The Hunter: A Nightingale Novel, by T.M. Dawson, is the first and currently only book in the Nightingale series. Our main characters are a woman named Nessa McRae, a tattoo artist, a demon named Mike, and a Half-breed named Ailes MacGillvary, a paranormal protector in Nightingale.  

Nessa’s father owns a tattoo parlor named Hellish (awesome name) and finds herself the center of attention to a guy named Mike. When Mike comes in for a tattoo, he gets very inappropriate with Nessa. Nessa, a woman who knows how to take care of herself, grabs her tattoo gun and uses it as a weapon to defend herself. What is left standing in front of her, is a man who should be dead, and no longer looks human. Here comes Ailes to the rescue. Once he realizes what and who Mike is, he feels the need to step in and protect Nessa. Of course, she does not make that easy. She doesn’t need a man to protect her. Little does she know, that what goes bump in the night is all real. Can Ailes protect Nessa from not only demons but also himself? As the truths start to unravel, it comes out that nothing is as it appears, for anyone. Did I mention there is a kitten?   

My favorite character is Nessa. She doesn’t need anyone to take care of her. She is a very independent woman. She doesn’t handle being told what to do too well but has no problems accepting that demons are real. She is very loyal to those she loves and cares about. She adapts well to situations, especially when they happen suddenly. She also knows how to dress to hide knives.   

I am awarding this book 5 stars. It is well-written and well-edited. It contains profanity, graphic fight scenes, and adult situations, which is not recommended for young readers. I do recommend it for mature readers who love paranormal stories. I can’t wait to see how the author continues the series.