Alex McKnight is rebuilding the cabin that his father built; but it's October in Paradise, Michigan and not, as his friend Vinnie LeBlanc points out, the right time to start a building project with winter fast approaching. However, he decides to help him in his foolhardy enterprise. When Vinnie fails to show one morning, Alex seeks him out and finds him all set to travel to Canada to find his brother who is four days overdue from a hunting trip.
Retracing the steps of the hunting party, they arrive at the lodge and are told that the hunting party have already flown back from the outpost and have left for Michigan. But they don't show, and so Alex and Vinnie with the help of a young Cree Indian and his grandfather fly to the remote outpost to try and pick up a lead as to what has happened to Vinnie's brother and the other men.
I learnt a lot when reading this book. Vinnie is Indian and the background of Indian culture and today’s modern reservation was very interesting. The description of the remote setting engendered a strong sense of place. But the overriding quality is the complexity of the characters. They are all heavily weighed down by baggage - each with their own heart-rendering story. This really is a 'must read book'.
Stuart Milligan added a great deal to my enjoyment of the book. His portrayal
of Vinnie was wonderful; from the voice inflexion I could see Vinnie clearly,
his calmness, impassivity and long fuse, and then his sudden rage. I know that
the main character is Alex McKnight but Stuart's interpretation of Vinnie hooked
me completely. A great book read by a great narrator
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Lizzie Hayes