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“A good story that’s intertwined like leaves afloat in a river with the current of Heller’s descriptive powers… Filled with Heller’s lush writing… Powerful.” –Denver Post
Officer Ren Hopper is an enforcement ranger with the National Park Service, tasked with duties both mundane and thrilling: Breaking up fights at campgrounds, saving clueless tourists from moose attacks, and attempting to broker an uneasy peace between the wealthy vacationers who tromp through the park with cameras, and the residents of hardscrabble Cooke City who want to carve out a meaningful living.
When Ren, hiking through the backcountry on his day off, encounters a tall man with a dog and a gun chasing a small black bear up a hill, his hackles are raised. But what begins as an investigation into the background of a local poacher soon opens into something far murkier: A shattered windshield, a series of red ribbons tied to traps, the discovery of a frightening conspiracy, and a story of heroism gone awry.
Populated by a cast of extraordinary characters—famous scientists, tattooed bartenders, wildlife guides in slick Airstreams—and bursting with unexpected humor and grace, Peter Heller masterfully unveils a portrait of the American west where our very human impulses—for greed, love, family, and community—play out amidst the stunning beauty of the natural world.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
July 25, 2023 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9780593744086
- File size: 231460 KB
- Duration: 08:02:12
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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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. -
The highly accomplished Mark Deakins delivers this novel about the life of a park ranger in Yellowstone National Park. In a voice that is natural and easygoing, Deakins narrates Captain Ren Hopper's encounters with idiotic tourists, endangered wildlife, poachers, and the few scientists and park officials who interact with him. While much of the audiobook is a lyrical celebration of the natural world, there is also violence--both human and nonhuman. The lawman Deakins portrays is courageous, conscientious, and compassionate. He controls his emotions, although he has personal demons. The characters who interact with Ren are distinctive and wholly believable. Part mystery, part meditation, this audiobook will appeal to many. D.L.G. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine -
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
Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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