COPPER RIVER by William Kent Krueger (Artris)

Kruger's third Anthony winner, MERCY FALLS, left lawman Cork O'Conner painted into a really bad corner. Because I'd read it in advance form, I was left in trepidation until COPPER RIVER came out in hardcover. O'Conner had, if you will, jumped out of the frying pan into the fire. He is wounded, but the unwelcome guest with a cousin. Some people draw trouble like a dog draws fleas, so it's no surprise that Cork is quickly involved in another nasty scene. A young girl's body washes ashore, Cork's young cousin and his friends are in deadly peril, and professional hit men haven't given up on collecting their bounty for Cork's life. This is another stellar offering from one of my favorite writers.