Recommended Reads: ‘Mercy River’ a gripping mystery thriller

Mercy River, by Glen Erik Hamilton

Welcome to Mercy River, Oregon where you’ll “feel a growing energy in the town like kids before summer vacation. Or maybe animals before an earthquake.” Author Glen Erik Hamilton shares a gripping mystery thriller where friendship is tested, and dangers surround criminal actions that threaten a person’s belief in whether justice can ever emerge. This is the fourth novel in the award-winning Van Shaw mystery series that started with the first book winning the Anthony, the Macavity, and the Strand Magazine Critics awards.

Now Van’s friend and fellow veteran Leo is accused of murder and jailed in the secretive, small town of Mercy River in Oregon. The victim was the front man for a team of private military contractors hired to recover stolen opiates. The accused is doing little to help his own defense, and is eerily silent on much of what happened that night. The bonds of brotherhood and friendship are sorely tested as Van works to uncover what actually happened and tries to show his friend’s innocence. This drama unfolds over the background of a raucous U.S. Army Rangers weekend reunion and town-wide party of a growing veteran support network. Devoted celebrants rally around this network’s founder and highly decorated special operations general.

The memorable characters are skillfully created. Van Shaw is an Army Ranger veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and within his tough exterior he hides a loyal heart and a haunted spirit. He’s motivated by an ethical code formed through his own extraordinary experiences. A loner, he struggles with the complicated emotions of a life of what could have been, with his ex-girlfriend Luce. She also turns up in Mercy River, in the name of friendship. Now Van must focus his energies to try and survive a chilling fight against this deadly adversary who is lurking in plain sight.

This award-winning, best-selling author knows a lot about the Pacific Northwest. He grew up aboard a sailboat in the Seattle area, and spent much time sailing the islands in the area. He now lives in Burbank, Calif. with his family, but left his heart in Seattle and visits frequently.

To hear more from the author, listen on YouTube where Wendy Kendall & Carl Lee Co-Host A Novel Talk with Glen Erik Hamilton.

— By Wendy Kendall

Wendy Kendall is a writer, project manager and volunteer at the Edmonds Library. Follow her via her blog here or on Twitter @wendywrites1.

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