Saturday, April 26, 2014

In Velvet


In Velvet (Ecology Thriller)
By Burt Weissbourd
ISBN #978-1940207100
Price $24.95
A Vereo Book (An Imprint of Rare Bird Books)
273 Pages
Rating 5-Stars

“Man And Mother Nature On A Collision Course!”

When bear biologist Rachel Stanley discovers anomalies in the animal population in the northwest corner of Yellowstone Park, she knows something is dangerously wrong.  Bears are denning in June instead of the winter months; swans are in their wintering grounds in the summer, and newborns appear with deformities; bear cubs with no ears, elk calves with no front legs, and birds with no wings.

Rachel starts looking into the situation and finds a mysterious top-secret military operation involving a group of scientists who may be causing all the problems. A government killer appears to be in charge, and he will kill anyone that gets in the way of the operation. To make matters worse, the local sheriff is running an illegal trophy hunt in the area without permission from the Park Service, plus using a guide who is a tad crazy. The only ones Rachel can count on are her ex lover, Rainey Jackson, and his new girlfriend, Jen Donohue, an ex city cop. But this brings in a love triangle that complicates everything for her.

The biologist in me loved this exciting story. Although I have never been to Yellowstone, and have a deep fear of bears, all the characters bring the location to life with splendid description of a national park; I almost felt like I was with her checking the bear traps, and following her favorite old bear, Woolly Bugger. Almost, but not quite; I still fear bears. Some readers may find the switch of POV every half page, page, or second page a distraction. And this does slow the pace down considerably. However, we get to see what each of the main characters are thinking, and what is happening from their viewpoint. Anyone that loves a thriller, the outdoors, and a good mystery, will find this novel a real treat. Highly recommended.

Tom Johnson
Detective Mystery Stories

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