Bone Rattle by Marc Cameron

Alaska forbids new roads in its designated wilderness area, but upgrading existing roads is OK. Just make sure an archeologist is on site just in case ancient relics turn up. And if they do, count on construction delays.

One particular mine owner ain’t happy when a rare shaman bone rattle is unearthed.  Grimsson fancies himself a modern-day Viking, replete with massive full beard and an even bigger temper. And mining isn’t his only interest. Been running drugs in to the Juneau area until the arrest of a couple runners sours his distribution network.

The trial of the two culprits has put the Alaskan law enforcement community on edge. The jury is to be sequestered. The judge and prosecutors have protection courtesy of the US Marshall service. A number of deputies based in Anchorage are sent to Juneau to help babysit the judge and jury.

Deputies Arliss Cutter (a Florida native) and Lori Teariki (a Cook Island native) are assigned to the judge. Arliss has been around. From Florida, Army Ranger, master human tracker, stationed in multiple US Marshall offices now in Anchorage. Not much of a conversationalist. Veteran of four marriages. Quick tempered when he sees an underprivileged is wronged. His rep is ‘does the right thing, right now.’ Sounds a bit like Jack Reacher. Lori is a new deputy who like to butt right in . . . anything. Particularly interested in learning how to track bad guys on the run in the bush.

Protection is the bread and butter of deputies and all is going reasonably well. Until the federal prosecutor goes off to get a tip from a informer and gets cut down by a skilled sniper. Word is the druggies are ready to cut a deal and Grimsson issued the kill order. Not a good idea to kill a federal prosecutor with a town full of deputies on hand. And the influx of FBI in response.

The hunt is on. Find the informer. Find the shooter. Find any accomplices. Find who gave the order. Find any friends who might be protecting the top of this particular food chain. And do so in the mine-dotted mountains that lay to the east of Juneau.

For some, the name Marc Cameron might be familiar. He is one of the authors who was selected to pick up the Tom Clancy Jack Ryan/Campus series. He also is the author of a 10-book series of political thrillers featuring one Jericho Quinn. Bone Rattle is the 3^rd Arliss Cutter book. Kind of surprised I hadn’t read any of the Quinn books as the titles seem right in my wheelhouse.

And while the Quinn books sound more like cousins to Brad Thor or Alex Berensen, this Arliss Cutter book is more akin to CJ Box (Joe Pickett) or Craig Johnson (Walt Longmire). The introverted western law enforcement officer whose main credo is doing the right thing. With Pickett and Longmire as favorites, I’m betting that Cutter will join that short list.

Available 27 April 2021

ECD