June 19, 2023
Heller (The Guide) offers an immersive story of a dedicated Yellowstone park ranger and the threats he faces down. Ren Hopper spends his days policing poachers and saving families from animal attacks. In his spare time, he likes to read Russian fiction and hang out with Hilly, a biologist who is studying the wolf packs that inhabit the park. One day, he finds Hilly caught in a leg trap and rescues her. Suspicion for setting the trap falls on alleged poacher Les Ingraham. Ren investigates Les’s background and finds he is peripherally connected to the Pathfinders, a militia of wealthy ranchers whose ultimate goal is to take over government land for their own financial gain, but local police refuse to follow up on his discoveries. As Ren and Hilly become romantically entwined, he finds more traps, which he takes to be veiled threats from Les. Though the plot is fairly thin, Heller compensates with strong characterizations, a vivid sense of place, enough wolf lore to fill several NatGeo specials, and a Boy Scout Handbook’s worth of wood-crafting tips. Fans of fiction about the outdoors are well served.
November 1, 2023
Heller's (The Guide) latest follows Ren Hopper, an enforcement officer in Yellowstone National Park, who maintains order under often perilous circumstances. Although his traumatic past plagues him, he vigilantly watches over the park's animals and the visitors and residents who sometimes need protection from nature or from themselves. When he discovers his closest friend, Hilly, a wolf biologist, caught in a deadly steel trap, signs indicate that it wasn't an accident. Poacher Les Ingraham is implicated, but Ren also suspects the local militia may be involved. Heller lyrically describes the landscape and the wildlife populating this untamed and ferociously beautiful place; his writing is so vivid that listeners may even smell the pines. Mark Deakins narrates this complex wilderness noir, capturing the rich interactions between humans and nature, alongside captivating details about wolves, wolf behavior, and their effects on the ecosystem. Deakins employs a conversational style, which balances the gently humorous parts of the novel with scenes that are gracefully poetic. VERDICT Listeners will be drawn to Ren, whose integrity and diligence bring to mind C.J. Box's Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett and Lee Child's unstoppable Jack Reacher. Recommended for anyone seeking fine writing, tense action, and a strong sense of place.--Scott DiMarco
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