Stone Cross by Marc Cameron

I’ve now reviewed all four of  Marc Cameron’s Arliss Cutter series, but I read this one out of sequence, Stone Cross being the second of the four books. I’ve raved about the other three, and this one gets the same reaction from me. It’s a great adventure in Alaska with Cutter and his US Marshall partner, Deputy Lola Teariki. In this case, they were both called to escort a judge to the interior of the state because his life had been threatened. Neither Marshall, Arliss and Lola, nor the judge, US District Judge J. Anthony Markham, are happy about the assignment. But, upon their arrival in Stone Cross, the Marshalls learn of a murder and some missing persons, and while their primary assignment is securing the safety of the judge, they also need to get to the bush in order to deal with the murder.

 

This is really the first book I’ve read that captures what life is like in the very rural parts of Alaska, “the bush.” As with all Alaska stories, the weather plays a predominant part in the proceedings. Birdie Pingayak is the principal of the Stone Cross K-12 school, a native Eskimo/Inuit, and she plays a significant role in the story. After all the characters struggle through horrible weather, the book concludes with a great dogsled chase through the worst blizzard that you can imagine. I was pulled into that event and was glued to every detail. 

 

This book lands in my “wow” category (I just made that up), and I give it my maximum recommendation. I advise you to read these novels in the intended order so you can appreciate the character development and necessary background on what brought these people to Alaska.

 

WCD

Cold Snap by Marc Cameron

Cold Snap is the fourth in Marc Cameron’s Arliss Cutter series. ECD and I have read both of those books which were reviewed very favorably. His first book was Open Carry, the second Stone Cross, and the third Bone Rattle. Cutter is a US Marshall Army Ranger who has transferred from his base in Florida to Alaska to help out his sister-in-law following the apparent accidental death of his older brother. He is helping her raise twin boys and a hard-to-get-along-with teenage daughter.

 

Just as in Bone Rattle, his junior partner is Deputy Lola Teariki, a much younger woman who is a native of the Cook Islands in the South Pacific. She is a fitness freak and is capable of handling her own with nearly any man she encounters. She and Cutter have formed a meaningful Platonic relationship. In the beginning, Arliss has bordered a Russian ship which had previously been tagged as being a rogue, having not paid fines to the US, and leaving Cutter with the paperwork to impound the boat. On board, they find 300 French bulldogs which the captain has purchased for $100 from puppy mills in Russia, and which he can sell for $1,500 a piece. The Captain is none too happy about the seizure, and the State Department is none to happy that is forced to deal with 300 needy puppies. 

 

This book consists of two mysteries. Meanwhile back in Anchorage, evidence of a serial killer is being found. Body parts from different people are washing up on the shores, but the parts are not identifiable because they consist of torsos and other amputated parts. Apparently, the victims were women with few meaningful social connections, such as prostitutes, who are not missed for days at a time. Although the police are playing down the suggestion of a serial killer, the press has gotten wind of that – it has become the news story of the moment and the local population is terrified.

 

On a sudden assignment, Lola was sent to the north shore of Alaska, “the slope,” but that would cause her to miss a medical appointment, so Cutter volunteered to go in her place. She was expected to transport a prisoner back to Fairbanks. There was an urgent matter of the weather since a vicious storm was about to move in off the Bering Sea. Meanwhile, one prisoner became four. There should have been no trouble making the transport to Fairbanks, But, one of the new prisoners turned out to be the pilot who was supposed to fly Cutter back to Fairbanks, so other arrangements had to be made. The three new men were all severe sociopaths who were determined not to return to prison, and as the story evolved, there was a connection between one of them and the serial killer that was operating in Anchorage. Once they were all in the air, the storm struck with a vengeance. The troubles that developed and the solutions to it were incredible.

