Mark Stevens (4)

TRAPLINE is the third in a series of Alison Coil mysteries by Mark Stevens set in the Flat Top wilderness area of western Colorado. I haven't read the first two (ANTLER DUST and BURIED BY THE ROAN), but thought I'd give this one a try, although I seldom read mysteries, mostly because I prefer novels with well-developed characters to plot-driven novels, and mystery-thrillers usually fall into the latter category. TRAPLINE is a typical mystery in that respect, but the story-line is one that show more rips along at such a brisk pace that I was very quickly sucked into this surprisingly literate and extremely topical tale of "murder most foul," as Agatha Christie might have called it. In fact, the horses that served as one of the many forms of transport in this wilderness mystery made me keep remembering "Murder at the Gallop," a Miss Marple film based on a Christie novel (AFTER THE FUNERAL) that I watched at an Army post theater in Sinop, Turkey, more than fifty years ago.

But I digress. Because, although hunting guide Allison Coil does ride horses in her job, we also see SUV's, trucks, cars, helicopters and even ultralight aircraft featured throughout this story, with various elements "ripped from today's headlines," as Kirkus Reviews has already commented. It starts off with a bang, actually multiple bangs - shots by a hidden sniper attempting to murder a prominent Senate candidate during a campaign stop in Glenwood Springs. Many readers will undoubtedly flash back to the 2011 murder attempt on U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords in Arizona. And, in addition to the political assassination attempt angle, the hot button issue of immigration and illegal laborers from south of the border figure front and center in TRAPLINE. In fact, these illegals are brutally hunted and victimized and become pawns in a struggle between ruthless opposing factions of big business and powerful shadow corporations. Coil, along with her partner and lover, Colin, is drawn into this bloody mess when a mutilated half-corpse is discovered near one of their hunting camps in the Flat Tops. Local newspaperman Duncan Bloom becomes involved as he digs for stories about both crimes. Another unwitting participant in this increasingly complex intrigue is Alison's friend, Trudy Heath, a businesswoman who specializes in natural and organic foods with her company Down to Earth.

Allison and Trudy are closely connected in their passion for nature and protecting the wilderness. Allison's devotion is obvious when she says -

"You can't go back ... If you destroy the wilderness, it stays destroyed. It could take centuries or longer for nature to repair the damage ... We owe it to ourselves to preserve the wilderness. We owe it to the animals too."

Trudy's investment in nature is similar, in her beliefs about farming and growing things -

"She promoted going rustic. She was growing home crops with the same attitudes as farmers from the 1930s, before things got complicated ... Don't over fertilize, don't over water. Listen to your soil and sunlight, let it tell you what it wants and watch what thrives .. [She] emphasized care of the soil as a living organism and managing the ecosystem so the garden could take care of itself."

There is something of the hippy mentality of the sixties scattered throughout the story, and I thought often of Joni Mitchell's words, "And we've got to get ourselves / Back to the garden." There were also distinct 'foodie' touches much in evidence here, in the meals prepared and lunches packed. Things like "a pot of pork-less possole," with an "organic red wine." And Trudy is regionally famous for her "herbs, pestos and other natural food products." She and her closest neighbors, Allison and Colin, often enjoyed breakfasts like blueberry scones with poached eggs and broiled tomatoes. And there are lunch sandwiches she packs for them -

"Whole wheat baguette with cucumber, bean sprouts, tomatoes and some sort of olive tapenade that served, as Trudy put it, as a binding schmear."

These frequent foodie touches, which to me suggested just the tiniest hint of the snob, took me back to another regional mystery series I have on occasion read and enjoyed, Traverse City author Aaron Stander's Sheriff Ray Elkins novels, set in northwest Michigan. Elkins, a highly cerebral and literate lawman, is something of an epicurean gourmand and wine lover who often imports meals and ingredients from the trendy Zingerman's Deli in Ann Arbor.

TRAPLINE also brought to mind other books and stories read. The most famous would be Richard Connell's grim and much-anthologized "The Most Dangerous Game," a story I read in high school. Other lesser known books, all about the immigration and illegal workers issue, are John Mort's fine novel, THE ILLEGALS; and two non-fiction works, Johnny Rico's BORDER CROSSER and Ted Conover's COYOTES.

