Hunted

David Shelley #0.5

by James Patterson

Evil has a new game...

Someone is luring men from the streets to play a mysterious, high stakes game in the English countryside. Former Special Forces officer David Shelley will go undercover to take them down--but this might be a game he can't win.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Crime, Short Stories, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller

140 pages, Paperback

First published September 6, 2016

About the author

Official US Site
Official UK Site
JIMMY Patterson Books
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James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time and the creator of such unforgettable characters and series as Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride. He has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Michael Crichton, as well as collaborated on #1 bestselling nonfiction, including The Idaho Four, Walk in My Combat Boots, and Filthy Rich. Patterson has told the story of his own life in the #1 bestselling autobiography James Patterson by James Patterson. He is the recipient of an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

On my end of year reading journey, I chose to re-read this piece. Here is the original review:

Another BookShot means additional excitement for readers who enjoy a little something to keep the blood pumping. Patterson and Holmes offer up a grisy tale that pits money against pure wit. Former SAS David Shelley learns of the death of a friend and military veteran, whose body sustained injuries that do not match up with the official record. While the friend was homeless, these are not battle scars from life on the streets or the fisticuffs that might accompany the lifestyle.

Approached by an MI5 agent with a theory and news of a potential suspect, Shelley agrees to go undercover to substantiate rumours of exclusive club that finds sport in killing homeless men. The Quarry Company entertains the richest of the rich, mixing the thrill of the hunt with the desperation of the hunted, all while reaping massive monetary fees for those wishing a chance to participate. Working in concert with MI5, Shelley takes on a new identity and is chosen to act as hunted, unsure how serious things could become.

As he is primed for the special day, members of the Company learn of his true identity through sloppy work by MI5, turning this simple game of cat and mouse into one of foxes and hounds. Shelley is unaware of this and is released into the forested area around the Quarry Company compound, armed with only his brains and brawn. How Shelley will make it out is up to him, though the odds are stacked against him. A thrilling tale that keeps the reader wondering until the very end.

As with all BookShots, there is little time for introductions or true character development. Patterson and Holmes toss the reader into the middle of the madness and let things play out in a handful of chapters. However, the reader is permitted a little backstory as it relates to the Quarry Company and the role MI5 plays to bring it down, which adds some suspense and mystery to the narrative. David Shelley has a sordid past in Afghanistan, which is hinted at throughout the story, though it is only in the latter section that its importance comes to fruition. An intriguing piece of writing that differs from much of what I have seen come from Patterson, though surely Holmes used his literary influence to fashion something unique. A decent story that does not waste any time in ramping up the action.

Kudos, Messrs. Patterson and Holmes on this collaboration. I was intrigued and would surely read some of your joint work again. Will we see another BookShot soon?

Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

[Phrynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another quick and exciting read in Patterson's Bookshot series, this time written in association with Andrew Holmes.

The action begins on page one where a manhunt is in full swing. Not a legal police type one but a group of armed men out to hunt and possibly kill for fun. It is a rich man's game with many very influential members so when former SAS David Shelley finds out that his friend is a victim, he goes undercover to fix things quietly.

Shelley is a terrific main character with a lot in common with Jack Reacher. Forget about reality, just go with the flow and enjoy watching one man bring down every bad guy in his way. I liked the reveal about Lucy at the end, and Shelley's final revenge. A fun read.

[Heaven · Rating 3 out of 5]

For being such a short book I liked it. I saw mixed reviews for the book shots which made me hesitant about wanting to read it. While reading them you must understand it's not going to have the full blown details of a full length book. In the short amount of pages in this book I felt it captured the readers attention from page one.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hunted

This book is so unlike something that James Patterson has written before or at least a book that I don't remember reading in the past. It was fast and enjoyable and I wouldn't mind reading more like this.

[Charlotte Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wasn't sure what to expect but glad to have read, found hard to put down as wanted to know what was going to happen.

[Suzzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was one of the James Patterson hotshot books that are usually under 200 pages but it was an entertaining story that introduces David Shelley as a new lead for a new series. Quick read and I do like the character and look forward to his series.

