Strike Dog

June 25, 2007
Heywood brings to life Michigan's Upper Peninsula in his predictable fifth novel to feature conservation detective Grady Service (after 2005's Running Dark
), though an implausible plot fails to match the rich rural setting. Soon after Service's son and his girlfriend die in an auto accident, the grief-stricken Service finds evidence indicating their vehicle was forced off the road. Before his private inquiry can make much progress, an untrustworthy FBI special agent, Tatie Monica, enlists Service to pursue a murderer who has targeted conservation agents across the U.S., using an obscure and gruesome Viking pattern of mutilations. An improbable cameo by George W. Bush injects some lame humor (“You ain't one-a them Dem'crats, are ya, big guy?” the president asks Service), while the eventual revelation of the connection between the trail of bodies and the fatal accident will surprise few.

Starred review from July 1, 2007
Grady Service, in shock from his own personal loss, is ordered by the FBI to work on a longstanding serial killer case. Someone is knocking off the top Fish and Game officers nationwide. That someone also murdered Grady's girlfriend and son. Heywood's fifth "Woods Cop" mystery (after "Running Dark") features a fast-paced plot revolving around a progressively more dangerous situation. Putting the thrill back in thriller, this nail-biting read will appeal to fans of C.J. Box's wildnerness series and Thomas Perry's Jane Whiteside novels. Heywood lives in Portage, MI.

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.