To say I’m a fan of Peter Heller would be an understatement. I would count both 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘰𝘨 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴 and 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳 as two of my favorite books published in the last ten years, so you know I was excited to pick up 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐔𝐈𝐃𝐄. I got a little nervous when I heard that it’s a sequel to The River because generally I’m not a fan of sequels, but no need to worry on that front. The Guide easily stands alone even if you haven’t read The River.⁣
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It follows Jack, about five years after we last saw him. In an interesting twist, it’s also year three or four of COVID and the world has gone through many mutations and more or less found ways of going on with the virus still looming. He’s been hired as a fly fishing guide at the elite Kingfisher Lodge in Colorado. That’s the job, but the real reason he’s there is to try to find a way to escape from his grief for just a little while. Being on the river has always brought him peace and that’s what he hopes to find. Jack is paired as the personal guide to a famous singer, and the two establish a friendly repartee. All of that I liked very much (and I learned A LOT about fly fishing 🎣), but then the story got a little dodgy for me with some out there plot twists. It didn’t feel like the Peter Heller I’ve come to know. For me the great character development stalled out in favor of a “thriller” path, and I felt a little cheated. Let me just leave it at 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘦 wasn’t my favorite Heller book, but his other works still make him an auto-but author for me.
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A big thank you to Knopf for the ARC.

The Guide is a literary thriller by one of my favorite authors, in which Jack (from Heller's book The River) is a guide at an elite fishing lodge in Colorado. After suffering a great loss in The River, Jack is eager to lose himself in nature and meet the needs of the boutique resort's clients.

When he's set up as the guide for a famous musician, he baits her line, carries her gear, and sets her up for a successful fishing trip. But Jack is starting to realize that something dark and dangerous may be at work at this lodge, and that things are more complicated than they had seemed.

Heller explores a disturbingly dark side of wealth and abused privilege--with global repercussions. In The Guide, the main protagonist Jack is as linked to the natural world as are the characters in his other books, but for the villains, the outdoors serve primarily as a cover for nefarious plots and machinations meant to expand their considerable power.

In The Guide, the character of Jack is coping with the aftermath of major tragedies in his life (which occurred in The River), reflecting on his own potential culpability, and wondering how to move forward with his life. But despite the page time we spent with him in The River--when I felt a deeper connection to the character--I didn't feel like I gained significant understanding or dug into Jack's reflections in this book. I was glad to revisit the character of Jack. Yet we didn't really need the character in this book to be Jack in order for the story to work.

I'd be happy to read about Heller's characters just walking around in the wilderness, thinking their thoughts. I just love the descriptions, the character growth, and the insight Heller provides in those moments--and that was what I most enjoyed in The Guide.

But when things began unraveling in the story, I felt as though the tone of the book shifted abruptly into a dramatic, action-packed section that seemed straight out of a movie. I was also unclear in the very last scene of the book about the seeming surprise of a character's reaction. It's a minor point, but it didn't make sense to me and left me distracted at the end.

I love Peter Heller's books, including his thrilling, character-driven story The River, the meditative yet decisively action-oriented The Painter, and his post-apocalyptic story The Dog Stars, which was a five-star read for me.

I received an advance digital copy of this title courtesy of Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group and NetGalley.

This is the first book I've read by Peter Heller and I have to say, I was blown away by his prose, his descriptions, and overall writing style. Every paragraph was beautifully described and I felt like I was transported to the mountains and streams of Colorado.

This was also the first book I've read that has included Covid, and even referenced other viruses. It was strange to be reading about something that we're still currently enduring and probably will continue to endure for years to come.

Overall, I liked the story. It was engrossing and beautifully written. It was easy to follow, but it was also a very slow burn. It took up until the last quarter or so pages to find out what was going on.

I certainly will check out more from Peter Heller!
3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Publishing for providing me with the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Fans of Heller will not be disappointed. Another riveting, intriguing mystery taking place during a pandemic. Beautiful, vivid imagery of nature as guided fishing serves as the backdrop for this quick and entertaining tale. Recommended for newcomers to Heller as well, though might want to start with Dog Stars

The Guide refers to Jack, a young man reeling from loss after loss in his life. He takes a break from the ranch he runs with his father to serve as a fishing guide to the rich and famous. He is set to work on the "Billionaire's Mile" at the Kingfisher Lodge. The Lodge boasts some of the most beautiful, untouched water on the planet. Set between barbed wire and neighbor with a pack of vicious dogs and a "Don't Get Shot" sign, the Lodge is a paradise isolated from the diseases plaguing the rest of the world. Jack's first client is a well-known singer. All Jake has to do is carry her equipment, set up her line and lead her to the best trout. Fishing quietly, enjoying the peace and companionship, all is serene until a scream pierces the quiet and things go rapidly downhill from there. What seemed to be an idyllic vacation spot becomes something much more sinister. Peter Heller spins a terrifying tale full of action and suspense. Many thanks to Net Galley for the chance to read an ARC.

Well this one was not at all what I thought it would be. This is my first Peter Heller book and I’m interested in reading more. While The Guide was beautifully written, it also felt a little all over the place for me, almost like he tried to fit too much into this book. The content of the book as well as the addition of Covid felt really heavy at times. I was super invested until the last plot twist. For some reason, the ending was just dragged out a little too much for me. I did enjoy this one mostly due to Peter Heller’s obvious connection to the outdoors.

The Guide is a high speed thriller about a man who is hired by an elite fishing lodge in Colorado. Among the beauty of the scenery and streams he uncovers a shocking secret. When he hears a human scream in the middle of the night he realized that this fancy fishing lodge may be a cover for a much darker operation.

The Guide surprised me. I like mysterious stories fine, and I like to figure it out before the characters, but this one kept me guessing. Jack, the titular character, is hired as a guide at a private fishing lodge for extremely wealthy people. It seems like a great idea for a job after suffering a lot of grief and trying to get back out there, but almost immediately things are creepy and off-putting at the lodge. Jack is assigned to a famous singer, and during their first day on the water, Jack notices a lot of red flags. What is the lodge hiding, and why does it seem like Jack and his patron are the only ones fishing?

First off, this book is set maybe a few years in the future, with viruses being a sort of common event. If you would rather read about a world that doesn't involve COVID and the like, you may want to hold off on reading this one for a little while.

Throughout the book little things pop up to give clues, but you find out about everything at the same time as Jack does, which kind of kept me in-the-moment better than most mysteries. It's not a super long read, and even if you aren't a fisher, you'll be able to find some enjoyment in the story. It moves fairly fast, and once you get engaged you'll roll right through it. Also-You might think you need to read The River first, but trust me, the author does a great job of recapping anything you need to know to make this a standalone novel. I definitely want to go back and read The River now though.

Thanks to Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, Penguin Randomhouse, and Netgalley for an e-ARC of this book.

Hold on to the edge of your seats for this breathtaking adventure! This book hits the gas from the beginning and doesn't let up. It's my definition of a true suspense/thriller, with just hints along the way of the dangers lurking just around the corner. Be prepared to read it in one sitting because you won't want to put it down.

The Guide by Peter Heller is the follow up to The River. Jack is arriving at a wilderness lodge in the middle of nowhere to work as a fishing guide for the rich and elite. It doesn’t take long for him to start to wonder about exactly what might be happening at the lodge. He hears and sees things that make him question if the lodge is a safe place to be. Read and enjoy!

My review appears here: https://hungryforgoodbooks.blogspot.com/2021/08/the-guide-by-peter-heller.html

Peter Heller’s THE GUIDE brings back Jack, one of the memorable protagonists in Heller’s magnificent 2019 adventure tale The River. When you love a book as much as I loved The River, it’s dangerous to step into the author’s next title especially when it features a character like Jack. The two novels are quite different, yet both rely on Heller’s gift for making nature come alive.

It’s three years after Jack’s harrowing journey on the river in Canada and he’s still grieving both his mother’s earlier death and what occurred when he was in Canada. No spoilers: just promise me that if you haven’t read The River that you’ll read it before reading The Guide.

Jack has taken a job as a fishing guide at Kingfisher Lodge, an exclusive Colorado resort where privacy is valued more than catching elusive trout. It’s after the initial Covid pandemic and the appearance of new variants and there’s fear of the after effects which may explain why some guests don’t mingle. Soon after arriving, Jack learns that a few guests don’t fish, that the resort’s neighbor shoots at anyone coming close to his land, that only a few are allowed to drive on resort property, and that all gates are locked from the inside as well as the outside.

Jack is assigned as Alison K.’s guide. He knows she’s famous, but it isn’t until he hears her voice that he realizes that she’s a super star. She’s older than he is and is smart, kind, and tough. She’s a highly skilled angler and she and Jack fall into a pleasant routine when they fish that soon evolves into a romance. After the neighbor shoots at Jack, he and Alison begin investigating to see what the other guests are doing and why there’s such secrecy at the resort. It would ruin the suspense to give any clues to what they find, but it does provide a clever way to show the power of privilege and money.

Heller’s descriptive passages are magnificent and he makes you feel as if you are casting with Alison and Jack. I haven’t fished since I was a kid, but I loved every scene on the river. His words put you in the water.
“He was almost under the bridge when he raised the rod high and brought the exhausted trout in the last few feet and unshucked the net from his belt and slid it under this beauty and cradled her in the mesh. She was a species of gold that no jeweler had ever encountered—­deeper, darker, rich with tones that had depth like water. He talked to her the whole time, You’re all right, you’re all right, thank you, you beauty, almost as he had talked to himself at the shack, and he wet his left hand and cupped her belly gently and slipped the barbless hook from her lip and withdrew the net.

He crouched with the ice water to his hips and held her quietly into the current until half his body was numb. Held and held her who knew how long and watched her gills work, and she mostly floated free between his guiding fingers, and he felt the pulsing touch of her flanks as her tail worked and she idled. And then she wriggled hard and darted and he lost her shape to the green shadows of the stones.”

I found the romance between Jack and Alison less satisfying than the rest of the novel. It did not, however, detract from my overall enjoyment of the book. Heller’s pacing and the way he portrays evil make for an intriguing suspense novel that’s an engaging tale of what could happen “if.”

Summing It Up: Read The Guide to savor Heller’s phenomenal descriptions of fishing and of the magnificent natural beauty of the Colorado resort area depicted in the novel. Select it for your book club so you can discuss how money, power, and privilege can corrupt and endanger our world. Savor it for the menacing story of what could happen that will leave you breathless.

Note: I have a minor quibble with the novel’s use of the word fisher. I understand Heller not wanting to use fisherman, but I’d have preferred angler as it seems less contrived. Since the novel featured fly fishing, I feel the term angler would have worked better than the word fisher.

Rating: 4 Stars

Category: Fiction, Grandma’s Pot Roast, Mysteries and Suspense, Super Nutrition, Book Club

Publication Date: August 24, 2021

Author Website: https://www.peterheller.net/

Read an Excerpt:
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/612677/the-guide-by-peter-heller/

What Others are Saying:

Kirkus Reviews: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/peter-heller/the-guide/

Publishers Weekly: https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-525-65776-7
“Heller presents another brilliantly paced, unnerving wilderness thriller paired with an absorbing depiction of a remote natural paradise. … Masterful evocations of nature are not surprising, given Heller’s award-winning nonfiction about his own outdoor experiences, while his ability to inject shocking menace into a novel that might otherwise serve as a lyrical paean to nature is remarkable.” –Booklist, starred.

The River was my favorite book two years ago and I was so excited to read this. You can read it as a stand alone, but know that it will spoil book one (you can go back and read to find out what happened). I love the character development and the outdoor/nature writing Heller creates.

This takes place a couple years after the River. Jack has accepted a job as a fishing guide at a very elite lodge that caters to the wealthy. His client is Alison, a famous singer and avid fisher woman. They hit it off and enjoy fishing together. However both of them soon realize that something sinister is going on at the lodge and find themselves in a race against time to find answers and escape.

One aspect of this book that I liked is actually how Heller incorporated the Corona virus into the story. The story takes places a few years out from where we are now and it was an interesting backdrop to the story. I didn't mind it and at one point it drove the plot.

I really enjoyed this novel. It was mysterious, atmospheric, tense...all the things you want in this type of story. I felt like I was at the river, sitting on the porch, soaking in the beautiful country. I liked the small hints that things weren't what they seemed, but overall it still kept you guessing. And, the ending was PERFECT!!! I will recommend this book to many!

I had read and enjoyed “The River,” so I was excited to read Peter Heller’s follow up, “The Guide,” which picks up three years after that fateful fishing trip, as Jack tries to move on by taking a job as a guide at an exclusive boutique fishing lodge in Colorado. The resort is gorgeous and sparks fly between Jack and Allison, his first client. But it’s soon clear to both of them that something is not quite right in this seeming paradise….

Heller delivers another solid “nature thriller”—I appreciated the fly fishing scenes and beautiful nature writing even while I was speeding through the book to find out what was going on with the central mystery. If that discovery ultimately felt a little unrealistic, it didn’t unduly detract from my enjoyment of “The Guide,” and I’d be happy to check in on Jack in future books.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Alfred A. Knopf for providing me with an ARC of this title in return for my honest review.

A well-written, albeit predictable read.
This isn't the first of Heller's books that I've read (I also read an enjoyed The Dog Stars, way back when). THE GUIDE includes many of the qualities that made TDS a quick and engaging read - his prose is excellent, sparse, and his storytelling tight and focused. His characters are well-drawn, too.

I was a little disappointed that the story was so predictable. Also, that one character's presence is never really explained -- given what's happening at the retreat, why would they even be there if they weren't either aware of it, or participating? Anyway. A minor gripe, but one that was inescapable for me.

If you're looking for a quick mystery read, then I think this will suit your needs.

🐠 I’m going to be quite honest with you - I had absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into. I haven’t read any of Heller’s books before but oh my gosh I may need to check his backlist out.

