Description
2024-10-17This 10th installment of Doerr’s thriller series follows a retired United States Air Force investigator hunting an evasive killer in Texas.Jim West, living a quiet life with his mutt in New Mexico, gets word that his former colleague Pat MacCumber has been murdered. The two had worked together at the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, though they’ve had no contact for years. When Pat’s wife asks for help with the process of identifying the body, Jim heads over to Alpine, Texas. A handful of agencies have eyes on this homicide since it took place in a national park. On site are local authorities, a Texas Ranger, and representatives from the FBI, including Special Agent Rose Luna, with whom Jim has a long-distance relationship. Evidence is sparse, despite one of Pat’s friends subsequently turning up dead, trailed by a third, even more shocking murder. Jim, working with Rose, a deputy sheriff, and several others, finally gets a break in the case when he unearths a potential motive that may link all three homicides. Doerr delivers a fast-paced whodunit. Concise prose moves readers through Jim’s brief interactions with a huge cast; quite a few characters make an impression. Most notably, there’s whip-smart Konnie, a waitress at a bar Jim frequents, along with Rhett Stahl, the hotheaded but determined son of the second victim. The narrative focuses more on these individuals than the investigation—Jim, the cops, and the feds are mostly “grasping at straws.” The vividly described Texas setting generates a memorable atmosphere, from its unrelenting heat to its picturesque, often rocky and unpredictable terrain. The latter half of the story gets a healthy boost when Jim lands in peril, igniting a prolonged, suspenseful final act. Readers just joining this series will have no trouble following the story, and this entertaining installment may have them checking out the preceding nine.An appealingly nimble murder mystery.
Amazon UK