The Wall Street Journal bestselling series.
Investigating a missing persons case on Murder Mountain means looking for trouble in a propulsive thriller by the author of The Raid.
When someone disappears on Northern California’s lawless Murder Mountain, it isn’t news. The vast terrain for illegal marijuana harvests is also a notorious black hole for outsiders. But when that someone is the family … outsiders. But when that someone is the family friend of the persuasive and righteous Senator Steele, finding him becomes covert investigator Ryan Decker’s mission.
For Decker, the risks of infiltrating a multibillion-dollar outlaw industry are greater than he could possibly understand. Especially when that industry has flourished into the profitable backbone of a secretive and influential DC-based think tank. And protecting its untraceable revenue in the Emerald Triangle is a band of ruthless white nationalists.
What begins as a seemingly straightforward favor soon pulls Decker and his partner, Harlow Mackenzie, into a high-stakes conspiracy linked to the most cold-blooded puppet masters and power brokers in the country. The harder Decker and Harlow work to expose the insidious faction, the harder it’ll be to make it out of Murder Mountain alive.
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THE MOUNTAIN by Steven Konkoly is the third book in the Ryan Decker series and the second one in the series that I have read. While this book worked well as a standalone novel but reading the series in order would provide additional depth and background.
Senator Steele asks Ryan and the team to investigate the disappearance of a friend’s son on Northern California’s Murder Mountain. Despite legalization, there are many illegal marijuana farms in the area and strangers tend to disappear. Ryan Decker is working as a private investigator and his partner is Harlow Mackenzie. What starts out as a favor, soon turns into a high stakes mission.
The story largely takes place in California except for a couple of scenes near the end. It is exactly what you would expect from a well-written action thriller with lots of concern over who can be trusted as well as plenty of information on weapons and covert gear.
There was a lot more character development in this book. It was so full of action and excitement that it kept me turning the pages to find out what was going to happen next. I was fully engaged in the mission becoming a success. The goals were clear and the motivations were believable. The secondary characters were well-rounded without overwhelming the story. The plot twists were believable and there was a major reveal near the end of the book that sets up book four in the series.
Overall, this book was suspenseful, riveting, fast-paced and entertaining. Steven Konkoly has become one of my favorite authors and I look forward to reading more from him. If you enjoy action thrillers that have both strong male and female characters, then this may be the series for you.
Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer and Steven Konkoly for a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley and the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
Lots of action & great characters!
As always, this Author delivers.
Another Decker and company classic. A creative if not scary storyline set in the middle of nowhere, but possibly relative. Same batch of core characters from the previous two novels in the Decker series. A great combination of Jack Reacher and Kirk McGarvey, in the character of Decker. Cannot wait until the next in the series arrives.
First time reading this author for me and I was not disappointed. Actually, I was surprised at how once I started this book, I did not put it down until I finished it, I read it in one night. The characters and the storyline were all such that everything moved in a way that everything flowed. Decker was a character that was easy to get into and the story itself of a missing son was also easy to follow. Living in California already knows about the drug problem and the different busts that they have made over the years in Northern California and the huge amount of pot fields they have come across. Also, about people either missing or being shot at over the years, at least years ago not so much now. This story was easy to get into and to follow.
Everything about this from the first time they set foot in Northern California and dealing with the local Police all the way to the end and what I think is a set up for the next book just made for a very good read and one that was fast-paced and full of action and good dialogue. From the opening pages to the end this is an outstanding book. I received this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 5 stars. Follow us at http://www.1rad-readerreviews.com
Steven Konkoly is at the top of his game. In The Mountain he brings back Ryan Decker for another heart-pounding adventure. Intrigue. Action. Suspense. It’s a page-turner from the table of contents.
Ryan Decker works well with a team of private investigators. His skill set is slightly different but together they get the job done.
In this story, they are tasked with finding a young man who is presumed missing. The tricky part is that he was in an area known as Murder Mountain where anything can and does happen.
Mr. Konkoly has a way of describing events that makes you want to stand at a safe distance while watching the action in real-time.
The Mountain is the 3rd book in a series, and although I haven’t read any of the previous books I didn’t have any problems following along with the book. This was a action packed fast paced book. I am sure eventually I will go back and read the first two books in the series. I would recommend this book to others.
I received a ARC of the book from NetGalley and the publisher Thomas & Mercer, and was under no obligation to give it a good review. All opinions expressed here are my own