The fourth in Eslick's gutsy White Mountains mystery series (after 2003's Deadly Kin
) pits teacher and search-and-rescue volunteer Will Buchanan against a serial killer who leaves dismembered bodies along remote New Hampshire trails. Two female hikers are found slain during a search operation for a small boy, and soon afterward an unknown assailant in a convenience store shoots Will's girlfriend, Saxton Mills police chief Laurie Eberly, while Will waits in the car. Suspense builds as Will struggles to identify the location and significance of cryptic photos of forest scenes taken by Samantha Rayley, the killer's first victim. Neglecting his duties at a local prep school, Will finds himself an unpaid adviser to Sgt. Art Macomber's plodding investigation that incidentally uncovers drug selling at Will's school. Boorish Nelson Carpenter, Samantha's former lover, comes under strong suspicion when a large stash of marijuana is found under the floorboards of his cabin. Eslick knows this rugged terrain well and depicts its many perils without a veneer of rustic charm. Those who enjoy backpacking and mountain climbing will particularly enjoy this thriller. Agent, Alison Picard. (Mar. 28)
