Lesa's Book Critiques: Kevin’s Corner Annex – River Deep by Bryan Gruley
Showing posts with label Bryan Gruley. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bryan Gruley. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 29, 2026
Tuesday, July 07, 2026
Publication Day Review: River Deep: A Bitterfrost Thriller by Bryan Gruley
River Deep: A Bitterfrost
Thriller
by Bryan Gruley takes readers back to the town of Bitterfrost on the shore of
Lake Michigan. Like the first book of the series, Bitterfrost,
this new book is also marketed as a “thriller.” This reader would label it a “mystery.”
Regardless of label, this second book in the series lives up to the very good
first read in every aspect.
Before going further, I am being very careful
not to reveal background details here that tie into that first book. Like in his
other series, this second book should be read after reading the first book. Some
storylines continue, characters develop,
things have happened because of the first book, etc. Read in order.
There are repercussions and unfinished business
from the first book as River Deep begins. The glory of hockey is
back in this read as is another major trial. Devyn Payne has returned full
time, at least for now, to her roots. A former criminal defense lawyer, she has
her reasons for coming home, and going to work as a prosecutor. It was supposed
to make her life easier.
So much for that idea. Tragedy has again
struck. She is standing on a dark and cold riverbank watching late one night as
a crane pulls a SUV from the frigid river waters. The river, the Jako, leads
into Lake Michigan. It has taken two lives this night—twin boys that will not
see their first birthday.
That cold river water barely released
the parents back to dry ground. Catriona Delaney is on a medical helicopter
headed to Grand Rapids. The father, Sammy Hardt, fared better in the crash into
the river, and is in decent shape, all things considered. He apparently got
Catriona out. Unfortunately, he was unable to save the kids.
As the police begin the crash investigation,
the case is led by Detective Garth Klimmeck. A year older and that much closer
to retirement, he is eyeballing the increasing need for a hip replacement, and other
things. Local politics played a major role in the case last year. He is fully
aware that with the people involved, local
politics will definitely play a role in this situation, no matter what he
uncovers.
It certainly does, but politics and familial
history is not even half of it. Much is going on here. Before long, there is a full-scale
murder trial with twist after twist. Much like real life, this fictional world
is full of chaos, grief, and unpredictability.
As previously noted, the events of the
first book, Bitterfrost, play a significant role in this read. I
strongly recommend reading this very good series in order. The author continues
to develop a complicated world which gives this reader hope that the series
will continue. A mighty good read and very much well worth your time, as are
his other books.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4dRFnCw
My digital ARC reading copy came from
the publisher, Severn House, through NetGalley, with no expectation of a
positive review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2026
Saturday, January 03, 2026
Friday, May 02, 2025
FFB Review: Purgatory Bay by Bryan Gruley
Having
reminded you last Friday of the very good book, Bleak
Harbor, it seemed to be a good idea to remind you of this one. From the
archive…
Purgatory Bay by Bryan Gruley continues what began in Bleak Harbor. While not a
straight sequel to the prior book, it features the local area and some of the same
characters. There are also numerous references, some far more detailed than
others, to the prior book and those events. For that reason, those who have
read the prior book will get far more out of this read than those who have not.
Jubilee Rathman lives a life of wealth
and splendid isolation in her home on Purgatory Bay near Black Harbor. It has
been twelve years since the night her family was wiped out by murders. She knew
who was responsible as did law enforcement, but when the wealthy and connected
are involved, the fight to hold those accountable is often impossible. Long ago
she gave up on the legal system and those within it that had so utterly failed
her. Those that believe she moved on and managed to put the past behind her would
be sadly mistaken.
Instead, she is financing her own very
personal quest for justice. She sees it as holding those involved, no matter
how far removed, as accountable for their roles in her personal tragedy. Others
would see her plan, if they knew of it before things commenced, as nothing more
than a revenge list and that many of her targets would be misplaced targets of
her rage.
One of the not so obvious targets is a
local resident, Ophelia. A renowned artist and a contributor by way of various sculptures
around the area, she lost her sight during her teen years. Removing her from
the home and making her vanish is a key part of Jubilee Rathman’s plan. She
must vanish so that former reporter Michaela “Mikey” Deming can experience just
a small beginning taste of what Jubilee Rathman has in store for her and many
other folks.
