SOUTH OF NOWHERE

5 stars out of 5

Remember that old Barbara Mandrell song, "I was Country when Country wasn't Cool?" Well, that sort of applies to this series, which began with The Never Game in 2018 - well before the smash hit TV show, "Tracker," which debuted on Oct. 13, 2024. I haven't missed a book - this is the fifth - nor an episode of the show, but just between you and me, the books are better.

The star of the show, Colter Shaw, spends most of his time doing work similar to that of a bounty hunter; when people need help finding other people and offer a financial reward, if the case sounds worthwhile, he'll take it on. Other times, as happens here, he plies his trade pro bono. Colter's sister, Dorion, makes her living as a disaster response specialist; when something goes horribly wrong, she comes in to direct cleanup of the mess. This time, a levee has collapsed in the tiny town of Hinowah in northern California, and she asks Colter to join her to help find a family whose car has been swept away in the rushing water with them still in it.

That's a tragic situation, but even more so is the real possibility that the rest of the levee will collapse, sending a torrent of water that could obliterate the town. Residents are being asked to evacuate and most do - the most notable exception being an elderly native Ohlone woman who refuses to budge. As the responders do their thing to shore up the levee and get residents out of harm's way, Colter learns that the collapse may not have been an accident. But if that's the case, who was behind the dastardly deed and what was the motive?

As if that weren't enough to deal with, writings from Colter's late survivalist father, Ashton, suggest a heretofore unknown family connection that could rock Colter, Dorion, his brother Russell and his mother Mary Dove right to the core - and bring the threat of physical danger. But here too, what's real and what isn't? And can Colter figure it all out in time?

I don't think it's a spoiler to say the star of the series lives to see another day, but the devil is in the details - and the book is full of them as well as plenty of action. Certainly it's another winner in my book, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to catch up with one of my favorite heroes. Well done!

South of Nowhere by Jeffery Deaver (G.P. Putnam's Sons, May 2025); 416 pp.

HUNTING TIME

5 stars out of 5

Every once in a while you just gotta hold out for a hero - and self-described reward-seeker Colter Shaw certainly qualifies in my book. He's ruggedly good-looking, self-assured (in part by way of childhood training by his super-intelligent survivalist father, Ashton) but with a hint of vulnerability - just a hint - that adds to his appeal. This is the fourth book in the series, and I'm still wishing we could meet in person, if only for a steak, scotch on the rocks and some interesting conversation - after all, I'm old enough to be his grandmother (sigh).

Here, his considerable problem-solving skills are requested by the head honcho of a nuclear energy company in the Midwest that makes some kind of portable device that could be dangerous in the wrong hands - which it appears to be the case. Meantime, former cop Jon Merritt, who's been serving jail time for beating his now ex-wife Allison almost senseless has been sprung much earlier than expected - and apparently, he's on a mission to track her and their teenage daughter Hannah down and probably kill either or both. As fate (and the seeds of a good story) would have it, Allison is a nuclear engineer who works for said nuclear energy company - or did till she and Hannah took off for parts unknown in an attempt to stay safe. Needless to say, Colter ends up trying to protect them from harm. But first, of course, he has to find them, while hoping her ex-husband and a couple of professional hit men don't get there first. Who emerges triumphant in that race you'll have to find out by reading it for yourself, and plan on a twist or two in the process. All told, another good entry in this engaging series.

Hunting Time by Jeffery Deaver (G.P. Putnam's Sons, November 2022); 431 pp.

THE FINAL TWIST

4.5 stars out of 5

This action-packed adventure, the third in a series featuring Colter Shaw, begins as the self-described "reward seeker" is trying to follow clues left by his late father, Ashton, a well-educated man who, with Colter's mother Mary Dove and their children, left mainstream life to opt for a survivalist existence. Over the years, Ashton fought against what he considered to be corrupt corporations, including one named BlackBridge Corporate Solutions. One of that company's employees, it seems, not only turned up evidence of some kind of serious wrongdoing, but stole it; that man, now dead, apparently hid that evidence and Colter hopes to find it.

But almost before his investigation gets started, Colter is attacked by some very bad guys; on the verge of being killed and bringing the series to an abrupt end, he's saved at the last minute by a man who turns out to be his brother Russell. That comes as a total shock to Colter, who hasn't seen or heard from his brother in more than 10 years. The two of them meeting up after all this time and getting to re-know each other (well, as much as their secretive lives will allow) is a big part of the story that follows.

As all this is sorted out, Colter gets an assignment on his day job, which basically is a finder of missing persons; in this case, it's a daughter who's gone missing. The reward money is minuscule - the mother can scrape together $1,750 at most - but he sympathizes and agrees to take the case (thus providing a secondary storyline for the book). Most everything else is action, all underscored by flashbacks to the intense, hard-core survival training the brothers got from their late father. 

