I was not aware that this book was a sequel, so I didn't know the backstory of Jack and his friend Wynn.

This book picks up after the incidents in the first book and Jack is dealing with PTSD. Pretty soon, he is sleuth trying to solve a mystery.

As all gothic books, this one is sinister and atmospheric while Jack tries to solve the mystery of what is happening at the lodge.

Enjoyed this but felt that his other works were more of a fit for me. I love Heller's writing but think the plot of this one ended up distracting from what the story could have been and for me that detracted from the reading. Still, I enjoyed spending time in this world and with these characters, I like the way Heller writes about nature and conflict and explores the issues that come up when man and nature interact and struggle. I would recommend this to several people I know who enjoy books with themes of nature and wilderness and some suspense.

I was not sure what to expect from this novel but it was full of surprises! Very interesting! Well written, with great character details. Not too hard to follow!

Peter Heller does not disappoint! He’s back with another action packed literary thriller. I loved how it picked up after The River and re-introduced us to Jack’s world.

Heller has an amazing ability to paint scenic descriptions with words. It feels like you’re there.

I just love the way Peter Heller writes. Nature always seems to be his main character. Heller's characters are relatable through their preference to a beautiful landscape over the rat race of life. The Guide brought back one of my favorite characters and I enjoyed reading more on him after The River. I look forward to anything by Peter Heller!

Really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the authors previous novels as well. I will recommend this book to others in my book club.

I definitely missed the friend dynamic we had in The River but I did like the female main character in this book. The storyline was a bit outlandish and the nature writing that so captivated me in the first book was a bit lacking this go around. Not sure we needed a second book with the same character(s) but going to give other Heller books a try.

When you find a book like this you want to savor it slowly but then again you're in a hurry to see what happens next. This book is just that way and the whole time you're pretty much outside so that makes it even better to me. I have never tried Fly Fishing but watching the movie the River Runs through it then it is a wonder to watch and if this book becomes a movie then all the better for it.

The Guide is an absolute winner. It is smart, literate, and the slam-bang finale is as audacious as it is frightening. See my review at Mystery Scene Magazine.

Jack is still affected by the events of a previous and traumatic canoe trip when he begins working as a fly-fishing guide for the well-heeled and wealthy visiting a high-end wilderness resort in Colorado. He finds the environment of the river and nature able to bring him a sense of peace and contentment that has been missing for some time.

Jack becomes the guide to famous singer Allison and it is evident that they have more than a passing interest in each other. With this relationship as a backdrop the story quickly becomes a suspenseful thriller as there is definitely something hinkey happening at the resort.

Peter Heller, with skill captures the peace and rugged beauty of nature, the romanitc interplay between Jack and Allison, and builds the suspense with taut dialogue. If you have read the River you will enjoy this continuation of Jacks story. If you haven’t - not to worry this tale stands alone and may encourage you to check out The River.

I am a big fan of Peter Heller’s, and have enjoyed pretty much al of his books. But I didn’t really connect this one as much as his prior novels. I thought it started out very well, but then the plot took a preposterous turn and I ended up not loving it. This book, by the way, is a sequel of sorts of his last book, The River, which I really loved.

Peter Heller has an incredible way with words and an obvious love for the natural world. In this novel, he continues the story of Jack, a young man whom readers first met in his stunning novel The River. In this book, Jack takes a job at an exclusive, high end fishing resort in the mountains. In the beginning, it seems like a dream job. He is assigned work as a guide for a famous singer, taking her to the best spots in a pristine river. The dream quickly begins to unravel, however, as Jack discovers that everything is not as it seems and something rather sinister is afoot. Heller again blends gorgeous prose with a suspenseful plot that will keep you on your toes. Readers will appreciate the ties to The River, but The Guide absolutely stands alone.

This was a totally engrossing read from beginning to end. Great descriptions of the resort, beside the pristine river, behind the huge iron gate that locks the billionaire guests inside--work to set the scene that Jack encounters when he goes to work there as a fishing guide. He is assigned to be the guide to a famous female singer. They become close friends during their hours of fishing, joining forces to uncover the sinister happenings on an adjoining property--a property protected by attack dogs and threatening signs. Lots of action, intrigue, and mystery set against a backdrop of overwhelming natural beauty make this book a very satisfying read. And the fly fishing scenes are amazing.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this advance copy for me to read and review.