Purgatory Bay by Bryan Gruley is very much like the preceding book, Bleak
Harbor, in that it is another very complicated read filled with
multiple storylines, family tragedies, and acts of violence, betrayal, and
vengeance. All of the characters involved in the read are flawed and very
realistic. While the overall tone is dark for much of the book, there are the occasional
flashes of subtle humor which tend to lighten the mood at various times
throughout the book. Several of the characters in the read, evolve, and work
out their own ways to redemption by way of the violence that is unleashed
across the area.
An intense and powerful read, Purgatory
Bay by Bryan Gruley is one of those book that most likely will be
nominated for a slew of awards and collect at least a couple. Simply put, it is
very much worth your time.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/42QfZGk
My reading copy came by way of the
author with no expectation of a review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2019, 2025
Friday, April 25, 2025
FFB Review: Bleak Harbor: A Novel by Bryan Gruley
After telling you how good Bitterfrost
was earlier this month, it seemed a good time to remind you of the first book of
another great series, Bleak Harbor. From the archive…
It has been several years since his
excellent series billed as The Starvation Lake Trilogy, but
finally author Bryan Gruley is back with a new book. Bleak Harbor more than
lives up to the hype surrounding it.
Daniel
Peters, who only goes by Danny, is about to be sixteen. Son of Carey and
Andrew, he isn’t that fond of Bleak Harbor. It is a Thursday as the book
opens and Danny is spending his time, as he often does, out on the dock
watching the dragonflies.
Dragonflies
are a major part of his life as an autistic young teen. They are also the
reason for the upcoming annual “Southwestern Michigan Dragonfly Festival” that starts
tomorrow which also happens to be his birthday. This will be 28th such festival
in a city known more for the legacy of the Bleak family. Daniel Peters is a part
of the Bleak family and that legacy even if his incredibly wealthy grandmother,
Serenity, refuses to acknowledge his presence or existence. She has the town
and her family firmly under her control and their failure to cooperate has
economic consequences for anyone and everyone.
That
includes Danny’s parents as his mother is Carey Bleak Peters, daughter of
Serenity. She has many regrets and they include moving to Bleak Harbor. She did
it to help her husband start his already failing medical marijuana business as
well as get help for Danny from her family. As that has all failed, she has
made a last ditch gamble. Now that she has proof of several different things, she
can take down her boss and his company. She has told him she won’t pull that
trigger---if her wealthy and powerful boss pays her ten million dollars for her
silence. Not only can he afford it, she really wants to take Danny away with
her so that they can start a new life. Daddy, who is working his own agenda,
won’t be part of that new life.
Before
she can make good on their escape, Danny goes missing and has obviously been
kidnapped.
As the hours pass, things escalate out of control in this thriller. Author Bryan Gruley follows the standard thriller formula these days of keeping the chapters short and the point of view constantly changing as he ratchets up the tension. He also does a superb job of misdirection that surprised this reader. Bleak Harbor is engrossing and intense read from start to finish and very much worth your time. Sadly, the second book in the series, Purgatory Bay, is not currently scheduled to come out until January 2020.)
Amazon
Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4jv3KGk
ARC
supplied by Sarah Burningham of Little Bird Publicity with no expectation of a
review.
Kevin
R. Tipple ©2018, 2025
Sunday, April 13, 2025
Tuesday, April 01, 2025
Publication Day Review: Bitterfrost by Bryan Gruley
Have you ever woken
up and not had a clue what happened? I don’t mean a few minutes of disassociation,
but full on many minutes of having no clue what in the heck happened or why you
are in the shape you are in? I’ve done it several times thanks to concussions.
The first, and
probably the most traumatic and the probable source of some of my health and cognitive
issues these days, was back in elementary school many years ago. My parents had
always said that I should not play in the pickup football games before school.
That I would get hurt. I did not listen. One morning, the last memory I have is
running to intercept a bigger kid and make the tackle. I’m told that I got him
and his buddy, in anger, drop kicked my head afterwards as I laid on the
ground.
I lost over an
hour and a half where I have no memory of what went on. It is incredibly scary
to have no idea what in the heck happened.
Former hockey
player Jimmy Baker finds himself in that situation as Bitterfrost
by Bryan Gruley begins. He awakens to a pinging noise in his head and the smell
of blood. He is on his kitchen floor just before four in the morning, missing a
shoe, with torn up knuckles, and a host of other issues. He is still wearing
his IceKings jacket, now with a very bloody sleeve. He knows he wore that
jacket the night before, had it on when he left the arena, and while he had his
one drink at the Lost Loon Tavern. He knows he spent some time there as it is
his nightly ritual, after he puts the Zamboni away, to lock up the place and
hang out at the Lost Loon Tavern. He has one drink and goes home after a while.
