Spirit Ridge — James Powell

A successful middle-aged businessman, Mark Landry has not fared so well in his interpersonal relationships. The angry scars of his childhood keep tripping him up. The mountains of New Mexico seem like a great place to escape his past and those aspects of life that have not gone well for him.  

His big yellow dog, Gus, and his Appaloosa gelding, Sinjun, go along for the ride and ultimately play major roles in the story that unfolds. The spectacular mountain wilderness, with its abundant wildlife, suits Mark well, but his efforts to lose himself in it doesn't quite work out. Much to his surprise and dismay, he finds himself caught in the middle of a situation involving the FBI and a group of militant radicals. 

The quagmire he falls into culminates in a desperate race and a fight for his life. Most importantly, it serves as a vehicle to carry him to a place where the scars of his youth can begin to heal. This personal journey is aided by a big, gruff, Jewish cop, a wise Native American woman, her deceased husband, and a Mountain Lion...an unlikely cast of characters, indeed. A cruel brute of a man helps clear things up for Mark as well. Look for the words: "Everyone has a story, Mark, even guys like me."