"A gripping plot, replete with memorable surrounds and spiky characters, makes this second in the series (after Ice Hunter) an excellent choice for most collections. A good pick also for readers who enjoy outdoor mysteries by such authors as Nevada Barr or Dana Stabenow."--Library Journal"This second Woods Cop procedural is well written, suspenseful, and bleakly humorous while moving as quickly as a wolf cutting through winter woods. In addition to strong characters and a compelling romance, Heywood provides vivid, detailed descriptions of the wilderness and the various procedures and techniques of conservation officers and poachers. The tricky, evasive behavior of federal officials recalls the atmosphere of The X-Files, while the police procedure and banter evoke K.C. Constantine’s Mario Balzic series. Highly recommended."--Booklist"Compelling ideas and taut suspense distinguish the second in Heywood's series...When the action takes over, Heywood is incomparable. One hopes Heywood has a long writing career ahead of him."--Publishers Weekly

Joseph Heywood is the author of The Snowfly, Covered Waters, The Berkut, Taxi Dancer, The Domino Conspiracy, the ten previous Woods Cop Mysteries, Hard Ground: Woods Cop Stories, Harder Ground, and the Lute Bapcat Mysteries Red Jacket and Mountains of the Misbegotten. Featuring Grady Service, a contemporary detective in the Upper Peninsula for Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources, and Lute Bapcat, a Rough Rider turned Michigan game warden in the 1910s, Heywood’s mystery series have earned the author cult status among lovers of the outdoors, law enforcement officials, and mystery devotees. Heywood lives in Portage, Michigan.