“Omnes una manet nox” The same night awaits us all - Horace
When I read this book the first time I thought once again an author is getting tired of the series and blows it up… kind of like G.M. Ford or the “Who” breaking and instrument at the end of a concert. Reading it again after a couple years does not dampen the story. It’s a personally tragic story, filled with anger, thoughts of revenge, and moving on. The Author still holds many federal authorities in contempt or rather points out there arrogance and thinking they always no better. The plot is interesting and does not necessarily go where you think it will. As a Canoeist who has been there, I loved our main characters travel to the “Irish Wilderness Area” and the “Eleven point” river in Missouri. The characters he meets there – officials and the people who live there were great. Again the Author is “spot on” with the description of the area and its people. The Authors connections between these little pockets of truly rural America are perspective and fit my own experience i.e. – the UP and rural Missouri or rural Arizona, Indiana ect. While writing this review I noticed there is a new book, that I have not read, (lucky me) so it will be interesting to see where this goes. There are a couple of chapters I really enjoyed. The following is bits of chapter 36 - a conversation “Grady” has, doing some follow up research work with a fellow lost investigator soul in the wilds of Arizona…. “The colors of the landscape ranged from black to orange and ochre….the game trail continued eastward and, reaching the crest of the second steep hill, he looked down into a valley with hundreds of saguaro…. The trail led into the middle of the giant plants…. A man sat cross-legged on a blanket in the shade of the shelter… Perez? He greeted the man. “Service”…. The man took a gold shield out of his pocket and hung it around his neck. It read CBP BORDER PATROL, PATROL AGENT PEREZ… drink the man said…. This is called “nuwait”…… Grady said – she also said you seemed reluctant… the man smiled “occupational lockjaw” this job, it sometimes pulls our lips tight, yes? Too much time alone, perhaps” Service understood…..Perez got two bowls from a soft pack beside him and scooped something from the pot over the fire…”Mesquite beans, barley, corn, cholla buds, and hot peppers,” he said “the peppers heat the inside to reduce the difference with the heat outside.” The soup was thick and distinctive…. When the soup was gone Perez gave Grady a pancake like thing that had been sitting on a rock in the sun….he poured and orange looking syrup on it…. he said I don’t know the name of this food in English… I have eaten it since I was a child… the syrup is taken from the fruit of the Saguaro…. The syrup had a fig strawberry taste to it… sweet but not over powering…The chapter goes on with this type of story line… Grady and Perez find out they have a lot more in common then there job. The author also paints wonderful pictures as I have said before of rural Missouri and of course the UP. There is just some sad wistfullness too. Dreams that won't be met... Grady is back in Missouri... 'All y'all better get at thim pies before they cool too much,' she said. 'Mama on of the twins said, 'I think she got a bigger piece thin me' 'Did not ,' the other girl said with a big grin. 'Kids,' Fiannula Sparo said with a big grin. 'Little kids, little problems;big kids big problems. I expect it never ends for parents.' Grady Service thought:something I will never know.... me too brother. ( )