Top read.

I'm not sure that mystery/thrillers are my favourite genre to read but if it's written by Cari Hunter, then I'm in.

5 stars for the plot which was perfectly balanced.
5+ stars for the wonderful characters throughout.

Never once did I feel like the pass was too much anything. I need to go through Cari Hunter's back catalogue and make sure I've read everything.

Elin Breckenridge is living a nightmare, and she drags Dr. Grace Kendal into it when she needs urgent medical attention to stay alive long enough to achieve her goal. Elin is connected to a dead man and she’s running from something. The two will crisscross the country trying to outrun whoever is chasing them. Meanwhile, Detective Sergeant Safia Faris is investigating Elin’s case and the further she digs, the more she’s convinced Elin might be a victim rather than a criminal.

This one moved quickly and had a great amount of suspense and tension. If you like your romances full of action and light on steamy scenes, definitely check this one out. You won’t find any sultry sexy times descriptions, but I love whatever troupe this is. Where two people are thrust together under harrowing circumstances and then fall in love along the way. It’s my jam, and I enjoyed this one. Devoured it in just about twenty-four hours.

Still working on the backlist, so this one is already out and available wherever you get your books.

What a great book!! Three-POV (all queer women from different backgrounds), high action romp. A Mum desperate to rescue her child; a medico roped in at gunpoint; a police sergeant trying to piece it all together. Hunter does such an amazing job with action thrillers with an HEA ending you're never absolutely sure is going to happen until it does.

Book does such a great job of taking the reader on the wild ride with the characters... just trying to keep up, never sure what is around the next corner. Whole story takes place in a frenetic less-than-a- week.

And the audiobook with Nicola Victoria Vincent narrating is AMAZING, like it should win awards good. I've re-listened to the last 45 min (climax & HEA) at least a dozen times.

Shame on me that this was my first Cari Hunter book. Great luck for me that there are several more to read. Downloading another today. Unbreakable is a five star mystery, five star thriller, five star police procedural and five star love story. In my top three books of the year. I really wanted to meet some of these characters as they are so real and so identifiable and I really want to eat some of the food that keeps appearing throughout. This is a novel that will stay with me and I really hope there is a follow up novel.

Cari Hunter has done it again! What a book, from the moment you start it hooks you. The characters are lovely, developed, complex, and ultimately flawed in precisely the best way. Be prepared for some graphic writing and violent imagery if that's not your thing, don't read. Ultimately the romance is just beautiful frosting on this otherwise wonderfully written cake.

As a seasoned and quite voracious reader it is not often that I find books which I simply have to read in one sitting - sleeping is overrated anyway. Unbreakable kicked of the story at gun-point and had me breathless throughout the twist and turns of this very well plotted and executed thriller. Cari Hunter whom I have watched grow as writer has outdone herself with this one.
Not only are the main characters believable and down-to-earth, but there are a host of just wonderful secondary characters. I esp. liked how she wove the backstory of Detective Sergeant Safi and her wife Kami who both come from a Pakistani-Bengali background and their wonderful food (yes, I am a foodie!) into the story. The counterpoint is the quite British Suds, Safi‘s detective partner, who has been won over to the other side by —- food. Lovely. In many more ways the story of Safi and Kami intertwines with the main story line. It is one of the many, wonderful layers of the story. Or Amelia … or Jo. Well get yourself a copy and discover.
The setting is another big win: There is London and there are „Northerners“ with all the little quirks and the rivalry that bring richness to the setting. And I loved that the „Britishness“ has not been edited out for international sales - as many foreigners I love when bacon sarnies, a nice cuppa, gardening, knackered characters and English swear words make their appearance and my brain kicks in and adds English accents when someone starts to speak. Sooo satisfying.
Another satisfying layer is the realistic description of injuries. Most of the story revolves around what happened to Elin and Grace. There is no beating around the bush, no glaring inconsistencies and especially no big romance going on with someone half-out by pain. Instead we have a growing affection, a subtle undercurrent which is really nice to experience. And showing instead of telling is another consistent trait of this thriller. Despite all the action undercurrents are made palpable and I for one have totally fallen for this story and its characters.

