“Stellar . . . While this novel certainly has a complex and suspenseful story, it’s Delphine who’s the centerpiece. She’s simply a wonderful character. This tale packs an emotional wallop.”
- Booklist
“The real star here is the tranquil, hard-won meditations on mortality tucked into every crevice.” - Kirkus Reviews
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This new stand-alone from the former Writer Laureate of Alaska and author of the acclaimed Cecil Younger series introduces an amateur sleuth with an ax to grind—and a child to save.
Diagnosed with terminal cancer, retired marine biologist Delphine is on the brink of throwing in the towel when she witnesses a woman and her young child being victimized by her apparent boyfriend. When Delphine later discovers the woman has gone missing, she embarks on a quest to track down and help her and the child. What ensues is an at-once zany and heartfelt rescue mission across the Pacific Northwest.
“Straley knows how to wrap deadly violence in a bubble of black humor that suits the novel's beautiful but harsh setting, where whales open their maws to dine on oceans of salmon fry and men kill one another while ravens fly overhead, screaming with laughter.” - New York Times
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Robert Woolsey of Sitka’s KCAW radio station talks with John about his new book and his new life outside Alaska.
“. . . an impressive adventure thriller suffused with metaphysical concerns.”
- The Wall Street Journal
“One of Straley’s great gifts is his rendering of
the real Alaska . . .”
- Anchorage Daily News
"Perfect."
- Kirkus
“. . . should win Straley new fans.”
- Publisher’s Weekly Picks of the Week
