Marc Cameron is the author of two of his own series, Arliss Cutter, and Jericho Quinn. In addition, he has contributed seven books to the Jack Ryan series. Stone Cross is his second novel in the Arliss Cutter series.

Arliss Cutter and his deputy Lola Teariki have been assigned to shadow a federal judge and keep him safe on his trip to the rural native community of Stone Cross, Alaska. But they quickly discover that no one is ever really safe in a place like this. And no one is above suspicion . . . When they arrive, the village is already gripped with fear. A young couple has disappeared from their fishing lodge, just eight miles upriver. Their handyman has been found dead, next to a crude drawing of a mysterious symbol. To make matters worse, a dense fog has descended on the region, isolating the town from civilization.

The opening chapter of this was an immediate thrill. I absolutely enjoy the additional dynamic of such rural isolation and the extreme climate. Not to mention the hairy-man legend. I was literally on the edge of my seat as I read on my early morning commute to work. I didn’t want to put the book down. There’s little more I like than a scene set at an isolated cabin in the woods. Add some foreboding and you definitely have me hooked. And Cameron is definitely getting me hooked on the wilds of Alaska.

The rest of the book didn’t disappoint. Enjoyment was on an exponential curve to be honest with you. It’s so enjoyable to feel dropped into a community with Cutter and to then watch him assemble an assortment of people to solve the situation at hand. Cameron has such a talent in this series to generate a feeling of closeness with the characters, and with the setting. With every turn of the page, I was learning about Alaska, the bush, or the Grumpy man-rules (which are awesome).

This was a terrific read. I’m moving straight on to the next in the series, Bone Rattle.