I picked this book up when it was published back in 1999 and have reread it several times over the years. HUNTER is both entertaining and informative as, if the reader is paying attention, he will learn a fair amount about tracking, herbal remedies, and other woodcraft.

Nathaniel Hunter is a tracker, one of the best in the world. When he isn’t assisting authorities in locating lost hikers, he frequently is hired to find specimens almost legendary animals around the world. Hunter has spent his entire life living in wilderness areas all over the globe and is an expert in wilderness survival.

The U.S. military hires him to track down a beast that has decimated one of their research stations. A beast they cannot identify and appears to not only be incredibly strong and vicious, but seems to have human intelligence. Hunter is partnered with a mercenary team and given a single objective — find it and take it down.

Huggins is a movie writer and it shows. The story is full of beautiful scenery and engaging dialogue. The characters, while larger than life, are interesting and compelling. The science and woodcraft elements are well researched. Without ever sounding out of place, Hunter frequently gives little mini-lessons on how to live in the wild as well as a ton of great information about tracking. These lessons never come across as being forced out by the author but instead are a natural occurrence within the story.

Periodically throughout the story, we are given the creature’s point of view. This not only serves to slow the breakneck pace of the book here and there but also gives us considerable back story. We learn where it came from and where it is heading.

There are story twists here and there and toward the end of the book, the action keeps going well beyond the expected conclusion. While this certainly isn’t an “end of the world” story, I really enjoyed it and recommend it heartily.