Changes

Box sets the scene for his readers: the woods and mountains of Montana. The miles clocked up by Cody on quiet, lonely roads, some no better than a dirt track which is sometimes shared by the odd animal or two. Cody investigates the burnt-out cabin of his deceased friend. Due to weather conditions there's the odd clue enabling the police to build up a picture of events and how a man ended up dead inside. Cody can't leave it alone. He feels sure that there's been foul play and he's determined to pursue all leads but it's an uphill struggle. Box meticulously takes us through every part of this modest cabin home, turning over the charred debris. The language and the dialect is local, American and natural on the page. There's a handful of minor characters, some who have quirky nick-names.

And what's even more interesting is that these individuals (in the main, successful people in their chosen line of work) now have to toe the line, obey instructions from the trek guide. Friction can develop ... and does. Thankfully, Box gives his readers a couple of lines on each character but I still found I was flicking back and forth to check on who was who from where, if you see what I mean. Interspersed with the progress of this trek, there's Cody who's trying to catch them up. But why?