"The hunt for the truth is the deadliest game. Lew Gale, a former Marine sniper, now an Orange County California Sheriff's detective, is assigned to track and shoot a mountain lion that has killed a man in Caspers Park, located in the rugged country east of Laguna Beach, California. The victim is Bennet Tarlow, a rich developer and man-about-town in upscale coastal Orange County. The investigation takes a chilling turn when Lew and his new partner, Daniela Mendez, discover that Bennet was dead long before the lion got to him. And while Bennet might have been the first to die, he certainly will not be the last"--
Lew Gale, the 43-year old detective at the center of T. Jefferson Parker’s Wild Instinct is well acquainted with the mountain lions that prowl his semirural Sheriff’s Department beat near San Juan Capistrano in Southern California ... When a half-eaten human corpse is found in a nearby wilderness park, Lew is sent to find the 'killer cat' thought responsible ... Paired with Lew is his new partner, 38-year-old Det. Sgt. Daniela Mendez, a single mother and a crack pistol shot ... Their styles prove surprisingly complementary in this thoughtful and character-rich police procedural.
A potent mixture of plot and character ... Lew Gale, marksman turned detective, a man we suspect has a complicated history, is one of Parker’s most compelling creations ... Whether this is a stand-alone novel (some of Parker’s best works are his one-shots) or the first in a series, it’s a gift to his many fans. Expect high demand for this title.