Mark Stevens, like Aaron Stander, knows not just his mysteries, but pop culture and literature in general, with some sly nods to yoga, George Strait, Rick Bass and Ralph Waldo Emerson. But perhaps the most important reference here is a fragmented quote at the novel's conclusion from Walt Whitman's melancholy "I Sit and Look Out," invoking "the slights and degradations cast by arrogant persons upon the laborers, the poor ... the meanness and agony without end."

Yes, this is a mystery-thriller, and just one in an evolving series, but Mark Stevens comes across as a guy who reads a lot more than just mysteries (although I'll bet he knows his Christie and Doyle well). He is so much more than just another mystery-writing hack. He is a fellow booklover and it shines through between the clues. So yeah, I liked this book, and will recommend it unreservedly. show less

Allison Coil came out to Colorado’s Flat Top wilderness to leave memories of death and destruction behind. Which is somewhat ironic since her new chosen profession was to be a hunting guide where she would routinely see death. The concept of death and what death means has become an almost constant companion while she seeks solace in the beautiful Colorado Mountains and the local area known as Ripplecreek. Hunting guides aren’t a rarity in the mountains but being a woman she stands out show more and once again has to prove herself—especially to the good old boy network. Of course, if the protest group “Fighting Animal Torture Everywhere” otherwise known as “FATE” has its way, nobody will be hunting in the mountains anymore.

As a snowstorm descends on the area, Allison Coil hears a gunshot. Certainly not unusual but the actions of who she thinks is the shooter when she catches a glimpse of him through the swirling snow make her wonder. She watches him or her over on the next ridge dragging something and then the snow thickens and she loses sight of what was happening. Something didn’t look right and she thinks about it as she works to guide herself and her horse, Bear, safely off the mountain. Her suspicions are further encouraged when she learns that a local hunting guide is missing as is one of the protestors. She knows something funny is going on and after being shoved aside once too many times when she spoke up, begins to investigate in her own way.

In a novel that shifts point of view through numerous characters, author Mark Stevens weaves a compelling tale of greed and murder with the majestic beauty of the Colorado Rockies as his backdrop. Allison Coil is a strong complex character who quickly comes to life despite some of the other characters who seem to be little more than stock stereotype figures. A first novel from the author, it shows most tellingly in that a significant portion of the character depth is recovered for Coil. However, it is also clear that at least two of the secondary characters have definite possibilities should this work become part of a series.

Where the author showcases real talent is in the weaving of the various storylines as well as bringing alive the beauty of the setting. A theme within the work is the fact that responsible hunting is a part of wildlife management today. That theme coupled with the concept of what it means to be a female guide in an area dominated by men could have become a series of information dumps that would preach to readers. Instead, showing real skill, the information is occasionally presented in the course of doing other things and never becomes the reason for anything.

Add in the scenic beauty and the at times harsh elements, good old fashioned greed with a thoroughly modern twist, along with several plot surprises in the last 50 pages and the result is a very good book. Author Mark Stevens has created a very good read that quickly becomes a real page turner and one well worth your reading investment.


Kevin R. Tipple © 2016 show less

LAKE OF FIRE, by Mark Stevens.

I don't read a lot of mysteries, but I thought I'd try this one, even though it's a long one, maybe a little too long, at nearly 400 pages. It is also an extremely ambitious book. And maybe that's why it seemed so long to me. In LAKE OF FIRE, the fourth in his Allison Coil Mystery series set in Colorado's Flat Top wilderness, Stevens tackles just too damn many things. Things like end-of-times bible-thumpers, anti-big government gun-toting right-wing extremists show more (throw in some none too subtle and tenuous allusions to David Koresh and Timothy McVeigh). That's the negative side. On the positive, politically correct side we have hunting outfitter and guide, Allison Coil herself, who seems pretty squeaky clean in her outdoorsy, close-to-nature, horse-loving (and all the horses have names), healthy life-style. And there's her pal Trudy, a health-food expert. And we have Duncan Bloom, a small town reporter, formerly with the big city paper, "who had developed Western Slope grit and who could bring it all back to Denver in a more elevated role." (I figure Bloom is probably the closest you'll get to a Stevens alter ego here.) And there's a new character, a dude named 'Devo,' who heads a back-to-nature "Survivor" type colony deep in the wilds, which, like "Survivor," boasts a camera crew and a regular spot on the TV schedule, so you can't help but wonder, just how serious is this guy. He has a matter-of-fact paramour named 'Cinammon,' who services him regularly. And then there is a whole cast of secondary mostly unsavory characters involved in an evil and mysterious plot, which Allison and her lover, Colin McKee - as well as Trudy and Duncan (also lovers) - are racing against time to unravel. And all of this is set against a giant forest fire which threatens to wipe out all of the Flat Top range.