Interesting story line about a suspicious fishing resort. It kept me turning the page. I was a little disappointed in the ending because it felt a little anticlimactic. This book would probably appeal more to men.

After the death of his friend on a canoe trip, Jack finds work at a secluded resort where he guides guests who would like to fish or explore the area. There are signs that something is not right at the resort, including the sudden leaving of the guide he has replaced on short notice.

If you are looking for a genre-blending page-turner to read in one day, have I got the book for you! The Guide is a companion novel (not quite a sequel) to Peter Heller’s The River. Jack is now a newly hired fishing guide at an elite resort deep in the Colorado mountains. But not all is as it seems along this “Billionaire’s Mile” of pristine river. The beautiful canyon also hides a shocking secret, and Jack's unslaked curiosity may put him in the crosshairs. Also, there is a virus [see book cover]. I really loved The River, and I was a little worried that The Guide might be too much of a good thing (nature! celebrity clients! contagion!) but it all works perfectly. The plot is tightly paced and the nature writing is gorgeous. Start with The River, and add The Guide to your #tbr!

This was a thoroughly entertaining—though not quite as compelling—sequel to The River. It is still quite good.

Guess what I know about fly-fishing? Zip. Nada. Diddly squat. But it didn’t matter because Peter Heller told me all about it. Have I been to a fancy resort for the uber-wealthy in the Colorado wilderness? Nope, but Peter Heller told me all about it. Kingfisher Lodge, boutique fishing at its finest, is nestled in a canyon along the most pristine river water on the planet, and locked behind a heavy gate. Sandwiched between barbed wire and a meadow with a sign that reads Don’t Get Shot! Kingfisher offers a respite from Covid for wealthy clients and for newly arrived fishing guide, Jack, a return to normalcy. Jack has lost both his mother and his best friend and blames himself for both deaths, heavy emotional baggage for a young man to carry. When he is assigned to guide a well-known singer, his only job is to rig her line, carry her gear, and steer her to the best trout he can find. Then a scream pierces the night.

“And a spiderweb’s gleamings in the exposed roots of a cut bank. And in a tailwater pool: the spreading rings of rising trout, dapping silently like slow rain.” Peter Heller, The Guide.

The Guide is intricately plotted, with a lush, lyrical, poetic style. Heller’s vivid descriptions of the gorgeous setting made me feel as if I was there, not reading about it here on the flat plains of Minnesota. It’s an unconventional, fast-paced thriller without the gore factor, which is always a plus. Another bonus? It is about Covid three years in the future, but the virus is not a major plot point. Other novels I’ve recently read dwell on it, as if we don’t hear enough about it in our everyday lives. By the way, although The Guide is a follow-up to The River, it works as a standalone. I didn’t think I’d like the novel at first because it was about a fly-fishing—sheesh, I don’t even like trout—but by the time I finished the book, I thought standing in a cold river flicking a fly rod sounded like a great idea. This was my first book by Peter Heller, and it won’t be my last.

Publication Date: August 2021
Genre: Thriller and Suspense
Read-alikes: A Solitude of Wolverines by Alice Henderson, Bearskin by James A. McLaughlin, Hunters in the Dark by Lawrence Osborne

• I received a digital review copy from NetGalley and the publisher for my honest feedback.
• I supplemented the book with audio, narrated by the talented Mark Deakins, whose credits include novels by John Grisham, Jodi Picoult, Gillian Flynn, and Pat Conroy.

I first read Peter Heller's Dog Stars many years ago and instantly became a fan. This book, a companion to the heart stopping The River, is so beautifully written and ALSO suspenseful in just the right measure that keeps me gulping up page after page. To write this kind of story with such regard for the natural beauty and such care each crafted sentence is truly a feat. I can't wait for his next book!

The Guide by Peter Heller
The Guide by Peter Heller is somewhat of a prequal to his previous, The River. However, The Guide can still work as a stand-alone book. I hadn't read The River and don't feel as if I needed to read it first.
So something had happened in Jack's past but his new job as a fly-fishing guide in Colorado brings him a calm and peace. But strange things start to occur around the resort where Jack works. A somewhat of a slow-burn but then! The ending packs a real punch!
This is my first book by Peter Heller but won't be my last. I enjoyed The Guide and now I'm dashing out to get The River.
Thank you Netgalley for my advanced readers copy of The Guide in exchange for my review.