The best-selling author of The River returns with a heart-racing thriller about a young man escaping his own grief and an elite fishing lodge in Colorado hiding a plot of shocking menace

Kingfisher Lodge: a boutique resort surrounded by a mile and a half of the most pristine river water on the planet.

Safe from viruses that have plagued America for years, Kingfisher offers a respite for wealthy clients – and a return to normality for fishing guide Jack, battling the demons of a recent, devastating loss.

But when a human scream pierces the night, Jack soon realises that the idyllic retreat may be merely a cover for a far more sinister operation.

My thanks to Ellen Turner at Orion for my review copy and also for the opportunity to join the blog tour for The Guide.

Jack is starting a new job an an exclusive retreat in Colorado. He is to act as a guide to the elite clientele who pay tens of thousands of dollars for the opportunity to spend a week in the beautiful scenic mountains and fish in the rivers. Jack is to help them fish, teaching them techniques or finding the best spots on the river where their chances of success will be greatest.

It’s clear Jack isn’t taking this new post simply because he wants a new job. As we read The Guide we learn more about Jack and the issues in his past which he appears to be trying to escape, this role is to get away from something or to give him space to clear his head. However, when we first meet him he does appear an amiable character but one who does not warm to the chief Guide who is showing him the ropes. Something appears slightly “off” about this luxury resort and he isn’t accepting it is because the clients want peace and undisturbed quiet.

Maybe it is the neighbouring estates which are making Jack uneasy? As he is being shown the river and the boundaries of the retreat Jack is warned not to go too far upstream as that neighbour is a crazy old fellah who will take pot-shots at anyone who crosses past the warning signs he has posted by the river banks. Seemingly he took a shot at a guest earlier that season and only narrowly missed them. DO NOT GO UPSTREAM is the clear message. Likewise downstream past the end of the estate is also a no go area – that neighbour has dogs that will attack anyone who may stray into their territory.  There is plenty of space in the area of his employers estate and copious fish to pursue, no need to stray.

The accommodation is of the highest luxury, though not so much for a staff member, and as well as a bar and restaurant for all guests to relax in and enjoy there are also spa treatment spaces to allow guests to unwind.

There is an unspecified virus loose in the world so precautions are taken on site and daily screening undertaken to keep guests safe. Masks are worn and safe spaces are mentioned. It’s a set of rules we are all familiar with now and one the characters are comfortable to accept but at the retreat it is all about escaping from the world outside.

Jack gets an afternoon to familiarise himself with his new surroundings and to fish – something he clearly loves and an opportunity to lose himself in the activity. I’m no fisher but Peter Heller makes this sound the most relaxing and enjoyable way to pass an afternoon in the sun and great outdoors. For Jack there is an intrusion into his peaceful escape when he spots a security camera watching spots on the river, a safety feature but one which he feels takes away from his solitude.

By the time Jack is introduced to the guest he will be accompanying for the duration of her visit he is comfortable with the river and keen to avoid mingling too much with the elite guests and other staff. Fortunately his guest is also happy with Jack’s company and the two form an easy friendship.

It will turn out Jack’s suspicsions are correct. Something is very wrong at this idylic resort and the more mysterious things Jack sees which he can’t understand the more he will dig for answers. Digging for answers will, in turn, attract unwanted attention towards Jack. When you’re miles from safety and hopelessly outnumbered by powerful, rich people who want their secrets to remain secret your chances of surviving are not high.

The Guide was a deeply satisfying story which layered its secrets cleverly and didn’t show its hand too soon.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The Guide is published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson and is available in Hardback, digital and audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-guide/peter-heller/9781474623889