Blood Ice

Rating:
Summary: Poached Bears. What Gall.
Review: Lots of action in this thriller about bear poaching, gall bladders, Chinese gangs, and domestic abuse. Quite a few scenes of intrigue and mahem, but underscoring it all is a tender love story. Unlikely heroes include a small town conservation officer and a speech pathologist. The stark U.P. of Michigan and the shores of Lake Superior contrast with scenes of Hong Kong and Chinatown in San Francisco. Lots of crazy characters with goofy names like Broken Tooth Koi, Suck Francis, and a sometimes smart-mouthed Angel. This guy has been there, and he brings it to life.Good characters. Great settings. Plot that moves.

Rating:
Summary: This is not Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Review: This is a gripping, taut thriller that involves dangerous Chinese gangs, black bears, arson, kidnapping and a small town Conservation Officer who loses the love of his life. A major character in this novel is the setting, the harsh and nonforgiving terrain of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The author gets it right, and the book is filled with local lore and culture. The first half of the book is patient, and sets the scenes, characters, and plot deftly. After that, the action picks up at breakneck speed and it turns into one of those thrillers that you end up staying up too late to finish. You truly care about Travis and Angel. Travis is a flawed and common man backwoods hero, not unlike the underdog small town lawyer in that other great Upper Peninsula novel, Anatomy of a Murder by Robert Traver, that became a classic movie with James Stewert, George C. Scott, Ben Gazzara, and Lee Remick. This book has screenplay potential as well and may be the next big splash of media notice of the Upper Peninsula. Get it. Set aside some time. Read it. You'll be rewarded with a glimpse of another world that you knew nothing about.