[Daniela · Rating 5 out of 5]

James Patterson - Dir bleibt der Tod
eBook - 113 Seiten

Ex-Militärs, die für eine Menschenjagd rekrutiert werden? Das Thema ist nicht neu, wird immer wieder aufgegriffen.
Ich habe "Menschenjagd" von King gelesen, genauso wie "AchtNacht" von Fitzek - beide mit ähnlichen Themen.
Dennoch fand ich, dass das Thema in diesem Buch hier irgendwie besser verpackt wurde - vielleicht, weil es eben kurz und knackig ist.
Längen in der Erzählung sucht man hier vergeblich, die Story wird schnell und prägnant erzählt, von Langeweile keine Spur.
Hat mir definitiv sehr gut gefallen.

* digitales Rezensionsexemplar von NetGalley & HarperCollins

[Mike Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book shot by James Patterson. I know I said this on my last book shot review, but I think this 150 page format is perfect for some of Patterson's novels because he doesn't need to try to fill to get it to a full length novel. This book shot is set in London, where the rich and powerful are hunting the most dangerous prey, man. It is not a new concept, but it is a very fun read. The characters are interesting, but not super developed since it is a short novel. There even is a twist or two that I guessed wrong on. Overall fun, fast read.

[Emily Pankhurst · Rating 5 out of 5]

The writing captured my interest from the beginning right through to the end. There was always something happening that kept me on the edge of my seat.

Despite being a short story it was still split into 3 parts. This helped to give a good structure and balanced the story well. The chapters were short and sweet meaning that you didn't linger on anything for too long. The story moved at a good pace with just the right level of detail to give you a good idea of what was happening without being overbearing.

The characters were great. As mentioned above there was just the right level of detail to give you an idea of the characters' personalities without spending too long on it. You could tell the emotional connections they had without knowing the full history. The sense of justice within the main character shone through. Difficult decisions were made which made for an interesting read.

Lastly the settings. These were only briefly described, but that was enough to conjure up something that matched and enhanced the storyline well.

Overall a great short story.

[Shawnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. Exciting and not at all what I was expecting.

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

4. 5 Stars!

Just finished reading this. I have to admit I'm really enjoying these book shots. Especially the thriller ones. This is more action thriller.

The first chapter went straight into the action, I love books that do that. Then it goes on to how Shelley finds out the truth about the murder of his mate and how he avenges him. It's not a murder as you know it, there's something A LOT bigger behind it. You find out from the start but it doesn't ruin the story as the adventure to taking down the baddies, its still entertaining.

It was a little slow getting to the truth then plans go wrong and Shelley has to survive on his own. But the surviving part towards the end was awesome! Full on action! Survival mode! I couldn't stop reading and wanting to know what happens next. Shelley is a machine! Now I remember why I used to read SO much of these type of books and damn it makes me miss Matthew Reillys Scarecrow!

The plans gone wrong was a surprise to me as I thought everything would go smoothly and then Shelley would figure out a way to get MI5 to swarm in on them but nope! Things went wrong and there was no one to help Shelley but himself.

Loved the truth about Lucy! And the last chapter at the end, I think was needed for Frankie. Maybe a Frankie number 2 would've been nice cos I was pretty hurt by what happened to him.

Also was surprised to find out who Tremain really was. Was stupid how Sarah Farmer was so careless but Loved what happened to Kenneth Farmer. Would've liked to know if Miyake kept his word.

I would've liked a bit more action with Shelley as the action with Cookie though so brief, was great. Though I did love how Shelley ended up operating the smart weapon!

I have to admit the writing was a little messy? Or not flowing? At the beginning so I had to adapt to that. I found myself pausing at a couple sentences or words that were used as adjectives.

Though this is a novella, there is a message or insight maybe into the result of ex soldiers and veterans. It's quite sad and u think this does show the truth of it.

Overall, really enjoyable. I think those who want to see the underdog win and the rich, powerful, think they're so invincible people lose then this is the book for you.

[Terri Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of James Patterson's stand-alone novellas- or bookshots- as they are called. This one had me on the edge of my seat!

In England, two very rich men open a business venture called the Quarry Company. At first they sponsor homeless men fighting to the death for rich guys to bet on but now it has gone far into a dark abyss. There are a number of very rich men bored with wealth, women, and travel who want a challenge that isn't dangerous to them. They want to hunt. They want a canned hunt. And they want the quarry they seek to kill to be human.

For several million dollars, the rich can buy a spot at a remote estate. Their hosts find homeless military men and pretend to offer them a chance to earn a lot of money by being hunted. What the poor down-on-their-luck saps don't know is that they have no chance to win, survive and earn money. The hunt is rigged. Each hunter and each bodyguard for each hunter have high tech weapons that won't work unless the palm of the hunter or bodyguard is holding it and they use drones to hunt the prey.