So what prompted me to give this book fewer than the five stars I gave the other two (The Never Game and The Goodbye Man)? Because for the first third or so it somehow felt disjointed - like I was missing something and couldn't quite figure out what. But then I realized it's been a while since I read the previous book - and if I'm honest, I have to admit that because I read so many books in a given year (141 in 2020), once I reach that final page and finish writing my review of any given one, I've forgotten most of what was between the pages. The good news is that I went back and reread those earlier reviews, and most of what I was reading now became much more clear. My advice, then, is this: If you haven't read at least one of the first two books in this series, do it before you tackle this one. You won't be sorry, because they're both terrific.

In the end, this one, too, is an exciting, well-written tale with an entertaining plot and intriguing characters that left me looking forward to the next installment. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for providing me with a pre-release copy to read and review.

The Final Twist by Jeffery Deaver (G.P. Putnam's Sons, May 2021); 416 pp.

THE GOODBYE MAN

5 stars out of 5

It's always a treat to see a new series from a favorite author, and I absolutely loved The Never Game, which launched this one last year. I loved this - the second - as well, albeit not quite as much, but the reason is nothing more than a personal peccadillo; the primary setting isn't, shall we say, a favorite of mine. That said, you can bet your mother's G.I. boots I'll be waiting eagerly to see what's next for self-described "reward-seeker" Colter Shaw.

As he sets out to find two young male runaways who reportedly committed serious hate crimes, he learns that the local police are on the trail as well, but with a difference: Unlike Shaw, they have no intention of capturing them alive. That doesn't sit well with Shaw, and when he and the cops find the boys, he starts to take preventive action. But suddenly, he and the cops are flummoxed when one of the boys does something unthinkable. Shaw manages to get the other boy out of harm's way, in the process learning that his cohort may have been under the influence of a cult. Home-grown survivalist and realist that he is, Shaw sets out to learn more.

As all this is transpiring, Shaw's mind remains on finding out what his late father - whose death may have been helped along by unsavory characters - was working on that seems to be connected to the growing drug trade. But most of the story's action takes place on the grounds of the Osiris Foundation, the public name for a highly secretive organization that claims to help people who are carrying around a ton of emotional baggage (a "cure" that comes with two very high price tags).

It is the nitty-gritty of that operation and Shaw's personal investigation thereof that keeps the pace moving quickly and kept me on the edge of my seat much of the way through. I also got more insights into where the quirky Shaw is coming from. In that regard, had I not read the first book, I'm pretty sure I'd have had no trouble relating to this one. Still, IMHO it's always a good idea to start any series as close to the beginning as possible - and in this case that's not very hard to do. Both are definitely worth reading, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read advance copies of both.

The Goodbye Man by Jeffery Deaver (G.P. Putnam's Sons, May 2020); 432 pp.

THE NEVER GAME

5 stars out of 5

What could possibly be better than finding an exciting new series? When it's written by a favorite author, that's what! Such is the case here for sure - and for sure I'm already chomping at the bit for the next installment.

The new character is a complex guy named Colter Shaw, who grew up as a son of exceptionally well-educated parents who ditched mainstream life for a survivalist existence. They taught their children well; their father, from off an ever-deepening end, and their mother from a more practical (and loving) perspective as she struggled to rein in her husband's paranoia. Long since, Colt moved back to reality (even going to college and law school) and now makes a living primarily by earning reward money offered for locating missing loved ones. He's not a bounty hunter; he picks his jobs only after carefully researching both the reward offerers and the victims. On every case, one of his strengths  - long ago instilled by his now-deceased father - is assessing probabilities (whether or not he'll be successful, which suspect is more likely to be the perpetrator, etc.) Adding to the overall strength of the book is that interspersed throughout are recollections from Colt's growing-up years - some good, some not so much -  all of which give readers intriguing insights into what motivates him.

The story opens as Colt is in over his head - literally; he's trying to save a very pregnant woman who's been locked into a boat that's sinking in frigid water. We get a glimpse or two of what might happen before the scene shifts to two days earlier, when someone tries to toss a Molotov cocktail into Colt's RV. Shortly thereafter, he learns of a $10,000 reward from a Silicon Valley father who's desperate to find his missing daughter. Colt drives his RV to a park there, rents a car, visits the father and agrees to take on the case. During the investigation, he encounters a professional computer game tester named Maddie, who drags him to a huge convention and introduces him to a world he didn't even know existed - a world filled with characters who love killing, both virtually and, quite possibly, in real life.

Although I'm working on some kind of electronic gadget a big part of every day, whether it be my desktop or Kindle or smartphone - I've never had more than a passing interest in playing animated games. As such, a good bit of the plentiful and complex information on that topic that's in here pretty much sailed over my head. On the other hand, I learned quite a few things - all of which added to the story and made it even more interesting. I can't say more without giving away too much, but the ending brings everything together (including the woman on the sinking ship) as well as leaves the door wide open to the next chapter in Colt's life.

For me, that can't come soon enough, so please get busy, Mr. Deaver. While I wait, I'll thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review the first of what I'm confident will be a great series.

The Never Game by Jeffery Deaver (G. P. Putnam's Sons, May 2019); 416 pp.