A mountain lion kills Bennet Tarlow, a wealthy and prominent real estate developer, in the wilds of South Orange County, California. Former US Marine sniper and current Sheriff’s Deputy Lew Gale is tasked with tracking and killing the big cat. But things veer in a different direction when it’s determined that Tarlow was dead before the lion showed up. As Gale and his partner, Daniela Mendez, peel back the layers of this brutal murder, they uncover conspiracies, greed, corruption, and political intrigue—and put themselves in the crosshairs of the killers. As with all of Parker’s stories, WILD INSTINCT is fast-paced, well-plotted and peopled, and written with his trademark craft. An engaging story, well-written.

DP Lyle, award-winning author (Jake Longly and Cain/Harper thriller series), Lecturer, and Story Consultant and Co-creator of The Outliers Writing University
https://www.dplylemd.com/

I loved the characters and hope to see Lew in another book. The story grabbed me early and didn't let up. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

This is quite a good read. Takes place around the Laguna Beach area - a man was found mauled by a lion and everyone assumes irt was the mountain lion that has been roaming the area - but was it the lion or a human who killed him? There is much more to the story and much more involved than meerts the eye. He was a rich developer and a man about town. Finding who or what killed him and why was a good story as well as the area made quite a story. This was my first read of T Jefferson Parker and I liked it - it certainly kept me glued to the story line. I do plan on reading another one by Mr Parker. Thank you to #NetGalley and #St Martrin's Press/Minotaur Books for giving me the opportunity to check this one out.

Any suspense novel by T. Jefferson Parker is worth reading all night. What a wild ride this was!

Former Marine sniper Lew Gale, now a detective with the Orange County California Sheriff’s Department, is assigned to track and shoot a mountain lion that has killed a man in the rugged country east of Laguna Beach, California. The victim is Bennet Tarlow, a rich developer and man-about-town in upscale coastal Orange County.

The investigation takes a chilling turn when Lew and his new partner, Daniela Mendez, discover that Bennet was dead long before the lion got to him. And while he might have been the first to die, he certainly will not be the last.

Jeff Parker's novels are imbued with his love of California: its history, its people, its flora and fauna. Pick up any of his books and you will know why he has won three (!!) Edgar Awards. Highly recommended. #Wild Instinct #NetGalley #SaltMarshAuthors

a novel set in California , with mystery 0ver a mountain lion and death of a human., With some native history and wildlife added, it makes for a good read.

Wild Instinct is a solid, well written a police procedural weaved throughout with several personal character subplots. A wealthy developer is killed in an Orange County, California, state park and the first thought is that the developer was mauled by a mountain lion. Detective Lew Gale of the Orange County Sheriff's Department, a former army sniper and familiar with the nearby Santa Ana mountains, is tasked with tracking down and killing the lion. He spends a couple of days and nights along with a K-9 dog and his handler following the lion but never has a clear shot. During a call in to report his status Lew is told the developer, Bennet Tarlow III, was actually murdered by gunshot. The lion hunt is called off and Gale and his new partner, Daniela Mendez, are assigned the murder case.

The detectives figure out fairly quickly who killed Bennet Tarlow but are unable to come up with enough physical evidence to arrest the killer. So a lot of cat and mouse takes place as the guilty party tries to evade the detectives and the detectives try to track the person without being seen. These stakeout periods allow the author to shift the storyline by focusing on historical facts of land grabs by developers in Orange County turning thousands and thousands of rich agricultural land into malls, business centers, and residential properties—all at the expense of the native Americans. The Daniela and her son, Jesse, relationship are also told as is the mystery of who is Jesse’s father. The breaks in the cat and mouse chase to Lew’s or Daniela’s personal focus did drag down the plot a bit; particularly the long sections of books Lew referenced at times.

In addition to searching for Tarlow’s killer the author provides flashbacks to Gale’s service time in Afghanistan, his guilt at mistakenly killing an innocent village elder, then returning home following severe injuries, and a divorce. Gale is half white and half native American. His Indian heritage is an important part of his family life with an activist brother, mother, and new girlfriend, Geronima. Daniela, on the other hand, as a single parent is constantly worried about her eighteen year old son, Jesse, falling in with the wrong crowd so she sneaks a tracking app onto his phone and follows his every movement, oftentimes bailing from work to follow her son. The two may be partners on the job but their personal lives are rarely shared.

The characters and the Southern California changing landscape are well drawn. Lew, Daniela, Lew’s girlfriend, Geronima, and Danelia’s lover come across as complex but real people, not cardboard cutouts. The engaging story is heavy on mental resilience rather than shoot-em-up. Wild Instinct is another captivating novel by one of the best writers in the mystery/thriller genre today. It’s a great novel.

