If you love nature and care about animal conservation, A Solitude or Wolverines will be a natural fit. On the other hand, if talk about the environment and how hunters have damaged the ecosystem makes you roll your eyes, then you may want to look elsewhere. For me, though, this was a very enjoyable book in what looks to be a new series.

One of the best things about this story is that there’s a female main character, Alex, who is intelligent, courageous, and doesn’t base her life decisions on a man. She also doesn’t make tons of stupid mistakes like so many other MCs who have left readers frustrated.

There’s only one glaring plot hole: why would someone who is so intelligent and experienced with being alone in the middle of nowhere fail to have a satellite phone? Of course, if she had one, a lot of the rest of the plot would have fallen apart.

Warning to animal lovers: there’s a section of the book with some horrific animal cruelty. It’s over quickly and can be mostly skipped without ruining the story. Reading these few pages really ups the impact of what Alex is up against, though, and they also help us learn a lot more about who she is and what she’s made of.

I’m definitely interested in reading a sequel, but I hope there won’t be such descriptive (although brief) animal cruelty/violence in the next book.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

Very entertaining thriller. Starts off with a bang (ha!) and I found it drug a bit in the middle. Interesting though, especially for mystery lovers that like to learn a bit along the way.

Wolverines AND mystery? I'm into it. Alex is a wildlife biologist who studies wolverines and one day, she's looking at her cameras and sees an injured man stumbling around the woods. She has no idea who he is or what happened, but someone isn't so sure of that, and wants to make sure she NEVER remembers anything, This is supposed to be the first in a series, and I'm looking forward to the next one!

I really liked this one from a new to me author. The novel was fast paced and a quick read . I love the plot and characters

THE SOLITUDE OF WOLVERINES
BY ALICE HENDERSON

What I thought I was getting was a novel about ecology in the wild about wolves which I love. However, this as much as it surprised me I absolutely ended up loving it also even though it ended up to be very different as to what I expected. First of all wolverines have nothing to do with wolves. They are approximately weighing about 35 pounds and are mammals that can take down a moose, elk, deer and they are a member of the weasel family. I don't particularly like weasels but this novel gave me a whole new education on them and I appreciate them more because they are on the list of endangered species as are most of the animals in this terrific and much to my surprise a thriller. I was expecting some quiet writing about the wild and secluded areas where wolves roam. This was nothing like that and I didn't know that this book was the first in a new series. I am pleasantly surprised that it is and will definitely read the next one that comes out. This novel was that good.

Alex Carter has gotten her PhD and she was living in Boston because her boyfriend Brad joined a prestigious law firm. They are taking a break from each other because Alex has a true passion for living in remote areas studying the ecological systems of animals in the wild. In this case she gets a phone call from her dissertation advisor from the Bay area asking her if she would like a job studying wolverines on protected land in Montana that used to be a ski resort. She jumps at the chance and that night she is on a plane to Montana where this old ski resort is so remote the nearest town is 26 miles away called Bitteroot.

She is staying in an old rundown ski chalet where there is no Wi-Fi and no cellphone signal. The next morning as she is getting dressed she spots a man outside putting a flyer on the old resorts 1946 vehicle saying to leave you are not welcome here. As she is driving to Bitteroot a truck comes out of nowhere and tries to run her off the road. She slows down and the truck slows down. She pulls over to let it pass and it pulls up beside her and stops. She starts to speed up and this mysterious man in the truck speeds up. It was very ominous and when she finally arrives in Bitteroot she goes directly to the sheriff to report the harrowing experience and he dismisses her claims as probably just some kids trying to blow off steam. He tells her she got the wrong license plate and comes across as a misogynist.

It was very interesting how she builds the traps with the cameras and sets them up in various places in the wild with bait and she sees wolverines and also sees an injured man. When she goes out again to collect the SD cards to upload in her computer and changes the batteries she happens to run into the injured man and he has two broken ankles along with broken fingers and missing toes and he is barefoot. When she tells him she will be back with help and he will be in a hospital that night the search and rescue team set up by the sheriff can't find him anywhere.

