Untamed Coast by Kevin C. Morris (2026)
What an ambitiously grand debut for an author this is. A book that functions on multiple levels......and does them all well, drawing you into three seemingly unrelated stories and timelines that all take place along the stunning rugged coast of Alaska. There's heartfelt drama, mystery, suspense and the high adventures of navigating those treacherous waters surrounding some of the world's most striking natural wonders.
In 2017, lonely widower Marconi Franco takes his boat wandering through that rough, frequently storm-tossed coastline........ breathtaking voyages he'd hope to take with the late wife he still pines for. A mayday call, a plea for help from a lost desperate woman sends Marconi on an obsessive but fruitless search for her. In 1938, Joe Baxter works his job of receiving and sending out radio messages at a remote coastal outpost. But he's also busy, along with two conspiring partners, skimming and stashing away the gold from a corporate mine. In 1982, Anya Baron struggles to help her husband operate their fishing boat. Not an easy task as she suffers through the agonies of her drunken husband's frequent beatings.
Author Kevin C. Morris completely enthralled and fascinated me with all three of these storylines, their characters, and the unpredictable reversals-of-fortune they encounter and endure. And as the book moves toward its final chapters, there's a cascade of twists and reveals as these timelines begin to connect into one multi-generational saga. Also, for armchair travelers, you can practically sit back and lose yourself amid the crashing surf, rocky shores and spectacular wildlife of Alaska.......but you might want to put on a life-jacket first.
An impressive, immersive start for a new storyteller and I for one can hardly wait to see what he comes up with next. One of the all around best reads of this Fall season.
5 Stars (*****).
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