Death Canyon - by David Riley Bertsch (Paperback)

About the Book

"The gripping debut thriller featuring attorney-turned-fishing-guide Jake Trent, whose idyllic life is upended by a series of grisly killings. Early summer in Jackson, Wyoming, finds former East Coast prosecutor Jake Trent wading through a swift current of local politics, introspection, and tragedy. After leaving law behind, Jake escaped big-city life to pursue his dream: setting up as a fishing guide and opening a small bed-and-breakfast in the West. Now three seemingly unrelated deaths have occurred in one day, unheard of in the scenic valley of Jackson Hole, disrupting Jake's contented new life. A skier perishes in a freak late-season avalanche. A French couple is discovered mutilated, presumably by a bear, on a remote trail in Grand Teton National Park. On the Snake River, Jake himself finds the body of an expensively attired tourist fisherman. Meanwhile, a series of small earthquakes, not to mention a bitter dispute between land developers and a cultlike group of environmentalists, has left the townspeople uneasy. Before long, the plausible explanations for each death dissolve. Could there be a sinister connection among them? When fresh evidence points to him as a suspect, Jake Trent is put on the defensive. Is someone out to frame him? Can Jake keep the demons from his past at bay while he tries to discover the truth behind the mysterious deaths? Defying the police, Jake teams up with beautiful park ranger Noelle Klimpton to get to the bottom of this series of disturbing events. The trail leads right to the region's crown-jewel attraction: Yellowstone. What they discover will put both their lives at risk. Death Canyon marks the debut of David Riley Bertsch, a major new talent in suspense fiction" --

Book Synopsis

The debut novel--"a true thrill ride" (Suspense magazine)--in the series featuring prosecutor-turned-Wyoming-fishing-guide Jake Trent: "a twisting, turning, murderous tale that thriller readers will love" (New York Times bestselling author Michael McGarrity).It's early summer in Jackson, Wyoming, where former prosecutor Jake Trent has left the law behind to pursue his dream: becoming a fishing guide and opening a small bed-and-breakfast in the West. Now three seemingly unrelated deaths have occurred in one day--unheard of in the scenic valley of Jackson Hole--disrupting Jake's idyllic new life. A skier perishes in a freak late-season avalanche. A French couple is discovered mutilated on a remote trail--presumably by a bear. And on the Snake River, Jake stumbles across the body of an expensively attired fisherman. Meanwhile, a series of small earthquakes--not to mention a bitter dispute between land developers and environmentalists--has left the townspeople uneasy. Before long, the plausible explanations for each death dissolve. Could there be a sinister connection among them? When fresh evidence points to Jake as a suspect, he goes on the defensive. Is someone out to frame him? Jake teams up with beautiful park ranger Noelle Klimpton to get to the bottom of this series of disturbing events. The trail leads right to the region's crown-jewel attraction: Yellowstone. With "all the elements of a successful thriller" (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette), Death Canyon features "evocative Rocky Mountain themes, a spot-on sense of place, brilliant fly-fishing scenes and characters you just want to root for" (New York Times bestselling author C.J. Box).

Review Quotes

"Set in the beautiful Wyoming high country, Death Canyon introduces Jake Trent, a smart and savvy protagonist, in a twisting, turning, murderous tale that thriller readers will love."