First published 2025
Detective Lew Gale gets an unusual assignment from the Orange County Sheriff's Department. A mountain lion has killed Bennet Tarlow, a wealthy developer, in the wilderness east of Laguna Beach. Gale, a former Marine sniper, must track down and eliminate the dangerous animal. He partners with Daniela Mendez to investigate the attack site. Their examination reveals disturbing evidence. Tarlow died before the mountain lion reached his body. Someone murdered the developer, then staged the scene to look like an animal attack. Gale and Mendez realize they face a human predator, not a wild one. The killer has already selected additional victims. The partners must identify the murderer before more bodies pile up in Orange County's rugged backcountry. Gale's military training prepared him to hunt targets at long range, but this investigation forces him to confront a different kind of enemy.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, thriller, detective, action
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-partners, military-background
Setting: Laguna Beach, Orange County
325 pages · Kindle Edition · Minotaur Books