Death Canyon: A Jake Trent Novel

Bertsch tries to do too much in his workmanlike debut, which introduces Jake Trent, who, like his creator, is a former lawyer turned fly-fishing guide in Jackson, Wyo. On a solo fishing trip on the Snake River, Trent discovers a body caught in a deadfall, retrieves it, and takes it to the Jackson police chief. But he ends up a suspect when an autopsy suggests foul play. A tourist’s death from a putative bear attack and another in a freak avalanche lead Trent to muse: “Three people, three violent deaths, two days, one small town.” Trent, who teams with Park Ranger Noelle Klimpton, the obligatory romantic interest, realizes much more is at stake than his safety, as discord over a proposed 220-lot housing development and the actions of an over-the-top villain called the Shaman threaten a major disaster. Ominous seismic events add to the sense of peril. Bertsch clearly knows the environmental issues involving the Wyoming wilderness, but he needs to sharpen his focus if he’s to rival Craig Johnson or C.J. Box. Agent: Margaret Riley, William Morris Endeavor. (Aug.)