Stag - by Dane Bahr

About the Book

"It's 1989 and Amos Fielding, onetime sheriff of Oscar, Iowa, is in his early seventies and grieving the recent loss of his wife, Sara. He packs up his few belongings and heads to a ranch in the far northwest corner of Washington State. The farther he can get from Oscar and his years there as sheriff, the better. Eager to escape painful memories, Fielding throws himself into the daily chores of a gentleman rancher. But there is evil afoot, as dark as any he faced in Oscar"--

Book Synopsis

For fans of True Detective and Ozark--"Once you're in the novel's grip, it's difficult to break free. A predator thriller with a difference, by a rising star in the field." --Kirkus Reviews

To stop a serial killer terrorizing the hills of rural Washington state, retired sheriff Amos Fielding must re-enter a world he's tried desperately to escape

It's 1989 and Amos Fielding, onetime sheriff of Oscar, Iowa, is in his early seventies and grieving the recent loss of his wife, Sara. He packs up his few belongings and heads to a ranch in the far northwest corner of Washington State.The farther he can get from Oscar and his years there as sheriff, the better. Eager to escape painful memories, Fielding throws himself into the daily chores of a gentleman rancher. But there is evil afoot, as dark as any he faced in Oscar.

A cold-blooded, amoral psychopath has been stalking troubled young women in the surrounding woods, staging elaborate scenes of his crimes. The local chief of police has turned a blind eye to the cases. In fact, the only law enforcement agents genuinely concerned about justice are Dee Batey (a recovering alcoholic and former detective turned wildlife officer) and Philip Wilson (an overly ambitious and weirdly obsessed young Seattle FBI agent). It is Batey and Fielding's growing friendship that provides the lure that will pull Fielding back into the world he so desperately wants to escape as the three team up to hunt a killer and stop the predator from finding new prey.

Review Quotes

"Stag demonstrates to all and sundry that [Bahr's] talent as an author of rural noir, location notwithstanding, is very real. Without a doubt, his story and characters earn top billing in this novel . . . Stag is an excellent crime novel by an emerging author who shows an unerring feel for rural noir and a shining promise of more to come in the future." --Michael J. McCann, New York Journal of Books

"Bahr's series is tailor-made for fans of dark, Northwest country noir thrillers containing a moderate amount of graphic imagery within a conventional plot." --Booklist

"Once you're in the novel's grip, it's difficult to break free. A predator thriller with a difference, by a rising star in the field." --Kirkus Reviews

"Dane Bahr writes with the story savvy of James Lee Burke, strange but elegant characters not unlike those of Flannery O'Connor, and the prose potency of Cormac McCarthy. Under the fire of his pen, the northwest Washington represented in his brilliant novel Stag burns with mystery and shadow and crackles with indelible life. I'm a huge fan." --Alan Heathcock, author of Volt and 40

About the Author

DANE BAHR was born in Minnesota. He is the author of The Houseboat. He lives in Washington State with his wife and dog, watching his sons and orchard grow.