by Nevada Barr
Part of Anna Pigeon, book 19
First published 2016
National Park Service Ranger Anna Pigeon takes on her new role as Acting Chief Ranger at Acadia National Park in Maine. She brings along her friend Heath Jarrod and Heath's adopted teenage daughter Elizabeth, who has been driven to attempt suicide by vicious online harassment and cyberbullying. The trio seeks refuge on Boar Island, a small cliff-top retreat near the park, hoping distance will stop the digital tormentor. Their plan fails. The stalker tracks them across the country to their isolated sanctuary. Heath, who uses a wheelchair, and Elizabeth discover they share the supposedly empty island with unknown others. Meanwhile, Anna barely settles into her new position before a savage killing rocks Acadia. The murderer operates dangerously close to her world. Anna must navigate two threats simultaneously: protecting Elizabeth from her relentless cyberstalker while hunting a brutal killer in her own backyard. The investigation weaves together past events and present dangers as Anna confronts both digital age crimes and old-fashioned violence in the Maine wilderness.
Genres: adventure, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Acadia National Park, Boar Island
Period: Contemporary
374 pages · Hardcover · Minotaur Books
Content warnings: suicide, violence