In the Woods

December 8, 2014
Jones’s disappointing fifth Harper Jennings mystery (after 2013’s Outside Eden) takes the Iraq War vet with PTSD and her geology professor husband, Hank, to Pennsylvania’s Black Moshannon State Park for an ill-fated camping weekend. The Jennings soon run afoul of a survivalist group known as the Hunt Club, whose members are upset about a pipeline project, fracking, and government intrusion into their forest. Could the Hunt Club be behind the shooting deaths of inexperienced hunter Phil Russo and pipeline worker Albert Rogers? Philipsburg police chief Joe Slader muddles the investigation, while some locals worry that a creature known as the Bog Man is on the loose. As the Hunt Club’s head (aka the “sector chief,” though many readers will easily guess whom he is) loses control of the group’s panicky members, the violence escalates. Shallow characterizations and a plot too silly to carry conviction make this a lesser entry in the series. Agent: Rebecca Strauss, McIntosh & Otis.

February 1, 2015
Harper Jennings, an Iraq War veteran with PTSD, and her husband, Hank, a geology professor who has recovered from a serious brain injury, are enjoying their first outing alone since their two-year-old daughter was born. Camping in a state forest turns out to be anything but idyllic, however, after Harper discovers a body. Police blame the body on a hunting accident, but Harper and the local ranger disagree, based on the fact that a militia group called the Hunt Club believes the forest land belongs to them, not the government, and will do anything to protect it. Then another woman camping nearby says that her husband is missing, prompting Harper and Hank to join the search, which leads to an encounter with a fuzzy creature who could be the legendary Bog Man. Harper's latest case will appeal to readers who enjoy nontraditional female sleuths and stories that feature current issues in the news.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)