I am always a Hunter's fun. it is great how there is a love story in the background but all the thriller mystery gains its shape and the suspense unfolds. Unbreakable is among the best books I read in 2021.

Cari Hunter is the author of the Dark Peak series and several standalone novels. Unbreakable is her new release thriller mystery. A doctor is held up at gunpoint and forced to drive an injured woman to her hotel room and treat her for a bullet wound. Narrated by three different characters, we discover Grace and Elin on the run and police Detective Sergeant Safia Faris responsible for solving a murder. A most enjoyable read of a classic police procedural thriller with engaging characters and unfolding mystery. A fittingly paced venture with realistic narrative and a four-star read rating. With many thanks to Bold Strokes Books and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and are made without fear or favour.

Sometimes when a book is super hyped, it doesn't live up to that and can be a bit of a disappointment. That is not the case with Unbreakable. Cari Hunter deserves all of the hype and more. It's one of the best and most exciting books of the year by far.

Dr. Grace Kendal has just completed a long day when she's kidnapped at gun point, forced to help an injured woman. Elin Breckinridge never anticipated finding herself in this position, where she's now kidnapping someone. But there are times when people do things they never thought they would be capable of doing. Detective Sergeant Safia Faris starts investigating a murder and finds herself untangling a mystery.

The story is told from three different perspectives, Grace, Elin and Safia. I loved this. It gave such great insight into what these women are feeling as events unfold. Safia and her work partner Suds have a great relationship. They tease each other but also have great respect for one another. Safia and her life partner Kami are super cute together.  We don't see them together a lot but it's obvious they have a beautiful, loving relationship. Grace is the kind of woman we should all strive to be. She is brave, compassionate and empathetic. Elin is all of these things as well but has found herself in the worst of scenarios.

Unbreakable grabs you from the first page and doesn't let go. It's one of the absolute best books I've read this year and I couldn't put it down.  Cari Hunter is a masterful writer of mystery and this is my new favorite of her books. I not only recommend it, I implore you to read it. You will absolutely not regret it!

If you're going to start a book, you could do worse than to make it the kidnapping of a doctor at gunpoint in a garage by a woman with multiple injuries, including a gunshot wound.

That's how Dr. Grace Kendal meets Elin Breckinridge at the opening of the book. As they make their way out of the garage and hit the road, Grace learns at least a little about Elin, and realizes she needs some immediate medical care. She urges Elin to go to the hospital, but that option is right out.

How did we get here? Elin runs a security-related company with a friend from the Army. In flashbacks, er learn that one evening, two men burst into her home, beating her up, and taking her young daughter Amelia, nicknamed Mouse. After Elin wakes up from her beating, she finds the kidnappers want a million pounds, and they want it quickly. She starts transferring money around, which catches the attention of her friend. After finding out what's happening, he rushes over, but she insists she has to go alone. She's given instructions on where to go, ending up on the heath, where one of the men is waiting. Unfortunately for him, he gets his head blown off by a third party, and Elin gets shot trying to get away. She manages to elude those chasing her, and then goes on, trying to figure out how to get medical care - she very nearly goes into the ER but then spots Grace, and we wind up at the beginning.

DS Safia Faris and her partner Suds catch the case of the dead guy on the Heath. They quickly realize the scene seems wrong. Eventually, they make their way to where Elin had parked, and through CCTV from one of the homes, realize she's been injured. The race is on for them to determine who she is. As they work the case, they get the call about Grace not appearing for her next shift, and through cameras again, find the mystery woman has taken her.

Meanwhile, Grace has removed the bullet from Elin, but Elin is still in very poor shape. As Grace is doing something in the lobby, one of the concierge people tell her an older man was in, looking for Elin, but he didn't give the guy any info. Elin tells Grace they must leave immediately,and they do. Elin, still holding the million pounds, gets a call on the burner phone she was given, giving them the next location to be. Safia and Suds are not far behind on things.

There is no sudden instalove between Grace and Elin, and I was thankful for that, even in a "fall in love with the caregiver" trope. There is a touching love between Safia and her wife Kami (also great sounding food, courtesy of Kami's grandmother).