But, something
clearly happened. Not only is he wearing evidence that something happened,
there is even more evidence outside his home, and in his truck. Something
really bad happened. He has no clue at all what. With his record, that makes
everything so much worse.
Meanwhile, the
state police get a call that there is an abandoned pickup truck nearby. Upon
arrival, they find that somebody failed at trying to burn the truck. The same
truck that has a lot of blood in it. The same truck that is dumped in close
range of Jimmy Baker’s house.
The truck is
just inside the jurisdictional boundary of city of Bitterfrost, Michigan, and
that means Detective Garth Klimmek is on the case. A case that gains urgency as
the son of a wealthy man has gone missing. Politics, media attention, and the
finding of a body means the pressure is on to solve the case fast.
What follows is
a highly entertaining read that this review only scratches the surface.
Multiple storylines, personal agendas, family secrets going back decades, and more
is at work in this read that one hopes is the start of a new series from this
very talented author. If you have read Bryan Gruley before (Starvation
Lake, Bleak
Harbor, and others), you know that the complicated mystery will
include a lot of references to hockey, wealthy families and their power, and
old murder cases, are always the backbone of his books. Such is the case here as
is a lot more besides. Much of which should not be discussed so as to not ruin
the read.
In short, make
sure you read Bitterfrost by Bryan Gruley. The read is very much
worth your time and is strongly recommended.
Amazon Associates
Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3RsDU9s
My reading copy came through NetGalley from the publisher, Severn House, with no expectation of a review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2025
Monday, December 11, 2023
Friday, November 17, 2023
FFB Review: Starvation Lake: A Mystery by Bryan Gruley
This is my 2009 review of the first book in a great three book series. From the massive archive here at Casa Tipple and Home Eatery Library….
The plan was to leave Starvation Lake,
Michigan and never come back. But 1998 finds Augustus Carpenter, known to all
as “Gus” back home after his successful newspaper career exploded on him in
Detroit. Both he and the town are still haunted by the goal he let in close to
the end of the state championship game and both have never been the same.
Now at thirty-four, Gus is backing home,
once again working for the local paper, Pilot. He lives in a small apartment
above the storefront news room and across the street from the local bar where
his teammates frequently congregate. The same issues that faced them as boys
are now part of the power struggles and conflict they have as men.
Simmering disagreements are fueled by
the fire of the past when parts of a damaged snowmobile wash up on the shore at
the lake. While the snowmobile seems to be the same one Coach Blackburn was
driving years ago before both disappeared through a hole in the ice, it can’t
possibly have made it here since that accident happened miles away. No body was
ever recovered, but the assumption was that Blackburn was dead. While he
probably is dead, the fact that the recovered snowmobile shows evidence of foul
play ignites a local firestorm that finally explodes in a tale of deceit, treachery,
and unspeakable pain.
A debut novel that packs a punch, Starvation
Lake, by Bryan Gruley develops slowly through a variety of emotionally
scarred and complex characters. Billed with the totally unnecessary subtitle, A
Mystery, the book operates on several levels with multiple mysteries
and complex multiple storylines featuring heavily flawed characters. To delve
into any of this at any level would seriously impact reader enjoyment by giving
away far too much information.
Suffice it to say, if you are looking
for a thriller or a simplistic mystery full of lightweight characters and
violent action, this is not the novel for you. However, if you are looking for
a meaty novel where the characters are very human and occasionally vile, where
there is plenty of back story and long descriptive scenes leading to powerful
dialogue and emotional impact for the characters and readers, along with multiple
mysteries, this is the book for you.
Material provided by the good folks of
the Plano, Texas Public Library System.
Kevin R. Tipple © 2009, 2023
Monday, January 20, 2020
Friday, January 03, 2020
FFB Review: Bleak Harbor: A Novel by Bryan Gruley
My final review of 2019 was on the
soon to be released book, Purgatory
Bay. While it is not really an FFB review worthy title because of the
recent publication date, I thought I would remind you today of my review from a
little bit over a year ago of the first book in the series, Bleak
Harbor. You should also read his Starvation
Lake Series. For more reading suggestions, make sure you check out the full
list over at Todd Mason’s Sweet
Freedom Blog.
It
has been several years since his excellent series billed as The
Starvation Lake Trilogy, but finally author Bryan Gruley is back with a
new book. Bleak Harbor more than lives up to the hype surrounding it.
