by Peter Heller
First published 2019
Wynn and Jack set out to canoe the Maskwa River in Northern Canada, expecting lazy days of paddling and blueberry picking. Wynn, a gentle giant from Vermont, feels most at home in the water. Jack, smaller and tougher, grew up on a Colorado ranch where wilderness skills came naturally. Their peaceful trip turns dangerous when a wildfire begins racing through the forest toward them. Through the fog, they hear a man and woman arguing on the riverbank. The friends decide to warn the couple about the approaching fire, but when they search, they find no trace of either person. The next day, a lone man appears on the river in a canoe. Is this the same man they heard arguing? If so, what happened to the woman? As the wildfire closes in, Wynn and Jack must navigate not only the increasingly treacherous river but also a mystery that could cost them their lives. Their friendship faces the ultimate test as starvation, whitewater, and violence threaten their survival in the remote wilderness.
Genres: adventure, mystery, contemporary, thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: friends-to-lovers, survival
Setting: Canada, Maskwa River, Colorado
Period: 21st-century
253 pages · Paperback · W&N
Content warnings: violence