 

Cameron weaved the stories together in a masterful way. Cutter is a classic detective character, and he and Lola play off each other very nicely. The more peripheral character to this story include Mim, the widow of Cutter’s deceased brother, her three children, as well as the hierarchy of several law enforcement agencies that all became involved in the chase. Then, there’s the climate researcher from University of Alaska, Fairbanks and her graduate assistants that were holed up in a remote cabin who become entwined in the drama.

 

That’s enough to entice you towards this very captivating novel. Since there’s one novel of this series about Arliss Cutter that I’ve missed, I did find Stone Cross in the Amazon Kindle Store, and I’ll get to that one as soon as I can.

 

WCD

Open Carry by Marc Cameron

Posted a review to my first Arliss Cutter, Deputy US Marshall currently stationed in Alaska (Bone Rattle) a couple weeks ago. Thought it was pretty good. Cameron has 3 Cutter novels out. Lucky me that the local library had a copy of his first featuring Cutter.

 

Backstory: Arliss Cutter is a roughly middle age Supervisory Deputy US Marshall. Lots of experience and a bit of a hot temper (an understatement). Maybe that’s why he's been posted to multiple offices around the country. A Florida native now living in Anchorage. A veteran of four marriages. As a teenager, his crush was Mim, but his older brother swooped in a grabbed her up before Arliss could even get his romantic feet wet. Arliss’ grandfather (Grumpy – himself an LEO in Florida) had a set of rules to live by and one was brothers shall not steal brother’s girlfriend. So brother and Mim started a life leaving Arliss to fail four times at being a husband. Mim’s family, now with a surly teenage daughter and twin tween boys, moved to Alaska, but Arliss’ brother died in a job accident so Arliss accepted a transfer to Alaska to help Mim with life because that's another of Grumpy's Rules - family takes care of family. It’s been a bit over a year since the accident and we see Mim and Arliss cautiously circling each other like kids at a middle school dance. Backstory done.

 

Carmen Delgado, a young producer wannabe proposes a reality show to her cable network bosses. The trite title might’ve been Real Housewives of Alaska, but the network bosses proposed Fishwives! instead. A reality show about the women whose husbands did the big haul fishing in the cold waters off the Alaska coast. A fairly large production crew settled in on the Prince of Wales Island to a cool reception by the locals. The usual pettiness ensues as a local or two get involved, professionally and personally, with some of the crew. One young local girl even disappears.

 

While scouting locations for filler shots, Carmen and her cameraman are boating off a small bay. In the distance is a pretty large yacht. Unusual, but still, it might make for interesting background footage. So, her cameraman shoots some distance clips. Carmen gets a closer look with her binoculars and sees someone on the yacht looking right back at her . . . and a skiff has been lowered into water and headed their way.

 

Said yacht is one of the perks of being a cartel boss who likes to occasionally come up to Alaska to fish, anonymously. Not liking that he has been caught on camera, he dispatches a couple thugs to get the footage. And if necessary, get rid of the offenders. The thugs are better at chasing than a couple of LA TV folks are at evading. The two are captured. Two more missing persons.

 

Local cops on the island have enough to do to keep the peace between the locals and the film crew. The US Marshalls are called in because the film crew inadvertently hired a felon from the lower 48 with a history that might make him a person of interest about the missing local girl. Once Arliss and partner arrive, they also get sucked into the missing producer and cameraman in the event the two issues are connected.

 

And once the Marshall’s service gets involved, it’s now time to hunt, because that’s what they do, and do very well.

 

I like this series. Sort of like getting in on the ground floor with Joe Pickett (by CJ Box). Arliss has his issues with temper and sticking his nose in where it might not belong, but it usually works out. I’ve read #1 and #3 of the 3 so far. Just have to find #2 and I’ll be happy. Then I'll have to look in on his other book series of which he has many (to date, he has 17 books to his credit). Looks like Cameron will be a good go-to when I need something to read.

 

And I hope Cameron takes a step back in time for a book about Grumpy. 

East Coast Don

 

 

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

Bone Rattle