family piracy legacy goes back centuries. But another individual, Nathan, soon comes into the picture.

The setting fluctuates between the Hawaiian Islands & various cities in Europe, with Marin & John having to dodge numerous attempts on their lives. John's boat is appropriately named The Hunter and his plane is likewise called Sky Hunter, which the attempted murderers find amusing. A female intelligence agent, Franco, comes to their rescue on several occasions.

The book kept me in suspense & I was pleased with the manner in which the author wrote his unusual tale.
293 reviews4 followers
January 14, 2015
Excellent, I Believe ThatThis Book Has the Makings of a Movie, or Television Show!!!

Fabulous, it has definitely got movie and/or television potential! It has flair, style, sophistication, action, mystery, and intrigue. This book reminds me of "Hart to Hart," "James Bond," "Charlie's Angels," and "Remington Steel," all rolled into one! I loved the characters, the locations, and the storyline! I loved the fact that the investigators could zip off to anywhere, for any reason, at any time, with only a moment's notice, while solving mysteries, and evading and/or fighting the bad guys. This was a vacation in a book, without the jet lag! Thanks, Dr. and Mr. Donahue!
Profile Image for Nancy.
1,368 reviews28 followers
January 7, 2015
This was the first book I have read by this couple. It is a great mystery and hope to read more by them. A professor who is so excited to be a grandfather thinks he will write a book about real pirates for his new grandson. It does not go well for him and when he i skilled with it looking like it was an accident then his professor friend Marin Ryan and her friend John Hunter takes up the challenge to find out what has happened to him and to see what is so wrong in writing a book on pirates from 300 years ago. Read this good book to find out where this takes them.
Profile Image for Elaine.
Author 29 books29 followers
January 19, 2015
A tale of pirates, taken from the past and brought up to the present.
Two investigators try to discover why their friend, who was writing a book about pirates, was brutally murdered.
Was he too close to finding out the truth that ruthless pirates still exist? Was their treasure amounting to millions of dollars?
A wild race across 2 continents, as the killers seek to eliminate anyone who tries to bring their lucrative business to an end.
Be prepared for twists and surprises in the plot- An entertaining read!
Profile Image for Gail.
1,875 reviews17 followers
January 27, 2015
This is a fantastic fast moving story that I couldn't put down. The characters were most laudable at least the good ones . I liked the authors writing techniques. I plan on reading more of their books. The ending was different but very enjoyable.. I recommend Murder on the Isle of Capri, Italy to all who like a fantastic quick moving mystery
Profile Image for Altajoe.
11 reviews2 followers
May 20, 2015
Generally I enjoyed it. But, time and time again I was mystified that the authors referred to the harbor on the Isle of Capri as Grande Marina, when it is Marina Grande. To add to the head shaking is the "chapter locale" correctly puts them at Marina Grande on numerous occasions. Where were the editors and proofreaders?
Profile Image for Toni Roush.
44 reviews
June 1, 2014
Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Although the book and it's characters are slightly unbelievable, isn't that the stuff a good mystery is made of? And now I want to go to Capri.
Profile Image for Sharneel.
913 reviews
July 26, 2014
A freebie on iBooks, this is what I would call a beach read. The story is strictly meant for entertainment. Far-fetched lifestyles and experiences add to the escapism. I read this in June of this year.
390 reviews3 followers
January 1, 2015
SWASHBUCKLING ADVENTURE ON LAND AND SEA

Well paced action in different locations in Europe and the United States. Believable characterizations and motivations. Likable protagonists who are caring and competent.
1 review
January 6, 2015
Pirates! Modern day

New twist with historical facts thrown in which I really liked. Police, intelligence work too which made it very interesting but also very human elements. Anyone who likes detective books &history may like this.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews

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