The River, by Peter Heller
48/30 | Started 11.08.22 • Finished 11.21.22 | 4 stars
Having previously read Peter Heller, I figured I would enjoy this right off the bat. It did not disappoint.
There’s always relief in committing to a decision, even when there’s no choice.
This thriller is set in northern Canada, where we find two friends embarking on a trip along the Maskwa River. The two outdoorsmen, Wynn and Jack, made fast friends during freshman orientation and are skipping out on a semester to make this dream of a journey. Things quickly turn south when they realize a wild fire is fast approaching. There's also the introduction of a suspicious verbal argument heard on shore, and two inebriated men in another boat. I can't share more than that without giving the story away.
The night was pitch, but Wynn could feel that the sky was moving overhead, scraping the treetops.
I really loved the story-telling in this novel, from the insights into Wynn and Jack's past, to the moment-by-moment on the river. Everything that Wynn and Jack do is completely believable, as is everything that happens to them. It doesn't seem far fetched at all, unlike some other novels I've read recently. There is some darkness about, but it didn't bother me. I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a slow burn of a thriller.
He heard a loon call, piercing and forlorn, and it poured into his spirit like cool water.
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