Peter Heller writes such introspective thrillers. I am not a fisher, and I know very little about the technical terminology related to outdoors activities like hunting, or fishing, or riding horses. At times, it was almost like reading words from another language, and I used context clues to determine that word must refer to a shoe, or that must be another word for a fishing rod. Despite the language barrier, I found myself captivated by this meditation on grief, guilt, mixed with an anti-capitalist thriller with a strong sense of place.
Jack is a young man dealing with grief and guilt, both old and new. When he was much younger, he witnessed his mother die in a tragic accident for which he feels some responsibility (as kids are wont to do). After his mother’s death, he finds solace in fishing and books. Growing up on a ranch in Colorado, he communes regularly with the outdoors, and one of his closest friendships is based on their shared adventures. In his more recent past, his close friend dies while they are on one such adventure together. While the details of these deaths are revealed slowly, they are not really the focus of the mystery in this novel, unless you count the mystery of Jack himself (which of course you should, that’s also an intriguing part of the novel).
In the present day of the novel, Jack has recently accepted a job as a fishing guide in a very upscale, remote retreat that caters to extremely wealthy and/or famous people. When Jack begins the job, all he knows is that he is replacing a guide who left the season rather abruptly. He has some strange interactions with the other staff and his boss, all of whom seem to be set on some very specific rules for guides. While soaking in the astounding beauty of the surroundings, it quickly becomes clear there are a few irregularities in the management. He and his first client, a famous, unnamed singer with ranching-roots, discover some disturbing details that make them question the “spa” treatments other wealthy guests seem to be enjoying, not to mention some of the stories they have been told about the neighbors.
In this book, you WILL eventually learn what is going on at this retreat. There’s also a little romance. But for me, the best parts of the book were the more character driven, introspective passages about Jack’s life and thoughts. The conclusion was slightly more action-thriller-y than I prefer, but overall I really enjoyed this novel.