Daniel
Peters, who only goes by Danny, is about to be sixteen. Son of Carey and
Andrew, he isn’t that fond of Bleak Harbor. It is a Thursday as the book
opens and Danny is spending his time, as he often does, out on the dock
watching the dragonflies.
Dragonflies
are a major part of his life as an autistic young teen. They are also the
reason for the upcoming annual “Southwestern Michigan Dragonfly Festival” that starts
tomorrow which also happens to be his birthday. This will be 28th such festival
in a city known more for the legacy of the Bleak family. Daniel Peters is a part
of the Bleak family and that legacy even if his incredibly wealthy grandmother,
Serenity, refuses to acknowledge his presence or existence. She has the town
and her family firmly under her control and their failure to cooperate has
economic consequences for anyone and everyone.
That
includes Danny’s parents as his mother is Carey Bleak Peters, daughter of
Serenity. She has many regrets and they include moving to Bleak Harbor. She did
it to help her husband start his already failing medical marijuana business as
well as get help for Danny from her family. As that has all failed, she has
made a last ditch gamble. Now that she has proof of several different things, she
can take down her boss and his company. She has told him she won’t pull that
trigger---if her wealthy and powerful boss pays her ten million dollars for her
silence. Not only can he afford it, she really wants to take Danny away with
her so that they can start a new life. Daddy, who is working his own agenda,
won’t be part of that new life.
Before
she can make good on their escape, Danny goes missing and has obviously been
kidnapped.
As
the hours pass, things escalate out of control in this thriller. Author Bryan Gruley follows the standard
thriller formula these days of keeping the chapters short and the point of view
constantly changing as he ratchets up the tension. He also does a superb job of
misdirection that surprised this reader. Bleak Harbor is engrossing and
intense read from start to finish and very much worth your time. Sadly,
the second book in the series, Purgatory Bay, is not currently scheduled to come out until January 2020.)
Bleak Harbor: A Novel
Bryan Gruley
Thomas & Mercer (Amazon Publishing)
December 1, 2018
ISBN#: 978-1503904682
Hardback (also available in digital and audio book formats)
$24.95
378 Pages
ARC
supplied by Sarah Burningham of Little Bird Publicity.
Kevin
R. Tipple ©2018, 2020
Wednesday, January 01, 2020
The Big Thrill: Purgatory Bay by Bryan Gruley (Possible Spoilers)
If you read this blog, you already know what a fan of this author I am and how much I enjoyed this read. This interview with the author contains some information that, in my humble opinion, is borderline spoiler. Also made me rethink how I read the primary character as my take was a bit different. the review is interesting for that and some other stuff in it. Just trying to give ytou a heads up before you read this.
The Big Thrill: Purgatory Bay by Bryan Gruley (Possible Spoilers)
The Big Thrill: Purgatory Bay by Bryan Gruley (Possible Spoilers)
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Review: Purgatory Bay by Bryan Gruley
Purgatory Bay: A Novel by Bryan Gruley continues what began in Bleak Harbor. While not a
straight sequel to the prior book, it features the local area and some of the same
characters. There are also numerous references, some far more detailed than
others, to the prior book and those events. For that reason, those who have
read the prior book will get far more out of this read than those who have not.
Jubilee
Rathman lives a life of wealth and splendid isolation in her home on Purgatory
Bay near Black Harbor. It has been twelve years since the night her family was
wiped out by murders. She knew who was responsible as did law enforcement, but
when the wealthy and connected are involved, the fight to hold those accountable
is often impossible. Long ago she gave up on the legal system and those within
it that had so utterly failed her. Those that believe she moved on and managed
to put the past behind her would be sadly mistaken.
Instead,
she is financing her own very personal quest for justice. She sees it as
holding those involved, no matter how far removed, as accountable for their
roles in her personal tragedy. Others would see her plan, if they knew of it
before things commenced, as nothing more than a revenge list and that many of
her targets would be misplaced targets of her rage.
One of
the not so obvious targets is a local resident, Ophelia. A renowned artist and
a contributor by way of various sculptures around the area, she lost her sight
during her teen years. Removing her from the home and making her vanish is a
key part of Jubilee Rathman’s plan. She must vanish so that former reporter
Michaela “Mikey” Deming can experience just a small beginning taste of what Jubilee
Rathman has in store for her and many other folks.
Purgatory Bay: A Novel by Bryan Gruley is very much like the preceding book, Bleak
Harbor: A Novel, in that it is another very complicated read filled with
multiple storylines, family tragedies, and acts of violence, betrayal, and
vengeance. All of the characters involved in the read are flawed and very realistic.
