The Hunting Ground

The Deuce Mora Series, Book 2

By: Jean Heller

Narrated by: Christine Lakin

The grisly discovery of a human bone while Deuce is out for a hike leads to the unearthing of a vast burial field, a human trafficking ring, and international intrigue.

Deuce Mora—a pulls-no-punches columnist and meticulous detective—keeps turning up information, bit by bit, only to find some Fed in her face, at her door, emerging from the shadows, always guarding the edges of the story, insisting it will not be told. Yes, the Feds are aware of the trafficking ring. Yes, they have a plan to move on it. No, Deuce can’t be told about the plan, and under no circumstances can she write about its existence.

This is the story of a lifetime—bigger than the Vinnie Colangelo story, which earned Deuce and the Journal a Pulitzer—and, for once, she has the support of her editor, but the Journal’s lawyer appears bringing warnings about “national security.” What could be a greater matter of national security than the safety of the city’s children who are being kidnapped and murdered? While Deuce is racing to break the case wide open, her life and her career are threatened on all sides.

But break wide open it does, racing to an outrageous surprise ending, and Deuce learns first-hand the lesson that sometimes the only way to accomplish a great good is to commit unthinkable evil—and learn to live with the consequences.

©2016 Jean Heller (P)2023 Blackstone Publishing

Easy listening

Really liked the series so far. Some parts long winded. Too many characters overall. Good story line. Looking foreword to next book.

This book is very unsatisfying

The author is a very accomplished technical writer but her story just drones on forever without any resolution.

There is no beginning, middle, and end.

There is a sort of beginning, a ton of descriptive middle and then the train stops and the conductor says “ Ok folks, time to get off”!

You will be sorry that you spent the time.

Duce Mora is an interesting character but for the reader it ends there. The story is like watching waves break upon the shore— interesting but that is it— waves are not a novel.