Strike Dog: A Woods Cop Mystery

From Publishers Weekly Heywood brings to life Michigan's Upper Peninsula in his predictable fifth novel to feature conservation detective Grady Service (after 2005's Running Dark ), though an implausible plot fails to match the rich rural setting. Soon after Service's son and his girlfriend die in an auto accident, the grief-stricken Service finds evidence indicating their vehicle was forced off the road. Before his private inquiry can make much progress, an untrustworthy FBI special agent, Tatie Monica, enlists Service to pursue a murderer who has targeted conservation agents across the U.S., using an obscure and gruesome Viking pattern of mutilations. An improbable cameo by George W. Bush injects some lame humor (You ain't one-a them Dem'crats, are ya, big guy? the president asks Service), while the eventual revelation of the connection between the trail of bodies and the fatal accident will surprise few. (Sept.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition. From the Inside Flap Strike Dog , the fifth in the critically acclaimed Woods Cop Mystery series, opens with Grady Service facing crippling personal tragedy. Both his fiancée, Maridly Nantz, and his son, Walter, have been killed in a car crash. Service is blinded by grief and rage. Meanwhile, a serial killer is being tracked by the FBI. This killer has nearly completed his perfect and gruesome record of killing the top conservation officer in every state. The killings are particularly grisly, following an ancient ritualized Viking method of slaughter. The victims are all found in the woods, in the conservation officers’ home turf. Lately, they've been killed one a year, and the FBI now pulls Grady Service onto the case. The question is why. Because of Service’s legendary tracking abilities? Or is it because he may be next onthe list? Service was a Marine in Vietnam. He knows discomfort. He knows how to survive. When Service suspects that the deaths of Nantz and Walter were not accidents, he vows revenge, planning to turn the table on the killer. In this brilliant psychological drama with nail-biting suspense, the hunted becomes the hunter. Service must draw on all he has learned in the jungles of Vietnam and the dense woods of the Upper Peninsula to stalk the killer. Will the killer succeed in achieving his twisted glory of a perfect record? Or will Service be able to outwit him and enact his own grim revenge? --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition. quotes about the series:"Engrossing stuff. Lots of well-plotted action and an offbeat, affecting love story."--Kirkus Reviews (for Running Dark)"Top-notch action scenes, engaging characters both major and minor, masterful dialogue and a passionate sense of place make this a fine series."--Publishers Weekly (for Chasing a Blond Moon)"A gripping plot, replete with memorable surrounds and spiky characters, makes this second in the series (after Ice Hunter) an excellent choice for most collections. A good pick also for readers who enjoy outdoor mysteries by such authors as Nevada Barr or Dana Stabenow."--Library Journal (for Blue Wolf in Green Fire)"Crisp writing, great scenery, quirky characters and an absorbing plot add to the appeal of the memorable first entry in a promised series of "woofs cop' mysteries."--Wall Street Journal (for Ice Hunter) --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition. Joseph Heywood is the author of The Berkut, Taxi Dancer, The Domino Conspiracy, The Snowfly (Lyons), and our Woods Cop Mystery Series. Strike Dog is the fifth installment in the series. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition. x93Taut and assured writing that hooked me from the start. Every word builds toward the ending, and along the way some of the writing took my breath away as Heywood reveals his love of the land and makes the country Grady Service moves through in the way I imagine a great painter works. I’m an instant fan. I can’t wait for the next one. This is a writer and a series to catch on to.”xa0xa0 x97Kirk Russell, author of Deadgame x93Heywood just keeps getting better. His colorful, unpredictable, and compelling charactersx97and the backwoods and backwaters where they livex97come vividly to life in this rollicking yarn. Strike Dog is a page-turner in the grand tradition.”x97Jerry Dennis, author of The Living Great Lakes x93Heywood details his mystery with deftly presented facts that take the reader on an exciting ride down the rocky roads of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. In a chase that begins with a knockout punch in the first page, Heywood doesn’t let up. With richly developed characters, an intricately woven plot, and an undercurrent of humor, Strike Dog will hook you right from the start. Don’t miss this one.”x97Sue Harrison, author of Mother Earth Father Sky In praise of the Woods Cop Mystery series: x93Top-notch action scenes, engaging characters both major and minor, masterful dialogue, and a passionate sense of place make this a fine series.”x97 Publishers Weekly , for Chasing a Blond Moon x93Blue Wolf in Green Fire has enough plot threads for two or three books, but author Heywood handles them with aplomb, bringing them all together in an exciting and surprising climax that ties up every loose end in a satisfying manner.” x97The Grand Rapids Press x93Crisp writing, great scenery, quirky characters, and an absorbing plot add to the appeal of the memorable first entry in a promised series of Woods Cop mysteries.” x97Wall Street Journal, for Ice Hunter --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition. Read more