While the overall tone is dark for much of the book, there are the occasional flashes
of subtle humor which tend to lighten the mood at various times throughout the
book. Several of the characters in the read, evolve, and work out their own ways
to redemption by way of the violence that is unleashed across the area.
An
intense and powerful read, Purgatory Bay: A Novel by Bryan Gruley is one
of those book that most likely will be nominated for a slew of awards and
collect at least a couple. Simply put, it is very much worth your time.
The read is currently scheduled to be released
by Thomas & Mercer in eBook, audio, and print formats on January 14, 2020.
You can read my review of the first book, Bleak
Harbor, here.
My reading copy came by way of the
author with no expectation of a review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2019
Thursday, January 17, 2019
Tips for Writing About Controversial Topics in Fiction | WritersDigest.com
Tips for Writing About Controversial Topics in Fiction | WritersDigest.com: Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and bestselling novelist Bryan Gruley offers his best tips for writing about controversial topics—social, political and otherwise—in your fiction.
Sunday, December 16, 2018
Tuesday, December 04, 2018
Review: Bleak Harbor: A Novel by Bryan Gruley
It
has been several years since his excellent series billed as The
Starvation Lake Trilogy, but finally author Bryan Gruley is back with a
new book. Bleak Harbor more than lives up to the hype surrounding it.
Daniel
Peters, who only goes by Danny, is about to be sixteen. Son of Carey and
Andrew, he isn’t that fond of Bleak Harbor. It is a Thursday as the book
opens and Danny is spending his time, as he often does, out on the dock
watching the dragonflies.
Dragonflies
are a major part of his life as an autistic young teen. They are also the
reason for the upcoming annual “Southwestern Michigan Dragonfly Festival” that starts
tomorrow which also happens to be his birthday. This will be 28th such festival
in a city known more for the legacy of the Bleak family. Daniel Peters is a part
of the Bleak family and that legacy even if his incredibly wealthy grandmother,
Serenity, refuses to acknowledge his presence or existence. She has the town
and her family firmly under her control and their failure to cooperate has
economic consequences for anyone and everyone.
That
includes Danny’s parents as his mother is Carey Bleak Peters, daughter of
Serenity. She has many regrets and they include moving to Bleak Harbor. She did
it to help her husband start his already failing medical marijuana business as
well as get help for Danny from her family. As that has all failed, she has
made a last ditch gamble. Now that she has proof of several different things, she
can take down her boss and his company. She has told him she won’t pull that
trigger---if her wealthy and powerful boss pays her ten million dollars for her
silence. Not only can he afford it, she really wants to take Danny away with
her so that they can start a new life. Daddy, who is working his own agenda,
won’t be part of that new life.
Before
she can make good on their escape, Danny goes missing and has obviously been
kidnapped.
As
the hours pass, things escalate out of control in this thriller. Author Bryan Gruley follows the standard
thriller formula these days of keeping the chapters short and the point of view
constantly changing as he ratchets up the tension. He also does a superb job of
misdirection that surprised this reader. Bleak Harbor is engrossing and
intense read from start to finish and very much worth your time. Sadly,
the second book in the series, Purgatory Bay, is not currently scheduled to come out until January 2020.)
Bleak Harbor: A Novel
Bryan Gruley
Thomas & Mercer (Amazon Publishing)
December 1, 2018
ISBN#: 978-1503904682
Hardback (also available in digital and audio book formats)
$24.95
378 Pages
ARC
supplied by Sarah Burningham of Little Bird Publicity.
Kevin
R. Tipple ©2018
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
Tuesday, November 20, 2018
Monday, May 07, 2012
Review: "The Skeleton Box: A Starvation Lake Mystery" by Bryan Gruley
The Skeleton Box: A Starvation Lake Mystery is the third book in the series and opens in March 2000 with somebody breaking into houses in Starvation Lake on bingo nights. Despite the break-ins, the victims report that nothing has been taken. The motive as well as the identity or identities of those involved remain a mystery. Pine County Sheriff Dingus has no suspects and the town is on edge.
Then, apparently in the course of a break-in, a murder happens
and for Gus his life will change forever.
The murder happened at his mother’s house and the victim was Phyllis
Bontrager. Childhood best friend of his mother and a woman who was almost as
much a mother to Gus growing up as his own. In the course of the investigation
into the murder Gus learns things he just might have been better off never
knowing.
