Strike Dog: A Woods Cop Mystery (Woods Cop Mysteries) - Hardcover

A serial killer is knocking off America s best conservation officers and Service learns he is next on the list. The FBI brings him on the case, but Service is also out for blood. The killer has murdered his girlfriend, Maridly Nantz, and his son, Walter. Service must navigate the terrain of his own grief as well as the killer s twisted mind. Grady Service, the hardboiled Conservation Officer of the Woods Cop series, has the most difficult case of his career. A serial killer is knocking off the best conservation officers in each state. The killings are ritualistic and the victims are all grotesquely mutilated in a manner that has its roots in Vikings warfare. Service learns he is next on the list. The FBI bring him on the case, both to protect him and because of his incredible tracking abilities. But Service needs no protection. He's out for blood himself. The killer has murdered his girlfriend, Nantz, and his son, Walter. Alone, and devastated, Service must navigate the terrain of his own grief and loneliness as well as the twisted mind of the serial killer. Filled with suspense, this mystery is almost a psychological thriller. The hunted and the hunter reverse roles throughout. Heywood doesn't disappoint. His cast of recurring eccentric and memorable characters people this novel as they have the others. As always, he adds fresh and fascinating characters and a terrific plot. This is the 5th novel in Heywood's critically acclaimed Woods Cop mystery series Serial Murder is a particularly gruesome and intriguing deviation Heywood's writing style is attention getting and fast-paced; Readers will be hooked after the first page A good gift book for ALL mystery readers, and anyone interested in animal rights; conservation; land management, or the natural world. Taut and assured writing that hooked me from the start. Every word builds toward the ending, and along the way some of the writing took my breath away as Heywood reveals his love of the land and makes the country Grady Service moves through in the way I imagine a great painter works. I m an instant fan. I can t wait for the next one. This is a writer and a series to catch on to. Kirk Russell, author of Deadgame