Romantic suspense is a weird categorization for any novel. Is being in a suspenseful situation romantic in any way? Let’s say you’ve been the only person to survive the attack of a serial killer and twelve years later you’re still driven to find him. Also on the hunt is an attractive FBI agent who you used to be involved with. Romantic yet? Sarcasm aside, I do truly like suspense novels with romantic elements. Mixing suspense and romance certainly leaves room for dramatic tension. But sometimes even I (with a very forgiving plausible meter) can’t reconcile the elements enough to believe that a romance could happen, much less prosper under these circumstances. And if I sound like I didn’t like Ms. Brennan’s The Hunt, I don’t mean to. Instead I want to make you stop and think about this weird combination of genres that has become the go-to subgenre for authors and publishers. What makes it work? Perhaps that’s an ATBF kind of question.

The Hunt is in the middle book of Brennan’s three-book publishing blitz. The heroine is a woman on the edge. Twelve years ago Miranda Moore was the only young woman to survive the attack of a serial killer who was never caught. Miranda and her friend were kidnapped by the man but only Miranda made it home. Since then she has dedicated her life to helping survivors. After an aborted attempt to join the FBI, she is now a member of the search-and-rescue team in her home town in Montana. When another young woman is found, killed by the man who once attacked her, Miranda is determined to be part of the hunt. Equally determined to keep Miranda out of the investigation is FBI agent Quinn Peterson.

Twelve years ago Quinn Peterson was there when Miranda escaped The Butcher. He fell in love with her indomitable spirit. Miranda returned his feelings and pursued a relationship with him as fiercely as she did a career in the FBI. Though he initially supported her goals, Quinn realized that Miranda wasn’t just driven; she was obsessed. Her reasons for joining the FBI had nothing to do with the day-to-day job, and everything to do with hunting the Butcher. When Miranda was passed over by the FBI, she blamed Quinn and broke off all contact. Ten years later he’s come to Montana after another wave of attacks. Seeing Miranda again is a blessing and a curse.

Romantic suspense is a tough genre to attempt. Regular romance readers want romance while non-romance reading readers will tolerate it, but don’t want it to overpower the action and suspense. So authors have to strike a balance – something Ms. Brennan does well. Because Miranda and Quinn had a previous relationship, their interactions can strike an immediate intimate tone without coming across as forced. That they love each other isn’t a question. The tension arises out of Miranda’s need to pursue the killer at all costs. Catching the man who victimized her and countless other women is paramount. That makes all the sense in the world, but whether she’ll ever be able to get past what was done to her and move on is a question.

Miranda is a driven woman and comes across a little harshly, but she’s easily understood. Her experiences have made her a fighter. She and Quinn work well together because they respect each other even when they’re feeling frustrated and angry, and they make a believable investigative team. And that brings me back to the romance. Obviously Miranda and Quinn love each other; there’s no question of that. But because the entire book is taken up with the hunt for the serial killer, I struggled with the HEA. This is where suspense/romance mix weakens itself. Series like the J.D. Robb books work well because they give the author room to explore the relationship between her protagonists, and everyone else for that matter. In a stand-alone suspense novel I sometimes long for the quieter moments. Even if the author revisits the couple in a happier time in a succeeding novel, I wish for more, as I did here. How will Miranda and Quinn negotiate their lives post-trauma? I’d like to know, and there just isn’t space to show me.

Larger questions aside, Ms. Brennan is an author to watch. Her books have gotten a nice push from the publisher and she’s definitely someone I’ll be reading again. In fact, I think The Kill is in my tbr pile. Guess I’ll have to get digging.