Their first mistake was killing Cookie, a friend of an M15 agent from the fighting in Afghanistan. They presume no one cares about the homeless. Their second mistake is the man they chose to be the prey in the next hunt! Hold on for a wild ride. This book puts the thrill in thriller.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Someone is taking homeless men and making them the prey in a British countryside hunt for powerful and rich men. Former Special Forces officer David Shelley realizes he hasn't seen his former commanding officer Cookie in a while so he starts to search for him. An M15 agent tells Shelley that Cookie is dead and suspects the man was killed in the hunt. Shelley agrees to go undercover as a homeless man to become the next target selected.

I hope this is not the last we see of David Shelley, a formidable opponent.

[Ty Townsend · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspired by his own son, James Patterson writes the book Hunted. The book is set in present-day London at quarrel company, the story begins with a used to be special forces officer is trying to survive a hunt.
The short story begins with the introduction of Cookie, a former special forces officer playing what he thinks is a game for money. The game Cookie is playing involves lots of killing and could end in a huge money prize, but what Cookie does not know is that the game he is playing is rigged. All Cookie had to do was make it to the road and he wins, but when Cookie finally makes it to the road, he realizes that he made a big mistake in playing the game.
Former SAS David Shelly, one of the men Cookie served within Afghanistan, finds out that his friend(cookie) has randomly died. David Shelly knows Cookie too well. When the peoples found Cookies body, they assumed that he had killed himself because he was found dead in a car. David realizes Cookie would never kill himself because it is something Cookie would never do. I love how James Patterson shows how close David and Cookie were to each other.
David Shelly decides to go undercover homeless man to join this game and find out who killed Cookie. The hunt begins to get really tense as there is no way out of the game and it turns into a hunt. David’s wife starts to get worried as she has no clue what will happen to David neither does anybody else.
This is one crazy of a book and makes you want to keep flipping the pages and reading the book. This thriller has never-ending action and keeps you at the end of the seat during the whole book. If you want to find out what happened to David Shelly or like to read thrillers, then I really suggest checking out this short book.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full review on www.novelgossip.com

These BookShots are quite addicting, there’s something really fun about being able to read/listen to a book in a really short timeframe. This one came in at just under three hours which seems to be the typical run time for these books. Once again, that short and sweet blurb still managed to catch my attention and I knew it would be an action packed and thrilling read.

David Shelley learns that his friend, Cookie has been killed as part of a strange game that wealthy men are playing. They’re contacting homeless men and convincing them to play a hunting game, but they are the prey. He decides to go in undercover with the help of Simon Claridge who is a MI5 agent. But when David’s real identity is revealed to the awful men in charge of this game, all bets are off.

Malcolm was a good narrator, his voice was the right blend of melodic and captivating that audiobook narrators should be. The story was good, even if the whole humans as prey bit is a little overdone. It’s short and frantic pace doesn’t allow character development as there is simply not enough time, but that doesn’t seem to be an issue. This was slightly different from the usual Patterson book, I’m guessing that’s because of his co author. It had a real covert, spy mission feeling to it with plenty of thrilling scenes and dangerous action scenes.

[David Caldwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

A modern take on the most dangerous game. Some of England's most rich and powerful men have started secret hunts where they chase after homeless ex-military men. Now some friend of the hunted men are starting to ask questions.

This is not a new story. It has been many times in both books and movies. Rich and famous people decide to do something illegal because they think they are above the law. Someone gets killed. A friend (or relative) of the murdered person seeks revenge.

This story isn't bad but it is not exceptional either. Nothing makes it stand out for all the others. It does have the problem that it was intended to be fairly short to fit in with the Bookshots formula. The story feels rushed, especially the ending.

I feel the book would have benefited from the writers taking a little more time to develop the story and adding more details. Definitely falls into the category of throw away books that you read when you have a couple of hours to kill but don't want to get too involved.

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The James Patterson Bookshots have been punted as short, fast-paced, high-impact stories that are impossible to stop reading. All killer, no filler - and boy did Hunted deliver on that.

David Shelley's goes looking for his former SAS comrade 'Cookie,' who has taken to living on the streets, and has now gone missing. The more Shelley discovers, the more he suspects that his friend may be dead. Shelley meets up with an MI5 agent, who points out that Cookie was in fact murdered, but also that his death was part of a sinister scheme of a highly connected, high rolling part of a secret society. Shelley decides to go live on the streets, and to follow the path that Cookie may have taken to try find and uncover this nefarious organisation involved in his death.

