Description:

The hunt for the truth is the deadliest game.

Former Marine sniper Lew Gale, now a detective with the Orange County California Sheriff’s Department, is assigned to track and shoot a mountain lion that has killed a man in the rugged country east of Laguna Beach, California. The victim is Bennet Tarlow, a rich developer and man-about-town in upscale coastal Orange County.

The investigation takes a chilling turn when Lew and his new partner, Daniela Mendez, discover that Bennet was dead long before the lion got to him. And while he might have been the first to die, he certainly will not be the last.

Adele’s Review:

3.5 Stars Rounded Up To 4

Wild Instinct is a police procedural featuring detective Lew Gale and his new partner Daniela Mendez, who work to solve a murder in the national forest of Orange County, California. Gale is Native Acjacheme and Spanish, and a former Marine in Afghanistan with PTSD. His partnership with Mendez might signal the start of a new series.

For readers who love mysteries set in the American West, this story has a lot to offer. The detectives are likeable, whip smart, and work together well. The plotlines are deeply layered, the writing is outstanding, and the descriptions are vivid.

This book would have been rated a solid four stars but for the sidebars of information the author includes that are unrelated to solving the murder mystery. The novel is weighed down by these additions, which slows the pacing. Wild Instinct is not light reading, but a book to be enjoyed in a quiet room, from the comfort of a couch, with cups of coffee.

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7836805304

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0DPV1B3LP