The women in Bitteroot all seem extremely friendly and the men all seem to be acting strange. The land that she is staying on is protected and owned privately for the animals and soon there is more trouble. What happens next is thrilling and for me to say more would spoil it but I guarantee that this is a very spooky and one heck of a roller coaster ride into the unique sort of thriller that is rare. It really caught me off guard and at first I was not expecting this to be so scary. I will say that Alex is a very sympathetic character and what she discovers will blow your mind. This turned out to be not anything like I have ever read before in an excellent way. There is real substance to the plot and Alex's character is expertly developed. This will leave you wanting more if you like thrillers with very original settings, characters and plotting. I can't wait to read this author's next book in this series and the funny thing is I don't often read series. I was sorry to see this end and cannot wait to read this author's next book. I learned about wolverines and I think it is really intriguing to read about biology and extinct animals and how they live in the wild. Highly Recommended to thriller fans who like to be surprised by learning while they are also chilled to the bone with your heart racing.

Thank you to Net Galley, Alice Henderson and HarperCollins Publishing--William Morrow for generously providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Publication Date: October 27, 2020

#ASolitudeofWolverines #AliceHenderson #HarperCollinsPublishingWilliamMorrow #NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, this was a satisfying mystery/thriller. I was immediately intrigued because of the setting in rugged Montana and the main character being a biologist driven to protect natural spaces and the species living in them. And of course, the promise of action, suspense, and mystery is always a draw. The action kicked off right away in this book when a gunman starts firing into a crowd and Dr. Alex Carter is one of his targets. A mysterious second shooter makes an appearance and becomes a thread of mystery that carries throughout the book. Alex then basically goes straight from the frying pan into the fire when her peaceful research assignment she immediately starts is anything but. The small town of Bitterroot definitely doesn’t want Alex there and misfortunes and dirty looks seem to dog her steps, even when she is seemingly alone hiking in the mountains. Henderson does a good job of building a picture of the beautiful mountain vistas, the historic small town, and the creepy atmosphere of a long-abandoned resort all hiding dark secrets that people are desperately trying to hide.

There were times in this book that dragged a bit for me and perhaps got too caught up in the details. The entire Brad (Alex’s “on a break” boyfriend) plotline was a bit irritating to me and I found myself wishing that Henderson focused on it far less. However, the end of the book was incredibly gripping, and I couldn’t stop reading it. Henderson also left a tantalizing loose end that has me excited to read the next installment.

Okay, I confess I'm one of those readers who automatically thinks of the University of Michigan when I see or hear "Wolverines" in a title. So, thank you to Alice Henderson for educating those of us fortunate enough to read the first book in the 'Alex Carter' series. If you like twists and turns, you'll love this book. It's well paced and the main character is quite likable. Anyone who appreciates the peace and quiet of nature will enjoy this book, but it also has riveting action scenes to satisfy those who enjoy thrillers. I'll certainly be back for the next book--especially because I want to learn more about Carter's mysterious "ally" who remains hidden in the shadows. There's a tale to tell about this man from parts unknown. I can't wait for Henderson to tell it. Thank you to Harper Collins and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. #ASolitudeofWolverines #NetGalley

As a vicarious liver of outdoor stories, this one was spot on! I learned a LOT about wolverines! The pace was enough to keep me reading and I enjoyed the twists and turns. There were a couple of spots I felt could have had more elaboration or realism - like the cat scene (not to give anything away) but overall, I was intrigued and look forward to what I hope will become a popular series! I'll certainly read the next title!

I enjoyed this - learned a lot about wildlife conservancy. Didn’t even know what a wolverine looked like before this book! Or what a snow plane was! New storyline - loved the build up for the series, very clever to hide bodies on protected land. Can’t wait for the next one!