If Jack Carr’s Savage Son, Marc Cameron’s Stone Cross and Nelson DeMille’s The Charm School had a Ménage à Trois on the set of Yellowstone, the result would be a love child named Sleeping Bear. Quite the image, right? Sorry not sorry. Because while this book is fantastic on its own, the reading experience is enhanced via incorporation of elements from classic and modern thrillers that many fans of the genre will have read. This results in Sleeping Bear providing a fresh and creative storyline that simultaneously brings up familiar memories from past novels. That’s one hell of a trick for an author to pull off, let alone one who is just emerging on the scene. But more on that later.
Sleeping Bear follows Cassie Gale as she goes off the grid in Alaska to clear her mind and attempt to deal with traumatic events of her past. But when she disappears under suspicious circumstances, it kicks off a search and rescue mission the likes of which rural Alaska doesn’t usually experience. This is in part to Jim Gale, Cassie’s father, who will stop at nothing to find his daughter. However, as the investigation progresses, danger lurks around every corner and pulls Jim deeper and deeper into the secret life of his past. Meanwhile, Cassie is fighting for survival. Not in the Alaskan wilderness, but from a dangerous game she’s been dropped into among the Russian hinterlands. And it will take every skill the Gales possess to outwit and survive their powerful opponent’s will for revenge.
Sleeping Bear is a story about many things. It’s about trauma, human darkness, power, and revenge. It’s about old adversaries – Russia and the USA – facing off once again. It’s about trying to outrun your past to live a worthy life. It’s about resilience and good triumphing over evil…or at least attempting to do so. But more than anything, this book is about family and the lengths you would go to in order to save the ones you love from those who would do them harm.
This book moves at a breakneck speed akin to a F-22 hitting the afterburners in pursuit to intercept a MiG-35. It thrusts you forward with desperation to see what happens next, like finding out the next development will provide you with the oxygen you need to survive, yet finding you are still gasping for more breath. Why does this happen? Because you become emotionally invested to this character-driven story. The author masterfully develops the characters throughout the book, giving the reader intense feelings towards what they want to see transpire for each one while knowing that no one is safe.
Lastly, can we please talk about how this is a DEBUT NOVEL? How is that even possible? Sleeping Bear is implausibly phenomenal! Connor Sullivan crushed it! If this is what he has to offer the first time out, then it’s easy to predict he will be the next big star of the genre. I cannot wait to see what Connor has in store for thriller fans going forward.
I highly recommend you pre-order Sleeping Bear. It’s a must read for thriller fans. And be warned – once you start it’ll be near impossible to put down. So plan accordingly. If you can, it would be wise to take the day off, turn off the electronics, and be ready to immerse yourself completely in this thrill ride.
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