Title: THE GUIDE
Author: Peter Heller
Publisher: Knopf
Read: May 2021
Expected publication: 26 August 2021
My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟1/2
Book Description:
Kingfisher Lodge, nestled in a
canyon on a mile and a half of the most pristine river water on the planet, is
known by locals as "Billionaire's Mile" and is locked behind a heavy
gate. Sandwiched between barbed wire and a meadow with a sign that reads
"Don't Get Shot!" the resort boasts boutique fishing at its finest.
Safe from viruses that have plagued America for years, Kingfisher offers a
respite for wealthy clients. Now it also promises a second chance for Jack, a
return to normalcy after a young life filled with loss. When he is assigned to
guide a well-known singer, his only job is to rig her line, carry her gear, and
steer her to the best trout he can find.
But then a human scream pierces the night, and Jack soon realizes that this
idyllic fishing lodge may be merely a cover for a far more sinister operation.
A novel as gripping as it is lyrical, as frightening as it is moving, The Guide
is another masterpiece from Peter Heller.
My musings:
Have you ever wondered how writers are going to
tackle our current pandemic and the changes it has brought into our lives?
Heller is the first author I have read who has tackled this obstacle and used
it to the advantage of his plot, and I was impressed on how seamlessly he has
woven it into the narrative of his latest book, THE GUIDE.
If you have read THE RIVER, then you
will have been introduced to Jack, who again stars as the main character in
this story. It is now several years after the start of the pandemic, and
America is still plagued by new strains of the virus that first forced the
world into lockdown. As is usually the case, money can buy you a way out of
many discomforts, and in this vein, Kingfisher lodge, a secluded fishing lodge
in the wilds of Colorado, offers its wealthy clients a getaway from the
restrictions imposed by the virus. Here, its clients can escape into nature and
pretend that the outside world doesn’t exist. Jack, who is still trying to come
to terms with his best friend’s tragic death, is hired by the lodge as a
private fishing guide for a famous singer, who is booked in for a fortnight of fly-fishing
on the banks of the picturesque river. “It doesn’t get much better than this”,
Jack constantly reminds himself as he contemplates his new idyllic
surroundings. But soon he finds that the lodge may not be the haven he has
thought it to be. A barbed wire fence and killer dogs along its boundaries give
the first hints that something sinister may be at play here. Jack is curious:
what is the fence hiding? As he digs deeper, he soon finds that some people
will stop at nothing to keep their secret protected.
Heller is a master at creating an
atmospheric setting and he did a fantastic job at bringing the river to life in
front of my eyes. The descriptions of idyllic an pristine fishing spots made me
yearn for the wilderness described here, but it wasn’t long until a sinister
undertone crept into the story and created mounting tension. Just as Jack grows
increasingly more suspicious of his surroundings, my hackles started rising at
the mention of barbed wire fences, hidden cameras and fierce dogs that made
this retreat more of a prison-camp than a holiday resort. As the evidence
mounted that Jack’s curiosity would get him into danger, my heart rate also
ramped up and kept me reading late into the night to find out the answers.
I particularly loved Heller’s
description of the wilderness setting and the fly fishing scenes, which evoked
the landscape vividly in my mind and made the whole book play out movie-like in
my head. Readers who enjoy atmospheric wilderness settings will appreciate
Heller’s almost lyrical descriptions of nature and the way he sets the stage
for the events to follow, even if the later half of the book is nightmare
rather than relaxing fishing trip. Even though Jack’s character is from
Heller’s earlier book, THE RIVER, the story easily stands on its own and gives
enough background information to enjoy it on its own.
Summary:
All in all, THE GUIDE is a dark,
sinister mystery relying strongly on an atmospheric wilderness setting that
will stand out from the rest through Heller’s descriptive writing and trappings
that will only become transparent as the story progresses. Set a few years into
the future, Heller manages to incorporate the life changing effects of our
current pandemic and use it to create a terrifying backdrop to his latest book.
Lovers of isolated wilderness settings and a claustrophobic atmosphere should
definitely pick this one up! Be prepared to be terrified.
Thank
you to Edelweiss and Knopf for the free
electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an
honest review.
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