Tahoe Avalanche

Todd Borg

Book 6 of Owen McKenna

Language: English

Publisher: Thriller Press

Published: Aug 1, 2008

Description:

Texas nightclub owner Bill Esteban let his nephew March Carrera live at his house in the Tahoe Keys while March was figuring out what to do with his life. But when March went missing the same night a monster avalanche slid down to Emerald Bay, Bill had a sickening hunch that March was killed by the slide. When Detective Owen McKenna is approached by Esteban, he senses that the man's hunch is driven by something more than worry. McKenna brings in a professional avalanche rescue dog to search the slide area. As the dog alerts and starts digging, another avalanche comes down on the East Shore of Lake Tahoe, claiming another victim. McKenna realizes he won't figure out the murderer's identity until he knows the motive, but the people who can help him keep turning up dead, buried under the snow. When McKenna learns how the deaths are related, he realizes that the last person to die is up on Tahoe's highest mountain. McKenna tries to get there on skis before the killer strikes again, but a ferocious storm is approaching the Sierra. And there is one more avalanche coming to bury a secret forever...

**

Review

Library Journal Hired to find a young man who has been buried in an avalanche, Owen McKenna looks for help to his friend who trains search-and-rescue dogs, and they find more than they expected to - the body of a young woman. There simply is no trail to follow, no clues to investigate, so Owen digs into the lives of the two victims. Soon, he is in grave danger. As in Borg's five previous Owen McKenna mysteries, the plotting and motivation for crime here are complex. Not as heart-stopping as last year's Tahoe Silence, this book is still worthy of recognition. For most mystery collections. - Jo Ann Vicarel, Library Journal --Library Journal

Nevada Appeal "TAHOE AVALANCHE," A Fine New Thriller

South Lake Tahoe writer Todd Borg is back with his sixth novel in his series with Owen McKenna as the main character and Lake Tahoe as the terrain. As in the past he again delivers a tricky, sometimes character-exhausting story of Owen and his Great Dane Spot, warmly melded with girlfriend biologist Street. It's a satisfying mixture by a writer who goes his own way (he won a major award last year for "Tahoe Silence," the Ben Franklin Award for Best Mystery of the Year)...

This time, as the title suggests, the key to it all is avalanches, in this case those set off by people wanting to kill someone for evil reasons. It opens on a blizzardy night on Highway 89 near Emerald Bay. March Carrera is driving his pickup toward the bay when he sees a light ahead. He stops to investigate and is caught in a monster snowslide. He disappears and his truck winds up atop the trunk of a shattered pine.

Weird. Then Owen is stopped by a crippled Bill Esteban in a parking lot. Owen is asked to search for the missing March, Esteban's nephew...

Owen rounds up an old friend who raises rescue dogs, and the two along with the Great Dane Spot and Honey G, a pro search dog, begin to hunt for the missing March. They find a body, but it's not March but a young woman. Then they find March. And soon a second avalanche claims a victim on Highway 28 near Sand Harbor. Owen figures out there has to be a connection.

The thriller climaxes when Owen along with Spot and two deputies search Armstrong Pass off Kingsbury Grade. Esteban joins them and finally is the key to the salvation of the next potential victim.

The saga of the final chapter is exhausting, a tale of men and a dog pushed beyond most people's endurance. Anyone who has fought through deep snow will understand the mental effort required, and Borg nails it.

No need to go into more details except the reason for all the avalanches. It has to do with the $20 gold coin minted in Carson City.

This is as good as or better than the others in the series, including "Tahoe Silence," where he did a fine job of explaining autism and how it affects its victims. Borg knows his Tahoe and he knows how to continue to develop a character. Owen grows in every book, as does his admirable main number Street. Sex is there, but it's quiet and loving. The tiny details make even the smallest character come vividly to life...

He'll be signing copies around town soon. You might want to pick up all six books and shake hands with a fine writer with the courage of his creations. I will. -Sam Bauman, Nevada Appeal --Nevada Appeal

Douglas Times Todd Borg's most recent endeavor, "Tahoe Avalanche," is the sixth in his Tahoe-focused murder mystery series. This book, like the previous five, hits the mark and then some.

Readers will be kept on the edge of their reading seats throughout the story. The only disappointment will come when the reader finishes the story and realizes it will be several months before they well be able to spend time with daring Owen, smart Street and clever Spot.

You can try to read slowly, but the story moves along at such an engaging pace, you will find yourself unable to put the book down.

Like the other books in Borg's Tahoe series, the title gives the reader a clue about the story line. "Avalanche" not only tells a dangerous yet exciting tale but also imparts knowledge about the phenomenon of avalanches.

Just as "Tahoe Blowup" lets the reader become semi-expert on how wildfires act and how firefighters have to attack them, or how "Tahoe Silence" teaches the reader so much about autism, "Avalanche" covers the ins and outs of how avalanches occur and how experts deal with them.

Each book highlights different areas and seasons of Lake Tahoe and anyone who enjoys visiting or vacationing in the mountain area well be hooked after the first book, "Tahoe Deathfall."

For those who have never heard of Lake Tahoe, they will get a real feel for Sierra Nevada wonders. With Todd Borg's descriptive style, the reader actually feels the discomfort of the freezing weather or the heat of the forest fire. So, if you plan to read "Ice Grave" or "Avalanche" be sure to have a warm blanket at hand, even if it's summertime.

Todd's lead character, Owen McKenna, is a retired San Francisco cop who consults for Douglas, Placer, El Dorado and Washoe county law enforcement agencies. As a consultant, Owen has the ability to act outside the local law to solve a crime and certainly does so often, occasionally to his own dismay (and almost, demise). His girlfriend Street Casey is a knowledgeable entomologist and brings a CSI element to each story. (For instance, do you know which bug population far outnumbers any other living creature? Well, you will find out in "Avalanche.")

Spot is the final ingredient in this smart story line. And, is he ever the scene-stealer! Spot is a 175lb harlequin Great Dane who performs heroic acts well beyond the capacity of the Great Dane I owned. With the heart of a lion and the body of a vulnerable puppy he gets himself into almost as much trouble as Owen. But, root for him and worry about him you will.

The most uninque feature of this series is the attention to detail and the obvious research that has gone into each subject. The reader learns valuable information in an engaging and entertaining format. I have never learned so much about motorcycles, fires, ice caves or even bugs. And, to think I becamse smart from reading mystery novels! This is one fiction series that isn't just "bubble gum for the brain."

Some book stores display this series in the fiction section, some tuck them into the mystery section, but no matter how you classify these stories, they are a real stand-out. Sheryl McLaughlin, Douglas Times --Douglas Times

About the Author

Todd Borg is the author of the award-winning Owen McKenna mysteries set in the Lake Tahoe area. He's won the Ben Franklin Award for Best Mystery of the Year, Best Mystery and Best Thriller awards from the Bay Area Independent Publishers Association, and made several Top 5 and Top 10 lists. His novels are perennial Tahoe-Area bestsellers and he's made Amazon's Mystery Thriller Bestseller list.