The Guide (Sequel to The River)

The Guide by Peter Heller is a fishing murder mystery where the guide might be in deep water. Heller fans will recognize Jack from The River. 

Kingfisher Lodge, located on the a mile and a half of the best fly fishing in the world, plays host to the wealthiest of clients. And now, during the latest of a series of world-wide pandemics, it is one of the last places to get away.

Jack has been hired to finish out the season when a river guide quits with no notice. He will be in charge of one to two clients at a time. And he is about to be thrown in as his first client is arriving in the morning.

Alison K is a well-known singer, taking a break from touring to recover. She is a seasoned fisherperson, having grown up in the Carolinas in a fishing family. She arrives with a security guard who assesses the lodge before he signs off on her week of rest.

But something strange is going on here. Each edge of the property is very clearly marked - one with a Don't Get Shot sign, and the other with a Beware Dogs will eat you vibe. 

What follow is Peter Heller at his best (which he is at in each of his books!). A suspenseful ride that will keep readers up until the last page. If you have not yet read Peter Heller, start today with any of his novels. You will quickly consume them all!

Heller, Peter.(2021). The Guide. New York: Alfred A Knopf.

Piranesi

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke is one of my favorite books of the last few years. It is a story that can be read a philosophy, a look at the human condition, or just a beautiful story of the awe people see in the world around them.

The House has hundreds of rooms and vestibules, all filled with statures. All room's statues are different than those of the other rooms. And the House makes up the entirety of the world.

A few rooms have collapse into the sea and become the Drowned Rooms where you can fish, collect seaweed and watch the birds.

Piranesi knows the house. He has explored and mapped his world. He knows the tides that sometimes close off sections. He has made a life with what his world has to offer.

The only other living person in this life, simply called the Other, meets with him twice per week. He is researching a Great and Secret Knowledge. He and Piranesi could not be more different in their approach to life.

This is all I can say without giving too much away. I absolutely love this book. Buy a copy today from your favorite local bookshop. 

Clarke, Susanna. (2020). Piranesi. New York: Bloomsbury.

The River

The River by Peter Heller is a peaceful boat ride through a series of lakes...until it is not.

Wynn and Jack have one month to traverse a series of lakes and a river ending in Hudson Bay in northern Canada. They both love to fish, canoe, and be in nature. They have allotted themselves more time than it should take so they can enjoy the peace and solitude.

During a foggy evening, they hear a man and woman arguing from the shore. They give the couple a wide berth so not to intrude.

The next day, in the next lake, the wind shifts and Wynn and Jack smell smoke. Jack climbs a tree and sees a huge forest fire racing toward them. No more taking their time.

They agree to warn the couple they passed, but when they go back to the previous lake they cannot find anyone. The make up the lost miles and camp at the top of the first set of falls on the river.

Before they carry their boat and supplies down the trail to the bottom of the large waterfall, they see a man in a canoe. He is alone and looks lost. When they call him over - saving him from going over the falls - he is disoriented and confused. Is he the same man from the couple? If so, where is his wife?

Heller writes beautifully. His story flows like a river. He makes readers want to paddle this set of lakes even in spite of the second half of the book where there may be a killer and there is definitely a huge forest fire coming for the characters. This is a great read that will fly by but and stick with you for a while. A perfect summer read.

Heller, Peter. (2019). The River. New York: Alfred A Knopf.