Night Is the Hunter: A Harlan Donnally Novel    by Steven Gore Order:  USA  Can William Morrow, 2015 (2015) Softcover, e-Book      Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth Twenty years ago, Judge Ray McMullin sentenced Israel Dominguez to death for a gangland murder. Now, as the date for the execution nears, the Judge questions whether he did the right thing or not. He divulges his quandary and asks for former homicide detective Harlan Donnally's help. Was the right sentence passed or did his desire to prove he could be hard-nosed and 'pull the trigger' as a judge on the bench overly influence him? As Donnally investigates, he becomes unconvinced that the right sentence was handed down. The Judge is suffering from confusion and a lapse in memory which does not make Donnally's job any easier. And the date for the execution is approaching fast. Night of the Hunter is a well-written novel that begs the reader to stop every so often and truly digest what the writer has to say. Steven Gore wanted it to 'both reflect the actual world of crime and to contribute to the public debates that will determine what kind of people we'll be, what kind of society we'll have.' He admits that Night Is the Hunter isn't for every reader, not even every crime fiction reader, for it is 'a challenging book'. Gore injects realism into a very plausible plot that could easily give pause to many in the justice system. Former private investigator Steven Gore applies his insider knowledge skillfully. Don't miss this one. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews