Forsaken Country

By: Allen Eskens

Narrated by: Brian Troxell

Three fathers collide far beyond the reach or safety of the law in this breathtaking thriller from the beloved author of The Stolen Hours and The Life We Bury: "one of our best crime writers at the top of his game" (William Kent Krueger, New York Times bestselling author).

Max Rupert has left his position as a Minneapolis homicide detective to live in solitude. Mourning the tragic death of his wife, he's also racked by guilt—he alone knows what happened to her killer. But then the former local sheriff, Lyle Voight, arrives with a desperate plea: Lyle’s daughter Sandy and his six-year-old grandson Pip have disappeared. Lyle’s certain Sandy's ex-husband Reed is behind it, but the new sheriff is refusing to investigate.

When Max reluctantly looks into their disappearance, he too becomes convinced something has gone very wrong. But the closer Max and Lyle get to finding proof, the more slippery Reed becomes, until he makes a break for the beautiful but formidable Boundary Waters wilderness with vulnerable Pip in tow.

Racing after the most dangerous kind of criminal—a desperate father—and with the ghosts of their own pasts never far behind, Max and Lyle go on the hunt within a treacherous landscape, determined to bring an evil man to justice, and to bring a terrified child home alive.

©2022 Allen Eskens (P)2022 Mulholland Books

Critic reviews

"The best stories test our view of the moral universe, which is one of the many reasons I love the work of Allen Eskens. Forsaken Country is a shining example of what fine crime fiction offers—a tight plot, intriguing characters, and important ethical questions. In this tale of a kidnapped boy and the men who desperately seek to save him, Eskens offers no easy answers, but delivers a taut Northwoods thriller with a raging pace guaranteed to sweep you along from first page to last. This is one of our best crime writers at the top of his game."—William Kent Krueger, New York Times bestselling author of THIS TENDER LAND

"Eskens provides an irresistible hook, a clever spin on a classic suspense plot, and a series of expertly escalating confrontations. . . . Guaranteed to keep your heart pounding till the end."—Kirkus Reviews

In Forsaken Country, Allen Eskens’ expert storytelling is on full display. Eerie and beautifully told, it had me mesmerized from the very first page. . . . The suspense never flags in this chilling and layered portrait of a man’s desperate search for a missing child and his own redemption. Heart-pounding and heartfelt, Forsaken Country should be at the top of your to-be-read list."—Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times bestselling author of The Weight of Silence and The Overnight Guest

What a mind!!

This story was so detailed and thought out it was very hard to not stay up all night just to see what happened next!! Great narration too!

Best yet!

Great book for suspense thriller book lovers. It’s a page turner and at times a heart-racer!!

Good story, enjoyable

Note to me: consider this author going forward, narration was excellent, story solid. Other books look good too.

Gripping

Well told and a great story.
I’ll read more by Allen Eskens
I thoroughly recommend it!

Great writer, great story

The only negative is the narrator, who seemed a bit amateurish at the beginning. Somewhere midway, he either got better or I got used to him.

Addictive!! Plan nothing else for the day….

Okay….. enjoyed so much but not when the narrator tried a woman’s voice 🤦🏻‍♀️ but still very good 👍🏻

Great author. Great book

This guy is one of the best. Max Rupert is a complex and interesting chracter. Good plot.

Excellent

If you like suspenseful crime dramas then I highly recommend. Good character development and kept my interest throughout.

Another amazing book!

I couldn’t stop listening. I was looking for projects to do so I could continue to listen. Can’t wait for your next book!

So Suspenseful!

It has been several years since I had read the earlier stories regarding Max Rupert, but I thoroughly enjoyed this follow up to that character. The author gave enough background information so that I could remember the main gist of what had happened in his traumatic past. Now he’s involved reluctantly in a situation, where a little boy‘s life could be in danger, as well as several others. This is definitely not light reading, as I really struggled with some of the difficult outcomes, but could not stop listening! The only reason I gave it a 4 is I found it unrealistic that one certain character could do such a heinous act, and yet have another entirely different side to him involving a different person in the story. Obviously, I’m trying not to give any type of spoiler. Nevertheless, I highly recommend this book and the narration is perfect! I hope the author will continue the storyline with Max because he is a fascinating character.