Bearskin

A Novel

By: James A. McLaughlin

Narrated by: MacLeod Andrews

Length: 9 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

“Bearskin is visceral, raw, and compelling - filled with sights, smells, and sounds truly observed. It’s a powerful debut and an absolute showcase of exceptional prose. There are very few first novels when I feel compelled to circle brilliant passages, but James McLaughlin’s writing had me doing just that." (C. J. Box, number one NYT best-selling author of The Disappeared)

Rice Moore is just beginning to think his troubles are behind him. He’s found a job protecting a remote forest preserve in Virginian Appalachia where his main responsibilities include tracking wildlife and refurbishing cabins. It’s hard work, and totally solitary - perfect to hide away from the Mexican drug cartels he betrayed back in Arizona. But when Rice finds the carcass of a bear killed on the grounds, the quiet solitude he’s so desperately sought is suddenly at risk.

More bears are killed on the preserve, and Rice’s obsession with catching the poachers escalates, leading to hostile altercations with the locals and attention from both the law and Rice’s employers. Partnering with his predecessor, a scientist who hopes to continue her research on the preserve, Rice puts into motion a plan that could expose the poachers but risks revealing his own whereabouts to the dangerous people he was running from in the first place.

James McLaughlin expertly brings the beauty and danger of Appalachia to life. The result is an elemental, slow burn of a novel - one that will haunt you long after you hear the final words.

©2018 James A. McLaughlin (P)2018 HarperCollins Publishers

A good listen

Narrator was good and the story was interesting. It kept you guessing as to who the bad guys were. I would reccomend.

Exceedingly predicable

the prose is pleasant but the story is very predictable. glad I purchased on sale or would have felt ripped off

Bearskin

I enjoyed the story and how it was written overall. Where it lost me was when Rice would go into his fugues or when he went walkabout into the wilderness... all of that seemed out of place and strange. That is the only reason that I didn't give it a 4*. I may have to read it again to really "get" that part of the book, but who knows.

loved it

just the right mix of character development, wildlife complexity, and thriller, entertaining start to finish

Perfect

Loved this book. Now waiting for his next one with great anticipation. Will listen a 2nd time. Reader is my favorite.

Brilliant

Unlike many reviews that I have read, I absolutely love this book. So glad I didn't read them before my purchase. Just goes to show that not everyone's tastes are the same. If this is James A. McLaughlin's debut, then I can't wait for the next novel. MacLeod Andrews performance is 5star. The summary's description is awesome and sums this story up well. Just had to give it a shot after hearing the audio sample. The ending is brilliant, and left me wanting more. My only hope is that you dear listener enjoy it as much as I did. Thanks heaps to everyone who made this an audio journey worth taking

An Amazing First Effort

The characters are incredibly compelling and the language is artful. A beautifully written book really. I am looking forward to more from him.

Great narration, gritty story with literary flavor

Not quite what I expected, but engaging with a quick pace, but also thoughtful and full of lush language. I'm not sure why other reviewers complain about the reader, I thought he was fantastic. A quick beach read loaded with guilty pleasure plot points that didn't make me feel emptyheaded (I'm looking at you, James Patterson).

Good premise and writing but ultimately a bore

I liked the idea of the book and even enjoyed the writing in much of it. But the devil's in the details and a lot of the characters and plot points were flat and somewhat unbelievable. I found a lot of it paradoxically outlandish but boring. I wish a lot of the story was more simple and straight-forward. His sabbatical in the forest was confusing and unnessary as was a lot of the backstory re: the cartel. It's difficult to pinpoint exactly why a book does or doesn't work, but I can say with confidence much of this book does not work.

Very enjoyable book

I found it difficult to put down. I do hope there is a sequel in the works.