Brackish Winter — Michael Hervey

Tragedy has struck Federal Wildlife Officer Hall McCormick. So maybe it's a good distraction that in addition to his usual station at Pinckney Island, South Carolina, Hall has also been temporarily assigned to cover the enormous Savannah Coastal Refuges Complex. Hall has finally been feeling like he's getting a handle on his new job, and thinks his first winter on the refuges will be a quiet one, mostly consisting of policing duck hunters while healing from his loss. But when a state trooper is shot and killed nearby, Hall joins the hunt for the cop killer. Meanwhile Detective Pritchard Varnum's investigation into the shootings on Hall's island earlier in the year, has soured their friendship, leaving Hall feeling more alone than ever. When Hall stumbles onto clandestine meth labs and clues that they may be tied to the dead cop's killer, he will need to rely on his instincts, training, and his friends to get to the bottom of it. As the icy winter takes over the normally verdant wildlife refuge. Hall comes face to face with the truth of what's important in life. Written with a naturalists feel for the wilderness and a keen understanding of the education of a young law enforcement officer, Brackish Winter is a distinctive and atmospheric page turner.