It becomes fairly clear who is behind the whole thing if one pays close attention. The action keeps the book moving along, and you may find, as I did, that you read the book in a single sitting. The police procedural portion is excellent, even with a point I'd say could have been picked up earlier, and the fugitive from justice (sort of) part is likewise very good. Characters don't suddenly start saying or acting in ways inconsistent from how they were introduced, and all the adults are adults.

I'm going five stars on this one.

Thanks to Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for the reading copy.

NOW THATS HOW YOU WRITE A SUSPENSE NOVEL! I started reading at 9pm, too late and I should have known better, but I didn’t go to bed until 3:30am. Can I tell you that I was tired for work a few hours later but I couldn’t put the book down. The scenes were just so intense and real. I loved it.

Supremely good outing by Cari Hunter, yet again. This is how you do a forced proximity romance trope! When Dr. Grace Kendal is kidnapped by am injured woman, she didn't know how deeply she would get involved with her. Safia Faris is a detective on the case of a man who was shot and left for dead. These incidences tie together in a way that none of them wanted it to.

Hunter is still the best lesfic thriller authors at building tension and creating that hook right at the beginning of the book. Then, she is able to keep the main mystery under wraps for a a long time because she has you focused on the ebb and flow of the interpersonal relationship building between our leads. In this one, it is interesting that Grace is kind of the lead character, as she gets most of the narration, while Elin Breckenridge (the woman who kidnapped her) is a 'one b' lead, then Safia follows up with some solid story telling on her end as well. None of the women really have dynamic story arcs - not if you aren't looking for it - but they are mostly self actualized characters thrown into a really bad situation, and we get to watch them work it out.

There's so many things I enjoy about this book. But this is a master class of showing, not telling. We understand that Safia and her genius nerd girlfriend are probably of Pakistani and Bangladeshi decent because they swear in Bengali and Urdu (I think Safia speaks Urdu). The food they make or their families make for them sounds amazing as well. Then there's Grace and Elin's relationship. I didn't expect it to be dark, but it's probably one of my favorite build ups I have read in a long while. There's no true romance in the plot, but it is romantic. It's the subtle touches, the protectiveness, the learning, the growing, the body language, and so on. It's subtle and sweet all at once. Between Safia's playful relationship with her girlfriend and this subtle build up, I was supremely happy with how everything played out.

This is one of the few times I had a great time with a book this year. I was engaged with just about every aspect of the book, and absolutely loved all the characters. This is my favorite book by Hunter so far, and that is saying something, because all her books are great. If you're looking to read Hunter for the first time, choose this one - you'll be blown away.

*I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

WOW!

Grace finds herself tangled up in the drama surrounding Elin, a woman with serious injuries who is desperate for help but in a difficult position. As Grace learns of Elin’s situation she is compelled to help, no matter the risk to herself. Detective Sergeant, Safia, is trying to solve a case, hunt down a person she thinks is responsible, but the more she learns about the case, the less clear it seems. Safia’s cases leads her to Grace and Elin and soon she has to re-evaluate everything.

Intense, dramatic and just down right amazing. Cari Hunter always delivers and I was not disappointed with Unbreakable. I have only read a few of Cari’s books, and I didn’t think much would top Alias for me but Unbreakable did. I was thoroughly lost in every moment of the story. On the edge of my seat, worrying about the characters involved, especially when what was really going on was revealed. A lot of the story was touch and go, it had a pace that suited the storyline and I was addicted.

I wasn’t sure about Elin at first but I am glad I gave her a chance. Grace I admire so much, everything she went through and what is must have been like for her when she ended up caught up in everything surrounding Elin, but she kept calm and truly professional got the facts and made the decisions she needed to. I also loved that along the way Elin and Grace could bond and grow, developing a friendship and then more. It was also great that Safia’s story was an underlying storyline, offering just a little something more to the story that helped you understand her character and the decisions she made.

So many moments where I held my breath but I just couldn’t put the book down. Cari is an amazing writer and I can’t recommend Unbreakable enough. I don’t know how to describe it or why, it’s comforting in a way, a little danger but realistic, and it is just one of those stories you just have to read.

