ETA: After reading other reviews it has come to my attention this is technically a sequel - who knew! Im sure I would've if I'd had done a little more research. That being said, clearly this book can be read independently of The River and still be followed and enjoyed. 

Author Peter Heller writes so descriptively, it's easy to picture the beauty of the lodge, the river, the trees. It's also easy to picture the gear, the fishing, and the rest - despite my being pretty uneducated when it comes to such outdoorsy activities. I appreciate that. And for what it's worth, knowing what the various rods and flys look like is not important to the plot of the book.

Speaking of plot, this story was gripping. I appreciated that it got to the point of mystery quite quickly, so that I got hooked, but didn't fully reveal what was happening until nearly the end. A good way to keep me reading - this is the fastest I've finished a book in a long time.

However, I can't help but feel like the big twist, the secret of the lodge, if you will, is some sort of Q-esque conspiracy. It left a gritty feeling in my mouth. It's very "Save the Children" and "the Democrats feast on the blood of children." And at the same time, it could also be viewed as "eat the rich" or "the government and even local law enforcement can and may be corrupt." Which is why I'm still able to give it a high rating. It's complicated.

Regardless, I look forward to adding the rest of Heller's novels to my reading list.