Peter Heller has found a perfect formula for combining human tensions and the beauty of nature. I always come for the scenery and stay for the plot and The Last Ranger is no exception. There was so much compassion and hope in this story even in face of the terrible things that we do each other and to the planet.

I’ve read several of Peter Heller’s books over the last ten plus years or so, but my first, ’The Dog Stars’ remains my favourite - in part because I loved the story, and because it was my introduction to this author, who I knew I would want to read again.

I do not gravitate to thrillers, although others seem to consider that his category, his writing strikes me as more ‘thrilling’ than ‘thriller’, the moments of tension and danger are so beautifully written, for one, and I love his descriptive writing, his passion for nature, as well as a sense of compassion for the people who inhabit his stories.

This story more or less revolves around Officer Ren Hopper whose job as a Ranger involves protecting the animals who reside there from those people who don’t particularly care about following the rules. He is friends with Hilly, a Wolf biologist, and as such is deeply invested in more than simply protecting them, she studies them to understand and manage them better.

But there are others, of course, who want nothing more than to destroy them.

This story is brimming with tension that ebbs and flows, but there is also a sense of love for Nature that permeates these pages, and a love for this life far removed from the big cities. There is also love for others, and there is loss, and a rising tension as the story continues. There is an almost spiritual reverence for what we take for granted too often. The gift of this life, this place we call home, and the nature that surrounds us, the trees, lakes, rivers, and oceans.


Pub Date: 01 Aug 2023

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, Knopf

I am a big fan of Heller's storytelling. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC for the purpose of this review. I am giving The Last Ranger three stars. I think the topic was just not what I desire to read about. I was more drawn to the last book he wrote.

I’m going to be completely honest by telling you-I did not finish this book. I forced myself to read, at least, half of it before I made that decision but I simply could not get past the writing style. I didn’t enjoy it & I’m not the demographic for this book. On top of that, I felt the plot to be very basic/ predictable.

Peter Heller has an affinity for nature and the magnificent creatures that reside there. That shows clearly in his amazing descriptive writing that puts you inside the beauty of Yellowstone and hearing the chilling call of a wolf.

There is another story too, wrapped in a mystery concerning an elusive poacher and a dedicated wolf biologist. Our ranger is caught in the middle, battling demons of his own as he tries to head off a confrontation that he knows is coming but cannot see. You will feel the underlying tension throughout the story and know within yourself that something is going to happen. It’s just a matter of when.

Please put this one on your to read shelf.

There were a few really heavy hitting moments that took my breath away and made me sit with my thoughts for a while, but it didn't give me the same enjoyment that I got out of The Guide.

Regardless, this was beautiful.

Absolutely loved this book and will be recommending it a lot. It really hits home for those of us in this whole conservation scene and I found it very relatable and moving.

I think what I love about Peter Heller books is his reverence of nature. In The Last Ranger, the backdrop of Yellowstone isn’t just a setting; it is a character. From the animals to the landscape, he paints such a vivid picture that it lives and breathes as nature intended.

This story centers around an affable Yellowstone ranger, Ren, who has had a very troubled life. He became a ranger so he could get away from his past. His closest friend is a wolf biologist who studies the packs in the park and takes their conservation very seriously. There are lots of other great characters on the right side of Ren. Then there are some on the wrong, including a hunter/trapper who is potentially a poacher and the emerging threat of an anti-government group.

Ren skates a fine line as he seeks to protect the park, its wildlife, and his friends. I love learning things, and Heller does a masterful job of teaching about wolf interactions and what happened when they were extirpated from the park.

This is a very enjoyable book! Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for an ARC.

4.5 stars rounded up

Peter Heller once again combines the beauty of nature with the danger of men in his new book, The Last Ranger. Ren is a ranger in Yellowstone, who is growing tired of the people who overstep the trails and overrun the park everyday. He has a few close friends with other rangers and wildlife trackers like Hilly who keeps a close eye on the wolf population. Until a run in with one man puts both their lives in danger.

Heller's books often start off slow, building a beautiful picture of the natural world. If the reader enjoys the outdoors, this is a great book for them. The suspense of what would happen to Ren and Hilly kept building throughout the story, making this mystery reader quite satisfied with the book overall. If you've never read Heller, give him a chance, then go back and read his other books as well!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Peter Heller is the best writer for thrillers in the great outdoors! In the Last Ranger, Officer Ren Hopper works for the National Park Service. His job is normally keeping the peace and overseeing the safety of camp sites, but when his friend Hilly, a infamous Wolf Scientist seems to be prayed upon by a local poacher, he takes his job to the next level. Before he knows it, he is in deep, spying some of the worst secrets in Midwest America. If you like a taut thriller, love the great outdoors or just want to imagine yourself protecting our own national parks, The Last Ranger is for you!
#Knopf #Pantheon #TheLastRanger #PeterHeller

Here’s what you need to know about Peter Heller: the way he writes about nature is reverent, beautiful and borderline holy. I can’t get enough of it.

“Rich scents of wet earth, swollen creek water, rain-sweetened grass…The sky looked scrubbed. The few clouds splayed like empty linens blown off a line.”

I am an aggressively indoorsy person and I still cannot help but be enchanted by his words. I love that all of his books that I’ve read (before this, The Guide and The River) take place largely in nature with protagonists that are very comfortable and capable in the great outdoors.

The relationships he weaves between people and animals are masterpieces. This is not my favorite of his books, but that doesn’t mean that I didn’t enjoy the hell out of it. I rounded up from 4.5 stars to 5.

I felt like this one ended abruptly and I would’ve gladly read a couple hundred more pages with this group of characters.

Huge thanks to #netgalley for this ARC of #thelastguide

Getting to read this one early made me so happy!

Peter Heller describes the mesmerizing beauty and drama of nature like no other.
The Last Ranger is no exception. The story follows a very damaged Yellowstone ranger, Ren, and his wish to absorb the serenity and peace of the surrounding elements of nature. Trying to heal from tragic loss, he seeks the beauty of his surroundings to fulfill his soul. His friendship with the female biologist whom is studying and tracking the wolves in the park, is an important daily interaction. When she goes missing and he finds her caught in a poacher's trap, his peace is shattered. The tension slowly builds as he seeks the person responsible for setting the illegal traps.
Heller's stories are like a slow burn leading to a great ending. With a bit of a love story and amazing facts of nature and wildlife, Heller is a master.
Thank you to Net Galley and Knopf for an early read.