Back Track is book 8 in the Arliss Cutter series from Marc Cameron. Back Track delivers a satisfying shift in perspective by weaving together a 1977 Texas manhunt and a threat aboard a present-day Alaskan cruise ship. The dual narrative in Back Track elevates the series by giving long-time readers a deeply personal look at the legend himself: “Grumpy” D. Wayne Cutter.

1977: The Legend of Grumpy Cutter

For seven books, “Grumpy” D. Wayne Cutter has lingered as a near-mythic mentor in Arliss’s mind. In Back Track, we finally see him in his prime as a 1970s Texas deputy sheriff dealing with the violent aftermath of a $5 million armored truck diamond heist.

What makes this half of the story so compelling isn’t just the tracking and procedural work; it is the emotional core. We see Grumpy long before his Florida Marine Patrol days, standing by his wife, Lucy, as she fights cancer. Her strength and quiet influence over Grumpy add emotional weight to his character, showing a gentle, devoted side to a man known for his tough exterior. Honestly, the relationship between Grumpy and Lucy was the most heartwarming part of the book. There were moments that really made me stop and think about what a true partnership is.

Also, watching Grumpy reluctantly pass down hard-earned wisdom to junior deputy Lafayette Johnson adds another layer of depth, revealing how his role as a mentor began, long before he was raising Arliss.

2026: Arliss and the Inside Passage

In the present day, the surviving thief from 1977, Ricky Lee Pink, is released from prison. Driven by a decades-long grudge and the belief that the missing $5 million in diamonds is tied to the Cutter family, Pink targets those closest to Arliss.

The action kicks into gear when Arliss receives a call from his ex-wife suspecting she is being followed on an Alaskan cruise ship. Teaming up with his trusted partner Lola, Arliss boards the ship to protect her. The claustrophobic setting of a cruise liner on the Inside Passage creates strong tension as the past and present collide.

Back Track: My Final Thoughts

Back Track is a step change for the series in the best way possible. By rooting the action in family legacy and long-held grief, Marc Cameron delivers more than just a typical fugitive pursuit. It deepens the entire series lore while keeping the fast-paced procedural elements that fans expect. This book is my standout favourite of the series so far and it would be a mistake for Cameron not to follow with more of Grumpy’s backstory.

If you’ve yet to pick up a book in the series then this is a good place to start, before back tracking to read all the others. Back Track is available now.

A generations-old vendetta catches up to Deputy U.S. Marshal Arliss Cutter in a propulsive thriller about revenge and blood ties on the deceptively calm waters of Alaska’s Inside Passage.

1977. D Wayne Cutter is a former U.S. Army Green Beret, part-time horseshoer, and a full-time Texas deputy sheriff with a second grandchild on the way when a quiet Sunday morning ends in murder and a manhunt. The theft of five million dollars in diamonds from an armored truck leaves two guards dead, one outlaw tracked down and taken out by Cutter, and another, Ricky Lee Pink—two-hundred-forty pounds of teenage rage—sentenced to life. The diamonds were never recovered. And Pinky never forgot that heist gone violently wrong.

2026. Following in the righteous footsteps of his late grandfather, Deputy U.S. Marshal Arliss Cutter gets word that Pinky has been granted release. Nursing a grudge for decades, Pinky vows to avenge the murder of his criminal mentor and find the whereabouts of the stolen gems that he believes is a buried Cutter family secret. Boarding an Alaskan cruise ship, and joined by two miscreant cellmates and his penpal girlfriend, Pinky aims for Anchorge—home to his ultimate target: everyone Arliss holds near and dear. Arliss must move fast because Pinky has the edge. And he has the mind to make the last living Cutter pay.