Wild Instinct by T. Jefferson Parker (2025)
Much to absorb here for a police procedural, including the book's deep dive into the history, culture and folklore of the indigenous Acjacheme people of Southern California, The procedural itself, taking place in Orange County, is only a moderately interesting mystery of municipal corruption, and murder surrounding a vast real estate development. And there's whole other host of storylines going on that serves to interrupt the flow of the procedural part, which wasn't moving all that fast to begin with..
But to the book's credit, its two lead detectives are a fascinating, well drawn pair and they're what kept me hooked, as opposed to the case they're working on. A young wealthy developer of a controversial planned city-sized community was found shot in the head and not slain by a wandering mountain lion, as was first thought upon discovery of his remains. No shortage of suspects either, primarily a hulking biker-bartender who's been seen in the company of the victim.
Detective Lew Gale, an Acjacheme descendant and PTSD afflicted former Marine sniper deals with both the aftermath of his severe wounds and a lifelong, bitter estrangement from his absent father. His partner, Det. Daniela Mendez is a single mom who's been surveilling her 16 year old son Jesse, whom she suspects has fallen in with a dangerous crowd of people, courtesy of his controlling girlfriend, whom Daniela intensely dislikes and distrusts..As if that isn't enough for Daniela, there's the ongoing issue of her lifelong love of Jesse's secret biological father, whom her son knows nothing about..
Nothing, however, stops the detectives from pursuing their tenacious investigation into the murder of developer Bennet Tarlow, which leads them to twists and turns about the people involved and the land itself where Tarlow hoped to build his dream city. Through it all, Lew Gale can relate aspects of current events to the tragic history of his ancestors. and he frequently immerses himself in an ancient tale spun by an Acjacheme writer.
These many competing elements - Lew Gale's troubled past and present, Daniela's protective stalking of her son and torment over his father and the indigenous histories all serve to constantly start and stop the murder case. So for me anyway, the book struck me as a bumpy uneven read, unsure of what story it wants to be telling the most.
A lot of worthy stuff to unpack and memorable lead characters but I did find myself at times losing patience with the book's various wanderings.
But to the book's credit, its two lead detectives are a fascinating, well drawn pair and they're what kept me hooked, as opposed to the case they're working on. A young wealthy developer of a controversial planned city-sized community was found shot in the head and not slain by a wandering mountain lion, as was first thought upon discovery of his remains. No shortage of suspects either, primarily a hulking biker-bartender who's been seen in the company of the victim.
Detective Lew Gale, an Acjacheme descendant and PTSD afflicted former Marine sniper deals with both the aftermath of his severe wounds and a lifelong, bitter estrangement from his absent father. His partner, Det. Daniela Mendez is a single mom who's been surveilling her 16 year old son Jesse, whom she suspects has fallen in with a dangerous crowd of people, courtesy of his controlling girlfriend, whom Daniela intensely dislikes and distrusts..As if that isn't enough for Daniela, there's the ongoing issue of her lifelong love of Jesse's secret biological father, whom her son knows nothing about..
Nothing, however, stops the detectives from pursuing their tenacious investigation into the murder of developer Bennet Tarlow, which leads them to twists and turns about the people involved and the land itself where Tarlow hoped to build his dream city. Through it all, Lew Gale can relate aspects of current events to the tragic history of his ancestors. and he frequently immerses himself in an ancient tale spun by an Acjacheme writer.
These many competing elements - Lew Gale's troubled past and present, Daniela's protective stalking of her son and torment over his father and the indigenous histories all serve to constantly start and stop the murder case. So for me anyway, the book struck me as a bumpy uneven read, unsure of what story it wants to be telling the most.
A lot of worthy stuff to unpack and memorable lead characters but I did find myself at times losing patience with the book's various wanderings.
3 stars (***).
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