Bad River

Marc Cameron creates another action-packed, suspenseful, and shocking crime thriller in Bad River, the sixth book in the Arliss Cutter series. What could possibly connect a frozen body in the permafrost wall of a family’s ice cellar and Cutter’s search for answers surrounding his brother’s death two years ago?

Before there’s any answers, a person of interest dies and Cutter’s brother’s family is the target of a home invasion. At the same time, the Alaska Fugitive Task Force is trying to track down a man wanted for crimes against children. While most of the book is set in Anchorage, there are forays into various villages on the North Slope as well as a trip to South Dakota.

Supervisory Deputy US Marshall Arliss Cutter and his partner Deputy Lola Teariki are very different characters. Cutter is experienced, uncomfortable with compliments, a fantastic tracker, no-nonsense, and somewhat surly. However, he can also be overprotective and have a way of connecting with innocent victims. He also believes keeping a secret is synonymous with telling a lie. Lola works out a lot, has a bubbly personality, and wants assignments that are new and interesting. She also wants to glean all possible knowledge from Cutter. They have flaws and virtues just like everyone else. Readers get a better sense of his sister-in-law, Mim, and her children, as well as Detective Jan Hough who is stationed on the North Slope. Their characters grew and had more depth. I also liked that readers got to see some new developments in Cutter’s and Lola’s personal lives.

The author does a great job of making the reader feel transported to early fall in Alaska. I felt as though I was living the events alongside the characters. From mud, fog, and snow to polar bears and criminals, the atmosphere was fantastic. He brings to life the dangers, challenges, and adrenaline-charged events that are faced by the U.S. Marshals as well as the police in Anchorage and the North Slope. I am also happy to see some closure regarding some ongoing open questions from previous books in the series.

This powerful page-turner kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The plot moves at a blistering pace with plenty of action and a couple of brutal and violent fights. Just when a reader thinks the situation can’t get any worse, it does. Readers are transported into the dark and terrifying world of the victims, the criminals, and the investigators. Themes include respect, friendship, mentorship, family, greed, murder, and much more. The author has included a couple of recipes at the end of the novel as well as some book club discussion questions.

Overall, this tense, exciting, gripping, and high-octane book takes readers on an emotional rollercoaster. If you enjoy action thrillers that have both strong male and female characters, then this may be the series for you. I can’t wait to find out what is next for Cutter and Lola. Readers that enjoy action crime thrillers will likely enjoy Cameron’s writing. This is an outstanding series.

Kensington Books and Marc Cameron provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The publication date is currently set for July 23, 2024.