5-STAR REVIEW: KNIFE RIVER by Baron Birtcher

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About The Book

The Sheriff Ty Dawson Crime Thriller Series
Publication Date: April 23, 2024

A sheriff fighting to keep the peace in 1970s Oregon faces a shocking secret from his town’s past, in this crime thriller from the author of Reckoning.

There are rules in the West no matter what era you were born in, and it’s up to lawman Ty Dawson to make sure they’re followed in the valley he calls home. The people living on this unforgiving land keep to themselves and are wary of the modern world’s encroachment into their quiet lives.

So it’s not without some suspicion that Dawson confronts a newcomer to the region: a record producer who has built a music studio in an isolated compound. His latest project is a collaboration with a famous young rock star named Ian Swann, recording and filming his sessions for a movie. An amphitheater for a live show is being built on the land, giving Dawson flashbacks to the violent Altamont concert. Not on his watch.

But even beefed up security can’t stop a disaster that’s been over a decade in the making. All it takes is one horrific case bleeding its way into the present to prove that the good ol’ days spawned a brand of evil no one wants to revisit . . .

Excerpt

The Review

Sheriff Ty Dawson must dig into the past in order to find answers to a mystery that rocks his small town in 1976.

Author Baron Birtcher delivers a fascinating story in Knife River. As an installment in the Ty Dawson Mystery series, it works well as a standalone.

From the beginning, it is evident that Birtcher is an experienced writer who elevates the storyline by using rich details and a well-spoken main character. These are qualities typically associated with more prominent named authors with extensive backlists, so it was quite impressive to discover a new-to-me author through this book.

The time period proves key as the community hosts a concert, which is not an everyday type of event. In investigating the shooting of an eagle, Ty finds himself at the gates of a secluded resort recruiting studio.

He meets musician Ian Swann, who is recording and filming sessions for a movie. When tragedy strikes, Ty must unravel a community secret from 1964 that has been festering.

The author uses flashbacks to tease readers about the events from that fateful year, slowly creating a stunning conclusion. Told from Ty’s perspective, the story embodies his firm sense of right and wrong.

Knife River provides a strong main character who takes his duty seriously, even if it means confronting a secret from the past. Buy Links

About The Author

Baron Birtcher is the LA TIMES and IMBA BESTSELLING author of the hardboiled Mike Travis series (Roadhouse Blues, Ruby Tuesday, Angels Fall, and Hard Latitudes), the award-winning Ty Dawson series (South California Purples, Fistful Of Rain, Reckoning, and Knife River), as well as the critically-lauded stand-alone, RAIN DOGS.

Baron is a winner of the SILVER FALCHION AWARD, and the WINNER of 2018’s Killer Nashville READERS CHOICE AWARD, as well as 2019’s BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR for Fistful Of Rain

He has also had the honor of having been named a finalist for the NERO AWARD, the LEFTY AWARD, the FOREWORD INDIE AWARD, the 2016 BEST BOOK AWARD, the Pacific Northwest’s regional SPOTTED OWL AWARD, and the CLAYMORE AWARD.

Baron‘s writing has been hailed as “The real deal” by Publishers Weekly; “Fast Paced and Engaging” by Booklist; and “Solid, Fluent and Thrilling” by Kirkus.