Halloween Bingo 2023
I liked the sound of this book, but went into it cautiously, having been burned in the past (by A Solitude of Wolverines). But this novel grabbed me and refused to let go! Felicity Harland is a tough cookie. She has survived an accident in the Australian outback, a broken back, and a change in career. She really wants to be good at her new investigative job, but finds it quite a bit different from her time with the FBI. The physicality of the job paired with the situation with her back both leave her with serious doubts about whether this will be a success.
Despite this, she doesn't pull any stupid stunts. Yes, she's stubborn and doesn't give herself much leeway, but eventually she sees sense and rests when necessary. Plus she is a dogged investigator, unwilling to give up easily on a potential murder. Her best decision is to team up with the new park ranger, Ferdinand Huxley, better known as Hux. He is a former Navy SEAL, with skills up the wazoo. Plus he's funny and her dog likes him. The seal of canine approval.
The author uses her own life experiences to give this novel a realistic feel. She is an outdoorswoman and a practicing physician, so she gets the details correct. I personally could live with the solution to the crime (once it was determined that a crime had been committed) even though it did disappoint me somewhat.
I really liked this book. I had a hard time putting it down, in fact. If you like it, I would also recommend Track of the Cat (featuring a female park ranger), A Murder of Crows (about a female ecologist), or Find Me (starring a former FBI profiler in a desert environment). I am glad to see two more books following this one--I'll be reading them.
I read this to match the In the Dark, Dark Woods square on my bingo card as it takes place in Sequoia National Park.
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