Heywood's third Woods Cop mystery (after 2002's Blue Wolf in Green Fire) is another invigorating trek through Michigan's Upper Peninsula in the company of the dedicated conservation officers who protect it. Having spent nearly 20 years patrolling in the U.P. (pronounced Yoop), Grady Service cares fiercely about the land, the animals, justice and a small handful of people, including Maridly Nantz, his extremely smart and sexy girlfriend. The story starts with a bang: the long-divorced Service discovers he has a son, Arthur, now almost 16. At first they don't know what to do with each other, but slowly they move to respect and then affection, adding a new note of sweetness to Service's life.