What a fantastic book. It was such a page turner I finished it in a weekend. I loved the characters, they were diverse and interesting with a sprinkling of humour and you could totally empathise with Elin and Grace. Just a fabulous read. 5 stars. Will be looking forward to more books from Cari Hunter.

Dr Grace Kendall has been kidnapped at gun point by the desperate Elin Breckenridge who's four year old daughter was kidnapped for a ransom. In her fight to get her daughter back, Elin has been shot and is desperate need of medical attention and Grace has just happened to have finished her shift and has all the medical supplies needed to keep Elin alive.  Also adding depth to the story is DS Safia Faris and her partner Suds who are charged with solving the mystery.
This story had me engaged from start to finish. The storyline was great with plenty of mystery and a long slow romance developing between two interesting characters.  All the sub characters were engaging as well. I particularly loved the diversity of the characters and the regular commentary surrounding yummy food. There's really not too much to dislike about this book except it could have been slightly longer.

Another winner from Cari Hunter! She is without a doubt, one of the best mystery/ thriller writers I've read. This book has 2 parallel storylines. The first is that of Dr Grace Kendal, a doctor who was abducted at gunpoint by a badly-injured woman, Elin. Elin had been shot and needed Grace to treat her injuries. The second is that of DS Safia, who was called to investigate a murder. The two storylines intersect as the police investigation catches up with what happened to Elin. We learn why Elin was shot and why she refuses to go to the police.
The writing is engaging. The characters are likable. The plot moves along fast enough to keep one's attention. Although this is a sapphic book, best not to go into this looking for big romance. The focus is definitely on the case and the mystery. I appreciate that we have a character, DS Safia, who is already in a wonderful relationship from the get-go. This is definitely one of the best books I have read this year.
**Thank you to Bold Stroke Books for giving me an ARC for review!**

“Unbreakable” by Cari Hunter was just so unbelievably good. It’s an action-packed thriller and I was hooked from the very beginning.

Elin Breckenridge is seriously injured and in need of medical assistance so she kidnaps Dr. Grace Kendal. At the same time, Detective Sergeant Safia Faris is simply trying to solve a random murder when their stories become intertwined. The plot is too good to really give anything more away so…

The story is told from three different perspectives which I found slightly weird at first, but I grew to love. Elin and Grace and Safia are three very different strong and intelligent women and I honestly think this is the first time where I enjoyed all three POVs equally.

There is a romance here but it’s more of a beginning than anything and I absolutely loved it. I can’t stand it when you’re reading a mystery or thriller and the author tries to make you believe the characters are in a life long relationship after a few days of intense action where people are not their normal selves. Hunter does not do that here. The characters get to know one another in bits and pieces but I was still left feeling happy and hopeful for them and their future.

I highly recommend this!! This was my first-time reading Hunter and it has made me extremely excited to get into her back catalogue.

I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a different kind of story. Grace works for a medical service and is kidnapped byElia. The character are good and the plot. kept my attention. When you thought one person was the criminal, another one keeps coming up .
The story kept my interest and was not really a romance but a murder mystery. The author kept me on my toes throughout and told a really good story. The plot was very inventive and took place in England.
There was emotion and fear throughout the story.
I recommend this book to mystery and fiction readers.
I received this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was AWESOME!!! The storyline  was thrilling from the start and kept the anticipation and trepidation consistently through to the end. Every character felt authentic and realistic. The medical scenes were graphic and vivid is the best possible way. I really appreciated that this was a thriller type story with a little splash of romance vs the reverse. I have always enjoyed Ms. Hunter's books, but this is definitely the best so far in my opinion. I DEFINITELY recommend this book. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is what I call a suspenseful thriller. The characters Elin Breckenridge, ex-military and Grace Kendal, MD are two dynamic ladies that are brave and compassionate. What an impressive story with complexity and plot changes that keep you wanting to know what will happen next. The secondary characters also keep the story interesting and flowing. This is not so much a romance as it is moments of care and emotions. This read pulls you in from the beginning with the kidnapping by a wounded woman.