At times I felt nearly overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of characters, as well as the way the emphasis shifted between them throughout the narrative. And the constant cell phones and internet search references began to grate after a time too. (Maybe I'm just too old.) Granted, Stevens is consistent in using an omniscient narrator, but the action jumps constantly from one character to another and from place to place over a wide area. I often found myself longing for a first-person POV and the consistency that goes with it.

The story seems to plod for the first few hundred pages with a number of red herrings thrown in, but then the plot begins to gel and picks up speed in the final section. Perhaps Stevens' real strength lies in his knowledge of the geography of this spread-out area of Colorado, with its scattered small towns and desolate wilderness areas. One can almost see him hovering over detailed county and plat maps as he sends his characters trekking up and down rugged mountain trails or speeding down washboard dirt roads toward failed and run-down farms and ranches, now serving as hideouts and staging areas for his villains. There is also that "ripped from the headlines" feel to his plot which seems so popular in much of today's fiction. Unfortunately, his close attention to these things - setting, current events and social justice - can result in cardboard characters, people you have trouble really caring about.

I wish I liked mysteries more, because Stevens is damn good at plotting and planting clues. But I'm a reader who puts character before plot, and, quite frankly, Allison, Colin, Trudy and Duncan just never seemed all that real to me. But then I felt the same way when I tried to read authors like Grisham, Evanovich, Patterson and all those other names that are always on the bestseller lists. Stevens' Allison Coil books already have many fans and are regional successes, so I suspect it's just me. Recommended for mystery fans. (three and a half stars) show less

Many years ago, when Tiger Woods started, it was clear nobody could do what he could do. Nobody had the power, before him, to drive the tee shot so far down the length of the fairway. He made it look easy and the lords of golf were not pleased. Before long, as it seemed like every tournament would be naming Tiger Woods as a champion, the courses were changed and others were marketed as “Tiger Proof.” What Tiger was first to do is now routine for many professional golfers. His days of show more being a phenom were numbered because human ability and the sport evolved.

Frank Ryder is in the same spot in the here and now as Tiger Woods was many years ago. The sport is different is this time it is baseball. Frank Ryder can consistently pitch at 110 mph and maybe even higher. What he can do with a baseball is amazing and it is just not the speed. Though the speed makes everything else work incredibly well. Because of him, the Baltimore Orioles are upsetting the competitive balance in the American League East where the Yankees and Red Sox expect to dominate the standings and the market.

What Frank Ryder can do is seen by some as a threat to baseball itself. The owners are soon discussing putting a cap on how fast a ball can be thrown because Ryder is virtually unhittable. Instead of celebrating human achievement and the fact that what Ryder can do now will be common in another few years, they want to micromanage Ryder because fans surveyed seem to want to see homers and not shutouts.

It should be a magical year for Ryder as he takes his team to the playoffs for the first time in a very long time. But, it isn’t. Ryder has a dark secret. Some of which folks know about as long ago he honored one of the many unwritten rules of baseball. But, what the public knows about what happened is just the tip of the iceberg. Much more is going on in Ryder’s head. Dealing with the past and the pressure of now is difficult when the media is focused on every move you make and every breath you take.

The Fireballer: A Novel by Mark Stevens is a complicated read and one that goes far beyond the game of baseball. Legacy, hope, redemption, and more play out against the backdrop of baseball, being a teammate, and how you deal with the unwritten rules. The same unwritten rules that mandate how you function as a teammate because that is the way it has always has been.

Much like this review that only skims the surface of the book, The Fireballer: A Novel by Mark Stevens is a complicated book on multiple levels. At its heart, it is about a supremely talented pitcher in major league baseball. But, far more is at work in this complicated read. The Fireballer: A Novel by Mark Stevens is and incredibly complicated and powerful novel. It is also well worth your time, regardless of how you feel about baseball.

My reading copy came by way of an ARC through NetGalley.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2023 show less