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Back of Beyond by C J Box (view source)
Revision as of 19:55, 29 August 2020
, 19:55, 29 August 2020no edit summary
Box sets the scene for his readers: the woods and mountains of Montana. The miles clocked up by Cody on quiet, lonely roads, some no better than a dirt track which is sometimes shared by the odd animal or two. Cody investigates the burnt-out cabin of his deceased friend. Due to weather conditions there's the odd clue enabling the police to build up a picture of events and how a man ended up dead inside. Cody can't leave it alone. He feels sure that there's been foul play and he's determined to pursue all leads but it's an uphill struggle. Box meticulously takes us through every part of this modest cabin home, turning over the charred debris. The language and the dialect is local, American and natural on the page. There's a handful of minor characters, some who have quirky nick-names.
Cody himself is a likable likeable but complex character. There's no doubt I'd want him on my side though. He's thorough. We see how he interacts with others and this book is not without its funny moments. As the plot develops, we see Cody desperate to get in touch with a small travel company (one-man band really) which runs adventure treks through ''the back of beyond'' - basically fairly wild terrain negotiated, carefully, on horseback. These trips are expensive and Box gives us an interesting mix of individuals on this particular trek. So, for example, there's a single woman (a bit suspect), a trio of young men who work on Wall Street, a divorced father giving his two teenage daughters the holiday of a lifetime...
And what's even more interesting is that these individuals (in the main, successful people in their chosen line of work) now have to toe the line, obey instructions from the trek guide. Friction can develop ... and does. Thankfully, Box gives his readers a couple of lines on each character but I still found I was flicking back and forth to check on who was who from where, if you see what I mean. Interspersed with the progress of this trek, there's Cody who's trying to catch them up. But why?