The Guide: A novel

Product Description

The best-selling author of The River returns with a heart-racing thriller about a young man who is hired by an elite fishing lodge in Colorado, where he uncovers a plot of shocking menace amid the natural beauty of sun-drenched streams and forests.“Peter Heller is the poet laureate of the literary thriller.” —Michael Koryta, New York Times best-selling author of Those Who Wish Me Dead

Kingfisher Lodge, nestled in a canyon on a mile and a half of the most pristine river water on the planet, is known by locals as “Billionaire’s Mile” and is locked behind a heavy gate. Sandwiched between barbed wire and a meadow with a sign that reads “Don’t Get Shot!” the resort boasts boutique fishing at its finest. Safe from viruses that have plagued America for years, Kingfisher offers a respite for wealthy clients. Now it also promises a second chance for Jack, a return to normalcy after a young life filled with loss. When he is assigned to guide a well-known singer, his only job is to rig her line, carry her gear, and steer her to the best trout he can find.

But then a human scream pierces the night, and Jack soon realizes that this idyllic fishing lodge may be merely a cover for a far more sinister operation. A novel as gripping as it is lyrical, as frightening as it is moving,
The Guide is another masterpiece from Peter Heller.

Review

An AARP Hot New Novel for Summer * A
CrimeRead Novel You Should Read This August * An
Alta Best Book of August * A
Veranda Magazine Best Book of Summer  * A
USA Today Book Not to Miss * A
LitHub Most Anticipated Book of 2021 

“In his new mystery, author Peter Heller pulls off a rare balancing act once again: He gives us fast-paced action and intrigue, interspersed with closely observed, reflective nature writing. Speed up for the crime-solving, slow down for the Zen.”
—Julia Rubin,
Associated Press
 
“
The Guide is a literary work and a paean to fishing, as inspiring as
A River Runs Through It… Poetic… Engaging…
The Guide is a beautifully written book, a tribute to Colorado, its bounty and its ability to heal the soul.”
—Sandra Dallas,
Denver Post
 
“Peter Heller’s thrillers unfurl like campfire yarns… The scenery cascades in long, panoramic passages, whereas the human characters are rendered in quick glances.”
—Pete Tosiello,
New York Times Book Review

“An ever so subtly dystopian wilderness noir that speculates on the horrors of a post-pandemic society… The enticing mystery keeps the pages turning, but not too quickly.
The Guide is too beautifully written to speed through it, the descriptions of nature lush and vivid.”
—
USA Today

“Riveting… A chilling reminder of the dangers that might lie in wait for us all.”
—
Minneapolis Star Tribune”Heller is building a reputation as a modern master of the wilderness thriller… Heller manages to perfectly balance meditations on nature, memory, and loss while also unspooling a gripping thriller.”
—
CrimeReads”Heller is an expert at building suspense, and he’s a first-rate nature writer, lending authenticity to the wealth of wilderness details he provides…
The Guide is a glorious getaway in every sense, a wild wilderness trip as well as a suspenseful journey to solve a chilling mystery.”
—
BookPage

“Heller presents another brilliantly paced, unnerving wilderness thriller paired with an absorbing depiction of a remote natural paradise. … Masterful evocations of nature are not surprising, given Heller’s award-winning nonfiction about his own outdoor experiences, while his ability to inject shocking menace into a novel that might otherwise serve as a lyrical paean to nature is remarkable.”
—
Booklist, starred

“Heller’s lush descriptions of fishing and river country are matched with a riveting, surprising mystery that captures the difference between the filthy rich and everyone else. The novel’s speculative approach to the lingering effects of Covid-19 is frightening in its subtlety and one of the book’s special charms. Readers l