Former minister turned professor of sociology and overt sceptic Matt Hunter was introduced in Peter Laws’ debut novel, Purged, in which Hunter became involved in a series of disappearances in the decidedly odd village of Hobbs Hill. Although Hunter was used to being called upon by the Metropolitan Police to assist in solving crimes with an overtly religious bent, the events at Hobbs Hill struck a bit too close to home and led him to confront the terrible incident from his past that had caused him to lose his faith. Nevertheless, he proved that he had the right mix of religious understanding and personal doubt to unmask the killer, which was just as well really, since he was rapidly becoming the prime suspect in the case. Purged is a solid thriller that pulls no punches in terms of both surprising and scaring readers. It’s a tense yet exciting read, and the decidedly uncanny things that Matt Hunter encounters are likely to prey on readers’ minds for a long while after they’ve closed the book. In Unleashed, the second outing for Matt Hunter, the possibility of a brutal crime potentially having a supernatural or otherworldly aspect once again rears its head. It all starts off well, probably too well in fact, for Hunter, since his long-awaited book (those who have read Purged will understand the angst that he experienced with regards to actually having to write it) has been published to some acclaim and he only encounters one troublesome questioner during a publicity event at his university. However, he doesn’t get to enjoy basking in the warm glow of success for long though, as his old friend Detective Sergeant Larry Forbes requests his help with the horrific and undoubtedly strange killing of teacher Steph Ellis, who has been found mauled to death in the supply cupboard of the music room at the school where she taught. Hunter’s expertise is needed as, although the death has all the hallmarks of an animal attack, there’s no clear explanation for the peculiar occult-like symbols that Steph drew on sheets of paper taped to the wall inside the cupboard before she died. It turns out that Forbes had encountered Steph Ellis early on in his career, some fifteen years previously, when he had been called out to the death of a young girl named Holly Wasson. In the weeks leading up to her death, Holly’s home at 29 Barley Street in Menham, South London, had allegedly been the scene of poltergeist activity, with furniture being moved around, strange sounds being heard and otherworldly creatures being glimpsed. Holly had seemed to be the locus of the paranormal activity, although her older sister Rachel and Rachel’s friends Kassy West, Jo Finch and Steph Ellis had also reported seeing and experiencing strange things. Holly’s death had had a profound effect on Forbes and, as he tells Hunter, he’s worried that the strange circumstances of Steph’s death might indicate that the peculiar events of the past are resurfacing in Menham. Hunter has to agree that there is something unnatural afoot in the town, particularly after he learns more about the circumstances of both deaths and encounters the various family members, friends, Evangelical churchgoers and paranormal investigators who all seem to have an interest in the case. Unleashed is another cracking, scary and intriguing thriller from Peter Laws. Not only does Matt Hunter have to contend with alleged supernatural activity during the course of his investigation into the deaths of Steph Ellis and Holly Wasson, he also has to deal with his daughter’s complaints about a ghostly presence in her bedroom at their new family home. Having lost his faith some years ago, and despite his experiences at the start of Purged, Hunter is reluctant to believe in the possibility of supernatural forces having an impact on regular life, but he’s having to face an increasing number of signs that there is something more to what is going on than mundane logic can explain. Yet, the behaviour of the prayer group from the Menham Evangelical Church, which is solely comprised of ex-cons, and the shenanigans engaged in by paranormal investigators Bob and Joyce Hodges, who happen to be former teachers at the school once attended by Holly Wasson, do nothing to assuage his belief that those who claim expert knowledge of otherworldly, spiritual matters are in fact charlatans who are out for all they can get. Whatever Hunter may or may not believe about the existence of the supernatural, there’s no getting away from the fact that something decidedly nasty is happening in Menham and that it is most likely related to the events of fifteen years ago. There are plenty of suspicious characters sniffing around the case, and it seems like all the main players have something to hide. The twists and turns that characterise Hunter’s investigation during Unleashed mean that it is an exciting and suspenseful novel that grips from the outset. Due to the paranormal aspects, it’s rather spooky and frightening in places too, which renders it a bit different from other thrillers. Unleashed represents another thrilling case for Matt Hunter; it’ll be interesting to see where the next book in the series (since hopefully there’ll be one) will take him.