WINNER OF THE 2019 EDGAR FOR BEST FIRST NOVEL
"Bearskin is visceral, raw, and compelling--filled with sights,
smells, and sounds truly observed. It's a powerful debut and an absolute
showcase of exceptional prose. There are very few first novels when I
feel compelled to circle brilliant passages, but James McLaughlin's
writing had me doing just that." --C.J. Box, #1 NYT bestselling author
of The Disappeared
Rice Moore is just beginning to think his troubles are behind him. He's
found a job protecting a remote forest preserve in Virginian Appalachia
where his main responsibilities include tracking wildlife and
refurbishing cabins. It's hard work, and totally solitary--perfect to
hide away from the Mexican drug cartels he betrayed back in Arizona. But
when Rice finds the carcass of a bear killed on the grounds, the quiet
solitude he's so desperately sought is suddenly at risk.
More bears are killed on the preserve and Rice's obsession with catching
the poachers escalates, leading to hostile altercations with the locals
and attention from both the law and Rice's employers. Partnering with
his predecessor, a scientist who hopes to continue her research on the
preserve, Rice puts into motion a plan that could expose the poachers
but risks revealing his own whereabouts to the dangerous people he was
running from in the first place.
James McLaughlin expertly brings the beauty and danger of Appalachia to
life. The result is an elemental, slow burn of a novel--one that will
haunt you long after you turn the final page.