🌲 This book brought Colorado to life in such a great writing style! He knows exactly how to write and make the story so much compelling. The story was also super addicting to read and very quick! You could seriously read this in one sitting if you have the time.

🐟 This book kept me on the edge of my seat. This is one of those books you don’t just read for the plot and characters - which were both amazing - but also for the atmospheric scenery.

🌲 I also loved the tension from this book. It’s set during a pandemic, this being the first story I’ve read during a pandemic. It’s not a super major part of the story but absolutely makes sense for it.

🐠 This book was super well paced - makes you want to keep on reading! It is more of a slow burn thriller but it completely makes sense why! I’m glad this wasn’t super long and I could quickly fit it in this month. I couldn’t put the book down.

🐟 The protagonist, Jake, is super intriguing and relatable! He faces a lot of inner feelings and emotions throughout the book, which makes you like him even more. I just loved how the author tied this character with loss and nature.

🌲 The Guide was such a great and fascinating read! I really enjoyed the characters and the overall plot line. His writing style was also super easy to follow along with. I really enjoyed the ending - although there were some very difficult scenes in regards with children. I definitely recommend this thriller!!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CSxfn_XrNBZ/?utm_medium=copy_link

First, thank you to Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group and Netgalley for this e-ARC of The Guide.

The Guide is a perfect read for those that enjoy fishing and being up in the mountains. 🎣⛰🥾

Jack is a fishing guide for the rich and famous at a fancy resort lodge in the Colorado mountains. He’ll be staying til late October and taking various clients out on the private river for fishing lessons or simply to give them a few tips. He’s excited but not at all prepared for the strangeness of the resort.

His first client, a famous singer named Alison, is a pro at fishing and the two end up spending a lot of time together. As the story unfolds, Jack begins revealing his suspicions and concerns to Alison who agrees that the lodge is a bit odd. As they dig deeper, they’ll find themselves face to face with a rival bigger than they could have ever imagined.

The Guide takes place about a year or two after Covid first began, so the year is probably 2022 or so. Covid has gotten worse, and people are looking for all kinds of remedies. I found this story full of juicy descriptions, but it was definitely a slow burn. There wasn’t a lot of dialogue, and I think that could have helped peak my interest. All in all, 3 stars.

The Guide is available now wherever books are sold!

Peter Heller is back with the beautifully quiet, but descriptive, prose that makes his writing so compulsively readable. In this stand-alone follow-up to The River, Jack finds himself the newest guide at a private fly fishing resort for the world's most elite patrons, nestled in the Colorado mountains near Crested Butte. But something strange is happening beneath the veneer of five-star meals, spa treatments, and world-class fishing.

Heller is infinitely skilled at combining the mystery and fast-paced twists of a thriller with the lush detail and atmosphere of a literary novel and I couldn't say enough good things about The River. While I couldn't put this sequel down, the story arc felt more formulaic and I wished the ending hadn't been wrapped up quite so quickly or tidily; it pushed this far-fetched (though riveting) premise into suspension-of-disbelief territory. I'd still come back any day for Heller's immersive language and page-turning plots!

Excellent book by author of The Dog Stars. This book would make a great movie. Fast paced and an easy read. The background features a pandemic, which makes the overall story more current.

A continuation of the character Jack from Peter Heller’s previous book: The River. It’s not necessary to read the first book, maybe even better if you haven’t as there is information from the first book that is repeated. But if you did read the first book, you’ll want to read this one.

We find Jack sitting on a small cabin porch nearby a small river, creek really, where he will be a guide to the ultra-rich in their fishing adventure during their time at the Kingfisher Lodge. Jack thinks he could sit here and watch the stream for the rest of his life. Quickly enough Jack finds that the Lodge is not all that it seems. He's paired up with Alison K, a famous singer, and she is also needs to know what is going on here, as it doesn't seem like fishing is the main event.

It was surprising to find the pandemic and coronavirus as part of the plot points in the book. I almost wished it wouldn’t be there, but it did help to add to the tension at a pivotal moment.

I like Heller’s way of describing the setting, I felt myself there in the woods, hearing the birds and the water over the stones. Nearly smelled the pine.

One issue that really bothered me was we had Jack's point of view for nearly the entire book. But then we get moments, mostly near the end when it switches to Alison. A stronger book would have stuck with the one view point. In any case, an improvement over the previous.

Definitely a thriller.

Set in a world just a few years in our future - a young man with a past of loss and pain signs on as a fishing guide at a high end resort for only the extremely rich and famous.

After just a few days - things start to appear to not be what he signed up for.

This author describes all the things I love about the Colorado Rockies in such a way - I could feel the breeze and see the mountains and streams. He also delves into a world of true ugliness - what the extremely rich might go through to stay young and healthy.

Great read, very good page turning thriller.