The Guide: Book Review

The Guide

By Peter Heller

My copy 

 I have been looking forward to reading. I am the moderator for my book club. I was looking for a book written by male authors. We haven't read many male authors. I also wanted to read something out of our genre. One we haven't read are nature/wilderness novels. I have been eyeing his novels for a few years.

Unfortunately the book didn't measure up to my expectations. I have seen others comments. They enjoyed reading his novels. I did to a point. I enjoyed reading his surroundings in nature. The writing was wonderful. The story didn't connect for me at all. I wish it did. I learned after reading the same characters in this book was also in his previous novel, The River. I wish I knew this before. Even though it was said this is really a stand alone. I may have enjoyed the previous novel more. The reason I may have not connected was because I am not into fishing. I fished when a was a little kid on the coast. I didn't fish in a lake or a river. Maybe that is the reason I didn't connect to well to the story. But the writing was beautiful and poetic.

The novel takes place in Colorado at a Fishing Resort for the elite. With plenty of wilderness, lakes, and rivers surrounding the lodge. It is catered to the rich and famous. Sheltered by the virus.( not covid- it is a virus that has been around for years). Jack is hired as a guide at the fishing lodge, Kingfisher Lodge. Jack has past issues of grief he is still struggling with. He is there to cater to one guest, a singer. They venture out and see a sign, a warning stay out. And then later on.. A scream. Both Jack and his companion realize something sinister is happening. I had a difficult connecting to the characters. I didn't care for any of the characters or the story line itself. The ending was a bit off the top with a taste of science fiction. I did love the writing describing the surroundings of the fishing lodge.