I appreciate the opportunity to read and review this forthcoming publication. Thank you Steve Erickson, Marketing Manager, St. Martin’s Publishing Group, and NetGalley.

I enjoyed parts of this book. I truly enjoyed the history of the Acjacheme and the book the protagonist reads from throughout this novel about a hunt for a murderous mountain lion that occurred centuries before.

The mystery struggled to hold my interest. A side plot with Gale’s partner Daniela and her son and her son’s father ordered on disturbing. Probably realistic though. In the end I was having trouble keeping all the characters straight.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC.
This is a good police procedural, with great characters and interesting historical facts
about Native Americans. I had hoped for more in the story about the cougar, that is one of the reasons I wanted to read the book!
Overall, I found it an absorbing read.

A different type of book. I enjoyed the Native American history. Characters are well written and interesting. Plot is good

This book was more "police procedural" than I am used to reading. I did enjoy Gales's stories of his ancestors, but reading the old book slowed it down for me. I was disappointed that the cougar wasn't more involved in the story. I guess I misread the synopsis. I was looking forward to that. It did start out slow for me but as it went on I was anxious to see who actually murdered Tarlow and very curious to see what would happen with Daniela's son.

Wild Instinct hooked me from the first page. I love a police procedural and this one had everything I look for - great character development, side stories, and a very, propulsive plot. T. Jefferson Parker knows how to tell a story.

The mystery behind the death of Bennett Tarlow III was a good one. And I liked how the author mixed in indigenous legends, as well as the ongoing conflict between the indigenous people and the descendants of the “conquerors.”

I did not much care for the Mendez side story. It was not a bad plot line; just not one that appealed to me.

I was issued this book by NetGalley for my unbiased review.

An interesting read and had stories within the story. As most people have a story within themselves, the people in this book also have them.

I enjoyed the plot and there was a lot of history within the story. I would read another book by T. Jefferson Parker.

Always enjoy a good police procedural. This one had a couole cases on the go at the same time, felt like it was real life. Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books for my arc.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. I couldn’t get through it. Read half. I found the side stories about the Indian tribe very interruptive of the plot and distracting. I’ve read a lot of police procedural novels but this one never came together for me and I couldn’t get invested in the main characters. Sorry…

In Wild Instinct, Lew Gale, an Orange County detective, is newly partnered with Daniela Mendez. Their first case together—the mysterious death of a prominent third-generation businessman, initially blamed on a mountain lion—quickly unravels into something far more complex. As they pursue the truth behind this and other connected murders, Gale grapples with the ghosts of his past as a Marine sniper, while Mendez struggles with her teenage son’s ties to a local gang. This was a fast-paced, engaging read with plenty of action and strong backstories that kept the momentum going. Another solid and compelling crime novel from T. Jefferson Parker. Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur books for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

New author to me and boy was this a great book to start with. Great characters. lots of plot twists and turns that kept me reading till the last page. This book also had a sweet romance that was wonderful. It was a mystery and a bit of history which always makes for great reading. A perfect beach read.

Lots of action. Great character development, a mountain lion is a pretty interesting character. This story has a few twists and turns!

One great episode of so many great books written by this author! Buy it, borrow it, but read it then got back for more?,

Thank you NetGalley, T Jefferson Parker and McMullen Publishers for opportunity to read this advanced copy.

Fabulous historical fiction; intriguing mystery, mixed with beguiling big cat tales living in California’s wilderness. Characters are 3 dimensional and well developed. ( I’d love to read more of Gale)! Dialogue is authentic and interesting. Pacing is pitch perfect. While the mystery is the overarching plot, there are themes throughout that put this book in a higher league than most. The author’s writing style is delightful to read! Well deserved 5 stars! Mr. Parker is a prolific writer and I can’t wait to read more of his works!

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of WILD INSTINCT.

For me the book started out interesting enough. Detective Lew Gale is sent out to destroy a mountain lion who killed a man. Gale had been a sniper while in the service and was the man for the job. He sees the lion, but the lion did not kill the man, he was murdered. That was the lead off to the investigation. The murdered man was from a three generation super wealthy family, but his desire to build a city on some land did not mesh with others plans.

I thought the book was slow and it contained a lot of history about the poor plight of the Acjacheme Indians. That is half of Gale's lineage. It did tie in to some parts of the story and maybe the ending? The investigation seemed disjointed, broken up by other sidelines.

Gale's partner in this investigation, Daniela Mendez had her own problems going with her son. I will have to say that her side storyline involving a priest I found particularly vile and that put me off on this novel early on. I guess this book just wasn't my cup of tea.

I would like to thank MInotaur books and NetGalley for this ARC.