This third novel from award winning author Bryan Gruley throws
shock after shock at the reader all the way to the end. The author has referred
to the three books as an “accidental trilogy” which reinforces the sense of a
three book story arc being concluded here along with a possible finality to the
series. One hopes not as the character of Gus has become a cherished friend to many
readers.
Against a back drop of Gus being a reporter and editor of a
small local paper and the decline of the newspaper business, across three powerful
books Gus has had to deal with issues of an aging parent, pain and regret over
the past and various actions, and having had to come back home to where it all
began. Then there have been the crimes and mysteries that Gus has helped investigate
in his role as reporter and editor of the local paper. None of that has really prepared
him, or the reader for that matter, for the events in this book.
This is a very difficult book to sum up and explain the raw
emotional power here in this work of fiction without giving up possible plot
point spoilers. While it could be read as a stand-alone novel, the power of
this book is more evident if you take the time to read the preceding novels, Starvation
Lake: A Mystery and The Hanging Tree: A Starvation Lake Mystery.
Clearly author Bryan Gruley has crafted another award winning novel and
quite possibly his best book so far.
The Skeleton Box: A Starvation
Lake Mystery
Bryan Gruley
Touchstone Books (Simon & Schuster)
June 2012
ISBN# 978-1-4165-6366-2
Hardback
336 Pages
$25.00
I received an ARC of this novel as a very much appreciated
gift from a fellow reader.
Kevin R. Tipple © 2012
Saturday, October 02, 2010
Review: "The Hanging Tree" by Bryan Gruley
Gus Carpenter is not the only one who left Starvation Lake for bigger pastures in Detroit only to return home like a whipped dog. His second cousin, Gracie McBride, did the same thing. Gus never did get along well with Gracie despite the fact she was at his house when they were growing up almost as much as he was. Maybe it was because she was there so much and his own Mom seemed more interested in her at times as she was the daughter she never had. Or, maybe it was something else that had them at odds as kids and had kept them that way as adults. As this novel opens in February 1999, Gus will never know and won't ever be able to fix anything.
Gracie is dead.
“They found her hanging in the shoe tree at the edge of town” (page 7)
Despite the outward appearances of a classic suicide, Gus and a couple of others don't buy the easy answer of suicide. Proving that it wasn't a suicide isn't going to be easy for a variety of reasons beyond the fact that Gracie wasn't the easiest to get to know. Too many people are way too close to the situation which adds a difficulty to the investigation. That is part of the peril of life in a small town such as Starvation Lake where everyone knows everything you ever did and has an opinion on all of it.
Gus has numerous other problems beyond the death of Gracie and the impact it has had on his elderly mother. A media conglomerate has taken over his newspaper, making him and his small paper a microscopic cog in a much larger media machine. Both he and his work are being babysat by the nephew of the chief Executive of the new ownership known as Media North.
Penny pinching, not news gathering, is now the rule of the day as well as not annoying those that matter a bit more than regular folks. Pointing out issues regarding a proposed new hockey ink in town certainly have not endeared Gus to the new ownership crowd or the locals who can't get dollar signs out of their eyes long enough to look at the facts.
Gracie's death has also hit his girlfriend, Darlene pretty hard. Darlene does not believe it was a suicide either but in her position as Pine County Sheriff's Deputy can't do much about it. Her boss, Sheriff Dingus, does not seem interested in really digging into the matter and has no love for Gus. Further complicating matters is the fact that Darlene's estranged husband is back and intends to get her back one way or another.
The result is a worthy sequel to the very good debut novel “Starvation Lake.”
Nominated for an Edgar Award for Best First Novel, it will be no surprise when this novel is also nominated for an Edgar Award. Filled with tension and descriptive nuance, the novel provides complex story lines operating on multiple levels along with a powerfully good mystery.
Those who have a writerly bent will also be interested ion how often and seamlessly the author uses flashbacks to enhance the story going forward. All too often flashbacks serve as story stoppers but not in this case where they are used to provide backstory and considerable depth to the characters as well as advancing current story elements forward.
If you have not read Mr. Bryan Gruley before, now is an excellent time to start.
The Hanging Tree: A Starvation Lake Mystery
Bryan Gruley
Touchstone (Simon & Schuster)
August 2010
ISBN# 978-1-4165-6364-8
Large Trade Paperback
$15.00
325 Pages (includes reading group guide and interview)
Material supplied by the author in exchange for my objective review.
Kevin R. Tipple © 2010
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