Wolf Haven

McKenna’s gritty, heart-wrenching ninth Jackson Hole novel (after High Country Rebel) is one of her best yet. Lt. Skylar Pascal, formerly an ER nurse, survives a Black Hawk crash in Afghanistan but is captured and tortured. When she returns to the U.S., she leaves the Navy, hoping civilian life will help her recover from the trauma, but going back to working in an ER is unthinkable. When Sky joins the staff of the Elk Horn Ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyo., she meets a kindred spirit: former SEAL Grayson McCoy, who dealt with his own terrible past experiences by becoming an animal rescuer. As they work together, Sky slowly begins to heal, but before they can do more than edge toward exploring their crackling chemistry, a dangerous man threatens them both. The unflinching descriptions of flashbacks, panic attacks, and nightmares are riveting, making this essential reading for those who want to understand what PTSD can be like—though trauma survivors may find some of those same passages hard going. McKenna does a beautiful job of illustrating difficult topics through the development of well-formed, sympathetic characters. Agent: Ethan Ellenberg, Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency. (Dec.)