No spoiler alerts here - just give it a read. Well worth a lazy couch day - just wished it could have been a bit longer as it was a super book.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another cracking good read from James Patterson in his bookshots format. This one is a standalone novella rather than being in any of his continuing series, although it would be good to see more of the main character in future stories.

Basically, for those who can remember the film Hard Target featuring Jean Claude Van Damme, this book is pretty similar, but set in the UK. A bunch of wealthy aristocrats (including some closely connected with the Government) think it's fun to go hunting human prey in a wooded estate. One such victim is the former friend and partner of our main character, and he ends up going undercover as prey to seek vengeance on those responsible. There are twists along the way (including when his cover is blown and his wife kidnapped as extra leverage over him) and it builds tension admirably.

Great read.

[Ben Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

4.1/5.0 stars

BookShots is an interesting concept devised by prolific author, James Patterson. It's essentially a collection of short stories that strips the tedious filler that you'd usually find in books, leaving only the action to keep you gripped until the end. These are books that one can easily finish in one sitting, and are more than enough to quell your boredom.

Hunted is a quick, action-packed story that's difficult to write about in a review, as it feels like virtually every part of it is connected to the twists in the tale. I'd hate to spoilt it for anybody. But, if you're a fan of action, as well as short stories, then picking this up wouldn't be a bad decision at all.

[Eirelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this story but as a novella, it felt a bit rushed, especially towards the end. I wanted the action of the "game" to last a while longer, but as it was, it seemed to zoom by with Shelley immediately knowing exactly what to do and coming out on top with no difficulty whatsoever. I was glad to see that his wife was not some damsel in distress and could handle herself, but I would have liked to have seen more from her and what she could do, maybe even becoming a bigger factor in helping her husband during the "game."

[Shona Hamnett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm loving these bookshots. Hunted is fast paced but still has the James Patterson intrigue with twist and turns. Perfect for a quick read. Captain Dave Shelley has a future in one of Patterson's books and could quite easily become a series regular or lead character in a new novel. This book has left me wanting to know Dave's background and future escapades just wish the dog didn't have to die.

[Christine (Tina) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars, really. The only reason for the lack of the coveted "5 star" rating is lack of originality. "The Most Dangerous Game" written by Richard Connell & published in 1924 is this work's original.

[Nicolas · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story had potential but felt rushed in places, particularly the concluding chapters.

For better or worse, we discuss all things James Patterson in this special episode of the All the Books Show podcast: https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks/ep...

[John Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this last year on my 550 mile drive to Vegas for two days of serious self-defense training. Loved it. I just read it again, and enjoyed it just as much the second time. It's an action-packed page-turner with great characters. A fun riff on the classic "The Most Dangerous Game."

[James Thornley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really exciting book and the first of the bookshots I have read can't wait too read the others. I recommend if you like the Jason born kinda things.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Started reading and could not put it down, I was hooked from the first page. Great short story. The first of the bookshots that I have read. A real thriller.

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story! I really enjoyed this story. It wrapped up very nicely for a short story. I am beginning to like these book shots.

[Melenia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed it

[Plum-crazy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do have a mixed history with Patterson - some of his full length novels I've enjoyed & some I've disliked (yes, Michael Bennett's kids, I'm looking at you!) This is one of his short tales & I thoroughly enjoyed it. The basis is rich...make that super rich...businessmen are offered the chance to take part in a bit of hunting but it's not the usual big game they're after, it's homeless ex-servicemen, those who won't be missed - think paintballing with real ammo!

In true JP style, it's a fast action packed read but because it's a short novel there's none of the umpteen short chapters you normally get with Patterson &...best of all...there's no padding either, the tale just cracks on - what a great movie or tv series it would make. A surprising 5 stars from me.

[Vincent Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hunted by James Patterson and Andrew Holmes is a thrilling book with a great promise that is not fulfilled. At first I thought it is about the hunting down of a criminal mastermind or terrorists, or a super cop or super soldier being hunted by those whom he hurt in his or her career only to find out it is about the hunted persons being part of an elaborate game by the rich for their (the rich's) entertainment. It takes David Shelly time to figure out what is happening, especially when his former CO Cookie's 'death'. He embarks to uncover what happens, and that's when he finds himself hunted too, in a game of hide, seek, and kill for the entertainment of an exclusive class of the rich.

Fast paced, thrilling, and well ... James Patterson.