Night is the Hunter: A Harlan Donnally Novel by Stephen Gore

Release Date - February 2015

Stephen Gore
William Morrow

Book Review by Bob Walch

It has been 20 years since Judge Ray McMullin sentenced Israel Dominguez to the death penalty. The San Francisco judge wanted to prove he could be tough on gang bangers who commit murder but now he’s not so sure he handed down the right decision.

As the execution date nears, the judge shares his doubts with former homicide detective Harlan Donnally and asks him to do a little informal digging into the case.

Immersing himself into the gang culture of California isn’t a task Donnally really wants to engage in, but he accepts the challenge. What he comes up with casts doubt not only on the judge’s decision but also on the nature of true justice.

Not your typical thriller or crime novel, this is a story that asks some difficult questions about the legal system and the how justice is sometimes served in a manner that raises serious moral and legal questions.